As fans are anticipating the inaugural season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) in June, the draft is on the horizon. On January 29, the first-ever AUSL Draft will take place as 80 of the best softball players will find themselves on new rosters. Here, 48 players will find new homes for the league’s four franchises in the 12-round draft.
The Bandits, led by head coach Stacey Nuveman-Deniz and general manager Jenny Dalton-Hill, hold the No. 1 pick. Next, head coach Alissa Goler and general manager Dana Sorensen will lead the Blaze with the second overall pick. The No. 3 pick is held by legendary softball great Lisa Fernandez and former LSU softball hitting coach Howard Dobson is the general manager and head coach respectively for the Talons.
Finally, the Volts hold the fourth pick as former Team USA teammates Cat Osterman (general manager) and Kelly Kretschman (head coach) are in charge.
The @theAUSLofficial Draft lottery results are in!
— Savanna Collins (@savannaecollins) January 23, 2025
The first pick of each round will rotate among the four teams:
Round 1: Bandits, Blaze, Talons, Volts
Round 2: Blaze, Talons, Volts, Bandits
Round 3: Talons, Volts, Bandits, Blaze
Round 4: Volts, Bandits, Blaze, Talons
It’s important to note that the order will revert to that of Round One in Round Five. Additionally, four roster spots will be taken by teams from the incoming class of the top NCAA talent who, in May, will complete their collegiate eligibility. Also, each team will get one free-agent selection.
Some Familiar Names Will Be In The AUSL Inaugural Draft
As mentioned earlier, 80 players will be eligible for the AUSL Draft. Some of the names are well-known to longtime Athletes Unlimited Softball fans. Catcher Dejah Mulipola makes her return as she became the first positional player to win it all in the 2022 season. Without counting AUX, Mulipola has played in 44 career games with a batting average of .336, 43 hits, and 14 homers. What’s more, utility player Sahvanna Jaquish is back as her resume includes three top-10 finishes in the Championship Season.
this champ is ready to run it back 🔁
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) November 23, 2024
in 2022, @DejahMulipola became the FIRST position player to win an AU Pro Softball season. she also became the first player to lead the league in batting average (.432), homers (9), and RBIs (19) in the same season.
welcome to the AUSL 🤩 pic.twitter.com/0DcZOhegAG
tell a friend to tell a friend, SHE’S BACKKKKKK 🗣️@SahvannaJaquish has signed with the AUSL for the 2025 season ✍️
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) January 24, 2025
👉 https://t.co/9712P2LDxO pic.twitter.com/PGNYc9Opq9
Looking at the pitching, there is no shortage of great arms in this AUSL Draft. For starters, Aleshia Ocasio won the 2021 Championship Season as the right-hander has 119 strikeouts in 50 career appearances. Odicci Alexander, the champion of the 2023 Championship Season, has 38 appearances with 86 strikeouts. The 2023 AUX champion, Rachel Garcia, has a 2.67 career earned run average (ERA) and 135 strikeouts in 133 and two-thirds innings.
Outfielders Erika Piancastelli, Victoria Hayward, Aliyah Andrews, Bubba Nickles, Morgan Zerkle, and Megan Wiggins will be there. Even more, Jessi Warren, Kelsey Stewart-Hunter, Lilli Piper, Nadia Taylor, and Tori Vidales can provide help at the plate and as corner infielders. Shifting to the middle infield: Anissa Urtez, Aubrey Leach, Hannah Flippen, Sierra and Sydney Romero, Sis Bates, and Skylar Wallace.
How to Watch the AUSL’s Inaugural Draft
The draft will start at 8:00 p.m. ET, streaming live via the ESPN App along with the recently launched AUSL YouTube page. ESPN analyst Andraya Carter will host the show. Veteran ESPN softball analysts Amanda Scarborough and Danielle Lawrie give an analysis of the draft. All in all, history will be made on January 29.
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