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Two-time Olympic medalist and former University of Texas standout Cat Osterman became the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball Champion after earning 2,408 points over the five-week-long season competing against 56 of the world’s best players at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois.
Jessica Warren (2,020 points), Victoria Hayward (1.860 points), and Erika Piancastelli (1,840 points) rounded out the top four.
CAT’S #1 IN POINTS, McCLENEY RECOGNIZED FOR DEFENSE
As Champion, Osterman, who served as captain for four of the five weeks, was on winning teams for 13 of 15 games and won 73 innings combined. She tallied 95 strikeouts – including 16 in one game – allowed 14 runs and pitched six complete games with two shutouts. She also posted an impressive 1.53 ERA on the season.
As a result, she received a Gold medal and had the honor of being the first entry into the Book of Unlimited, a 500-page book which chronicles the history of the property and will record every Champion from each Athletes Unlimited sport during an on-field ceremony immediately following the final game. Players 2 through 4 also received medals.
Warren, who posted an 8-1 record in the three weeks she served as captain, led the league with a .569 on base percentage and maintained a .510 batting average for the season.
Hayward completed her campaign with a .396 average at the plate and was tied with Morgan Zerkle for the league best in stolen bases with seven.
Piancastelli finished tied with Sahvanna Jaquish for the league lead with nine home runs and had a .885 slugging percentage.
Outfielder Haylie McCleney was voted GEICO Defensive Player of the Year by a combined vote of the 57 players and members of the Unlimited Club.
In a virtual press conference earlier today, Osterman, when asked if the five weeks of competition was helpful in getting her ready for the Olympics next year, responded: “100 percent. I was looking to get in game innings and felt the experience this summer over the five weeks was really helpful.
Asked what challenges the summer pro league presented, Cat admitted, “It was hard being away from my family, my husband and step-daughter for so long” and that on the field, “It was tough facing the same hitters over and over.”
McCleney was traveling and wasn’t available to be interviewed but in a prepared quote said she was “grateful that the players (who voted for her for the Defensive Player of the Year) recognized her efforts on defense.”
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YEAR 2… AU WILL RETURN to ROSEMONT in ’21
Athletes Unlimited also announced today it will return to Parkway Bank Sports Complex in the Village of Rosemont, Illinois, for its second softball season in late August 2021 following its successful inaugural season there this year.
Athletes Unlimited softball featured 57 of the best players in the world, including 19 Olympians from the US, Canada, Mexico and Italy, and concluded its inaugural season last evening.
All 30 games were broadcast or streamed globally on CBS Sports Net (USA and Canada), ESPN (US and outside the U.S via its platforms in Spanish-speaking Latin America and in Canada via its partner TSN) and the Olympic Channel.
In addition, select games were rebroadcast on MSG Network, NESN and Altitude Sports Network. The league also struck partnerships with Wave.tv as well as an array of digital media partners.
Athletes Unlimited was equally successful in securing sponsors with a lineup of over 20 corporate partners led by GEICO, Carvana, Mariner Wealth Advisors, Sparta Science and Nike. The league put in place a network of fan engagement partnerships led by the creation of the first-ever women’s softball trading card set with TOPPS and a free-to-play pool with DraftKings and partnerships
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OFF THE FIELD
Among its other programs that brought attention to the sport, the league had a unique virtual first pitch program that was headlined by sports and society icon Billie Jean King, who also was the league’s first member of its Unlimited Club fan club.
Other first pitch participants included: Academy-Award winner Natalie Portman, actor Bill Murray, soccer great Abby Wambach, Senator Tammy Duckworth, former No. 1-ranked tennis player Caroline Wozniacki and Good Morning America broadcast journalist Amy Robach among others.
The league invested in its athletes off the field as well as on the field through its Athletes+ program, a series of activities and workshops designed to provide resources to the players in their career development and personal training. The program was developed in partnership with Abby Wambach and her organization Wolfpack Endeavor.
The league was also honored to see its unique scoring system be so well embraced by the broader softball community. Organizations from around the country, including University of Michigan and University of Nebraska, have adopted the system for scrimmages this fall.
Civic leadership initiatives included partnerships with The Girl Scouts of the USA and Little League as well as providing financial support for 38 national/local community organizations as part of the “Athletes Causes” program with Give Lively. The league achieved 98% voter registration among its players as a member of the Rally the Vote coalition.
“The inaugural season of Athletes Unlimited Softball was one of the best experiences I have had as a professional,” said Haylie Wagner, player and member of the Player Executive Committee. “The chemistry among the players was phenomenal, we loved the engagement with our fans and the scoring system with the changing leaderboard kept us competitive from first to last pitch of our season.”
“The Village of Rosemont was proud to host 57 of the best softball players and staff members of Athletes Unlimited over the past two months, and we look forward to doing it again in 2021,” said Rosemont Mayor Bradley Stephens.
“We are thrilled with so many aspects of our inaugural season which included amazing play, tremendous fan engagement, a few firsts for pro sports and support for social cause organizations selected by our players throughout the season,” said Jon Patricof, CEO and Co-Founder of Athletes Unlimited.
“I want to thank our talented medical team who kept our players and staff safe as well as Mayor Stephens and the Village of Rosemont for being such a terrific partner since day one. Our staff and players cannot wait to return next year.”