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USA Softball, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, announced on Thursday a one-year sponsorship agreement with Visit St. Pete/Clearwater Sports & Events (VSPC).
VSPC is set to host the U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT) for a training camp March 3-18 at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex in an effort to support USA Softball and the National Team Program as they continue preparations for the highly anticipated Tokyo Olympic Games.
Additionally, USA Softball has rescheduled the USA vs Mexico three-game series for March 8-10 at Eddie C. Moore Complex after inclement weather in Texas earlier this month forced its cancellation.
The two countries–along with No. 2 Japan, No. 3 Canada, No. 8 Australia and No. 10 Italy–make up the six who will vie for the Gold Medal in Tokyo this July.
“We are excited to partner with Visit St. Pete/Clearwater Sports & Events,” said USA Softball Chief Executive Officer, Craig Cress. “USA Softball is extremely grateful for their continued support and we look forward to St. Pete/Clearwater hosting our Women’s National Team training camp at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex.”
In an effort to raise awareness and promote sport development in St. Pete/Clearwater, the partnership will include co-branded media and marketing materials in addition to hosting USA Softball National Teams in the future.
A long-time supporter of USA Softball, St. Pete/Clearwater’s Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex has hosted various National Team events including USA Softball National Team Selection Trials for Men, Women, U-19 Men and U-19 Women (2017, 2018, 2019) and the U-19 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Championship in 2017.
The 2017 U-19 WBSC World Championship featured a total of 26 countries competing for the title, with the U.S. claiming the Gold Medal with a 9-0 record.
“We are pleased and excited to continue our support of USA Softball as we host the national team in our world-class destination as they prepare for this summer’s Olympic Games,” said Visit St. Pete/Clearwater Chief Operating Officer, Tim Ramsberger. “We also continue and appreciate our strong partnership with the City of Clearwater, especially regarding softball programming that brings substantial benefit to our community.”
While in the St.Pete/Clearwater area, the WNT will take part in a series of workouts and practice sessions in addition to the three-game series against No. 5 Mexico. The games are part of the Stand Beside Her Tour, presented by Major League Baseball (MLB), and will be the first international competition of the season for the U.S. squad.
The 18-player roster will be without Rachel Garcia, Dejah Mulipola and Bubba Nickles, as well as assistant coaches Laura Berg, Howard Dobson, Tairia Flowers and Heather Tarr who all remain with their respective collegiate teams.
Joining Head Coach Ken Eriksen to assist with coaching will be Laura Ricciardone, Kyla Holas and two-time Olympian Kelly Kretchman.
Fans will be allowed inside the ballpark for the three-game series at a limited capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions. A limited number of tickets are available and can be purchased online. All fans in attendance will be required to wear a face covering while inside the ballpark.
Free live stats and streaming will be available at USASoftball.com and a full schedule can be found here.