April 16 (UPI) -- Former Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng was named commissioner of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, the league announced Wednesday.
Ng joined the league last summer as a senior adviser responsible for developing the new professional softball league. At least four teams will compete during a 12-city, 24-game league debut tour from June 7 to July 23.
"Softball was my first love growing up, so it's both gratifying and humbling to be given this responsibility at such a pivotal moment for the sport," Ng said in a news release.
"I'm grateful to everyone at Athletes Unlimited and across the softball community for welcoming me with open arms, and look forward to rewarding the faith they've placed in me by doing everything I can to ensure the AUSL lives up to its promise to grow this sport at the professional level in the U.S. to new heights."
The AUSL will become a city-based league in 2026 after the touring campaign in 2025. ESPN will air at least 18 games on its platforms this season.
"Kim's intellect, experience, and connection to players and business leaders alike clearly make her uniquely qualified for this role, and the way she has galvanized and inspired the entire softball community behind the AUSL over the past year has been remarkable," Athletes Unlimited CEO and co-founder Jon Patricof said.
"The AUSL marks a bold new step forward for softball, and under Kim's leadership, we are confident it will soon join the ranks of the leading pro sports leagues."
Ng played softball at the University of Chicago. She went on to spend nine years as senior vice president of baseball operations for MLB. Ng also worked for the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. She served as an assistant general manager for the Yankees and Dodgers.
The Marlins hired Ng as the first female general manager in MLB history in 2020. The Marlins announced in 2023 that Ng declined her contract option for the 2024 campaign and would not return.
The Marlins went 31-29 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. They were 67-95 in 2021 and 69-93 in 2022. They went 84-78 en route to a third-place division finish and playoff berth in 2023.
Ng will report to Patricof, fellow AUSL co-founder Jonathan Soros and the Athletes Unlimited Board of Directors.
The inaugural 2025 AUSL Draft was held Jan. 29. The Bandits selected Oklahoma State pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl with the No. 1 overall pic. The Blaze picked LSU pitcher Carley Hoover at No. 2 overall. The Talons and Volts, who owned the other two first-round picks, respectively selected UCLA pitchers Megan Faraimo and Rachel Garcia.
The Talons also picked former UCLA star Maya Brady, the niece of NFL legend Tom Brady, in the fifth round.
The AUSL Championship will be held July 26 to 28 at the University of Alabama's Rhoads Stadium. Following that best-of-three series, 60 players will compete in August for an individual title in the AUSL All-Star Cup.
