In 2025, Karlyn Pickens, a star pitcher for the Volunteers and the defending Southeastern Conference softball pitcher of the year, made a goal to throw the fastest pitch ever recorded in the sport. It happened on Monday with the flamethrower. She surpassed the previous record set by Monica Abbott, a former Lady Vol when she hit 78.2 miles per hour off of a pitch in the sixth inning against Arkansas.
I am on the verge of setting a new record for the quickest pitch. “So that’s something we’re thinking about, but for now all we want is to keep the momentum going,” Pickens told Softball America earlier this year. So far, I have accomplished a lot, and I want to continue this streak of success. I want to make it a point to hone my hitting mechanics and introduce different pitches every year to improve my game.