THE PRIMER: (AUSL) ATHLETES UNLIMITED SOFTBALL LEAGUE

Athletes Unlimited played a four-team pro softball league in 2024 and ESPN signed on as a founding broadcast partner for the inaugural AUSL season in 2025.

MLB announced a strategic investment in the AUSL in May of 2025 to help establish the AUSL as a sustainable organization and that inaugural season culminated with the Utah Talons defeating the Chicago Bandits, 2-0, in the championship game.

The AUSL has expanded to six teams for this season and each of these six teams will now have home fields and cities to play for and will play a 25-game regular season.

Here’s a closer look at each team this year…

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CAROLINA BLAZE

The Blaze selected back-to-back SEC Pitcher of the Year Karlyn Pickens, a two-time 1st Team All-American, in the first round of the 2026 AUSL College Draft. They also picked up Texas C Reese Atwood the NFCA Catcher of the Year, in Round 2 and Arkansas OF Dakota Kennedy, a 3rd Team All-American, in Round 3.

ROSTER

• Alyssa Brito (IF, OC Batbusters/Foothill High, CA, Oklahoma/Oregon, two-time 1st Team All-American, three-time WCWS champion)
• Valerie Cagle (UT, Hanover Hornets/Yorktown High, VA, Clemson, three-time 1st Team All-American, USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, Softball America Player of the Year)
• McKenzie Clark (OF, Tampa Mustangs/Lakewood Ranch High, FL, Clemson, three-time All-ACC)
• Ana Gold (IF, Lady Dukes-Lamar/Ballston Spa High, NY, Duke, All-ACC)
• Baylee Klingler (IF, Impact Gold/Dickinson High, TX, Washington, two-time 1st Team All-American)
• Kayla Kowalik (UT, Glory Adkins Gold/St. John Paul II Catholic High, TX, Kentucky, 1st Team All-American)
• Jenna Laird (IF, Long Island DeMarini/East Meadows High, NY, Missouri, All-SEC)
• Aubrey Leach (IF, Texas Sudden Impact/The Woodlands High, TX, Tennessee, 1st Team All-American)
• Emma Lemley (RHP, Starz Gold/Jefferson Forrest High, VA, Virginia Tech, All-SEC)
• Devyn Netz (RHP, So Cal Athletics/Ironwood Ridge High, AZ, Arizona)
• Aleshia Ocasio (RHP, Wagner’s Gold/Harmony High, FL, Florida, three-time All-SEC, 3rd Team All-American, WCWS champion)
• Keilani Ricketts (LHP, Archbishop Mitty High, CA, Oklahoma, four-time 1st Team All-American, two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, WCWS champion, Honda Sports Award, All-NPF)
• Karli Spaid (UT, Silverhawks/Lane Tech High, IL, Miami-OH, 1st Team All-American)
• Jala Wright (RHP, Firecrackers/Carolina Cardinals/Providence Day School, NC, Duke/Michigan State, 2nd Team All-American)