Zabala Drafted to New Pro League -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Alyssa Zabala Returns Home with Florida Vibe

Alyssa Zabala was a star for Louisville softball, regardless of how the seasons turned out. Smiley, as some often called her due to her constant toothy grin regardless of the situation, was a stalwart starter for the Cards and finished her career with 56 wins and a 3.45 career ERA. She threw 23 complete games, had seven shutouts, and earned 375 strikeouts in 556.1 innings pitched. She was Louisville's ace pretty much from the moment she stepped on campus, and some of her negative numbers were perhaps a product of her being utilized in a way that she wasn't quite fit for. Nevertheless, Alyssa Zabala should be remembered fondly in the annals of Cardinal history. 

Her career isn't over, though. Zabala was drafted by the Florida Vibe, which is one of four inaugural teams in the Professional Softball League. (No one is winning major awards for some of these startup league names, I'll tell you that, but that's beside the point.) The Vibe are joined by the Atlanta Smoke, Kansas City Diamonds, and Florida Breeze as the original full time teams. Since there are two Florida-based teams and the one that drafted Zabala is called Vibe, I'd guess it's safe to say that one is based in Miami, not least because that's where Zabala is originally from. 

The four primary teams will play a full season in 2026, which is the first season of this new league. The teams will play dozens of games in June and July, with a league tournament scheduled for early August. They'll travel throughout Florida and the southeast, along with KC, and one game is even listed with Puerto Rico as the location. The teams will head to a couple of other destinations, though, as there will also be games against some of next season's full-time teams. Already on the docket are the NY Rise and Chattanooga Chill, and there are other teams yet to be announced. 

Professional women's sports are definitely on the rise. With the NBA finally realizing it can make money by boosting the W, and the NWSL drawing more and more eyes, the other sports are starting to catch on as well. Volleyball is seemingly popular enough to maintain competing leagues, and the fact that baseball seems to be having a moment in popularity will surely help the softball scene. We'll see if any other Cardinal names pop up in this new league and let you know. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case