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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens owns fastest softball pitches ever thrown
Tennessee softball pitcher Karlyn Pickens is the undisputed flamethrower in history heading into the Women's College World Series. Pickens owns the three fastest pitches ever recorded in a softball game, tossing each during the Lady Vols' 2025 season. Advertisement On Feb. 21, Pickens threw a fastball against Oregon that hit 77 mph. That tied the record for the fastest pitch in softball history, set by former Tennessee star Monica Abbott in 2012 during a National Pro Fastpitch game. On March 25, Pickens took sole possession of the record by tossing a pitch 78.2 mph against Arkansas. But that mark didn't last long. On May 24, Pickens threw a pitch 79.4 mph against Nebraska in the NCAA super regional. But Pickens, the two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year, doesn't just throw heat. Her poise and control helped post a 23-9 record, 1.03 earned run average and 270 strikeouts in 197 innings. She leads the Lady Vols into their ninth appearance in the Women's College World Series. Advertisement No. 7 seed Tennessee (45-15) faces No. 2 seed Oklahoma (50-7) to open the WCWS on May 29 (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Oklahoma City. Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee ace Karlyn Pickens owns fastest softball pitches ever thrown
USA Today
06-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 MLB draft prospects: Top college players in NCAA baseball tournament
2025 MLB draft prospects: Top college players in NCAA baseball tournament Show Caption Hide Caption UNC baseball's Gavin Gallaher, Tar Heels talk winning Chapel Hill Regional Following UNC baseball's win vs. Oklahoma in the finale of the Chapel Hill Regional, Gavin Gallaher and the Tar Heels broke down the clincher. Sixteen teams remain in the NCAA baseball tournament, with plenty of high-end talent remaining in contention. Players will have the chance to become household names in the coming weeks, looking to make one last impression before the 2025 MLB Draft on July 13. REQUIRED READING: College baseball tournament super regionals: Ranking the 16 teams left in the field The 2025 class is loaded with college pitchers near the top of the best available board, with LSU's Kade Anderson, Florida State's Jamie Arnold and Tennessee's Liam Doyle all vying for a CWS berth. Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette is also among the top projected players in the class, with the 6-foot-5 slugger hoping to lead the Beavers back to the CWS. MLB Pipelines' top two prospects are Stillwater High School's Ethan Holliday, the son of Matt Holliday and brother of former No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday, and right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez, who attends Corona High School in California. Here's a look at the top MLB draft prospects remaining as college baseball prepares for super regional action: Top MLB draft prospects in super regionals Note: This section only includes college players eligible for the MLB draft that are still alive in the NCAA tournament. 1. LHP Kade Anderson, LSU One of a trio of college left-handed pitchers available in 2025, LSU ace Kade Anderson ranks second nationally in strikeouts (156) and fifth in innings pitched (96) this season. The draft-eligible sophomore has a wide arsenal and limits walks, making him a seemingly polished option for MLB teams. Anderson tossed seven shutout innings with 11 strikeouts in his lone Baton Rouge Regional outing and will look to continue his hot streak against West Virginia in the super regionals. 2. LHP Liam Doyle, Tennessee Tennessee left-hander Liam Doyle burst onto the scene as perhaps the best pitcher in college baseball this season after transferring from Ole Miss. Doyle finished the 2024 season with a 5.73 ERA. One of three finalists for the Golden Spikes Award this season, Doyle took his game to a new level with the Vols, with 158 strikeouts in 92 innings heading into super regionals, along with a 2.84 ERA. The SEC Pitcher of the Year in 2025, Doyle will be near the top of the draft boards, alongside Anderson and Jamie Arnold. His best offering is his fastball, which is a 70-grade pitch, according to MLB Pipeline. 3. LHP Jamie Arnold, Florida State Florida State's Jamie Arnold opened the 2025 season as the top-ranked college pitcher, and hasn't done much to change that sentiment with the MLB draft just over a month away. Arnold hasn't been quite as good as he was in 2024 when he finished the season with a 2.98 ERA in 105 2/3 innings, but he has still been one of the top arms in the country. Arnold has a 3.12 ERA with 110 strikeouts in 78 innings this season. Arnold, Anderson and Doyle are all expected to be drafted around the same range of picks, with team preference likely being the differentiating factor between each left-hander pitcher. 4. SS Aiva Arquette, Oregon State The top-ranked college position player in 2025, Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette could hear his name called early on due to his unique profile. Arquette stands 6-foot-5 but could potentially stick at shortstop at the pro level. His bat is his top attraction, though, as he's hitting .352 this season with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs for No. 8 Oregon State. The former Washington transfer was drafted in the 18th round out of high school by the Arizona Diamondbacks, which shows he has been on MLB draft radars for a few years now. Arquette is one of the best athletes in the 2025 MLB Draft and could development into a true five-tool player one day. 5. 2B Gavin Kilen, Tennessee Tennessee infielder Gavin Kilen transferred to the Vols from Louisville ahead of the 2025 season, and established himself as one of the best hitters in the SEC. Kilen projects as a contact-over-power hitter as a professional, although he slugged 15 home runs in 2025, six more than his 2024 mark at Louisville. Kilen batted .363 with a .686 slugging percentage in the SEC, which is a feat in itself. Kilen was selected in the 13th round by the Boston Red Sox in the 2022 MLB Draft out of high school, with MLB Pipeline projecting him as a high-floor player that can field and hit for average one day. 6. OF Brendan Summerhill, Arizona Brendan Summerhill stands 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, but hasn't shown a ton of power in the college ranks yet. However, he supplements that with a knack to get on base (.492 OBP in 2025) and strong contact numbers (.370 batting average this season). Summerhill can run and field and could grow into more power with a few tweaks at the next level, although he was already one of the best players in the Cape Cod Summer League prior to the 2025 season. MLB Pipeline compares Summerhill to Jake McCarthy, who has turned into a valuable outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. 7. C Luke Stevenson, North Carolina Luke Stevenson likely could've gone in the top five rounds as a high schooler in 2023, but he opted to attend school at North Carolina. Stevenson is now the consensus top-ranked catcher in the 2025 MLB Draft class and hit for lots of power in 2025. The draft-eligible sophomore hit .254/.422/.555 this season with 18 home runs, and also boasts a strong arm from behind home plate. He adds little-to-no value on the basepaths and will need to cut down on his chase rate in future seasons, however. 8. OF/C Ike Irish, Auburn Ike Irish was a phenomenal hitter in the SEC this season, batting .362 with 18 home runs and 57 RBIs with a whopping .700 slugging percentage. Irish fractured his scapula in March, mostly limiting him to playing in the outfield instead of catcher, his natural position. MLB Pipeline projects Irish to potential develop into an average defender at catcher, but could also stick in a corner outfield spot at the professional level. 9. SS Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas The SEC Player of the Year in 2025, Aloy is also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, which is essentially the Heisman Trophy of college baseball. The 6-foot-2 shortstop started his career at Sacramento State in 2022 before transferring to Arkansas, where he developed into one of the top players in college baseball. Aloy is hitting .355 this season with 20 home runs and 64 RBIs, facing some of the nation's top pitchers in the SEC. Aloy has impressive raw power for a middle infielder, and he has the tools to stay at shortstop going forward. 10. 1B/3B Andrew Fischer, Tennessee Another first-year transfer from Ole Miss, Andrew Fischer joined Liam Doyle at Tennessee for the 2025 season. Fischer was an All-SEC second team selection in 2024 with the Rebels after slugging 20 home runs, and followed up that season with a .343 batting average and 24 home runs with the Vols this season. Fischer has mostly played first base this season after starting most of his games at third base at Ole Miss. Fischer can really hit but is going to have to provide a lot of value at the plate to find a role in the MLB. Still, his batting numbers speak to themselves, and he's expected to be a fringe first-round pick in 2025.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Vols ace Liam Doyle breaks single-season strikeout record
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee pitcher Liam Doyle helped the Volunteers reach an NCAA Super Regional for the fifth consecutive season on Monday and wrote his name into the program history book in the process. The junior ace entered the decisive last game of the Knoxville Regional against Wake Forest in the seventh inning, recording five strikeouts over the final 2.1 innings to secure an 11-5 win and send Tennessee to a Super Regional showdown against Arkansas. Lady Vols' season ends in Women's College World Series semifinals to Texas Doyle now has struck out 158 batters in 2025. He now holds the program record for most strikeouts in a single-season, eclipsing Luke Hochevar's record of 154 set back in 2005. It marks another accolade in an impressive season for the Derry, New Hampshire native. He became the third player in school history be named SEC Pitcher of the Year and is one of 16 semifinalists for the College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Award. CONTINUING COVERAGE; University of Tennessee Baseball With the Razorbacks holding the No. 3 national seed, Tennessee will hit the road for the Fayetteville Super Regional as they seek a third consecutive appearance in the College World Series. It would be Tennessee's eighth trip to Omaha in program history and the fourth under head coach Tony Vitello. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
01-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Lady Vols defeat UCLA softball, advance to Women's College World Series semifinals
Lady Vols defeat UCLA softball, advance to Women's College World Series semifinals No. 7 national seed Tennessee (47-16) defeated No. 9 national seed UCLA (55-13), 5-4 in nine innings, during the 2025 Women's College World Series on Sunday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Laura Mealer helped the Lady Vols advance to the semifinals with a walk-off single in the ninth inning after the Bruins tied the game in the seventh inning with a two-run home run by Meagan Grant. Mealer went 2-for-5 and recorded three RBIs, while Taylor Pannell went 3-for-4. She hit a two-run home run, recorded three RBIs and scored three runs. The Lady Vols led, 2-0, in the first inning after Mealer hit a two-run single with two outs. The Bruins tied the game in the second inning after Alexis Ramirez and Sophia Mojica each hit solo home runs. Gabby Leach went 2-for-5, scoring one run. Ella Dodge went 1-for-4 and scored one run for the Lady Vols. Karlyn Pickens (25-10), a two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year, pitched nine innings for Tennessee. She allowed four runs, 11 hits and four walks. Pickens recorded seven strikeouts, while totaling 148 pitches, including 91 strikes. Tennessee will next play against Texas on Monday with first pitch slated for noon EDT. The Lady Vols won two of three games during a regular-season SEC series in Austin, Texas.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Karlyn Pickens pitches Tennessee softball to Women's College World Series with shutout vs Nebraska
Karlyn Pickens was surrounded by red jerseys with two outs in the fifth inning. Tennessee softball was holding on to a one-run lead when the junior ace walked Nebraska left fielder Abbie Squier to load the bases. The Huskers waited at every base for a hit to even the score – but the hit never came. Advertisement Lauren Camenzind didn't even put a swing on the first two strikes from Pickens. The crowd at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium rose to its feet, cheering and stomping on the bleachers, and then Pickens got her swinging, striking Camenzind out on three straight pitches to end the inning. The back-to-back SEC Pitcher of the Year got better every game of the NCAA super regional, and on May 25, Pickens pitched the No. 7 Lady Vols back to the Women's College World Series. Tennessee won 1-0 in a decisive Game 3 against Nebraska (43-15), and the Lady Vols (45-15) are heading to Oklahoma City for the second time in the last three seasons. Tennessee will face No. 2 seed Oklahoma (50-7) to open the WCWS on May 29 (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). Pickens (24-9) started the game striking out Nebraska pitcher Jordy Bahl swinging. She finished with 10 strikeouts, two hits allowed, one walk and one hit by pitch. It took until the fifth inning for the Huskers to get a runner on base. Ella Dodge is the hero again for Tennessee Ella Dodge had only hit five home runs this season before the NCAA super regional, and she hadn't hit one since blasting the three-run homer to win Game 3 against Oklahoma in March. Advertisement Then she homered in two straight days against Bahl, one of the best pitchers in the country. Once Tennessee coach Karen Weekly made the lineup change for Game 2, moving Dodge to the No. 3 slot, she thrived. Dodge hit a two-run homer in the first inning of Game 2, and she hit another first-inning home run in Game 3. This time Dodge's solo shot sailed to center field, where it bounced off the top of the outfield wall and hit the railing of the outfield stands before bouncing back into play. Dodge was called out at third originally, but after review, it was ruled a home run to put Tennessee up 1-0. Tennessee defense at its best in Game 3 The Lady Vols' defense started the game like they were ready to get on the plane to Oklahoma City. Advertisement After Pickens started the game with a strikeout, Tennessee's defense came up with huge plays to get out of the first inning. Dodge made a diving play at second base to field the hit, and she made the throw to first from the ground for the second out. Then Ava Kuszak tried to turn her single to the left field wall into a double, but Alannah Leach made the throw to second in time for the tag. Kinsey Fiedler made a stunning play in center field for the second straight game, too. In the third inning, Fiedler slid into the Lady Vols logo in the outfield to catch the ball right before it hit the ground. In Game 2, she made a crucial catch at the center field wall to end an inning. Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women's athletics. Email her at and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora's coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Karlyn Pickens shuts out Nebraska to pitch Tennessee softball to WCWS
