Is OU softball ready for record-breaking Karlyn Pickens in WCWS opener vs Tennessee?

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Karlyn Pickens was a force during Tennessee's series win over OU softball in late March.
Fresh off setting the record for fastest-recorded pitch in softball history at 78.2 — a mark that lasted two months as she set a new record of 79.4 mph last week — Pickens tossed a combined 12 ⅔ innings in two games, allowed four earned runs and struck out 12 Sooners en route to handing OU its first series loss of the season.
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'It's pretty amazing, really,' OU coach Patty Gasso said of Pickens during Women's College World Series media day on Wednesday. 'It's setting a new standard. And there's a lot of little girls that are going to be going, 'Wow, I just hit 60.' Only 19 more miles to go.'
Back in March, Gasso said her offense wasn't good enough.
Since then, the Sooners have taken off, winning 14 of their last 16, clinching the SEC regular-season title and advancing to their ninth consecutive WCWS appearance. OU's offense is back to clicking on all cylinders and ranks No. 2 in home runs per game (2.02) and No. 5 in scoring, averaging 7.75 runs per game.
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Karlyn Pickens practices at media and practice day for the Women's College World Series at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, May, 28, 2025.
Heading into Thursday's rematch with the Volunteers in the WCWS, Gasso knows the Sooners have it in them to bounce back.
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'We could tell you we weren't at our best,' Gasso said. 'They won fair and square. They deserved that, no doubt about it. But we know that we have more in us, and we're trusting that we're going to bring it out tomorrow.'
Pickens isn't just a hard thrower; she's improved as a complete pitcher and has been one of the most productive players nationally all season.
The back-to-back SEC Pitcher of the Year enters the WCWS with a 1.00 earned run average and a 280-58 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Opponents have hit .168 against Pickens and she tossed 21 strikeouts in 14 innings with only seven hits allowed, two walks and two earned runs in two elimination games last week.
'How long do you have?' Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said when asked about Pickens. 'It's really remarkable when you look at Karlyn from freshman to now. As a freshman, the velo was there, maybe a little bit wild but she really bought into developing all of the other pitches. Her rise ball, her drop ball and her changeup.'
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Pickens was lights out against some of OU's best hitters in Norman. Gabbie Garcia and Ella Parker were a combined 0 for 13 at the plate against Pickens in the series loss.
"Let's be honest, she throws a 78 mph pitch and you have 0.31 seconds to react," Sooners outfielder Kasidi Pickering said of Pickens in March. "Who's doing that?'
Gasso said that the series two months ago was a learning opportunity for a team that hadn't played its best. OU's players undoubtedly remember the feeling of watching the Vols celebrate on Love's Field.
The Sooners have to be better against Pickens. If not, OU's road to its fifth consecutive national championship gets that much tougher.
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Gasso thinks her team is up for matching the flame-throwing Pickens.
'(Pickens) is definitely one of the best, there's no doubt about it,' Gasso said. 'We respect that. We respect the team that we're playing. They're very, very good, they play hard. Tomorrow, it's just about who's going to be better, and that's what it comes down to. We're going to be prepared.
'(Pickens' record is) great for our game. It's phenomenal. Some of the pitchers in this tournament have been absolutely amazing. So it's a challenge for the Sooners, without question, but that's what got us here. We love challenges.'
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Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at [e-mail] or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Tennessee ace Karlyn Pickens is a 'challenge' for OU softball in WCWS