Not too long ago, pro softball in a prime-time ESPN slot was unheard of. Now, with the fast rise of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, professional softball players and coaches have the chance to show the world who they are in front of millions of fans.
When leadership has a clear vision of how things should go and follows that up with action, things often go in the direction they should. AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng and Senior Manager of Softball Operations Sam Fischer have seen how professional sports should operate, and they are making sure that takes place.
“Our leadership is amazing,” Utah Talons head coach Cindy Ball-Malone said. “I have to talk about Kim and Sam Fischer for sure. They do such a great job of just building that foundation, and then the way that these women are taken care of is just so awesome. There’s so much thought into how many teams, and then expanding, and then where we’re going with it.”
This all still feels like a dream to most in the league. There have been attempts in the past at legitimate professional softball leagues, and most have failed or have not matched the same level seen in the AUSL. Ball-Malone knows from experience, as she played in the National Pro Fastpitch League.
That perspective is what makes her optimism carry weight. Ball-Malone has watched the pro game stall out before, which is why the trajectory of this one stands out to her.
“Having played in the professional league quite some time ago, it’s amazing to see where it has come and how fast it’s going,” Ball-Malone said. “I think the best is yet to come, and it’s so cool that they’re building the foundation for that.”
The foundation is being built on something that will certainly gain the buy-in from fans, a home. The AUSL’s 2026 shift to fixed home territories gave teams like the Carolina Blaze a city to plant in rather than a tour model, and Blaze head coach Kara Dill has felt the difference in the stands every night.
“We’ve had tremendous support at home,” Dill said. “I think we’ve packed out or sold out almost every game that we’ve been to. And they’ve been very engaged. You can tell it’s a fan base that understands softball. And we can feel that. The team can feel that when they’re behind them. I feel like the community has just welcomed us with open arms. They have supported us wholeheartedly.”
For Dill, who spent last season traveling city to city across the map, having a place to call home changes some of what the players are actually playing for.
“We are playing for each other, and we’re playing it for a community,” Dill said. “That just feels different. You get that in high school, you get that in college. We haven’t had that in the pro league, especially last year traveling everywhere. So that just feels different. You’re part of something bigger, you’re part of something more, and that’s something special.”
That reach extends past whoever fills the seats on a given night. Utah pitcher Georgina Corrick sees the home crowd and the broadcast as two halves of the same opportunity, one that puts the league in front of people who could never make the drive.
“I think it’s really cool to see how many people are showing up, are really getting invested in a home time field,” Corrick said. “It’s really great that you can create a crowd that wants to come out here game in and game out because we know that we’re gonna give them a great opportunity.
“The ones that can’t make it get to tune in on primetime ESPN. That’s huge for my parents who can’t always be there, for everyone else as well, and being able to see the investment in women’s sports over time, I think goes to show why it is so amazing to stay in one place and provide this kind of environment for the people in this area.”
The players are not taking any of it for granted. Talons catcher Sarah Gordon found herself in awe of the moment during the Talons’ win over the Blaze.
“During the game, I had multiple moments where I would just look up and I was like, ‘This is so crazy, I get to be here right now,'” Gordon said. “It’s so crazy how all of it’s coming together. Everyone’s supporting female sports online and in person, so it’s just amazing to see it all come together and seeing us get the opportunities that have not otherwise been provided to people like us.”
If there is a sense that this is only the beginning, it is because the people who have been around the longest believe it. Ball-Malone has seen enough of the pro game’s history to know what she is looking at now, and she is convinced the climb is far from over.
“So proud that our game is where it’s at,” Ball-Malone said. “I think those two, Kim and Sam, are gonna keep driving it and pushing it with the funding from MLB. It’s gonna be exciting to see where it goes.”
