Tennessee Softball All-American Taylor Pannell transfers to Texas Tech

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - One of the biggest transfer portal exits in Tennessee softball history took place on Thursday afternoon. Less than 12 hours after news broke of her entry into the transfer portal, Taylor Pannell announced her commitment to national runner-up Texas Tech.

Pannell led the Tennessee offense in almost every statistical category in 2025, including batting average, hits, and RBI.

During Tennessee’s run to the Women’s College World Series semi-final, Pannell batted .398 with 16 home runs and 65 RBI. Her 74 hits were the most by any Lady Vol last season. She also led the team in batting average and RBI.

The Illinois native was a two-time All-SEC selection during her time on Rocky Top. She leaves Tennessee with a .351 career batting average, 25 home runs, and 102 RBI.