Softball stars Sis Bates and Baylee Klingler return to Seattle to play in the inaugural season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). They shared their excitement for this new women’s softball league in the United States, and fans shared their sentiment, rekindling Seattle’s deep passion for the sport.
The AUSL will be inaugurated on 7th June, starting with four teams, namely the Bandits, Blaze, Talons, and Volts. Sis Bates will be playing for the Volts, and Baylee Klingler is leaving the Sultanes de Monterrey for Blaze this season. It’s an exciting new era for softball fans, and these two athletes are the first to bring star power to the AUSL.
Background on the two Seattle Stars
The two athletes have considerable accolades from high school and college, and they can bring this level of competitiveness to the AUSL. This is why you should think twice before betting against Volts or Blaze on your next Sportsbet.io login if they’re in the starter lineup.
Bates is a three-time Softball American Defensive Player of the Year (2019-2021) and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year (2018, 2019, and 2021). Klingler is a Pac-12 Conference Triple Crown winner in 2022 and is a two-time First Team All-American awardee. They also have strong softball careers in high school and college before they reach the professional level.
Between the two, only Klingler continued to play professionally before AUSL. Sis Bates hasn’t played softball competitively since her college days with the Washington Huskies.
Klingler was in the Texas Smoke in 2023/24 of the Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF), then transferred to Sultanes de Monterrey in the Mexican Softball League for 2025.
Return To Softball
The AUSL offers the biggest platform for women’s professional softball in the United States. It has ESPN as a founding broadcast partner, and the league is poised to give Bates and Klingler a prominent stage to display their skills. This will hopefully elevate the sport’s profile not just in the United States but worldwide as well.
Bringing Bates and Klingler to the AUSL offers the new league several advantages:
- A much-needed star power to an otherwise new league. Bates and Klingler are two of the top athletes in the country, and their inclusion will bring intrigue to the AUSL. It will bring visibility and legitimacy that will help bring revenue to the league.
- Seattle ties and regional excitement. Bates and Klingler are both star players for the University of Washington, and Seattle has a deep passion for softball. Adding both of them is inviting for Seattle softball fans to watch the AUSL.
- Setting the standard with high-level talent. The AUSL is new, and it aims to be the top competitive league for women’s softball in the United States. To do that, they need strong talent to join their teams.
Bates and Klingler are great candidates to meet that criteria, setting the standard for the rest of the League moving forward.
The Bright Future Of Women’s Softball In The United States
The AUSL is one of many attempts at introducing professional women’s softball to the United States. Older leagues included the Women’s Pro Softball League (1997 to 2002) and National Pro Fastpitch (2004 to 2021). It’s the same organisation but rebranded in 2004, featuring state-owned clubs and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The WPF is still active (2022 to present), and Klingler once played in it until 2023. It is simply challenged by the same struggles that ultimately shut down the leagues that came before it—poor media deals and low fan turnout. People’s low interest has an effect on Sportsbet.io deposit reflected, which also limits bookmaker sponsorship for the sport.
The AUSL is set to be a bigger competition than the WPF. This could be the premier league to bring professional women’s softball the recognition it deserves. Adding Bates and Klingler to their roster is a bold move, but a great start to showcase the United States’ love for the sport.
