Call it symmetry. Call it poetic justice. Call it what you will.
Whatever you call it, Stacey Nuveman Deniz would love to call it magic by reconjuring softball success in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League under the banner of the Bandits.
“I hope so; I’d like to think there is,” said Nuveman Deniz, who coached the Chicago Bandits to the National Pro Fastpitch championship series in 2018.
The AUSL Bandits will begin their 2025 season on Saturday in Rosemont, opening a three-game series against the Talons. The homage the team name pays to the old Chicago Bandits seems only fitting to Nuveman Deniz.
“My time here when it was an NPF organization was absolutely outstanding and nothing but great memories of that summer and the people I met and worked with from (Rosemont) Mayor (Brad) Stephens to Toni Calmeyn, who was the GM at the time and all the people in the Dome and the people who were involved in the Bandit organization.
“I didn’t know what team I was going to be involved with (this year), and they assigned us to teams. It was really very sentimental for me that I get to be a Bandit again – a little bit different, different colors and whatnot. But really just proud of this organization.”
There is little time for sentimentality as Nuveman Deniz and the Bandits get ready for the AUSL season. During practices, you can find her behind the plate, watching intently and making notes.
“It’s a tough thing to build a team, to create some chemistry and to do it in 10 days,” she said. “It’s a tall task in terms of giving them reps, having them feel like they’re shaking off the rust. A lot of these players haven’t seen live pitching and been in a game situation in eight months, nine months. And it’s the same that every team has to deal with. It’s not a Bandit thing.
“We’re doing a lot of different things at the same time. We’re trying to create opportunities for them to work together and to communicate and kind of learn each other on the field. We’re also trying to create opportunities for them to get to know each other, just interpersonally, and to get to know the coaching staff, as well, and our style and how we communicate. It’s a full 10 days of team building in addition to the programming that AU has going on. It’s definitely been a whirlwind of a few days.”
The Bandits feature many veterans who have played in Athletes Unlimited, some from its inception in 2020. Among the vets are outfielders Morgan Zerkle and Bubba Nickles-Camarena, catchers Mia Davidson (who currently is finishing her season in Japan) and Jordan Roberts, and pitchers Odicci Alexander, Taylor McQuillin and Lexi Kilfoyl, the 2024 AU Rookie of the Year.
“We are very balanced,” Nuveman Deniz said. “We’ve got some power. We’ve got some speed. We’ve got some veterans. We’ve got some fresh babies right off the college game. I just like that we have a lot of different ways we can be successful.”
One of those “fresh babies” is utility player Cori McMillan, the team’s first overall selection in the 2025 college draft (fourth overall). The Bandits are not holding McMillan back.
“We’re letting her go,” Nuveman Deniz said. “But I think also recognizing the players and coaches who have been in this league. They know that with a hitter like that, what oftentimes happens. The college game can expose you, but not like this. If you’ve got a hole in your swing, it’s either already known or it will be found out very quickly. That’s been really a cool thing to see. Fortunately, she’s a really open and cool young woman who is not too big for her britches in the sense that she recognizes that this is a different level.”
The Bandits know they’ll be in for a test this weekend against the Talons, whose roster includes the likes of Tori Vidales, Sydney Romero, Hannah Flippen and Victoria Hayward, all names familiar to fans of Athletes Unlimited softball.
“They have a lot of power, they have a lot of versatility, and they have great athletes,” McQuillin said. “I think they drafted an amazing team. That’s not a shock to anybody. But I think every team here is amazing, and they have something to bring to the table.
“I’m excited. To be the best and to be able to compete in this league, you have to play the best and compete against the best. You look at every roster, they’re able to give you that. Normally, it would be a little bit of nerves, but I’m excited to play. I’m excited to go out there and compete because in order for me to be truly successful in a league that’s going to last for a long period of time, it starts with playing a team like the Talons, where they’re stacked 1-9 and 1-15 on the bench.”
Keeping the ball in the ballpark will be imperative for the Bandits.
“The Talons are a very power-based team,” Nuveman Deniz said. “Not that they don’t have speed. But that’s not how they drafted. I don’t think that was their mindset. We’ve got to keep the ball in the yard and play good defense. The way we constructed our pitching staff and the way we constructed our game plan is using different arms on different parts of their lineup as well. That’s really the plan: to come in and do what we can to keep them off the board and see how our offense can show up.”
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 on X @brucemiles2112
