Karlyn Pickens of Tennessee picked No. 1 overall in 2026 AUSL Draft

One of the top pitchers in college softball was the top pick in Monday night’s draft for the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.

Tennessee right-hander Karlyn Pickens was selected No. 1 overall by the Carolina Blaze. The club will play games in Durham, North Carolina, this season at Smith Family Stadium on the campus of Duke University.

The Texas Volts selected pitcher NiJaree Canady of Texas Tech with the second overall pick. The Blaze also selected catcher Reese Atwood from Texas with the seventh pick.

Pickens has been named SEC Pitcher of the Year in each of the last two seasons and is in the midst of putting together another strong season for the Lady Vols. The 6-foot-1 native of Weaverville, North Carolina is eighth nationally in earned run average (1.44) and first in hits allowed per seven innings (3.06).

She also has five saves this season, which is tied for the lead in the SEC. Pickens has not given up a home run this season in 112 innings pitched.

Pickens has an incredibly strong arm. She broke her own record in last year’s Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament when she tossed a pitch that hit 79.4 miles per hour on the radar gun, making it the fastest pitch ever thrown in the history of Division I college softball.

Most recently, Pickens struck out 11 Alabama batters to give the Lady Vols a big-time win over their rival. She was one of 17 players to receive an AUSL Golden Ticket, making them eligible for the draft.

AUSL will play its second full season this summer and is pivoting from being a touring sport to having teams based in six cities throughout the country. The Carolina Blaze join five other teams to make up the league in the Chicago Bandits (Rosemont, Illinois), Utah Talons (Salt Lake City, Utah), Portland Cascade (Hillsboro, Oregon), Texas Volts (Round Rock, Texas) and Oklahoma City Spark.

The season begins on June 9 and ESPN will carry 50 exclusive AUSL games annually, which includes the championship series.