USA Softball announces creation of Women’s Slow Pitch National Team which will compete during Border Battle IX
OKLAHOMA CITY — USA Softball announced today the addition of women’s slow pitch exhibition games during the highly popular Border Battle IX. With the new division of play added to the three-day event, USA Softball has also announced the inaugural 15-athlete roster for the USA Softball Women’s Slow Pitch National Team (WSPNT), which will compete against Canada’s Women’s Slow Pitch National Team.
“With the success of our Slow Pitch National Teams and the popularity of Border Battle, we’re excited to provide our women’s slow pitch division the opportunity to compete on the international stage,” said USA Softball Event Manager, Rich Cress. “Since the creation of the event in 2009, we’ve seen the growth from a single exhibition game between Team USA and Team Canada to a series of contests that now includes the USA Softball Men’s Futures Slow Pitch National Team and USA Softball-affiliated teams in the upper divisions of adult slow pitch. We’re excited for the opportunity to promote our upper level of women’s slow pitch softball and see these athletes compete for the first time in the Red, White and Blue.”
Click here to see the inaugural roster for the USA Softball WSPNT
"The women chosen for this inaugural women’s Border Battle represent everything that is great about this sport; passion, dedication, sacrifice and class,” said team member Christan Dowling. “Being selected to represent your country means these women have blazed a trail to success, showing that we can all reach for more. I am honored to represent my country and share the field with these amazing women."
Slated to be held June 30 to July 2, this inaugural event will offer softball fans an opportunity to see high-level, international slow pitch competition. The roster, which is comprised of members of the 2016 USA Softball Women’s Open Slow Pitch National Championship Team Derby Girls/OA/Easton, includes athletes from 11 different states who have earned numerous USA Softball National Championships and individual tournament accolades. The Derby Girls have claimed three of the last five USA Softball Women’s Open Slow Pitch National Championships, while Dowling has claimed Batting Champion (2012, 2014) and Home Run Champion (2014, 2015, 2016).
“To be able to represent your country while doing something you love is the greatest honor of all,” said Laura Harms. “I am so grateful to be surrounded by an amazing group of teammates, coaches, and people that have made all of this possible! I can't wait to wear the Red, White, and Blue!”
Fellow USA Softball WSPNT teammate Stefanie Watt echoed those sentiments, “This is truly an honor and a privilege to be selected to play for Team USA in the Border Battle event. It has always been a dream to play for Team USA and this event will allow younger girls and women to have a goal to aspire to beyond their wildest dreams. Being able to play for Team USA is without a doubt one memory I will cherish and will never forget. The chance to play with and against the best athletes from the USA and from Canada is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
The complete schedule for Border Battle, including the roster for the USA Softball MSPNT and Futures Slow Pitch National Team, will be announced at a later date. All-session tickets for Border Battle and the World Cup of Softball XII are also on sale, and can be found at USASoftball.com.
About USA Softball
USA Softball 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 Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 70 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 150,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2 million. USA Softball 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. USA Softball annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships. The USA Softball 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, USA Softball 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 USA Softball, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com.
