The Carolina Blaze finished the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League season second-to-last in the standings, but General Manager Dana Sorensen doesn’t believe the solution is to start from scratch.
Despite a 9-16 record and a challenging second half, Sorensen remains confident in the roster she and her coaching staff have assembled. In her eyes, the pieces are already there. Now, it’s all about finding a way to bring them together.
“I think we have all the pieces,” Sorensen said. “I think we’re in a good spot with our roster. I think we have the talent we need. I think we have all the elements to be a really great team.”
After a season in which the Blaze settled into a home market they’ve embraced, made significant improvements in the circle and increased their power at the plate, a 10-game losing streak overshadowed much of that progress. Now, Sorensen is turning her attention to how the team can translate its potential into consistent results.
The offseason process has already begun.
Rather than leaving her players and coaching staff with space to navigate the offseason on their own, Sorensen is taking a more hands-on approach as she enters her third year with the organization. She’s encouraging young pros to take ownership of their development, challenging veterans to become more vocal leaders, and asking everyone in the organization to take another step forward.
Building on the Positives
Although Carolina’s final record fell short of expectations, Sorensen saw significant improvements.
The most notable came from the pitching staff, which lowered the team ERA from 6.18 in 2025 to 4.00 in 2026, and tied for third-best in the league.
A healthy Keilani Ricketts provided a veteran presence, while Aleshia Ocasio returned with a strong season. But one of the most notable changes came thanks to No. 1 overall college draft pick Karlyn Pickens, who brought another dimension to the pitching staff, and even to the Blaze lineup.
“She’s on attack,” Sorensen said of Pickens. “She’s pitching, she’s essentially on attack. She’s on offense. The [Blaze] hitters are reacting to her, and I think that energy flows out to the team, and they feel that dominance behind her.”
Offensively, the Blaze accomplished another roster-building goal by finishing second in the league in home runs.
Still, that increased power came with a decline in team batting average, from .306 to .262. Sorensen partially attributed the drop-off to improved pitching across the league and the adjustments young athletes face in their early professional seasons.
Finding Flexibility in the Lineup
Defensive versatility was another priority for Sorensen when constructing Carolina’s roster, particularly with the AUSL’s 16-player roster limit.
Pitchers like Ocasio and Devyn Netz, who contribute at other positions, allowed the Blaze to prioritize offensive power without sacrificing flexibility in the field.
Sorensen will continue exploring that versatility in 2027, and potentially give 2026 Rookie of the Year Reese Atwood opportunities at first base to help manage the physical demands of catching while keeping her bat in the lineup.
Catcher Kayla Kowalik, who missed significant time in 2026 due to injury, has also expressed interest in expanding her role to the outfield.
Sorensen believes that willingness to play multiple positions will give the Blaze greater freedom to adjust their lineup based on offensive matchups while keeping their strongest hitters involved.
Learning to Handle Adversity
The Blaze opened the season with a promising stretch before struggling through the second half and suffering 10 consecutive losses.
Eight of those defeats came by two runs or fewer, with the Blaze falling just short of breaking through.
“When you’re losing, you start doubting things, and you can find problems that maybe don’t even exist because you’re searching for answers so much,” she said.
Sorensen acknowledged that some of those narrow defeats came down to unlucky breaks, joking that the “softball gods” weren’t always on Carolina’s side. Rather than questioning the team’s talent, Sorensen wants to develop a stronger collective response to adversity.
“How often did we know we were going to get the job done, and how often did we hope we were going to get the job done?” Sorensen reflected.
A more confident mindset is a central focus as the Blaze prepares for 2027.
“When it gets hard, what do we do?” she asks her team. “When the failure hits, what do we do?”
Taking a More Hands-On Approach
Sorensen isn’t placing the responsibility for Carolina’s growth solely on her players. She acknowledges that her approach must evolve as the franchise enters its third season.
“I learned that I probably need to challenge people a little bit,” Sorensen said. “It’s continuing to challenge my staff, continuing to challenge my players to lean into the hard.”
That philosophy extends to head coach Kara Dill, who completed her first season at the helm after serving as associate head coach in 2025.
Sorensen praised Dill’s levelheaded approach and the trust she established with players, even through the team’s difficult stretches. With that foundation, she believes the coaching staff can begin pushing athletes further outside their comfort zones.
The same approach applies to Carolina’s younger players who are navigating their first professional offseasons.
Sorensen wants to help them manage the transition by encouraging live at-bats, opportunities to train together, and more intentional preparation.
“We’ve got to have a plan that’s more than just hitting in the cage or just throwing to a catcher,” Sorensen said. “We’ve got to have a plan that’s preparing you to compete.”
Challenging Leaders to Find Their Voices
Sorensen is also challenging players to take greater ownership of the team’s leadership.
She’s encouraged Kowalik to be more vocal, asked Aubrey Leach to share more of her knowledge, and identified Netz as an emerging leader among the younger athletes.
She also praised Ana Gold’s growth as a communicator and described Alyssa Brito as the emotional heartbeat of the team.
Sorensen isn’t expecting every player to become the loudest voice in the clubhouse.
“I don’t need you to lead the team, but I do need you to have a little bit more presence out there and, in the right moment, speak your truth,” she said.
Sorensen believes the talent is already there. Now, she’s challenging everyone in the organization to turn that potential into winning results.
“I think this team can challenge for a championship,” she said. “I think that first ten-game stretch we had is who we are. It’s just, can we sustain that? And if we do, we are a force to be reckoned with.”
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.