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.

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.

The Chicago Bandits punched their ticket to the 2026 AUSL Championship Series on Thursday night. Ailana Agbayani lined a walk-off single down the right side in the 11th inning, giving Chicago a 6-5 win over the Portland Cascade in the longest game in AUSL softball history.

Chicago Bandits Extra-Inning Drama Seals Victory Over Portland Cascade

For four innings, the Bandits couldn't touch Portland starter Carley Hoover. That changed in the fifth. Chicago worked three free passes to load the bases, and Skylar Wallace earned a walk to force in a run. Morgan Zerkle then drove a single to left, plating two and knotting the score at 3-3.

Neither team could finish it in regulation. After both sides pushed across a run in the eighth, the Portland Cascade grabbed the lead again in the 11th. But Taryn Kern, entering off the bench, roped an RBI double to tie it. Agbayani did the rest two batters later.

"She had a great game today, and just seeing her at second and seeing her play just calms me down," Agbayani said of Kern's heroics. "She's meant for the moment. She's meant for this."

Chicago Bandits to Face Utah Talons in 2026 AUSL Softball Championship

Chicago now turns to the AUSL Championship Series against the Utah Talons on Saturday. Game 1 begins at 1 PM ET on ABC.

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).

The AUSL playoffs have arrived, as the No. 2 Chicago Bandits battle the No. 3 Portland Cascade tonight for a chance to face the reigning champion Utah Talons in the best-of-three championship series.

Chicago’s top-ranked offense dominated the pair’s season series, winning five of six games while hitting .359 against Portland — though the Cascade narrowly avoided the sweep with a 5-4 finale win. 

The Bandits surged up the AUSL standings after ceding last year’s title to Utah, clinching the No. 2 seed off a league-best nine-game winning streak.

2026 expansion side Portland has leaned on its pitching, but will look to slugger Megan Grant to keep its title dreams alive.

The UCLA product finished her first professional regular season second leaguewide in home runs with 10, while reaching base in a league-high 17 straight games.

“There’s a lot of mental preparation that goes into it,” Grant said after launching two moonshots in Saturday’s 10-1 win over the Texas Volts.

“I just try to stay disciplined as much as I can and just try to relax and be myself when I get to the game.”

Where to Watch AUSL Postseason Games This Weekend

Chicago takes on Portland tonight at 9 PM ET (ESPN), before the 2026 title series kicks off on Saturday at 1 PM ET (ABC).

Skylar Wallace made AUSL history on Thursday night. The former Florida softball star became the first player to hit three home runs in a single AUSL game, leading the Chicago Bandits past the Carolina Blaze.

And she wasn't done there. Across the two-game series, Wallace went 9-for-10 with four homeruns, nine RBIs, and seven runs scored. Her seven RBIs in the series finale set a new season best.

But those numbers tease a bigger story.

Can Skylar Wallace Lead Chicago to an AUSL Playoffs Title?

Since joining the Bandits after a month playing in Japan, Wallace has been one of the most productive hitters in the league.

Through 14 games and 58 plate appearances, she's slashing .522/.586/1.022 with six home runs, 20 runs scored, and 17 RBIs. She's also drawn eight walks against just six strikeouts.

Her arrival has additionally transformed Chicago's season. The Bandits opened at 4-11. Since then, they've won 11 of their last 12.

Now, with the AUSL playoffs approaching, the timing of Wallace's hot streak couldn't be better. Chicago earned the No. 2 seed and will face the Cascade on Thursday for a spot in the championship series. And if Wallace keeps hitting, the Bandits will be tough to stop.

The Texas Volts snapped a six-game losing streak on Tuesday with a 6-2 win over the Chicago Bandits at Dell Diamond. The victory also set a new AUSL single-game record with five home runs.

The power display started early.

Texas Volts Softball Snaps Losing Streak in Historic Fashion

In the second inning, Volts stars Tiare Jennings and Aliyah Binford went back-to-back on consecutive first pitches. Then Michaela Edenfield connected for her first professional home run in the fifth. Aminah Vega, a AUSL rookie, added a solo shot in the sixth before Binford capped the inning with a two-run blast, her second of the night.

On the mound, Texas Tech standout Nijaree Canady made her first professional home start for the Volts following extended contract negotiations with the league.

After she delivered a clean opening stretch, Binford came on in relief and threw three scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Between her two home runs and her work in the circle, Binford carried the Volts on both sides of the ball.

Prior to the Volts performance on Tuesday, the previous AUSL single-game home run record was four, a mark originally set by the Talons against the Blaze and later equaled by the Bandits.

The win gives the Volts some momentum heading into tonight's series finale against Chicago.

Professional softball put down roots coast-to-coast on Tuesday, when the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) unveiled the home cities and stadiums for each of the expanded league's teams for the 2026 season — and beyond.

After adopting a touring model for its four-team inaugural 2025 campaign, AUSL's move into home markets coincides with the league's expansion, as the now-six-team second-year league welcomed the Cascade and Spark in November.

With Tuesday's announcement, the previously independent Spark will continue to play in Oklahoma City at Oklahoma Christian University's Tom Heath Field, with fellow expansion side Cascade making its home at Hillsboro Ballpark, in Portland, Oregon.

Meanwhile, the four original teams will re-debut as the Carolina Blaze, Chicago Bandits, Texas Volts, and Utah Talons.

The Blaze will play their home games at Duke University's Smith Family Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, while the Bandits' permanent home will be at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois — a longtime hub for pro softball.

The Volts will play at Dell Diamond, the home of Minor League Baseball's Round Rock Express, the Triple-A team for MLB's Texas Rangers.

Lastly, the University of Utah will house the Talons, with the reigning AUSL champions taking over the Utes' Dumke Family Stadium in Salt Lake City beginning this year.

"This is about creating lasting connections between our athletes, our teams, and the communities they represent, and setting up the sport of softball for long-term success at the professional level," said AUSL commissioner Kim Ng in Tuesday's announcement.

All six teams will kick off their 2026 season on June 9th, when games will be played across multiple cities simultaneously for the first time in AUSL history.

How to purchase 2026 AUSL season tickets

Softball fans can now score 2026 season tickets for their AUSL home teams online.