The AUSL All-Star Cup is the flagship event of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, designed to showcase elite softball talent in a dynamic and innovative competition that redefines traditional team sports. Taking place from August 2 to August 31, the All-Star Cup is structured as a four-series, 21-game mini-season that spans three major venues in Rosemont, Illinois, Holly Springs, North Carolina, and Greenville, North Carolina.
Unlike conventional softball tournaments where players stick with one team throughout, the MLB-partnered league‘s All-Star Cup emphasizes individual performance within a constantly evolving team environment. Players earn points for their personal achievements on the field, and top performers have the opportunity to captain newly drafted teams each week. This unique format not only spotlights the best athletes but also keeps the competition fresh and highly strategic.
Format
The heart of the All-Star Cup’s format lies in its rotating team structure and weekly draft. After each series of games, the top four players on the individual leaderboard become captains for the next series. These captains are assigned team colors, Gold, Orange, Blue, and Purple, and participate in a live snake-style draft. The draft order is determined from leaderboard rankings, with the highest-ranked player selecting last in the first round, first in the second round, etc.
Each captain drafts 13 players, creating four teams of 14, and they're allowed to consult with coaches, staff, and even fellow players during the selection process. The draft is crucial to the competition, as it resets team dynamics every week and gives different athletes the chance to lead, adapt, and prove themselves in new roles and combinations.
Players
The All-Star Cup features 60 of the top players from the AUSL, including award winners, standout performers, NCAA champions, and promising newcomers. Athletes such as AUSL champions Amanda Lorenz and Montana Fouts, Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Flippen, Aleshia Ocasio (2021 champion), and 2025 Pitcher of the Year and league champion Georgina Corrick headline the competition. Other stars include Odicci Alexander, Morgan Zerkle, Dejah Mulipola, and Lexi Kilfoyl.
The Cup also includes players from the AUSL reserve pool and several rookies, like 2025 Hitter of the Year Erin Coffel, Sam Landry, Bri Ellis, Michaela Edenfield, and Tiare Jennings, and Rookie of the Year Ana Gold, bringing new energy and talent into the mix. This blend of veterans and rising stars ensures a high level of competition and a diverse array of playing styles.
Scoring
Scoring in the AUSL All-Star Cup is carefully designed to reward a wide range of contributions, including offensive production, pitching effectiveness, team success, and leadership on the field. Points are awarded in three main categories: Team win points, individual stat points, and MVP voting.
Team win points are given based on in-game results. Each of the first six innings of a game is treated as a mini-game, with 10 points awarded to each player on the team that wins the inning. If an inning ends in a tie, the points roll over to the next inning, and players on the winning team will receive 70 points for a game win.
Importantly, the seventh inning does not award any points directly, though it may carry over inning points if earlier innings were tied. Extra innings also don't gift any individual points or additional win points besides the ones that have already rolled over.
Individual stat points are earned by a player's on-field performance, broken down for both offensive players and pitchers. Batters receive 10 points for a single, 20 for a double, 30 for a triple, and 40 for a home run. Walks earn 10 points, being hit by a pitch gets eight points, sacrifice bunts or flies net 10 points, and stolen bases contribute 10 to a player’s point total. However, negative plays like getting caught stealing a base result in a 10-point deduction.
The rules reward efficiency and run prevention for pitchers, who tally four points for every out they record and lose 10 points for each earned run they allow. This scoring system encourages complete performances and strategic gameplay, rewarding both high-impact moments and consistency. Additionally, players can also earn points through MVP voting after each game.
Immediately following the final out, players vote to recognize the top three performers of the game. MVP 1 earns 60 points, MVP 2 earns 40, and MVP 3 receives 20. There is also a unique Defensive MVP award, worth 20 points, which is only activated if at least half the team votes and the selected player is not already among the top three MVPs, allowing athletes to gain recognition for not only raw numbers but also intangibles like leadership, clutch plays, and defensive excellence.
The All-Star Cup is designed to emphasize and reward individual talent while still preserving the essence of team competition. The weekly team redrafting ensures that athletes are continuously challenged to adapt to new teammates, roles, and opponents. It also eliminates the advantage of long-standing team chemistry, placing greater emphasis on individual adaptability, leadership, and skill. After all 21 games are played, the one at the top of the leaderboard is crowned the AUSL All-Star Cup Champion — essentially the MVP of the entire tournament.
The AUSL All-Star Cup is a reimagining of professional softball. By focusing on individual achievement within a constantly shifting team framework, it offers a competitive, entertaining, and highly strategic experience for players and fans alike. The scoring system rewards performance at every level, and the flexible team structure ensures no two games are the same.
Players have a chance to prove themselves in front of national audiences and against the best in the sport, while fans get an exciting opportunity to follow the sport’s brightest stars in an engaging, ever-evolving tournament that celebrates both personal excellence and the spirit of competition.
