Latest news with #Bandits
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
AUSL debuts: Rosters, stars to watch in Athletes Unlimited Softball League
AUSL debuts: Rosters, stars to watch in Athletes Unlimited Softball League Show Caption Hide Caption Los Angeles Olympics move softball and canoe to Oklahoma City Instead of taking place on the West Coast, the sports will be the middle of the country. The 2025 Women'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. The MLB announced a wide-ranging partnership with the AUSL last week, marking Major League Baseball's first investment in a women's professional sports league. MLB will leverage its broadcast partners and platforms to promote the visibility of the AUSL, which is helmed by commissioner Kim Ng, the former Miami Marlins general manager (2021–23). 2025 SCHEDULE: How to watch Athletes Unlimited Softball League AUSL: Partnership with MLB will help 'shine light' on softball's biggest stars 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) | Volts vs. Blaze, 7:30 p.m. (Wichita, Kansas) | MLB Network, Sunday, June 8 Talons vs. Bandits, 2 p.m. (Rosemont, Illinois) | Volts vs. Blaze, 5 p.m. (Wichita, Kansas) | Monday, June 9 Volts vs. Blaze, 7 p.m. (Wichita, Kansas) | 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) | Volts vs. Bandits, 9 p.m. (Sulphur, Louisiana) | 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 Stacey Nuveman Deniz General Manager: Jenny Dalton-Hill 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 Alisa Goler General Manager: Dana Sorensen 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 Howard Dobson General Manager: Lisa Fernandez 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 : Kelly Kretschman General Manager: Cat Osterman 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. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
AUSL 2025 schedule: Dates, times, how to watch Athletes Unlimited Softball League
AUSL 2025 schedule: Dates, times, how to watch Athletes Unlimited Softball League Show Caption Hide Caption Los Angeles Olympics move softball and canoe to Oklahoma City Instead of taking place on the West Coast, the sports will be the middle of the country. The Women's College World Series crowns the 2025 NCAA softball champion on Friday, but fans don't have to wait until 2026 to see high-level softball. The Athletes Unlimited Softball League begins Saturday with the inaugural games in the new professional league. Athletes Unlimited has been around since 2020 but announced its intentions to launch a traditional softball league in 2025, starting with four teams. MLB also purchased an equity stake in the AUSL, in which Kim Ng, the former general manager of the Miami Marlins, is commissioner. The new softball league is set for a 24-game season at a handful of cities around the country. And while professional softball has had numerous leagues over the years, none have quite stuck. But, none of those other leagues had the backing of Major League Baseball, either. AUSL is launching with four teams – Bandits, Blaze, Talons, Volts – for its first season, and some of softball's biggest legends are serving as advisors for the league, including Olympic medalists Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman, Jessica Mendoza and Natasha Watley. As for the players, the league includes some big names who have played in Athletes Unlimited in the past few years after shining at the collegiate level, as well as graduating college stars. The AUSL plans to become a city-based league in 2026, but the inaugural 2025 season will be played on a touring basis, with the four teams traveling to 10 different cities. See the full schedule below: AUSL: Partnership with MLB will help 'shine light' on softball's biggest stars DRAFTS: Which softball players are suiting up for 2025 AUSL season AUSL regular-season schedule June 7: at Rosemont, Illinois Talons vs. Bandits, 3 p.m. | June 7: at Wichita, Kansas Volts vs. Blaze, 7:30 p.m. | MLB Network, June 8: at Rosemont, Illinois Talons vs. Bandits, 2 p.m. | June 8: at Wichita, Kansas Volts vs. Blaze, 5 p.m. | June 9: at Wichita, Kansas Volts vs. Blaze, 7 p.m. | June 10: at Rosemont, Illinois Talons vs. Bandits, 8 p.m. | ESPN2 June 12: at Sulphur, Louisiana Volts vs. Bandits, 7 p.m. | ESPN2 June 13: at Chattanooga, Tennessee Talons vs. Blaze, 6:30 p.m. | June 13: at Sulphur, Louisiana Volts vs. Bandits, 9 p.m. | June 14: at Chattanooga, Tennessee Talons vs. Blaze, 12 p.m. | ESPNU June 14: at Sulphur, Louisiana Volts vs. Bandits, 7:30 p.m. | MLB Network, June 15: at Chattanooga, Tennessee Talons vs. Blaze, 2 p.m. | June 17: at Wichita, Kansas Bandits vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | June 17: at Wichita, Kansas Blaze vs. Volts, 9:30 p.m. | June 18: at Wichita, Kansas Bandits vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU June 18: at Wichita, Kansas Blaze vs. Volts, 9:30 p.m. | June 20: at Wichita, Kansas Bandits vs. Blaze, 7 p.m. | ESPNU June 20: at Norman, Oklahoma Talons vs. Volts, 8:30 p.m. | June 21: at Norman, Oklahoma Talons vs. Volts, 5 p.m. | ESPNU June 21: at Wichita, Kansas Bandits vs. Blaze, 7 p.m. | MLB Network, June 22: at Wichita, Kansas Bandits vs. Blaze, 5 p.m. | June 22: at Norman, Oklahoma Talons vs. Volts, 7 p.m. | ESPNU June 23: at Wichita, Kansas Bandits vs. Blaze, 6:30 p.m. | June 23: at Norman, Oklahoma Talons vs. Volts, 8:30 p.m. | ***Break - International Competitions*** July 7: at Rosemont, Illinois Bandits vs. Volts, 7 p.m. | ESPN2 July 7: at Rosemont, Illinois Blaze vs. Talons, 9:30 p.m. | July 8: at Rosemont, Illinois Blaze vs. Bandits, 4:30 p.m. | July 8: at Rosemont, Illinois Volts vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU July 9: at Rosemont, Illinois Blaze vs. Bandits, 11:30 AM vs. July 9: at Rosemont, Illinois Volts vs. Talons, 2 p.m. | July 11: at Omaha, Nebraska Bandits vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU July 11: at Seattle Blaze vs. Volts, 10 p.m. | July 12: at Omaha, Nebraska Bandits vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | MLB Network, July 12: at Seattle Blaze vs. Volts, 9 p.m. | July 13: at Omaha, Nebraska Bandits vs. Talons, 1 p.m. | ESPN2 July 13: at Seattle Blaze vs. Volts, 4 p.m. | July 16: at Salt Lake City Blaze vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU July 17: at Austin, Texas Bandits vs. Volts, 7 p.m. | ESPN2 July 17: at Salt Lake City Blaze vs. Talons, 9:30 p.m. | MLB Network, July 18: at Austin, Texas Bandits vs. Volts, 8 p.m. | ESPNU July 18: at Salt Lake City Blaze vs. Talons, 9 p.m. | July 19: at Salt Lake City Blaze vs. Talons, 6 p.m. | July 19: at Austin, Texas Volts vs. Bandits, 8 p.m. | July 20: at Austin, Texas Volts vs. Bandits, 7 p.m. | July 22: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama Volts vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU July 22: at Rosemont, Illinois Blaze vs. Bandits, 8:30 p.m. | July 23: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama Volts vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU July 23: at Rosemont, Illinois Blaze vs. Bandits, 8:30 p.m. | AUSL Championship schedule July 26: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed, 5 p.m. | ESPN2 July 27: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed, 4 p.m. | ESPN2 July 28: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed, 7 p.m. | ESPN2 The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MLB has invested in a new pro softball league. The inaugural season begins in Illinois
The first steps toward a major professional softball league are taking shape, and the state of Illinois will play an early part in the launch. Major League Baseball announced it has made a "strategic investment" in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, which will begin play this season on June 7 with some games in suburban Chicago. Advertisement MLB called the partnership a "first of its kind," with an aim to make the pro softball league an "established, sustainable entity." The deal includes joint sales and marketing, promotion and broadcast on the MLB Network and according to a release. Athletes Unlimited softball started in 2020 but played in a format where players were the center of the league, not teams, according to USA TODAY. AUSL is launching with four teams — Bandits, Blaze, Talons, Volts — for its inaugural season. Each team has rosters of 16, with players making at least $45,000, according to its website. Players can also earn up to $75,000 with bonuses. The AUSL plans to become a city-based league in 2026, but the inaugural 2025 season will be played on a touring basis, with the four teams traveling to 10 different cities in the 24-game season. The league is also signed by ESPN, with games airing on its family of networks, according to USA TODAY. Women's College World Series: 3 players from Illinois part of NCAA softball championships Advertisement Here is a look at the eight game dates scheduled for Rosemont, Illinois, with all 11 games played at The Stadium at Parkway Bank Sports Complex, located at 27 Jennie Finch Way. Saturday, June 7: Talons vs. Bandits, 2 p.m. Sunday, June 8: Talons vs. Bandits, 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 10: Talons vs. Bandits Monday, July 7 (DH): Bandits vs. Volts and Blaze vs. Talons, 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 8 (DH): Blaze vs. Bandits and Volts vs. Talons, 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 9 (DH): Blaze vs. Bandits and Volts vs. Talons, 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 22: Blaze vs. Bandits, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 23: Blaze vs. Bandits, 7:30 p.m. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Athletes Unlimited Softball League games played in Rosemont, Illinois
Winnipeg Free Press
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Half measures sink Sea Bears
In a blink, the Winnipeg Sea Bears were back in the same place. After outperforming the surging Vancouver Bandits for two quarters, Winnipeg's pro hoops team went through a stretch that's become all too familiar in the early goings of the Canadian Elite Basketball League campaign and found themselves in a hole too deep to dig out of in Target Score Time. Sparked by a 27-point performance from guard Kyle Mangas, the Bandits defeated the Sea Bears 100-89 before 7,142 fans at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday evening. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Sea Bears guard Tevian Jones (centre) controls the ball under pressure as Bandits guard Curtis Hollis (right) covers him. Mangas sealed the game with one of his five three-pointers in the contest. 'We loved the first-half compete, we loved the first-half teamwork. Put ourselves in a great position… came out (of halftime) and kind of lost control of the tempo of the game,' said head coach Mike Taylor. 'What we look at is controlling the tempo of the game, the shot-selection, and I think for the majority of the game, there were a lot of positives there. A lot to build on and a lot of good things from the team. But again, that third quarter, where it kind of got sped up a little bit, and made some poor decisions and got back to that shot-selection situation. For the majority of the game, we made strides and showed good things, but we weren't consistent enough for the entire time, and that stretch came back to haunt us.' The Sea Bears dropped to 1-3 on the young season, while the Bandits improved to 4-0. If there's a silver lining for Winnipeg, it's that it was Vancouver's toughest test to date. The visitors entered the contest having beaten their opponents by 35.6 points on average, while averaging 107.6 points per game. Tevian Jones paced the Sea Bears' offence with 23 points and six assists in 37:23, while Jaylin Williams supplied 21 points and four rebounds in 31:52. Terry Roberts added 16 points while playing 32:13. 'I personally just think keep building on the effort,' said guard Alex Campbell. 'The effort was there. I think we let our foot off the gas for about 10 minutes, and in that 10 minutes, the team went up 20, so I think it's just about putting together a full game.' After a thrilling season-opening victory at home, the Sea Bears found themselves down on their luck on the heels a pair of uninspiring performances against the Calgary Surge in which they were outscored by a combined 44 points. Winnipeg looked like a different team in the opening half as a terrific defensive start made life difficult for the dangerous Bandits. The hosts forced seven turnovers, six of which were steals, while building a 29-23 lead after the first frame — which marked their highest offensive output in the opening quarter this season. A slightly less stellar second quarter saw the Bandits go on a 13-4 run to end the half, but Winnipeg still held a 48-45 lead going into halftime. Vancouver came out of the locker room firing, connecting on 13 of its 18 shots in the third quarter. After registering two points in the first half, Mangas, who is averaging a league-leading five made threes per game, began to heat up with three triples as part of a 19-point quarter for the sharpshooter. Just like that, the Sea Bears were down 79-59 heading into the fourth quarter. The Bandits entered Target Score Time with a 90-78 lead. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Sea Bears guard Tevian Jones goes up for a dunk Wednesday against the Vancouver Bandits. 'We had some defensive breakdowns that gave him some open looks,' Taylor said of defending Mangas. 'The shot-fake side-step three that he hit (in Target Score Time), we had a different type of a post-double on, and (Emmanuel Akot) left him on the ball-side and we had a double coming from the baseline… it shouldn't have happened that way. 'The last one (Campbell) just got hung up on the screen. He was worried for the third quarter about the back door cut, where we gave up the easy basket, give them credit — he popped, wide open, made us pay.' Forward Mitch Creek supplied 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Bandits. Fellow big man Tyrese Samuel was also a force in the paint, chipping in with 16 points and seven rebounds. If any team has designs of beating the Bandits, it will have to slow down Creek, Samuel and Mangas, who have formed a big-three early on. Meanwhile, the Sea Bears have played solid basketball at times but are still trying to put it all together. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'I think it's just chemistry, cohesiveness, and obviously putting together a full 40 minutes,' said Campbell. I' think right now we're almost there, I'd say 75 (per cent), but in that 25 per cent where we're not all locked in, that's where teams are having their way with us. 'We need to change that for Saturday's game.' The Sea Bears will host the Ottawa BlackJacks (1-2) on Saturday. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m. X: @jfreysam Joshua Frey-SamReporter Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh. Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Global News
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Magical season ends with Game 3 loss in NLL finals for Saskatchewan Rush
Despite their best efforts, the magic finally ran out Saturday for the Saskatchewan Rush as the dynastic Buffalo Bandits dashed the team's hopes for a National Lacrosse League title. The Bandits would hold the Rush off the scoresheet over the final two quarters of Saturday's Game 3 tilt in Buffalo. The hosts taking contest at KeyBank Center to earn a third consecutive NLL championship by a 15-6 final score. After keeping their season alive with a Game 2 victory on their home floor last Sunday, the Rush came out firing in the final and scored the opening goal for the third straight game, courtesy of Austin Shanks. At the midpoint of the first quarter, they held a 3-2 lead. But that soon vanished as the Bandits went on a 5-0 run through the final three minutes of the first quarter and the opening five minutes of the second quarter. Story continues below advertisement Putting the Bandits up to a 7-3 lead were goals from Chris Cloutier, Ian MacKay, Kyle Buchanan and a pair from Josh Byrne. Saskatchewan, however, countered before halftime with Robert Church's first two goals of the series, as well as a Ryan Keenan marker to cut the Buffalo lead to 7-6 at the break. 2:07 Saskatchewan Rush stave off elimination with gutsy Game 2 victory in NLL Finals Coming out of halftime, however, the Bandits would take full control of the game, scoring six times in just over 11 minutes with Byrne and Cloutier completing hat-tricks. Dhane Smith also got on the board with a pair himself. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The Rush gave up two more goals in the fourth quarter from Buchanan and Cam Wyers and failed to find the back of the net themselves. At the end, they watched Buffalo raise the NLL Cup for a third-straight season. Scoring seven goals and 12 points over the course of the series, MacKay took home NLL finals MVP honours. Story continues below advertisement The Game 3 loss ends Saskatchewan's 2024-25 season, which saw the Rush return to NLL playoffs for the first time in six years and go 4-2 over the course of their run to the NLL championship series.
