Former UCF pitcher Sarah Willis enjoys time in Athletes United pro league
While this season of AU softball wraps up this week, she hopes to continue with the league. If not, she might find her way back to Orlando where Willis can return to UCF as a graduate assistant under coach Cindy Ball-Malone.
The last time most UCF fans saw pitcher Sarah Willis, she was coming off a 12-inning, complete-game performance in the Knights’ 2-1 loss to Auburn in the Tallahassee Regional of the NCAA Softball Tournament in May.
It was a Herculean effort for Willis, who threw 200 pitches while trying to keep the Tigers in check in a rain-delayed game at Florida State’s JoAnne Graf Field that lasted 4 hours and 28 minutes, finishing at 3 a.m.
“It definitely was an experience,” Willis told the Sentinel. “That’s the longest I’ve ever thrown in a game … so getting to compete that long was super cool. But I haven’t honestly talked about it with many people.”
While the loss ended UCF’s season and her collegiate career, Willis wouldn’t need to wait long before another chance presented itself. A week after the Super Regionals, the California native was contacted by several professional softball leagues eager for her services.
She reached a deal to play with Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball League.
“I was waiting to see if they would give me a call and they did,” said Willis. “I was super ecstatic about it and I took their offer.”
Willis signed with the player-centric professional league based in Wichita, Kan.
“I like getting the opportunity not only to play with one group of people, but you’re playing with a different team weekly,” Willis said. “You get to meet so many new people but compete against such a broad spectrum of people.”
The league drafts several teams from a pool of about 42 players each week. Those teams play a series of games against each other.
The pool has rookies out of college and veterans who have been around the game for a while.
“Some of the veterans are some of the people I used to watch, such as Keilani Ricketts and Taylor Edwards; all of these people that I’ve looked up to since I was younger and watched them play to the rookies that I have been playing against either in travel ball or at the college level,” said Willis.
Contract details released for UCF coordinators Ted Roof, Tim Harris Jr.
“Playing AU has been awesome because I’ve gotten an opportunity to still play the sport that I love after college and be able to be a professional athlete. To compete against the best and learn from the best, it’s been an amazing experience.”
While this season of AU softball wraps up this week, Willis hopes to continue with the league. If not, she might find her way back to Orlando.
“I have an opportunity to be a graduate assistant at UCF,” said Willis, who spent two seasons with the Knights after transferring from Washington in 2022. “That’ll be my next year or two with UCF softball back at it again. So, at least four years with Coach Bear [Cindy Ball-Malone] or even more.
“I know she just added some new people to the staff, so I’m excited to see what the new staff looks like and what the new team looks like without all the seniors.”
Willis hopes to complete a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with student-athlete academic advising and communications.
UCF’s Johnny Dawkins believes Knights proved they belong in Big 12
UCF is entering its second Big 12 season.
“It’s super cool that I’m going to be able to watch the team grow,” said Willis. “A few teams are leaving [Texas, Oklahoma] and a few teams joining [Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah]. So it’s like forming a new conference together and trying to get back to the top.”
UCF finished with 31-25, including 12-15 in the conference last season. And while an appearance in the NCAA Tournament was special, Willis believes more could have been done.
“We met everybody’s expectations, but I still felt like we could have done more in the Big 12,” she said. “Our competition was at an all-time high, and we were facing the best of the best each weekend, and we did a good job. But I have high standards, and I wanted to be first in the conference.”
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com