Carolina Blaze opens its inaugural season this week. Get to know the team
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- AUSL became city-based in its second season and placed a franchise in Durham.
- The Blaze open their season Tuesday at Duke’s Smith Family Stadium, first pitch 5 p.m.
- The Blaze roster and front office include multiple former college standouts and coaches.
Duke’s Smith Family Stadium has a lot less blue than it did three weeks ago. Instead, there is much more pink and orange.
This summer, the Blue Devils’ softball facility is home to the Carolina Blaze, one of six franchises in the professional Athletes Unlimited Softball League. This is the second season of the league — though Athletes Unlimited hosted professional softball in a different format from 2020-24 — and the first as a city-based organization after starting as a touring model.
Durham was selected for its facilities, central location along the East Coast and strong fan support. The Blaze opens its season on Tuesday, nearly five months after the team’s move was announced. First pitch against the Portland Cascade is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday on CBS Sports Network. Fans are invited to the ceremonial ribbon cutting at 3:15 and other pregame festivities.
“There’s a post that’s been going around, ‘Everyone watches women’s sports,’ and it’s finally getting set in stone,” Jala Wright, Blaze pitcher and Duke softball alumna, said on Monday. “This is the standard, this is who we are, and softball is a leading force behind that. I’m just finally glad that we are getting the recognition that we deserve. We’ve been playing softball for many years, but with the added sponsorships, we’re finally going to make this thing stick.”
Blaze General Manager Dana Sorensen said on May 21 there have been previous professional leagues, but none of them had sustainability. They had different ownerships, different priorities and different resources. The AUSL, despite being a competitive league, provides a collaborative model. The season is less than three months long, with home-and-home series at each site.
“Hopefully we can then catapult off of the college game and bring a successful product to Carolina, to all the other markets,” Sorensen said. “And, eventually, one day, maybe have more markets somewhere down the line.”
The team and front office includes a number of individuals, such as Wright, with connections to the Triangle and state. Ahead of first pitch, learn a little more about the franchise.
General Manager Dana Sorenson
Previously worked as college assistant coach, including a brief stint at N.C. State. Owns personal coaching and training business. Three-time All-American pitcher and Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame inductee. Made two trips to the Women’s College World Series. Earned her master’sDegree at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Head coach Kara Dill
UT Arlington head softball coach. Former assistant at Texas A&M and Kentucky, guiding the Wildcats to their first Women’s College World Series berth in 2014. Coached in the National Pro Fastpitch league. All-SEC pitcher at Kentucky.
Associate head coach Lindsay Leftwich
Head softball coach at N.C. State and former assistant coach at LSU under Beth Torina. Played a key role in helping the Tigers make four Women’s College World Series appearances. NFCA All-Southeast Region, All-Southland Conference and All-Louisiana honors at Northwestern State.
Assistant coach Brittany Cervantes
Director of Softball Operations at Kentucky. Former player and Olympian for Team Mexico. Won four National Pro Fastpitch Championships. All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive honors at Kentucky. Earned NFCA All-Region honors in 2011.
Assistant coach Kyler Holton
Assistant coach at UNC-Wilmington. Previously spent time as a graduate assistant at Florida State and Ole Miss. Previously served as an assistant coach with the 18U Georgia Bombers Lewis fastpitch team in Atlanta.
C Reese Atwood
College: Texas (2026)
Hometown: Sandia, Texas
Notable achievements and notes: Two-time NCAA national champion. Three-time All-American. 2024 Softball America Player of the Year. 2025 NFCA Catcher of the Year. All-SEC and All-Big 12 honoree. Member of Team USA. No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 AUSL draft.
INF Alyssa Brito
College: Oklahoma (2024)
Hometown: Tustin, California
Notable achievements and notes: Three-time national champion at Oklahoma and two-time All-American. An All-Pac 12 second team selection as a freshman at Oregon. Member of Team USA. The Blaze acquired Brito through the 2026 allocation draft.
UTL Valerie Cagle
College: Clemson (2024)
Hometown: Yorktown, Virginia
Notable achievements and notes: 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner and USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Four-time All-American and three-time first teamer. Member of Team USA. She was acquired through the 2026 allocation draft.
OF McKenzie Clark
College: Clemson (2024)
Hometown: Myakka City, Florida
Notable achievements and notes: Three-time All-ACC honoree and an NFCA Second Team All-Southeast Region selection. The Blaze acquired Clark in 2025 via trade with the Texas Volts.
INF Ana Gold
College: Duke (2024)
Hometown: Ballston Spa, New York
Notable achievements and notes: 2025 AUSL Rookie of the Year and three-time All-ACC selection. Two-time Second Team NFCA All-East Region selection. Helped Duke make its first Women’s College World Series appearance in 2024. Member of Team USA. Gold was a third-round selection in the 2025 AUSL draft.
INF Baylee Klingler
College: Washington (2022)
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Notable achievements and notes: 2024 and 2025 Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball All-Defensive team. Three-time All-American. 2022 Pac 12 Player of the Year and three-time First Team All-Pac 12 selection. Member of Team USA. Klingler was drafted in 2025 and part of the temporary inactive list.
UTL Kayla Kowalik
College: Kentucky (2022)
Hometown: New Braunfels, Texas
Notable achievements and notes: Texas Tech assistant coach. Previously a member of the Women’s Pro Fastpitch league. Named All-American as a fifth-year senior by three organizations. First-Team All-SEC and All-SEC Defensive Team selection. Member of Team USA. Kowalik was selected in the 2025 AUSL draft.
INF Jenna Laird
College: Missouri (2024)
Hometown: East Meadow, New York
Notable achievements and notes: 2022 NFCA Golden Glove award winner. 2021 SEC Freshman of the Year. Assistant coach at Adelphi University. Laird was acquired through the 2026 allocation draft.
INF Aubrey Leach
College: Tennessee (2019)
Hometown: The Woodlands, Texas
Notable achievements and notes: Director of Player Development for Tennessee softball. First Team All-American in 2018. Two-time NFCA All-Region first team selection. Member of Team USA. Leach was selected in the 2025 AUSL draft.
RHP Emma Lemley
College: Virginia Tech (2025)
Hometown: Forest, Virginia
Notable achievements and notes: Four-time All-ACC selection and NFCA All-Region selection. 2022 ACC Freshman of the Year. Former member of Team USA. Lemley was selected in the 2025 AUSL draft.
RHP Devyn Netz
College: Arizona (2025)
Hometown: Sierra Madre, California
Notable achievements and notes: 2025 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner and finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year. Three-time All-American. 2025 Big 12 Player of the Year. The Blaze acquired Netz in 2025 through a trade with the Chicago Bandits.
RHP Aleshia Ocasio
College: Florida (2018)
Hometown: Altamonte, Florida
Notable achievements and notes: Two-time All-American and four-time All-Region honoree. 2015 NCAA national champion. Member of Team Puerto Rico. Ocasio was selected in the 2025 AUSL draft.
RHP Karlyn Pickens
College: Tennessee (2026)
Hometown: Weaverville, North Carolina
Notable achievements and notes: Four-time All-American. Two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year and 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year. Four-time All-SEC selection. Threw the fastest pitch recorded in college softball. Member of Team USA. Pickens was the No. 1 overall pick in the AUSL draft earlier this year.
LHP Keilani Ricketts
College: Oklahoma (2013)
Hometown: San Jose, California
Notable achievements and notes: Assistant coach at Pacific. Played for AUSL, National Pro Fastpitch league and Women’s Pro Fastpitch league. 2013 national champion at Oklahoma. Two-time USA Softball Player of the Year. Four-time All-American. 2012 Big 12 Player of the Year and 2013 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year. Member of Team USA. Selected by the Blaze in the 2025 AUSL draft.
UTL Karli Spaid
College: Miami of Ohio (2024)
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Notable achievements and notes: Four-time All-MAC selection and 2024 MAC Player of the Year. NFCA All-Mideast Region first team selection in 2024. 2024 USA Softball Player of the Year finalist. Former member of Team USA. Assigned to the Blaze through the reserve player pool.
RHP Jala Wright
College: Duke (2024)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Notable achievements and notes: Assistant coach at Duke and former graduate assistant at Tennessee. Unanimous 2024 ACC Pitcher of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP. Two-time All-ACC selection. Named All-American by three organizations in 2024. Helped guide Duke to the program’s first Women’s College World Series appearance in 2024. Wright joined the Blaze through the 2026 allocation draft.
This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Carolina Blaze opens its inaugural season this week. Get to know the team."
