The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame announced its 2026 honorees on Wednesday afternoon, with one figure from the University of Tennessee receiving an award.
According to a post on social media, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame has named Lady Vols softball pitcher Karlyn Pickens the co-Female Amateur Player of the Year. She shares the award with Belmont pitcher Maya Johnson.
Other notable honors on Wednesday from the Volunteer State include Diego Pavia being named the Male Amateur Player of the Year, Vanderbilt AD Candice Storey Lee as the Tennesseean of the Year, Nashville F.C. as the Professional Team of the Year, Titans DT Jeffery Simmons as the Professional Athlete of the Year, and Middle Tennessee women’s basketball coach Rick Insell as the winner of the Pat Summitt Lifetime Achievement Award.
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.
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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.
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.
After previously climbing to a No. 1 ranking earlier in the season, Pickens helped the Lady Vols earn a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament as the seventh-highest overall team. Pickens and the Lady Vols will host the Knoxville Regional this weekend, with their first matchup against Northern Kentucky on Friday evening.
On May 4, Pickens was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the AUSL (Athletes Unlimited Softball League) Draft by the Carolina Blaze.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for full coverage of Tennessee Softball’s run through the NCAA Tournament.
The 2026 Female Amateur Players of the Year, Presented by the @TSSAA are @Vol_Softball pitcher Karlyn Pickens and @BelmontSoftball pitcher Maya Johnson
AdvertisementThe 2026 Male Amateur Player of the Year is @VandyFootball QB Diego Pavia
Full Story: https://t.co/87RqwzgiOJ pic.twitter.com/y02dsuwAM0
— Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame (@theTSHF) May 13, 2026
