KC Diamonds near the end of first pro softball season
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Rounding the bases for the home stretch. Photo: Courtesy of KC Diamonds
The KC Diamonds debuted last summer as an exhibition team on a borrowed field. One year later, they have one of the best records in the nation's new Professional Softball League.
Why it matters: The metro has long been a youth softball hot spot, and now local players can aspire to a successful hometown team.
Catch up quick: The Diamonds began in June 2025 as a college exhibition squad assembled for the first KC Pro Softball Series.
- Royals fan favorite Billy Butler and Olympic pitching legend Monica Abbott, a Kansas native, coached that first roster of top college juniors and seniors.
- Organizer Jeremy McDowell described the series as a proof of concept for professional softball in Kansas City.
The team turned pro in December, when it joined six other clubs to found the Professional Softball League with McDowell as general manager.
- The Diamonds now play a 39-game season at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas, sharing the ballpark with the Monarchs.
Zoom in: A new league only works if real talent signs up.
- Outfielder Cori McMillan led the nation with 31 home runs at Virginia Tech last spring, and she's batting a .400 for Kansas City this summer.
- Pitcher Hope Valdespino threw the only perfect game in NCAA Division I history, where all 21 outs came by strikeout, and then won a national championship at Oklahoma.
- See the full roster here.
By the numbers: The Diamonds had won 20 games and lost just six through mid-July, with a 0.741 win-loss percentage second to the Atlanta Smoke.
- Five of KC's everyday players are batting over .370.
How to watch: The Diamonds play the Florida Vibe tonight at 6:35pm.
- The team opens its final home stand Thursday against Atlanta, with games through Saturday.
- Tickets start at $18.
- Every game streams on the All Women's Sports Network via Amazon Prime, Pluto TV and DirecTV.
What's next: The six-team league will play a postseason tournament Aug. 5–8 at Roberts Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.