AUSL debuts: Rosters, stars to watch in new pro softball league

The 2025Women’s College World Series just wrapped up and softball fans still riding high from the Texas Longhorns’ national championship run are in luck. The inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) season gets underway on Saturday, meaning you don’t have to wait long for fierce competition among world-class athletes.

The AUSL officially kicks off on June 7 with an opening day matchup between the Talons and Bandits in Rosemont, Illinois, followed by a game between the Volts and Blaze in Wichita, Kansas. The Volts-Blaze game will be broadcast nationally on the MLB Network, marking the first pro softball game ever featured on the league’s network. It was made possible by some heavy hitters backing the league.

2025 SCHEDULE: How to watch Athletes Unlimited Softball League

Not only does the AUSL have the support of MLB, the women’s professional softball league will be shepherded by icons that have helped introduce the world to softball. Seven members of the 2004 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic softball team are involved with the AUSL as coaches, general managers or advisors: Lisa Fernandez, Stacey Nuveman-Deniz, Cat Osterman, Kelly Kretschman, Jennie Finch, Jessica Mendoza and Natasha Watley.

Here’s everything you need to know about the AUSL’s debut on Saturday, from full team rosters, to players to watch and the opening week schedule:

AUSL opening week schedule

National TV/streaming networks for each game are shown below. Games are also being broadcast in select local markets; check your local listings or click here.

*All times Eastern

Saturday, June 7

• Talons vs. Bandits, 3 p.m. (Rosemont, Illinois) | MLB.com, MLB.tv
• Volts vs. Blaze, 7:30 p.m. (Wichita, Kansas) | MLB Network, MLB.tv

Sunday, June 8

• Talons vs. Bandits, 2 p.m. (Rosemont, Illinois) | MLB.com, MLB.tv
• Volts vs. Blaze, 5 p.m. (Wichita, Kansas) | MLB.com, MLB.tv

Monday, June 9

• Volts vs. Blaze, 7 p.m. (Wichita, Kansas) | MLB.com, MLB.tv

Tuesday, June 10

• Talons vs. Bandits, 8 p.m. (Rosemont, Illinois) | ESPN2

Thursday, June 12

• Volts vs. Bandits, 7 p.m. (Sulphur, Louisiana) | ESPN2

Friday, June 13

• Talons vs. Blaze, 6:30 p.m. (Chattanooga, Tennessee) | MLB.com, MLB.tv
• Volts vs. Bandits, 9 p.m. (Sulphur, Louisiana) | MLB.com, MLB.tv

View the full season schedule here.

AUSL rosters

The AUSL’s inaugural season features four teams — Talons, Bandits, Blaze and Volts — playing a 24-game season across 10 metro areas, including Chicago, Austin and Salt Lake City. Here are the complete rosters:

Bandits full roster

• Head coach: Stacey Nuveman Deniz
• General Manager:  Jenny Dalton-Hill

• Catcher Jordan Roberts (Florida)
• Catcher Kelly Torres (Duke)
• Infielder Sydney McKinney (Wichita State)
• Infielder Delanie Wisz (UCLA)
• Infielder Erin Coffel (Kentucky)
• Infielder Skylar Wallace (Florida)
• Utility player Cori McMillan (Virginia Tech)
• Outfielder Morgan Zerkle (Marshall)
• Outfielder Bubba Nickles-Camarena (UCLA)
• Outfielder Bella Dayton (Texas)
• Pitcher Taylor McQuillin (LHP, Arizona)
• Pitcher Emiley Kennedy (LHP, Texas A&M)
• Pitcher Odicci Alexander (RHP, James Madison)
• Pitcher Sarah Willis (RHP, UCF)
• Pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl (RHP, Oklahoma State)
• Pitcher Devyn Netz (RHP, Arizona)

Player to Watch: The Bandits went for a ‘franchise pitcher’ with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 AUSL Draft in Lexi Kilfoyl. The Oklahoma State alum was named the Rookie of the Year in the 2024 Championship Season after finishing in second place on the leaderboard behind Bubba Nickles-Camarena, who is now her teammate on the Bandits teammate. Kilfoyl recorded a league-high 39 strikeouts and 59.2 innings pitched in 12 appearances.

Blaze full roster

• Head coach: Alisa Goler 
• General Manager: Dana Sorensen 

• Catcher Taylor Edwards (Nebraska)
• Catcher Kayla Kowalik (Kentucky)
• Infielder Danielle Gibson Whorton (Arkansas)
• Infielder Baylee Klingler (Washington)
• Infielder Ana Gold (Duke)
• Infielder Aubrey Leach (Tennessee)
• Infielder Anissa Urtez (Utah)
• Outfielder Aliyah Andrews (LSU)
• Outfielder Ciara Briggs (LSU)
• Outfielder Kalei Harding (Florida State)
• Outfielder Korbe Otis (Florida)
• Pitcher Emma Lemley (Virginia Tech)
• Pitcher Brooke McCubbin (Clemson)
• Pitcher Aleshia Ocasio (Florida)
• Pitcher Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma)
• Pitcher Hope Trautwein-Valdespino (Oklahoma)

Player to Watch: Blaze has a veteran leader in Aleshia Ocasio, who is entering her eighth season of professional softball. Ocasio has played for Athlete’s Unlimited since its inception in 2020, winning the individual championship title in 2021 and finishing third in 2024. Last year, Ocasio recorded 22 strikeouts over 39 innings with a 2.51 earned run average in 11 appearances (six starts). Ocasio is also a two-way star and it remains to be seen if she will pick up the bat this season.

Talons full roster

• Head coach: Howard Dobson
• General Manager: Lisa Fernandez

• Catcher Ally Shipman-Shrout (Alabama)
• Catcher Sharlize Palacios (UCLA)
• Infielder Bri Ellis (Arkansas)
• Infielder Tori Vidales (Texas A&M)
• Infielder Sydney Romero (Oklahoma)
• Infielder Hannah Flippen (Utah)
• Infielder Ali Aguilar (Washington)
• Outfielder Sierra Sacco (Mississippi State)
• Outfielder Caroline Jacobsen (Clemson)
• Outfielder Jadelyn Allchin (UCLA)
• Outfielder Victoria Hayward (Washington)
• Pitcher Megan Faraimo (UCLA)
• Pitcher Mariah Lopez (Utah)
• Pitcher Raelin Chaffin (Mississippi State)
• Pitcher Montana Fouts (Alabama)
• Pitcher Lauren Derkowski (Michigan)

Player to Watch: Bri Ellis is carrying a hot bat into the AUSL’s inaugural season. Ellis was named the 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, the most prestigious honor in college softball, after a historic senior season where she set Arkansas’ single-season program record for home runs (26) and RBIs (72). Ellis and the Razorbacks fell short of the Women’s College World Series, but she was drafted second overall in the 2025 AUSL College Draft. Can’t go without mentioning pitcher Montana Fouts, who is reuniting with her collegiate catcher Ally Shipman-Shrout.

Volts full roster

• Head Coach: Kelly Kretschman
• General Manager: Cat Osterman

• Catcher Michaela Edenfield (Florida State)
• Catcher Mary Iakopo (Texas)
• Infielder Sis Bates (Washington)
• Infielder Tiare Jennings (Oklahoma)
• Infielder Sierra Romero (Michigan)
• Infielder Kelsey Stewart-Hunter (Florida)
• Infielder Jessi Warren (Florida State)
• Utility player Danieca Coffey (LSU)
• Utility player Ali Newland (LSU)
• Outfielder McKenzie Clark (Clemson)
• Outfielder Amanda Lorenz (Florida)
• Pitcher Rachel Garcia (UCLA)
• Pitcher Payton Gottshall (Tennessee)
• Pitcher Sam Landry (Oklahoma)
• Pitcher Mariah Mazón (Oregon State)
• Pitcher Miranda Stoddard (Arizona)

Player to Watch: Two-way star Rachel Garcia has won at every level. She led the UCLA Bruins to a national championship in 2019, picked up a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic with Team USA and was crowned the 2023 AUX Season championship. Is an AUSL championship next? Kretschman said the team was built to ‘compliment’ Garcia, who was drafted No. 4 overall by the Volts in the AUSL Inaugural Draft. 

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