Softball On SI

Washington Softball’s Heather Tarr, Seattle Sports Commission React to AUSL City Decision

The AUSL revealed where its six teams would call home on Tuesday.
Maren Angus-Coombs|
Washington softball head coach Heather Tarr released a statement via social media after the AUSL announced where its teams would call home.
Washington softball head coach Heather Tarr released a statement via social media after the AUSL announced where its teams would call home. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Professional softball fans in Washington were disappointed on Tuesday morning when the Athletes Unlimited Softball League announced where its six teams would call home.

Seattle was one of them.

The city of Seattle hosted the AUSL for a weekend during its inaugural 2025 season, hoping to lock down a team in 2026 when the league moves away from its touring model.

Instead, it will be Oregon that hosts the Portland Cascade which will call Hillsboro Ballpark in Hillsboro home for the immediate future.

"While we’re disappointed that Seattle won’t be home to an AUSL team at this time, we remain enthusiastic about the league’s growth and the future of women’s sports," Griffin Idelman, marketing & communication coordinator for the Seattle Sports Commission, stated in an email to Softball On SI on Tuesday. "Seattle has a deep passion for softball and a strong track record of supporting elite competition, and we would be excited to explore the opportunity to welcome an AUSL team should one become available in the future."

Heather Tarr, the head coach at Washington, also commented about the league's expansion announcement on Tuesday via social media.

"The excitement behind the sport of softball is real," Tarr stated via the program's official X account. "We are on the front side of softball at the professional level - now having to grow in a major way.

"The growth of the AUSL has been incredible to see, and we expect and hope to have Seattle in the mix at the next opportunity for expansion.

"Seattle women's sports like the Storm, Reign and Torrent have set the standard for professional women's sports in Seattle. With the FIFA World Cup coming to our city this summer, Seattle continues to be on the world stage.

"Softball is next."

When the AUSL introduce the Cascade as one of the two expansion teams in the winter of 2025, the color scheme and logo sparked conversation within the softball space. The resemblence to the city was too familiar. Portland wasn't even on the inaugural season's tour schedule.

“The Pacific Northwest has consistently shown up for women’s sports, and the Portland area is no exception,” said Kim Ng, Commissioner of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. “Hillsboro offers the Cascade a community that embraces innovation, inclusion, and high-level competition, making it a natural fit for our league and our athletes.” 

The team, which is led by general manager Jamie Lobpries and head coach Tairia Flowers, will opens its first season against the Carolina Blaze on June 9 at Smith Family Stadium at Duke University in Durham, N.C.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.

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