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Jan 29, 2025

Jacobsen, Clark Drafted in Inaugural AUSL Draft

CLEMSON, S.C. – Former Clemson Softball standouts Caroline Jacobsen and McKenzie Clark were selected in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft on Wednesday evening. Jacobsen (outfield – 2023) was drafted by the Talons in the 10th round as the 38th overall pick, while Clark (outfield – 2024) was picked up by the Volts in the 11th round as the 42nd overall pick.

Both are familiar with the Athletes Unlimited (AU) system after Jacobsen spent the 2023 and 2024 summers with the league, and Clark competed in both the 2024 AUX and AU Championship seasons.

Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) is a professional women’s softball league operating in a traditional format. In its inaugural year, the league will feature four teams competing in a 30-game season with games in 6-8 different cities. The AUSL will become a city-based league beginning in 2026. Fans can view the complete 2025 AUSL draft results here.

The league will have two parts: the regular season and the All-Star Cup. In 2025, a team champion will be awarded following the regular season, while individual champions will be crowned following the All-Star Cup (similar to the AU system in previous years). It serves as a new opportunity for the world’s best players to compete. Athletes Unlimited originally launched in 2020 with its first AU Pro Softball Championship Season, later adding AU Pro Softball AUX for an additional two-week softball season based on individual player points.

In her lone season as a Tiger, Jacobsen garnered Third Team All-ACC honors after starting in 61 games. She posted a .309 average with a .596 slugging percentage and .389 on-base percentage. She scored 40 runs and tallied 50 RBIs after racking up 55 hits, including 15 doubles and 12 home runs.

In her first year of professional softball with AU in 2023, Jacobsen finished 19th with 1,308 leaderboard points and was one of three rookies to be named to the AU Pro Softball All-Defensive Team. She recorded seven hits, including three doubles and a home run in her rookie season. The Tallahassee, Florida native holds 16 hits and seven RBIs across her two seasons with a .385 slugging percentage.

After starting all four seasons in centerfield for the Tigers, Clark is a two-time NFCA All-Region Southeast selection and garnered three All-ACC selections including one first team and two second team nods. She holds Clemson career records in runs scored (198), stolen bases (46), triples (13), hit by pitch (29) and sac flies (11). The Myakka City, Florida native finished her senior season with a career-high .365 average, .477 on-base percentage and .641 slugging percentage. She concluded her career with a .345 average over the course of 226 games with 240 hits, 142 RBIs and 44 home runs.

In her first year of professional softball with AU in 2024, Clark finished with a .238 batting average, .292 on-base percentage and .476 slugging percentage with three RBIs. Coming up clutch in the outfield, she tallied more than one diving catch in the outfield to save potential runs being scored against her team.

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