After the LSU softball team walked off the Florida Gators, the ESPN broadcast stuck around and the announcers warned the fans to wait before turning the channel. In the background of the broadcast, fans could hear the Athletes Unlimited Softball promotional video.
The Tigers team separated from their redshirt senior third baseman as Jennie Finch stepped onto the field at Tiger Park, and you could hear a pin drop as the promo video ended.
“It’s an honor for me to present this Golden Ticket to your very own LSU Tiger Danieca Coffey,” Finch said.
LSU softball’s Danieca Coffey secured her dream of being able to play professional softball on Sunday night.
The AUSL comprises four teams that will travel across the U.S. for their inaugural season in 2025. The draft for the teams took place on Jan. 29, but the softball community is appreciative of the college softball players that have built the sport.
Because there are several college softball seniors who have the ability to compete with the professional players who have already been drafted, the AUSL has been issuing Golden Tickets.
There are going to be 12 Golden Tickets given out to college softball seniors that guarantee them spots on a roster for the inaugural season for AUSL. Each of the four teams will draft from these 12 athletes to round out their rosters.
The magic of this moment is that it is a surprise for the players who have been given a Golden Ticket.
Coffey will be joining Virginia Tech’s Emma Lemley, Duke’s Ana Gold, Arkansas’ Bri Ellis, Florida’s Korbe Otis, Texas A&M’s Emiley Kennedy, Arizona’s Devyn Netz and Oklahoma’s Sam Landry so far in the college draft.
Four former LSU softball players were drafted in the inaugural draft in January. Carley Hoover, Aliyah Andrews and Ciara Briggs will join the Blaze, and Sahvanna Jaquish will join the Talons to begin the future of softball.
Judging by the rosters that were drafted originally, chances are Coffey will head to either the Blaze or the Bandits. Both rosters have more infield positions to fill, and Coffey can fill the lineup spot wherever either team needs her.
The Bandits chose the speed and defensive approach in their rosters, and chose a lot of pitchers to back up that sentiment. They only have four players listed as infield, meaning that every player will have to play every game. That is going to make a long season.
The Blaze have a better mix of speed and power with strong pitching to back the defense. Coffey fits in well with the players drafted, and looking at Aliyah Andrews, Ciara Briggs, Kayla Kowalik and Coffey in one lineup sounds like a nightmare for most pitchers.
Coffey has said in the past she has wanted to play professional softball, and that has led to her changing her game..
“I do want to play professionally, and so singles ain’t gonna cut it professionally,” Coffey said. “They like a big hitter, and at my size, if you can’t tell, I’m not the biggest. So I need to bump pitches to do damage, and not just up their swing, because I can’t get away with everything like some can.”
Coffey is soon to make waves in the professional league like she did in collegiate softball the last five seasons. She has always been a force to be reckoned with, and any challenges she faces will only make her a better softball player for the future.
The AUSL college draft will take place May 3 at 8 p.m. CDT. Coffey along with the other players who have been given a Golden Ticket will take the field June 7 in either Rosemont, Illinois, or Wichita, Kansas, depending on their team assignment.
