Karlyn Pickens is a softball player who is the driving force behind the Tennessee Lady Volunteers softball team. The 6-foot-1 athlete is a top-10 recruit and is familiar with Power 5 institutions, drawing interest from top schools around the country, including top-25 SEC schools and prominent Pac-12 schools.
Karlyn, who plays for the SC Elite-Fusetti 16U team, was scouted by around 60 coaches at a single game last fall. Karlyn Pickens, SA’s No. 8 recruit for the class of 2022, has committed to playing softball with the Volunteers of the Southeastern Conference. Pickens was up in North Carolina and represented the South Carolina Elite on the travel baseball circuit.
Early Life
Karlyn Pickens was born on 9th January 2004 in Weaverville, NC. She was raised by her parents, Phillip and Rebecca, and she has two brothers, Kolton and Rayce Pickens. Karlyn acknowledges the numerous sacrifices made by her parents.
Both her brothers are athletes, as Kolton participated in cross country while Rayce played baseball as well as football for his college team. Since her early years, she has participated in travel ball tournaments across the country, spanning from California to Colorado and even within her home state of South Carolina.
She expresses immense gratitude for having an exceptional support system and a guiding group of individuals who have accompanied her throughout this journey. Their unwavering dedication has played a crucial role in shaping her into the person she is today.
Childhood
Over ten years before Tennessee’s Karlyn Pickens fired the fastest pitch in softball history, coach Dana Fussetti spotted something special. While teaching a hitting lesson in Greenville, South Carolina, she noticed a tall, skinny 10-year-old with long arms and smooth pitching mechanics.
That girl was Pickens. Fussetti couldn’t look away. She paused the lesson and watched the young pitcher throw mid-50s fastballs with ease. She was so impressed, she gave the lesson away for free.
“I could not take my eyes off of her,” Fussetti told ESPN. Afterward, she spoke with Pickens’ dad, Phil, and shared her bold prediction: “If your daughter sticks with softball, she will be the hardest-throwing pitcher in the history of the sport.”
Years later, after Pickens broke the record with a blazing pitch against Arkansas, Fussetti called Phil again. “He said, ‘Well, you were right,’” she recalled. “He thought I was just being nice, but I knew she was one in a million.”
At age 12, Karlyn Pickens was already hitting 60 mph. Her speed kept rising, and by the time she committed to Tennessee in her junior year in 2021, she was regularly throwing 70 mph. Her throws were so powerful, they even wore out catchers at North Carolina’s North Buncombe High School.
Karlyn Pickens’ Career
She was the No. 2 pitcher and No. 5 overall prospect in the class of 2022, according to Extra Inning Softball. On April 27, 2021, she was named Extra Inning Softball’s National High School Player of the Week after throwing a perfect game with 17 strikeouts, hitting .500 with two home runs and seven intentional walks in three games, earning her a spot as one of 21 high school juniors competing in the 2021 PGF Futures All-American Game.
She threw one perfect game and four no-hitters last spring and was named the WMAC Softball Player of the Year as a freshman in 2019 and the WMAC Softball Pitcher of the Year in 2021. Her 207 strikeouts in 2021 accompanied an astounding 0.41 earned run average.
As a junior, she played travel ball for Carolina Elite SC alongside other signees Amanda Ahlin, Brylee Mesusan, and Camryn Sarvis, and hit .503 with 28 runs scored, five home runs, 22 stolen bases, and an on-base percentage of .764.
Rise to Fame
She struck out 11 batters in 6.2 innings of relief in a 9-2 win for UT versus Texas A&M on 4/2 of her freshman year. She threw a complete game shutout, allowing only one hit while striking out eight batters in Tennessee’s 1-0 win over Ole Miss on March 11. Against LSU on March 18, she struck out nine batters over seven innings as the Lady Vols won 3-0.
In a 7-1 victory against Belmont on 3/5, she threw three innings of relief and struck out five hitters, and in an 8-0 victory over Tennessee on 3/4, she threw the first perfect game of her collegiate career and retired all 15 batters she faced while striking out five.
Karlyn Pickens shut out Clemson, 1-0, on 2/25, striking out eight, and on 2/17, she shut out North Dakota State, 8-0, pitching six scoreless innings while striking out four. Tennessee’s 9-2 victory against Illinois on 2/9 was her first collegiate save, while Tennessee’s 21-1 victory over Howard on 2/9 marked her first collegiate strikeout.
Karlyn Pickens Biography |
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| Real Name | Karlyn Pickens |
| Birth Date | January 9, 2004 |
| Age (as of 2025) | 21 Years |
| Hometown | Weaverville, North Carolina, USA |
| Profession | Softball Player |
| College | University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
| Class | Junior |
Physical Statistics |
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| Height | in feet – 6’1 inch —in centimeters—185 cm |
| Weight | in Kilograms – 55 kg – in Pounds – 120 lbs |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Eye Color | Light Brown |
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Family |
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| Father | Phillip Pickens. |
| Mother | Rebecca Pickens. |
| Sister | – |
| Brother | Two (Kolton & Rayce Pickens) |
Relationship Status |
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| Marital Status | In a relationship |
| Affair | Yes |
| Who is her boyfriend? | Jack Browder |
Personal Life
Karlyn Pickens is in a relationship with basketball standout Jack Browder. He’s a sophomore forward for the Carson-Newman men’s basketball team and has earned major honors on the court. Last year, Browder made history by becoming the first athlete in Carson-Newman’s Athletic Department to win the South Atlantic Conference’s President’s Award.
Pickens and Browder seem to share a strong and sweet connection. They often post pictures together on social media, giving fans a peek into their relationship. Their first photo together appeared last year at Lake Keowee, where Pickens captioned it, “Happiest here,” as she hugged Browder tightly. Earlier this year, he was right by her side as she celebrated her 21st birthday and cut her cake.
Karlyn Pickens Net Worth
Karlyn Pickens says her NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are worth around \$4.5 million. She has teamed up with big brands like Apple Cash, Bazooka, and JBL Audio. While exact NIL figures can be tough to confirm, the deals she’s landed suggest her claim is likely close. Based on public info, there’s solid reason to believe she’s one of the top earners in college softball.
Trivia
- Karlyn excels not only in basketball and volleyball but also dedicates her time as a mentor for young softball players.
- Jimmy Greene, the head coach at West Rowan High, praises her exceptional talents, emphasizing her outstanding athleticism as a pitcher. Pickens proves to be a triple threat with her ability to pitch, hit, and excel in baserunning.
- As a pitcher, she possesses incredible speed, leaving opponents in awe. Additionally, her screwball pitch effectively keeps batters at bay, while her repertoire includes a well-executed rise ball and change-up.
- Coach Greene admires Pickens’ abilities, recognizing her as a truly awe-inspiring player.
This is for Karolyn Pickens we watched you pitch against Nebraska with awe. I’m just a little curious about what you have in your right hand back pocket ?
That was a like a poker chip and the whole team had them for good luck in that series. I can’t remember what it said on the chip!