USA Softball, headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, kicks off its 2020 USA Softball Girls’ 16-Under and 18-Under GOLD National Championships today and, as announced in a release issued on Sunday, these two top-notch youth tournaments are a part of USA Softball’s Junior Olympic (JO) play and the culmination of a season’s worth of preparation.
Scheduled to run from July 20-25, both tournaments return to Oklahoma for the first time since 2016 as the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex has undergone extensive renovations the previous three years. Extra Inning Softball will be covering the event daily.
Games for the 18-Under division will be played primarily at the USA Hall of Fame Complex (2801 NE 50th Street, Oklahoma City, Okla., 73111), also known as the Softball Capital of the World, while additional games will be played at Wildhorse Park (1201 N Mustang Rd., Mustang, Okla., 73064) and Bouse Sports Complex (1333 N Indian Meridian Rd., Choctaw, Okla., 73020).
The 16U GOLD division will be played at Arrowhead Park (300 E. Washington Street, Broken Arrow, Okla., 74012) in Broken Arrow, Okla.
Click HERE to see the list of the 18U and 16U teams participating
Participating teams earned a berth to the GOLD National Championship through a network of qualifying tournaments and through berths awarded by USA Softball’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The elite event for USA Softball’s JO Championship play, 42 teams are set to participate in the 16-Under division while 71 teams will battle their way through the 18-Under division. Both divisions will participate in pool play Monday and Tuesday before competing in double-elimination bracket play, which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday for the 16-Under division and on Tuesday for the 18-Under division.
The Championship contests will take place on Saturday, July 25 with the 16-Under division taking place at 11 a.m. CT and the “if-necessary” game at 1 p.m. CT. The 18-Under division will crown a champion at 12 p.m. CT with the “if-necessary” game at 2 p.m. CT.
Click HERE to see live stats and live streaming all week long at USASoftball.com.
Additionally, all USA Softball staff and personnel at the 18 GOLD will be wearing face masks when interacting with teams, umpires and spectators due to Oklahoma City Council‘s recent vote to approve an emergency public safety ordinance requiring face coverings in indoor public places throughout Oklahoma City. Click here to read more about the proclamation.
We're excited to welcome teams, umpires, participants and fans to the 2020 GOLD National Championships! #GOLDNationals
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📊 + 💻 » https://t.co/fx8W4m1djh pic.twitter.com/W0LAQRYI2y— USA Softball (@USASoftball) July 19, 2020
