The Athletes Unlimited Softball League surprised star collegiate softball players with “golden tickets” in the weeks leading up to the draft — letting them know they will be drafted this season on one of the six AUSL teams.
On Monday, draftees found out which team selected them during the AUSL Draft Show.
AUSL draft picks:
First round
Karlyn Pickens goes No. 1 overall to the Carolina Blaze! pic.twitter.com/tvZwuUYJEO
— Tennessee Softball (@Vol_Softball) May 4, 2026
1. Carolina Blaze: P Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee
2. Texas Volts: P NiJaree Canady, Texas Tech
3. Oklahoma City Spark: P Maya Johnson, Belmont
4. Portland Cascade: UTIL Megan Grant, UCLA
5. Bandits: C Jocelyn Erickson, Florida
6. Utah Talons: INF Jordan Woolery, UCLA
Second round
7. Blaze: C Reese Atwood, Texas
8. Volts: INF Leighann Goode, Texas
9. Cascade: C Sydney Stewart, Arizona
10: Spark: P Peja Goold, Mississippi State
11. Bandits: INF Taryn Kern, Stanford
12. Talons: P Taylor Tinsley, UCLA
Third round
13. Bandits: INF Ailana Agbayani, Oklahoma
14. Spark: UTIL Amari Harper, Oregon
15. Cascade: P Kenzie Brown, Arizona State
16: Blaze: OF Dakota Kennedy, Arkansas
Fourth round
17: Cascade: INF Kenleigh Cahalan, Florida
The seventeen players were awarded golden tickets in the weeks leading up to the draft:
Player No. 17: P Peja Goold, Mississippi State
the 17th and final Golden Ticket was delivered to ✨ Peja Goold ✨ @HailStateSB x @pejagoold7 pic.twitter.com/rFk4kWyAuL
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) April 25, 2026
Player No. 16: INF Ailana Agbayani, Oklahoma
AILANA IS G⭐️LDEN
The Gold Glove-winning infielder has received the 16th Golden Ticket, indicating she’s been drafted to the AUSL! pic.twitter.com/ahE7tZ7xbZ
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) April 25, 2026
Player No. 15: UTIL Amari Harper, Oregon
⭐️ AMARI IS GOLDEN ⭐️
Oregon utility Amari Harper has been presented with a golden ticket to be drafted into the AUSL! 🎫 pic.twitter.com/0rkJW4gkkS
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) April 20, 2026
Players No. 12, 13 and 14: INF Jordan Woolery, UTIL Megan Grant and P Taylor Tinsley, UCLA
⭐️ GOLDEN TICKET TRIO ⭐️
UCLA’s Jordan Woolery, Megan Grant, and Taylor Tinsley have all received a golden ticket to be drafted into the AUSL! pic.twitter.com/Z9DJZRBN9q
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) April 18, 2026
Players No. 10 and 11: C Jocelyn Erickson and INF Kenleigh Cahalan, Florida
Golden, but make it a duo ✨
Jocelyn Erickson and Kenleigh Cahalan have both received a golden ticket to be drafted into the AUSL! pic.twitter.com/3mkkApaG8d
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) April 18, 2026
Player No. 9: P Maya Johnson, Belmont
accolades keep coming, but this one is GOLDEN ✨✨
Maya Johnson becomes the first-ever mid-major player to receive a golden ticket! 🎫 pic.twitter.com/snQtwL1kiF
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) April 17, 2026
Player No. 8: INF Taryn Kern, Stanford
friday night lights, but make it ✨ Golden ✨ @StanfordSball infielder, @tarynkernn has received a ticket to the pros! pic.twitter.com/xQoQoKDAPu
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) April 11, 2026
Player No. 7: P Kenzie Brown, Arizona State
decibel level was off the charts in Tempe today 🗣️@sportsiren surprised Kenzie Brown with a Golden Ticket to be drafted to the AUSL! congratulations Kenzie 🥳 pic.twitter.com/3J0mdDp18b
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) April 7, 2026
Player No. 6: OF Dakota Kennedy, Arkansas
BIG night at Bogle 🐗
after securing the series sweep, Dakota Kennedy secured a Golden Ticket to be drafted to the pros 🎫 pic.twitter.com/q7T7G0mCwx
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) April 7, 2026
Player No. 5: P Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee
GOLDEN MOMENT FOR KARLYN!
Congratulations to @PickensKarlyn on receiving the 5th Golden Ticket of 2026@Vol_Softball | @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/QgqPTqyoyo
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) April 3, 2026
Player No. 4: C Sydney Stewart, Arizona
⭐️ GOLDEN TICKET. SYDNEY STEWART. ⭐️@sydneyyystewart receives the 4th golden ticket of 2026 to be drafted into the AUSL! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/VCGaRzfJey
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) March 29, 2026
Player No. 3: INF Leighann Goode, Texas
🌟 GOODE AS GOLD! 🌟@leighannn_11 receives the third golden ticket. 🤘 @SEC | @texassoftball pic.twitter.com/YabPIpgPaN
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) March 28, 2026
Player No. 2: C Reese Atwood, Texas
HOOK ‘EM! Reese Atwood is ✨GOLDEN✨
The second golden ticket goes to @TexasSoftball‘s @atwood_reese! 🤘 pic.twitter.com/ONA5E314u2
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) March 28, 2026
Player No. 1: P NiJaree Canady, Texas Tech
The first golden ticket was presented to pitcher Canady by commissioner Kim Ng and Patrick Mahomes on March 27.
FIRST GOLDEN TICKET OF 2026 📷📷
NiJaree Canady receives the first golden ticket of 2026 to be drafted into the AUSL! pic.twitter.com/2mB7bWIfgj
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) March 28, 2026
The 2025 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, the Texas Tech senior has signed two seven-figure NIL contracts and led Stanford to two straight World Series appearances before transferring. Last year, Texas Tech made it to the national championship series before falling in Game 3.
