Before the final game of the regular season, the Bandits held an impromptu players-only meeting behind the batting cage inside the Dome in Rosemont.
They had just come off a sloppy 12-6 loss against the Blaze, and with only one more game remaining before they embarked for Tuscaloosa for the AUSL Championship Series, the players wanted to set things right.
“I think the general tone today was that we need to go out with a bang,” said infielder Sydney McKinney, who provided that bang with three singles and a home run during a 5-1 season-ending victory. “We got hit a little bit last night, and we just needed to come out and have a good game to have some positive vibes going into the championship.”
Teammate Erin Coffel, the AUSL Hitter of the Year, agreed with McKinney.
“I just think we have to hold each other accountable, and I think that’s what we’ve been doing all year,” she said. “It was just one of those little things. Get through it and we keep going.”
The time to get going is now. The Bandits will take on the Talons in the inaugural AUSL Championship Series in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The best-of-three series is set for Saturday, Sunday and Monday (if necessary).
The Talons will enjoy homefield advantage, based on their first-place record of 18-6 during the regular season. The Bandits finished second, finishing 15-9 after a torrid 9-2 start. The Talons also may have an advantage because they played two games this week against the Volts at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
“As they say, the main thing you want is an opportunity to play for a championship, and we have that,” said Bandits Head Coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz. “I think right now there are still some areas we want to sharpen up, but all in all, we’re in a good place. We feel very confident and very good in our ability to compete with the Talons. And ultimately, that’s what it comes down to.
“It doesn’t matter what’s happened up to this point. It’s just the two teams at the end, three-game series, here we go. Who’s going to show up and get it done in that environment? We’ll have to wait and see.”
The regular-season series between the Bandits and Talons could not have been more even. The teams split eight games. The Bandits beat the Talons on Opening Day in Rosemont, and from then on, the teams alternated victories.
The Bandits outscored the Talons 45-31 over the eight games, thanks in part to a pair of run-rule victories: 8-0 in five innings on June 10 and 9-1 in six innings on July 12.
The trademark for the Bandits is a relentless offense. They had the 1-4 finishers in batting average: McKinney (.486), Morgan Zerkle (.419), Coffel (.410), and Skylar Wallace (.390).
As a team, the Bandits led AUSL in batting average, runs scored, doubles, home runs, total bases, slugging percentage, hits, triples, on-base percentage and RBI.
Zerkle led the league with nine home runs. She also topped the leaderboard in doubles, total bases and hits.
Coffel was first in OBP, slugging percentage and RBI. Wallace paced the AUSL in runs scored, and as if to prove the Bandits weren’t a one-dimensional offense, she also led the league in stolen bases.
“It’s always great to have a couple of tricks up your sleeve,” McKinney said. “I think that’s what we’ve talked about with this Bandits team, that we’re so versatile.”
The old adage is that good pitching stops good hitting, and the Talons have great pitching. They led the AUSL in team ERA at 3.97 while the Bandits were third (4.22). The Talons’ Georgina Corrick led the league in ERA (2.04), with the Bandits’ Lexi Kilfoyl right behind at 2.35. That could be the Game 1 matchup, but Nuveman Deniz has yet to commit, saying Kilfoyl has been effective out of the bullpen, as well.
The X-factor could be injuries. The Bandits lost Wallace to an ankle injury in the penultimate game of the regular season. She was using crutches on Wednesday and lined up for pregame introductions in a walking boot. Pitcher Odicci Alexander was hit by a line drive in the same game.
Nuveman Deniz is hoping both can play in the Championship Series.
“Nobody wants to see their two-hole hitter and starting shortstop for all 23 games go down in that way,” Nuveman Deniz said of Wallace. “But if anybody can grind out the rehab in the next 72 hours, it’s Skylar Wallace. We’ll see what happens.”
Whatever the case, there are precious few secrets between the two teams as Nuveman Deniz gets ready to match wits and strategy against Talons Head Coach Howard Dobson.
“It’s so hard because every team here is stacked with talent,” Nuveman Deniz said. “Every team has veterans and new players and rookies. Everyone’s got some pitching. Everyone’s got some hitting. Everyone’s got a little bit of speed. Honestly, I think we’re quite different than the Talons in personnel. I think they’re probably more of a power-based team. We’ve got a little more of a combo speed-power. We’ve got more lefties in our lineup. Offensively, they’ve got more righties. We’re different, but also experienced. I think in that way we’re pretty similar.
“I think right now it’s literally which team comes at it the sharpest, making the fewest mistakes. Whether that’s pitchers’ pitches being sharp, whether that’s offensive players making adjustments, both teams are capable of doing that. Which team does it more effectively and consistently is the team that’s going to pull it out.”
So let the games begin.
“I feel great,” McKinney said. “The Talons are obviously going to give us a great fight, but we’re ready for it. We’re prepared for them. Our coaches have us really well prepared. Our practices have been really hard all year. So once you get into the game, it’s just like an instinct to get the job done. I think we’re excited, and we’re prepared.”
Bruce Miles has covered sports in the Chicago area for 46 years, including baseball, hockey, football and Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball. He covered the Chicago Cubs in their historic run to the World Series title in 2016. He has written stories for Athletes Unlimited since 2020. Follow Bruce on Bluesky @brucemiles2112.bsky.social and X @brucemiles2112
