Tennessee softball junior Karlyn Pickens has once again asserted her dominance in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), as she was announced on May 9 as the SEC Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season. By achieving this accolade, Pickens joins an elite group of only five pitchers in SEC history to win the award back-to-back and becomes one of the seven to receive it multiple times.
In a remarkable achievement for the Tennessee softball program, she now stands alongside legendary Monica Abbott, being one of the only two players to earn this prestigious honor. Abbott has won the award a record three times, setting the standard for future players.
During the season, Pickens showcased her exceptional skills with an impressive 20-8 record and led the SEC with a minuscule 0.92 ERA, which is currently the second-best in the nation. Furthermore, her 231 strikeouts dominated the SEC leaderboard, as she pitched a total of 174 ⅓ innings. Her performance includes six shutouts, tying her for the top spot in the SEC. Notably, she ranks sixth in the nation for hits allowed per seven innings and is among the top twenty for total strikeouts and strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Pickens has consistently gathered individual SEC awards throughout her career, beginning with the SEC Freshman of the Year honor in 2023 and leading up to her first SEC Pitcher of the Year accolade in 2024. This season, she made headlines by throwing the fastest recorded pitch in the league at 78 mph against Arkansas on March 25, breaking Abbott’s previous world record of 77 mph.
While the Lady Vols narrowly missed out on clinching a third consecutive SEC regular-season championship, they remained competitive in the title race until the end of the season, finishing fourth with a 15-9 record in the SEC. Unfortunately, Tennessee’s run came to an end when they were eliminated by Arkansas in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament.
Pickens’ achievements not only highlight her personal talent but also exemplify the strength of Tennessee softball, keeping the hopes alive for future seasons and inspiring upcoming players to strive for excellence.