Bandits Make Pro-League History
Tuesday night in Rosemont delivered the first run-rule finish of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s young season. Bubba Nickles-Camarena powered an 8-0 blitz of the Talons with a first-inning rocket; Delanie Wisz cracked a bases-clearing triple, and Jordan Roberts sealed the deal with a two-run shot. Odicci Alexander, Emiley Kennedy and Lexi Kilfoyl scattered four hits over five frames. At 2-1 the Bandits share first place and head to Sulphur, Louisiana for Thursday’s nationally televised opener against the equally 2-1 Volts.
Stat of note: Tuesday’s crowd of 6,944 pushed the league’s six-game average to 6,812 – already above several Triple-A baseball parks.
Volts Ride Depth, Not Hype
Kelly Kretschman’s Volts left Wichita with a 2-1 series win over the Blaze thanks to relentless depth. Rookie Daneica Coffey reached seven of nine trips, Tiare Jennings homered twice and a Mariah Mazon / Payton Gottshall bullpen duo covered nine scoreless innings. With defense shuffling perfectly between Sis Bates and Jennings, Thursday’s rematch with the Bandits carries early playoff weight in Week 2.
Transfer Portal – Forty-Eight Hours of Fury
The final window closes at 11:59 p.m. ET tonight, and the past two days produced a tidal wave of activity logged by Extra Inning Softball’s new Transfer Tracker Switchboard:
| Date | Player | Pos | Previous School | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 10 | Brenlee Gonzales | RHP | Texas Tech | Entered portal – drawing Big 12 interest |
| Jun 10 | Kiley Huffman | OF | Texas Tech | Entered portal – elite pinch-hit bat |
| Jun 10 | Raegan Jennings | CI | Texas Tech | Entered portal – .560 slug in 80 ABs |
| Jun 10 | Maya Bland | OF | Oklahoma | Entered portal – Arizona showing interest |
| Jun 10 | Alyssa Hovermale | IF | Florida → South Carolina | Committed – three years eligibility |
| Jun 09 | Tate Davis | IF | South Carolina | Re-committed after brief portal stint |
Texas Tech angle: Five exits in 48 hours confirm a reset under first-year coach Gerry Glasco. JuCo All-Americans Sami Boyer (INF) and Jayla Koonce (P) visit campus Wednesday.
Texas Reloads on the Fly
Fresh off a national title, coach Mike White is hunting a veteran third baseman, a left-handed bullpen arm and a table-setting outfielder. Utah State grad transfer McKenna Freed (LHP) toured Austin Tuesday, and freshman corner Brooke Echols is on the radar. Reese Atwood and a fully cleared Viviana Martinez lock down battery and shortstop stability.
Hannah Wells – America’s Ace
The lone prep headline to survive our filter: flamethrower Hannah Wells of Coahoma, Texas captured the 2024-25 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award Tuesday. Her resume features a 22-1 record, 0.44 ERA, 31 home runs and a 4.0 GPA. Signed with Texas, Wells is expected to fight for circle innings next spring.
By the Numbers (Jun 9-11)
- AUSL home runs: 12 in 6 games – up 18 percent from last summer’s AUX start.
- New portal entrants: 81 – represents 61 percent of the window’s entire first week.
- Texas returning WAR: 82 percent – second only to Auburn among Power-Five contenders.
- Bandits attendance: 6,944 – higher than six Triple-A baseball parks on Tuesday.
What’s Next
- Portal deadline: 11:59 p.m. ET tonight – brace for a graphic tsunami.
- Bandits @ Volts, Game 1: Thursday, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 – Sam Landry vs. Nickles-Camarena.
- USA Softball WNT camp: Opens Monday in Oklahoma City – AUSL performance will weigh on final cuts.
Closing Thought
In two days the sport delivered a historic run-rule, a portal logjam, record crowds and a fresh Gatorade queen. Softball’s news cycle is sprinting again—meet you here at six a.m. tomorrow to keep pace.
