Sam Landry Details Next Steps After AUSL Volts, GM Cat Osterman Leaves Former No. 1 Pick Unprotected
Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) recently announced the league's inaugural teams' protected players lists as they head into the Expansion Draft on Dec. 1, and one premier name was notably absent from the list.
Sam Landry, the former University of Louisiana-Lafayette and Oklahoma Sooner standout pitcher, was selected as the overall No. 1 pick last year from the collegiate players draft, receiving the first AUSL Golden Ticket.
However, she was informed that she would not be one of the Volts' initial protected five players. Those designations went to Rachel Garcia (formerly UCLA Softball), Amanda Lorenz (Florida), Tiare Jennings (Oklahoma), Mia Scott (Texas), and Dejah Mulipola (Arizona).
Landry was informed of the decision by her Volts General Manager, Cat Osterman, and coaching staff.
"I think, to be honest, the deciding factor was, do I protect Deja, who gives me the best Rachel (Garcia), and also I know what Deja's capable of," Osterman said on a Zoom call with media members on Monday morning. "We didn't see it last year, so a lot of people might scratch their heads, but Deja's the first position player ever to win Athletes Unlimited. And so there's more there for Deja. I think having been a pitcher and knowing what it means to have your battery mate, that's why I leaned that way.
"It was hard because Sam would give us a strong number two, but I also think between the allocation draft and the college draft, we'll be able to pick up another solid number two arm."
Landry, despite the anxiety over not knowing her next steps and where she could end up, seems to have a positive perspective.
"I was informed that I would not be protected, and so when that was told to me, I guess, with not knowing where I'll be next season, that's what makes me a little anxious," Landry told Softball On SI via Zoom on Monday. "But I absolutely believe that God's going to put me wherever he wants me next season. So I think wherever I end up, whether it's staying a Volt, whether it's going with one of the expansion teams, is going to be good for me."
Despite the unprotected status, there is no bad blood for Landry; she is actually hoping to rejoin the Volts for season two.
"I love being a part of a culture where the girls just genuinely get along who want the best for each other, and it's not a selfish play of like I want to be out there playing, but it's about who needs to be out there to win a game, you know what I mean? I think staying with that culture is something that I really like and really long for. And I think when you have so many leaders on a team like we did on the Volts, I think that's absolutely amazing because then you're leading within your team."
Landry's Focus for AUSL Year 2
With uncertainty on the horizon surrounding where she will play, Landry is focused on the areas she can control–preparation for her sophomore season in AUSL.
For Landry, this is about the mental preparation and overcoming the transition from the collegiate system to the professional league.
"I really want to improve on my mental side of the game," Landry explained. "I thought when I was at Oklahoma, I did really well with that and was in a good headspace. Then, I took three days off, came back out there with the AUSL, and I think I let my mentality side of the game slip.
"I think it's so different from college. In college, you have coaches that tell you how to do it, when to do it; they're calling pitches for you, so you're not having to think much in the game. You just have to trust the coaches, which I absolutely did. So then, when you get to the pro league, and you're kind of having to think about your own pitches and call your own pitches, and when you need to go warm up and all of that."
"I think I let my mentality slip and wasn't as focused as I could be," Landry continued. "So really focusing on that, just staying in tune with my body, and realizing what I need to succeed and to be the best for my team, so that wherever I end up, when I do go out there, I'm ready to go. I'm sharp and don't try to make excuses. So just being ready to go."
Landry is hoping to be a little more independent this upcoming season and not having to rely on others coaching her.
"That's mainly the biggest mentality aspect I have to work on, is just being able to coach myself and being able to know what to say in the moment to get locked back in, and like I was saying, just be the best for my team and know how to do it for them."
Landry's Chances of Landing in Oklahoma City
One of the most interesting plot twists in the AUSL expansion draft is with the addition of the Oklahoma City Spark into the league, Landry could end up playing back in front of her beloved college crowd.
Landry was a crowd and fan favorite during her final season of collegiate softball as a Sooner, and it is clearly something on the mind of the teams' decision makers.
"I mean, obviously, we know the Spark is in Oklahoma City now, that's not a secret, but obviously, I knew that was in play," Osterman said. "I shouldn't say giving them, but having an athlete that can be a big hit in the market there, was not the deciding factor."
Kirk Walker, the new General Manager of the Spark echoed Osterman in a seperate Zoom call.
"I think I'm not going to necessarily look for a particular brand to be building off of," Walked said. "There are great players. I've had the great opportunity to coach a lot of players who have played at Oklahoma. So I think there's talent throughout the entire league, and there will be.
"I think that's one of the greatest things about being in Oklahoma City, is that even if we don't have some of those Sooners on our team, they're going to be coming home to play at Oklahoma City at different times. So I think to me, it's not necessarily about having to only put them on one team. I think it's just valuing that there are so many great Oklahoma alumni who are in the pool.
"But, you know, there are certainly players that I am excited about trying to bring and put into that Spark uniform that have OU ties, and we'll see how that plays out. But it's not going to have more of a factor than just our total philosophy."
left it all out there. thank you, sooner nation ❤️☝🏻 pic.twitter.com/n4MmChPGX1
— sam landry (@sam_landry21) June 3, 2025
The chance to play again in Oklahoma isn't lost on Landry as well. She recognizes the opportunity, should it be afforded to her through the draft.
"I wouldn't be terribly mad going to Spark. I think just being back in Oklahoma, it would be amazing to be around people I know, but I mean, I love where I'm at on the Volts, so whatever God has in store for me, I'm ready for it."
Landry and the rest of the unprotected player pool will be up for grabs on Dec. 1. The Expansion Draft and sequential Allocation Draft will air on ESPNU at 7 pm EST.
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Allison Smith is an expert in leadership and organizational behavior in collegiate and professional women’s sports. Smith is a professor (Georgia State University), researcher, and writer. Smith holds a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee in Kinesiology and Sport Studies. Smith’s research centers on combatting the underrepresentation of women leaders in sport, lack of organizational structure for work life integration for sport employees, and lack of programming and oversight for preparing athletes to transition to life after sport. Since graduating with a bachelor’s in journalism in 2011, Smith has sought opportunities to write about sports as a contributing writer focused on the growth of women’s collegiate, Olympic, and professional sports in this new age and movement for multiple outlets including Athletic Director U, and now Forbes.com. As a former Division I and II pitcher and Division III pitching coach Smith will bring unique insight and expertise to Softball on SI.
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