AUSL honors top performers at inaugural Awards Reception
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The Athletes Unlimited Softball League celebrated the best of the 2026 season Friday evening during the inaugural AUSL Awards Reception, recognizing the league's top performers on the eve of the AUSL Championship at Davis Diamond at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.
Winners of the league's annual awards -- including Hitter of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year -- were selected through a vote of AUSL team and league personnel, broadcasters, media members and fans. Fan participation more than tripled compared to the league's inaugural season in 2025. The recipient of the AUSL Impact Award, which recognizes outstanding leadership and service off the field, was selected separately in a vote of AUSL players.
AUSL Hitter of the Year: Sami Williams (Chicago Bandits)
Williams enjoyed a record-setting season while helping lead the Bandits to their second consecutive AUSL postseason appearance. The Iowa State product established AUSL single-season records with 12 doubles and 34 runs batted in while ranking second in the league with a .427 batting average. Williams also started all 25 games at third base, becoming one of just three players to start every game at the same defensive position this season.
AUSL Pitcher of the Year: Montana Fouts (Utah Talons)
Fouts guided the Talons to the No. 1 seed in the AUSL Championship for the second consecutive year after establishing AUSL single-season records with 62.1 innings pitched, 63 strikeouts, seven wins and seven complete games. The former Alabama standout also set a new AUSL single-game record with 12 strikeouts against the Texas Volts on June 18 before recording 10 strikeouts against Chicago on July 18 to secure the top seed in the AUSL Championship.
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AUSL Rookie of the Year: Reese Atwood (Carolina Blaze)
Atwood, the No. 7 overall selection in the 2026 AUSL College Draft, lived up to the expectations in her first professional season by batting .309 with a team-leading eight home runs and 25 runs batted in. The University of Texas standout ranked third in the AUSL in RBI while reaching base safely in each of her final 12 games of the season.
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AUSL Comeback Player of the Year: Bri Ellis (Utah Talons)
Ellis returned with a vengeance during her second AUSL season, anchoring Utah's offense with a .353 batting average and five home runs. The former Arkansas Razorback ranked fifth in the league in batting while posting a .450 on-base percentage, good for fourth in the AUSL. She also delivered one of the season's signature moments with a walk-off home run against the Carolina Blaze on July 4.
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AUSL Impact Award: Odicci Alexander-Bennett (Chicago Bandits)
Alexander-Bennett received the AUSL Impact Award, an honor voted on by her fellow AUSL players, in recognition of her work with the Natasha Watley Foundation, which expands access to softball and creates opportunities for girls in historically marginalized communities. On the field, the former James Madison University standout appeared in five games for the Bandits, posting a 1-0 record with a 3.71 earned run average.
The league also announced its inaugural All-AUSL Team, recognizing the top performers at each position during the 2026 season:
- Pitcher: Montana Fouts (Utah Talons)
- Catcher: Reese Atwood (Carolina Blaze)
- Corner Infielders: Sami Williams (Chicago Bandits), Bri Ellis (Utah Talons)
- Middle Infielders: Skylar Wallace (Chicago Bandits), Sydney Romero (Oklahoma City Spark)
- Outfielders: Maya Brady (Oklahoma City Spark), Jadelyn Allchin (Utah Talons), Korbe Otis (Portland Cascade)
- Utility: Megan Grant (Portland Cascade)
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, recognizing the AUSL's top defensive player, will be announced by Rawlings at a later date.
Hosted by ESPN analyst Amanda Scarborough, the inaugural AUSL Awards Reception celebrated the league's top performers before Championship Weekend gets underway.
The 2026 AUSL Championship begins Saturday at 1 p.m. ET when the Chicago Bandits face the defending champion Utah Talons in Game 1 of the best-of-three series at Davis Diamond. The game will air live on ABC, marking the first professional softball game ever televised on broadcast television.