Portland Cascade slugger Megan Grant hit 13 home runs in her semifinal round at MLBx Durham on Sept. 18 and sent her team to the championship game. Grant was one of four AUSL players at Durham Bulls Athletic Park for the event, a 3-on-3 co-ed home run derby run by Major League Baseball.
Each MLBx team has a former MLB player, a women’s softball player from the AUSL or college, and a college baseball player. In Durham, the college players came from North Carolina, Duke, NC State and East Carolina.
The AUSL players
- Team Durham Bulls: Ben Zobrist and Reese Atwood of the Carolina Blaze
- Team Bull Dragons: Rick Ankiel and Ana Gold of the Carolina Blaze
- Team Toros Bravos de Durham: José Reyes and Grant of the Portland Cascade, with East Carolina’s Davin Whitaker
- Team Bull City Blues: Adrian Gonzalez and Sami Williams of the Chicago Bandits
Atwood was the 2026 AUSL Rookie of the Year and hit eight home runs in 68 at-bats this season. Gold won the award in 2025 and played her college softball in Durham at Duke, where she set the school record with 54 career home runs.
Grant and Reyes
Grant scored 20 points in the semifinal and topped 20 again in the championship game. Teams score for home runs and defensive catches, with bonus points for hitting a target above the center-field fence. Each hitter can also call a five-swing “Hot Streak” that doubles the points.
Reyes, a four-time MLB All-Star, captained the team. Grant told AUSL she grew up using him in the video game MLB The Show.
“I would play against him or hit with him a lot. So it’s just a really full-circle moment to now be teammates with him.”
Reyes credited her for the team’s run. “We almost won it all,” he told AUSL. “We made it to the final because of her.”
Grant holds the AUSL record for the longest home run, a 313-foot shot against the Blaze on June 10 that was also her first as a pro. She finished the season with 10 home runs and was named to the All-AUSL Team at utility.
Third MLBx event for AUSL players
Durham was the third MLBx event this year to include AUSL players. Rachel Garcia, Alyssa Brito, Tiare Jennings and NiJaree Canady played in the first MLBx All-Star 3-on-3 at Citizens Bank Park during MLB All-Star Week in July. Bri Ellis, Jordan Woolery, Grant and Sydney Romero then played in MLBx Atlanta, the first MLBx event held before an MLB game.
What is MLBx?
MLBx is Major League Baseball’s 3-on-3 co-ed home run derby. Each team has a former MLB player, a women’s softball player from the AUSL or college, and a college baseball player. Four teams play two semifinals and a championship game.
Which AUSL players competed at MLBx Durham?
Reese Atwood and Ana Gold of the Carolina Blaze, Megan Grant of the Portland Cascade and Sami Williams of the Chicago Bandits.
When was MLBx Durham?
Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C.
What is the longest home run in AUSL history?
Megan Grant’s 313-foot home run against the Carolina Blaze on June 10, 2026, her first as a professional.
About the AUSL. The Athletes Unlimited Softball League is a professional softball league with six teams across the U.S. Commissioner Kim Ng leads the league, whose games air on ESPN, ABC, CBS Sports Network and MLB Network.
Sources: AUSL: José Reyes stunned by Megan Grant’s swing at MLBx Durham; AUSL: Reese Atwood and Ana Gold set to compete in MLBx Durham; Durham Bulls: MLBx returns to Durham Sept. 18; AUSL: Megan Grant launches 313-foot home run in pro debut; Duke Athletics: Gold named AUSL Rookie of the Year; AUSL 2026 stats. Featured photo: AUSL.
About Aspen Eighty
Aspen Eighty is a female-founded, independent digital publication covering the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. We publish news, season coverage, and player profiles for all six AUSL teams. Our mission is to amplify women’s professional softball and inspire the next generation of athletes.
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