Arms prioritized in 1st Athletes Unlimited draft

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League held its inaugural draft Wednesday night, with an early emphasis on the position most in demand.

Beginning with former Oklahoma State star Lexi Kilfoyl going first to the Bandits, seven of the league's initial eight picks were pitchers, perhaps not surprising given the depth of talent available.

"In this sport, pitching is huge. Pitching and defense win championships, and that hasn't changed in the history of the game," Bandits coach Stacey Nuveman-Deniz said. "The offenses are too good. The hitters are too good. You've got to have dominant pitching; you've got to have different looks to face different parts of the lineup."

The AUSL, a new pro league helmed by former Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng, has four teams -- Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts -- that will play a 30-game schedule in June and July across multiple cities. On Wednesday night, the four teams each drafted 12 players, and they will eventually expand to 16-player rosters by adding a free agent and three college players from the 2025 class.

The teams are directed by softball legends, with the Bandits led by general manager Jenny Dalton-Hill and Nuveman-Deniz, the Blaze by GM Dana Sorensen and coach Alisa Goler, the Talons by GM Lisa Fernandez and coach Howard Dobson, and the Volts by GM Cat Osterman and coach Kelly Kretschman.

After Kilfoyl went No. 1 in the draft, pitchers Carley Hoover (Blaze), Megan Faraimo (Talons) and two-way star Rachel Garcia (Volts) were next off the board. The first pure hitter taken was outfielder Amanda Lorenz by the Volts with the seventh pick.

Maya Brady, the former Pac-12 player of the year for UCLA and a last-minute addition to the draft class after signing with the league on Tuesday, will make her pro debut for another Bruins great who coached her at UCLA, as she was selected by the Talons' Fernandez in the fifth round with the 19th pick.

"Honestly, it was surreal," Brady said during the draft's live feed. "I feel like since I was literally 8 years old, I've been obsessed with UCLA, and when they offered me to go play the five years that I was there, it was a dream. So, to start off my professional career with Coach Lisa at the helm and these amazing teammates, I'm just so excited."

Meanwhile, some selections were familiar for rivalry reasons.

Osterman, a Texas Longhorns legend, picked one of the icons of Oklahoma's dynasty in four-time national champion outfielder Tiare Jennings. Fernandez also selected Alabama star Montana Fouts, who threw a perfect game against UCLA while Fernandez was coaching for the Bruins in the 2021 Women's College World Series.

Of the 48 players drafted, 14 are pitchers. Four catchers, 16 infielders, 11 outfielders and three utility players also were picked.

The draft represented a milestone for softball's growing popularity in the United States. The AUSL offers a chance for American softball stars, many of whom previously have played professionally in the Japan Diamond Softball League, to continue to build on the popularity at home. This initial season will feature visits to six to eight cities, with at least 30 games televised by ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. The league then will pivot to a city-based format in 2026. The schedule and additional broadcast info will be announced at a later date.

The AUSL stated it offers unprecedented benefits to softball players, including year-round health insurance, mental health services, paid leave for pregnancy or adoption and in-season childcare.

"I'm super excited to see how it's going to progress forward, because I think we're in very good hands. I think this is the first step in the right direction," Kilfoyl said. "It's even more exciting knowing that my family can travel to come see me play in the States instead of having to travel overseas. So, it's definitely really special."