Rachel Garcia Again Headlines Athletes Unlimited Week 2 Draft
Top StoriesAny amount of Rachel Garcia, a player who can do everything on a softball field, was still the best option on the board in the Athletes Unlimited weekly draft. Team captain Kelsey Harshman selected Garcia with the first overall pick in the Week 2 draft, despite Garcia’s designation as a player who will miss an undisclosed amount of time this week with an excused commitment.
It’s the second week in a row that Garcia was the No. 1 overall pick in AU, in which captains redraft teams before each of five weeks of competition. In her first summer of professional softball after playing in the Olympics in 2021, Garcia was also the preseason No. 1 pick in AUX.
Garcia just missed out on a chance to draft her own team, ranking fifth overall after Week 1 – a mere four points behind Harshman. The league didn’t specify how much time Garcia might miss, or if it would include a game or just practice.
Captain Dejah Mulipola opted for proven familiarity with the No. 2 pick, selecting her former Arizona teammate and reigning AUX champion Danielle O’Toole.
Team Jaquish’s Hannah Flippen and Team Eberle’s Sierra Romero rounded out the first round.
A week after their younger brother was selected in the first round of the MLB draft, the Romero sisters bookended the second round. Team Eberle took Sierra with the No. 5 pick, pairing her with Urtez. Meanwhile, Harshman made sure she had an elite keystone partner by taking Sydney at No. 8.
The rest of the second round featured Team Jaquish selecting reigning AU champion Aleshia Ocasio sixth overall and Team Mulipola selecting Haylie McCleney seventh.
Other highlights included:
- A week ago, three of four teams had two pitchers on the roster by the end of the fourth round. This week, captains seemed more willing to load up on position players in the early rounds. Team Harshman was the only team to finish the fourth round with two pitchers: Garcia and Taylor McQuillin. That may mean we’ll see a lot of Team Mulipola’s Danielle O’Toole, Team Jaquish’s Aleshia Ocasio and Team Eberle’s eponymous captain.
- One of the league’s all-time leading scorers, Morgan Zerkle slipped out of the captain spots after running a team in Week 1. But that wasn’t a reflection on her play. Selected No. 12 by Team Eberle for Week 2, Zerkle had the third-most stat points in the league in Week 1.
- When Team Mulipola did look for its second pitcher, it found rookie Peyton St. George in the fifth round. The former Duke ace was the first true rookie selected in Week 2. She’s now been a top 20 selected in each of her two pro weeks, after posting a 3.32 ERA in 6.1 innings last week.
- Another rookie, Sydney Sherrill was the week’s big draft mover. The No. 60 selection in the opening draft, Sherrill came off the board this week at No. 28 to Team Eberle. She impressed at the hot corner in three Week 1 starts.
- Sis Bates didn’t play on the final day of Week 1, but Mulipola seemed to erase any concerns about her status by selecting her in the sixth round. She’s reunited with Sam Fischer, whose on-field chemistry always make game day a little more fun.
- Team Jaquish will have to hold down the fort Friday and Saturday, but getting one game of Amansa Lorenz for a 10th-round pick could prove to be a steal on Sunday. Lorenz will miss Friday and Saturday’s games, according to the league. Meanwhile, her absence means we’re likely to see plenty of Ocasio in the outfield when not pitching Friday and Saturday.
The four leading scorers in Week 2 will serve as captains and draft teams for Week 3.
Below are the draft results, full rosters, schedule and broadcast details for Week 2.
Team Eberle (Gold)
| Player | Position | AU Rank | Stat Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrie Eberle | P | 1 | 112 |
| Mariah Mazon | P | 42 | 26 |
| Alyssa Denham | P | 16 | 34 |
| Greta Cecchetti | P | 32 | -18 |
| Sashel Palacios | C | 54 | 18 |
| Mia Davidson | C | 12 | 59 |
| Sydney Sherrill | CI | 46 | 20 |
| Lilli Piper | CI | 30 | 10 |
| Alysen Febrey | CI | 18 | 26 |
| Anissa Urtez | MI | 11 | 128 |
| Sierra Romero | MI | 47 | 18 |
| Rylee Bayless | MI | 28 | 0 |
| Morgan Zerkle | OF | 7 | 134 |
| Victoria Hayward | OF | 9 | 76 |
| Shannon Rhodes | OF | 17 | 88 |
Team Jaquish (Orange)
| Player | Position | AU Rank | Stat Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aleshia Ocasio | P | 10 | 170 |
| Sara Groenewegen | P | 40 | 60 |
| Haylie Wagner | P | 19 | 22 |
| Maggie Balint | P | 58 | 0 |
| Sahvanna Jaquish | C | 2 | 158 |
| Gwen Svekis | C | 49 | 34 |
| Danielle Gibson | CI | 55 | 18 |
| DJ Sanders | CI | 25 | 8 |
| Aly Harrell | CI | 52 | 8 |
| Hannah Flippen | MI | 6 | 78 |
| Janae Jefferson | MI | 56 | 10 |
| Andrea Filler | MI | 27 | 28 |
| Bubba Nickles | OF | 8 | 130 |
| Jazmyn Jackson | OF | 14 | 40 |
| Amanda Lorenz | OF | 41 | 48 |
Team Mulipola (Blue)
| Player | Position | AU Rank | Stat Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danielle O'Toole | P | 51 | 30 |
| Peyton St. George | P | 38 | 46 |
| Odicci Alexander | P | 15 | 16 |
| S. Littlejohn Watkins | P | 43 | 24 |
| Dejah Mulipola | C | 3 | 132 |
| Erika Piancastelli | C | 36 | 66 |
| Amanda Chidester | CI | 35 | 80 |
| Sam Fischer | CI | 24 | 10 |
| Nadia Taylor | CI | 53 | 28 |
| Sis Bates | MI | 59 | 10 |
| Aubrey Leach | MI | 50 | 10 |
| Abby Ramirez | MI | 57 | 10 |
| Haylie McCleney | OF | 37 | 56 |
| Kiki Stokes-O'Connor | OF | 26 | 8 |
| Nicole Rangel Mendes | OF | 34 | 0 |
Team Harshman (Purple)
| Player | Position | AU Rank | Stat Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rachel Garcia | P | 5 | 82 |
| Taylor McQuillin | P | 23 | 16 |
| Shannon Saile | P | 31 | 8 |
| Danielle Watson | P | 39 | 24 |
| Taylor Edwards | C | 13 | 40 |
| Jordan Roberts | C | 45 | 20 |
| Tori Vidales | CI | 48 | 36 |
| Hayley Busby | CI | 20 | 40 |
| Courtney Gano | CI | 29 | 18 |
| Kelsey Harshman | MI | 4 | 66 |
| Sydney Romero | MI | 21 | 40 |
| Caleigh Clifton | MI | 33 | 0 |
| Megan Wiggins | OF | 22 | 38 |
| Aliyah Andrews | OF | 44 | 20 |
| Rachel Lewis | OF | 60 | 0 |
Week 2 Draft Results
Round One
- Harshman: Rachel Garcia, P
- Mulipola: Danielle O’Toole, P
- Jaquish: Hannah Flippen, MI
- Eberle: Anissa Urtez, MI
Round Two
- Eberle: Sierra Romero, MI
- Jaquish: Aleshia Ocasio, P
- Mulipola: Haylie McCleney, OF
- Harshman: Sydney Romero, MI
Round Three
- Harshman: Taylor McQuillin, P
- Mulipola: Amanda Chidester, CI
- Jaquish: Bubba Nickles, OF
- Eberle: Morgan Zerkle, OF
Round Four
- Eberle: Victoria Hayward, OF
- Jaquish: Gwen Svekis, C
- Mulipola: Erika Piancastelli, C
- Harshman: Megan Wiggins, OF
Round Five
- Harshman: Taylor Edwards, C
- Mulipola: Peyton St. George, P
- Jaquish: Sara Groenewegen, P
- Eberle: Shannon Rhodes, OF
Round Six
- Eberle: Mariah Mazon, P
- Jaquish: Jazmyn Jackson, OF
- Mulipola: Sis Bates, MI
- Harshman: Aliyah Andrews, OF
Round Seven
- Harshman: Tori Vidales, CI
- Mulipola: Sam Fischer, CI
- Jaquish: Janae Jefferson, MI
- Eberle: Sydney Sherrill, CI
Round Eight
- Eberle: Alyssa Denham, P
- Jaquish: Haylie Wagner, P
- Mulipola: Odicci Alexander, P
- Harshman: Shannon Saile P
Round Nine
- Harshman: Hayley Busby, CI
- Mulipola: Aubrey Leach, MI
- Jaquish: Andrea Filler, MI
- Eberle: Lilli Piper, CI
Round 10
- Eberle: Sashel Palacios, C
- Jaquish: Amanda Lorenz, OF
- Mulipola: Kiki Stokes-O’Connor, OF
- Harshman: Caleigh Clifton, Mi
Round 11
- Harshman: Danielle Watson, P
- Mulipola: Sydney Littlejohn Watkins, P
- Jaquish: Danielle Gibson, CI
- Eberle: Mia Davidson, C
Round 12
- Eberle: Alysen Febrey, CI
- Jaquish: DJ Sanders, CI
- Mulipola: Nadia Taylor, CI
- Harshman: Rachel Lewis, OF
Round 13
- Harshman: Courtney Gano, CI
- Mulipola: Abby Ramirez, MI
- Jaquish: Maggie Balint, P
- Eberle: Rylee Bayless, MI
Round 14
- Eberle: Greta Cecchetti, P
- Jaquish: Aly Harrell, CI
- Mulipioa: Nicole Rangel-Mendes, OF
- Harshman: Jordan Roberts, C