A shutout debut puts the defending champs back on top
Two weeks into the AUSL, the standings have already flipped: a rookie's shutout debut has the Talons in first, Maya Brady can't stop hitting, and pro softball heads to Durham this weekend.
Two weeks in and the AUSL pecking order has already been redrawn. The defending champs are back on top, an expansion star is raking like it's nothing, and this weekend the league plays one of the most famous parks in the minors. Let's dig in.
Lead Off
The Utah Talons look every bit like the team that won it all. Utah swept the Texas Volts on the road this week — 4–3, then 8–0 — to climb to 6–3 and into sole possession of first place, and the exclamation point came from a rookie. Taylor Tinsley, the UCLA ace who threw all nine innings of the Bruins' season-ending WCWS loss to Texas Tech, opened her career by pitching a complete-game shutout in her first professional appearance. The defending champs have now won three straight, while the Volts — fronted by the two biggest arms in the sport — sank to the bottom of the table.
Why it matters: A title doesn't guarantee anything in a league that reshuffles its rosters every winter, but the Talons reloaded with a draft class headlined by Tinsley, Jayda Coleman and Megan Faraimo — and two weeks in, the rookie pitching alone looks like it could keep Utah in the hunt all summer. See the standings →
By the Numbers
2 — games separate first place from fifth in the AUSL two weeks into the season. Five of the six teams are bunched within two games of the top; only the winless-feeling Volts (1–7, 4.5 back) have slipped off the pack. Parity, it turns out, is the league's opening-act feature. Source · AUSL.
Scoreboard
AUSL week two — last 7 days
| Final | Note |
|---|---|
| Talons sweep Volts (4–3, 8–0) | Taylor Tinsley's complete-game shutout debut caps the sweep; Utah moves into first |
| Spark take the rubber match at Cascade | Maya Brady keeps hitting; both expansion clubs settle at 5–4, mid-pack |
| Bandits edge Blaze in the finale | Chicago snaps a skid; Carolina holds second at 5–3, a half-game back of Utah |
This week — 5 to watch
| When | What | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Tue Jun 23 4 & 6 PT / 7 & 9 ET | Bandits at Volts; Spark at Talons | ESPN family |
| Thu Jun 25 4 PT / 7 ET | Signature Series opens — Blaze host Talons, Durham | ESPN |
| Fri Jun 26 3 PT / 6 ET | Signature Series G2 at Durham Bulls park | MLB.TV |
| Sat Jun 27 11 AM PT / 2 ET | Signature Series finale + fireworks | ESPN |
| Through Jun 30 | AUSL All-Star Cup fan voting open | theausl.com |
Two weeks in, the standings have already flipped — and the league's showcase weekend is next.
Hot Corner
1. Maya Brady simply will not stop hitting
The OKC Spark's No. 1 overall pick has a hit in all eight games she's played, a league-leading 13 hits and a .520 average that ranks second among all batters — and a league-best five home runs to boot. The former UCLA player (71 collegiate homers) is doing exactly what she did in last year's title run with Utah, when she went 11-for-17 in six games. Expansion OKC sits 5–4 and dangerous, largely because Brady keeps reaching base. MLB.com →
2. Pro softball heads to Durham Bulls Athletic Park
The league takes its show to one of the most recognizable venues in the minors this weekend: the AUSL Signature Series at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, June 25–27, with the Carolina Blaze hosting the defending-champion Talons. Two of the league's top teams, a national TV window on ESPN, youth clinics, themed nights and postgame fireworks — exactly the kind of marquee weekend a second-year league wants. "Durham Bulls Athletic Park is one of the most iconic settings in baseball," said commissioner Kim Ng. AUSL →
3. The Zache sisters leave Oklahoma for Michigan
The transfer portal is humming, and Patty Gasso's Oklahoma is feeling it. Pitcher Berkley Zache and her sister, infielder/catcher Riley Zache, announced June 19 they'll head home to the Big Ten and play for Michigan — "Michigan girls are coming home." They're the second and third Sooners to pick a landing spot this offseason, joining Kasidi Pickering (Texas Tech), as OU simultaneously reloads with three incoming transfers of its own. Sooners On SI →
4. Softball just posted its most-watched WCWS ever
The final numbers are in, and they're staggering. ESPN's 2026 Women's College World Series was the most-watched on record, averaging 1.6 million viewers across 16 games — up 20% over the previous all-time high. Game 2 of the Texas–Texas Tech finals drew 2.5 million and peaked at 3.0 million, the most-watched college softball game ever. The full NCAA Tournament was up 28% year-over-year, its biggest audience since 2011. The pro game arrives at exactly the right moment. ESPN Press Room →
5. Canady's Volts can't find their footing
The flip side of Utah's surge: the Texas Volts, who roster NiJaree Canady and Rachel Garcia, have lost six straight and sit dead last at 1–7 after being swept at home by the Talons. The Volts have been outscored by 29 runs, by far the league's worst differential. The talent says this won't last — but two weeks in, the team with the sport's two marquee arms is the one searching for answers. Standings →
Bonus: "Everyone Watches Women's Softball"
Riding that same wave, the AUSL teamed with women's-sports brand TOGETHXR to put a softball spin on its now-famous slogan: "Everyone Watches Women's Softball." The phrase went onto the bases at ballparks leaguewide and onto a limited-edition navy tee. It's a fitting flex for a league that drew 24 sellouts, 90% average attendance, 94 million video views and more than $1 million in merch in its inaugural season — and is backed by MLB's first-ever investment in a women's pro league. TOGETHXR →
From the Dugout
Podcast pick · The Dirt (NFCA). With the college season closed and the travel circuit heating up, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's show is a useful offseason listen — it leans into the coaching craft and the business of building a program rather than week-to-week scores. Listen →
Clip of the week: @d.r.hitting — the most-followed hitting instructor on TikTok breaks swings down frame by frame, and the recent work on staying connected through contact (keeping the hands inside the ball) is a tidy, repeatable fix worth saving before your hitter's next cage session.
Worth a read: On3's 2026–27 softball transfer portal tracker is the cleanest running list of who's in, who's committed and where they're headed — handy bookmarking as the summer movement (100+ commits this week alone) keeps rolling.
Play of the Week
Michaela Edenfield's razzle-dazzle play behind the dish
It was a grim week in the standings for the Volts, but Michaela Edenfield gave Texas one of the prettiest defensive moments of the AUSL slate — a heads-up, improvised play in the field that the league's own account filed under "razzle dazzle." The Florida State product has been a steady presence behind the plate in her second pro season, and plays like this are why pitchers love throwing to her. The kind of thing you rewatch twice before you figure out how she pulled it off.
Source: @theauslofficial · Watch the full clip →