International News: U.S. Women’s National Team Adds 6 Players for Japan All-Star Series in Two Weeks (August 6-7, 2022)

USA Softball has announced the addition of six athletes who are joining the 2022 U.S Women’s National Team (WNT) Japan All-Star Series roster scheduled to take on the Japan National Team in a three-game series in two weeks–August 6-9 in Fukushima/Yokohama, Japan.

Representing the U.S. for the first time in their careers, 2022 NCAA Softball National Champion Grace Lyons (Oklahoma) and American Athletic Conference (AAC) standouts Jada Cody (UCF) and Sydney McKinney (Wichita State) will join the Japan All-Star Series roster in addition to Kayla Kowalik and Kiki Milloy who helped lead Team USA to a gold medal finish at the Canada Cup earlier this summer.

Also taking the field with the U.S. will be Oklahoma State’s Kelly Maxwell who played a key role in Team USA’s exhibition contests ahead of the 2022 World Games, which resulted in another gold medal finish for the Red, White and Blue.

A 15-player roster that includes only one Team USA veteran, a total of six athletes will wear the Red, White and Blue for the first time in their careers in addition to one member from the Tokyo 2020 roster, five members from the Canada Cup roster and three members from the World Games roster.

Loaded with 14 student-athletes from the 2022 season and one former student athlete, members of the Japan All-Star Series roster highlight five athletic conferences:

• Pac-12 (five athletes)
• Big 12 (five athletes)
• AAC (two athletes)
• SEC (two athletes)
• ACC (one athlete)

𝐆𝟑 ➡️ @USASoftballWNT 🇺🇲

Grace Lyons named to USA Softball Women's National Team roster for the upcoming Japan All-Star Series!

» https://t.co/RsQExQU9NC | #ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/YdSGjly6Cf

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) July 21, 2022

The players represent 10 NCAA Division I universities with Oklahoma tallying four athletes followed by UCLA with three athletes and Arizona, Central Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wichita State each represented by one athlete apiece.

Following a series of practice sessions August 2-5, the world-ranked No. 1 Team USA and No. 2 Japan will kick off the three-game series on Saturday, August 6 at 7 p.m. Japan Time followed by a 2 p.m. contest on Sunday, August 7 and a 7 p.m. series cap on Monday, August 8.

Live stats and streaming will be announced soon.

As previously announced, Head Coach Heather Tarr (Head Coach at Washington) will lead the Red, White and Blue alongside assistant coaches Chris Malveaux (Assistant Coach at Tennessee) and Mike Steuerwald (Head Coach at Gaston College).

The roster is expected to consist of the following 15 players (listed by last name with their positions and universities they attended or are currently attending):

• OF Maya Brady (UCLA)
• P Ally Carda (UCLA)
• C/IF Jada Cody (UCF)
• OF Jayda Coleman (Oklahoma)
• P Megan Faraimo (UCLA)
• C Kinzie Hansen (Oklahoma)
• IF Tiare Jennings (Oklahoma)
• IF Baylee Klingler (Washington)
• C/OF Kayla Kowalik (Kentucky)
• IF Grace Lyons (Oklahoma)
• OF Kiki Malloy (Tennessee)
• P Kelly Maxwell (Oklahoma State)
• IF Sydney McKinney (Wichita State)
• C Sharlize Palacious (Arizona)
• P Kathryn Sandercock (Florida State)