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Pro News: Four AUSL Stars Headed to MLB All-Star Weekend to Compete in MLBx: All-Star 3-on-3 (June 23, 2026)

By AUSL

June 23, 2026

Four top players in the AUSL—(l-r): NiJaree Canady, Alyssa Brito, Rachel Garcia and Tiare Jennings—have been selected to participate in the inaugural MLBx: All-Star 3-on-3 competition on Sunday, July 12 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Pro News: Four AUSL Stars Headed to MLB All-Star Weekend to Compete in MLBx: All-Star 3-on-3 (June 23, 2026)

Major League Baseball has announced that four of the top stars from Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) are participating in the inaugural MLBx: All-Star 3-on-3 on Sunday, July 12 at Citizens Bank Park.

Andruw Jones will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame  on Sunday, July 26. Photo: Baseball Hall of Fame.

AUSL standouts Alyssa Brito, NiJaree Canady, Rachel Garcia and Tiare Jennings will each anchor a different team in MLBx: All-Star 3-on-3, the fast-paced, co-ed competition taking place immediately following the All-Star Futures Game.

It will showcase some of the top talent from both pro baseball and softball while introducing AUSL players to a new national audience and replaces the traditional All-Star Celebrity Softball Game.

Atlanta Braves legend and 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee Andruw Jones will captain the Atlanta Braves team and compete against Phillies legends and 2008 World Series Champion teammates Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino.

The teams will be matched up as follows:

  • Team Howard: Ryan Howard & Alyssa Brito (Carolina Blaze)
  • Team Rollins: Jimmy Rollins & Tiare Jennings (Texas Volts)
  • Team Victorino: Shane Victorino & Rachel Garcia (Texas Volts, Olympic silver medalist)
  • Atlanta Braves Team: Andruw Jones (captain) & NiJaree Canady (Texas Volts)

Each team will feature three players, with additional participants to be announced ahead of the event.

As described by Major League Baseball, MLBx: All-Star 3-on-3 is:

“a high-energy competition that combines the excitement of power hitting with the athleticism of defensive play.”

Each player receives one two-minute at-bat during the three-inning game. During an at-bat, one team positions its three players in the outfield while the opposing team hits from a custom-built stage.

Tiare Jennings

Teams earn points for home runs and defensive catches, with bonus points available by hitting a center-field target positioned above the outfield fence.

Players can also activate a five-swing “hot streak” where offensive and defensive points count double.

At the end of each game, the team with the most points advances.

The bracket-style competition will feature four teams facing off head-to-head across two semi-finals and a championship final, with each game lasting approximately 30 minutes.

MLB, leveraging its strategic partnership with AUSL, further highlights MLBx’s unique co-ed format and provides a major platform for some of the world’s best softball players during one of baseball’s marquee weekends.

AUSL Participants
  • Alyssa Brito
    Alyssa Brito (Carolina Blaze) joins MLBx after being selected in the first round of the 2026 AUSL Allocation Draft. A first-time member of the U.S. Women’s National Team, Brito enjoyed an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Oklahoma, winning three Women’s College World Series championships and earning two NFCA All-America selections.
  • NiJaree Canady (Texas Volts) is one of the most dominant pitchers in college softball. Canady starred at Stanford before transferring to Texas Tech, where she helped lead the Red Raiders to their first-ever Women’s College World Series appearance and championship series berth. A USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, two-time NFCA National Pitcher of the Year and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in Sports in 2026, Canady enters the AUSL as one of the sport’s most recognizable young stars.
  • Rachel Garcia
    Rachel Garcia (Texas Volts) is one of softball’s most accomplished two-way players. An Olympic silver medalist with Team USA at the Tokyo Games, Garcia helped lead UCLA to the 2019 Women’s College World Series title.
  • Tiare Jennings (Texas Volts) helped the University of Oklahoma win four consecutive Women’s College World Series championships and has emerged as one of AUSL’s most productive offensive performers since turning professional.  

AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng is excited for the great visibility the event will bring to the sport of softball and some of its biggest stars.

“This partnership gives our athletes an incredible opportunity to showcase their skills on one of the biggest stages in baseball,” she says.

MLBx is an exciting format that highlights athleticism, power and defensive excellence, and we’re thrilled to have some of AUSL’s top players taking part in Philadelphia.”

NiJaree Canady

In addition to participating in MLBx: All-Star 3-on-3, AUSL will have a presence at All-Star Village with its “Command the Circle” fan activation.

Inspired by the iconic centerpiece of the softball field, the experience celebrates the skill, power and precision of the game’s elite athletes while showcasing the continued growth of professional softball.

Fans will have the opportunity to test their pitching accuracy in an interactive pitching cage, explore displays featuring all six AUSL teams, take photos with player cut-outs and learn more about the league and its athletes. 

How to Purchase Tickets:  Tickets for All-Star Sunday, which includes the All-Star Futures Game and MLBx: All-Star 3-on-3, are available now at AllStarGame.com.

Fans can follow @MLBxOfficial and visit MLB.com/MLBx for the latest updates and participant announcements.

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