Out of Left Field

Jala Wright started the season as a hometown pick for the Carolina Blaze. She ended it traded to the Utah Talons. Jala joins Abby Alonzo to talk through the pressure she put on herself, a defining conversation with her father, and the two tattooed quotes that carry her through setbacks.

ESPN lead softball analyst Amanda Scarborough joins Abby Alonzo to talk about calling the first-ever pro softball game on network TV, the career-ending injury that forced her to ask "now what?", and how that question became Pitching Angel — the coaching platform she built from scratch to make sure no young pitcher feels alone.

Sarah Willis built one of the most unique pitching windups in the AUSL from scratch — no blueprint, no influence. She joins Abby Alonzo to talk about the mental block that nearly derailed her college career, finding a coach who believed in her when the stats didn't, and a reveal about her Olympic pursuit with Team Venezuela.

Skylar Wallace has led the AUSL in batting average and on-base percentage, made three All-American teams, and won Team USA gold — but this one's about what happens off the field. She talks discipline vs. motivation, building a following by being unfiltered instead of perfect, and why she stopped explaining herself to critics.

When the AUSL handed out the first Rawlings Gold Glove in league history, it went to Oklahoma City Spark shortstop Sydney Romero — and her sister Sierra called it back in spring training. In this episode of Out of Left Field, recorded during All-Star Cup week, the two-time national champion at Oklahoma opens up about making history, her final season sharing a field with Sierra, growing up the batg...

When Sydney Supple was ten, the head of her small-town program told her mom to lower her daughter's dreams before they broke her heart. Then she committed to Northwestern at thirteen, won Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year three times, raised more than $100,000 to build a softball field in Oshkosh before she graduated high school, and pitched her way to the Women's College World Series. In this...

On April 11, 2021, Hope Trautwein-Valdespino did something no one in NCAA Division I softball history had ever done: a seven-inning perfect game where all 21 outs were strikeouts. Ask her about it, and she'll tell you it wasn't her. In this episode of Out of Left Field, the KC Diamonds pitcher opens up about the game that made history, transferring to Oklahoma and going 22-1 with a 0.77 ERA on the...

This episode was recorded in Durham during All-Star Cup weekend, before the news that Kayla would miss this year's Cup. Kayla Kowalik might be the busiest person in softball: reigning AUSL All-Star Cup champion, catcher in the USA Softball National Team pool, and a Division I assistant coach at Texas Tech under Gerry Glasco — all at the same time. And none of it was a straight line. In this episod...

Carley Hoover left American softball after LSU and became one of the best pitchers in the world — 2022 Player of the Year in Japan's JD League, a league-record 198 strikeouts in a season, and a career that made her a legend overseas. Then she came home to the Portland Cascade and found a sport she barely recognized: sold-out crowds, little girls in autograph lines, and a league that finally gives...

Amber Fiser pitched for Athletes Unlimited in 2021 — then spent five years in independent ball, out of the spotlight, learning to love the game in a whole new way. In May, one phone call from the Chicago Bandits reserve pool changed everything. In this episode of Out of Left Field, the former Minnesota All-American opens up about the lowest point of her life after college, what five quiet years ta...

Paige Sinicki won the first Gold Glove in Oregon softball history, a Big Ten championship, and played in the Women's College World Series. Then, at 22, with no family history and no symptoms, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. In this episode of Out of Left Field, the Portland Cascade infielder opens up about the sticky note mantra — "One for One" — that carried her through 8 rounds of...

Erin Coffel made history as the first-ever AUSL MVP — and in this episode of Out of Left Field, recorded in Chicago just hours before first pitch on the 4th of July, she opens up about the mindset that got her there. From small-town Illinois and a high school state championship with her best friends, to Kentucky, Florida, and pro softball with the Chicago Bandits, Erin breaks down the "delusional...

Jazmyn Jackson on Her Historic Triple Crown, Atlanta Smoke & Pro Softball Around the World DESCRIPTION Jazmyn Jackson has played professional softball all over the world — the Netherlands, Italy, Mexico, Athletes Unlimited, and now the Atlanta Smoke in the AUSL. In this episode of Out of Left Field, recorded in Kansas City just three hours before first pitch, Jazmyn opens up about her historic...

Jess Clements — UCLA & Cal Poly outfielder and AUSL Chicago Bandits rookie — joins Out of Left Field for a raw, honest conversation about identity beyond the sport, processing disappointment as a pro, the dad letters that shaped her, and what makes the AUSL culture so special. Filmed in Chicago on the OLF Summer of Softball nationwide tour. ▶️ SUBSCRIBE for more long-form athlete storytelling!...

Out of Left Field host Abby Alonzo sits down with Utah Talons catcher and 2025 AUSL Champion Sharlize Palacios — one day before the Talons' first ever home opener in Salt Lake City. Sharlize opens up about growing up in Chula Vista, California in a family where softball and baseball were everything. Her dad was drafted by the Cleveland Indians. Her sister played for Team Mexico in the Olympics. An...

This week on Out of Left Field, Abby Alonzo sits down in person in Oklahoma City at the Women's College World Series (WCWS) — the first in-person episode of the Summer of Softball Tour — with Chelsay Day, founder of Legacy Creators Management, for a real conversation about building a career in sports representation from the ground up. Recorded at the WCWS in Oklahoma City, Chelsay opens up about h...

She was told she couldn't play college softball — twice. She went through 10 rounds of chemotherapy this fall. Then she threw a perfect game 21 days after her last infusion, went 21-1 with a 0.57 ERA, and was drafted 3rd overall by the Oklahoma City Spark — becoming the first mid-major player in AUSL history to receive a Golden Ticket. Maya Johnson (Belmont University) sits down with Abby Alonzo o...

Dallas Escobedo Magee joins Out of Left Field for a full career deep dive — from winning a national championship as an ASU freshman, to switching flags and representing Team Mexico, to throwing the qualifying pitch that sent Mexico to the Olympics for the first time in history, to seven seasons in Japan, to pitching in Times Square as part of the 2026 AUSL launch. This one goes deep. 🎙️ IN THIS EP...

Ryan Moore is the owner of the Florida Vibe professional softball team and the spokesperson for the Professional Softball League (PSL) — the newest professional fastpitch softball league launching its inaugural season June 12, 2026. The PSL features seven teams broadcasting on the All Women's Sports Network (AWSN), available on Amazon Prime, Pluto TV, and DirecTV. In this episode of Out of Left Fi...

She grew up watching her mom play college ball alongside her  future head coach. She transferred across the country, had a  breakout junior year, and this spring — she got the call that  her softball career isn't ending after college. Amari Harper, Oregon Ducks utility player and 2026 AUSL Golden  Ticket recipient, sits down with Abby to talk about what it  really means to forge your own path in a...

The Professional Softball League is here — and Leah Boggs is building it from the ground floor. In this episode of Out of Left Field, we sit down with the first player ever signed by the Kansas City Diamonds to talk about what it takes to go from a Virginia Cavalier team captain to a pro athlete AND front office executive at the same time. Leah breaks down her wild journey: committing to Pitt befo...

In this episode of Out of the Field, host Abby Alonzo sits down with Wagner College senior and NIL powerhouse Geanice Morales — a first baseman from San Antonio, Texas who went from riding the bench at Providence College to becoming a team captain, landing deals with Nike, Meta, the NCAA, and 40+ brands, all while building a massive social media following from scratch. Geanice opens up about the r...

second baseman Constance Quinn — a three-time Women's College World Series participant, the self-described "heart and soul" of LSU softball under head coach Beth Torina, and one of the rare college athletes to play two sports at the Division I level. Constance opens up about becoming a varsity starter in 7th grade, verbally committing to LSU in 8th grade, and how faith and vision drove her entire...

College softball is growing faster than ever — but what does it actually take to play at the next level? In this episode of Out of Left Field, Abby sits down with Southeastern Louisiana assistant softball coach Matt Uhle to break down what college coaches actually look for in recruits, how mid-major programs are competing with Power 5 schools, and why the growth of softball is creating more opport...

Welcome back to Out of Left Field ⚡🥎 In this episode, Abby Alonzo sits down with Sam Fischer, Manager of Softball Operations for the AUSL, former professional player, Athletes Unlimited history maker, and one of the voices helping shape the future of professional softball. Sam shares her journey from a mid-major standout to professional softball, hitting the first home run in Athletes Unlimited...