New Women’s Professional Fastpitch team the Texas Smoke is headed to Austin

Austinites will soon be able to cheer for a new pro sports team. 🥎

Yesterday, it was announced that the Texas Smoke, a Women’s Professional Fastpitch team, is currently being formed.

Here’s everything we know:

The crew

The team is founded by former Cincinnati Reds player and MLB Hall of Famer Brandon Phillips and entrepreneur Jade Cargill.

• Head coach: Tori Tyson, currently head coach of Howard University Softball
• Players include:
  
  • UT softball star Janae Jefferson
  • ASU player Morgan Howe
  • Puerto Rico National Team medalist Alyssa Rivera
  • See the full roster.
• General manager: Eric Mays

The season

The Texas Smoke is the fourth franchise in Women’s Professional Fastpitch. The teams’ values are oriented around supporting women’s sports and building community. (Fun fact: the name “Texas Smoke” comes from a legendary defense of Austin in the 1840s.)

The season opens on Thursday, June 15.