We continue our year-end look at the Top 10 Softball Stories of 2024…  Here is the schedule for this list which will run the rest of December and into January 2025, when we’ll publish the No. 1 Softball Story of The Year:

• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #10 – The Alliance to Hold All National Championships In Indy
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #9 – Tue, Dec. 24, 2024
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #8 – Wed, Dec. 25, 2024
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #7 – Thu, Dec. 26, 2024
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #6 – Fri, Dec. 27, 2024
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #5 – Sat, Dec. 28, 2024
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #4 – Sun, Dec. 29, 2024
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #3 – Mon, Dec. 30, 2024
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #2– Tue, Dec. 31, 2024
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #1 – Wed, Jan. 1, 2025

Also, on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, Line Drive Softball will list all the Top 10 stories together and then on Saturday, Jan. 4th we’ll will run the “Other Stories Considered” List.

For each topic (story), an article that we ran earlier this year on Line Drive Softball or was published by our friend at D1 Softball, Justin McLeod, the Associate Editor and former workmate of mine.

So how were the Top 10 picked?

We looked at what were considered the most memorable and important stories of the year as they impacted the sport. In researching the Top 10, we talked to those at at all levels of softball, including college and travel ball coaches, other media members and YOU—the fastpitch community.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

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The Top 10 Softball Stories of 2024: #9… The State of the Pro Game

The first pro women’s softball league was started nearly 50 years ago—in 1976—by former LPGA Tour member Janie Blaylock, softball legend Joan Joyce and tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King and players made between $1,000 to $5,000 before the league folded after just four years.

Many in softball have hoped for a situation like that in the WNBA, which has the full support and backing of the NBA and is looking to expand to 16 teams in the next few years. Famous athletes such as NFL quarterback Patrick Holmes and NBA star Kevin Durant have expressed an interest in growing the WNBA.

For the sport of softball, it’s been a mixed bag of being able to grow the sport and there were some big disappointments in 2024 but there was also encouraging news… here’s the “bad news/good news” happenings from this year…

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The Women’s Professional Fastpitch League

Just last year (2023), the future looked bright for the Women’s Professional Fastpitch league (WPF) which was highlighted by the Texas Smoke winning the first-ever WPF championship led by former Texas Longhorn star Janae Jefferson as the Smoke defeated the USSSA Pride 2-0 in a best of three series.

After the big title win, Jefferson even had her contract extended in August 2023 for another two years.

It looked positive heading into 2024… until the bad news started coming for the WPL.

In April of this year, one of the premier teams—the USSSA Pride—announced that it would not  be playing in the summer.

*** The complete release titled “Pro News” USSSA Pride Team Won’t Play This Summer” is published below.

The bad PR kept coming when on Oct. 9, 2024, website The Gist published an article titled: Women’s Professional Fastpitch players voice concerns over alleged breach of contract,

As part of its coverage, The Gist reported:

“… the pro softball space has been thrown yet another curveball. Last week, several prominent pro softball players spoke out against subpar working conditions during the 2024 Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF) season, which they allege breach their signed contracts.”

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Athletes Unlimited Softball League

With that uncertainty crossing into the new year, there was some good news emanating from the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) which announced on June 4, 2024, that the league would launch a “groundbreaking new pro softball league featuring four teams and the AUSL would have two major things going for it:

1. Softball Legends Jessica Mendoza, Cat Osterman, and Natasha Watley would be advisers on the strategic direction of the league.
2. ESPN would be a founding broadcast partner.

Additionally, the AUSL announced earlier this year the names of the four teams as well as GM, coach and player news.

Scroll down to see the releases titled: Athletes Unlimited Softball League to Launch in 2025 and AUSL Reveals Team Identities.

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Florida Vibe

Another positive for the pro game is the continuing growth of the Florida Vibe, which is providing many top college players the change to continue playing once graduated.

Scroll down to see the article titled Pro Softball: Florida Vibe Resigns Players, Adds New Talent.

The Vibe is scheduled to play June 10, 2025 through July 26, 2025 at events such as:

• The Top Gun Series (Kansas City, Mo.),
• The Florida Series (Clearwater & Bradenton, Fla.),
• The Mexico Series (Cabo, Mexico),
• The Triple Crown Series (Aurora, Col.),
• The New York Series (Long Island, N.Y.),
• The Oklahoma Series (Oklahoma City, Okla.),
• The Florida II Series (Bradenton, Fla.)

A Fastpitch United Series is scheduled for July 23, 2025 with details TBD.

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KEY ARTICLES from 2024:

Pro News: USSSA Pride Team Won’t Play This Summer

Originally published April 3, 2024 on Line Drive Softball

In a release issued on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, and on the organization’s website, USSSAPride.com, the USSSA Pride organization announced that its pro team will not play this summer.

*** Click HERE to see the roster for the Pride team last year.

The release included the following information:

USSSA has experienced many changes this year. At times, the results of these changes have required us to pivot operations. Along these lines, we are saddened to share the news that, despite great effort and substantial conversation, the USSSA Pride will not operate in 2024.

This decision was incredibly difficult. We wish there was a way that we could move forward with the 2024 season as planned, and we acknowledge that this is a disappointing outcome for all.

We are thankful for your support, and we look forward to what the future may hold for the USSSA Pride.

USSSA Board of Directors

The General Manager of the Pride has been Donny DeDonatis III and former Univ. of Oregon great Courtney Ceo, who also played for the USSSA Pride squad previously, was the Assistant General Manager.

Kelley Kretschman, the former standout for the Alabama Crimson Tide and nine-time All-Star at the pro level, was expected to be the head coach for the team with her assistants lined up to be Stephanie Ceo and Courtney Gettins.

The World Fastpitch League (WPL) season—of which the Pride is part of and would have competed in the league’s fourth season—was set to begin June 15^th and the team was set to compete in 36 games with the playoffs and championship game to be held mid-August in Oxford, Ala.

All that looks to be up in the air int terms of scheduling, player rosters and the direction of the league.

The WPL, which started in 2021, has three other teams in addition to the Pride: Smash It Sports Vipers (Oxford, Alabama), Oklahoma City Spark (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) and Texas Smoke (Austin, Texas).

In 2023, the Texas Smoke won the WPL championships with the Pride finishing as runners-up.

The Pride organization will still hold clinics in June as part of the USSSA Pride Instructional Clinics series.

Learn from the best ➡️ 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙔 𝙇𝙄𝙆𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝙀𝙎𝙏 💪

Sign up for one of our USSSA Pride Instructional Clinics happening at the Space Coast Complex this Summer ⬇️https://t.co/xshDF1uHhx#PlayUSSSA pic.twitter.com/nYY74kJysT

— USSSA Fastpitch (@USSSAFastpitch) April 2, 2024

Another major property, the youth player-focused Select 30, looks like it will also continue.

The two events this year, the Space Coast Select 30 National Training Camp (Fla.) and the West Coast Select 30 National Training Camp, were held in mid-January and mid-February respectively.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

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Athletes Unlimited Softball League to Launch in 2025

Originally published on June 4, 2024 on the AUSports.com website

Athletes Unlimited today announced the newest addition to the exploding pro women’s sports landscape, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).

Launching in 2025, the AUSL will feature four teams playing a 30-game season (60 total games) in a traditional format, complementing the existing AU Pro Softball Championship Season and creating a new opportunity for the world’s best players to compete.

ESPN has signed on as a founding broadcast partner of the AUSL and will carry at least 18 games exclusively on its linear platforms (ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU) in 2025.

Softball legends Jessica Mendoza, Cat Osterman, and Natasha Watley have signed on as advisors to the AUSL, consulting with AU leadership and current athletes on the strategic direction of the new league. They appeared today at a press conference at the College Softball World Series in Oklahoma City alongside AU co-founder and CEO Jon Patricof and AU Senior Vice President and Director of Softball Cheri Kempf to officially announce the new venture.

The AUSL will become a city-based league beginning in 2026, while the inaugural season in 2025 will be a touring property featuring games in 6-8 different cities. The existing AU Pro Softball Championship Season will follow the conclusion of the AUSL season and will be renamed the AUSL All-Star Cup beginning in 2025, while continuing to use AU’s innovative scoring model to crown an individual champion. Further details about the AUSL, including locations, competitors, schedule, and additional broadcast partners will be announced at a later date.

Athletes Unlimited launched in 2020 with its first AU Pro Softball Championship Season later adding pro women’s lacrosse, volleyball, and basketball leagues as well as AU Pro Softball AUX, an additional two-week softball season. The AUSL marks the latest expansion of Athletes Unlimited’s presence in softball.

“Athletes Unlimited has been building on the momentum in women’s pro sports since our launch five years ago,” said Jonathan Soros, Athletes Unlimited co-founder. ”We’ve been growing steadily in softball, and the AUSL will be our biggest expansion yet to create more opportunities for fans to watch the world’s best athletes.”

“With our established infrastructure as well as strong existing sponsorship and broadcast partners and the support of USA Softball, we believe the AUSL is set up for success,” Patricof said. “As the sport prepares to return to the Olympics in 2028 amid increasing fan interest at the college and professional levels, now is the time to seize on this positive momentum and expand the sport even further.”

“I am confident the AUSL will succeed, building off all the efforts made by so many to build and grow this sport to where it is now,” Kempf said. “The AUSL will benefit from the AU team’s five years of experience, an established and committed broadcast partner in ESPN and a unique relationship with the current players that has not been seen before in this sport. These relationships, along with a unified and supported structure, are what we believe to be the key to success at the professional level.”

“Athletes Unlimited continues to have an open mind and view for what best serves our sport and athletes,” said Osterman, a three-time Olympic medalist, four-time All-American, and six-time professional All-Star. “AUSL is much needed in our sport, as the traditional model is popular amongst fans, but also gives athletes the opportunity to develop and progress within the consistent environment of a season.”

“The AUSL will also help to determine who will compete for the newly named AUSL [All-Star] Cup in the current AU format. It’s a great moment for our sport and amazing to have an organization like Athletes Unlimited continuing to be innovative in serving both athletes and fans alike.”

“Athletes Unlimited has generated unprecedented national coverage for professional softball by ensuring widespread broadcast distribution for its leagues,” said Mendoza, a two-time Olympic medalist, four-time All-American, broadcast analyst, and Athletes Unlimited Advisory Board member. “I am confident the AUSL will be the next step in the continued growth of this sport in the U.S., and provide countless opportunities for today’s best players both on and off the field.”

“The AUSL will continue the mission that Athletes Unlimited began in 2020 to elevate professional softball,” said Watley, two-time Olympic medalist, four-time All-American, and seven-time All-Star softball player. “

The AUSL not only gives players another platform to showcase their talent at the highest level, but allows many athletes to extend their softball careers past college and professionally.  It also inspires millions of young girls to follow their idols and aspire to be a professional athlete one day.”

The governing body of softball, USA Softball which fields national teams up to the premier Olympic squad, also announced it would be working with the AUSL.

“USA Softball is extremely excited for this new era of Athletes Unlimited and believes it is a great step forward in growing the sport of softball,” said Craig Cress, CEO of USA Softball.

“Providing these athletes with the chance to play professionally in a more traditional league will not only impact current athletes but also future generations of softball athletes.”

In conjunction with today’s announcement, Athletes Unlimited has also started new Twitter and Facebook pages that will focus specifically on softball. Fans can follow @AUProSoftball to stay up to date on all AUSL news as well as follow along for exclusive content during the upcoming summer seasons.

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AUSL Reveals Team Identities

Originally published Dec. 4, 2024

Athletes Unlimited today announced the identities for its four inaugural teams – the Bandits, Blaze, Talons, and Volts – which will take the field for the new league’s launch in spring 2025.

The AUSL will be a touring property in 2025, with the Bandits, Blaze, Talons, and Volts playing games in six to eight different cities. The teams will each be assigned to a single city when the league becomes city-based in 2026.

Last week, the AUSL announced its General Managers and Head Coaches, a highly decorated and seasoned group of softball veterans including Olympic gold medalists Lisa Fernandez, Stacey Nuveman-Deniz and Cat Osterman.

The group of four General Managers and four Head Coaches boasts among them nine Olympic medals, 11 NCAA championships (as players and coaches), and 26 NCAA All-American honors.

The General Managers and Coaches will be paired with each team as follows:

• Bandits: Jenny Dalton-Hill (General Manager); Stacey Nuveman-Deniz (Head Coach)
• Blaze: Dana Sorensen (General Manager); Alisa Goler (Head Coach)
• Talons: Lisa Fernandez (General Manager); Howard Dobson (Head Coach)
• Volts: Cat Osterman (General Manager); Kelly Kretschman (Head Coach)

“Since the new AUSL league was announced this summer, the softball world has been abuzz. Now, with team names and logos, our new General Managers and Head Coaches, and our new players and returnees, the AUSL has come to life” said AUSL Senior Advisor Kim Ng, who is charged with designing and launching the new league. “We look forward to celebrating with the entire softball community at the NFCA Convention this week.”

Click HERE for more on the AUSL Team Brand Identities

The AUSL also recently announced the first group of players to sign with the new league, including Carley Hoover, a 2016 World Cup of Softball Silver Medalist for Team USA, and Dejah Mulipola, a 2020 Olympic Silver Medalist with Team USA.

Others who’ve been confirmed to play in 2025 include:

• Erin Coffel
• Payton Gottshall
• Kayla Kowalik
• Aubrey Leach
• Mariah Mazon
• Jordan Roberts
• Anissa Urtez,
• Jessi Warren
• Morgan Zerkle.

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Pro Softball: Florida Vibe Resigns Players, Adds New Talent (Sept. 22, 2024)

The Florida Vibe is a professional softball team based out of Bradenton, Fla. (click HERE to go to the team’s webpage) and is a member of the Association of Fastpitch Professionals (AFP) that also includes the Chattanooga Steam, New York Rise and the Oklahoma City Spark.

Since the end of the 2024 season on July 27, 2023 – which ended, by the way, with the Vipe turning a triple play that made it onto ESPN SportsCenter’s as the No. 8 Play of the Day…

Hey, there’s the @floridavibesb triple play on #SCTop10!

(It’s pro softball though, @SportsCenter). https://t.co/akZdS3cGVh pic.twitter.com/BrmWcM6z7d

— Gray Robertson (@gray_robertson) July 28, 2024

… the VIBE has been active over the last month getting the roster ready for play in 2025.

Here are the moves the team has made in re-inking four returners and signing a new player (be sure to check out our Florida Vibe 2024 Season Preview below as well which includes the team roster):

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Resigned Players:

• Kara Canetto (Sept. 13, 2024)

🚨#feelthevibe✌️

She is back‼️

Welcome to the 2025 Florida VIBE, @KaraCanetto, OF, from @LibertySB‼️

Make sure you purchase the #23 CANETTO replica jersey & shirt in the VIBE fan wear store online to watch #23 in action all summer in 2025‼️#americasteam #fastpitchunited pic.twitter.com/BbjmHsxlZA

— Florida Vibe (@floridavibesb) September 13, 2024

• Elizabeth Hightower (Sept. 6, 2024)

She’s Back! #feelthevibe✌️

Welcome back to the Florida VIBE, @ElizabethH_99_ from @GatorsSB! 🐊

Check out the #22 HIGHTOWER replica jersey & shirts along with other VIBE fan wear in the team online store, root on your Florida VIBE in 2025! #americasteam #fastpitchunited pic.twitter.com/TLIJhoSaHp

— Florida Vibe (@floridavibesb) September 6, 2024

• Hannah Adams (Aug. 30, 2024)

She is back for 2025 with a contract extension!

Welcome back HANNAH ADAMS from @GatorsSB with signing an extension to 2026!

Check out the #8 ADAMS replica jersey & shirt in the fan store to prepare for the 2025 Florida VIBE pro series #4 coming summer 2025! #feelthevibe✌️ pic.twitter.com/1g1XzxOXm1

— Florida Vibe (@floridavibesb) August 30, 2024

• Taylor Pleasants (Aug. 23, 2024)

BOOM 💥!#feelthevibe in 2025 with TAYLOR PLEASANTS from @LSUsoftball signing a contract extension for the 2025-2026 professional season!

Make sure to shop in Vibe fan store for #17 Pleasants replica jersey & shirt plus other Vibe fan wear to be ready to see Taylor in action! pic.twitter.com/Cqe5kApUd9

— Florida Vibe (@floridavibesb) August 23, 2024

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New Player

• Sara Mosley (Sept. 20, 2024)

#feelthevibe✌️

Welcome NEWCOMER to the 2025 Florida VIBE, from @UGASoftball, All-NCAA everything, @saramosley33 ‼️

Sara, will dawn the #33 jersey number for the VIBE this year & soon, can purchase her replica jersey & shirt in the fan store‼️@americasteam @fastpitchunited pic.twitter.com/JT11fAFcpq

— Florida Vibe (@floridavibesb) September 20, 2024

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Here’s our 2024 preview for the Vibe which originally ran on Jun 14, 2024…

Pro Softball: Florida Vibe Summer Schedule Kicks Off Friday Night 

The college season may be over, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t great fastpitch to follow this Summer.

There are top travel ball tournaments taking place every weekend through mid-August, but there’s also pro softball with the Florida Vibe professional fastpitch organization.

The Florida Vibe is entering its third professional season and the team’s Summer 2024 campaign kicks off Friday night (June 14, 2024).

A Bradenton, Florida domiciled organization just minutes from the world, famous gulf coast beaches of Florida such as Anna Maria Island & Siesta Key, the Vibe will be represented by some of the greatest professional talents the sport can offer.   

• Click HERE to find out how to watch the Vibe on Live Stream.
• Click HERE to buy Season Tickets.

All home games will be played at State College of Florida at Clearwater Stadium (5840 26^th Street West, Bradenton, Fla.

Weekday games begin at 6 pm, weekend contests at 1 pm.

The home gate fee is $10 per person, but travel ball teams and/or players get in for 50 percent off (just $5) if wearing a team jersey.

Here’s more on the Florida Five including the head coach bio, team roster for the summer and the 2024 schedule…

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FLORIDA VIBE Head Coach: LEAH AMICO

Coach Leah Amico is a 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist (1996, 2000, 2004) for USA Softball and 2-time World Softball Champion.

She won 3 National Championships at the University of Arizona under Coach Mike Candrea, a 3-time first team All-American, 3-time All-Academic All-American and holds the Women’s College World Series Record for batting average in a single tournament, hitting .750.

Coach Amico has been inducted into numerous Hall of Fames, including the USA National Softball Hall of Fame and the University of Arizona Softball Hall of Fame.

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FLORIDA VIBE Team Roster

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FLORIDA VIBE 2024 Summer Schedule