Athletes Unlimited Crowns Standout Pitcher Odicci Alexander as Its Fourth Champion

Rosemont, Ill. (August 27, 2023) – Pitcher Odicci Alexander secured the 2023 Athletes Unlimited Softball Championship, completing a thrilling summer of competition at Parkway Bank Sports Complex, which also hosted the AUX Softball season for the first time this June.

Corner infielder Jessi Warren was named Defensive Player of the Year while pitcher Megan Faraimo earned the league’s Rookie of the Year honor.

Athletes Unlimited also announced that it will continue with a fifth season of softball in 2024. Details regarding timing and location will be announced at a later date.

“Congratulations to Odicci Alexander on becoming our 2023 Athletes Unlimited Softball Champion, to Jessi Warren for winning the Defensive Player of the Year award and to Megan Faraimo for being named Rookie of the Year,” said Athletes Unlimited Senior Vice President and Director of Sport for Softball Cheri Kempf.

“The fan support – both on the ground in Chicago and through social media – continues to reach new heights, and I can’t thank our incredible athletes and amazing partners at ESPN enough for all of their support.”

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Odicci Alexander – 2023 Champion

Alexander, who led the 60-player field with 1,994 leaderboard points, edged pitcher Alyssa Denham in the final league standings by just 14 points, marking the closest finish in Athletes Unlimited Softball Championship Season history.

The former James Madison hurler was tied for the league lead with 12 game wins and set a new league single-season standard with 790 inning win points.

Alexander was tied for third in the circuit with a 2.15 earned run average over 13 appearances, including five starts. The Boydton, Va., product was third in the league with 42 strikeouts over 42 1⁄3 innings, including a season-high six strikeouts on August 12 in a win over Team Davidson.

In addition, Alexander fashioned a 7-2 record as a captain, including a six-game win streak to begin her tenure as a captain. She piloted her teams to a league-record four shutouts over the final three weeks of the season, including a pair of clean sheets during Week Four.

“I can’t begin to describe what this means to me,” Alexander said. “This is the best I have felt mentally. There are so many unbelievable athletes out here and it’s hard to believe I am at the top of the leaderboard. I am honestly so blessed to be out here as one of the 60 players on this field.”

To commemorate her victory, Alexander will receive a medal designed and hand-fabricated by Lisa Issenberg, founder of Kiitellä, inc. Kiitellä is a Finnish word meaning “to thank, applaud or praise,” and Issenberg creates awards that are innovative, mixed-media, non-traditional works of art, pieces that celebrate accomplishment, humanity, and philanthropy. Kiitellä is committed to being a responsible steward of our environment, with each step in the process, from design to fabrication to delivery, using minimal energy and material.

Athletes Unlimited will also commission a portrait of Alexander for its Champions Collection, which features emerging artists whose work and approach speaks to the mission and values of Athletes Unlimited.

The portrait will be created by Kayla Mahaffey, a local artist born and raised on the south side of Chicago who has been described by Outside Folk Gallery as, “An American post-war and contemporary artist with a talent for combining childhood with adult experiences.”

Jessi Warren – Defensive MVP

Warren, who also collected the 2023 AUX Softball Defensive MVP award earlier this summer, was a starter in all 15 games who registered a .933 fielding percentage. In addition, the former Florida State standout tallied nine hits, including three doubles and two home runs, while driving in three runs.

Warren was joined on the league’s All-Defensive Team by Faraimo, corner infielder Delanie Wisz, middle infielders Sis Bates and Josie Muffley, catcher Gwen Svekis, outfielders Bubba Nickles, Haylie McCleney and Caroline Jacobsen and utility player Hannah Flippen.

Megan Faraimo – Rookie of the Year

One of 14 selections in the 2023 Athletes Unlimited Softball College Draft, Faraimo finished in 24th place on the final leaderboard with 1,214 points. The former UCLA standout fashioned a 2.87 earned run average in 12 appearances and ranked second in the league with 46 strikeouts over 53 2⁄3 innings.

Faraimo became the second pitcher in Athletes Unlimited Softball history to record a no-hitter after she blanked Team Zerkle, 1-0, on August 6.