Bandits ready to claim AUSL championship
The Chicago Bandits can’t wait to get back on the softball field.
After a nine-month offseason, Chicago was slated to kick off its 2026 season Tuesday in a rematch of last season’s championship matchup against the Utah Talons.
“There’s nothing like opening day,” coach Shonda Stanton said. “It’s like right before Christmas — you got all these presents that are wrapped, and sometimes you have some expectations about what’s in the box, and sometimes you open it up, and you have some great surprises too.”
Stanton steps in as the new head coach for the Bandits, who finished last season with a 15-9 record — good for the second-best record and a runner-up finish in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
A previous relationship with Chicago general manager Jenny Belton-Hill allowed Stanton to assume the role. All it took was a simple call from Belton-Hill.
“When she called, it was a no-brainer,” Stanton said. “It was an honor to get that call, and of course, I wanted to be part of her organization.”
The Bandits return many of their key players from last season, including the league’s reigning MVP in infielder Erin Coffel. In addition to leading the league with a .848 slugging percentage and 28 RBI, Coffel had a .424 batting average, .578 on-base percentage and 16 runs.
This season, Coffel has made it a particular point of emphasis to become a vocal leader after she has spent most of her career as a leader by example. That’s why she thinks the team is ready to compete for a title again.
“The biggest thing for this year’s team is obviously we have a lot of new faces — a lot of rookies, a lot of people who have been playing professionally, but not in this league,” Coffel said. “I think we’re ready. We’ve had plenty of time to work together and to feel things out. I think the biggest thing for us is getting momentum and going, like we did last year.”
Some of Chicago’s key players, including infielder Skylar Wallace — who had a league-high 26 runs last season — are currently concluding their season in the Japan Diamond Softball League.
Coffel said she has no doubt the team has the depth to step up and fill the shoes of the players overseas. For Stanton, the key is to assure the team starts strong regardless of the missing pieces.
“You got to get out to a fast start, play hard to be able to be in a good position when we do get full strength, when we return our JDL players,” Stanton said. “For us, I think we got nine games until that happens. We just take one pitch at a time.”
With the Bandits aiming to return to the championship and hoist the trophy this time, Stanton is urging her team not to dwell on the past and not look too far into the future. She wants the team to savor every moment.
En route to achieving that goal, she is urging fans to make their way to The Stadium at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont to support the Bandits.
“We’ve got elite, electric players that are incredible role models, so whether you have a niece or a nephew, a son or a daughter, or a grandma, or whoever, if you want to have an action-packed, exciting night of fun at a reasonable price, you’ll want to come out and be part of Bandit Nation,” Stanton said. “It’s going to be incredible to be out there at our home in Rosemont, and we look forward to putting on that exciting product.”