Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – With a packed crowd at Tech Softball Park, it was announced by the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) that senior Emma Lemley would be drafted to the league for its inaugural season.
Jenny Dalton-Hill, ESPN commentator and general manager with the AUSL, presented Lemley with a golden ticket to signify her joining the league.
Over the next few weeks, 11 more golden tickets will be handed out at college campuses across the country. Lemley was the first to receive her golden ticket.
One of the best pitchers in program history, Lemley has been unstoppable in her senior campaign. She is 15-3 on the season with a 1.91 ERA. She leads the ACC with 146 strikeouts on the year.
She is tied for first for the most no-hitters this season with four on the year. Three of Lemley’s four no-hitters (Kentucky, Liberty, Northwestern) were against opponents who ranked or receiving votes and two were perfect games. This season, she has been named ACC Pitcher of the Week three times.
Lemley is the active Division I leader with 799 strikeouts. She also ranks fourth among Division I players with 9.41 strikeouts per seven innings.
Lemley has a 2.75 career ERA and has 65 total wins in her four seasons. Pitching 596.0 career innings, she has held opponents to a .204 batting average. Lemley has pitched 19 solo shutouts and is tied for the most saves in program history with 11 in her career.
The 2022 ACC Freshman of the Year is a three-time All-ACC selection. She is also a three-time NFCA Mid-Atlantic Region First Team selection.
The AUSL announced the AUSL College Draft Show will air on ESPNU on Saturday, May 3 at 9 p.m. ET.
The Volts will make the first draft selection. The first pick of each round will rotate among the four teams as follows:
Round 1: Volts, Bandits, Blaze, Talons
Round 2: Talons, Volts, Bandits, Blaze
Round 3: Blaze, Talons, Volts, Bandits
Twelve athletes will be selected at the draft in three rounds to complete AUSL team rosters of 16 players.