Four Gators Selected In AUSL Inaugural Draft
Thursday, January 30, 2025 | Softball
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Four former Florida softball players, Skylar Wallace, Amanda Lorenz, Kelsey Stewart Hunter and Aleshia Ocasio, were selected in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) Draft on Wednesday night.
The AUSL is a professional softball league that launched in 2025. It features four teams – the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts – that will play a 24-game season (48 total games) in a traditional format this spring.
Ocasio (Pick 5) was the first Gator off the board by the Blaze, Wallace (Pick 11) was selected by the Bandits and both Amanda Lorenz (Pick 7) and Stewart-Hunter (Pick 36) were drafted by the Volts.
Ocasio, a two-time NFCA All-American and three-time All-SEC First Team selection, was a two-way player for the Gators from 2015-2018.
She ranks in the top-10 in program history in career ERA, strikeouts (549), saves (10), wins (71), win percentage (.835), strikeouts per seven innings (7.45) and shutouts (19).
Internationally, she is a member of Puerto Rico's women's national softball team and won a bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games.
Wallace, a three-time NFCA All-American and the 2023 NFCA Player of the Year, capped off her illustrious Florida career in June.
She finished her career as Florida's program leader in batting average (.410), slugging percentage (.789), on-base percentage (.560) and stolen bases (119) and ranks in the top-10 in stolen base percentage (.944), runs scored (241), walks (148) and hit by pitch (39).
Stewart Hunter, a two-time NFCA First Team All-American and 2015 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, was an infielder for the Gators from 2013-2016.
She is Florida's program leader in hits (357), runs scored (259), triples (29), total bases (509) and at bats (914) and ranks in the top-10 in career batting average (.391), stolen base percentage (.911), doubles (49) and stolen bases (113).
Stewart Hunter also won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Lorenz, a four-time NFCA All-American and four-time All-SEC First Team selection, was an outfielder for the Gators from 2016-2019.
She was also Florida's volunteer assistant coach from 2020-22.
Lorenz is the program leader in walks (176) and doubles (59) and ranks in the top-5 in batting average (.407), hits (223), slugging percentage (.685), RBI (196), on-base percentage (.549), runs scored (248), triples (12) and sacrifice flies (12).
She clinched the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Championship Season individual title in August, tying the league batting title with a .373 average throughout the 15-game season.
The AUSL will play its inaugural season in the spring and will operate as a touring property in its first season, with the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts playing games in six to eight different cities.
The teams will each be assigned to a single city when the league becomes city-based in 2026. ESPN has signed on as a founding broadcast partner of the AUSL and will carry at least 30 games exclusively across platforms in 2025.
You can find more information about the AUSL here.
FOLLOW THE GATORS
FloridaGators.com
Florida Softball on Twitter
Head Coach Tim Walton on Twitter
Florida Softball on Facebook
The AUSL is a professional softball league that launched in 2025. It features four teams – the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts – that will play a 24-game season (48 total games) in a traditional format this spring.
Ocasio (Pick 5) was the first Gator off the board by the Blaze, Wallace (Pick 11) was selected by the Bandits and both Amanda Lorenz (Pick 7) and Stewart-Hunter (Pick 36) were drafted by the Volts.
with our next selction in the 2025 AUSL Inaugural Draft, we have selected pitcher, Aleshia Ocasio 💖 pic.twitter.com/Bjr7goOcvD
— blaze | athletes unlimited softball league (@AUSL_Blaze) January 30, 2025
Ocasio, a two-time NFCA All-American and three-time All-SEC First Team selection, was a two-way player for the Gators from 2015-2018.
She ranks in the top-10 in program history in career ERA, strikeouts (549), saves (10), wins (71), win percentage (.835), strikeouts per seven innings (7.45) and shutouts (19).
Internationally, she is a member of Puerto Rico's women's national softball team and won a bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games.
We're excited for this one, y'all! 🤠
— Bandits | Athletes Unlimited Softball League (@AUSL_Bandits) January 30, 2025
With our third pick, Bandits have selected @Wallace2Skylar, infielder from @GatorsSB! #AUSL pic.twitter.com/bKRniPP3SE
Wallace, a three-time NFCA All-American and the 2023 NFCA Player of the Year, capped off her illustrious Florida career in June.
She finished her career as Florida's program leader in batting average (.410), slugging percentage (.789), on-base percentage (.560) and stolen bases (119) and ranks in the top-10 in stolen base percentage (.944), runs scored (241), walks (148) and hit by pitch (39).
AMPED to have @stewartkels7 as a VOLT
— VOLTS | AUSL (@AUSL_Volts) January 30, 2025
⚡️⚡️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/vJUDyKRaX6
Stewart Hunter, a two-time NFCA First Team All-American and 2015 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, was an infielder for the Gators from 2013-2016.
She is Florida's program leader in hits (357), runs scored (259), triples (29), total bases (509) and at bats (914) and ranks in the top-10 in career batting average (.391), stolen base percentage (.911), doubles (49) and stolen bases (113).
Stewart Hunter also won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
First BAT off the board 😤😤😤@amandalorenz18 you're a VOLT pic.twitter.com/yJagPSyUzA
— VOLTS | AUSL (@AUSL_Volts) January 30, 2025
Lorenz, a four-time NFCA All-American and four-time All-SEC First Team selection, was an outfielder for the Gators from 2016-2019.
She was also Florida's volunteer assistant coach from 2020-22.
Lorenz is the program leader in walks (176) and doubles (59) and ranks in the top-5 in batting average (.407), hits (223), slugging percentage (.685), RBI (196), on-base percentage (.549), runs scored (248), triples (12) and sacrifice flies (12).
She clinched the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Championship Season individual title in August, tying the league batting title with a .373 average throughout the 15-game season.
The AUSL will play its inaugural season in the spring and will operate as a touring property in its first season, with the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts playing games in six to eight different cities.
The teams will each be assigned to a single city when the league becomes city-based in 2026. ESPN has signed on as a founding broadcast partner of the AUSL and will carry at least 30 games exclusively across platforms in 2025.
You can find more information about the AUSL here.
FOLLOW THE GATORS
FloridaGators.com
Florida Softball on Twitter
Head Coach Tim Walton on Twitter
Florida Softball on Facebook
Players Mentioned
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