Karlyn Pickens is a 6-foot-1 professional softball pitcher from Weaverville, North Carolina. She was acquired with the first overall pick in the 2026 AUSL College Draft by the Carolina Blaze following a collegiate career at Tennessee.
Personal Life
Hobbies: Enjoys cooking, baking, shopping, fashion and coloring. Considers her Jeep her most prized possession.
Background: Lists Jennie Finch as a softball idol and calls playing at Tennessee, owning the record for the fastest pitch and being a role model to young girls her proudest accomplishments. Three-sport standout in high school who also played basketball and volleyball, and was named 2020-21 Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year. Became the eighth Tennessee student-athlete selected No. 1 overall in a professional draft.
Family: Daughter of Rebecca and Phillip Pickens, and one of three children.
Professional Experience
Athletes Unlimited Softball League (2026–)
2026 AUSL All-Star Cup: Collected 480 leaderboard points in her All-Star Cup debut, recording two saves and eight strikeouts in 11.2 innings.
2026 AUSL Regular Season (Carolina Blaze): Pickens made 15 appearances in the circle during her rookie season, including 10 starts, ranking third in the AUSL in total appearances while holding second place on the league's games started chart. She ranked fifth in the AUSL with a 3.13 earned run average while compiling a 4-6 record. She placed second in the league with 60.1 innings pitched and 60 strikeouts, and ranked third with 13 strikeouts looking. She limited opponents to a .232 batting average, good for fourth in the AUSL, and led Carolina with four complete games. Pickens opened her professional career with a complete-game victory against Portland on June 10, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts over 5.0 innings in an 11-2 verdict. She secured her second win after giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts over 6.0 innings against Texas on June 14. She improved to 3-0 after allowing one earned run on one hit in 3.0 innings of relief against the Volts on June 15. On June 20, at Chicago, Pickens conceded just one hit over 5.0 innings with five strikeouts in a complete-game win. On July 7, against Portland, she notched a season-high nine strikeouts over 6.0 innings.
International Experience (2025–)
Team USA: Named Rising Star at the 2026 WBSC World Cup Group Stage after going 1-0 with 14 strikeouts in 8.0 innings, including a combined shutout of China with Rachel Garcia in the final. Also went 1-0 at the International Cup and 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA during the 2025 Down Under Series.
College Experience: Tennessee (2023–2026)
Career Statistics: Four-year letter winner who appeared in 144 career games with 94 starts. Compiled a 71-33 career record with 13 saves. Authored a 1.53 ERA with 56 complete games, 26 shutouts, and 824 strikeouts over 650.1 innings. Owns four career no-hitters and is one of three pitchers in school history with multiple perfect games (joining Monica Abbott and Erin Gabriel).
Senior Year (2026): Composed a 15-8 record with a 1.70 ERA and 194 strikeouts over 148.0 innings. Ranked third in NCAA Division I with seven saves. Tossed her fourth career no-hitter against Kentucky on April 11, 2026, and matched a career high with 15 strikeouts against Appalachian State on March 1, 2026.
Junior Year (2025): Fashioned a 25-11 record over 44 appearances. Led the SEC in ERA (1.17), complete games (25), shutouts (7), innings pitched (226.2), strikeouts (306), and opponent batting average (.176). Set an NCAA record against Nebraska on May 24, 2025, by throwing a 79.4 mph pitch. Hurled a five-inning no-hitter with 11 strikeouts against UT Martin.
Sophomore Year (2024): Finished with a 22-7 record and a 1.12 ERA. Collected 225 strikeouts over 188.1 innings with 15 complete games and 12 shutouts. Limited opposing hitters to a .156 average. Tossed a perfect game against Loyola Marymount on February 23, 2024, with 12 strikeouts.
Freshman Year (2023): Accrued a 9-7 record with two saves, five complete games, and five shutouts. Posted her first career perfect game in an 8-0 victory over Appalachian State on March 4, 2023.
Awards & Honors
All-America: First-Team NFCA and D1Softball All-America choice as a sophomore and senior. Claimed Second-Team All-America honors from Softball America during her senior season after garnering First-Team status as a sophomore.
National Honors: Top-10 Finalist for the 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, and Top-25 Finalist for the 2026 award. 2020-21 Gatorade North Carolina High School Player of the Year.
Conference Honors: Two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year selection. Four-time All-SEC honoree, including First-Team recognition during each of her final three seasons. 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year.
