blazeblaze

Carolina Blaze

The Carolina Blaze were established in 2025 as one of the four original teams in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) – a professional softball league in the United States. The Blaze play in Durham, North Carolina, at Smith Family Stadium.
Roster
Blaze players, including Kayla Kowalik, Taylor Edwards, Ana Gold, and Emma Lemley, line up on the field in their white uniforms to high-five Aubrey Leach.

Our Team

The unapologetic speed that fuels this team is fire. The Carolina Blaze are bold, strong, and sizzle. They are iconically fast and bring heat to the field.

BLAZE COACHING STAFF

  • Dana Sorensen

    General Manager

    Dana Sorensen

    General Manager

    Dana Sorensen is the General Manager of the Carolina Blaze in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). Sorensen is a former Stanford All-American pitcher and Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, and enters her second season leading the Blaze after joining the organization ahead of the league's inaugural campaign.

  • Kara Dill

    Head Coach

    Kara Dill

    Head Coach

    Kara Dill is the Head Coach of the Carolina Blaze in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). After serving as associate head coach during the franchise's inaugural season, Dill assumes the head coaching role in 2026 while continuing to lead UT Arlington softball.

  • Lindsay Leftwich

    Associate Head Coach

    Lindsay Leftwich

    Associate Head Coach

    Lindsay Leftwich is the Associate Head Coach of the Carolina Blaze in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). She enters her first season with the Blaze after nearly two decades of collegiate coaching experience, including head coaching stops at NC State and assistant coaching roles at LSU and Florida International.

  • Brittany Cervantes

    Assistant Coach

    Brittany Cervantes

    Assistant Coach

    Brittany Cervantes is an Assistant Coach for the Carolina Blaze in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). Cervantes is a former professional softball player and Olympian for Mexico, and joins the Blaze after a decorated playing career that included four National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) championships and an appearance at the Tokyo Olympics.

  • Kyler Holton

    Assistant Coach

    Kyler Holton

    Assistant Coach

    Kyler Holton is an Assistant Coach for the Carolina Blaze in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). He joins the Blaze after coaching stops at UNCW, Florida State, and Ole Miss, where he helped develop pitching staffs and support championship-caliber programs.

  • Our Partners

    Durham Sports Commission Logo

    Join the Blaze Newsletter

    Be the first to know the latest Carolina Blaze news, merch, tickets, player signings, and more.