Professional options increase for softball players as sport grows

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Former UCLA softball star Megan Faraimo was one of 12 players with the option of choosing between two professional leagues after being drafted by both.

Faraimo chose Athletes Unlimited over Women's Professional Fastpitch. She knew some of the players from the Team USA program that were with Athletes Unlimited and she liked what she saw when she watched its games on ESPN last year.

Neither league existed when Faraimo started her college career during the 2018-19 school year.

“I think either way, it’s really cool to see people still playing this sport and continuing to grow the sport that I love so much,” Faraimo said. “I just felt like AU was a better fit for me at this time.”

Washington’s Baylee Klingler, Kentucky’s Kayla Kowalik, Arkansas’ Chenise Delce, Florida’s Charla Echols and Northwestern’s Jordyn Rudd all picked WPF. Oklahoma’s Alex Storako and Haley Lee, Florida State’s Kathryn Sandercock, Oklahoma State’s Rachel Becker and Kiley Naomi and Alabama’s Montana Fouts were drafted by both but have not signed.

The leagues are riding softball's rising wave of popularity. And if USA Softball has its way, the two leagues will work together for the overall betterment of the sport.

USA Softball executive director Craig Cress said the sides have been cooperative so far. The primary issue is overlap because the best window to play in is just after the Women's College World Series.

“I can safely say there have been more discussions between these two groups than any other groups in the past,” Cress said. “And I guess I should say there’s a discussion between three because we’re always trying to tell them what our needs are. So I know that there’s cooperation. But, you know, when it comes down to it, everybody’s trying to play in the same time frames.”

This is the fourth year for Athletes Unlimited softball. This year will feature a short season called AUX that runs June 12-27 in Rosemont, Illinois, and a regular season that runs July 28 to August 27. Both seasons crown individual champions based on a point system.

WPF started last year with two teams playing the traditional team style. Former Oklahoma star Jocelyn Alo decided to play for WPF last year after setting the home run record for Division I softball. She helped make the league's first season successful enough that it added the Oklahoma City Spark and the Austin Smoke to the USSSA Pride and the Smash It Sports Vipers for this season. Action begins Thursday. Access to the WPF Dugout Pass can be purchased.

The college game continues to post strong numbers, feeding interest in the pro game. On-site attendance at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City set a new record this year of 12,290 fans per session. The championship series averaged 1.6 million viewers on ESPN, with Game 2 pulling in 1.9 million, a 7% increase over last year.

As college softball has flourished, so have attempts to capitalize. Women’s Professional Fastpitch, founded by USSSA, USA Softball, and Smash It Sports, hosted its first in-person draft in April and chose 24 players. Athletes Unlimited chose 14 players the next month.

Wichita State player Sydney McKinney, two-time college batting champion and Athletes Unlimited's No. 1 overall pick, likes being part of a pro league that increases the sport's visibility.

“It just gives so much hope and excitement to the sport and for little girls looking up to us,” she said. “So much can happen in such a short time, and we just continue to grow.”

WPF commissioner Lauren Chamberlain likes what Athletes Unlimited is doing. She hopes that down the road, the leagues can steer clear of each other or even merge.

“I think the folks at AU are doing a great job,” Chamberlain said. “I think their concept is incredible. And again, it’s giving opportunities to more professional softball players. So I do see something in the future. I’m really excited, but I wish them the best of luck in their season and hopefully they do for us.”

Cheri Kempf, senior vice president of Athletes Unlimited and its head of softball, said there are more elite softball players than roster spots, so the more opportunities the better.

“I think that’s where the win is,” she said. “If we can find ways when there are multiple opportunities in a sport, if you can find ways to work together and to make those opportunities more instead of less and make the opportunity bigger and versus making a player choose either/or, then that’s when we succeed in this sports entertainment space, in growing women’s sports in general.”

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Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: twitter.com/CliffBruntAP

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