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🥎 Swinging for the fences

🥎 Swinging for the fences

Previewing the inaugural best-of-three Athletes Unlimited Softball League championship

One historic inaugural regular season full of groundbreaking deals, record attendance, and truly beautiful partnerships later, the Talons and Bandits will face off in the first-ever Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) championship series, hosted at famed Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, beginning tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET.

💄 Hot girl summer

💄 Hot girl summer

Sephora teams up with AUSL in latest beauty-related women’s sports sponsorship

Today, Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) announced that Sephora will become its exclusive beauty partner and presenting sponsor of its AUSL Championship series, which airs on ESPN this weekend. While Sephora isn’t the first beauty brand to join the women’s game, it’s gaining ground and further cementing its status as the beauty industry’s top dog.

🥎 More where that came from

🥎 More where that came from

Women’s College World Series reaches winner-take-all Game 3 as AUSL prepares for launch

Not done yet. No. 12 seed Texas Tech softball beat No. 6 seed Texas 4–3 in last night’s Women’s College World Series (WCWS) final Game 2, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 tonight at 8 p.m. ET.

🎓🥎 Ain’t no hold ’em

🎓🥎 Ain’t no hold ’em

Texas and Texas Tech to meet in Women’s College World Series final

And then there were two. The best-of-three Women’s College World Series (WCWS) championship series begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET, featuring last year’s runner-up, No. 6 seed Texas, vs. No. 12 Texas Tech, fresh off a stunning upset of the sport’s greatest dynasty. Let’s tee it up.

🥎 Bases loaded

🥎 Bases loaded

MLB investment in AUSL signals a new era in relations between men’s and women’s sports

Yesterday, MLB announced a sizable strategic investment in Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), which hits off its inaugural season next week. It’s a major move to see MLB backing AUSL off the bat and represents a shift in how established men’s sports leagues are approaching startup women’s leagues.

🥎 Coming to a ballpark near you

🥎 Coming to a ballpark near you

AUSL kicks off a historic softball marketing campaign as ESPN expands its reach

Yesterday, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) officially debuted its "This is Legendary" campaign ad, which the league describes as the largest marketing initiative for pro softball in the U.S. The star-studded spot will air across ESPN networks to promote the new league, which tips off June 7th.

🥎 Rounding the bases

🥎 Rounding the bases

Rebel Girls expands on AUSL partnership to reach Gen Alpha softball fans

Today, Rebel Girls (RG) — an empowerment brand geared toward young girls — expanded on its existing partnership with Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), the pro women’s softball league beginning in June. RG hopes to connect tweens with the game by developing and distributing softball content through its new Rebel Girls Sport vertical.

🥎 It just means more (wins)

🥎 It just means more (wins)

College

SEC teams dominate the first two weeks of collegiate softball season

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February 19, 2025

The road to the Women's College World Series runs through the Southeast

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The GIST of It Podcast

In our Victor Wembanyama era

October 28, 2025

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In our Victor Wembanyama era

In our Victor Wembanyama era

Remember the name.

The NBA is back in full swing, and one men’s hoops story is rising above them all: San Antonio Spur Victor Wembanyama’s breakout season. Even before he arrived to the league in 2023, Wemby was touted as the NBA’s next generational star. Now in his third season, the French big man is exploding on the court. There’s never been an athlete like the 7-foot-4 Wemby, and today’s episode of The GIST of It will break down why Wembanyama is him, including a look into all of his offseason side quests.

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🥎 Nothing soft about it

🥎 Nothing soft about it

What we learned from week one of the softball season

The NCAA softball landscape has long been dominated by the same teams, with Oklahoma winning the last four titles and just 13 different squads claiming trophies since 1982. But if Week 1 is any indication, we just might be seeing an increase in parity. Here’s who’s knocking it out of the park with the first few games done and dusted.

February 12, 2025

🥎 Who's on first?

🥎 Who's on first?

Softball season is upon us, with familiar faces headlining the Nation’s top squads

There might still be snow outside your window and a chill in the air, but get your glove ready because softball season is almost here.

February 05, 2025

🥎 Striking out

🥎 Striking out

Women’s Professional Fastpitch players voice concerns over alleged breach of contract

As covered in yesterday’s episode of The GIST of It, the pro softball space has been thrown yet another curveball. Last week, several prominent pro softball players spoke out against subpar working conditions during the 2024 Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF) season, which they allege breach their signed contracts.

October 09, 2024

🥎 Shine bright like a diamond

🥎 Shine bright like a diamond

Amanda Lorenz wins fifth annual Athletes Unlimited softball title

More women’s sports, coming right up. After a down-to-the-wire, highlight reel–worthy championship weekend, Amanda Lorenz is your 2024 Athletes Unlimited (AU) softball winner, accumulating 1800 points to claim the fifth annual crown. Diamond’s gotta shine.

August 26, 2024

🥎 And for the grand finale

🥎 And for the grand finale

Fifth annual Athletes Unlimited Pro softball seasons wraps with championship weekend

The fifth annual Athletes Unlimited (AU) Pro Softball season comes to a thrilling end this weekend, with 60 of the world’s best softballers jockeying to top the leaderboard and claim the AU crown. Championship weekend begins tonight at 6 p.m. ET and culminates with Sunday’s 5:30 p.m. ET season finale — here’s what to know before the first pitch is thrown.

August 23, 2024

⭐ Just like senior year, but better

⭐ Just like senior year, but better

An exclusive interview with AU Pro Softball’s Lexi Kilfoyl

Pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl played three years at Alabama and two at Oklahoma State — both WCWS mainstays. In her first pro season, Kilfoyl has earned enough weekly points to land within the league’s Top 4 for four straight weeks, thus allowing her to captain her team. We chatted with Kilfoyl about her transition from the college game to AU’s diamond, with her insights demonstrating the NCAA’s power to push the game forward at all levels.

August 23, 2024

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