Ahead of the second season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, the six AUSL teams announced their selections in the 2026 AUSL Collegiate Draft on Monday night.
The first of 17 picks was held by the Carolina Blaze, who selected right-handed pitcher Karlyn Pickens out of the University of Tennessee.
With the second overall selection, the Texas Volts chose righty pitcher NiJaree Canady out of Texas Tech University.
ATHLETES UNLIMITED SOFTBALL LEAGUE
Following a thrilling inaugural campaign in 2025, Opening Day of the 2026 AUSL season is on June 9. Games will air across ESPN platforms throughout the season, which concludes with a championship series beginning on July 25.
With the second AUSL Collegiate Draft in the books, excitement abounds for the season ahead.
“This is an exciting moment for these athletes and for the league,” said AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng. “This group reflects the depth of talent across college softball, and the Draft represents an important step in connecting that talent to the professional game.”
Pickens, currently in her senior year at Tennessee, is the reigning two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year and one of the most decorated softball players in the nation. She holds the record for fastest pitch thrown in collegiate softball, unleashing a 79.4 mph pitch against Nebraska in Game 2 of the 2025 NCAA Knoxville Super Regional.
During her illustrious career with the Volunteers, Pickens posted a 1.47 ERA over 614 1/3 innings, striking out 784 batters in four seasons.
“Our staff believes Karlyn is the whole package," said Blaze general manager Dana Sorensen. "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. We are so thrilled to bring the North Carolina native back home to the Blaze."
Canady, who received her “Golden Ticket” -- the official notification for collegiate softball players who have been drafted into the AUSL -- with an announcement from none other than three-time Super Bowl champion and Texas Tech alum Patrick Mahomes, has been one of the most dominant hurlers in the sport.
Canady is the reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and was the 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, an award for which she was a finalist again in ’25.
Prior to joining the Red Raiders, Canady pitched for Stanford during her freshman season and was the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year in 2023. She was also named the Softball America NCAA Freshman of the Year in ’23.
Canady will join ace Rachel Garcia, one of the best pitchers in the AUSL, in the Volts’ rotation.
The third overall selection went to one of the two AUSL expansion teams, the Oklahoma City Spark. The Spark picked left-handed pitcher Maya Johnson out of Belmont University. With the selection, Johnson became the first mid-major player drafted into the league.
Johnson, who went 25-2 with a 0.72 ERA and 344 strikeouts in 184 innings for Belmont in the Missouri Valley Conference this year, was named the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year.
The other AUSL expansion team, the Portland Cascade, had the fourth overall pick -- one of a Draft-high four selections. The Cascade selected utility player Megan Grant out of UCLA, a two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 finalist (2025 and ’26).
With the fifth pick, the Chicago Bandits selected slugging catcher Jocelyn Erickson out of the University of Florida. Erickson has been one of the best defensive catchers in the country, winning two Gold Glove Awards behind the plate. She was also named the 2024 SEC Player of the Year.
And with the final selection of the first round, the Utah Talons chose infielder Jordan Woolery out of UCLA. Woolery was the 2023 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and a two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalist (2025, ’26).
The selections from the remaining rounds were as follows:
Round Two
Carolina Blaze: Reese Atwood (C, Texas)
Texas Volts: Leighann Goode (INF, Texas)
Portland Cascade: Sydney Stewart (C, Arizona)
Oklahoma City Spark: Peja Goold (P, Mississippi State)
Chicago Bandits: Taryn Kern (INF, Stanford)
Utah Talons: Taylor Tinsley (P, UCLA)
Round Three
Chicago Bandits: Ailana Agbayani (INF, Oklahoma)
Oklahoma City Spark: Amari Harper (UTIL, Oregon)
Portland Cascade: Kenzie Brown (P, Arizona State)
Carolina Blaze: Dakota Kennedy (OF, Arkansas)
Round Four
Portland Cascade: Kenleigh Cahalan (UTIL, Florida)