USA Softball announces 16-player collegiate roster set to compete in 2023 Japan All-Star Series

OKLAHOMA CITY – Following the conclusion of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Fast Pitch Camp and NCAA Division I softball season, USA Softball revealed today a 16-player Women’s National Team (WNT) roster consisting of athletes from the collegiate level that will compete at the 2023 Japan All-Star Series. Slated to take place August 4-7, the selected athletes will go head-to-head with world-ranked No. 2 Japan in a three-game series held across three cities in Japan – Fukushima (Azuma Stadium – Tokyo Olympic Games softball venue), Iwakuni (Kizuma Stadium – host of WNT pre-Olympic training) and Yokohama (Yokohama Stadium – Tokyo Olympic Games softball venue). The Japan All-Star Series squad marks the second WNT roster set to compete during the 2023 season in addition to the previously announced World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Cup roster slated to represent the U.S. in Dublin, Ireland in July. 

At the helm of the Japan All-Star Series roster will be John Rittman (Clemson Head Coach) who enters his first season as head coach for the WNT after previously serving as an assistant coach for various seasons where he helped lead the Eagles to three WBSC World Championship gold medals (2002, 2006, 2016), two Pan American Games gold medals (2003, 2007) and two Olympic medals (2004 – gold, 2008 – silver). Joining Rittman for his first stint on a WNT coaching staff is Mike Roberts (Virginia Associate Head Coach) while Brian Kolze (Pacific Head Coach) and Chris Malveaux (Tennessee Assistant Coach) return as assistant coaches following the 2022 season.

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to represent our country alongside such a talented group of women at the Japan All-Star Series,” said Rittman. “We are going to compete at the highest level and have a lot of fun while doing so.”

Representing 12 NCAA Division I universities and five athletic conferences (AAC – 1, ACC – 1, Big 12 – 4, Pac-12 – 5, SEC – 5), the Japan All-Star Series roster highlights top collegiate athletes from across the country with the back-to-back National Champions – Oklahoma Sooners – tabbing three athletes to the roster, followed by Stanford and UCLA with two athletes apiece. Also represented with one athlete on the squad is Arkansas, Clemson, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, Texas, UCF and Washington.

The 16-player squad includes seven veterans from former Team USA rosters – four of which will make their debut on a WNT roster after leading the JWNT to gold at the 2021 U-18 WBSC World Championship. Also highlighting the squad are nine rookies who will represent the Red, White and Blue for the first time in their careers.

Click here to view the complete 2023 U.S. Women’s National Team Japan All-Star Series roster »

Athletes were selected by the Women’s National Team Selection Committee (WNTSC) based on previous and ongoing evaluations at the collegiate levels as well as USA Softball National Team events, trials and camps. Additional rosters for the 2023 season will be announced later this year.

Follow along with the USA Softball National Teams at USASoftball.com.