The reputation of an Athletes Unlimited Softball League Golden Ticket precedes it, but that didn’t prevent the shock and surprise for the 17 college athletes who received one this year. Golden Tickets were presented at NCAA softball games across the country this spring, declaring the top talent selected in the AUSL College Draft.
A final surprise was revealed on Monday night, revealing which teams the athletes were selected by.
Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens was selected first overall by the Carolina Blaze, who received the No. 1 pick due to season standings last year. In all, this draft class represents 13 schools and five conferences (eight from the SEC, four from the Big 10, three from the Big 12, one from the ACC, and one from the Missouri Valley Conference).
Here are the complete results from the 2026 AUSL College Draft.
Round 1
1. Carolina Blaze | Karlyn Pickens, Pitcher, Tennessee
2. Texas Volts | NiJaree Canady, Pitcher, Texas Tech
3. Oklahoma City Spark | Maya Johnson, Pitcher, Belmont
4. Portland Cascade | Megan Grant, Utility, UCLA
5. Chicago Bandits | Jocelyn Erickson, Catcher
6. Utah Talons | Jordan Woolery, Infielder, UCLA
Read More: Carolina Blaze select Karlyn Pickens with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 AUSL College Draft
Round 2
7. Blaze | Reese Atwood, Catcher, Texas
8. Volts | Leighanne Goode, Infielder, Florida
9. Cascade | Sydney Stewart, Catcher, Arizona
10. Spark | Peja Goold, Pitcher, Mississippi State
11. Bandits | Taryn Kern, Infielder, Stanford
12. Talons | Taylor Tinsley, Pithcer, UCLA
Round 3
13. Bandits | Ailana Agbayani, Infielder, Oklahoma
14. Spark | Amari Harper, Utility, Oregon
15. Cascade | Kenzie Brown, Pitcher, Arizona State
16. Blaze | Dakota Kennedy, Outfielder, Arkansas
Round 4
17. Cascade | Kenleigh Cahalan, Utility, Florida
Opening Day for the AUSL is slated for June 9, with all six teams kicking off the 2026 season. The full AUSL game schedule and tickets are available here.
