Latest news with #AUSL
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Patty Gasso to make broadcast debut for Athletes Unlimited Softball League
There's not much Patty Gasso hasn't done in the softball world, but she's found something new to try. The U.S. national coach who has led the University of Oklahoma to eight national titles will be on a broadcast team for the first time. She will assist Amanda Scarborough, Chuckie Kempf and Savanna Collins when the Talons play the Volts in an Athletes Unlimited Softball League game Friday in Norman, Oklahoma. Gasso, who has coached at Oklahoma since 1995, is taking advantage of the fact that the AUSL is using a traveling format in its first year and is visiting Oklahoma's home field for a series. She's excited about the opportunity to help with a game that will broadcast on and several regional affiliates and feels she'd regret not giving it a shot. 'It's something that I would wonder if I would be good at or if it's something I might try to do in the future,' she said. 'So that intrigues me a little bit. But I just like to talk softball. And normally, I'm in the middle of it, so I'm not really able to talk about it.' Gasso said she sees the action differently now that she'll guide Team USA into the 2028 Summer Olympics. 'Now, there's a different kind of interest,' she said. 'Now I'm watching and going, 'Okay, I see what we could do to help this certain athlete. I see something they're doing maybe in their swing that we know we could help.'' Gasso will be watching three of her former Oklahoma players. Sydney Romero plays for the Talons and Tiare Jennings and Sam Landry play for the Volts. Landry, the No. 1 pick in the AUSL draft, led the Sooners to the Women's College World Series semifinals earlier this month. Gasso said she's been watching the league closely and studies each game. She likes the fact that Athletes Unlimited added a season with a traditional format to its season with an individual scoring format, giving her a better idea of how the best players compete in a team format at the pro level. 'They care,' she said. 'They care about winning. And that allows you to watch a good product, because they're all fighting for it. They're fighting for something. And I never felt that until really AUSL came into the equation and had great structure.' Part of that structure comes from USA Softball's support. Craig Cress, USA Softball's CEO, said Gasso adds to that. 'What her and her staff have done in Oklahoma and what they bring and what I've already seen us be able to do with some of the stuff that we've done with national team athletes already — we're just really lucky that she has that same great desire to be a part of our program as she does to be an Oklahoma Sooner,' Cress said.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Patty Gasso to make broadcast debut for Athletes Unlimited Softball League
There's not much Patty Gasso hasn't done in the softball world, but she's found something new to try. The U.S. national coach who has led the University of Oklahoma to eight national titles will be on a broadcast team for the first time. She will assist Amanda Scarborough, Chuckie Kempf and Savanna Collins when the Talons play the Volts in an Athletes Unlimited Softball League game Friday in Norman, Oklahoma. Gasso, who has coached at Oklahoma since 1995, is taking advantage of the fact that the AUSL is using a traveling format in its first year and is visiting Oklahoma's home field for a series. She's excited about the opportunity to help with a game that will broadcast on and several regional affiliates and feels she'd regret not giving it a shot. 'It's something that I would wonder if I would be good at or if it's something I might try to do in the future,' she said. 'So that intrigues me a little bit. But I just like to talk softball. And normally, I'm in the middle of it, so I'm not really able to talk about it.' Gasso said she sees the action differently now that she'll guide Team USA into the 2028 Summer Olympics. 'Now, there's a different kind of interest,' she said. 'Now I'm watching and going, 'Okay, I see what we could do to help this certain athlete. I see something they're doing maybe in their swing that we know we could help.'' Gasso will be watching three of her former Oklahoma players. Sydney Romero plays for the Talons and Tiare Jennings and Sam Landry play for the Volts. Landry, the No. 1 pick in the AUSL draft, led the Sooners to the Women's College World Series semifinals earlier this month. Gasso said she's been watching the league closely and studies each game. She likes the fact that Athletes Unlimited added a season with a traditional format to its season with an individual scoring format, giving her a better idea of how the best players compete in a team format at the pro level. 'They care,' she said. 'They care about winning. And that allows you to watch a good product, because they're all fighting for it. They're fighting for something. And I never felt that until really AUSL came into the equation and had great structure.' Part of that structure comes from USA Softball's support. Craig Cress, USA Softball's CEO, said Gasso adds to that. 'What her and her staff have done in Oklahoma and what they bring and what I've already seen us be able to do with some of the stuff that we've done with national team athletes already — we're just really lucky that she has that same great desire to be a part of our program as she does to be an Oklahoma Sooner,' Cress said. ___ AP sports: Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Patty Gasso to make broadcast debut for Athletes Unlimited Softball League
Associated Press There's not much Patty Gasso hasn't done in the softball world, but she's found something new to try. The U.S. national coach who has led the University of Oklahoma to eight national titles will be on a broadcast team for the first time. She will assist Amanda Scarborough, Chuckie Kempf and Savanna Collins when the Talons play the Volts in an Athletes Unlimited Softball League game Friday in Norman, Oklahoma. Gasso, who has coached at Oklahoma since 1995, is taking advantage of the fact that the AUSL is using a traveling format in its first year and is visiting Oklahoma's home field for a series. She's excited about the opportunity to help with a game that will broadcast on and several regional affiliates and feels she'd regret not giving it a shot. 'It's something that I would wonder if I would be good at or if it's something I might try to do in the future,' she said. 'So that intrigues me a little bit. But I just like to talk softball. And normally, I'm in the middle of it, so I'm not really able to talk about it.' Gasso said she sees the action differently now that she'll guide Team USA into the 2028 Summer Olympics. 'Now, there's a different kind of interest,' she said. 'Now I'm watching and going, 'Okay, I see what we could do to help this certain athlete. I see something they're doing maybe in their swing that we know we could help.'' Gasso will be watching three of her former Oklahoma players. Sydney Romero plays for the Talons and Tiare Jennings and Sam Landry play for the Volts. Landry, the No. 1 pick in the AUSL draft, led the Sooners to the Women's College World Series semifinals earlier this month. Gasso said she's been watching the league closely and studies each game. She likes the fact that Athletes Unlimited added a season with a traditional format to its season with an individual scoring format, giving her a better idea of how the best players compete in a team format at the pro level. 'They care,' she said. 'They care about winning. And that allows you to watch a good product, because they're all fighting for it. They're fighting for something. And I never felt that until really AUSL came into the equation and had great structure.' Part of that structure comes from USA Softball's support. Craig Cress, USA Softball's CEO, said Gasso adds to that. 'What her and her staff have done in Oklahoma and what they bring and what I've already seen us be able to do with some of the stuff that we've done with national team athletes already — we're just really lucky that she has that same great desire to be a part of our program as she does to be an Oklahoma Sooner,' Cress said. ___ AP sports: recommended in this topic
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Patty Gasso to make broadcast debut for Athletes Unlimited Softball League
There's not much Patty Gasso hasn't done in the softball world, but she's found something new to try. The U.S. national coach who has led the University of Oklahoma to eight national titles will be on a broadcast team for the first time. She will assist Amanda Scarborough, Chuckie Kempf and Savanna Collins when the Talons play the Volts in an Athletes Unlimited Softball League game Friday in Norman, Oklahoma. Gasso, who has coached at Oklahoma since 1995, is taking advantage of the fact that the AUSL is using a traveling format in its first year and is visiting Oklahoma's home field for a series. She's excited about the opportunity to help with a game that will broadcast on and several regional affiliates and feels she'd regret not giving it a shot. 'It's something that I would wonder if I would be good at or if it's something I might try to do in the future,' she said. 'So that intrigues me a little bit. But I just like to talk softball. And normally, I'm in the middle of it, so I'm not really able to talk about it.' Gasso said she sees the action differently now that she'll guide Team USA into the 2028 Summer Olympics. 'Now, there's a different kind of interest,' she said. 'Now I'm watching and going, 'Okay, I see what we could do to help this certain athlete. I see something they're doing maybe in their swing that we know we could help.'' Gasso will be watching three of her former Oklahoma players. Sydney Romero plays for the Talons and Tiare Jennings and Sam Landry play for the Volts. Landry, the No. 1 pick in the AUSL draft, led the Sooners to the Women's College World Series semifinals earlier this month. Gasso said she's been watching the league closely and studies each game. She likes the fact that Athletes Unlimited added a season with a traditional format to its season with an individual scoring format, giving her a better idea of how the best players compete in a team format at the pro level. 'They care,' she said. 'They care about winning. And that allows you to watch a good product, because they're all fighting for it. They're fighting for something. And I never felt that until really AUSL came into the equation and had great structure.' Part of that structure comes from USA Softball's support. Craig Cress, USA Softball's CEO, said Gasso adds to that. 'What her and her staff have done in Oklahoma and what they bring and what I've already seen us be able to do with some of the stuff that we've done with national team athletes already — we're just really lucky that she has that same great desire to be a part of our program as she does to be an Oklahoma Sooner,' Cress said. ___ AP sports:
Associated Press
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Athletes Unlimited Softball League opens with high hopes and support from MLB and USA Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Athletes Unlimited Softball League made its debut after a year of buildup and a recent collaboration with Major League Baseball. The Bandits beat the Talons 3-1 in the first game Saturday in Rosemont, Illinois. The Volts were set to play the Blaze in Wichita, Kansas later in the day. 'I kind of feel like we blinked and it was here,' Cat Osterman, general manager of the Volts, said. 'But then there were moments where it felt like we weren't ever going to get here either because it took a whole year of process. We're all excited.' Athletes Unlimited has featured softball since 2020, when it unveiled a unique format that crowned an individual champion. The organization that focuses exclusively on women's sports now has launched a traditional four-team softball league in a traveling format. The Blaze, Volts, Bandits and Talons will play 24 games each, touring to 12 cities. The top two teams will compete in the best-of-three AUSL Championship from July 26-28 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. MLB said last month that it is making a strategic investment in the league. It will include an undisclosed amount for operational costs and a commitment to help it gain visibility. It will market the AUSL and its athletes during its All-Star Game, throughout the postseason and during broadcasts on the MLB Network and streams on USA Softball executive director Craig Cress likes the fact that a league with MLB's backing exists for players to join after their college careers. He sees it as an opportunity to keep the top American players facing elite competition so Team USA will be ready for Olympic softball that will be played in Oklahoma City in 2028. Japan has won the past two Olympic gold medals in the sport. Cress said he hopes the AUSL emerges as something comparable to Japan's well-established softball leagues. 'We have a great respect and a great rivalry,' Cress said of the history with Japan. 'But this Olympics on our home soil is our gold medal. We need to go get it. So from that standpoint, I know we've got a long way to go, but that's the end goal.' Cress said it was smart for Athletes Unlimited to add former MLB executive Kim Ng as commissioner and to seek out the league as a partner. He hopes the AUSL can catch fire the way the WNBA has the past two years with Caitlin Clark. 'The WNBA is now starting to really do some things with the star power they have coming in,' he said. 'But what got them to the point to be able to keep their athletes from going overseas to play? It was the involvement of the NBA.' There are indicators that this league could last longer than those that have come and gone over the years, starting with the well-structured support system, stability and the experience Athletes Unlimited had with the sport before launching this league. 'I think that one thing you hear about Athletes Unlimited from anybody that's been around it is we've done what we said we were going to do,' Athletes Unlimited co-founder Jon Patricof said. 'We've been around now for five years.' Bri Ellis, who was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year for Arkansas this season, played for the Talons on Saturday after being the No. 2 overall pick in the AUSL draft last month. She said she's thrilled about the timing of the league's rollout. 'It was kind of this relief that I don't have to be done now,' she said. 'I can keep going and keep playing and there's still a story to be written for me in my career, and so I'm just really grateful for everyone that's come before me and has worked their tails off to get the sport to where it is now.' ___ AP sports:
