Four AUSL Players Take the Mound at MLB Stadiums in 2026 First-Pitch Series

CHICAGO — Chicago Bandits outfielder Bella Dayton threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Cubs game at Wrigley Field and appeared on Marquee Sports Network on Thursday, joining three other Athletes Unlimited Softball League players who have made first-pitch appearances at MLB stadiums this month as part of an ongoing partnership between the two leagues.

Dayton Takes the Wrigley Stage

Dayton also led Wrigley Field in “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch — a Cubs tradition that, for the first time, featured a face from Chicago’s new professional softball franchise. Her appearance on Marquee Sports Network — the Cubs’ regional cable home, which reaches households across Illinois and the Midwest — gave the Bandits exposure to a Chicago baseball audience weeks before their own June 9 season opener at the Utah Talons. The Bandits’ home debut is scheduled for June 13.

Bates Returns to the Pacific Northwest

Earlier in the week, Portland Cascade shortstop Sis Bates threw out the first pitch at a Seattle Mariners game Tuesday night. Bates is a University of Washington alum who won three consecutive Softball America Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2019 to 2021, along with three Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors. She is entering her sixth season as a professional athlete. After playing for the Texas Volts in 2025, she was selected by the Cascade in the AUSL’s Expansion Draft. This summer, she plays her home games back in the Pacific Northwest.

Portland opens the AUSL season June 9 in Durham, North Carolina, against the Carolina Blaze.

Ellis and Gottshall Round Out the MLB Appearances

Bri Ellis, a 2025 AUSL champion and Houston native, threw the first pitch at a Houston Astros game. Payton Gottshall threw out the ceremonial pitch at a Cleveland Guardians game. The league’s official site is tracking first-pitch appearances throughout the season as an ongoing activation of the MLB-AUSL partnership.

A Partnership Built on Investment

Major League Baseball committed more than $10 million to the AUSL ahead of the 2025 inaugural season, the largest single investment in professional softball history at the time. The first-pitch appearances are part of how that partnership shows up during the MLB calendar — AUSL players get national stadium exposure in front of pro baseball crowds, while MLB teams signal investment in women’s sports to their fan bases.

Commissioner Kim Ng, who oversees the six-team league, has emphasized cross-sport visibility as a pillar of the AUSL’s early growth strategy. The league includes the Cascade, Blaze, Chicago Bandits, OKC Spark, Texas Volts, and Utah Talons.

Looking Ahead

The AUSL draft is May 4 on ESPN2. The league’s 2026 season opens June 9 across all six markets. The first-pitch series continues through the summer as AUSL players appear at MLB venues before their own season begins.