Athletes Unlimited softball completed its fourth season with the crowning of Odicci Alexander as champ. Cheered by her AU mates and the Rosemont crowd, Alexander received her champion medal after clinching the win in the last game of the season.

Odicci Alexander photo courtesy of Jade Hewitt Media – Athletes Unlimited.

Alexander was a star at James Madison University, leading the Dukes to their first-ever Women’s College World Series championship in 2021. This was her third season with AU.

Odicci Alexander photo courtesy of Jade Hewitt Media – Athletes Unlimited.

AU is a new concept in women’s sports. Fielding leagues of lacrosse, volleyball, softball and basketball, AU utilizes a fantasy-like scoring system, rewarding points for individual and team performance. Each league features four teams playing five weeks, with teams redrafted every week. The end result is a lot of player combinations, tremendous play and one lone champion at the end of each season.

It sounds odd and perhaps even confusing, but in the end it is all about the sports. Softball is my favorite, and it helps that AU has played all four softball seasons in the Chicago suburb. A fan of women’s sports in general, I also follow the other three AU sports although I have not been to any games, played in locations including Dallas and Las Vegas.

Rachel Garcia, Georgina Corrick, Tony Feddeler and Kelsey Harshman

All AU leagues are run by the players. All include a charitable aspect. A portion of each player’s salary goes to a charity of their choosing. Also, in softball, 10 trees are planted for every run scored. This season, that means AU is responsible for 2,000 new trees. AU is also about inclusion on every level.

Megan Wiggins

It was another fun season of catching up with longtime favorite players and meeting new ones. About 20 of the fans are long-timers, going back to following the old Chicago Bandits in the early 2000s. Over the years, we became more than just fellow fans. We developed real friendships.

The end of AU softball signals the end of summer. I already miss the players, friends and ballpark. I’m clinging to the anticipation of a few fall ball college games before bracing for the upcoming winter.

Abby Ramirez

— John Wroblewski, online writer