The 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League season is down to the championship series between the Utah Talons and Chicago Bandits. The two are set to square off at Davis Diamond in College Station, Texas, and Game 1 will make history as the first professional softball game televised on ABC. Game time is set for 1 p.m. Eastern, noon Central.
Utah and Chicago met five times during the regular season, with the Talons taking four of those games. Only one game in this series has been decided by more than two runs. That came in the season opener, a 5-2 Utah win.
With the familiarity between the two, it will be fascinating to see who can gain the advantage. The Talons come with the best pitching staff in the league. They hold a team ERA of 2.67 with an opponent batting average of .240. Utah leads the league in complete games with 16, and Montana Fouts, who is set to start Game 2, was voted the 2026 AUSL Pitcher of the Year. The award was one of two honors for Fouts, who also earned a spot on the inaugural All-AUSL Team as the league’s top pitcher.
Fouts has faced the Bandits enough to know that everyone is familiar with each other. It basically comes down to taking care of what you can control and execution.
“I really just think one pitch at a time, and I think a lot of us are feeling that right now,” Fouts said. “I mean, it’s been a long season, lots of softball games against the same teams and the same batters. So I think it’s a game of inches and who can have the one-up coming up.”
Georgina Corrick has been lights out in her six games since returning from Japan, posting a 1.12 ERA and four complete games in four starts. Megan Faraimo would get the ball in an if-necessary situation, and she brings an intense mind to the circle and can dominate on any given day.
Utah’s bats can do damage, too. Jadelyn Allchin is hitting .333 with a team-best 26 hits with 4 home runs, and 17 RBIs while scoring 19 runs. Bri Ellis brings more power with a .353 average, 5 home runs and a 1.215 OPS across 18 games. Jayda Coleman has added a .326 average with a .535 slugging percentage.
The Talons’ pitching staff, along with their great defense, will have to face arguably the league’s best offense. The Chicago Bandits lead the AUSL in just about every offensive category, except for home runs. If there is a time for them to show that firepower against the Talons, it’s now.
Chicago brings the 2026 AUSL Hitter of the Year in Sami Williams to the plate, and she has made it difficult for the opposition all season. Williams, a corner infield selection on the inaugural All-AUSL Team, slashes .418/.490/.861 with 7 home runs, 12 doubles and 34 RBIs. For Williams, the approach is simple. Even in her first year playing AUSL ball, she keeps it even-keeled.
“Our keys are just playing our game and not letting the moment get too big and trusting that we know how to play and we have the confidence to get the job done,” Williams said.
Williams is not the only threat. Skylar Wallace made the All-AUSL Team at middle infield and slashed .480/.576/.940 with 6 home runs in 16 games. Morgan Zerkle has been a steady force with a .329 average and a .947 OPS, and Ailana Agbayani hit .329 with 24 hits and delivered the walk-off single that pushed Chicago past Portland in the play-in game.
Chicago’s pitching should not be slept on, either. Lexi Kilfoyl has been almost untouchable in the circle, going 7-0 with a 1.68 ERA and holding opponents to a .199 average across 50 innings. Kilfoyl pitched 7 innings in relief for the play-in game win. She gets the ball in Game 1 and again in a potential Game 3. Kat Sandercock backs her with a 4-1 record and a 2.68 ERA.
Series schedule (all games at Davis Diamond, College Station, Texas)
Game 1: Saturday, July 25, 1 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 2: Sunday, July 26, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 3 (if necessary): Monday, July 27, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Pitching matchups
Game 1: Corrick vs. Kilfoyl
Game 2: Fouts vs. Sandercock
Game 3 (if necessary): Faraimo vs. Kilfoyl
