The Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft delivered fireworks on Monday night, with Tennessee's electric right-hander Karlyn Pickens and Texas Tech's powerhouse NiJaree Canady going 1-2 overall—a fitting start for a league that's quickly becoming the premier destination for college softball's elite.
Pickens, selected by the Carolina Blaze, will get to call her home state of North Carolina home this season. The flame-throwing pitcher turned heads last year when she unleashed a pitch at 79.4 mph during super regionals—the fastest on record. She's backed that up this season with a 13-7 record, a sparkling 1.44 ERA, and 154 strikeouts over 112 innings. Blaze general manager Dana Sorensen couldn't hide her excitement: "Our staff believes Karlyn is the whole package. She is an ultimate competitor, and four years pitching in the SEC has prepared her perfectly for the pro league."
Right behind Pickens, the Texas Volts grabbed Canady, who made national headlines by signing two deals worth over $1 million at Texas Tech. She's been every bit worth the investment, posting a 21-4 record with a 1.30 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 135 innings this season. Canady also led the Red Raiders to a national runner-up finish last year, cementing her status as one of the most dominant arms in the country.
The Oklahoma City Spark rounded out the top three by selecting Belmont pitcher Mya Johnson, who leads the nation with an incredible 0.72 ERA. All 17 players selected were part of the AUSL's Golden Ticket program, which brought on-campus presentations across the country in recent weeks. The season kicks off June 9.
The first round also featured UCLA slugger Megan Grant going fourth to the Portland Cascade—she ranks second nationally with 35 home runs—and Florida's Jocelyn Erickson heading sixth to the Chicago Bandits. Closing out the first round, UCLA's Jordan Woolery, who has 33 homers and leads the nation with 106 RBIs, went seventh to the Utah Talons.
In the second round, Texas' Reese Atwood landed with Carolina, Leighann Goode joined the Texas Volts, Arizona's Sydney Stewart went to Portland, Mississippi State's Peja Goold headed to OKC, Stanford's Taryn Kern joined Chicago, and UCLA's Taylor Tinsley went to Utah. The third round saw Oklahoma's Ailana Agbayani (Chicago), Oregon's Amari Harper (OKC), Arizona State's Kenzie Brown (Portland), and Arkansas' (player name) round out the selections.
With this star-studded draft class, the AUSL is shaping up to be a must-watch this summer—and for fans looking to rep their favorite new pro teams, the gear is already heating up.