If there’s any team that will find the Athletes Unlimited Softball League Expansion process painful, it’s probably the Talons. The inaugural champions’ roster came together as the most successful pitching and defense in the league, had an offense that often won in clutch, and ultimately claimed the title.

The original roster is one for the history books and will be shaken up at the Expansion Draft. But the franchise will get to protect five players from selection by the two expansion teams.

Here is a prediction of who the Talons could lock in for 2026.

1. Georgina Corrick

There should be little doubt that Georgina Corrick will be back in a Talons uniform next season. The reigning Pitcher of the Year went undefeated in the regular season with a 7-0 record and 1.91 ERA. Corrick reached a level of untouchable at times in the circle, with a season opponent batting average of .215. She tossed two complete games and two shutouts.

When the pressure was on in the AUSL Championship, Corrick came through like she had all summer. She was the starter in Game One and tossed 6.0 innings, allowing only one run on seven hits, one walk, with two strikeouts.

There’s also stability in Corrick’s profile as a player. Corrick competes in the Japan Diamond League throughout the AUSL off-season and is the ace for the Great Britain Women’s National Softball Team with sights on taking the squad to the Olympics in 2028. The Talons’ front office knows they have a pitcher with long-term goals who is in it for the long haul with Corrick.

2. Megan Faraimo

Pitcher Megan Faraimo is very similar to Corrick in her year-round commitment to softball, aiming to make LA28 with Team USA.

Faraimo’s ERA was uncharacteristically high this AUSL season – her rookie year competing in the AU Pro Softball Championship Season (now All-Star Cup), she logged a 2.87 ERA, and the following summer had one of the best in the league at 2.88. That ballooned this season with the Talons to 4.91, and it’s an outlier. Faraimo carried a heavy load for her team in the JD League that ran right up to the Talons’ season. She also threw extensively in Mexico, competing in the league there in the spring. Fatigue, changing environments, and instruction could have played a factor.

The more time Faraimo spent working with former Talons’ pitching coach and her former UCLA coach Kirk Walker, the better she got. It would be unexpected for Talons’ General Manager Lisa Fernandez to part with the Bruin, whose commitment to the craft and evolution as a pro only shows upside.

Fariamo was the Talons’ first pick of the inaugural AUSL Draft for a reason.

3. Sharlize Palacios

Another Bruin on the roster whose impact can’t be overstated is catcher Sharlize Palacios. She caught nearly every game for the Talons and was the mainstay behind the plate, helping the staff to a league-best 3.69 ERA. The Championship against the Bandits proved that good pitching can beat good hitting and that doesn’t happen without an elite pitch caller who can evolve against hitters throughout the season and steward a pitching staff.

The catcher position will be in high demand throughout the AUSL Expansion, Allocation, and College Drafts leading up to the 2026 season. The Talons can lock in one of the best with Palacios and pursue other positions as the team builds.

4. Montana Fouts

One of the most anticipated players of the AUSL inaugural season, Montana Fouts, did not disappoint. Fouts had pitched only a handful of innings as a pro before joining the Talons; she played in the former AU Pro Softball competition AUX in 2024, throwing 19.2 innings with some solid outings after taking time off post-Alabama.

Fouts showed her time working solo throughout the offseason prepared her to be an important piece for the Talons, recording a 2.71 ERA in the regular season. This was also amidst an injury she faced mid-summer.

She came away with three saves on the year, and as the season progressed, her numbers kept getting better until the penultimate moment of Game Two of the Championship. Fouts was on fire returning to her home stadium in Tuscaloosa. She earned a complete-game shutout win and secured the trophy for her team. It could be considered the most dominant performance of any pitcher all season.

It would be a choice unlike any other AUSL team to protect three arms at the expansion draft. But great pitching was a part of the Talons’ formula for success.

5. Maya Brady

Utility Maya Brady may have a smaller sample of work to show from the inaugural season, but man, it’s convincing to make her a protected player.

Brady missed a majority of the season due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain she suffered in early April. Still, she traveled with the team, sitting in on meetings and slowly working back to game-ready until she made her debut on July 16 in Salt Lake City. Brady proceeded to go on an unbelievable tear, batting 1.000 in her first 10 plate appearances as a pro. She went 7-for-7 with three walks. She finished the season playing in eight games with a .500 average, .682 slugging percentage, and 1.303 OPS in 22 at-bats.

Her athleticism and utility prowess give the Talons flexibility as they fill holes on their roster that are bound to happen at the Expansion Draft. Brady can play the outfield and shortstop for the team, not to mention being a fan favorite as the team reshapes its identity in 2026.

On the radar: Hannah Flippen

As if the decision of who to protect on the Talons wasn’t already hard enough, Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Flippen is another who would feel wrong to part ways with. The Talons’ shortstop anchored the defense in its inaugural season. Flippen turned seven double plays, provided a swift tag for Palacios’ throwdowns from home (the Talons led the league in runners caught stealing), and recorded a .971 fielding percentage.

Offensively, she’s a fringy-average hitter. She hit for .296 on the season, which is just above expected compared to Flippen’s history in the AU Pro Softball system. What doesn’t show in the numbers is her penchant for counting and analyzing pitchers.


Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on X @savannaecollins.