Schedule set for 2020 U.S. Olympic Softball Team Selection Trials
Release, Photo, and Video from USA Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY – USA Softball announced today the schedule for the 2020 USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) Olympic Selection Trials, which will be held October 2-6, 2019 at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex (2801 NE 50th Street, Oklahoma City, Okla. 73111). As the home of USA Softball, this marks the first Olympic Games selection trials for a USA Softball WNT roster since the 2008 Beijing Olympics – the last Olympic Games the sport of softball participated in.
“What better place to hold the 2020 Women’s National Team Selection Trials than the home of USA Softball, the Softball Capital of the World®,” said USA Softball Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Craig Cress when Oklahoma City was announced as the host of the 2020 Selection Trials. “With over 30 years of history hosting the best-of-the-best in softball at all levels, we’re looking forward to adding Olympic Games Selection Trials to the list of world-class events held at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex. We look forward to watching the athletes compete and give it their all for a chance to represent the United States at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”
Click here to see the schedule of events for the 2020 USA Softball WNT Olympic Selection Trials
A list of invited athletes for the 2020 USA Softball WNT Olympic Selection Trials was announced in August, which includes a list of 29 athletes vying for a spot on the 15-player roster and three replacement athlete roles. Highlighting the list of invitees are two Olympic Medalists: Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) and Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas). In addition to Abbott and Osterman, 14 members of the 2018 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Championship team, who helped the U.S. capture back-to-back titles and qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, will participate at the 2020 Selection Trials.
Comprising the 2019 WNT Olympic Selection Trials invitee list includes present or former student athletes from four athletic conferences: Big 10 (two), Big 12 (four), SEC (10) and Pac-12 (13) who represent 14 NCAA Division I universities. Of the athletes invited, 10 athletes have won one or more NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS) National Championships with their respective university, while four have garnered USA Softball Player of the Year honors at least once during their career.
The roster for the 2020 USA Softball WNT will be announced at the conclusion of the Selection Trials and a press conference featuring the 2020 roster will be held on the morning of October 8. Following Selection Trials, the team will participate in the “Stand Beside Her” tour, a series of competitions and training opportunities as the team preps for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, slated for July 22-28 in Fukushima and Yokohama, Japan.
During the selection process, athletes will participate in position drills as well as simulated games and be evaluated by the USA Softball Women’s National Team Selection Committee (WNTSC) in accordance with the Athlete Selection Procedures approved by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Those Selection Procedures are available for viewing at USASoftball.com.
Ken Eriksen (Tampa, Fla./Head Coach at South Florida) was announced as the Head Coach for the Tokyo 2020 U.S. Olympic Softball Team pending approval by the USPOC.
The Selection Trials are open to the public with free admission.
Media wishing to attend the 2020 WNT Selection Trials are required to abide by USA Softball’s Accreditation and Media Policies, which can be found at USASoftball.com.
About USA Softball
USA Softball (USAS) is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USAS sanctions competition through a network of Local Associations, which includes all 50 states and select metro associations. USAS is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch. USAS annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships. The USAS umpire program is among the nation’s largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game.
As the NGB for the sport of softball, USAS is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USAS, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com.
