Coming out of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League Draft, the Blaze have a challenge: where to put all their defensive options. But it’s a good problem to have.
General Manager Dana Sorensen came away from the draft with an embarrassment of riches in the defensive department. The team was already versatile with the nine players they retained from last season, but the new additions spoiled their staff with options.
“I think we’re positioned to move the chest pieces around in lots of different ways on the board,” Sorensen said.
Picks for power
The team finished the inaugural season in last place in the standings, which led to some clear intentions for their GM.
The Blaze ranked second in the league in team batting average (.304) in 2025, but lacked power. That’s why, when corner infielder and Oklahoma alum Alyssa Brito was still on the board in the first round of Allocation Draft, Sorensen didn’t hesitate. She wouldn’t miss out on a top player.
“I’m not going to turn down an absolute stud of a player all the way around – offensively, defensively – just because I don’t have a perfect position right now.”
The draw for utility Valerie Cagle, who has a reputation for being a slugger, was similar. She was a stalwart two-way player at Clemson, but is now classified as a utility player and no longer pitches. Her numbers as a Tiger speak for themselves; she holds Clemson career records in batting average (.379), hits (288), doubles (49), RBIs (224), and slugging percentage (.721). Cagle’s 66 career home runs are tied for second in the ACC record book.
Sorensen was particularly excited about how the lineup will be balanced right and left-handed, with added pop that they noticeably missed last year.
Defensive Flexibility
The Blaze’s options in the dirt and grass are staggering when you dig into the positions the team’s returning roster can play:
- Aubrey Leach (second base, outfield)
- Ana Gold (shortstop, third base)
- Baylee Klingler (both corners, outfield)
- Aleshia Ocasio (pitcher, second base, outfield)
- Kayla Kowalik (catcher, outfield)
- Devyn Netz (pitcher, corner infield)
What Sorensen knew they needed to replace was the loss of shortstop Anissa Urtez, who retired at the end of the season. Enter Jenna Laird, the 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner out of Missouri.
“I think she went a bit under the radar in terms of exposure,” Sorensen said. “And shortstop is a really, really hard position if there’s not a lot of eyeballs on you regularly.”
Laird graduated from Mizzou in 2024 but was not drafted to the AUSL out of college. The shortstop position was loaded with experience then, but now the timing lined up for Laird to join the Blaze. In scouting Laird ahead of the draft, Sorensen said everyone she spoke to said “she can flat out play.”
Looking
The area Blaze landed in a unique position after the Expansion Draft – where the Cascade and Spark had the opportunity to select their unprotected players – was in the circle.
They protected Keilani Ricketts and retained Aleshia Ocasio, Emma Lemley, and Devyn Netz (who is classified as a utility). They lost Carley Hoover, who missed most of the inaugural season due to an injury, and Alana Vawter, who Sorensen replaced with Duke grad Jala Wright. The team needed a true downball pitcher to fill in the gap left by Vawter and complement Ricketts.
Leading up to the draft, Wright reached out to Sorensen, and it left an impression.
“I could just tell a desire to want to be in the league. Like really, really wants an opportunity,” Sorensen said. “We want somebody who wants the ball.”
Wright had one of the best pitching seasons in Duke history last year, leading the team to the Women’s College World Series. She finished the season with a 19-3 record and a 1.50 ERA, averaging 8.6 strikeouts per seven innings in the circle.
With the worst record in the league last year, the Blaze are set to have an early pick in the college draft with a class stacked with arms, including NiJaree Canady, Karlyn Pickens, and Sydney Berzon.
The Blaze could add a superstar to their staff in the spring.
Sorensen knows that it is on the horizon, but is proud of the way the team was rebuilt on Monday night.
“We added really good athletes, but [with] the culture piece, we added a lot of athletes that will blend easily. I think it’s going to be a really seamless transition because I really like our core group. They’re all phenomenal players and good human beings.”
The updated Blaze roster is available here.
Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on X @savannaecollins.