Tennessee softball ace pitcher Karlyn Pickens has been selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) Draft. The North Carolina native will join the Carolina Blaze in the upcoming season as the top selection in the draft.
The AUSL comprises six teams in the United States. It is entering its second season, beginning on June 9. This makes Pickens the second-ever first overall pick in league history.
Pickens is currently rounding out her fourth and final collegiate season after an extremely successful career at Tennessee under Karen Weekly. The record holder for fastest ever softball pitch (79.4 mph), she is a two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year, two-time All-SEC First-Team member and a consensus All-American.
That isn’t even counting the awards she’s on track to reel in for the 2026 season, as well. On the season, despite battling an injury suffered near the start of the SEC slate, Pickens owns a 1.44 ERA and a 13-7 record. In 112.0 innings pitched, she has struck out 154 batters with opponents hitting just .126 off of her.
Karlyn Pickens goes No. 1 overall to the Carolina Blaze! pic.twitter.com/tvZwuUYJEO
— Tennessee Softball (@Vol_Softball) May 4, 2026
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While the numbers certainly flash, this statistically isn’t Pickens’ best year, either. In 2024, she owned a 1.12 ERA and a 22-7 record. In 2025, she posted a 1.17 ERA and a 25-11 mark.
As a freshman and junior, Pickens was a key piece on teams that made runs to the Women’s College World Series. Now, in her final year, the Lady Vols have proven to be a top team in the country. Tennessee rose to No. 1 in the nation early in the year and is in the hunt for a top-eight overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Next, it’s the SEC Tournament, though. The Lady Vols will kick off the event on Wednesday night as the 5-seed against the winner between 12-seed South Carolina and 13-seed Ole Miss in the second round of the single-elimination event.
