The Athletes Unlimited Softball League is experiencing growing momentum both on and off the field.
Through the first two weeks of the season, average viewership across ESPN platforms is up 181% compared to the same point last year. ESPN has also already upgraded multiple games to larger platforms.
On the field, the race continues to tighten as Utah remains atop the standings, several of the league’s biggest stars continue to shine, and teams begin turning their attention toward the stretch run of the regular season.
STANDINGS SNAPSHOT
Team to Beat: The Utah Talons remain atop the AUSL standings despite having their seven-game winning streak snapped by the Blaze on Saturday.
Team on the Rise: The Portland Cascade have quietly climbed into second place after winning eight of their past ten games and own the league’s best road record.
Finding Their Stride: The Texas Volts showed signs of breaking through with back-to-back wins over Chicago, fueled by a franchise-record five home runs in one game and an offensive outburst after a slow start.
Watch This Week: Oklahoma City welcomes Carolina while Utah hosts Texas in a matchup featuring the league’s deepest pitching staff against one of softball’s most talented young rosters.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 404,000 average viewers for Spark vs. Cascade on ESPN on Sunday, June 21 – a new single-game AUSL record
- 5 home runs by the Texas Volts on Tuesday, a new AUSL single-game record
- 5 complete game shutouts by AUSL pitchers already this season
- 7 SportsCenter “Top Ten Plays” this season
Action continues this week as the Oklahoma City Spark host the Carolina Blaze at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
