After already watching a pair of alumnae earn their Golden Ticket to the AUSL College Draft , and an April filled with the first-ever Little League Softball ® Unlimited events, Little League ® is set for yet another exciting Summer of Softball in 2025, bringing the spotlight to the incredible Girls with Game ® from all around the world.     

“The spotlight on the game of softball has never been stronger, but we are only cracking the surface on bringing the game to girls all around the world,” said Ashlea Miller, Little League Director of Softball Development. “As we gear up for another exciting Summer of Softball, we hope that this celebration of the game from the grassroots level to the professional stage helps inspire the next generation of Girls with Game to grab a glove and head out to their local field to learn what the Little League experience is all about.”   

Since 2018, Little League has seen about an 8% growth in its softball program, which today welcomes more than 25,000 softball teams and 300,000 participants in more than 25 countries around the world.

“As the world’s most trusted youth sports organization, we have continued to strengthen our commitment to female participation within our program and support of the game of softball all around the wor ld,” said Pat Wilson, Little League President and CEO. “The growth we have seen in our softball program t hese past few years only begins to show how important this game is for young girls and we are dedicated to providing the resources and opportunities to give our softball players an experience unlike any other.”  

As the spotlight continues to shine on softball, check out just some of the key moments to watch out for this summer:   

Every year, a group of Little League graduates earn their way to Oklahoma City to compete in the Women’s College World Series (WCWS), representing the best in the game across NCAA Division I Softball for a chance to take home the championship trophy. With 10 graduates having already played in both the Little League Softball World Series and the WCWS over the years, and the 64-team Division I tournament officially underway , be sure to check back at LittleLeague.org in the coming weeks to find out what graduates will make the trip to the 2025 WCWS.   

Following an exciting “This is Legendary” Preseason Tour , the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) officially kicks off on June 7 with an all-star lineup of Little League alumnae taking the field, including a pair who competed at the Little League Softball World Series:   

In addition to those competing on the field, Little League  Hall of Excellence Enshrinees , Cat Osterman (2016) and Jenny Dalton-Hill (2022), are set as two of the four  new General Managers while former Little Leaguers ®   Stacey Nuveman-Deniz and Kelly Kretschman will also play a key role in the new league , serving as two of the four Head Coaches. Learn more about the AUSL, including the full schedule, at TheAUSL.com .    

Be sure to tune in to YouTube.com/LittleLeague and LittleLeague.org during National Little League Week (June 9-15) as the first-round matchups of the 2025 Little League Softball World Series, Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods , are set to be announced via random drawing on Wednesday, June 11, at 6:30 p.m. ET. To learn more about this year’s event, including visitor information and how to book your trip to experience the Region Tournaments or any of the Little League , Junior League , or Senior League Softball World Series , check out LittleLeague.org/WorldSeries .   

Starting with a Little League Softball West Region matchup between Utah and Northern California on Saturday, July 19, at Noon ET on ESPN+, there will be a total of 129 softball games broadcast on ESPN Platforms over the course of five weeks in 2025. As part of that action-packed schedule also includes a record number 27 softball games set to air on linear networks, featuring all seven U.S. Region Championship games as well as 13 of the 22 games at the LLSWS, including the championship game on ABC for the third-consecutive year.   

The Summer of Softball is planning to take over ESPN2 on Wednesday, August 6, with a pair of Little League Softball World Series games set to kick off the day (10 a.m. and 1 p.m.) before transitioning to the pros as AUSL heads to Greenville, North Carolina, for the 2025 AUSL Pro Games at the LLSWS, Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, with a doubleheader in front of the LLSWS participants and their families.     

Similar to previous years, the pro softball players will make the most out of their time at the LLSWS, spending the day on Tuesday, August 5, interacting with the LLSWS participants at Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park to help build the bridge between Little Leaguers and their role models.   

The Summer of Softball will carry into the fall as for the fourth-straight year, collegiate softball will also be returning to the home of the Little League Baseball ®  World Series with the 2025 Little League ®  Girls with Game ®  Experience, set to be held at Howard J. Lamade Stadium on October 4, 2025. While the four participating NCAA Division I Softball teams will be announced later this summer, registration for the morning’s instructional softball clinic is officially open .  

In addition to everything outlined above, Little League will also join the world in celebration of World Softball Day on June 13. To learn more about the Little League Softball program, including information on how to start up a league in your own community, visit LittleLeague.org/Softball .   

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