KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee senior pitcher Karlyn Pickens was selected No. 1 overall by the Carolina Blaze in the 2026 AUSL College Draft on Monday night.
The Blaze were established in 2025 as one of the four original teams in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). The team is located in Durham, North Carolina.
One of the most decorated players in program history, Pickens was named the 2025 Softball America National Pitcher of the Year and is a two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year (2024, 2025). She is also a two-time consensus First Team All-American, earning recognition from NFCA, D1Softball and Softball America in back-to-back seasons.
Pickens’ success extends beyond the field. She earned 2025 CSC Second Team Academic All-America honors and is a two-time CSC Academic All-District selection. A consistent presence on the SEC Academic Honor Roll, she has been recognized each of the past two seasons and was also named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll in 2022-23.
On the field, Pickens has been a dominant force in the circle throughout her career. The right-hander has made 137 appearances with 90 starts, compiling a 69-32 record with a 1.47 ERA. She has recorded 53 complete games, 26 shutouts and 11 saves, while striking out 784 batters over 614.1 innings pitched and holding opponents to a .163 batting average.
During her career, Pickens has been named SEC Pitcher of the Week eight times and earned three SEC Freshman of the Week honors in 2023. In 2025, she became the first player to be named NFCA National Pitcher of the Week in three consecutive weeks.
Pickens has also played a key role in Tennessee’s team success, helping lead the Lady Vols to two Women’s College World Series appearances (2023, 2025), including trips to the national semifinals in both seasons. She was part of three SEC championship teams, contributing to regular-season titles in 2023 and 2024, as well as the 2023 SEC Tournament championship.
She will join former teammate Peyton Gottshall and Director of Player Development Aubrey Leach as Lady Vols in the AUSL. Gottshall plays for the Portland Cascade, while Leach is also a member of the Carolina Blaze.
