The Fastest Pitch in College Softball History Just Happened

Originally posted on Heartland College Sports
By Pete Mundo | Last updated May 24, 2025 6:15 PM ET

The fastest pitch in the history of college softball was just thrown on Saturday during the Super Regionals between Tennessee and Nebraska.

It came courtesy of Karlyn Pickens, star pitcher for the Lady Vols on Saturday against Nebraska’s stand out Jordy Bahl. The pitch clocked in at 79.4 miles per hour.

KARLYN PICKENS WITH A NEW FASTEST PITCH RECORD 79.4 MPH‼️#RoadToWCWS x ESPN / @Vol_Softball pic.twitter.com/S0pdI1UhhI
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 24, 2025

Nebraska won the first game of the best-of-three game series 5-2, so the Lady Vols need to win on Saturday to keep their Women’s College World Series chances alive. If the Lady Vols pull off the win, the two teams will meet again on Sunday with the winner advancing to the WCWS.

Pickens was recently named the 2025 SEC Softball Pitcher of the Year, along with being named First-Team All-SEC during her junior season.

The Weaverville, North Carolina native has been one of the best pitchers in the entire sport this season. Pickens has an ERA of .99 this season with 259 strike outs in 190 innings pitched. This is even better than her 2024 season when she went 22-7 with a 1.12 ERA with 225 strike outs in 188 innings pitched for the Lady Vols.

This article first appeared on Heartland College Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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