Last summer, the upstart Athletes Unlimited Softball League played games in various parts of the country, including at Dumke Family Softball Stadium at the University of Utah. All four games there were sellouts, which undoubtedly helped lead to the announcement that the AUSL’s formal organization into a six-team league has awarded a franchise to the Beehive State.
The Utah Talons celebrated at a press event Jan. 26 at The Depot in Salt Lake City League.
Commissioner Kim Ng and ESPN sportscaster and Utah native Holly Rowe introduced the Talons’ general manager, Lisa Fernandez. She was joined by Talons infielder Hannan Flippen, a former star for the UofU, and Talons pitcher Megan Faraimo.
“As a little girl growing up and playing softball in Bountiful, and wishing I’d had more opportunities since we didn’t even have a high school softball team (at Woods Cross High), my greatest dream was to go on and play college softball,” Rowe said. “That didn’t happen for me, but I’ve spent the last 25 years covering women’s college softball, and we’ve been growing this sport through love and sweat and creating a platform for these women. So, to see it come to fruition and have this day a professional softball team in our state, this little girl from Bountiful is so proud.”
The league will consist of six teams. In addition to the Utah Talons, AUSL teams are based in Durham, North Carolina (Carolina Blaze); Rosemont, Illinois (Chicago Bandits); Oklahoma City (OKC Spark); Hillsboro, Oregon (Portland Cascade); and Round Rock, Texas (Texas Volts). Teams will play a 25-game schedule in June and July, with Utah’s home opener set for June 9 against Chicago. All home games will be played at Dumke Family Softball Stadium.
UofU head softball coach Amy Hogue, who spoke at the press event, said she received a call about 18 months ago from league commissioners who were looking to lock in locations and wanted to check out the Utah facility. “I felt it would sell itself,” she said, but she was still nervous when officials came for a site inspection. Ng said the league already knew about the field and the support that Utah fans have given women’s softball. She said choosing Utah “was an easy one to make.”
With Fernandez, Flippen and Faraimo, the Talons have a formidable foundation for success. While playing for the Utes, Flippen was a three-time All-American and two-time Pac 12 Conference Player of the Year. She also participated in the MLB Home Run X Derby held at The Ballpark at America First Square in South Jordan this past summer. Ng called her “one of the best clutch players in the league,” and Flippen, who came to Utah from her native California, said she was very happy to “be coming back home here to play.” Faraimo is one of four UCLA Bruins pitchers to win at least 100 games in their collegiate careers.
Rowe said the AUSL has the vast majority of the country’s best softball players, with 93 percent of the U.S. national softball team playing in the league.
Season tickets start at about $200 and individual game tickets and group tickets are also available on the team website at https://theausl.com/talons/.