Tennessee softball pitcher signs historic NIL deal with pro league

Pickens made college history last season when she threw the fastest pitch ever recorded.

On March 24, 2025, Pickens threw a 78.2 mph pitch against Arkansas. It broke a previous record held by Monica Abbott. Two months later, on May 24, 2025, the Tennessee pitcher broke her own record with a 79.4 mph pitch to Nebraska’s Jordy Frahm. Pickens finished her junior season with Tennessee with a 25-11 record, 306 strikeouts and a 1.17 ERA.The Lady Volunteers’ season begins on Thursday, Feb. 5, against BYU in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida. The 2026 season for AUSL begins June 9, 2026.