When Jennie Finch says, “we’re watching our dreams come to fruition,” it carries the perspective of someone who helped define an earlier era of professional softball. Finch joined the Chicago Bandits in 2005 for the franchise’s inaugural season in National Pro Fastpitch, fresh off winning Olympic gold with Team USA in 2004. She played professionally with the Bandits through 2010. The original Bandits continued competing through 2019 before NPF suspended operations in 2021. Now, more than 20 years after Finch first suited up for Chicago, the Bandits name is back through AUSL, and Finch is watching a new chapter of professional softball unfold. During the AUSL All-Star Cup broadcast, Finch spoke about the emotion of seeing where softball is today, from the growth of the college game to the opportunities being created professionally. She also pointed to AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng, saying the chance to work alongside her has been “truly a dream.” For Finch, one of the clearest signs of...