Team USA Collegiate Team Playing Three-Game Japan All-Star Series Aug. 4-7

The following release is courtesy of USA Softball…

The 16-player collegiate U.S. Women’s National Team roster arrived in Iwakuni, Japan on Monday, July 31 ahead of the 2023 Japan All-Star Series. The U.S. squad has participated in a series of training sessions since arriving in Japan, while also spending time exploring the city of Iwakuni.

Representing 12 NCAA Division I universities from the 2023 season, the Japan All-Star Series roster highlights top collegiate athletes from across the country with the back-to-back National Champions – Oklahoma Sooners – tabbing three athletes to the roster, followed by Stanford and UCLA with two athletes apiece. Also represented with one athlete on the squad is Arkansas, Clemson, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, Texas, UCF and Washington.

The 16-player squad includes seven veterans from former Team USA rosters – four of which will make their debut on a WNT roster after leading the JWNT to gold at the 2021 U-18 WBSC World Championship. Also highlighting the squad are nine rookies who will represent the Red, White and Blue for the first time in their careers.

Here is the U.S. team roster:

The Red, White and Blue will be led by head coach John Rittman and assistant coaches Brian Kolze, Chris Malveaux and Mike Roberts.

Below is additional information on the upcoming event.

Japan All-Star Series training – 𝘽𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨 🎥

Three-game exhibition series vs 🇯🇵 starts 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 🔗 https://t.co/Uay1OWGuJG pic.twitter.com/UEToTIXQOW

— USA Softball Women's National Team 🇺🇸 (@USASoftballWNT) August 3, 2023

Overview of event:

Stretching across three cities in Japan, the world-ranked No. 1 Team USA will go head-to-head with No. 2 Japan in a three-game series held at three major venues that contributed to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Game 1 of the series will take place at Kizuma Stadium (Iwakuni, Japan) – host of the WNT pre-Olympic training, followed by Game 2 at Azuma Stadium (Fukushima, Japan) and Game 3 at Yokohama Stadium (Yokohama, Japan) – both of which were host venues for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Thanks to the hospitality and efforts made by the Japan All-Star Series Organizing Staff, the U.S. will have the opportunity to participate in a series of training sessions ahead of the event while experiencing the culture and traditions of the three Japanese cities off the field.

Roster breakdown:

The 16-player roster hails from 12 division I universities from the 2023 season. Seven members return to the Red, White and Blue after being a member of a former U.S. roster – four of which will make their debut on a WNT roster after leading the JWNT to gold at the 2021 U-18 WBSC World Championship. Nine members will represent the U.S. for the first time in their careers.

The Japan All-Star Series roster – which USA Softball is referencing as the all-star or collegiate roster – highlights the first-ever WNT roster that is comprised of all current collegiate athletes.

We’re smiling as well, because @erincoffel5 will be taking you through her day in Japan today! Make sure you’re tuned into our Instagram story! #GoCats pic.twitter.com/Gm4SI7lFKd

— Kentucky Softball (@UKsoftball) August 2, 2023

Schedule breakdown:

Facing off for the first time this year, the three-game series will open on Friday, August 4 at 7 p.m. JST (5 a.m. CT) in Iwakuni, Japan followed by a second matchup on Sunday, August 6 at 2 p.m. JST (12 a.m. CT) in Fukushima, Japan. The two international rivals will cap the three-game series in Yokohama, Japan on Monday, August 7 at 7 p.m. JST (5 a.m. CT).

History/popularity of event:

The Japan All-Star Series has provided an exciting experience for 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. Continuing its popularity across the country of Japan, last year’s three-game series held at Azuma Stadium and Yokohama Stadium saw more than 17,000 fans across the three-day event, which signified as a one-year celebration of the Tokyo Olympic Games. The U.S. WNT looks to improve from the 2022 Japan All-Star Series, which resulted in a hard fought 1-2 series loss to Team Japan.

In addition to the competitive nature of the Japan All-Star Series, the annual event also plays a vital role in the continued partnership between USA Softball and Japan Softball. The two organizations remain dedicated to promoting the growth and development of the game across the globe.

Live coverage:

Please keep in mind the time difference when tuning in to these games as Japan is 14 hours ahead of central time. A breakdown of game times as well as additional information on live stats can be found here.  Due to live streaming restrictions in Japan, USA Softball is unable to provide streaming of this event at this time. To follow along via live stats, please follow the 2023 U.S. Women’s National Team on GameChanger.

The @USASoftballWNT twitter will be providing live updates throughout the entire event.