OKLAHOMA CITY (June 25, 2024) — Members of the U-18 Women’s National Team (WNT) have arrived in Oklahoma City for a series of training sessions and exhibition matchups in preparation for the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Cup Group Stage later this year. Held at Devon Park, the Eagles will take part in a series of workouts, practice sessions and simulated game situations June 25-28 before taking on local collegiate athletes in a pair of exhibition matchups slated for June 29-30.
“I’m looking forward to a week of uniting and educating the U-18 WNT into the USA Softball traditions and expectations,” said U-18 WNT head coach, Kyla Holas. “This is the first camp we have had since I have been a part of the junior program and I think this week together will be a difference maker in how we come together for our upcoming event in September,” she added. “I am thankful to USA Softball, Coach Tarr and Kelly Kretschman for the opportunity to work with and learn from the best.”
Capping this week’s training sessions, the U-18 WNT will kick off the exhibition action on Saturday, June 29 at 1 p.m. CT followed by another matchup on Sunday, June 30 at 2 p.m. CT. The U.S. Women’s Elite Team and Women’s National Team will also participate in training and exhibition contests that will feature matchups against the Great Britain Women’s National Team and the Oklahoma City Spark.
Click here to view the full schedule, roster, stats and streaming info »
Previously announced by USA Softball, the 16-player U-18 WNT roster marks the first of its age division to be selected from the High Performance Program. Dubbed the “Pipeline to the WNT program,” the selected athletes worked their way through identifiers on the local and national level to represent the Red, White and Blue. Representing 11 different states and eight USA Softball regions, Texas (Region 5) leads the pack with five athletes while Arizona (Region 10) stands out with two, followed by California (Region 10), Florida (Region 3), Kentucky (Region 6), Louisiana (Region 4), Oklahoma (Region 5), Oregon (Region 9), Pennsylvania (Region 1), Tennessee (Region 3), and Wisconsin (Region 8), each represented by one athlete. For those looking to learn more about the HPP or get involved, please visit USASoftball.com.
Following the conclusion of training camp and exhibition contests, the U-18 WNT is set to take on the international competition in Dallas, Texas for the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage event – the first in its history to be played under the new two-stage format where the Group Stage and the Finals will be held in consecutive years. As the host nation, the world-ranked No. 1 Team USA has secured an automatic bid in its respective group event, which will be held August 29 – September 2. Leading the U-18 WNT is head coach Kyla Holas, who previously led the U-15 WNT to three gold medals in the 2023 season — including a standout 7-1 performance at the WBSC U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup, securing the top spot on the podium for the Eagles.
Click here to view the WBSC World Cup Group Stage Event details »
To learn more about the USA Softball Women’s National Team program, visit USASoftball.com.