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AUSL Postseason Begins With Play-In Game Between Portland Cascade and Chicago Bandits

The AUSL postseason begins Thursday night with Portland Cascade facing Chicago Bandits in a win-or-go-home play-in game. ET on ESPN2 if necessary.

Asude Karataş • 24 Temmuz 2026 04:30 • 3 dk okuma • 18 görüntülenme

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League postseason commences Thursday evening with a play-in matchup between Portland Cascade and Chicago Bandits, with the victor advancing to face defending champion Utah Talons in a best-of-three championship series. The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET from Davis Diamond in College Station, Texas.

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Play-In Game Details
Championship Series Outlook

Play-In Game Details

Portland Cascade secured the final playoff spot after finishing the regular season with a 14-11 record, clinching their berth when Oklahoma City Spark's loss to Carolina Blaze on Tuesday eliminated the Spark from contention. Chicago Bandits enter the play-in with a 16-9 record, having finished as the second seed in the expanded playoff format.

The winner of Thursday's elimination game will immediately proceed to the championship series, which begins Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on ABC. Utah Talons locked up the top seed and a direct path to the finals by posting the league's best regular-season record at 16-9, including a victory over the Bandits in Sunday's final regular-season game.

Championship Series Outlook

If Chicago Bandits and Utah Talons meet in the finals, it will mark a rematch of last year's title series, in which the Talons dominated with consecutive victories of 3-1 and 1-0. The championship series runs through Monday, with Game 3 scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 if necessary. All postseason games take place at the same Texas venue, creating a centralized format for the league's decisive stage.

When does the AUSL play-in game between Cascade and Bandits begin?+

The play-in game starts Thursday at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN from Davis Diamond in College Station, Texas.

What are Utah Talons' credentials entering the championship series?+

Utah Talons finished the regular season with the league's best record at 16-9 and earned a direct bye to the championship series as the top seed. They are the defending champions, having won last year's title series against Chicago Bandits.

How did Portland Cascade qualify for the playoffs?+

Portland Cascade secured the third and final playoff spot with a 14-11 regular-season record. They qualified after Oklahoma City Spark was eliminated from contention when the Spark lost to Carolina Blaze on Tuesday.

What is the complete schedule for the AUSL championship series?+

Game 1 is Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on ABC, Game 2 is Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN, and Game 3 (if necessary) is Monday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. All games occur at Davis Diamond in College Station, Texas.

Have Utah Talons and Chicago Bandits faced each other recently?+

Yes, the teams met in last year's AUSL championship series, where Utah Talons swept Chicago Bandits with wins of 3-1 in Game 1 and 1-0 in Game 2.

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