Chicago Bandits ace Lexi Kilfoyl won the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s 2026 AUSL All-Star Cup with 1,072 points.
Kilfoyl edged out infielder Baylee Klingler, who took second with 1,040 points. Pitcher Sam Landry finished third with 908 points.
“These are truly the best softball players in the world around me,” said Kilfoyl. “And knowing that I am number one out of this roster is truly an honor.”
The month-long All-Star Cup showcased 45 top talents competing on an individual leaderboard across a 12-game, rotating team format.
“As this league continues to grow and move in the right directions, this is all going to be very special moving forward,” said Kilfoyl.
Rule42 Sports Group is now one of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League's largest investors. Former Intel president Renée James, who founded Rule42, finalized the AUSL deal this month. She also purchased Softball America, teams' go-to prospect rankings platform.
AUSL Softball Secures Key Backer in Rule42 Sports Group
The investment puts Rule42 alongside MLB, the Milwaukee Brewers, and Ryan Sanders Baseball as key AUSL backers, while James also joins the league's board of directors. Meanwhile, Softball America will operate under Rule42 as Softball America by Rule42, with Tara Henry stepping into the role of VP of Softball.
The move comes at a pivotal moment for the pro softball league.
The AUSL's six teams just wrapped a second season defined by growth, as average ESPN viewership jumped 152%, broadcast games expanded from 18 to 47, and 25 games sold out entirely. The AUSL championship opener drew 732,000 viewers, setting a record for professional softball in the US.
AUSL Gains New Partners, Expands Player Discovery Platforms
Beyond the numbers, new sponsorship deals with adidas and Labcorp add to a returning roster of partners that includes Sephora and Rawlings. James framed the investment around equity in scouting infrastructure, noting that women's sports still lack the player-discovery pipelines their men's sports counterparts rely on.
"It's a very positive opportunity," James said of the investment. "There are girls everywhere playing softball and they wonder, what comes next? And now, the answer is they can be a pro too, and that is why I'm investing in AUSL. I want to see us grow. I want to see us continue."
AUSL’s top defender got her flowers, as OKC Spark shortstop Sydney Romero won the league’s first Rawlings Gold Glove Award honoring the year’s best fielder.
Romero anchored the Spark infield through a 13-12 season. She beat out fellow finalists Jadelyn Allchin (Utah) and Alyssa Brito (Carolina) after tallying 45 assists, five double plays, and a .974 fielding percentage.
“Sydney embodies everything the Rawlings Gold Glove Award represents,” said Rawlings CMO Mike Thompson. “Her instincts, athleticism, consistency, and leadership set the standard for defensive excellence.”
Launched in the MLB in 1957 before expanding to NCAA softball in 2022. Rawlings added the AUSL to its roster following the pro softball league’s explosive second season.
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) will hand out its first-ever 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award next weekend, and on Wednesday, Rawlings revealed the three finalists in the running.
Utah Talons outfielder Jadelyn Allchin leads the group, joined by Carolina Blaze infielder Alyssa Brito, and Oklahoma City Spark shortstop Sydney Romero.
Top AUSL Defenders Named 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Finalists
Allchin's glove helped power Utah to back-to-back AUSL titles this year. The second-year outfielder capped her 2026 season with Championship MVP honors after the Talons swept Chicago in the finals. Brito, the top pick of the 2026 AUSL Allocation Draft, anchored Carolina's infield with 27 putouts and 37 assists, committing just two errors all year.
Romero, meanwhile, started every game at short for OKC and led all AUSL shortstops with 45 assists, five double plays, and a .974 fielding percentage.
Each team's general manager, head coach, and associate head coach cast the deciding votes. The winner will be revealed Sunday, August 16th, before the All-Star Cup game at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois.
For a league that launched in 2025 and now runs six clubs, the award marks another step in strengthening the pro softball landscape. Rawlings last recognized pro softball defenders during the now-defunct National Pro Fastpitch's 2016-19 seasons.
The 2026 AUSL All-Star Cup kicks off August 8th at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois, with the pro softball action scheduled through August 30th. The most anticipated event on the AUSL calendar brings together 45 of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League's top players for one month of show-stopping competition.
And this year, all six teams are represented in the tournament.
What to Expect at the 2026 AUSL All-Star Cup
The reigning champion Utah Talons, Chicago Bandits, and Carolina Blaze each landed nine selections while Oklahoma City claimed eight. Portland and Texas subsequently rounded out the field with six players apiece.
Fans voted in top names like Karlyn Pickens, Jordan Woolery, Megan Grant, Bri Ellis, Alyssa Brito, Rylie Boone, and Reese Atwood. Those standouts join award-winners from the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League season. Pitcher of the Year Montana Fouts, Hitter of the Year Sami Williams, home run leader Maya Brady, and Championship MVP Jadelyn Allchin headline the 45-player field.
However, there's a twist within the All-Star Cup bracket. The tournament redrafts teams after every series, with the top three point-scorers earning captain status. Players earn points for wins, standout plays, and MVP votes, with a running leaderboard determining the individual champion.
2026 AUSL Softball Schedule & Where to Watch
The full AUSL All-Star Cup schedule spans 12 games across four series. All games air live across ESPN, MLB Network, and CBS Sports Network.
Athletes Unlimited Softball League players made their way to Greenville, NC, on Tuesday for the Little League Softball World Series. The visit gave the LLSWS's young competitors a rare chance to meet the pros up close.
AUSL Athletes Inspire at Little League Softball World Series
For longtime fans, the moment highlighted how far the sport has come. Carolyn Harrison, who attends the LLSWS each year with her family, remembered starting out with pickup games in her neighborhood. Now, she said, young athletes have structured pathways from the start.
"I'm so happy to see them develop at this young age and then bring it forward," Harrison said.
Beyond the fan experience, the AUSL presence gave the annual tournament a new dimension. Olympic bronze medalist Danielle Lawrie, whose daughter is competing, called it a defining moment. "AUSL being here has been an incredible influence for these athletes," Lawrie said.
AUSL catcher Haley Lee echoed that energy. She said she hopes young players see her jersey and feel the same spark she felt as a kid.
"We're paving the way," Lee said.
AUSL Pro Game Caps Off 2026 LLSWS Visit
The visit is part of a week-long partnership between the AUSL and the Little League Softball World Series that culminates in Wednesday's AUSL Pro Game. The exhibition features 24 players coached by softball icons Lisa Fernandez and Natasha Watley.
It tips off tonight at 7 PM ET, live on ESPN2.
USA Softball steps up to the plate today, as the 2026 International Cup returns to Oklahoma City’s Devon Park — home to September’s WBSC World Cup Group Stage Olympic qualifiers.
The world No. 2 US is split into two squads across the seven-team tournament. The Women’s National Team leads Group B alongside No. 4 Canada, No. 8 China, and No. 11 Australia. Group A’s Women’s Elite Team subsequently faces No. 1 Japan, No. 5 Chinese Taipei, and No. 42 American Samoa.
Team USA enters with 11 Cup titles through 14 editions. This year, the rosters are stocked with AUSL standouts fresh off the pro league’s successful second season.
Headliners include NCAA legend NiJaree Canady (Volts), 2026 ROY Reese Atwood (Blaze), and two-time champion ace Montana Fouts (Talons).
The USA Softball International Cup kicks off today at 11 AM ET, live on ESPN+ and USASoftball.TV.
Pro softball celebrated its stars on Friday, announcing the winners of the second annual AUSL Awards ahead of the season’s weekend finale.
Chicago’s Sami Williams won Batter of the Year after setting records in both doubles (12) and RBIs (34) while batting .427 — good for second in the league.
Rookie of the Year went to Carolina catcher Reese Atwood, after the Texas alum followed up back-to-back WCWS titles with a .309 batting average, eight home runs, and 25 RBIs.
Two-time champion Utah’s Montana Fouts took home Pitcher of the Year — just days before clinching a second title with the Talons.
Comeback Player of the Year went to Fouts’s teammate Bri Ellis, after she batted .353, tallied five home runs, and posted a .450 OBP.
The AUSL champion Utah Talons have done it again, sweeping the Chicago Bandits with Sunday’s 6-1 Game 2 win to claim a second straight Athletes Unlimited Softball League title.
With victory adds to Utah’s AUSL domination, finishing as the second-year league’s No. 1 seed and champion in back-to-back seasons.
“I’m incredibly proud of this group,” coach Cindy Ball-Malone said. “When I first met this group in March, I asked them what they wanted to do, and they said repeat — job well done.”
Talons ace Montana Fouts delivered on the big stage, pitching a complete game while allowing just one run on eight hits with four strikeouts.
“I’m very proud of how I felt when I saw the rest of my team,” the 2026 Pitcher of the Year said. “I felt genuine love. I’m thankful I got the opportunity to get it done for them.”
Outfielder Jadelyn Allchin took championship series MVP, going 3-for-6 at the plate while recording three runs and three RBIs.
The AUSL now gears up for the 2026 All-Star Cup, taking the field on August 8th at 7 PM ET.
Montana Fouts delivered a complete game on Sunday as the Utah Talons swept the Chicago Bandits to repeat as AUSL softball champions. The former Alabama ace struck out four and held Chicago to one run in the 6-1 clincher at Davis Diamond in College Station, TX.
Montana Fouts Pitches Complete Game to Secure AUSL Softball Title
Montana Fouts bent but didn't break. Chicago collected eight hits yet went 1-for-9 in scoring position. It was a fitting close to a season that earned her 2026 Pitcher of the Year and a new single-season strikeout record with 63.
"I could feel in the middle of the game I was a little bit more intentional with locations," Fouts said. "They're obviously a good hitting team and they're going to take advantage of any mistake. So just kind of locking in a little bit more on locations in the middle of the game, that helped kind of set the tone."
Utah Talons Secure Back-to-Back AUSL Championships
Still, she had help. AUSL Championship Series MVP Jadelyn Allchin drove in three runs across the sweep. She opened Game 2 with a two-run homerun in the first inning to put the Talons ahead early. Bri Ellis then added a fifth-inning solo shot to remove any doubt.
"We came out and hit today, that's the difference between this year and last year," Ellis said. "I feel like when we're playing the Bandits, it's always a pitchers' duel. And we're just trying to get the monkey off our pitchers' backs and give them a break."
The Talons won the inaugural AUSL title last season. Now, two years into the league's run, they're building what looks like pro softball's first dynasty.