Odicci Alexander crowned 2023 Athletes Unlimited Softball Champion

Her season is storied by contributing winning teams and putting them together herself as a captain. She dominated the leaderboard category with 79 inning wins and a 12-3 record for 1,390 overall win points. It made up nearly 70% of her total leaderboard points. She finished with 1,994 points overall to earn her first place on the season. In the circle, she had a 2.15 ERA with 42 strikeouts. 

Physically, Alexander will tell you not much has changed about her. She’s stuck to her “bread and butter” – her rise ball and change-up. It’s mentally where she put in the work: trusting in her faith, journaling, building her confidence, and staying true to herself.

“What a ride, what a season,” Alexander said. “I feel like this is the best I felt mentally, so I’m super proud of me, but I’m honestly super proud of every single one of these girls out here and just what they do for the game and continue to help this game grow.

“I’m grateful, I’m blessed, and I’m just honestly grateful for the opportunity to be here. One of 60 to step on this field.”

Alexander was part of a whirlwind run with James Madison University at the 2021 Women’s College World Series but the team’s Cinderella story eventually came to an end. But this 2023 Champion title is hers. She took over the No. 1 spot on the leaderboard and captainship of the gold team in Week Four and never let up.

Finishing as the 2nd-place medalist is Alyssa Denham (1,980 points). In all four Championship seasons of Athletes Unlimited Softball, no one has ever repeated as a medalist until Denham. She clawed her way up the leaderboard all season, propelled by her 41.0 innings pitched and league-best 1.51 ERA. In the stat point category, she finished third out of sixty athletes with 410 accumulated from her outings in the circle. 

Danielle Gibson (1,822 points) hit her way up the leaderboard this year to a 3rd-place medal. Gibson finished with one of the best batting averages in the league (.395) and the best slugging percentage (.721). She had 17 hits, including five doubles, three home runs, and 8 walks.

Rachel Garcia (1,760 points) has also collected the hardware this summer. After winning AUX, she now has a 4th-place medal from this 2023 Championship Season. No one threw more innings (54) or amassed more stat points (800) than Garcia. Her abilities as a two-way player made her insurmountable in the category. She led the league not only in strikeouts with 66 but home runs as well with five in 40 at-bats. Her .675 slugging percentage was second-best in the league behind Gibson. She also led the league in MVP points (280) through her prowess in pitching and timely hitting. 

Faraimo, Warren Receive Awards

Megan Faraimo was named the Rookie of the Year after a breakout performance this summer. She’ll forever be in the record books for throwing the second no-hitter in league history on Aug. 6 in against Team Zerkle. She ends the season with a 3-3 record, 2.87 ERA, and 46 strikeouts.

Rounding out the award recipients is Jessi Warren, who put her dazzling defense on display all summer. After being selected by players, facilitators, and members of the Unlimited Club as the Defensive MVP of the AUX season, she took the title home again at Championship Season winning Defensive Player of the Year. She commanded the hot corner for all 15 games making plays that wowed the stadium and left you wondering, “How did she do that?” She posted a .933 fielding percentage at third base this season.

Warren was joined on the league’s All-Defensive Team by Faraimo, corner infielder Delanie Wisz, middle infielders Sis Bates and Josie Muffley, catcher Gwen Svekis, outfielders Bubba Nickles, Haylie McCleney and Caroline Jacobsen, and utility player Hannah Flippen.

To commemorate her victory, Alexander will receive a medal designed and hand-fabricated by Lisa Issenberg, founder of Kiitellä, inc., and her name will be inscribed into the Book of Unlimited. Athletes Unlimited will also commission a portrait of Alexander for its Champions Collection, which features emerging artists whose work and approach speaks to the mission and values of Athletes Unlimited. The portrait will be created by Kayla Mahaffey, a local artist born and raised on the south side of Chicago.

“Congratulations to Odicci Alexander on becoming our 2023 Athletes Unlimited Softball Champion, to Jessi Warren for winning the Defensive Player of the Year award and to Megan Faraimo for being named Rookie of the Year,” said Athletes Unlimited Senior Vice President and Director of Sport for Softball Cheri Kempf. “The fan support – both on the ground in Chicago and through social media – continues to reach new heights, and I can’t thank our incredible athletes and amazing partners at ESPN enough for all of their support.”

Savanna Collins is the Digital Media Reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Twitter @savannaecollins.