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The U-15 U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT) has arrived in Takasaki City, Japan ahead of the first edition of the Utsugi Cup set to take place June 3-4.
The 16-player roster will compete in its first game Saturday, June 3 at 9 p.m. CT (11 am JST/9 pm CT) against Italy (see the complete schedule below) followed by a game with China (3 pm JST/1 am CT).
The tournament serves as a training event for the Eagles as preparations continue for the inaugural World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup slated for October.
Named in honor of Olympian and former Japan women’s national team manager, Taeko Utsugi, the Red, White and Blue will compete alongside top international opponents during the two-day event.
With six countries drawn into two groups, Team USA will battle it out in Group A alongside Italy and China while Japan, Mexico and Tanzania will compete in Group B.
Group A: China, Italy, United States
Group B: Japan, Mexico, Tanzania
Following group play, the first-place teams from each group will face off to crown a Utsugi Cup champion, while second and third place teams from each group will compete for their respective placements on Sunday, June 4.
Fans can follow along throughout the two-day event via live stats available through GameChanger.
*** Click HERE to see the members of Team USA
*** Also, click HERE to listen to Extra Inning Softball’s “From the Cheap Seats” podcast from this week which featured three members of the U-15 team: Annie Abdullah, Aspen Boulware, and Izzie Barge.
Previously announced by USA Softball, the 16-player roster is a result of the USA Softball High Performance Program (HPP) – also known as the pipeline to the WNT.
The roster represents six different regions across the U.S. with Region 10 (Arizona, California) highlighted by seven players, along with four players from Region 5 (Texas), two from Region 3 (Florida, South Carolina) and one athlete apiece from Region 2 (Virginia), Region 7 (Kansas) and Region 9 (Utah).
The Utsugi Cup roster includes 13 athletes from the Pan American Championship gold medal squad and three additional athletes who will make their debut in the Red, White and Blue.
At the helm of the Utsugi Cup roster is head coach Kyla Holas and assistant coaches Iyhia McMichael (head coach at Frisco Emerson HS) and Mike Steuerwald (head coach at Gaston College).
Holas and McMichael previously led the U-15 WNT to a gold medal finish at the U-15 Pan American Championship in Lima, Peru earlier this year, while Steuerwald will join the JWNT coaching staff after spending the 2022 season with the Women’s National Team.
Below s the Team USA schedule in the 2023 U-15 Utsugi Cup along with the Championship Day games on Sunday:
| Date | Local Time (JST) | Time | Opponent | Stats |
| Saturday, June 3 | 11 a.m. JST | 9 p.m. CT | vs Italy | Click here |
| Saturday, June 3 | 3 p.m. JST | 1 a.m. CT | vs China | Click here |
| Sunday, June 4 | 9 a.m. JST | 7 p.m. CT | Group A 3rd Place vs Group B 3rd Place | – |
| Sunday, June 4 | 11 a.m. JST | 9 p.m. CT | Group A 2nd Place vs Group B 2nd Place | – |
| Sunday, June 4 | 1 p.m. JST | 11 p.m. CT | Group A 1st Place vs Group B 1st Place (Championship Game) | – |
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