Lexi Kilfoyl Makes History as First Athlete Selected in Inaugural AUSL Draft

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State Softball alumna Lexi Kilfoyl was drafted first overall by the Bandits in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League Draft held Wednesday evening.

Kilfoyl made history as she was the first person selected in league history with the first pick in the first round by the Bandits. The 2024 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and two-time NFCA All-American returns to AU after finishing second in points and earning the Rookie of the Year title in her rookie season last summer.

Oklahoma State Athletics

Lexi Kilfoyl

“If you would’ve told me so many years ago that I’d be the number one pick for the inaugural season, I would’ve said you’re joking,” Kilfoyl said. “It’s obviously a complete honor and it’s a privilege to be put up there with such amazing names and get to play for people with such amazing accolades.”

Kilfoyl started in nine games in the 2024 AU Pro Softball Championship Season and posted a 7-3 record while leading the league in ERA (2.23), strikeouts (39) and innings pitched (59). She also led the league in stat points (514) and MVP points (300) and finished second overall in points with 1,734 total points.

The Land O’ Lakes, Fla., native was OSU’s first top three finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award in 2024 after helping lead the Cowgirls to the Women’s College World Series. Kilfoyl tallied 152 strikeouts in 180.2 innings pitched and led the Big 12 Conference in wins (26), ERA (1.20) and shutouts (seven). 

“We just really like her ability to get hitters out, and it’s really that simple,” said Bandits head coach Stacy Nuveman-Deniz. “She keeps the ball down, has good velocity and an amazing changeup… She’s the type of pitcher, in a longer-term, she’s a franchise pitcher. You draft a franchise quarterback when you’re an NFL team, so she’s a franchise pitcher for the Bandits.”

The AUSL begins its inaugural season in Summer 2025 and will have a traditional season format with four teams (Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts) playing a 24-game season, which will be followed by the AUSL All-Star Cup (formerly known as the AU Pro Softball Championship). The league will start as a touring property for the 2025 season, with teams playing games in six to eight cities, before each team is assigned a single city when the league becomes city-based in 2026.