The Talons selected corner infielder Bri Ellis, outfielder Sierra Sacco, and pitcher Raelin Chaffin in the 2025 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) College Draft on Saturday evening.
The team’s selections by round were as follows:
Round 1, Pick 2: Bri Ellis, Corner Infielder, Arkansas
Ellis wields one of the hottest bats in the country for the Razorbacks and is making a solid case for National Player of the Year. She boasts a .487 average with 25 home runs and 67 RBIs. Her on-base percentage stands at .652, and her slugging is at a whopping 1.221. Her on-base and slugging percentages are the best in the nation, and she ranks in the top 10 nationally for home runs (2nd) and RBIs (tied for 9th).
The corner infielder out of Houston, Texas, started her career at Auburn, where she played two seasons before transferring to Arkansas. Last season, she earned a Second-Team NFCA All-American nod, First-Team All-SEC, and was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team.
Round 2, Pick 1: Sierra Sacco, Outfielder, Mississippi State
Sacco is an experienced centerfielder who started at Louisiana Tech and is now at Mississippi State. She’s a consistent lefty hitter and was named to the 2024 All-SEC Second Team. Her .466 batting average ranks in the top 20 nationally. She is having the best season of her collegiate career with 11 home runs and 16 doubles, for a .791 slugging percentage.
At Louisiana Tech, Sacco was a top 10 finalist for the 2022 Schutt Sports/NFCA National Freshman of the Year award and was the Conference USA Freshman of the Year.
Round 3, Pick 4: Raelin Chaffin, Right-Handed Pitcher, Mississippi State
Chaffin is a senior transfer out of Bossier City, Louisiana, who just became the eighth pitcher in program history to win 20 games in a season. She’s thrown 17 complete games and four shutouts this season.
Her 180 strikeouts this year rank sixth in program history. Chaffin became a Bulldog after three seasons at LSU. She was a consistent arm for the Tigers, recording an 11-5 record in 2024 with a 2.86 ERA. She’s set to best those numbers this year with a 2.53 ERA through 39 appearances and 166.0 innings for the Bulldogs.
The AUSL is a professional women’s softball league featuring four teams playing in a traditional format. Tickets to the 2025 season are on sale now.
