Karlyn Pickens 1st, NiJaree Canady 2nd in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League Draft
Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens and Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady were the top two picks in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft on Monday night. Pickens went to the Carolina Blaze, where she will play in her home state of North Carolina. She got the softball world's attention last season when she fired a pitch 79.
4 mph during super regionals — the fastest pitch on record. This season, she has a 13-7 record with a 1. 44 earned run average and 154 strikeouts in 112 innings.
“Our staff believes Karlyn is the whole package,” Blaze general manager Dana Sorensen said in a statement. “She is an ultimate competitor, and we feel that four years pitching in the SEC has given her the best preparation for the pro league. " The Texas Volts chose Canady, who made waves by signing two deals worth more than $1 million at Texas Tech.
She has a 21-4 record this season with a 1. 30 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 135 innings. She led the Red Raiders to a national runner-up finish last season.
Belmont pitcher Mya Johnson went third to the Oklahoma City Spark. She leads the nation with a 0. 72 earned run average.