The Chicago Bandits are back...sort of. All is know certain or known yet, but there is a Bandits team, at least.
The Chicago Bandits played in the NPF, which folded several years ago, Athletes unlimted started with a new points based softball league. This season, AU Sports added a new softball league under the traditional softball format. One of the teams is the Bandits, but despite the logo incorporating bits of Chicago, a city designation has not been made.
This season will be a barnstorming sort of season. The four teams will play about 26 games in several cities to be named. Presumably one of those cities will be Chicago. Even though it will only be a few games this year, softball fans in Chicago are rejoicing.
One thing is for sure. Sahvanna Jaquish is a Bandit again. Sahvanna is coming out of retirement. So far, she is the only former Bandit to be named for the new Bandits. We love Sahvanna, but we hope for more former Bandits to become current Bandits.
Sahvanna was one of the most versatile players and a fan favorite. My interview with her can be found at On the Beat with Sahvanna Jaquish.
Welcome back, Sahvanna. We can't wait to see you on the field.
Sahvanna Jaquish and me in Rosemont, IL-Summer 2017.
It's the middle of winter and my mind drifts to warmer days on the softball field. I still miss the Chicago Bandits, but Athletes Unlimited Softball fills that void pretty good.
Sahvanna Jaquish is one of many athletes who have played in both leagues. I first met Sahvanna when she joined the Bandits. My first interview with her can be found at On the Beat With Sahvanna Jaquish.
In addition to the great softball on the field, AU athletes do special things off the field. Each athlete plays for a cause. That charity gets a portion of the player's earnings from the season. It's a way to raise money and awareness for many worthy causes.
In 2021, Sahvanna played for Geaux Teal, which raises awareness for women of all ages about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. For more info, go to GeauxTeal.com.
AU Softball starts in June with AUX, a two week stand alone softball tournamenty. The third regular season of AU Softball starts in late August. I will again be "On the Beat" all season. I wouldn't miss it.
Go to AUProSports.com for more info and full game summaries from Bruce Miles. Also check back here for my recurring coverage.
Sahvanna Jaquish and me in Rosemont, IL-Summer 2017.
Last weekend, Athletes Unlimited softball started with some surprises, but ended with something familiar. Once again, Cat Osterman was at the center of the focus.
Just when it looked like Osterman was unbeatable, almost untouchable, the unthinkable happened. For the first time all season, Osterman's team lost a game and Osterman actually lost a pitching decision. You can't keep Osterman down though. She finished the weekend with a masterpiece last night.
Monday nights are magical for Osterman. In four Monday night starts, Osterman is a stunning 4-0, allowing just two runs.
Week Four Final Results:
September 19
Team Warren (Purple) beat Team Reed (Orange) 2-1
Team Hayward (Blue) beat Team Osterman (Yellow) 4-1
September 20
Team Hayward (Blue) beat Team Reed (Orange) 8-3
Team Warren (Purple) beat Team Osterman (Yellow) 11-0
September 21
Team Warren (Purple) beat Team Hayward (Blue) 7-5
Team Osterman (Yellow) beat Team Reed (Orange) 2-0
The weekend saw pitching be the focus. A few pitchers took no-hitters late into games. The offenses scored a total of 44 runs, down 35 runs from last week and also a season low.
Aleshia Ocasio returned from a leave of absence and promptly threw a complete game three-hitter on Saturday. Ocasio was in the zone all weekend on the mound and at the plate. In doing so, she jumped back into the top four spots on the leader board.
Season Leader Board
1 - Osterman 1990 points
2 - Warren 1580 points
3 - Piancastelli 1510 points
4 - Ocasio 1508 points
Other highlights included Sahvanna Jaquish belting two homers on Saturday and Sunday. Also, Jaquish and Haylie McCleney went deep back-to-back on each day. In a humorous moment, Samantha Show put one over the left field wall right into the hands of AU CEO Jon Patricof, while he was being interviewed on air by Eric Collins and Danielle Lawrie. Of course, ending the week with a 2-1 pitching clinic was the capper.
The weekend media sessions featured Ocasio, Erika Piancastelli, Jessie Warren, Haylie Wagner, Jaquish, McCleney, Samantha Show, Kelly Barnhill, Morgan Howe, Jessica Burroughs, Shelby Pendley, Osterman, Gwen Svekis and Hannah Flippen. Maybe because of familiarity, the sessions seemed a bit looser and more casual than usual. The sessions are always fun, but this week seemed to have a bit more humor.
AU writer Bruce Miles handled the game situation questions as usual. Check AUProSports.com for his game coverage.
I asked the players about a wide range of topics. With only one week of play left, several players gave their thoughts on the experience and leaving “the Shield,” as Osterman has dubbed the Rosemont facility. Clearly, the players are already emotional about the impending end of this season. While they all have played for many years, the experience of staying with each other like this was like no other.
Piancastelli and Svekis talked about being behind the plate, working with pitchers who were dominating and handling a potential no-hitter. Part is fun, part is pressure, but mostly it is simply handling a pitcher like always, with very little thought of the ongoing no-hitter.
One very interesting moment was when I asked about the next season for AU. Ocasio answered “I don't know,” but the AU Media Rep's answer was more telling. I tried for the scoop, and while I did not get one directly, the answers indicate plans might be in place, but not released to the public yet.
I understand their thought process. AU will want to make a big announcement about next season. A scoop here would have been great for m, but not as big for AU. I will stay on it and I expect an announcement, perhaps even shortly after this season, capitalizing on the momentum built.
In a bit of a shocker, Cat Osterman (Team Yellow) made fellow lefty pitcher her number one pick in the Athletes Unlimited Week 5 draft. For the first time this season, Osterman did not make catcher Gwen Svekis her top pick, but she did take Svekis later in the draft.
In Monday's post-game press session, Osterman said she was “keeping my cards close to my chest this week.” Had she already planned on taking Wagner? Was this a late curveball? Was she just tired of battling against Wagner every week? We will ask her about that in the weekend's press sessions.
One thing is certain. Osterman wants to end the season in a strong way. A 1-2 punch of Osterman and Wagner gives Team Yellow a lethal combination. Already holding the top spot on the leader board by a large margin, Osterman looks to lock up the season championship.
With the second pick, Jessie Warren (Team Orange) took pitcher Danielle O'Toole. The lefty pitcher is the only player to be selected in the first round every week.
The rest of the first round saw Erika Piancastelli (Team Blue) pick the red hot catcher Sahvanna Jaquish and Aleshia Ocasio (Team Purple) select pitcher Jessica Burroughs. Piancastelli probably will use the versatile Jaquish at a position other than catcher, since she already has a solid one in herself.
Familiarity was the key for Ocasio in this draft. Ocasio, who had a brilliant return from a short leave of absence, selected seven players she had previously taken. Currently sitting in fourth place in the overall standings, Ocasio is looking to move up, although Osterman will be tough to catch.
In one of the strange twists caused by the unique draft system, all four of this week's captains played together on the same team in Week One. Teammates the first week, now they will battle each other to end the season.
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League has come a long way in a mere few weeks. It all comes to a big climax this weekend. Athletes Unlimited ace writer Bruce Miles vowed we (the media) “will finish strong” and we will have to do just that to match the players who will certainly finish with a memorable weekend of games.
Another week is in the books for Athletes Unlimited. Like the previous weeks, Week Three provided a little bit of everything.
The final two games saw a pitchers' duel and a blowout. One Pendley sister (Nicole) robbed the other Pendley sister (Shelby) of a hit, but Shelby rebounded with a big home run. Speaking of home runs, there were many hit this weekend, including two off the bat of Stephanie Mauga in one game.
Some things remained the same however. Cat Osterman came out on top with three team victories and two pitching wins, including a brilliant 2-1 win over Team Piancastelli and Haylie Wagner, who also pitched a masterpiece.
Week Three final results are:
September 12
Team Piancastelli (Orange) beat Team Sanders (Purple) 7-4
Team Osterman (Yellow) beat Team Reed (Blue) 6-4
September 13
Team Piancastelli (Orange) beat Team Reed (Blue) 8-7
Team Osterman (Yellow) beat Team Sanders (Purple) 12-9
September 14
Team Reed (Blue) beat Team Sanders (Purple) 18-1
Team Osterman (Yellow) beat Team Piancastelli (Orange) 2-1
Standings
Team Osterman (Yellow) 3-0
Team Piancastelli (Orange) 2-1
Team Reed (Blue) 1-2
Team Sanders (Purple) 0-3
Week 4 Captains
Osterman, Reed, Victoria Hayward and Jessie Warren
Scoring was up this week. With a bit of help from the 18 run explosion yesterday, 79 runs were scored in total. That is up big time from Week Two's 61 runs. Again, the sample size is still too small to draw real conclusions, but it's interesting to note the scoring differences.
Osterman has a big lead in overall points and looks to be at the top when the season ends. While these athletes are all competitive, Osterman now has a bigger target on her back. Who, if anyone, will be the first to beat her or her team?
In other Athletes Unlimited news, pitcher Aleshia Ocasio will rejoin the league and is eligible for the Week 4 draft. Also, former Cal State Fullerton pitcher Trisha Parks has been added to the roster pool. Parks joined AU when Ocasio left for a family emergency. After passing the AU health protocol, both players will practice and remain with the league for the remainder of the season.
In media sessions with the players, AU writer Bruce Miles covered the game situation topics for articles on AUProSports.com. I ventured into other topics, including the players' causes, the playing conditions after the rain, the upcoming draft and more general interest topics.
One especially interesting part was Aubrey Leach discussing her grandmother Wilma Ann Williams-Leach, who played professional baseball for the Rockford Peaches in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The elder Leach played in 1953, but died in 1993, before Aubrey was born. Still, she remains a source of pride for Aubrey.
Also especially fun was Megan Wiggins, who is obviously enjoying the league immensely. Wiggins joked about the wet conditions, speed on the bases and hitting home runs, She also gave a big shout out to playing in Rosemont.
Games resume on Saturday, September 19 at noon CST as Team Warren will face Team Reed. All Week Four games will be televised on an ESPN station or the CBS Sports Network, but check your local listings.
Athletes Unlimited finished their first round of play on Monday with a shutout and a nail-biter. It was an exciting and fun weekend for the players and the fans alike.
Week 1 final game results are:
Game 1 - Team Warren (Orange) beat Team Fagan (Purple) 11-3
Game 2 - Team Wagner (Gold) beat Team Pendley (Blue) 18-4
Game 3 - Team Warren (Orange) beat Team Pendley (Blue) 10-2
Game 4 - Team Wagner (Gold) beat Team Fagan (Purple) 6-2
Game 5 - Team Fagan (Purple) beat Team Pendley (Blue) 7-6
Game 6 - Team Wagner (Gold) beat Team Warren (Orange) 5-0
Team Wagner (Gold) 3-0
Team Warren (Orange) 2-1
Team Fagan (Purple) 1-2
Team Pendley (Blue) 0-3
The final leader board is
1 Osterman-604
2-Show-524
3-Hayward-490
4-Ocasio-464
5-Leach-440
6-Piancastelli-440
7-Reed-440
8-Warren-440
9-Mauga-430
10-Ramirez-410
10T-Sveiks-410:
As the top four positions on the leader board show, next week's captains are Cat Osterman, Samantha Show, Victoria Hayward, and Aleshia Ocasio. Drafting will take place Tuesday.
The first weekend of games proved several points. With two pitchers and two offensive players in the top four spots, the scoring system is solid and represents both aspects of the game.
Additionally, 18 of the top 20 player scores came from the undefeated Gold team and the Yellow team who was 2-1. The Purple team at 1-2 took two slots and the Blue team, without a win, was shut out of the top 20 spots. That proves the scoring does balance team performance with individual performance.
I admit I was a bit skeptical about how the scoring system would balance all things, but I knew the league had run the numbers and various scenarios and I gave them the benefit of any doubt. The first round of games wiped out all doubt and proved the viability of the system.
Last weekend also proved that the fans are watching and loving it. Social media was on fire all weekend on the Athletes Unlimited pages and various softball and player pages. The overwhelming response is positive. At first, the lack of softball this summer might have been a contributing factor to the interest level, but in the end, the players, games and concept are the main draw.
Finally, Round One showed how much the players love the game. Every player had smiles all weekend. Even in the toughest of moments, maybe even especially in those moments, players couldn't and wouldn't hide their enthusiasm.
The press sessions were equally as interesting. Players took turns patiently explaining the scoring system. I think we all get it now fortunately as we head into week 2. Players stressed how team performance is not undervalued in the system and the results prove that. Players also explained how the scoring system mirrors the existing softball mindset of win the inning, win the game, keep it going. The difference is now points are officially awarded for achievements.
Once most of the scoring questions passed, thoughts turned to the next draft, the fan appreciation, the love of the game and other regular softball questions. As I have previously stressed, it is a new concept, but it doesn't affect the beauty of the game. In the end, this is softball at the highest level played by the most elite players in the world.
Last Monday was supposed to be the first game of a summer series pitting the USSSA Pride against the Scrap Yard Dawgs. It would be a showcase of past and future Olympians, as well as other elite softball players. The Pride won 4-0, but a tweet from the Dawgs official twitter account was the big news.
Lost in the mess was an interesting game, highlighted by a great performance by Sahvanna Jaquish.The former Chicago Bandits player doubled for the first hit of the game and later belted a three run homer to give the Pride a 3-0 lead.
I had the pleasure of seeing and knowing Sahvanna during her time with the Bandits in 2017. Our interview can be found at On the Beat With Sahvanna Jaquish.
The catcher-infielder was a star player at Louisiana State University. Among her other achievements, she was a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Finalist. She has played on the international stage with the Puerto Rico National Team and now Team USA.
It's unfortunate that Sahvanna's big game and the team's win was secondary news to the tweet. Sahvanna, the teams, the fans and the sport deserve better. The tweet created an ugly mess.
As I have expressed already, I hope somehow the series can continue and the teams can turn this into something positive longterm.
As the National Pro Fastpitch season winds down, the Bandits are in the thick of the race for the playoffs. Currently, the Bandits are in 3rd place, with the Akron Racers and the Texas Charge trying to catch them.
There are still 5 games to play, plus the playoffs. We still have several interviews to run, as well. Today's interview features catcher Sahvanna Jaquish.
Sahvanna starred at Louisiana State University, being named an NFCA All-American in all 4 seasons. She drove in more than 50 runs every season, which landed her in 1st place in LSU history. As a junior, she started 69 of 70 games, including 30 starts at catcher, 17 at 1st, 16 at 3rd and 6 as DP. Her durability was matched by her versatility. As a senior, she drove in 53 runs and had an incredible .548 on base percentage. Her career culminated in being selected 3rd overall by the Bandits in the 2017 draft.
In her rookie season, as of this writing, she is hitting .330 with 3 homers, 27 rbi's and 12 runs scored. Additionally, she has thrown out 35% of attempted base-stealers.
In our interview, Sahvanna talked about her versatility, her love of crawfish. Because she was a broadcast journalism major at LSU, we turned the tables and asked Sahvanna what questions she would ask herself and then we asked her those questions. Sahvanna was a great sport, going along with that bit.
As always, we thank the Bandits for their hospitality. We also thank Sahvanna for her time and consideration.
We encourage everyone to support the Bandits as they enter this final week of the regular season. Head to ChicagoBandits.com for more news, info and scheduling.
