Tennessee star Karlyn Pickens sets NCAA record for fastest pitch: See comparisons
If the No. 9 UCLA Bruins hope to move on in the Women's College World Series, they'll have to get by pitcher who earlier in the NCAA tournament set the record for the fastest pitch ever thrown.
No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers' ace Karlyn Pickens will take the mound Sunday in the SEC vs. Big Ten matchup in the third elimination game of the Women's College World Series. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. ET on ESPN at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
No. 7 Tennessee entered its Women's College World Series elimination game against No. 3 Florida reeling from a walk-off loss to No. 2 Oklahoma. UCLA lost Saturday by No. 12 Texas Tech 3-1.
How fast does Tennessee softball's Karlyn Pickens throw?
In Game 1 of the Knoxville Super Regional, the Vols' right-hander set a new NCAA record for fastest pitch recorded with a 79.4 mph fastball on the seventh pitch of a first-inning at-bat to Nebraska's Jordy Bahl.
Bahl, one of the other top pitchers in the country, fouled off the pitch. As noted by the Big Ten Network's Sydney Supple, Pickens' near-80-mph pitch gave Bahl (or any batter) a reaction time of .341 seconds to pick up and swing. The distance from the rubber on the pitcher's mound to home plate is 43 feet.
How does Tennessee softball's Karlyn Pickens throw compare?
Pickens' pitch against the Cornhuskers in May broke her previous NCAA record of 78.2 mph, which she set in March against Arkansas. Before setting the record against Arkansas in SEC play, Pickens had been tied with former Tennessee pitcher Monica Abbott for the fastest pitch in NCAA history, a record that Abbott held for 13 years.
Where can I watch the Tennessee vs UCLA softball WCWS game?
- TV channel: ABC
- Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+
The WCWS elimination game between Tennessee and UCLA will be broadcast on ABC. Streaming options include the ESPN app (with a valid cable login) and ESPN+, which serves as ESPN's streaming service.
SOURCE Paste BN Network reporting and research; NCAA; ESPN