Latest news with #Talons
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Athletes Unlimited Softball League opens with high hopes and support from MLB and USA Softball
CORRECTS FIRST NAME TO SHARLIZE, NOT CHARLIE - Athletes Unlimited Softball League players Sharlize Palacios, left, of the Talons, and Sis Bates of the Bolts, are interviewed at Major League Baseball's headquarters in New York, Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) CORRECTS FIRST NAME TO SHARLIZE, NOT CHARLIE - Athletes Unlimited Softball League players Sharlize Palacios, left, of the Talons, and Sis Bates of the Bolts, are interviewed at Major League Baseball's headquarters in New York, Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Athletes Unlimited Softball League made its debut after a year of buildup and a recent collaboration with Major League Baseball. The Bandits beat the Talons 3-1 in the first game Saturday in Rosemont, Illinois. The Volts were set to play the Blaze in Wichita, Kansas later in the day. Advertisement 'I kind of feel like we blinked and it was here,' Cat Osterman, general manager of the Volts, said. 'But then there were moments where it felt like we weren't ever going to get here either because it took a whole year of process. We're all excited.' Athletes Unlimited has featured softball since 2020, when it unveiled a unique format that crowned an individual champion. The organization that focuses exclusively on women's sports now has launched a traditional four-team softball league in a traveling format. The Blaze, Volts, Bandits and Talons will play 24 games each, touring to 12 cities. The top two teams will compete in the best-of-three AUSL Championship from July 26-28 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. MLB said last month that it is making a strategic investment in the league. It will include an undisclosed amount for operational costs and a commitment to help it gain visibility. It will market the AUSL and its athletes during its All-Star Game, throughout the postseason and during broadcasts on the MLB Network and streams on USA Softball executive director Craig Cress likes the fact that a league with MLB's backing exists for players to join after their college careers. He sees it as an opportunity to keep the top American players facing elite competition so Team USA will be ready for Olympic softball that will be played in Oklahoma City in 2028. Advertisement Japan has won the past two Olympic gold medals in the sport. Cress said he hopes the AUSL emerges as something comparable to Japan's well-established softball leagues. 'We have a great respect and a great rivalry,' Cress said of the history with Japan. 'But this Olympics on our home soil is our gold medal. We need to go get it. So from that standpoint, I know we've got a long way to go, but that's the end goal.' Cress said it was smart for Athletes Unlimited to add former MLB executive Kim Ng as commissioner and to seek out the league as a partner. He hopes the AUSL can catch fire the way the WNBA has the past two years with Caitlin Clark. 'The WNBA is now starting to really do some things with the star power they have coming in,' he said. 'But what got them to the point to be able to keep their athletes from going overseas to play? It was the involvement of the NBA.' Advertisement There are indicators that this league could last longer than those that have come and gone over the years, starting with the well-structured support system, stability and the experience Athletes Unlimited had with the sport before launching this league. 'I think that one thing you hear about Athletes Unlimited from anybody that's been around it is we've done what we said we were going to do," Athletes Unlimited co-founder Jon Patricof said. 'We've been around now for five years.' Bri Ellis, who was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year for Arkansas this season, played for the Talons on Saturday after being the No. 2 overall pick in the AUSL draft last month. She said she's thrilled about the timing of the league's rollout. 'It was kind of this relief that I don't have to be done now,' she said. 'I can keep going and keep playing and there's still a story to be written for me in my career, and so I'm just really grateful for everyone that's come before me and has worked their tails off to get the sport to where it is now." ___ AP sports:
USA Today
4 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
New York Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
New MLB-backed pro softball league eager to capitalize on sport's surging popularity
Arkansas softball star Bri Ellis hadn't thought much about summer plans before her senior season started in February. 'I was thinking I'd have to go find a job,' she said. 'Go back home (to Houston), find a place to live.' But the slugger's future abruptly changed after a Razorbacks home game on April 18. Former Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng, now commissioner of the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), walked onto the field and surprised her with one of 12 'Golden Tickets' — an invite to join the new professional league, which begins play next month. Two weeks later, the infielder was drafted No. 2 overall by the Talons, one of the league's four inaugural teams, joining a roster that includes former college stars like Alabama pitcher Montana Fouts and UCLA shortstop Maya Brady. A post shared by AUSL (@theauslofficial) Their season begins June 7, right after the Women's College World Series, which has surged in popularity in recent years, drawing an average of 2 million viewers for last year's Oklahoma-Texas final. Given the recent surge in women's sports, particularly the WNBA, organizers believe the time is ripe for softball, on the eve of its return to the Olympics in 2028. Advertisement Major League Baseball announced Thursday that it is making a multi-year financial investment in the new professional softball league, which includes airing games on MLB Network and marketing the league across MLB's digital platforms. 'This is one of the biggest investments that we've made in an outside entity, ever,' MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told The Athletic. 'Our goal is to get a softball league into the same position of stability that the WNBA has found.' This summer, the Talons, Bandits, Volts and Blaze will play 24-game regular seasons, barnstorming across 10 cities over seven weeks. The first games are in Rosemont, Ill., and Wichita, Kan. Other hosts include Omaha, Neb., Seattle and Salt Lake City. The championship is in Tuscaloosa, Ala. In addition to MLB Network, ESPN will air 19 games across its networks. The teams held a 12-round draft in late January to fill most of their rosters, with the Bandits selecting former Oklahoma State pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl as the No. 1 pick. That was followed by a college draft on May 3 from among a pool of 12 seniors who received Golden Tickets. Oklahoma pitcher Sam Landry, who will make her WCWS debut Thursday against Tennessee, went No. 1 overall to the Volts. Another WCWS participant, Florida outfielder Korbe Otis, went No. 6 to the Blaze. In 2026, the league will grow to six teams, which will be anchored in their home cities. AUSL is hardly the first attempt at a professional league for women's softball. Most recently, there was National Pro Fastpitch, which died in 2021. None came particularly close to reaching mainstream sports awareness. But current and former coaches and stars in the sport say this is by far the most ambitious attempt. '(AUSL) is nothing like anything before it,' said ESPN analyst and two-time Olympian Jessica Mendoza, who played in National Pro Fastpitch for four seasons. 'From the amount of marketing, the promotion, the Golden Tickets, the creativity, the backing from every big name that's in the sport, new and old. We've never been this united.' Advertisement Athletes Unlimited, a women's sports venture, was launched in 2020 by former New York City FC president Jon Patricof and investor Jonathan Soros. In past summers, they staged AUX, a mini-softball season staged at a singular venue. AUSL is considered an entirely new property, though the previous version (rebranded as AUSL All-Star Cup) will take place as well in late summer. 'There's this long history of this sport performing incredibly well on television, tracking huge audiences,' Patricof said. 'We thought it was incredibly underdeveloped at the pro level, and thought it was a sleeping giant.' The group had previously invested in the 'low eight figures' in softball, said a person familiar with the league's finances. It has tripled that amount in launching AUSL. That's in addition to MLB's investment. 'The big thing we've been missing over the years is the finances,' longtime Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said. 'The WNBA would not be what it is without the financial backing of the NBA. And that's pretty much true for any women's professional league that has been successful.' Many of softball's all-time greats have roles within the league. Mendoza, Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman and Natasha Watley serve on the board. And the teams' general managers are Osterman (Volts), Lisa Fernandez (Talons), Dana Sorensen (Blaze) and Jenny Dalton-Hill (Bandits). Either Ng or a softball great flew to each of the players' schools to make those surprise Golden Ticket presentations during the season. Some of the videos of those emotional moments ricocheted around social media. A post shared by AUSL (@theauslofficial) 'People who don't really know much about softball knew about the Golden Tickets,' said Texas A&M pitcher Emiley Kennedy, now with the Bandits. 'Random students walking to class were like, 'Congrats on your draft pick!'' But there's a long way to go from one-off Instagram videos to mainstream sports relevance. While the WCWS attracts millions of fans for 10 days each summer, interest in regular-season college softball remains modest and fragmented. (ESPN's 2024 regular-season broadcasts averaged 190,000 viewers.) Advertisement 'There is a level of interest in women's sports much higher today than it was at the time of the prior (pro softball) attempts,' Manfred said. 'And with this investment, this league has a runway to establish itself that some of the prior attempts did not have.' Ultimately, AUSL has to provide a compelling product. Fans get hooked on college softball not just because of the yellow ball and the monster home runs, but also due to the players' personalities and exuberant celebrations. Plus, the games are intense. 'Back in the past, to be honest, when there was a pro league, it was kind of, who cares who wins,' said Oklahoma and Team USA coach Patty Gasso. 'I think (AUSL) can really, really grow, as long as these are competitive games.' Mendoza said it will certainly help if the players can make enough money for softball to be their full-time vocation. Especially those who are gunning for a spot on the 2028 Olympic team. Fouts, the ex-Alabama star and current Team USA pitcher, has been mostly running youth camps and tournaments since finishing her college career in 2023. Now she has a new job. 'I've wanted to be a professional softball player since I was 7 years old, but the older I got, the more I realized it wasn't really a thing,' she said. 'Now I'll be able to inspire the next generation: 'Hey, what do you want to be when you grow up? I'll be a professional softball player,' and it's not just wishful thinking.' (Photo of Sam Landry and Jessica Mendoza courtesy of AUSL)
Fox Sports
30-01-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Ex-Oklahoma State pitcher Kilfoyl goes No. 1 overall in Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft
Associated Press Former Oklahoma State pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl was the first overall pick in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft on Wednesday. Kilfoyl will go to the Bandits, one of the league's four teams. As a college player last season, she was a National Fastpitch Coaches Association first-team All-American led who led the Cowgirls to the Women's College World Series. She was the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year. Former LSU pitcher Carley Hoover went to the Blaze at No. 2, former UCLA pitcher Megan Faraimo went to the Talons at No. 3 and ex-UCLA pitcher Rachel Garcia went to the Volts at No. 4. In other notable picks, former UCLA utility player Maya Brady went 19th overall to the Talons and former Oklahoma star Tiare Jennings went 20th to the Volts. Previously, Athletes Unlimited had two seasons and crowned individual champions in both. Now, Athletes Unlimited has added a traditional team format, with the first season starting in June. The individual model, now called the AUSL All-Star Cup, will follow. Rosters will eventually include 16 players. The remaining roster spots will be filled with incoming college talent after the upcoming season. Each team will get one free agent pick. The AUSL will be a touring property in its first season, with games in six to eight different cities. The teams will play 24 games each. At least 30 of the games will be broadcast on ESPN's platforms. The teams will be assigned to one city when the league becomes city-based next year. ___ AP sports: recommended in this topic
