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Tennessee Softball: Karlyn Pickens Hurls Fastest Pitch in NCAA Softball History

Karl Heiser / Uncategorized / March 24, 2025

Tennessee Softball: Karlyn Pickens Hurls Fastest Pitch in NCAA Softball History

Tennessee Softball junior pitcher Karlyn Pickens threw the fastest recorded pitch in NCAA Softball history on Monday. In the top of the sixth inning against Arkansas, Pickens fired a 78 MPH strike to set the record.

78.2 MPH 😳

Karlyn Pickens just threw the FASTEST recorded pitch in NCAA Softball history 🔥🔥 @Vol_Softball pic.twitter.com/CHhnAOvbhc
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 25, 2025

Note: I saw some Tweets in the replies from some random guys suggesting this wasn’t actually the 78 MPH pitch, and Karlyn Pickens actually set the record on a wild pitch. However, none of the news reports corroborate that, so for all intents and purposes, this is the one.

Karlyn Pickens Throws GAS

Absolute gas. I’d bet more than 95% of people reading this couldn’t touch 78 overhand. Could I throw 78 right now? I’m really not sure. I maxed out at 84-85 back in my prime, but it’s been a minute. Might have to get back on the bump and see, but Pickens hitting that number underhand is alien stuff. Timing this pitch up is the MLB equivalent of timing up a ~110 MPH fastball. What is a hitter supposed to do with that? Guess? Pray?

I would hope they acknowledged in later in the broadcast, but for it to not be immediately brought up is a failure on the part of SEC Network. If you didn’t know any better, this clip just makes it look like a regular pitch. Nope, it was history.

What’s in the water down in Knoxville? It wasn’t long ago that Ben Joyce was lighting up the radar gun with 105 for Tennessee Baseball.

Pickens had previously hit 77 on two separate occasions before breaking the record with 78. On March 1, she threw her third career no-hitter after already having two perfect games to her name. Currently boasting a 0.94 ERA, it’s looking likely that Karlyn Pickens will repeat as SEC Pitcher of the Year.

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