“We might lead the league in IQ points.”
The team with no history, ties, or even a head coach yet began to take shape at the Athletes Unlimited Softball League Draft, but General Manager Jami Lobpries knows one thing for certain: this is a smart group.
Lobpries made 12 selections at the AUSL Draft on Monday, Dec. 8. The team is comprised of AUSL athletes from the inaugural season and a pool of new players. The other expansion club – the Oklahoma City Spark – won the first pick in a coin toss, so Lobpries knew she would have back-to-back picks.
While the Spark went with utility player Maya Brady, Lobpries prioritized pitching, taking pitchers in three out of her first four selections.
The two expansion teams entered the draft under very different circumstances. The Spark operated as an independent team for the last three years and will remain in their home city in Oklahoma. They also had a returning head coach and former players who were in the athlete pool that they picked up in the Allocation Draft.
The Cascade just had a logo and Lobpries. But now with a core of the team, its identity is beginning to take shape.
Pitching at a premium
Oklahoma alum Sam Landry was the Cascade’s first pick in the draft, followed by Carley Hoover. Landry completed her rookie season with the Volts and came straight off a run in the Women’s College World Series with the Sooners.
“I’m really excited about Landry and everything that she can do,” Lobpries said of her early picks. “I’m pumped about Carley Hoover. I understand she went through an injury, but just understanding who she is, what she’s doing right now. I thought the upside with Carley was massive.”
Hoover was the first pick last year in the draft by the Blaze, but wasn’t able to reach her potential. In her debut with the team, it was apparent that Hoover was battling an injury, and she wasn’t able to make it through an inning.
Hoover’s skill and experience continue to make her an appealing asset for a team, not to mention being an unscouted arm by the league’s hitters.
With her fourth pick, Lobpries added Payton Gottshall to the staff from the Volts’ unprotected player list. The more she learned about Gottshall, the more Lobpries believed she would be a complementary arm.
Gottshall is prolific for being an anytime pitcher who needs all of five minutes to get warm and go. She thrives in a mid-relief role and carried a significant load for the Volts last season, doing just that. She has advanced ball movement with her curveball and off-speed pitches.
Since the Spark won the first pick in the Expansion portion of the draft, the Cascade took the lead in Allocation. Lobpries followed a similar trend and led off with taking pitcher Kelly Maxwell.
“Kelly Maxwell is special…and I think she just keeps getting better too,” Lobpries said. “I know her character and her competitiveness, and gosh, her ball is elite.”
The Cascade will look to add another arm in the College Draft in the spring to hit the league minimum of five pitchers per team.
Built for speed
When looking at the unprotected players available throughout expansion, Lobpries was set on getting players who could start in key positions. The Cascade selected Sierra Sacco, Korbe Otis, and Tori Vidales.
Otis and Sacco might only be second-year players, but they both logged a significant amount of innings in starting roles with their respective teams. Otis’s OPS was in the top 10 in the league at .922, and Sacco was a consistent offensive force for the Talons, who drew a ton of walks.
Vidales’s veteran leadership, attitude, and experience made her the glue person.
“She’s that glue that when you read about teams who win championships… they have to have a Tori Vidales on the team. She’s going to be our leader in the clubhouse. And I think Sis Bates will be too.”
Bates was picked up in Allocation along with catcher Mia Davidson, corner Paige Sinicki, utility Ali Newland, and outfielder Kendra Falby.
Lobpries wasn’t kidding about the smarts of the squad she put together. In fact, the Cascade has three potential doctors on their team. Maxwell is currently balancing pro softball and veterinary school. Otis graduated from Florida cum laude with a degree in biology. She and Landry both plan to apply for medical school when they’re ready for that stage of their careers.
“We’re small, we’re very competitive, fast as hell, and a very intelligent team.”
The Cascade will have the most selections of any team at the College Draft in the spring and will add four rookies to its roster.
The updated Cascade roster is available here.
Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on X @savannaecollins.