Before each Kentucky Derby, the tradition is for a choir to sing “My Old Kentucky Home”.
And then they’re off to the races.
We’re coming to the home stretch of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League All-Star Cup, with three doubleheaders in Rosemont, Illinois, from Friday to Sunday. Those games will determine the overall individual 2025 champion as well as the other three medalists.
Leading the pack are a pair of University of Kentucky products: catcher Kayla Kowalik and middle infielder Erin Coffel.
Will it be a photo finish for the top final spot on the leaderboard? Or will Kowalik coast to victory? Here are three takeaways from the season’s final draft:
She won’t be easy to catch
Heading into this Labor Day weekend, Kowalik has a seemingly commanding lead at the top, with 1,360 leaderboard points, followed by Coffel (966) and pitchers Rachel Garcia (948) and Keilani Ricketts (880), who round out this weekend’s team captains.
“She’s pretty far ahead of me, so I’m really rooting for her to win,” Coffel said. “I think she deserves it. Really hard to catch, especially with how she’s doing and hitting right now. She’ll be tough to catch. I’m rooting for her. I hope she wins it all.”
Kowalik has been on fire and has withstood taking some knocks, both at bat and behind the plate. She hit a home run and then limped around the bases after she fouled a pitch off her shin this week.
“That’s so her,” Coffel said before adding with a laugh, “She can be a little bit dramatic sometimes. I always tell her that, and so does (Assistant) Coach (Kristine) Himes from Kentucky. She always used to tell her that, too. That’s just her for you. She gets knocked down. She gets right back up unfazed by it.”
Kowalik has a slash line of .538/.538/.923 for an OPS of 1.461 on the strength of two doubles, a triple, two homers and 10 RBIs.
Coffel has plenty to draw on, as well. She was the AUSL Regular Season MVP and Hitter of the Year with the Bandits, who went to the Championship Series. In the All-Star Cup so far, she has a line of .267/.476/.733 for an OPS of 1.209 with two homers (including a grand slam) and six RBIs.
Interestingly, Kowalik made Coffel her No. 1 pick in the previous two drafts. They’re now on different sides, and it will take some kind of run by Coffel to catch and pass her good friend.
Study your history
Let’s not count out the pitchers. Pitchers have been crowned overall champion in three of the first five seasons of what is now known as the All-Star Cup: Cat Osterman (2020), Aleshia Ocasio (2021), and Odicci Alexander (2023).
Garcia’s position on the leaderboard no doubt would have been better, but she missed the second series of games while competing for Team USA at the 2025 World Games in China. In five games in the All-Star Cup, Garcia is 3-1 with a microscopic ERA of 0.63. She has given up 11 hits in 22.1 innings pitched while holding opposing batters to a .143 average. She is capable of dominating any lineup and could gain points quickly this weekend.
If there is a sentimental favorite, it just may be the veteran Ricketts. She is 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA. This is her second series as a team captain. As captains, Garcia and Ricketts can call their own number any time they choose.
Pitching at a premium
As long as we’re on the subject of pitching, it’s noteworthy that the first five picks in this week’s drafts are pitchers.
Ricketts went with Georgina Corrick with the first overall pick, taking the mainstay of the Talons, who won this summer’s regular-season title and the AUSL Championship.
Garcia went with Lexi Kilfoyl, the Bandits’ ace, with the second pick. Coffel followed by taking Montana Fouts. Kowalik snapped up Ocasio and Alana Vawter with the next two picks in the “snake” draft. She also may have snagged a bargain in the fifth round, taking lefty Taylor McQuillin, a tireless lefty who can start and work out of the bullpen with equal effectiveness.
“I think pitchers always go pretty quick in the draft,” Coffel said. “I’m so lucky I got away with who I did. I got both Montana and Megan Faraimo (fourth round) and Emma Lemley (eighth round), and then Payton Gotshall (11th round). Those are pitchers who compete on the mound. They don’t go down without a fight. That’s what I wanted out of the girls on the mound, so I think I got that.”
Bruce Miles has covered sports in the Chicago area for 46 years, including baseball, hockey, football and Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball. He covered the Chicago Cubs in their historic run to the World Series title in 2016. He has written stories for Athletes Unlimited since 2020. Follow Bruce on Bluesky @brucemiles2112.bsky.social and X @brucemiles2112
