Athletes Unlimited has made more than its share of softball history since its inception in 2020. 

The next AUSL All-Star Cup round of games will make even more history in Rosemont, Illinois, from August 19-21.

With 12 players in Chengdu, China, for the 2025 World Games, the upcoming All-Star Cup competition will feature three teams instead of four. On top of that, all three of the captains for this series are first-time captains: Kayla Kowalik (Gold), Sarah Willis (Orange) and Kendra Falby (Blue). 

“It was a little stressful,” said Willis, a pitcher who can also hit. “But I had a good time just trying to piece together what a team could look like.”

Here are three takeaways from the latest draft:

Opportunity is knocking; who will answer?

With so many star players overseas, there are golden opportunities for others to move up on the individual leaderboard.

Among those competing for their country in China are pitchers Rachel Garcia and Lexi Kilfoyl, who rank first and third, respectively, after the first series of All-Star Cup games in North Carolina. 

Kowalik is currently second on the leaderboard, with Willis fourth and Falby fifth, with others close behind.

“I think it’s really just anybody’s game here, especially with three new captains getting to choose teams,” Willis said. “It’s an opportunity for a lot of people to get looks that maybe they wouldn’t get usually. I think it will be really interesting to see just what the teams turn out to do.”

What in Blazes is going on here?

The recently completed AUSL season featured four teams: Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts. The Talons and Bandits finished 1-2 during the 24-game regular season, with the Talons sweeping the inaugural Championship Series from the Bandits in two games. 

Once again, it’s interesting to see how much the AUSL teams have remained intact for the All-Star Cup.

During the first series, Kilfoyl drafted nine of her Bandits teammates, including Willis. 

Despite finishing in fourth place in the AUSL, the Blaze won praise for sticking together through thick and thin and playing the top two teams tough. So it may not be such a surprise that Kowalik drafted seven of her Blaze teammates: Keilani Ricketts, Baylee Klingler, Korbe Otis, Devyn Netz, Emma Lemley, McKenzie Clark, and Ali Newland, who was on the Blaze during a Reserve Player Assignment.

With the third overall pick in the draft, Kowalik picked up a gem in AUSL MVP Erin Coffel, who starred for the Bandits.

Star power galore

While Kowalik’s Gold team has a Blaze-heavy feel to it, Willis and Team Blue captain Falby loaded up on stars from the top two AUSL teams. 

Interestingly, Willis selected a host of players from the archrival Talons after she took Bandits teammate and left-handed pitcher Taylor McQuillin with her first pick and AUSL Rookie of the Year Ana Gold (Blaze) with her second. After that, she chose Talons Tori Vidales, Sharlize Palacios, Sydney Romero and Sierra Sacco in each of the subsequent rounds. Later, she selected Jadelyn Allchin, who spent much of the inaugural season with the Talons on a Reserve Player Assignment.

The one Talons target Willis missed out on was pitcher Georgina Corrick, whom Falby shrewdly snapped up with the first overall pick for Team Blue.

“A lot of the Talons girls were people I kind of wanted to go for,” Willis said. “Of course, ‘George’ got picked first, but with Taylor McQuillin, I feel like any left-handed pitcher like her and Emiley Kennedy – I drafted both – all complement each other really well going back to back.”

Falby made her professional debut in the All-Star Cup, and she went with seven Bandits: Mary Iakopo, Danielle Gibson Whorton, Sydney McKinney, Morgan Zerkle, Bella Dayton, Odicci Alexander-Bennett and Cori McMillan.

“I was kind of sad because I did want to choose some of the people she chose,” Willis said with a smile. “Same thing with Kayla Kowalik. I feel like she chose a lot of the people I wanted to choose, as well. But it’s OK. I think the first week (of the All-Star Cup) was really fun, just because it was like everybody coming back together again and seeing everybody every single time we played. 

“It’s fun to get to see everybody play every single game. I can go and watch people. It’s not like I have to watch on TV. So I think that’s one of my favorite things – just getting to see everybody compete and have a good time.”

Bruce Miles has covered sports in the Chicago area for 46 years, including baseball, hockey, football and Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball. He covered the Chicago Cubs in their historic run to the World Series title in 2016. He has written stories for Athletes Unlimited since 2020. Follow Bruce on Bluesky @brucemiles2112.bsky.social and X @brucemiles2112