Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens owns fastest softball pitches ever thrown
Tennessee softball pitcher Karlyn Pickens is the undisputed flamethrower in history heading into the Women's College World Series.
Pickens owns the three fastest pitches ever recorded in a softball game, tossing each during the Lady Vols' 2025 season.
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On Feb. 21, Pickens threw a fastball against Oregon that hit 77 mph. That tied the record for the fastest pitch in softball history, set by former Tennessee star Monica Abbott in 2012 during a National Pro Fastpitch game.
On March 25, Pickens took sole possession of the record by tossing a pitch 78.2 mph against Arkansas. But that mark didn't last long.
On May 24, Pickens threw a pitch 79.4 mph against Nebraska in the NCAA super regional.
But Pickens, the two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year, doesn't just throw heat. Her poise and control helped post a 23-9 record, 1.03 earned run average and 270 strikeouts in 197 innings. She leads the Lady Vols into their ninth appearance in the Women's College World Series.
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No. 7 seed Tennessee (45-15) faces No. 2 seed Oklahoma (50-7) to open the WCWS on May 29 (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Oklahoma City.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee ace Karlyn Pickens owns fastest softball pitches ever thrown
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