Iโm excited and blessed to announce that Iโve decided to further my education and softball career at Houston Baptist University! This is All Glory to God! Thank you to my parents, coaches, and teammates who have helped me throughout this journey. #DawgsUp ๐งก๐
Imagine if all of the women who have been building professional softball over the past few decades had waited for more money. There would be no AUSL. No MLB partner. No ESPN deal.
Respectfully, the trailblazers already blazed the trail.
Danielle Lawrie, Monica Abbott, Cat Osterman, Kelly Kretschman, and others carried professional softball through years of unstable leagues, limited television exposure, modest pay, and even the loss of Olympic softball. They kept playing, kept promoting the game, and kept themselves elite long enough to bridge the sport into this new era.
Then came the next generation with the likes of Rachel Garcia, Montana Fouts, Megan Faraimo, Hannah Flippen, Sis Bates, Maya Brady, and many more. They helped drive the explosion in visibility, attendance, ratings, sponsorships, and fan engagement that made today's opportunities possible.
Nija Canady is an extraordinary talent. She may very well become one of the defining players of her generation.
But AUSL is two years old. The league is offering $25,000-$75,000 salaries for a 25-game season, backed by MLB, ESPN, ABC, and major sponsors. The #2 pick in a draft of 17 holding out while established veterans and proven stars have already signed and taken the field feels less like pioneering and more like posturing.
An inspiration to us all ๐คฉ
@BelmontSoftball's Maya Johnsonโs list of achievements is impressive: Perfect game, NCAA leading 0.66 ERA, and over 1,000 career strikeouts. Sheโs done it all while coping with a chronic autoimmune disease, and sheโs done it for the only coach and team that believed in her from the beginning.
To stream the full series, visit https://t.co/3bopmRSvXd
#RoadToWCWS x ๐ฅ @espn
I donโt care what level of college you play (or played).
Youโre one of the 7% of HS athletes to do it, and thatโs something to be really proud of.
๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐ฅ๐ ...
After 3โฃ5โฃ seasons and over 9โฃ0โฃ0โฃ wins, Head Coach ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ-๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ has announced her retirement effective at end of 2026 campaign; will remain in her Senior Woman Administrator role.
#DawgsUp | @HCUSoftball
https://t.co/dQPhLOnqWL
I'm in love with this quote: 'If it doesn't happen the way you wanted, it will happen in a better way than you imagined.' That's the beauty of God's plan.
I think my biggest takeaway from this year is that God listens. He pays attention. He may not give you an answer in 6 hours or 6 months, but when he does, he answers all the parts. He may be quiet sometimes but heโs only bidding His time. Heโs never ignoring you.