USA Softball: Stand Beside Her Tour Adds Stops This Week in Arizona, California, Missouri & New Jersey

USA Softball continues to add impressive tour stops to the Stand Beside Her national tour in 2020, making it four new ones this week covering 22 cities and 13 states. The four new additions since Monday will take Team USA to Arizona, California, Missouri and New Jersey. 

Here’s more details on the newly announced sites with the West Coast stops in Arizona and Northern California released on Thursday (Dec. 12), the first event in New Jersey announced on Wednesday (Dec. 11) and the third date in Missouri released on Monday (Dec. 9).

ARIZONA

The 2020 USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) will bring the “Stand Beside Her” tour to the University of Arizona on February 18, 2020 as Team USA will face off against the Arizona Wildcats. This tour stop marks a memorable homecoming for 2020 WNT member, Dejah Mulipola, who is redshirting her senior season as she trains alongside her teammates in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

This exhibition matchup also pits current Olympic Head Coach Ken Eriksen against Arizona Head Coach Mike Candrea, who served as the Head Coach for the 2004 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Softball Teams.

“I am so excited to return to Tucson, which I consider my second home,” said Mulipola. “Getting to play in the newly built Rita Hillenbrand Stadium in front of the most loyal and amazing fans in Tucson is the best feeling ever and I can’t wait to share the experience with the 17 other women on this Olympic roster! The fans are the best part about playing at Rita Hillenbrand and me returning on a different team will be a bittersweet feeling because I will be on the other side. However, I am excited to take the field with Team USA and play against my college teammates as well as Coach Candrea, who I hope to make proud on this journey to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan!”

In Tucson, Team USA will face off against the Wildcats in a 7 p.m. MT solo contest. Played at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium (1700 E. 2nd Street, Tucson, Ariz., 85719), tickets for the game will go on sale to the general public on December 20 at 9 a.m. MT and can be purchased at ArizonaWildcats.com. Ticket prices are as follows: Club Seats $45, Homeplate Seats $35, Baseline Reserved Seats $30, General Admission Adult Seats, $15, General Admission Youth Seats $10, Standing Room Only Adults $15 and Standing Room Only Youth $10.

“It is an honor and a great privilege to have the opportunity to host our U.S. Women’s National Team as they prepare to bring home the gold medal from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo,” said Candrea. “We are excited to show off our newly renovated Hillenbrand Stadium and compete against the very best players in the world. It will be exciting to see Dejah Mulipola in the USA uniform and we are so proud of her adding to the list of former Wildcats that have played in the Olympic Games. I’m so very excited for Coach Ken Eriksen and the great staff he has assembled and am looking forward to our Tucson fans to pack Hillenbrand for this great opportunity for our players, fans and alumni. Bear Down and Go USA!” 

CALIFORNIA

As the 2020 USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) preps for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Sutter Health Park (400 Ballpark Dr., West Sacramento, Calif., 95691) will host the Red, White and Blue on May 17 as the team looks to capture the Gold Medal in Tokyo.

The stop will also serve as a homecoming for Sacramento-area natives, Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.) and Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.), who played through USA Softball of Sacramento’s grassroots programming.

“There’s nothing like playing in front of your hometown crowd,” said Aguilar. “Sacramento is the place I grew as a young softball player and hopefully by being there I can inspire the young girl or boy that they can achieve their dreams too. I’m so excited and thankful to be able to come home. I cannot wait!”

Carda adds that she can understand what the younger generation of softball fans will be experiencing, say she was once a young fan watching her heroes play in person too.

“I love that Team USA is going to play in Sacramento,” Carda added. “I have been in those girls’ shoes who will be there watching, so I am most excited that they will be able to see an Olympic Softball Team play live, just like I did when I was a young softball player.”

Team USA is slated for a doubleheader exhibition with game one taking place at 4 p.m. PT and the second game approximately 35 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Hosted by USA Softball of Sacramento, tickets for the game are available and can be purchased by visiting TeamUSAExperience.com. Ticket prices start at $22 for standard seating with reserved and premium seating available at $30 and $40, respectively. Group tickets and team fundraisers are also available, and inquiries can be sent directly to Sutter Health Park at [email protected].

In addition to the exhibition doubleheader, the tour stop in Sacramento will include also include team practices open to the public, two player clinics and an exclusive VIP dinner. Space is limited for these add-on events, so participants are encouraged to reserve a spot early.

NEW JERSEY

The 2020 USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) had added another East Coast city on the “Stand Beside Her” tour as the team will be in Wall Township, N.J. on June 21, 2020. Team USA will take on a group of NCAA All-Stars in an exhibition doubleheader as the U.S. looks to capture the Gold Medal in Tokyo where the sport of softball returns to the Olympic program for the first time since 2008.

“Jackson, New Jersey, here we come,” said 2020 WNT member, Valerie Arioto. “I am so excited to continue our tour onto the East Coast and get some great training time together as we get closer to the Olympic Games. Thank you New Jersey and I can’t wait to see you all out at the ballpark!”

Fans will have the opportunity to watch the Red, White and Blue at the Wall Township Municipal Complex (2700 Allaire Rd., Wall Township, N.J., 07719). Game one will take place at 4 p.m. ET with the second game taking place approximately 35 minutes after the conclusion of game one.

Tickets for both games will go on sale December 20 and additional information can be found at USASoftballNJ.com.

MISSOURI

The 2020 USA Softball Women’s National Team will be in O’Fallon, Mo. on May 3, 2020 as the “Stand Beside Her” tour rolls through the United States in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Held at Ozzie Smith Sports Complex (900 TR Hughes Blvd #2867, O’Fallon, Mo., 63366), the Red, White and Blue will play an exhibition doubleheader as the team looks to capture the Gold Medal in Tokyo where the sport of softball returns to the Olympic program for the first time since 2008.

“We are so excited that we will be making a stop in the St. Louis area this spring,” said 2020 WNT member, Hannah Flippen. “St. Louis is a city with such a rich softball tradition and is also so centrally located, so it will be an awesome opportunity for so many fans from different regions to see this team compete as we prepare for Tokyo!”

Hosted by USA Softball of St. Louis, both games will be played at CarShield Field with game one taking place at 2 p.m. and the second game approximately 35 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Tickets will go on sale January 15, 2020 with General Admission youth tickets on sale for $15 and adult tickets for $30. Tickets can be purchased by calling the USA Softball of St. Louis office at (314) 429-7577.

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The “Stand Beside Her” tour is a series of competitions and The “Stand Beside Her” message encourages fans everywhere to stand united in their support of the WNT and the United States in their journey to the Olympic Games.

The tour will kick off in February with the USA squad competing in a pair of prestigious college tournaments and run through the summer right up to the start of the Tokyo games.

The 2020 USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) announced over the last month several additional stops on its Stand Beside Her Tour featuring a series of competitions and training opportunities for the 2020 USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) as it prepares for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Olympic competition will start July 22, 2020 with the Gold Medal Game being played on July 28.

*** Click Here to see the USA Olympic Team Roster

As created and first announced in August by USA Softball, the Stand Beside Her tour “evokes a powerful message of unity aimed to inspire communities to stand beside HER – the members of the WNT, America and the future generation of female athletes.”

Currently there are 22 stops on the tour hitting 13 states and extending from February to June prior to next summer’s Olympic Games.

Stand Beside Her Tour Stops (as of Dec. 13, 2019)

Click on the links to get info on how to purchase tickets and where the games will be played

Here is a visual map of all the places Team USA will play on the Stand Beside Her Tour as announced so far:

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Additional stops for the “Stand Beside Her” tour will be announced at a later date according to USA Softball. For more information on the “Stand Beside Her” tour, you can visit StandBesideHerTour.com.