Kim Ng, a trailblazing executive and the first woman to serve as General Manager of a major American men’s professional sports team, was named as the first Commissioner in the history of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League on April 16, 2025. Ng, who joined Athletes Unlimited in the summer of 2024 as a senior advisor, will guide the new league into its first season following a long and distinguished career in Major League Baseball. “Kim’s intellect, experience and connection to players and business leaders alike clearly make her uniquely qualified for this role and the way she has galvanized and inspired the entire softball community behind the AUSL over the past year has been remarkable,” said Athletes Unlimited CEO Jon Patricof. “The AUSL marks a bold new step forward for softball, and under Kim’s leadership, we are confident it will soon join the ranks of the leading pro sports leagues.” Ng joined the Athletes Unlimited staff after spending four years as the general manager for the Miami Marlins. Under her leadership, the Marlins posted the fourth-best winning percentage in franchise history during the 2023 campaign while earning the first full-season postseason berth in 20 years. In 2021, Ng was recognized as the Best Hire in Sports by Sports Business Journal along with being named Trailblazer of the Year by Baseball America. She was also recognized as a Game Changer by the Asia Society in addition to receiving the Billie Jean King Leadership Award from the Women’s Sports Foundation and the Lou Gehrig Sports Award from the ALS Association of Greater New York. Prior to her time with the Marlins, Ng served as Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations with Major League Baseball for nine years and was the highest-ranking Asian-American female baseball executive. She directed international baseball operations while working with the front offices of the league’s 30 clubs in addition to many other baseball leagues and entities. In addition, she guided a team which set policies for international signing rules, established MLB’s first system for registering international players for signing, and managed protocols for signing international players. Ng also focused efforts on growing the game of baseball while anchoring the league’s efforts in improving quality of play, caliber of talent and rate of participation for amateur baseball around the world. She also supervised the league’s playing initiatives for girls and women while serving on MLB’s Diversity Pipeline Advisory Committee. Ng started her baseball career with the Chicago White Sox as an intern in 1990 before rising to the position of Assistant Director of Baseball Operations. After serving as the Director of Waivers and Records for the American League in 1997, she joined the New York Yankees as Assistant General Manager from 1998-2001. When she was hired by the Yankees, Ng was the youngest person in the league to hold that title at 29 years old in addition to being just the second woman to be an Assistant General Manager with an MLB club. In 2002, Ng joined the Los Angeles Dodgers staff as Vice President and Assistant General Manager, a position she held for nine years. Her primary duties included assisting in player transactions, trades and free agent signings, while also overseeing the team’s arbitration efforts. She also oversaw the organization’s pro scouting, medical and video departments. Ng also served as the Dodgers’ interim Farm Director in 2004, overseeing all player development. Ng was part of nine combined postseason appearances during her tenure with the White Sox, Yankees and Dodgers, including six League Championship Series berths. The Yankees won three World Series titles during her four years with the organization. Ng has received many honors and awards during her historic career. She has appeared on Forbes’ Most Influential Minorities in Sports and Most Influential Women in Sports lists along with being recognized on Adweek’s Most Powerful Women in Sports group. She was recognized as one of InStyle Magazine’s Badass 50 Women in addition to being included on the list of the South Florida Business Journal’s Power Leaders. A graduate of the University of Chicago with a degree in public policy, Ng was a four-year letter winner for the softball team. Kim Ng, a trailblazing executive and the first woman to serve as General Manager of a major American men’s professional sports team, was named as the first Commissioner in the history of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League on April 16, 2025. Ng, who joined Athletes Unlimited in the summer of 2024 as a senior advisor, will guide the new league into its first season following a long and distinguished career in Major League Baseball. “Kim’s intellect, experience and connection to players and business leaders alike clearly make her uniquely qualified for this role and the way she has galvanized and inspired the entire softball community behind the AUSL over the past year has been remarkable,” said Athletes Unlimited CEO Jon Patricof. “The AUSL marks a bold new step forward for softball, and under Kim’s leadership, we are confident it will soon join the ranks of the leading pro sports leagues.” Ng joined the Athletes Unlimited staff after spending four years as the general manager for the Miami Marlins. Under her leadership, the Marlins posted the fourth-best winning percentage in franchise history during the 2023 campaign while earning the first full-season postseason berth in 20 years. In 2021, Ng was recognized as the Best Hire in Sports by Sports Business Journal along with being named Trailblazer of the Year by Baseball America. She was also recognized as a Game Changer by the Asia Society in addition to receiving the Billie Jean King Leadership Award from the Women’s Sports Foundation and the Lou Gehrig Sports Award from the ALS Association of Greater New York. Prior to her time with the Marlins, Ng served as Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations with Major League Baseball for nine years and was the highest-ranking Asian-American female baseball executive. She directed international baseball operations while working with the front offices of the league’s 30 clubs in addition to many other baseball leagues and entities. In addition, she guided a team which set policies for international signing rules, established MLB’s first system for registering international players for signing, and managed protocols for signing international players. Ng also focused efforts on growing the game of baseball while anchoring the league’s efforts in improving quality of play, caliber of talent and rate of participation for amateur baseball around the world. She also supervised the league’s playing initiatives for girls and women while serving on MLB’s Diversity Pipeline Advisory Committee. Ng started her baseball career with the Chicago White Sox as an intern in 1990 before rising to the position of Assistant Director of Baseball Operations. After serving as the Director of Waivers and Records for the American League in 1997, she joined the New York Yankees as Assistant General Manager from 1998-2001. When she was hired by the Yankees, Ng was the youngest person in the league to hold that title at 29 years old in addition to being just the second woman to be an Assistant General Manager with an MLB club. In 2002, Ng joined the Los Angeles Dodgers staff as Vice President and Assistant General Manager, a position she held for nine years. Her primary duties included assisting in player transactions, trades and free agent signings, while also overseeing the team’s arbitration efforts. She also oversaw the organization’s pro scouting, medical and video departments. Ng also served as the Dodgers’ interim Farm Director in 2004, overseeing all player development. Ng was part of nine combined postseason appearances during her tenure with the White Sox, Yankees and Dodgers, including six League Championship Series berths. The Yankees won three World Series titles during her four years with the organization. Ng has received many honors and awards during her historic career. She has appeared on Forbes’ Most Influential Minorities in Sports and Most Influential Women in Sports lists along with being recognized on Adweek’s Most Powerful Women in Sports group. She was recognized as one of InStyle Magazine’s Badass 50 Women in addition to being included on the list of the South Florida Business Journal’s Power Leaders. A graduate of the University of Chicago with a degree in public policy, Ng was a four-year letter winner for the softball team. Kim Ng, a trailblazing executive and the first woman to serve as General Manager of a major American men’s professional sports team, was named as the first Commissioner in the history of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League on April 16, 2025. Ng, who joined Athletes Unlimited in the summer of 2024 as a senior advisor, will guide the new league into its first season following a long and distinguished career in Major League Baseball. “Kim’s intellect, experience and connection to players and business leaders alike clearly make her uniquely qualified for this role and the way she has galvanized and inspired the entire softball community behind the AUSL over the past year has been remarkable,” said Athletes Unlimited CEO Jon Patricof. “The AUSL marks a bold new step forward for softball, and under Kim’s leadership, we are confident it will soon join the ranks of the leading pro sports leagues.” Ng joined the Athletes Unlimited staff after spending four years as the general manager for the Miami Marlins. Under her leadership, the Marlins posted the fourth-best winning percentage in franchise history during the 2023 campaign while earning the first full-season postseason berth in 20 years. In 2021, Ng was recognized as the Best Hire in Sports by Sports Business Journal along with being named Trailblazer of the Year by Baseball America. She was also recognized as a Game Changer by the Asia Society in addition to receiving the Billie Jean King Leadership Award from the Women’s Sports Foundation and the Lou Gehrig Sports Award from the ALS Association of Greater New York. Prior to her time with the Marlins, Ng served as Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations with Major League Baseball for nine years and was the highest-ranking Asian-American female baseball executive. She directed international baseball operations while working with the front offices of the league’s 30 clubs in addition to many other baseball leagues and entities. In addition, she guided a team which set policies for international signing rules, established MLB’s first system for registering international players for signing, and managed protocols for signing international players. Ng also focused efforts on growing the game of baseball while anchoring the league’s efforts in improving quality of play, caliber of talent and rate of participation for amateur baseball around the world. She also supervised the league’s playing initiatives for girls and women while serving on MLB’s Diversity Pipeline Advisory Committee. Ng started her baseball career with the Chicago White Sox as an intern in 1990 before rising to the position of Assistant Director of Baseball Operations. After serving as the Director of Waivers and Records for the American League in 1997, she joined the New York Yankees as Assistant General Manager from 1998-2001. When she was hired by the Yankees, Ng was the youngest person in the league to hold that title at 29 years old in addition to being just the second woman to be an Assistant General Manager with an MLB club. In 2002, Ng joined the Los Angeles Dodgers staff as Vice President and Assistant General Manager, a position she held for nine years. Her primary duties included assisting in player transactions, trades and free agent signings, while also overseeing the team’s arbitration efforts. She also oversaw the organization’s pro scouting, medical and video departments. Ng also served as the Dodgers’ interim Farm Director in 2004, overseeing all player development. Ng was part of nine combined postseason appearances during her tenure with the White Sox, Yankees and Dodgers, including six League Championship Series berths. The Yankees won three World Series titles during her four years with the organization. Ng has received many honors and awards during her historic career. She has appeared on Forbes’ Most Influential Minorities in Sports and Most Influential Women in Sports lists along with being recognized on Adweek’s Most Powerful Women in Sports group. She was recognized as one of InStyle Magazine’s Badass 50 Women in addition to being included on the list of the South Florida Business Journal’s Power Leaders. A graduate of the University of Chicago with a degree in public policy, Ng was a four-year letter winner for the softball team.

Sam Fischer’s playing career may have come to a close following the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball Championship Season, but she is still making an impact in Athletes Unlimited by serving as the Manager, Softball Operations during the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League campaign in 2025. Fischer, who competed in all eight AU Pro Softball seasons, closed her AU Pro Softball career as one of seven players to appear in 100 or more games between AUX and Championship Season play. She finished with a .333 career batting average, while her 86 combined hits rank eighth on the league’s all-time career chart. In addition, Fischer collected 57 runs batted in during her 106-game career, which are tied for fifth in AU Pro Softball history. The Simi Valley, Calif., product also scored 36 runs in her career while registering 14 home runs, two triples and 10 doubles. Fischer enjoyed her best year of AU Pro Softball competition in 2022, earning an eighth place showing on the final AUX leaderboard before securing seventh place during the league’s Championship Season. She authored a .375 batting average during 12 AUX contests while adding two home runs with a career-high 11 runs batted in before adding three home runs and 10 runs batted in over 15 Championship Season fixtures. In 2023, Fischer secured a 13th place finish during the AUX competition before posting a 12th place showing on the final Championship Season leaderboard. She ended the AUX season with a .368 batting mark after compiling 14 hits over 10 games, before hitting at a .273 clip in Championship Season play with 12 hits, including two home runs and two doubles. Fischer spent her final two years serving as the chairperson of Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball’s Player Executive Committee, providing leadership over the league’s five-person group. Fischer played in 81 games over two seasons with the Akron Racers of National Pro Fastpitch, belting 19 home runs with 51 runs batted in. She signed with Scrap Yard Fastpitch in 2018 and also played two years in the Japan Diamond League with the Toda Medics. Fischer also enjoyed a lengthy career with Team USA, competing with the squad from 2012-15 along with a stint with the Team USA Women’s Elite squad in 2016. She fashioned a .330 batting average with eight home runs and 31 runs batted in during her time with the national team while earning a pair of Gold medals at the World Cup of Softball and Japan Cup in 2015. Team USA also collected a Gold medal at the 2014 World Cup of Softball with Fischer on its roster. She also earned a pair of Silver medals with Team USA at the 2012 and 2014 ISF World Championships. A four-year letter winner at Loyola Marymount from 2009-12, Fischer was the first player in program history to earn First-Team All-Pacific Coast Softball Conference recognition four times while claiming a spot on the NFCA All-America Second Team during her senior season after leading NCAA Division I with a .492 batting average. The two-time PCSC Coastal Division Player of the Year finished her career as the Lions’ all-time leader in home runs (65), runs batted in (172), total bases (495), batting average (.387), slugging percentage (.786), on-base percentage (.494), runs scored (194), doubles (52) and walks (127). Inducted into the Loyola Marymount Sports Hall of Fame in 2019, Fischer also entered the West Coast Conference’s Hall of Honor in March 2023 and had her No. 52 jersey retired by Loyola Marymount. Sam Fischer’s playing career may have come to a close following the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball Championship Season, but she is still making an impact in Athletes Unlimited by serving as the Manager, Softball Operations during the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League campaign in 2025. Fischer, who competed in all eight AU Pro Softball seasons, closed her AU Pro Softball career as one of seven players to appear in 100 or more games between AUX and Championship Season play. She finished with a .333 career batting average, while her 86 combined hits rank eighth on the league’s all-time career chart. In addition, Fischer collected 57 runs batted in during her 106-game career, which are tied for fifth in AU Pro Softball history. The Simi Valley, Calif., product also scored 36 runs in her career while registering 14 home runs, two triples and 10 doubles. Fischer enjoyed her best year of AU Pro Softball competition in 2022, earning an eighth place showing on the final AUX leaderboard before securing seventh place during the league’s Championship Season. She authored a .375 batting average during 12 AUX contests while adding two home runs with a career-high 11 runs batted in before adding three home runs and 10 runs batted in over 15 Championship Season fixtures. In 2023, Fischer secured a 13th place finish during the AUX competition before posting a 12th place showing on the final Championship Season leaderboard. She ended the AUX season with a .368 batting mark after compiling 14 hits over 10 games, before hitting at a .273 clip in Championship Season play with 12 hits, including two home runs and two doubles. Fischer spent her final two years serving as the chairperson of Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball’s Player Executive Committee, providing leadership over the league’s five-person group. Fischer played in 81 games over two seasons with the Akron Racers of National Pro Fastpitch, belting 19 home runs with 51 runs batted in. She signed with Scrap Yard Fastpitch in 2018 and also played two years in the Japan Diamond League with the Toda Medics. Fischer also enjoyed a lengthy career with Team USA, competing with the squad from 2012-15 along with a stint with the Team USA Women’s Elite squad in 2016. She fashioned a .330 batting average with eight home runs and 31 runs batted in during her time with the national team while earning a pair of Gold medals at the World Cup of Softball and Japan Cup in 2015. Team USA also collected a Gold medal at the 2014 World Cup of Softball with Fischer on its roster. She also earned a pair of Silver medals with Team USA at the 2012 and 2014 ISF World Championships. A four-year letter winner at Loyola Marymount from 2009-12, Fischer was the first player in program history to earn First-Team All-Pacific Coast Softball Conference recognition four times while claiming a spot on the NFCA All-America Second Team during her senior season after leading NCAA Division I with a .492 batting average. The two-time PCSC Coastal Division Player of the Year finished her career as the Lions’ all-time leader in home runs (65), runs batted in (172), total bases (495), batting average (.387), slugging percentage (.786), on-base percentage (.494), runs scored (194), doubles (52) and walks (127). Inducted into the Loyola Marymount Sports Hall of Fame in 2019, Fischer also entered the West Coast Conference’s Hall of Honor in March 2023 and had her No. 52 jersey retired by Loyola Marymount. Sam Fischer’s playing career may have come to a close following the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball Championship Season, but she is still making an impact in Athletes Unlimited by serving as the Manager, Softball Operations during the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League campaign in 2025. Fischer, who competed in all eight AU Pro Softball seasons, closed her AU Pro Softball career as one of seven players to appear in 100 or more games between AUX and Championship Season play. She finished with a .333 career batting average, while her 86 combined hits rank eighth on the league’s all-time career chart. In addition, Fischer collected 57 runs batted in during her 106-game career, which are tied for fifth in AU Pro Softball history. The Simi Valley, Calif., product also scored 36 runs in her career while registering 14 home runs, two triples and 10 doubles. Fischer enjoyed her best year of AU Pro Softball competition in 2022, earning an eighth place showing on the final AUX leaderboard before securing seventh place during the league’s Championship Season. She authored a .375 batting average during 12 AUX contests while adding two home runs with a career-high 11 runs batted in before adding three home runs and 10 runs batted in over 15 Championship Season fixtures. In 2023, Fischer secured a 13th place finish during the AUX competition before posting a 12th place showing on the final Championship Season leaderboard. She ended the AUX season with a .368 batting mark after compiling 14 hits over 10 games, before hitting at a .273 clip in Championship Season play with 12 hits, including two home runs and two doubles. Fischer spent her final two years serving as the chairperson of Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball’s Player Executive Committee, providing leadership over the league’s five-person group. Fischer played in 81 games over two seasons with the Akron Racers of National Pro Fastpitch, belting 19 home runs with 51 runs batted in. She signed with Scrap Yard Fastpitch in 2018 and also played two years in the Japan Diamond League with the Toda Medics. Fischer also enjoyed a lengthy career with Team USA, competing with the squad from 2012-15 along with a stint with the Team USA Women’s Elite squad in 2016. She fashioned a .330 batting average with eight home runs and 31 runs batted in during her time with the national team while earning a pair of Gold medals at the World Cup of Softball and Japan Cup in 2015. Team USA also collected a Gold medal at the 2014 World Cup of Softball with Fischer on its roster. She also earned a pair of Silver medals with Team USA at the 2012 and 2014 ISF World Championships. A four-year letter winner at Loyola Marymount from 2009-12, Fischer was the first player in program history to earn First-Team All-Pacific Coast Softball Conference recognition four times while claiming a spot on the NFCA All-America Second Team during her senior season after leading NCAA Division I with a .492 batting average. The two-time PCSC Coastal Division Player of the Year finished her career as the Lions’ all-time leader in home runs (65), runs batted in (172), total bases (495), batting average (.387), slugging percentage (.786), on-base percentage (.494), runs scored (194), doubles (52) and walks (127). Inducted into the Loyola Marymount Sports Hall of Fame in 2019, Fischer also entered the West Coast Conference’s Hall of Honor in March 2023 and had her No. 52 jersey retired by Loyola Marymount.

Since starting her softball career at the age of five years old, Jennie Finch has enjoyed legendary success at the college, professional and international levels. Now, one of the greatest pitchers of all-time aims to bring that success to the Athletes Unlimited Softball League as an advisor during its inaugural season. Finch’s record-setting career began at the University of Arizona where she was a dominant force in the circle for the Wildcats from 1999-2002. A three-time NFCA First-Team All-America selection, Finch also earned the Honda Award for Softball following her junior and senior seasons in addition to a pair of Pac-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year certificates. Finch amassed an impressive 119-16 record in the circle during her college career, while her .881 career win percentage ranks fifth in NCAA Division I history. She ranks 10th in program history with a 1.09 career earned run average, while her 1,028 career strikeouts are good for third place on the Wildcats’ career chart. In addition to her many contributions to the Arizona pitching record book, Finch also owns the longest winning streak by a pitcher in NCAA Division I history after claiming 60 consecutive victories from April 29, 2000 to April 6, 2002. During her junior season, the La Mirada, California, product piloted the Wildcats to the sixth national title in program history. She finished the campaign with a perfect 32-0 record, which stands as the best single-season mark by a pitcher in NCAA Division I history, while recording a 0.54 earned run average with 279 strikeouts over 207.0 innings. Honored as the Most Outstanding Player at the 2001 NCAA Women’s College World Series, Finch guided the Wildcats to a perfect 4-0 record, including back-to-back 1-0 wins over Stanford and UCLA to secure the title. Finch, who also threw eight no-hitters with 64 shutouts in her college career, was equally as productive as a hitter. She authored a .301 career batting average with 50 home runs and 195 runs batted in while appearing in 270 total games. Finch’s success carried into the professional level where she compiled a 35-8 record with 26 complete games and 15 shutouts during five seasons with the Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch. Honored as co-recipient of the 2005 NPF Pitcher of the Year award, Finch posted a perfect 14-0 record with a 0.88 earned run average and 114 strikeouts in her inaugural professional season. She also hit .309 with six home runs and 22 runs batted in. In her final season with the Bandits, Finch secured All-NPF Team status after boasting a 6-4 record and 80 strikeouts across 28 appearances. She also contributed a .266 batting average at the plate with eight extra-base hits, including six doubles, one triple and one home run. A member of the Chicago Bandits’ 2008 NPF Championship Team, Finch ranks fourth in league with a 1.11 career earned run average, while her 382 career strikeouts are good for 10th place on the all-time ledger. She also holds the league record with a 0.68 WHIP. Finch also enjoyed a successful career at the international level, earning a pair of Olympic medals with Team USA. She helped the United States win the Gold medal in the 2004 Athens Games, spinning a 2-0 record with 13 strikeouts over 8.0 innings. In addition, Finch aided Team USA’s efforts in winning the Silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. She contributed 4.0 no-hit innings in an 11-0 victory over Venezuela before adding 5.0 shutout frames in a 7-0 triumph against Chinese Taipei. Finch, who competed for Team USA in 1998 along with a stint from 2002-10, was honored as the USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year in 2009. She also helped Team USA claim the Gold medal at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Championships along with a pair of Gold medals at the Pan American Games in 2003 and 2007. A native of Sulphur, Louisiana, Finch was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2016. Finch, who started pitching at age 8, is married to Casey Daigle, a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Houston Astros. The couple has three children - Ace, Diesel and Paisley. Since starting her softball career at the age of five years old, Jennie Finch has enjoyed legendary success at the college, professional and international levels. Now, one of the greatest pitchers of all-time aims to bring that success to the Athletes Unlimited Softball League as an advisor during its inaugural season. Finch’s record-setting career began at the University of Arizona where she was a dominant force in the circle for the Wildcats from 1999-2002. A three-time NFCA First-Team All-America selection, Finch also earned the Honda Award for Softball following her junior and senior seasons in addition to a pair of Pac-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year certificates. Finch amassed an impressive 119-16 record in the circle during her college career, while her .881 career win percentage ranks fifth in NCAA Division I history. She ranks 10th in program history with a 1.09 career earned run average, while her 1,028 career strikeouts are good for third place on the Wildcats’ career chart. In addition to her many contributions to the Arizona pitching record book, Finch also owns the longest winning streak by a pitcher in NCAA Division I history after claiming 60 consecutive victories from April 29, 2000 to April 6, 2002. During her junior season, the La Mirada, California, product piloted the Wildcats to the sixth national title in program history. She finished the campaign with a perfect 32-0 record, which stands as the best single-season mark by a pitcher in NCAA Division I history, while recording a 0.54 earned run average with 279 strikeouts over 207.0 innings. Honored as the Most Outstanding Player at the 2001 NCAA Women’s College World Series, Finch guided the Wildcats to a perfect 4-0 record, including back-to-back 1-0 wins over Stanford and UCLA to secure the title. Finch, who also threw eight no-hitters with 64 shutouts in her college career, was equally as productive as a hitter. She authored a .301 career batting average with 50 home runs and 195 runs batted in while appearing in 270 total games. Finch’s success carried into the professional level where she compiled a 35-8 record with 26 complete games and 15 shutouts during five seasons with the Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch. Honored as co-recipient of the 2005 NPF Pitcher of the Year award, Finch posted a perfect 14-0 record with a 0.88 earned run average and 114 strikeouts in her inaugural professional season. She also hit .309 with six home runs and 22 runs batted in. In her final season with the Bandits, Finch secured All-NPF Team status after boasting a 6-4 record and 80 strikeouts across 28 appearances. She also contributed a .266 batting average at the plate with eight extra-base hits, including six doubles, one triple and one home run. A member of the Chicago Bandits’ 2008 NPF Championship Team, Finch ranks fourth in league with a 1.11 career earned run average, while her 382 career strikeouts are good for 10th place on the all-time ledger. She also holds the league record with a 0.68 WHIP. Finch also enjoyed a successful career at the international level, earning a pair of Olympic medals with Team USA. She helped the United States win the Gold medal in the 2004 Athens Games, spinning a 2-0 record with 13 strikeouts over 8.0 innings. In addition, Finch aided Team USA’s efforts in winning the Silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. She contributed 4.0 no-hit innings in an 11-0 victory over Venezuela before adding 5.0 shutout frames in a 7-0 triumph against Chinese Taipei. Finch, who competed for Team USA in 1998 along with a stint from 2002-10, was honored as the USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year in 2009. She also helped Team USA claim the Gold medal at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Championships along with a pair of Gold medals at the Pan American Games in 2003 and 2007. A native of Sulphur, Louisiana, Finch was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2016. Finch, who started pitching at age 8, is married to Casey Daigle, a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Houston Astros. The couple has three children - Ace, Diesel and Paisley. Since starting her softball career at the age of five years old, Jennie Finch has enjoyed legendary success at the college, professional and international levels. Now, one of the greatest pitchers of all-time aims to bring that success to the Athletes Unlimited Softball League as an advisor during its inaugural season. Finch’s record-setting career began at the University of Arizona where she was a dominant force in the circle for the Wildcats from 1999-2002. A three-time NFCA First-Team All-America selection, Finch also earned the Honda Award for Softball following her junior and senior seasons in addition to a pair of Pac-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year certificates. Finch amassed an impressive 119-16 record in the circle during her college career, while her .881 career win percentage ranks fifth in NCAA Division I history. She ranks 10th in program history with a 1.09 career earned run average, while her 1,028 career strikeouts are good for third place on the Wildcats’ career chart. In addition to her many contributions to the Arizona pitching record book, Finch also owns the longest winning streak by a pitcher in NCAA Division I history after claiming 60 consecutive victories from April 29, 2000 to April 6, 2002. During her junior season, the La Mirada, California, product piloted the Wildcats to the sixth national title in program history. She finished the campaign with a perfect 32-0 record, which stands as the best single-season mark by a pitcher in NCAA Division I history, while recording a 0.54 earned run average with 279 strikeouts over 207.0 innings. Honored as the Most Outstanding Player at the 2001 NCAA Women’s College World Series, Finch guided the Wildcats to a perfect 4-0 record, including back-to-back 1-0 wins over Stanford and UCLA to secure the title. Finch, who also threw eight no-hitters with 64 shutouts in her college career, was equally as productive as a hitter. She authored a .301 career batting average with 50 home runs and 195 runs batted in while appearing in 270 total games. Finch’s success carried into the professional level where she compiled a 35-8 record with 26 complete games and 15 shutouts during five seasons with the Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch. Honored as co-recipient of the 2005 NPF Pitcher of the Year award, Finch posted a perfect 14-0 record with a 0.88 earned run average and 114 strikeouts in her inaugural professional season. She also hit .309 with six home runs and 22 runs batted in. In her final season with the Bandits, Finch secured All-NPF Team status after boasting a 6-4 record and 80 strikeouts across 28 appearances. She also contributed a .266 batting average at the plate with eight extra-base hits, including six doubles, one triple and one home run. A member of the Chicago Bandits’ 2008 NPF Championship Team, Finch ranks fourth in league with a 1.11 career earned run average, while her 382 career strikeouts are good for 10th place on the all-time ledger. She also holds the league record with a 0.68 WHIP. Finch also enjoyed a successful career at the international level, earning a pair of Olympic medals with Team USA. She helped the United States win the Gold medal in the 2004 Athens Games, spinning a 2-0 record with 13 strikeouts over 8.0 innings. In addition, Finch aided Team USA’s efforts in winning the Silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. She contributed 4.0 no-hit innings in an 11-0 victory over Venezuela before adding 5.0 shutout frames in a 7-0 triumph against Chinese Taipei. Finch, who competed for Team USA in 1998 along with a stint from 2002-10, was honored as the USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year in 2009. She also helped Team USA claim the Gold medal at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Championships along with a pair of Gold medals at the Pan American Games in 2003 and 2007. A native of Sulphur, Louisiana, Finch was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2016. Finch, who started pitching at age 8, is married to Casey Daigle, a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Houston Astros. The couple has three children - Ace, Diesel and Paisley.

A name synonymous with softball in the United States, Cat Osterman returns to Athletes Unlimited as an advisor to the Athletes Unlimited Softball League in addition to serving as the General Manager of the Volts during the inaugural 2025 season. Renowned as one of the top pitchers in the sport’s history, Osterman competed in three Olympic Games while serving as a member of the United States National Team from 2001-10 and 2019-21. She guided Team USA to the Gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics with two victories and a save while serving as the youngest player on the roster. Team USA also claimed a Silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with Osterman anchoring the pitching staff. Over her 20 seasons playing at softball’s highest level, Osterman fashioned an impressive 74-5 record in the circle with a 0.44 earned run average and 1,030 strikeouts over 519.0 innings. The only three-time winner of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award, Osterman had a historic playing career at Texas from 2002-06. She led the Longhorns to three Women’s College World Series appearances in 2003, 2005 and 2006 and earned a pair of WCWS All-Tournament Team certificates. The four-time NFCA All-America performer claimed the sport’s highest honor as the 2005 and 2006 Honda Award winner for softball and was honored as the 2005 and 2006 ESPY Award winner as the Top Collegiate Female Athlete. Osterman still holds several Longhorns’ career pitching records, including wins (136), earned run average (0.51), shutouts (85), no-hitters (20), perfect games (7), innings pitched (1,105.2), appearances (180) and strikeouts (2,265). She also holds the distinction of being the only student-athlete in softball history to lead the nation in earned run average multiple times, doing so three times. With a 14.34 strikeout-per-seven-inning average, Osterman still holds the NCAA top mark after nearly 20 years. She held opposing hitters to just a .096 clip across her collegiate career. A four-time Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year honoree, Osterman still owns league records in career wins, ERA, strikeouts, no-hitters, perfect games and shutouts. She also claimed the 2006 NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award, which was awarded to the top eight senior student-athletes in the country. She is one of just five pitchers in NCAA Division I history to record at least 100 career victories, 1,000 career strikeouts and a career ERA under 1.00. In addition to her success in the circle, Osterman also excelled academically at Texas and garnered Third-Team CoSIDA Academic All-America® honors as a sophomore in addition to three Academic All-Big 12 Conference Team citations. She will be inducted into the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Hall of Fame in June 2025. After graduating from Texas, Osterman was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league draft by the Connecticut Brakettes, but never played with the team. She spent two seasons with the Rockford Thunder, earning MVP honors at the NPF Championship Series after leading Rockford to the league title over the USSSA Pride. Osterman went on to lead the USSSA Pride to three NPF championships over six seasons. She earned All-NPF status six times, including a pair of Pitcher of the Year certificates, and finished as the league’s all-time leader with a 0.91 career earned run average. In addition, Osterman ranks second in league history with 1,260 strikeouts. In addition to her playing career, Osterman spent six years as an assistant coach at Texas State, helping the Bobcats rise to the top of the Sun Belt Conference. Texas State, which reached the NCAA Tournament three times during Osterman’s tenure, closed the 2018 season with a 43-16 record and the regular season and tournament titles, marking the program’s first championships since joining the league. With Osterman in the dugout, the Bobcats’ pitching staff posted a sub-2.00 earned run average three times over six seasons. Before joining the Texas State staff, Osterman spent three seasons as an assistant coach at St. Edwards University. The Hilltoppers compiled a 98-69 record and an appearance in the NCAA DIvision II Super Regionals. St. Edwards won the Heartland Conference Tournament in 2012, while climbing to a runner-up finish in the league postseason in 2013 and 2014. Osterman began her coaching career at DePaul from 2008-10, helping the Blue Demons earn three Big East Championships and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. No stranger to Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball, Osterman earned the inaugural 2020 AU Pro Softball Championship Season title with a league-record 2,408 leaderboard points. She garnered 14 wins in 23 career appearances and still holds league standards for earned run average (1.64) and innings (124.0), while her 145 strikeouts are second on the all-time chart. Osterman was 16-8 as a captain over two seasons, including a league-record 10 wins during the inaugural campaign. Osterman was enshrined in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 before securing a spot in the World of Little League® Hall of Excellence. She was the fourth female and first softball inductee to join the Hall of Excellence. Osterman earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas in 2007 before securing a master’s degree in educational and counseling psychology with a concentration in positive coaching from Missouri in 2015. Osterman, who is married to Joey Ashley, has a daughter named Jaycee and a step-daughter named Bracken. A name synonymous with softball in the United States, Cat Osterman returns to Athletes Unlimited as an advisor to the Athletes Unlimited Softball League in addition to serving as the General Manager of the Volts during the inaugural 2025 season. Renowned as one of the top pitchers in the sport’s history, Osterman competed in three Olympic Games while serving as a member of the United States National Team from 2001-10 and 2019-21. She guided Team USA to the Gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics with two victories and a save while serving as the youngest player on the roster. Team USA also claimed a Silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with Osterman anchoring the pitching staff. Over her 20 seasons playing at softball’s highest level, Osterman fashioned an impressive 74-5 record in the circle with a 0.44 earned run average and 1,030 strikeouts over 519.0 innings. The only three-time winner of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award, Osterman had a historic playing career at Texas from 2002-06. She led the Longhorns to three Women’s College World Series appearances in 2003, 2005 and 2006 and earned a pair of WCWS All-Tournament Team certificates. The four-time NFCA All-America performer claimed the sport’s highest honor as the 2005 and 2006 Honda Award winner for softball and was honored as the 2005 and 2006 ESPY Award winner as the Top Collegiate Female Athlete. Osterman still holds several Longhorns’ career pitching records, including wins (136), earned run average (0.51), shutouts (85), no-hitters (20), perfect games (7), innings pitched (1,105.2), appearances (180) and strikeouts (2,265). She also holds the distinction of being the only student-athlete in softball history to lead the nation in earned run average multiple times, doing so three times. With a 14.34 strikeout-per-seven-inning average, Osterman still holds the NCAA top mark after nearly 20 years. She held opposing hitters to just a .096 clip across her collegiate career. A four-time Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year honoree, Osterman still owns league records in career wins, ERA, strikeouts, no-hitters, perfect games and shutouts. She also claimed the 2006 NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award, which was awarded to the top eight senior student-athletes in the country. She is one of just five pitchers in NCAA Division I history to record at least 100 career victories, 1,000 career strikeouts and a career ERA under 1.00. In addition to her success in the circle, Osterman also excelled academically at Texas and garnered Third-Team CoSIDA Academic All-America® honors as a sophomore in addition to three Academic All-Big 12 Conference Team citations. She will be inducted into the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Hall of Fame in June 2025. After graduating from Texas, Osterman was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league draft by the Connecticut Brakettes, but never played with the team. She spent two seasons with the Rockford Thunder, earning MVP honors at the NPF Championship Series after leading Rockford to the league title over the USSSA Pride. Osterman went on to lead the USSSA Pride to three NPF championships over six seasons. She earned All-NPF status six times, including a pair of Pitcher of the Year certificates, and finished as the league’s all-time leader with a 0.91 career earned run average. In addition, Osterman ranks second in league history with 1,260 strikeouts. In addition to her playing career, Osterman spent six years as an assistant coach at Texas State, helping the Bobcats rise to the top of the Sun Belt Conference. Texas State, which reached the NCAA Tournament three times during Osterman’s tenure, closed the 2018 season with a 43-16 record and the regular season and tournament titles, marking the program’s first championships since joining the league. With Osterman in the dugout, the Bobcats’ pitching staff posted a sub-2.00 earned run average three times over six seasons. Before joining the Texas State staff, Osterman spent three seasons as an assistant coach at St. Edwards University. The Hilltoppers compiled a 98-69 record and an appearance in the NCAA DIvision II Super Regionals. St. Edwards won the Heartland Conference Tournament in 2012, while climbing to a runner-up finish in the league postseason in 2013 and 2014. Osterman began her coaching career at DePaul from 2008-10, helping the Blue Demons earn three Big East Championships and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. No stranger to Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball, Osterman earned the inaugural 2020 AU Pro Softball Championship Season title with a league-record 2,408 leaderboard points. She garnered 14 wins in 23 career appearances and still holds league standards for earned run average (1.64) and innings (124.0), while her 145 strikeouts are second on the all-time chart. Osterman was 16-8 as a captain over two seasons, including a league-record 10 wins during the inaugural campaign. Osterman was enshrined in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 before securing a spot in the World of Little League® Hall of Excellence. She was the fourth female and first softball inductee to join the Hall of Excellence. Osterman earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas in 2007 before securing a master’s degree in educational and counseling psychology with a concentration in positive coaching from Missouri in 2015. Osterman, who is married to Joey Ashley, has a daughter named Jaycee and a step-daughter named Bracken. A name synonymous with softball in the United States, Cat Osterman returns to Athletes Unlimited as an advisor to the Athletes Unlimited Softball League in addition to serving as the General Manager of the Volts during the inaugural 2025 season. Renowned as one of the top pitchers in the sport’s history, Osterman competed in three Olympic Games while serving as a member of the United States National Team from 2001-10 and 2019-21. She guided Team USA to the Gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics with two victories and a save while serving as the youngest player on the roster. Team USA also claimed a Silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with Osterman anchoring the pitching staff. Over her 20 seasons playing at softball’s highest level, Osterman fashioned an impressive 74-5 record in the circle with a 0.44 earned run average and 1,030 strikeouts over 519.0 innings. The only three-time winner of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award, Osterman had a historic playing career at Texas from 2002-06. She led the Longhorns to three Women’s College World Series appearances in 2003, 2005 and 2006 and earned a pair of WCWS All-Tournament Team certificates. The four-time NFCA All-America performer claimed the sport’s highest honor as the 2005 and 2006 Honda Award winner for softball and was honored as the 2005 and 2006 ESPY Award winner as the Top Collegiate Female Athlete. Osterman still holds several Longhorns’ career pitching records, including wins (136), earned run average (0.51), shutouts (85), no-hitters (20), perfect games (7), innings pitched (1,105.2), appearances (180) and strikeouts (2,265). She also holds the distinction of being the only student-athlete in softball history to lead the nation in earned run average multiple times, doing so three times. With a 14.34 strikeout-per-seven-inning average, Osterman still holds the NCAA top mark after nearly 20 years. She held opposing hitters to just a .096 clip across her collegiate career. A four-time Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year honoree, Osterman still owns league records in career wins, ERA, strikeouts, no-hitters, perfect games and shutouts. She also claimed the 2006 NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award, which was awarded to the top eight senior student-athletes in the country. She is one of just five pitchers in NCAA Division I history to record at least 100 career victories, 1,000 career strikeouts and a career ERA under 1.00. In addition to her success in the circle, Osterman also excelled academically at Texas and garnered Third-Team CoSIDA Academic All-America® honors as a sophomore in addition to three Academic All-Big 12 Conference Team citations. She will be inducted into the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Hall of Fame in June 2025. After graduating from Texas, Osterman was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league draft by the Connecticut Brakettes, but never played with the team. She spent two seasons with the Rockford Thunder, earning MVP honors at the NPF Championship Series after leading Rockford to the league title over the USSSA Pride. Osterman went on to lead the USSSA Pride to three NPF championships over six seasons. She earned All-NPF status six times, including a pair of Pitcher of the Year certificates, and finished as the league’s all-time leader with a 0.91 career earned run average. In addition, Osterman ranks second in league history with 1,260 strikeouts. In addition to her playing career, Osterman spent six years as an assistant coach at Texas State, helping the Bobcats rise to the top of the Sun Belt Conference. Texas State, which reached the NCAA Tournament three times during Osterman’s tenure, closed the 2018 season with a 43-16 record and the regular season and tournament titles, marking the program’s first championships since joining the league. With Osterman in the dugout, the Bobcats’ pitching staff posted a sub-2.00 earned run average three times over six seasons. Before joining the Texas State staff, Osterman spent three seasons as an assistant coach at St. Edwards University. The Hilltoppers compiled a 98-69 record and an appearance in the NCAA DIvision II Super Regionals. St. Edwards won the Heartland Conference Tournament in 2012, while climbing to a runner-up finish in the league postseason in 2013 and 2014. Osterman began her coaching career at DePaul from 2008-10, helping the Blue Demons earn three Big East Championships and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. No stranger to Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball, Osterman earned the inaugural 2020 AU Pro Softball Championship Season title with a league-record 2,408 leaderboard points. She garnered 14 wins in 23 career appearances and still holds league standards for earned run average (1.64) and innings (124.0), while her 145 strikeouts are second on the all-time chart. Osterman was 16-8 as a captain over two seasons, including a league-record 10 wins during the inaugural campaign. Osterman was enshrined in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 before securing a spot in the World of Little League® Hall of Excellence. She was the fourth female and first softball inductee to join the Hall of Excellence. Osterman earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas in 2007 before securing a master’s degree in educational and counseling psychology with a concentration in positive coaching from Missouri in 2015. Osterman, who is married to Joey Ashley, has a daughter named Jaycee and a step-daughter named Bracken.

From her days with UCLA and Team USA to her career in National Pro Fastpitch, Natasha Watley could be considered one of the greatest hitters in the history of softball. She hopes to impart her greatness on the Athletes Unlimited Softball League as an advisor during its inaugural season. One of three players in UCLA history to earn four First-Team NFCA All-America citations, Watley earned the starting assignment in all 251 games of her college career from 2000-03. She earned First-Team All-Pac-10 Conference distinction in all four years and was recognized as the league’ Player of the Year following her senior season. A two-time NCAA Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team selection, Watley led the Bruins to the Women’s College World Series during each of her four years. UCLA amassed a 28-6 record in the Women’s College World Series and won the 2003 title. Watley finished her award-winning college career with a .450 batting average, the second-highest mark in program history. In addition, she holds the UCLA career records for at-bats (878), hits (395), runs scored (252), triples (21) and stolen bases (158). A native of Irvine, California, Watley ranks second in UCLA history with 252 runs scored. She also contributed 15 home runs, including 10 homers during her senior season, while driving in 135 runs. She hit .400 or better during each of her four seasons, including a career-best .485 mark as a junior, and paced the Bruins in hits and triples during all four seasons. Watley opened her career in 2000 by hitting .426 with 80 hits, including 10 doubles, four triples and one home run, while swiping 32 bases in 37 attempts. She set the UCLA single-game record with four stolen bases against Canisius on May 18, 2000, during the NCAA Regionals. During her sophomore campaign, Watley registered at least one hit in 32 consecutive games from March 2, 2001, to April 29, 2001, establishing the longest streak in UCLA history. It also stands as the seventh-longest run in NCAA Division I history. In addition to her consistency at the plate, Watley was a menace on the basepaths by establishing a UCLA single-season standard with 52 stolen bases in 56 tries. She also scored 5 runs over 68 games to set another school record. Watley enjoyed her best season at the plate during her junior season, fashioning a .485 batting average while setting a new UCLA record with 112 hits, including 14 doubles, seven triples and two home runs. Her 112 hits rank seventh on the NCAA’s all-time Division I single-season ledger. As a senior, Watley guided the Bruins to the NCAA Division I title by recording a .481 batting average with a career-high 10 home runs and 53 runs batted in. Honored as the 2003 Honda Award for Softball winner, she also became the third softball player in UCLA history to win the Honda Broderick Cup as the nation’s top overall female collegiate student-athlete. Watley went on to enjoy a record-setting career in National Pro Fastpitch and stands as the league’s all-time leader with a .394 batting average. She opened her professional career with the NY/NJ Juggernaut in 2005 before spending the 2006 campaign with the Philadelphia Force. Watley returned to NPF competition in 2010 with the USSSA Pride and was a member of the squad for the following six seasons. She guided the Pride to three NPF titles, including back-to-back crowns in 2013 and 2014. Over eight career NPF seasons, Watley accumulated 373 hits and 84 stolen bases, which both rank third on the league’s all-time chart. Her nine career triples also ranks second in league history. In addition to her NPF career, Watley played professionally overseas in Japan and captured five Japan Softball League titles with Team Toyota before retiring in 2017. As legendary as her college and professional careers were, Watley’s international career also provided just as much success. She was a two-time Olympian, guiding the United States to the Gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games in addition to a Silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. Watley also piloted Team USA to the Gold medal at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Women’s World Championship. She was also a member of four championship teams at the World Cup of Softball (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009). Watley also owns a pair of Gold medals in Pan American Games competition. In the 2003 event, she hit .292 (7-for-24) with four runs batted in and five stolen bases before adding a 4-for-11 performance at the plate with a team-high five runs scored in 2007. A two-time Hall of Fame inductee, Watley earned a spot in the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014 before joining the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2020. She earned her bachelor’s degree from UCLA before adding a master’s degree in sports business from Saint Leo University. From her days with UCLA and Team USA to her career in National Pro Fastpitch, Natasha Watley could be considered one of the greatest hitters in the history of softball. She hopes to impart her greatness on the Athletes Unlimited Softball League as an advisor during its inaugural season. One of three players in UCLA history to earn four First-Team NFCA All-America citations, Watley earned the starting assignment in all 251 games of her college career from 2000-03. She earned First-Team All-Pac-10 Conference distinction in all four years and was recognized as the league’ Player of the Year following her senior season. A two-time NCAA Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team selection, Watley led the Bruins to the Women’s College World Series during each of her four years. UCLA amassed a 28-6 record in the Women’s College World Series and won the 2003 title. Watley finished her award-winning college career with a .450 batting average, the second-highest mark in program history. In addition, she holds the UCLA career records for at-bats (878), hits (395), runs scored (252), triples (21) and stolen bases (158). A native of Irvine, California, Watley ranks second in UCLA history with 252 runs scored. She also contributed 15 home runs, including 10 homers during her senior season, while driving in 135 runs. She hit .400 or better during each of her four seasons, including a career-best .485 mark as a junior, and paced the Bruins in hits and triples during all four seasons. Watley opened her career in 2000 by hitting .426 with 80 hits, including 10 doubles, four triples and one home run, while swiping 32 bases in 37 attempts. She set the UCLA single-game record with four stolen bases against Canisius on May 18, 2000, during the NCAA Regionals. During her sophomore campaign, Watley registered at least one hit in 32 consecutive games from March 2, 2001, to April 29, 2001, establishing the longest streak in UCLA history. It also stands as the seventh-longest run in NCAA Division I history. In addition to her consistency at the plate, Watley was a menace on the basepaths by establishing a UCLA single-season standard with 52 stolen bases in 56 tries. She also scored 5 runs over 68 games to set another school record. Watley enjoyed her best season at the plate during her junior season, fashioning a .485 batting average while setting a new UCLA record with 112 hits, including 14 doubles, seven triples and two home runs. Her 112 hits rank seventh on the NCAA’s all-time Division I single-season ledger. As a senior, Watley guided the Bruins to the NCAA Division I title by recording a .481 batting average with a career-high 10 home runs and 53 runs batted in. Honored as the 2003 Honda Award for Softball winner, she also became the third softball player in UCLA history to win the Honda Broderick Cup as the nation’s top overall female collegiate student-athlete. Watley went on to enjoy a record-setting career in National Pro Fastpitch and stands as the league’s all-time leader with a .394 batting average. She opened her professional career with the NY/NJ Juggernaut in 2005 before spending the 2006 campaign with the Philadelphia Force. Watley returned to NPF competition in 2010 with the USSSA Pride and was a member of the squad for the following six seasons. She guided the Pride to three NPF titles, including back-to-back crowns in 2013 and 2014. Over eight career NPF seasons, Watley accumulated 373 hits and 84 stolen bases, which both rank third on the league’s all-time chart. Her nine career triples also ranks second in league history. In addition to her NPF career, Watley played professionally overseas in Japan and captured five Japan Softball League titles with Team Toyota before retiring in 2017. As legendary as her college and professional careers were, Watley’s international career also provided just as much success. She was a two-time Olympian, guiding the United States to the Gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games in addition to a Silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. Watley also piloted Team USA to the Gold medal at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Women’s World Championship. She was also a member of four championship teams at the World Cup of Softball (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009). Watley also owns a pair of Gold medals in Pan American Games competition. In the 2003 event, she hit .292 (7-for-24) with four runs batted in and five stolen bases before adding a 4-for-11 performance at the plate with a team-high five runs scored in 2007. A two-time Hall of Fame inductee, Watley earned a spot in the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014 before joining the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2020. She earned her bachelor’s degree from UCLA before adding a master’s degree in sports business from Saint Leo University. From her days with UCLA and Team USA to her career in National Pro Fastpitch, Natasha Watley could be considered one of the greatest hitters in the history of softball. She hopes to impart her greatness on the Athletes Unlimited Softball League as an advisor during its inaugural season. One of three players in UCLA history to earn four First-Team NFCA All-America citations, Watley earned the starting assignment in all 251 games of her college career from 2000-03. She earned First-Team All-Pac-10 Conference distinction in all four years and was recognized as the league’ Player of the Year following her senior season. A two-time NCAA Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team selection, Watley led the Bruins to the Women’s College World Series during each of her four years. UCLA amassed a 28-6 record in the Women’s College World Series and won the 2003 title. Watley finished her award-winning college career with a .450 batting average, the second-highest mark in program history. In addition, she holds the UCLA career records for at-bats (878), hits (395), runs scored (252), triples (21) and stolen bases (158). A native of Irvine, California, Watley ranks second in UCLA history with 252 runs scored. She also contributed 15 home runs, including 10 homers during her senior season, while driving in 135 runs. She hit .400 or better during each of her four seasons, including a career-best .485 mark as a junior, and paced the Bruins in hits and triples during all four seasons. Watley opened her career in 2000 by hitting .426 with 80 hits, including 10 doubles, four triples and one home run, while swiping 32 bases in 37 attempts. She set the UCLA single-game record with four stolen bases against Canisius on May 18, 2000, during the NCAA Regionals. During her sophomore campaign, Watley registered at least one hit in 32 consecutive games from March 2, 2001, to April 29, 2001, establishing the longest streak in UCLA history. It also stands as the seventh-longest run in NCAA Division I history. In addition to her consistency at the plate, Watley was a menace on the basepaths by establishing a UCLA single-season standard with 52 stolen bases in 56 tries. She also scored 5 runs over 68 games to set another school record. Watley enjoyed her best season at the plate during her junior season, fashioning a .485 batting average while setting a new UCLA record with 112 hits, including 14 doubles, seven triples and two home runs. Her 112 hits rank seventh on the NCAA’s all-time Division I single-season ledger. As a senior, Watley guided the Bruins to the NCAA Division I title by recording a .481 batting average with a career-high 10 home runs and 53 runs batted in. Honored as the 2003 Honda Award for Softball winner, she also became the third softball player in UCLA history to win the Honda Broderick Cup as the nation’s top overall female collegiate student-athlete. Watley went on to enjoy a record-setting career in National Pro Fastpitch and stands as the league’s all-time leader with a .394 batting average. She opened her professional career with the NY/NJ Juggernaut in 2005 before spending the 2006 campaign with the Philadelphia Force. Watley returned to NPF competition in 2010 with the USSSA Pride and was a member of the squad for the following six seasons. She guided the Pride to three NPF titles, including back-to-back crowns in 2013 and 2014. Over eight career NPF seasons, Watley accumulated 373 hits and 84 stolen bases, which both rank third on the league’s all-time chart. Her nine career triples also ranks second in league history. In addition to her NPF career, Watley played professionally overseas in Japan and captured five Japan Softball League titles with Team Toyota before retiring in 2017. As legendary as her college and professional careers were, Watley’s international career also provided just as much success. She was a two-time Olympian, guiding the United States to the Gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games in addition to a Silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. Watley also piloted Team USA to the Gold medal at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Women’s World Championship. She was also a member of four championship teams at the World Cup of Softball (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009). Watley also owns a pair of Gold medals in Pan American Games competition. In the 2003 event, she hit .292 (7-for-24) with four runs batted in and five stolen bases before adding a 4-for-11 performance at the plate with a team-high five runs scored in 2007. A two-time Hall of Fame inductee, Watley earned a spot in the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014 before joining the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2020. She earned her bachelor’s degree from UCLA before adding a master’s degree in sports business from Saint Leo University.

Jessica Mendoza, a two-time Olympian and four-time NFCA All-America First Team honoree, has certainly made her mark as one of the greatest players in softball history. She hopes to make even more history with the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, serving as an advisor during its inaugural season. The only player in Stanford history to earn First-Team All-America status four times, Mendoza also holds the honor of being one of two Cardinal student-athletes to ever secure four All-America citations. She also collected First-Team All-Pac-12 Conference plaudits every year and was honored as the league’s Player of the Year in 2000. Mendoza’s name is etched thoroughly throughout the Stanford single-season and career record books. She holds the top spot on the Cardinal’s career charts for batting average (.416), hits (327), home runs (50), slugging percentage (.719), runs scored (230) and stolen bases (86). In addition, Mendoza ranks third in school history with 70 career doubles and 188 career runs batted in, while her 786 at-bats are good for second on the all-time ledger. Mendoza, the only player in Stanford history to hit over .400 in three seasons during a career, established the program single-season standard during her sophomore year when she fashioned a .475 batting average. She also set a program record by scoring 70 runs during the 2001 season while appearing in a school-record 71 games. Mendoza also owns the distinction of being one of two players in Arizona history with 90 or more hits in a single season when she tallied 94 hits in her sophomore season. During her four-year career, the Cardinal posted a 183-79-1 record with four NCAA regional appearances, including the program’s first-ever Women’s College World Series berth in 2001. Led by Mendoza, Stanford won a school-record 54 games, including victories over LSU and California in the Women’s College World Series. After closing her college career, Mendoza went on to play four seasons in National Pro Fastpitch. She opened her professional career with the Arizona Heat in 2005, fashioning a .491 batting average with 29 hits, including five doubles and eight home runs. In 2010, Mendoza returned to the professional ranks and spent the next three seasons with the USSSA Pride. She guided the Pride to the 2010 Cowles Cup title after hitting .284 with seven home runs and 28 runs batted in. Over her four NPF seasons, Mendoza posted a .360 batting average to rank fourth on the league’s all-time chart. She also belted 34 home runs with 130 runs batted in, while adding 114 runs scored. A two-time Olympian, Mendoza helped the United States win the Gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games by hitting .250 (5-for-20) with five runs scored and five runs batted in. She also helped Team USA secure the Silver medal four years later in Beijing. In addition to her success at the Olympics, Mendoza helped Team USA win the Gold medal at the World Championship in 2002, 2006 and 2010. She hit .313 during the 2002 event with eight runs scored and seven runs batted in before contributing five home runs with 16 RBI in 2006. Mendoza also owns Gold medals from the 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games along with the 2001 U.S. Cup. She was honored as the USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year in 2006 and was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2019. Setting records is not something Mendoza has done just on the softball diamond. In 2015, she became the first woman to serve as an analyst for nationally-televised Major League Baseball games during an edition of Monday Night Baseball on ESPN. She later became the first female analyst for a nationally-televised MLB postseason contest by calling the American League Wild Card game on ESPN. In October 2020, Mendoza became the first female World Series analyst on any national broadcast when she was a member of ESPN Radio’s coverage. In addition to her Major League Baseball experience, Mendoza has been a member of the broadcast team for ESPN and ABC’s coverage of the Little League Baseball World Series since 2016. She has also provided analysis for ESPN’s coverage at the NCAA Women’s College World Series since 2007. Mendoza is also currently in her fourth season as a member of the broadcast team for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ television coverage. A native of Camarillo, California, Mendoza earned her bachelor’s degree in American studies from Stanford in 2002 before receiving a master’s degree in social sciences in education in 2003. Jessica Mendoza, a two-time Olympian and four-time NFCA All-America First Team honoree, has certainly made her mark as one of the greatest players in softball history. She hopes to make even more history with the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, serving as an advisor during its inaugural season. The only player in Stanford history to earn First-Team All-America status four times, Mendoza also holds the honor of being one of two Cardinal student-athletes to ever secure four All-America citations. She also collected First-Team All-Pac-12 Conference plaudits every year and was honored as the league’s Player of the Year in 2000. Mendoza’s name is etched thoroughly throughout the Stanford single-season and career record books. She holds the top spot on the Cardinal’s career charts for batting average (.416), hits (327), home runs (50), slugging percentage (.719), runs scored (230) and stolen bases (86). In addition, Mendoza ranks third in school history with 70 career doubles and 188 career runs batted in, while her 786 at-bats are good for second on the all-time ledger. Mendoza, the only player in Stanford history to hit over .400 in three seasons during a career, established the program single-season standard during her sophomore year when she fashioned a .475 batting average. She also set a program record by scoring 70 runs during the 2001 season while appearing in a school-record 71 games. Mendoza also owns the distinction of being one of two players in Arizona history with 90 or more hits in a single season when she tallied 94 hits in her sophomore season. During her four-year career, the Cardinal posted a 183-79-1 record with four NCAA regional appearances, including the program’s first-ever Women’s College World Series berth in 2001. Led by Mendoza, Stanford won a school-record 54 games, including victories over LSU and California in the Women’s College World Series. After closing her college career, Mendoza went on to play four seasons in National Pro Fastpitch. She opened her professional career with the Arizona Heat in 2005, fashioning a .491 batting average with 29 hits, including five doubles and eight home runs. In 2010, Mendoza returned to the professional ranks and spent the next three seasons with the USSSA Pride. She guided the Pride to the 2010 Cowles Cup title after hitting .284 with seven home runs and 28 runs batted in. Over her four NPF seasons, Mendoza posted a .360 batting average to rank fourth on the league’s all-time chart. She also belted 34 home runs with 130 runs batted in, while adding 114 runs scored. A two-time Olympian, Mendoza helped the United States win the Gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games by hitting .250 (5-for-20) with five runs scored and five runs batted in. She also helped Team USA secure the Silver medal four years later in Beijing. In addition to her success at the Olympics, Mendoza helped Team USA win the Gold medal at the World Championship in 2002, 2006 and 2010. She hit .313 during the 2002 event with eight runs scored and seven runs batted in before contributing five home runs with 16 RBI in 2006. Mendoza also owns Gold medals from the 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games along with the 2001 U.S. Cup. She was honored as the USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year in 2006 and was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2019. Setting records is not something Mendoza has done just on the softball diamond. In 2015, she became the first woman to serve as an analyst for nationally-televised Major League Baseball games during an edition of Monday Night Baseball on ESPN. She later became the first female analyst for a nationally-televised MLB postseason contest by calling the American League Wild Card game on ESPN. In October 2020, Mendoza became the first female World Series analyst on any national broadcast when she was a member of ESPN Radio’s coverage. In addition to her Major League Baseball experience, Mendoza has been a member of the broadcast team for ESPN and ABC’s coverage of the Little League Baseball World Series since 2016. She has also provided analysis for ESPN’s coverage at the NCAA Women’s College World Series since 2007. Mendoza is also currently in her fourth season as a member of the broadcast team for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ television coverage. A native of Camarillo, California, Mendoza earned her bachelor’s degree in American studies from Stanford in 2002 before receiving a master’s degree in social sciences in education in 2003. Jessica Mendoza, a two-time Olympian and four-time NFCA All-America First Team honoree, has certainly made her mark as one of the greatest players in softball history. She hopes to make even more history with the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, serving as an advisor during its inaugural season. The only player in Stanford history to earn First-Team All-America status four times, Mendoza also holds the honor of being one of two Cardinal student-athletes to ever secure four All-America citations. She also collected First-Team All-Pac-12 Conference plaudits every year and was honored as the league’s Player of the Year in 2000. Mendoza’s name is etched thoroughly throughout the Stanford single-season and career record books. She holds the top spot on the Cardinal’s career charts for batting average (.416), hits (327), home runs (50), slugging percentage (.719), runs scored (230) and stolen bases (86). In addition, Mendoza ranks third in school history with 70 career doubles and 188 career runs batted in, while her 786 at-bats are good for second on the all-time ledger. Mendoza, the only player in Stanford history to hit over .400 in three seasons during a career, established the program single-season standard during her sophomore year when she fashioned a .475 batting average. She also set a program record by scoring 70 runs during the 2001 season while appearing in a school-record 71 games. Mendoza also owns the distinction of being one of two players in Arizona history with 90 or more hits in a single season when she tallied 94 hits in her sophomore season. During her four-year career, the Cardinal posted a 183-79-1 record with four NCAA regional appearances, including the program’s first-ever Women’s College World Series berth in 2001. Led by Mendoza, Stanford won a school-record 54 games, including victories over LSU and California in the Women’s College World Series. After closing her college career, Mendoza went on to play four seasons in National Pro Fastpitch. She opened her professional career with the Arizona Heat in 2005, fashioning a .491 batting average with 29 hits, including five doubles and eight home runs. In 2010, Mendoza returned to the professional ranks and spent the next three seasons with the USSSA Pride. She guided the Pride to the 2010 Cowles Cup title after hitting .284 with seven home runs and 28 runs batted in. Over her four NPF seasons, Mendoza posted a .360 batting average to rank fourth on the league’s all-time chart. She also belted 34 home runs with 130 runs batted in, while adding 114 runs scored. A two-time Olympian, Mendoza helped the United States win the Gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games by hitting .250 (5-for-20) with five runs scored and five runs batted in. She also helped Team USA secure the Silver medal four years later in Beijing. In addition to her success at the Olympics, Mendoza helped Team USA win the Gold medal at the World Championship in 2002, 2006 and 2010. She hit .313 during the 2002 event with eight runs scored and seven runs batted in before contributing five home runs with 16 RBI in 2006. Mendoza also owns Gold medals from the 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games along with the 2001 U.S. Cup. She was honored as the USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year in 2006 and was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2019. Setting records is not something Mendoza has done just on the softball diamond. In 2015, she became the first woman to serve as an analyst for nationally-televised Major League Baseball games during an edition of Monday Night Baseball on ESPN. She later became the first female analyst for a nationally-televised MLB postseason contest by calling the American League Wild Card game on ESPN. In October 2020, Mendoza became the first female World Series analyst on any national broadcast when she was a member of ESPN Radio’s coverage. In addition to her Major League Baseball experience, Mendoza has been a member of the broadcast team for ESPN and ABC’s coverage of the Little League Baseball World Series since 2016. She has also provided analysis for ESPN’s coverage at the NCAA Women’s College World Series since 2007. Mendoza is also currently in her fourth season as a member of the broadcast team for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ television coverage. A native of Camarillo, California, Mendoza earned her bachelor’s degree in American studies from Stanford in 2002 before receiving a master’s degree in social sciences in education in 2003.