Three former Little League Softball® players got the call of a lifetime during the 2022 Athletes Unlimited Softball College Draft, earning the opportunity as one of only 13 college student-athletes to be selected to play in the third season of softball this summer in Rosemont, Illinois.
Hosted by ESPN Analysts and Little League World Series commentators, Julie Foudy and Jessica Mendoza, the draft took place as part of the espnW Women and Sports Summit in New York on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, after the organization announced a multi-year rights agreement with ESPN for the 2022 and 2023 softball seasons. Below are the three former Little Leaguers who were picked in this year’s draft:
- Maggie Balint (San Diego State) – Avon Grove Little League (West Grove, Pa.)
- Mia Davidson (Mississippi State) – Orange County (N.C.) Little League
- Peyton St. George (Duke) – Atlee Little League (Mechanicsville, Va.)
The picks for this year’s college draft class were announced by softball superstars Jennie Finch, Aleshia Ocasio, Sue Enquist, Danielle Lawrie, Jazmyn Jackson, Victoria Hayward, Tori Vidales, Sam Fischer, Amanda Lorenz, Natasha Watley, Carrie Eberle, Cat Osterman, and Anissa Urtez.
Little League and Athletes Unlimited formed a strategic partnership in August 2020 to bring together Little League Softball players and the world’s best softball athletes, grow excitement around the game, and increase both accessibility and racial diversity in the sport in 2020 and beyond. As part of the partnership, Little League and Athletes Unlimited work together throughout the year to coordinate live and digital events that provide engagement between Little Leaguers and professional softball players, create educational and entertaining content to be used across both organization’s digital platforms, promote and strengthen the Little League Girls with Game initiative, and develop interest in and access to the game of softball at every level and in every community.
To learn more about Athletes Unlimited and their support of Little League Softball, visit LittleLeague.org. Be sure to tune in for a #SummerOfSoftball with plenty of Athletes Unlimited and Little League Softball at all divisions of play ready to kick off this summer.