By Canadian Press on January 29, 2025.
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.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Cliff Brunt, The Associated Press
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