The new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) is having its inaugural player draft on Jan. 29 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN3 and Youtube). The league will feature four teams playing a 24-game season in a traditional format and will be in addition to the existing AU Pro Softball Championship Season, which launched in 2020 and is 30 games over five weeks in July and August.
Check out what you need to know about the new league and then come back on Jan. 29 to see who each team drafts and adds to its first AUSL roster.
What is AUSL?
Launching in 2025, the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League will complement the existing AU Pro Softball Championship Season, which will be renamed the AUSL All-Star Cup and will follow the conclusion of the AUSL season. The AUSL All-Star Cup will continue to use AU’s scoring model to crown an individual champion.
The AUSL season will start in June and will feature four teams (Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts). The league will be going on tour to 6-8 cities in its first season and then in 2026 will move to a city-based format. ESPN will broadcast at least 18 games exclusively in 2025 (ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU).
How are players being drafted onto teams?
The first player draft for the AUSL will be on January 29 in Nashville, Tenn. (8. PM ESPN3 and AUSL Youtube page). Each team will draft 12 players from a pool of more than 80 available players. Former UCLA star Maya Brady (Tom Brady’s niece) is one of the most recent players to sign with the league. The four remaining spots will be filled by free agents and incoming college players who are finishing their eligibility.
The Bandits won a lottery to pick No. 1 overall, to be followed by the Blaze, Talons and Volts. Following the first round, the first pick of each round will rotate among the four teams:
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Round 1: Bandits, Blaze, Talons, Volts
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Round 2: Blaze, Talons, Volts, Bandits
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Round 3: Talons, Volts, Bandits, Blaze
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Round 4: Volts, Bandits, Blaze, Talon
the draft order is set for the AUSL Inaugural Draft 🥎
📅 January 29th
⏰ 8pm ET/7pm CT
📺 AUSL YouTube Channel or ESPN App👉 https://t.co/P1HE5AvF61 pic.twitter.com/YpTwm16zAp
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) January 23, 2025
Who will be drafting for each team?
There will be four teams drafting on Wednesday night — the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts. The four teams will be led by GMs with extensive and storied softball careers.
Here are the coaches for the first season:
In addition to the coaches and general managers, former MLB Executive Kim Ng is a Senior Adviser. Softball legends Jennie Finch, Jessica Mendoza and Natasha Watley are advisers to the AUSL.
Players available to be drafted
Pitcher
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Alana Vawter — South Carolina
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Ashia Ocasio – Florida
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Allie Light — SDSU
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Brooke Yanez — UCLA
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Carley Hoover — LSU
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Chenise particles – arkansas
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Estelle Czech — Texas
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Georgina Corrick — USF
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Hope Trautwein – Oklahoma
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Keiia Rackettats – Oklaoma
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Lexi Kilfoyl — Oklahoma State
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Mariah Mazon — Oregon State
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Megan Pharaoh – Ucla
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Montana Fouts — Alabama
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Odicci Alexander – JMU
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Payton Gottshall — Tennessee
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Rachel Garcia — UCLA
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Sarah Willis — UCF
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Tara’s alive – Washington
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Taylor McQuillin — Arizona
Catcher
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Dejah Mulipola – Arizona
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Jordan Roberts — Florida
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Jordyn Rudd-Lee — Northwestern
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Julia Cottrill — Texas A&M
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Kelly Torres — Duke
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Mia Davidson — Mississippi State
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Ryan Henry — Villanova
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Sharlize Palacios – UCLA
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Taylor Edwards — Nebraska
Middle Infielder
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Ali Aguilar — Washington
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Anissa for years – Utah
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Aubrey Leach — Tennessee
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Billie Andrews — Nebraska
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Erin Coffel — Kentucky
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Hannah Flippen – Utah
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Josie Muffley — Florida State
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Sierra Romero – Michigan
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Sis Bates — Washington
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Skylar Wallace — Florida
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Sydney McKinney — Wichita State
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Sydney Romero – Oklahoma
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Tiare Jennings — Oklahoma
Corner Infielder
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Andrea Filler — Northwestern
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Ashley Prenge – Alabama
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Baylee Klingler – Washington
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Daisy Munoz — Cal State Fullerton
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Grows Wisz – Ucla
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Jessi Warren — Florida State
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Kelsey Stewart-Hunter — Florida
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Lillian Piper — Ohio State
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Nadia Taylor — Texas
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Tori Vidales — Texas A&M
Outfielder
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Aliyah Andrews — LSU
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Amanda Lorenz — Florida
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Bella Dayton — Texas
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Bubba Nickles — UCLA
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Caroline Jacobsen — Clemson
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Ciara Briggs — LSU
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Ciara Bryan — Louisiana Lafayette
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Erika Piancastelli – McNeese
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Jadelyn Allchin — UCLA
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Jenna Kean — Louisiana Lafayette
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Kalei Harding — Florida State
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Madison Huskey — Washington
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Megan Wiggins — Georgia
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McKenzie Clark — Clemson
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Morgan Debord – Minnesota
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Morgan Zerkle — Marshall
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Victoria Hayward — Washington
Utility
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Ali Newland — LSU
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Allie Skaggs — Arizona
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Hayley Busby — Oklahoma State
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Kari Spas – Miami of Ohio
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Kayla Kowalik — Kentucky
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Makena Brocki – Sdsu
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Maya Brady — UCLA
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Pal Egan — Florida
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Sahvanna Jaquish — LSU
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Samantha Show — Oklahoma State
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Sara Fessler — Youngstown State
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Suzy Brookshire — Long Beach State
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Valerie Cagle — Clemson
