Who is Karlyn Pickens? Tennessee softball pitcher dominant in 2025
Lady Vols junior Karlyn Pickens has been one of the best college softball pitchers for multiple seasons and is capable of carrying Tennessee deep in the Women's College World Series.
The 6-foot-1 junior is a two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year winner, also earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors in 2023. The Weaverville, North Carolina, native has been nothing short of dominant in her career, thanks to her elite fastball.
Tennessee went 3-0 against Miami (Ohio) and Ohio State in the Knoxville Regional to advance to the super regionals, setting up a matchup with Nebraska. The matchup will be one of the best pitching duels in the sport this season, as the Cornhuskers are led by national player of the year finalist Jordy Bahl, the former Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player at Oklahoma.
Pickens will be looking to lead the Lady Vols back to the WCWS after missing out on Oklahoma City in 2024.
Here's everything to know about Pickens, before her pitching duel against Nebraska in the super regionals:
Who is Karlyn Pickens?
Pickens is a junior right-handed pitcher at Tennessee, and one of the best pitchers in college softball.
The 6-foot-1 ace is the back-to-back SEC Pitcher of the Year and deservingly so, as she holds a 0.90 earned-runs average with 252 strikeouts across 186⅓ innings pitched this season. She leads the country in ERA and ranks sixth nationally in strikeouts, despite playing in the loaded SEC.
Pickens boasts an elite fastball, one that grades as one of the best by any college softball pitcher ever. In fact, she threw a pitch 78.2 miles per hour earlier this season, which is the fastest pitch ever recorded, according to the NCAA. Her previous-best mark was 77 miles per hour, which was tied for the fastest pitch ever with former Lady Vols legend Monica Abbott.
Pickens threw the pitch for a strike against Arkansas on March 25.
Pickens' best stuff is undeniable, as she has 11 starts with double-digit strikeout totals this season. She also had back-to-back starts against Oregon and Tulsa with 13 and 15 strikeouts, respectively, in February. She allowed seven combined hits and one earned run with 21 strikeouts across 12 innings in the Knoxville Regional.
Pickens has already faced Nebraska once this season, and she was dominant, despite taking the loss. The right-handed pitcher struck out 11 hitters in five innings but allowed five unearned runs in the 7-1 loss.
Pickens was the No. 5-ranked recruit nationally in the 2022 class, according to Extra Innings Softball. She was the No. 2-ranked pitcher after winning the Gatorade Player of the Year award in high school.
Karlyn Pickens fastest pitch
Here's a look at Pickens' record-breaking 78.2 mile-per-hour pitch earlier this season, which is the fastest ever recorded in a game:
Karlyn Pickens stats
Here are Pickens' year-by-year stats at Tennessee:
- 2023: 9-7 record, 3.05 ERA with 99 strikeouts across 87.1 innings pitched
- 2024: 22-7 record, 1.12 ERA with 225 strikeouts across 188.1 innings pitched
- 2025: 22-8 record, 0.90 ERA with 252 strikeouts across 186.1 innings pitched