Blaze Selects Karlyn Pickens with the No. 1 Overall Pick in the 2026 AUSL College Draft
AUSL Carolina Blaze

Blaze Selects Karlyn Pickens with the No. 1 Overall Pick in the 2026 AUSL College Draft

Published on May 4, 2026 under Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL)
Carolina Blaze News Release


North Carolina is calling Karlyn Pickens' home.

The Carolina Blaze selected the standout Tennessee pitcher with the No. 1 overall pick at the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) College Draft. Pickens is a native of Weaverville, N.C., just under four hours from the team's home field in Durham.

"Our staff believes Karlyn is the whole package," Blaze General Manager Dana Sorenson said. "She is an ultimate competitor, and we feel that four years pitching in the SEC has given her the best preparation for the pro league. We are so thrilled to bring the North Carolina native back home to the Blaze."

Pickens is the two-time reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year. She's been a consistent and dominant arm for the Lady Vols since her freshman year, with the best numbers and biggest moments of her career last season. As a junior, Pickens not only recorded a 1.17 ERA in 226.2 innings pitched along with 25 complete games and a 25-11 record, but she also made softball history.

She broke the record for the fastest pitch on March 24, 2025, with a 78.2 mph fastball against Arkansas. Then she surpassed her own mark, hitting 79.4 mph with a fireball to Nebraska's Jordy Bahl in the first inning of Game 2 in the Knoxville Super Regional.

But Sorensen and the Blaze are confident in Pickens for more than just her speed.

"We all know the velocity, but beyond that, she has the ability to go up and down in the zone with elite stuff and adds an emerging change-up that has some of her best swing and miss numbers," Sorensen said.

The Blaze received the first pick after an injury-ridden 2025 season, where they finished last in the standings with a 7-17 record. They also had the seventh and 16th overall picks in the draft and chose to add depth to the catching and outfield positions.

Pickens will have the option to sign with the team once she completes her NCAA eligibility. Tickets to the 2026 Blaze season are on sale now.

Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on Instagram @savvyco.

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