Pickens's Farewell Tour Opens In Knoxville
Karlyn Pickens — No. 1 overall AUSL pick, world-record velocity, 1.44 ERA — makes Tennessee a problem regardless of opponent. Virginia's Macee Eaton (60 RBI) and Eden Bigham (3.10 ERA) is the most credentialed 2-seed in the top-half regionals, but Pickens at full health closes the door.
Pickens's health. If she throws 12+ innings across the weekend, Tennessee wins. If she's at 80%, Virginia's Eaton-Bigham combo gets interesting.