Pro softball is staking its claim, as the No. 2 Chicago Bandits and No. 1 Utah Talons kick off the 2026 AUSL championship series on ABC tomorrow — marking network television’s first-ever pro softball game.
Chicago set up the 2025 title rematch with last night’s 11-inning 6-5 walk-off win over the Portland Cascade, advancing behind Ailana Agbayani’s RBI single despite committing a season-high five errors.
“Not often at any level — little league, college, pro — do you have five errors and win a ball game,” said Bandits manager Shonda Stanton. “But that’s what it’s about: being gritty.”
ESPN is producing the series for the first time, bringing 23+ specialty cameras, a drone, and live player mics to Texas A&M’s Davis Diamond. Parent company Disney is additionally staging a Toy Story takeover, with Woody and Jessie handling pregame festivities.
The news builds on reports showing the second-year league’s regular-season viewership rose 183% year-over-year, while merchandise sales saw a 200% boost.
Where to Watch This Weekend’s AUSL Championship Series
Game 1 starts Saturday at 1 PM ET (ABC), with Game 2 slated for Sunday at 2 PM ET (ESPN).
