2026 AUSL season

2026 AUSL season
LeagueAthletes Unlimited Softball League
SportSoftball
DurationJune 9 – July 20, 2026
Games25 (150 in total)
Teams6
TV partnerESPN
Draft
Top draft pickAllocation draft: Kelly Maxwell
College draft: TBA
Picked byAllocation draft: Portland Cascade
College draft: TBA

The 2026 AUSL season is the upcoming second season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. There will be six teams in the league consisting of the Chicago Bandits, Carolina Blaze, Utah Talons, and Texas Volts, joined by expansion teams Portland Cascade and Oklahoma City Spark.

Drafts

On December 1, 2025, the AUSL held an expansion and subsequent allocation draft following the addition of the two expansion teams. The drafts were aired on ESPNU.[1][2][3]

The annual College Draft will be held in Spring 2026.[4]

Expansion draft

Protected players

[3][5]
Bandits Blaze Talons Volts
Erin Coffel Ana Gold Georgina Corrick Rachel Garcia
Lexi Kilfoyl Baylee Klingler Megan Faraimo Amanda Lorenz
Taylor McQuillin Aubrey Leach Hannah Flippen Mia Scott
Morgan Zerkle Kayla Kowalik Sharlize Palacios Tiare Jennings
Skylar Wallace Keilani Ricketts Montana Fouts Dejah Mulipola
Mary Iakopo Aleshia Ocasio Caroline Jacobsen Sierra Romero
Bella Dayton Devyn Netz Sahvanna Jaquish Ciara Briggs

First round

Pick Name New team Position Previous team
1 Maya Brady Oklahoma City Spark Utility Talons
2 Sam Landry Cascade Pitcher Volts

Second round

Pick Name New team Position Previous team
3 Carley Hoover Cascade Pitcher Blaze
4 Sydney McKinney Spark Utility Bandits

Third round

Pick Name New team Position Previous team
5 Sydney Romero Spark Infielder Blaze
6 Sierra Sacco Cascade Outfielder Talons

Fourth round

Pick Name New team Position Previous team
7 Payton Gottshall Cascade Pitcher Volts
8 Jessie Warren Spark Infielder Volts

Fifth round

Pick Name New team Position Previous team
9 Alana Vawter Spark Pitcher Blaze
10 Korbe Otis Cascade Outfielder Blaze

Sixth round

Pick Name New team Position Previous team
11 Tori Vidales Cascade Infielder Talons
12 Bubba Nickles-Camarena Spark Outfielder Bandits

Seventh round

Pick Name New team Position Previous team
13 Delanie Wisz Spark Catcher/Utility Bandits
14 Pass Cascade

Eighth round

Pick Name New team Position Previous team
15 Pass Spark

Allocation draft

First round

Pick Name Team Position College
1 Kelly Maxwell Cascade Pitcher Oklahoma
2 Kinzie Hansen Oklahoma City Spark Catcher Oklahoma
3 Jayda Coleman Talons Outfielder Oklahoma
4 Kathryn Sandercock Bandits Pitcher Florida State
5 Alyssa Brito Blaze Infielder Oklahoma
6 Ally Carda Volts Pitcher UCLA

Second round

Pick Name Team Position College
7 Maddie Penta Spark Pitcher Auburn
8 Mia Davidson Cascade Catcher Mississippi State
9 Jadelyn Allchin Talons Outfielder UCLA
10 Jocelyn Alo Bandits Utility Oklahoma
11 Jenna Laird Blaze Infielder Missouri
12 Alyssa Denham Volts Pitcher Arizona

Third round

Pick Name Team Position College
13 Sis Bates[a] Cascade Infielder Washington
14 Jailyn Ford Spark Pitcher James Madison
15 Rachel Becker Talons Infielder Oklahoma State
16 Jessica Clements Bandits Outfielder UCLA
17 Jala Wright Blaze Pitcher Duke
18 Rylie Boone Volts Outfielder Oklahoma

Fourth round

Pick Name Team Position College
19 Billie Andrews Spark Infielder Nebraska
20 Paige Sinicki Cascade Infielder Oregon
21 Maddie Moore Talons Infielder Clemson
22 Sami Williams Bandits Infielder Iowa State
23 Valerie Cagle Blaze Pitcher/Utility Clemson
24[b] Aliyah Binford Volts Pitcher/Utility Mississippi

Fifth round

Pick Name Team Position College
25 Ali Newland Cascade Catcher/Utility Louisiana State
26 Sydney Sherrill Spark Infielder Florida State
27 Aliyah Andrews Talons Outfielder Louisiana State
28 Emiley Kennedy Bandits Pitcher Texas A&M
29 Pass Blaze

Sixth round

Pick Name Team Position College
30 Haley Lee Spark Catcher/Utility Oklahoma
31 Kendra Falby Cascade Outfielder Florida
32 Pass Talons
33 Pass Bandits

Seventh round

Pick Name Team Position College
34 Pass Spark
35 Pass Cascade

Notes

  1. ^ Played with and was initially drafted by the Volts for the 2025 season.
  2. ^ With this pick, the Volts reached the maximum numbers of players allowed on their roster ahead of the 2026 College Draft.

Teams

See also: Athletes Unlimited Softball League § Teams

On November 12, 2025, the league announced the addition of two expansion teams: the Cascade and the Oklahoma City Spark. The Spark previously played in Association of Fastpitch Professionals and is the first AUSL team to have a confirmed home location (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma).[6][7] The locations of the remaining five teams, as well as the ballparks for all six, were unveiled on January 13, 2026.[8][9] At this time, it was also confirmed that the Bandits are the continuation of the National Pro Fastpitch team of the same name.[10][11]

Chicago Bandits

See also: Chicago Bandits § Players

Carolina Blaze

Portland Cascade

Oklahoma City Spark

Utah Talons

Texas Volts


Schedule

The season schedule was announced on January 13, 2026, with each team scheduled to play 25 games. The regular season will begin on June 9 and conclude on July 20, followed by a play-in game, the best of three AUSL Championship series, and the 2026 All-Star Cup.[8]

ESPN will broadcast 47 regular season games and the championship series.[8]

2026 AUSL regular season
June
Date Time (CT) Visitor Result Home TV Location
June 9 TBA Bandits – Talons TBA Dumke Family Stadium
TBA Cascade – Blaze TBA Smith Family Stadium
TBA Volts – Spark TBA Tom Heath Field
June 10 TBA Bandits – Talons TBA Dumke Family Stadium
TBA Cascade – Blaze TBA Smith Family Stadium
TBA Volts – Spark TBA Tom Heath Field
June 11 TBA Bandits – Talons TBA Dumke Family Stadium
TBA Cascade – Blaze TBA Smith Family Stadium
TBA Volts – Spark TBA Tom Heath Field
June 13 TBA Spark – Bandits TBA Parkway Bank Sports Complex
TBA Volts – Blaze TBA Smith Family Stadium
TBA Cascade – Talons TBA Dumke Family Stadium
June 14 TBA Spark – Bandits TBA Parkway Bank Sports Complex
TBA Cascade – Talons TBA Dumke Family Stadium
June 15 TBA Volts – Blaze TBA Smith Family Stadium
TBA Cascade – Talons TBA Dumke Family Stadium
June 16 TBA Spark – Bandits TBA Parkway Bank Sports Complex
June 17 TBA Blaze – Bandits TBA Parkway Bank Sports Complex
June 18 TBA Spark – Cascade TBA Hillsboro Ballpark
TBA Talons – Volts TBA Dell Diamond
June 19 TBA Spark – Cascade TBA Hillsboro Ballpark
TBA Talons – Volts TBA Dell Diamond
June 20 TBA Blaze – Bandits TBA Parkway Bank Sports Complex
TBA Talons – Volts TBA Dell Diamond
June 21 TBA Blaze – Bandits TBA Parkway Bank Sports Complex
TBA Spark – Cascade TBA Hillsboro Ballpark
June 22 TBA Spark – Talons TBA Dumke Family Stadium
June 23 TBA Bandits – Volts TBA Dell Diamond
TBA Spark – Talons TBA Dumke Family Stadium
June 24 TBA Bandits – Volts TBA Dell Diamond
June 25 TBA Talons – Blaze TBA TBA
June 26 TBA Talons – Blaze TBA TBA
TBA Cascade – Volts TBA Dell Diamond
June 27 TBA Bandits – Spark TBA Tom Heath Field
TBA Talons – Blaze TBA TBA
TBA Cascade – Volts TBA Dell Diamond
June 28 TBA Bandits – Spark TBA Tom Heath Field
TBA Cascade – Volts TBA Dell Diamond
June 29 TBA Blaze – Spark TBA Tom Heath Field
June 30 TBA Cascade – Bandits TBA Parkway Bank Sports Complex
TBA Volts – Talons TBA Dumke Family Stadium


References

  1. ^ Vernon, Brady (December 2, 2025). "2026 AUSL Expansion, Allocation Draft Results". Softball America. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  2. ^ "Athletes Unlimited Softball League: Expansion and allocation draft". ESPN. December 2, 2025. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "2025 AUSL Draft Results". AUSL. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  4. ^ "AUSL Expansion Draft rules". MLB.com. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  5. ^ "Here are all the players protected from AUSL Expansion Draft". MLB.com. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  6. ^ Smith, Allison (November 12, 2025). "AUSL Announces Expansion Teams, Adds Oklahoma City Spark". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  7. ^ "Oklahoma City Spark joins AUSL, Cascade revealed as newest team". AUSL. November 12, 2025. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  8. ^ a b c Castrovince, Anthony (January 13, 2026). "AUSL sets permanent home cities for all 6 teams, releases '26 schedule". Major League Baseball. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  9. ^ "AUSL reveals six home cities for second season". Reuters. January 13, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  10. ^ "AUSL Brings the Chicago Bandits Back to the Windy City". AUSL. January 13, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  11. ^ "Rosemont named AUSL host city, home of the Chicago Bandits". Chicago Sun-Times. January 13, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  12. ^ "Bandits Players". Athletes Unlimited Softball League. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  13. ^ "Bandits Coaching Staff". Athletes Unlimited Softball League. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  14. ^ "Blaze Players". AUSL. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  15. ^ "Blaze Coaching Staff". AUSL. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  16. ^ "Cascade Players". AUSL. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  17. ^ "Cascade Coaching Staff". AUSL. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  18. ^ Jones, Siera (December 23, 2025). "Cascade name Olympic gold medallist Tairia Flowers as inaugural head coach". AUSL. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  19. ^ "Spark Players". AUSL. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  20. ^ "Spark Coaching Staff". AUSL. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  21. ^ "Talons Players". AUSL. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  22. ^ "Talons Coaching Staff". AUSL. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  23. ^ "Volts Players". AUSL. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  24. ^ "Volts Coaching Staff". AUSL. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.