As the second season of AUSL gets underway in June, a head coaching vacancy was filled on Monday. The Utah Talons hired University of Central Florida (UCF) softball coach Cindy Ball-Malone as their head coach. Ball-Malone succeeds Howard Dobson, who led the Talons to the first-ever AUSL Championship.
For Ball-Malone, she brings plenty of experience to the role as she’s led the Golden Knights to new heights in her seven seasons. UCF won 49 games in 2022 while taking home the Extra Innings Softball National Coach of the Year. It marked the final season in the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
What’s more, Ball-Malone led the school to their fifth straight NCAA Tournament berth in 2025, going 35-24-1. Overall, she holds a 251-129-3 record with UCF with almost 400 wins as a Division I head coach.
She was named as an assistant coach for the USA National Team at the World Games and Canada Cup in the summer of 2022. The USA team won the gold medal at those World Games.
Needless to say, Ball-Malone is excited to lead the defending AUSL Champions:
“I’m honored to join the Utah Talons and be part of the AUSL. This is an exciting time for professional softball, and I’m looking forward to working with such a talented group of athletes.”
We are thrilled to announce that @CoachBallMalone is the new head coach of the Talons! 🦅
— Utah Talons | AUSL (@AUSL_Talons) March 30, 2026
Read more 👉 https://t.co/FJ5jARkwPG
📸 @UCFKnights pic.twitter.com/6Oq4sYXipo
The roster possess no shortage of talent on this Talons roster looking to repeat as champions.
Utah Talons Roster Ahead of AUSL College Draft
Before the AUSL College Draft in May, the Talons roster is as good as it gets. Firstly, having pitchers Megan Faraimo, Georgina Corrick, and Montana Fouts does not hurt. All three right-handers finished last season in the top 10 in strikeouts as Corrick and Fouts placed in the top three in ERA. Shifting to the offense, outfielders Caroline Jacobsen and Jadelyn Allchin delivered in 2025.
Jacobsen was fourth in the AUSL in hits (29) and top 10 in RBIs (18) and batting average (.380). For Allchin, her .483 On-Base Percentage (OBP) was the fourth best and .580 Slugging Percentage was in the top 10. Next, infielder Hannah Flippen was tied for fourth in RBIs (20) and runs (17).
The Talons title defense starts at Dumke Family Softball Stadium on June 9 versus the Chicago Bandits.
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