OKLAHOMA CITY — Following a successful 2026 campaign thus far, the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) looks to continue its dominance on the international stage with a 16-player roster set to compete in the 2026 Japan All-Star Series. Slated to take place Nov. 19-22, the selected athletes will go head-to-head with world-ranked No. 1 Japan in a three-game series held across two Japanese cities — Nagoya (Vantelin Dome) and Naha (Okinawa Cellular Stadium).
Click here to see athletes named to the 2026 Japan All-Star Series roster »
The 2026 Japan All-Star Series roster features a mix of veteran talent and fresh faces, including seven athletes who recently competed at the 2026 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Cup Group C Stage Event in Oklahoma City, where world-ranked No. 2 Team USA punched its ticket to the 2027 WBSC World Cup Finals. Additionally, six athletes from the WNT Athlete Pool that competed at the 2026 International Cup return to the international stage, including five members of the Women’s Elite Team and one WNT athlete.
Three athletes have been added to the WNT Athlete Pool ahead of the Japan All-Star Series, including Kenzie Brown (Arizona State), Sydney Romero (Oklahoma) and Sami Williams (Iowa State). Brown and Williams will rep the Red, White and Blue for the first time in their careers, while Romero returns to Team USA after previously competing with the 2015 Junior Women’s National Team.
With two current and 14 former NCAA Division I student-athletes, the Japan All-Star Series roster includes talent from across the country with 10 universities and four athletic conferences represented – including the Big 12 (three athletes), Big Ten (three athletes), SEC (nine athletes) and Sun Belt (one athlete). Oklahoma leads all universities with four athletes on the roster, followed by UCLA with three and Florida with two. Also represented is Arizona State, Iowa State, Kentucky, Marshall, Tennessee, Texas and Texas Tech.
Once again leading the U.S. on the international stage, head coach Patty Gasso looks to guide the Eagles in the three-game series. Alongside Coach Gasso in Japan will be assistant coaches Trisha Ford (Texas A&M), Lincoln Martin and Jennifer McFalls (Kansas).
The Japan All-Star Series has provided an exciting experience for softball fans since its inception in 2016 where over 31,000 fans packed the Tokyo Dome while 2017 saw 15,000 fans in the stands at Yokohama Stadium.
Click here for more information on the 2026 Japan All-Star Series »
Selected from the WNT athlete pool, the Women’s National Team Selection Committee (WNTSC) formed the roster based on previous and ongoing evaluations at the collegiate and professional levels as well as USA Softball National Team events. Additional events in which the WNT participates will be selected based on the need for further evaluation of athletes in international competition.
Follow along with the U.S. Women’s National Team at USASoftball.com.