The Athletes Unlimited Softball League will welcome Oklahoma’s Patty Gasso and Florida State’s Lonni Alameda to the broadcast booth as game analysts over the next week, bringing two of the sport’s most accomplished coaches to ESPN’s AUSL coverage.
Gasso will be the color analyst during the Utah Talons vs. Oklahoma City Spark games on July 9 (8 p.m. ET on ESPNU) and July 12 (8 p.m. ET on MLB Network), while Florida State’s Lonni Alameda joins the booth as a color analyst on July 11 (8 p.m. ET on MLB.TV).
Trade Deadline Arrives
Monday marks the AUSL trade deadline, the final opportunity for teams to make roster moves before the pennant race intensifies and the push toward the postseason enters its final stretch.
Champions Night in Round Rock
The Texas Volts will celebrate “Austin Champions Night” on Friday as two-time Texas softball national champion Teagan Kavan and two-time LOVB champion and former Longhorn volleyball star Juliann Faucette throw out ceremonial first pitches. Kavan will reunite with fellow Texas national champions Leighann Goode (Volts) and Reese Atwood (Blaze), while fans can also meet Faucette during a pregame autograph session and see the 2026 LOVB Championship trophy on display.
Fans Help Shape the All-Star Cup Field
The first 10 players selected by fans to receive invitations to the 2026 AUSL All-Star Cup were announced this week, with Carolina leading all teams with four selections. Fan-selected players include Reese Atwood, Karlyn Pickens, Megan Grant, Bri Ellis, Jordan Woolery, Sis Bates, Alyssa Brito, Jayda Coleman, Dakota Kennedy and Rylie Boone. View the complete list of fan-selected players and additional details on the 2026 AUSL All-Star Cup here.
Standings Snapshot
- Team to Beat: The Utah Talons remain atop the AUSL standings at 13-5 after celebrating their 2025 championship with a pregame ring ceremony last week and continue to own the league’s best run differential.
- Team on the Rise: The Chicago Bandits have surged into second place at 10-7, riding a six-game winning streak while leading the league in runs scored.
- Race Tightening: Carolina and Portland enter the week tied at 8-7, with Oklahoma City still within striking distance as the final weeks of the regular season begin.
- Series to Watch: Chicago hosts Texas early in the week before Utah hosts Carolina beginning July 9, a matchup between the first-place Talons and a Blaze team looking to close the gap near the top of the standings.
By The Numbers
- 4 Texas Volts players are among the top-ten most popular player merchandise list, tops in the league (NiJaree Canady, Mia Scott, Michaela Edenfield, Leighann Goode).
- 7 wins by the Chicago Bandits in their last nine games, as they climb back into contention for a second consecutive trip to the AUSL Championship.
- 29 RBIs by Bandits IF Sami Williams, setting a new single-season AUSL record.
