Athletes Unlimited Softball League pleased with progress

SEATTLE (AP) — When Kim Ng was named commissioner of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League in April, she knew there would be growing pains with getting a pro softball league off the ground for its inaugural season. A month removed from its inception, though, each of the AUSL's four teams – the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts — have played games in cities like Wichita, Kansas, and Rosemont, Illinois. As much as players have found themselves on the receiving end of ample support at these contests, so, too, have those working them, Ng said. "We've had staffers approached by people walking the concourse, people at the games who have given them hugs because they are just so ecstatic to see this league come to fruition," Ng told The Associated Press. "I think everyone in softball has been waiting for a league like this for a long time, and I think they're happy to see it getting the platform it deserves." AUSL has accumulated over 335,000 followers on social media, as well as receiving more than 33 million views on its videos. The league has sold out nine of its 28 games so far. The barnstorming format of the AUSL — which, with Major League Baseball's continued financial support, will turn into a city-based operation beginning in 2026 — has allowed the league to both meet fans where they are at and see which towns might be good long-term fits. The nature of the league's founding holds much promise in the eyes of folks like Carolyn Coal, an award-winning writer and director who teaches at Cal State Fullerton and recently produced a documentary on women's softball. "As long as the league is given time to develop an audience and if broadcasters carry the games, I believe the AUSL partnership with the MLB is going to be successful," Coal said in a statement. "There's too much visibility now for it to fail." Seattle and Omaha, Nebraska, will host three games this weekend. The visit to Seattle will be a homecoming of sorts for Baylee Klingler of the Blaze. Klingler was an all-conference infielder for the University of Washington, and has played for a couple other pro softball leagues. She considers it quite the privilege to play in the AUSL. "The goal was always college and playing for Team USA," Klingler said of her childhood. "And now that we have the opportunity to train for a major league environment, I think it's so huge, and it's only going to make softball better. I think it's amazing." Klingler didn't have any pro softball player role models she could look up to as a kid. To be one for the next generation of softball players is something she takes great pride in. She has already regularly felt plenty of love after a month of contests. "Every game has been packed, and the amount of little girls who are there cheering us on — it's cool to know at the very least they know that professional softball's a thing," Klingler said. Of course, the upstart league hasn't been without its challenges. As Ng noted, ramping up the AUSL from a one-market to a 12-market operation has required clear communication from all involved to overcome some of the "high-class" problems involved with the new venture. Ng said there's going to be "some oversights at times" with a project of this size. "But, nothing that we couldn't overcome," she said. Ahead of the league expansion, the AUSL has marketed itself in host cities in myriad ways. Little League tournaments have provided frequent stopping points, as have trips to local college and university softball events. The AUSL's ticket sales staff has also reached out to all of the local softball league teams. From Ng's perspective, this "methodical" approach has paid dividends. As for where the AUSL goes from here, the hope is that expanding to a city-based operation turns out to be a wise decision. The league, after all, is still in its infancy. But from Klingler's standpoint, the time is "now" for the AUSL. And who could blame her for such a sentiment, considering the countless fans who have already made her feel so appreciated. "I'm super excited. I have high hopes that in four or five years, this is going to blow up into a different entity than it is now," Klingler said. "So, the more people we get on board now, the better. But yeah, I'm super stoked and excited to be a part of it." ___ AP Softball: https://apnews.com/hub/softball