In terms of veteran leadership, few have as much to offer as USA Baseball Women’s National Team pitcher Meggie Meidlinger. The 6'2” reliever has been a part of the program for nearly 20 years, and is a pioneering figure in women’s baseball.

Meidlinger’s first experience with Team USA came in 2006 when she was a rookie on the Women’s National Team which competed at the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) Women’s Baseball World Cup in Taiwan. After dropping the first game of the tournament to Canada, the stars and stripes rattled off five consecutive victories en route to a gold medal win. The Virginia native made one start and three relief appearances during 2006 World Cup play to help Team USA reach the promised land.

Fast forward to 2023, Meidlinger continues to be a steady presence on the Women’s National Team. In the first game of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup Group A play in Thunder Bay, Ontario, last week, as Australia was attempting to pull off a comeback from being down 3-0 early, Meidlinger took the mound in the top of the seventh and collected three quick outs to end the game and supply Team USA with a 3-2 victory to begin the tournament undefeated.

After going a perfect 5-0 in Group A play, Meidlinger and Team USA are looking to get back to the top of the mountain next year at the 2024 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals in Thunder Bay.

Meidlinger recently sat down with USA Baseball to discuss the 2006 gold medal, the current state of women’s baseball, and the mission the team is on.

Q: What was your initial reaction when you heard your name called to be on your first USA Women’s Baseball Team and how does it compare to hearing it now?

A: “I have to think back to 2006 for that. Back then I was 18-years-old, I was one of the rookies on the team. Now, I’m the oldest one on the team. Honestly, whenever your name gets called it never gets old. It’s that same form of excitement. I still remember vividly in 2006, tryouts were being hosted at the (Oakland Athletics’) spring training complex and we were in the locker room for the announcement. That was a really cool feeling that I remember. Even this year, walking in the room with all of the coaches, every time you hear (your name), you remember it every single time.”

Q: What do you remember about the 2006 gold medal victory for Team USA at the Women’s World Cup? Is there one moment or memory that stands out?

A: “That was a stressful game. That game went back and forth, there was a rain delay, and we had several pitchers go in. I do remember Tamara Holmes’ shot down the line for us to take the lead. It was a whirlwind of a game. We had worked so hard to finally get to that. It was the crux of how they formed that tournament; that was the gold medal game. That was definitely a game where everybody had to contribute in order for us to win. It was a game that went back and forth. It is a game where everyone contributed to pull out the gold. Everyone always contributes, but in that game specifically, everyone truly pulled their weight and contributed.”

Q: In the first game of the 2023 Women’s World Cup against Australia, you made a relief appearance in the seventh inning and stifled a comeback to take a 3-2 victory and start Group A play undefeated. What was running through your head as you left the bullpen and stepped on the mound?

A: “The same thing that’s running through my head every time I leave the bullpen, nobody is touching me. I’m going to mow everyone down. I know my role as a closer is to stop whatever is going on and to shut things down. There are a lot of words that I can’t say in an interview that I say in the bullpen before going out onto the field. As the closer, that’s the attitude. It’s a one-run game, this is what I train for, those pressure situations. It’s a mixture of you being your biggest hype person and having positive thinking, but also slowing and calming everything down. You put in months of training for those moments, and my attitude as a closer is to come in, do my job, and shut it down.”

Q: What does it mean for you to be a veteran leader and role model for the younger women on the Women’s National Team?

A: “It’s a huge honor. I still remember all of the veterans who were on the team when I was a rookie on the team. Everything I learned from each and every one of them is what I put into my veteran leadership now. I’ve seen a lot of baseball and seen a lot of international play, so it’s a lot of fun to be in that role. I’ve worked with a lot of the younger ones through Breakthrough (Series) or Trailblazer (Series) and have known a lot of them for a long time. It’s fun playing a part in growing the next generation of those who are going to continue to lead Team USA.”

Q: What is it like having Malaika Underwood as a coach after playing with her on the team in prior years? *

A: “I love it. I can’t say enough of amazing and incredible things about Malaika Underwood. It’s been such an honor and a privilege to get to play by her side since about 2006. Her presence on the field, whether she is playing or coaching, is something unmatched, so to still have her out there is incredible. I wouldn’t be where I am today in my career without her. I basically have a second life of playing USA Baseball and I owe that all to her. She’s been a great friend every step of the way. Again, her presence, whether she’s playing first base or coaching in the dugout, is something that is unmatched. It’s an honor and a privilege to play for her as a coach now too.”

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to young women who want to make it in baseball?

A: “Be fearless, be brave, be you. If you want it, go after it. Don’t let anyone tell you no. This is a hard game, it’s a game of failure. It’s how we pick ourselves up and how we keep going that is going to form us and drive us. Don’t let the naysayers tell you wrong. If it’s something you want, go after it. We are here to take names and break boundaries. The coaches and players on this team have done that, and we are going to continue to push the ceiling even higher so more opportunities are created for the younger girls. A lot of us have been through whatever these young girls might be going through. I always say to reach out and phone a friend because you’re not in it alone. You have a whole sisterhood here that is fighting for you and supporting you. Again, if you want to play, go after it.”

Q: What does it feel like to know you have a chance to win a gold medal next summer with this group?

A: “I can taste it. 2006 was a long time ago. It was such a great feeling to win gold. The year after, we got bronze, but we’re not satisfied with anything less than gold. This team is taking names and this train is rolling. That was such an incredible feeling in 2006 and we’re ready for it now. Bring any team, any opponent, we’re ready for them. Let’s just keep this thing going.”

Q: What does the future of women’s baseball look like in your eyes?

A: “The future is bright. I always say that there are so many things going on right now that weren’t available when I was in high school. Despite my age, I like to think that wasn’t too long ago. All of the opportunities now with MLB and USA Baseball partnering for the Trailblazers, Breakthrough, and other events gives girls an opportunity to play baseball together. Unfortunately, growing up in a time without social media, I didn’t even know other girls were playing and it felt so isolating. I loved the guys I played with, and they were incredible guys and teammates, but something about knowing and playing with other girls, there’s such a sisterhood there. They become your sisters because who else can relate to being the only girl on the team other than other girls? The number of opportunities that are growing for girls in the game and coaching wise is great. You see what Veronica (Alvarez) is doing with the (Oakland Athletics) and what Ronnie (Gajownik) is doing with the Diamondbacks is really cool. There’s been such growth in the last 20 years, and I’m excited for the future. It’s going to keep growing, and we’re going to keep breaking glass ceilings.”

Box Score & Plays

THUNDER BAY, Ontario - Naomi Ryan went 2-for-2 with two RBI singles to lead the USA Baseball Women’s National Team to a 2-0 win over Mexico in its final game of Group A play at the 2023 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

With the victory, Team USA finishes Group A play with an undefeated 5-0 record.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• In typical form, Alex Hugo got the USA offense going early as she doubled down the left field line for the first hit of the game. Ryan then stepped to the plate and drove Hugo in with a base hit that gave the U.S. the early 1-0 lead.
• Team USA starting pitcher Elise Berger recorded three strikeouts across the next two innings as she continued to hold off the Mexico offense.
• The U.S. put its second run of the game on the board in the bottom of the third when Ryan picked up her second single of the day, once again allowing Hugo to cross the plate to make it 2-0 in favor of the stars and stripes.
• After a scoreless fourth, Niki Eckert took the mound for Team USA and struck out one batter while continuing to hold off any Mexico offensive threat.
• Olivia Pichardo made a one-inning relief appearance in the sixth and punched out consecutive batters to end the top-half of the frame.
• Veteran reliever Meggie Meidlinger entered in the seventh and struck out two in a three up, three down inning to seal the 2-0 victory for the red, white and blue.

NOTABLE STATS

• Hugo went a perfect 2-for-2 with a single, double, and two runs scored.
• Remi Schaber added a double for the Team USA offense.
• Kelsie Whitmore tallied two stolen bases and a walk for the U.S.
• Berger, Eckert, Meidlinger, and Pichardo combined to allow just one hit in the shutout victory.
• Team USA produced a shutout in each of its last four games, only allowing two runs in the entire week.

ON DECK

This concludes Group A play at the 2023 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup. Team USA will return to action next summer as it seeks a gold medal in the 2024 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals.

Box Score | Plays

THUNDER BAY, Ontario - The Team USA offense used a 20-run first inning to take down Hong Kong 29-0 in a five inning run-rule victory in its fourth game of Group A play at the 2023 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s World Cup.

With the win, the U.S. moves to 4-0 heading into the final day of play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• USA starter Kelsie Whitmore began the day with consecutive strikeouts in a quick three up, three down top of the first.
• In the bottom of the opening frame, Alex Hugo got Team USA on the board early with a two-run homer over the left field wall that provided a 2-0 lead. A wild pitch with the bases loaded scored a third run before Jade Gortarez supplied a two-run double that increased the USA lead to 5-0.
• Denae Benites then managed to draw a bases-loaded walk prior to a Hong Kong fielding error that allowed Gortarez to cross home and make it 7-0. Hugo followed up with a sac fly to center that gave her her third RBI of the inning and bumped the score up to 8-0.
• Remi Schaber got in on the offensive action one batter later as she ripped a single through the left side that scored two and established a 10-0 USA lead. Gortarez then made it 11-0 with her second single of the frame.
• A bases-loaded walk drawn by Kylee Lahners followed before Benites singled into center field and plated two more runs to make it 14-0. With the bases still loaded, Hugo and Naomi Ryan each drew walks and were eventually sent in to score as part of a three-run double by Jillian Albayati that set the score at 20-0 in favor of the U.S. heading into the second.
• Whitmore remained dominant on the mound in the second inning of play, striking out three batters while continuing to hold the Hong Kong offense off of the board. 
• Team USA continued to pile on to the lead when Hugo singled into center to score another run and make it 21-0. London Studer then recorded an RBI to move the USA lead up to 22-0 when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
• In the top of the third, Whitmore punched out two more batters to total seven strikeouts on the day in her final inning of work. 
• After a scoreless third for the stars and stripes, the offense was revived in the bottom of the fourth. A fielding error by Hong Kong allowed the first run to cross the plate and was followed by a two-run homer by Jamie Baum that gave Team USA a 26-0 advantage.
• Hugo then stepped to the plate and knocked in a base hit that scored two before Studer drew a bases-loaded walk that gave the U.S. a 29-0 lead heading to the fifth.
• Ryan took the mound for Team USA in the fifth inning and struck out three straight Hong Kong batters to clinch the 29-0 run-rule victory.

NOTABLE STATS

• Whitmore, Schaber, and Ryan combined for a five-inning no-hitter for Team USA.
• Hugo led the U.S. offense, going 3-for-4 with two singles, a home run, seven RBIs, and four runs scored. 
• Albayati, Baum, Benites, Gortarez, and Schaber all turned in three-RBI performances.
• Ryan drew four walks and went 2-for-4 with a single, double, and four runs scored on the afternoon in addition to collecting three strikeouts in a one-inning relief appearance.
• The Women’s National Team set a team record for the second most runs scored in a single game. They previously scored 27 against India in 2016.

ON DECK

The USA Baseball Women’s National Team returns to action tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. ET for its fifth and final game of Group A play at the 2023 WBSC Women’s World Cup against Mexico. All World Cup games will be streamed live on GameTime, and live updates will be provided via Twitter @USABaseballWNT.

Box Score | Plays

THUNDER BAY, Ontario - Denae Benites went 3-for-3 with a single, double, and triple to lead the USA Baseball Women’s National Team to a 23-0 run-rule victory over Canada in its third game of Group A play at the 2023 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s World Cup.

With the win, Team USA improves to 3-0 at the Women’s World Cup heading into day four.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first hit of the game came off of the bat of Alex Hugo as she ripped her third double of the tournament down the left field line. Two batters later, she was able to score when Remi Schaber singled to make it 1-0 early in favor of the U.S.
• In the top of the second, Kelsie Whitmore reached on a Canada fielding error and was eventually sent home by a Benites double to make it 2-0. Ashton Lansdell continued to produce offensively as she ripped a single into right that scored Benites and gave Team USA a 3-0 lead heading to the bottom of the frame.
• After a scoreless third by both sides, Lansdell and Naomi Ryan each picked up a two-run single before a fielding error and a bases-loaded hit batter made it 9-0. The offensive outburst didn’t stop there, as Olivia Pichardo stepped to the plate and crushed a grand slam over the right field wall to make it 13-0 in favor of the red, white, and blue leading into the bottom of the fourth.
• USA starter Jillian Albayati gathered her second strikeout of the day in the fourth inning to continue to hold Canada off of the board.
• The first USA run of the fifth inning was tallied when Jade Gortarez was credited with an RBI after a bases-loaded groundout that set the score at 14-0. Whitmore then stepped to the plate and delivered a three-run shot just underneath the scoreboard in right field to extend the USA lead to 17-0.
• Later in the inning, Lansdell and Ryan each drew bases-loaded walks and Hugo collected an RBI single for her second hit of the game to make it 20-0 in favor of Team USA. The final three runs of the game came courtesy of a two-run single by Valerie Perez and a base hit by Gortarez that put the U.S. ahead 23-0.
• Albayati struck out the final batter of the contest to end the game in five innings and give Team USA the 23-0 run-rule win.

NOTABLE STATS

• Lansdell and Pichardo each put up four RBIs for Team USA.
• Ryan, Whitmore, and Benites all scored three runs while Hugo was able to cross the plate a game-high four times.
• Albayati struck out three total batters and allowed just three hits in five complete innings of work.
• With the victory, Team USA tied its record for the third-most runs scored in a single game with 23. They also produced 23 against Cuba in 2019.

ON DECK

The USA Baseball Women’s National Team returns to action tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET for its fourth game of Group A play at the 2023 WBSC Women’s World Cup against Mexico. All World Cup games will be streamed live on GameTime, and live updates will be provided via Twitter @USABaseballWNT.

Box Score | Plays

THUNDER BAY, Ontario - Ashton Lansdell went 2-for-5 with a triple and a home run to help lead Team USA to a 14-0 run-rule victory over Korea in its second game of Group A play at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup on Wednesday at Baseball Central.

With the win, Team USA maintains its undefeated record at the World Cup heading into the third day of play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Lansdell got things started with a leadoff triple and was sent in to score one batter later when Alex Hugo ripped a double off of the center field wall. Jillian Albayati followed up with a single that pushed Hugo home and made it 2-0 in favor of Team USA early.
• The U.S. then loaded the bases before Valerie Perez stepped to the plate and recorded a single of her own that scored two runs and made it 4-0. Another USA run went on the board courtesy of a Denae Benites double that made it 5-0 heading into the bottom of the opening frame.
• USA starter Jamie Baum forced a ground out and picked up her first two strikeouts of the afternoon in the bottom of the first to send the game into the second inning with the USA still leading by five.
• More offense came Team USA’s way in the second, as Hugo collected her second double in as many innings before being sent across the plate by an Alana Martinez sac fly that made it 6-0. 
• Baum continued to hold Korea scoreless in the bottom of the second as she collected her third punch out of the game as part of a quick three up, three down half inning. 
• Lansdell’s offensive showcase remained on full display in the top of the third inning as she produced the first home run of the tournament for any team with a no-doubt rocket over the left field wall that established a 7-0 USA lead.
• In the bottom of the third, Baum struck out two and forced a ground out to keep Korea off the board in what would be her last inning of work.
• The U.S. offense kept rolling in the fourth as an Anna Kimbrell two-run double, a balk, and a wild pitch plated four runs and made it 11-0 in favor of the stars and stripes.
• Sarah Edwards hit an RBI-double in her first at-bat of the tournament to make it 12-0 before a Perez single and the second double of the day for Benites each scored a run to set the USA lead at 14-0.
• Olivia Pichardo took the mound for the U.S. in the bottom of the fifth, picking up one strikeout and forcing a double play to end the game and claim the 14-0 run-rule victory for Team USA.

NOTABLE STATS

• Benites, Hugo, Lansdell, Perez, and Remi Schaber all turned in multi-hit performances for the U.S.
• Baum, Niki Eckert, and Pichardo combined for a five-inning shutout on the mound.
• Perez added two runs scored and three RBIs for the USA offense.
• Lansdell is the only player to record a home run at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and is one of just two players to hit a triple so far.

ON DECK

The USA Baseball Women’s National Team returns to action tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET for its third game of Group A play at the 2023 WBSC Women’s World Cup against Canada. All World Cup games will be streamed live on GameTime, and live updates will be provided via Twitter @USABaseballWNT.

Box Score | Plays

THUNDER BAY, Ontario - The USA Baseball Women’s National Team defeated Australia, 3-2, in its first game of World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup Group A play on Tuesday at Baseball Central.

With the victory, Team USA begins play at the World Cup with an undefeated record.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Team USA put the first run of the day on the board in the third when a wild pitch allowed Valerie Perez to score from third. Two batters later, Remi Schaber drew a bases-loaded walk to push Denae Benites home and establish a 2-0 lead after three.
• Schaber added another RBI to her statline in the fifth inning with a sac fly to center that sent Alex Hugo in to score from third and make it 3-0 in favor of the U.S.
• The Australia offense responded in the opening half of the sixth inning with two RBI singles that established a 3-2 score, but Team USA recorded the final out of the inning at the plate to maintain a one-run edge.
• Team USA reliever Meggie Meidlinger took the mound in the seventh inning and struck out one batter before forcing two consecutive fly outs to end the game and secure the 3-2 victory.

NOTABLE STATS

• USA starter Elise Berger threw the first 5.2 innings on the mound, striking out one batter and allowing just two hits.
• Hugo, Anna Kimbrell, and Kelsie Whitmore each recorded base hits for Team USA.
• U.S. pitchers Berger, Niki Eckert, and Meidlinger did not walk a single batter over seven innings of work in the contest. 

ON DECK

The USA Baseball Women’s National Team returns to action tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. ET for its second game of the opening round at the 2023 WBSC Women’s World Cup against Korea. All World Cup games will be streamed live on GameTime, and live updates will be provided via Twitter @USABaseballWNT.

KENOSHA, Wis. - The USA Baseball Women’s National Team offense produced ten runs on 14 hits and two errors across five innings to earn a 10-1 victory over AGB Kenosha Comets in the second game of exhibition play.

After a scoreless first inning from both squads, Team USA managed to put three runs on the board in the top of the second inning. After reaching on a triple, Kelsie Whitmore scored the first run of the game after a passed ball allowed her to come home from third. Jamie Baum and Olivia Pichardo each followed up with an RBI single that made it 3-0 early.

Team USA starter Jillian Albayati picked up her first strikeout of the game in the bottom of the second to continue to hold AGB Kenosha Comets off of the board.

Remi Schaber and Whitmore provided two-out doubles in the top of the third that scored two more runs before an error in the AGB infield and an Anna Kimbrell RBI single made it 7-0 in favor of Team USA.

AGB put its lone run of the day on the board in the fourth after a bases-loaded walk, but Team USA reliever Niki Eckert responded with two straight strikeouts to end the frame.

Albayati drew a leadoff walk to begin the fifth and was eventually sent in to score two batters later thanks to a single by Schaber and an AGB fielding error. A Valerie Perez single and Baum sac-fly gave Team USA a 10-1 lead before the game was ended due to a time limit.

The USA Baseball Women’s National Team returns to action on Tuesday, August 8, against Australia in the first game of the opening round of the 2023 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. Live updates will be provided via Twitter @USABaseballWNT.

MESA, Ariz. - USA Baseball today announced the final 20-woman roster for the 2023 Women's National Team, which will compete at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women's Baseball World Cup group stage in Thunder Bay, Ontario, from August 8-13.

"We are beyond thrilled with the players chosen for this year's roster," said Women's National Team Program Director Ann Claire Roberson. "Each of the athletes selected impressed mightily during the identification process, and we are confident that every one of them will represent the U.S. well both on and off the field."

In total, 15 alumnae of the Women's National Team will once again compete for a gold medal on the international stage, all of whom helped the team take home a 3-2 friendship series victory over Canada last year.

The roster is highlighted by Anna Kimbrell, who will suit up in the red, white, and blue for the 11th time, a mark that ties the record for the most appearances on a USA Baseball national team. In addition, Kelsie Whitmore and Jade Gortarez will play for their eighth time each, and Meggie Meidlinger will play for her seventh.

Beyond them, Alex Hugo, Kylee Lahners, and Ashton Lansdell will be donning the stars and stripes for the fourth different time, while Denae Benites will be suiting up for her third. Seven players - Jillian Albayati, Jamie Baum, Elise Berger, Niki Eckert, Alana Martinez, Olivia Pichardo, and Remi Schaber - earned a spot on the roster for their second time each.

Five players - Sarah Edwards, Beth Greenwood, Valerie Perez, Naomi Ryan, and London Studer - will be making their first appearance on a Women's National Team this year. Greenwood, Perez, and Ryan all participated in either a Women's National Team Development Program or a Women's National Team Training Camp in previous years, while Edwards and Studer both earned their roster spots in their first experience with the Women's National Team program.

This year's Women's National Team manager is five-time Team USA player Veronica Alvarez. She will coach alongside pitching coach Reynol Mendoza and assistant coaches Alex Oglesby and Malaika Underwood.

The Women's National Team will train at Beyer Stadium - the former home of the Rockford Peaches - in Rockford, Illinois, on August 3, at Simmons Field - former home of the Kenosha Comets - in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 4, and at Siebert Field in St. Paul, Minnesota, on August 6, before opening up the group stage of the WBSC Women's World Cup on August 8.

Fans can follow along with the action by following @USABaseballWNT on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

The 2023 Women's National Team roster is as follows:

2023 Women's National Team Roster

(Name; Position; Hometown)

• *^Jillian Albayati; RHP/INF; Anaheim, Calif.
• *^Jamie Baum; RHP/UTIL; Los Altos, Calif.
• *^Denae Benites; C/UTIL; Las Vegas, Nev.
• *^Elise Berger; RHP/INF; Shelburne, Vt.
• *Niki Eckert; LHP/OF; Englewood, N.J.
• Sarah Edwards; INF/LHP; Bay Shore, N.Y.
• *^Jade Gortarez; INF/RHP; Riverside, Calif.
• ^Beth Greenwood; C/UTIL; Amherst, N.H.
• *^Alex Hugo; INF/OF; Olathe, Kan.
• *^Anna Kimbrell; C; Fort Mill, S.C.
• *^Kylee Lahners; INF; Laguna Hills, Calif.
• *^Ashton Lansdell; INF/RHP; Marietta, Ga.
• *^Alana Martinez; INF/OF; Cooper City, Fla.
• *^Meggie Meidlinger; RHP/INF; Sterling, Va.
• Valerie Perez; INF/UTIL; Corpus Christi, Texas
• *^Olivia Pichardo; RHP/OF; Forest Hills, N.Y.
• ^Naomi Ryan; LHP/INF; North Chesterfield, Va.
• *^Remi Schaber; INF/RHP; Cordova, Tenn.
• London Studer; INF/LHP; Blacklick, Ohio
• *^Kelsie Whitmore; OF/RHP; Temecula, Calif.

* denotes National Team alumna

^ denotes National Team Development Program participant

After dropping the first two games of the Women's National Team Training Camp series, the Stars mounted a late comeback and salvaged a 7-3 win over the Stripes in the final contest of the week on Thursday morning.

Much like in games one and two, it was the Stripes that jumped out to an early lead in this one, getting their bats going in the second innings against Stars starter Olivia Pichardo. A hit-by-pitch, a single, and a walk loaded the bases for the team with just one out, and with a golden opportunity now right in front of her, Aspen Robinson cashed in with a line drive into center field for a sacrifice fly to bring home the first run of the game.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Stars tried replicating this method of success, loading the bases to start the frame themselves thanks to consecutive singles by London Studer, Remi Schaber, and Valerie Perez. Unlike their opponents, however, they could not capitalize on their own promising chance, as Stripes pitcher Kelsie Whitmore escaped her own jam unscathed by picking up a strikeout followed by a huge ground-ball double play. To add insult to injury on top of this as well, the Stripes used this momentum to add onto their lead soon after, scoring their second run of the game on a two-out error in the top of the fourth.

Now trailing by a pair, the Stars followed the same script as earlier in the game, putting three runners on after back-to-back leadoff singles by Sierra Baldwin and Schaber and a walk by Sarah Edwards. A strikeout with one down put them on the verge of squandering yet another chance to respond, but this time, they finally broke through, using well-struck base hits up the middle by Alana Martinez and Alexia Jorge to turn their deficit into a one-run lead.

Seemingly energized by their first lead of the entire series, the Stars followed this up with a crooked number in the sixth to essentially put the game out of reach. A triple by Schaber and a pair of walks with no one out put them in business once again, and immediately after, Peyton Coria got on the scoreboard with a base hit into left to move everyone up one station. Jorge drove in her second run of the game with a walk one batter later, and finally, Naomi Ryan doubled into left to bring home two more, pushing the team's advantage all the way up to five.

The Stripes fought back for one more run in the last inning, using an RBI base hit by Maggie Paulovich to bring the score to 7-3. Reliever Paloma Benach made sure that's where it would stay though, shutting the door on the comeback before it could even start and wrapping up the victory for the Stars on the final day of the week.

Notable Stats

• Leading the way offensively for the Stars was Ryan and Schaber, who both went 3-4 on the day. The former doubled twice and drove in two runs, while the latter tripled and scored two of her own.
• Ryan shared the team lead in RBIs with Martinez and Jorge, with both of them notching two each.
• The middle frames were dominated by the Stars pitching, with the quartet of Niki Eckert, Akira Kopec, Studer, and Kate Blunt combining to toss four innings of one-hit ball while allowing just one unearned run.
• Pichardo also turned in a solid effort in her start, striking out five in two innings of work.

On Deck

The Women's National Team Training Camp concludes with the final roster announcement for the Women's National Team, which will take place later today.

MESA, Ariz. - When Olivia Pichardo made her grand return to the USA Baseball Women's National Team Training Camp this week, she did so under quite the different set of circumstances than her first appearance at the event a year ago.

Around this time in 2022, Pichardo found herself wading into somewhat unfamiliar waters. The Queens, New York native was no stranger to playing in big settings, being a fixture on both her high school varsity team and events such as the Trailblazer Series and the MLB GRIT, but in trying to secure a spot on the Women's National Team, she was attempting to do something she had never gotten the chance to before.

Despite this inexperience, Pichardo earned her way into the coveted Team USA uniform for the first time at just 18 years old. Her debut came in the national team's 3-2 friendship series victory against Canada, where she recorded a .764 OPS in the box and three scoreless innings on the mound across the five games. Beyond just her performance between the lines, though, this marked Pichardo's first taste of the international stage, and it is an opportunity that she holds in very high regard to this day.

"The team last year, it was one of the most fun experiences of my life," Pichardo said. "On the field, we had great chemistry, and it was even better off the field. We had the best memories almost killing each other card games and things like that. It's definitely something that I'll remember forever, and I hope I can keep doing it for many years to come."

Once her time with the Women's National Team came to a close, Pichardo continued her upwards trajectory into heights never before explored. Upon starting her freshman year at Brown University, she decided to try out for the school's team, and after thoroughly impressing the program's coaches, she made history by becoming the first woman to ever crack a Division I baseball roster.

As is customary with most walk-ons, Pichardo didn't see much of the field during her first season at Brown, appearing in just a lone game in Mid-March. In her eyes, though, the time she spent working with the team throughout the year helped prepare her for the upcoming international slate in a significant way.

"I feel like I can give more wisdom to the younger players, because I've gone through a lot more experiences than they have and I can apply what I've learned at Brown," Pichardo said. "I didn't get much college game time, but I feel like I'm able to apply what I learned at practice in college to summer ball and these events. I feel like I'm definitely showing my progression, and I'm getting stronger every time I come here."

All of this leads into this week, with Pichardo returning to the Women's National Team with more seasoning than even her older counterparts, a far cry from the player who came to the same event for the first time just a year prior. Amidst the whirlwind last 12 months, the young pitcher and outfielder cherishes the chance to reconvene with familiar faces and come back to the place where she really kickstarted her meteoric ascent in the baseball world.

"I always love getting to see everybody again," Pichardo said. "We only get to see each other maybe once or twice a year since we live all across the country, and we all come back even better. I really love playing with everyone and tracking everyone's progress throughout the year. It's really nice to see, and I'm also seeing the younger generation of girls coming up too, seeing what they have to bring and what the future holds."

Even with all these experiences, though, one thing Pichardo has yet to do is compete in a WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup, an opportunity that will come for her next month in when the team travels to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada to compete in the event for the first time since 2018. When asked what she expects to see in her first time at an international tournament, Pichardo gave an answer brimming with confidence.

"I'm super excited, and I'm expecting to destroy every team," Pichardo said with a smile. "I don't see how we lose with the amount of talent we have on the team.

MESA, Ariz. - After picking up a dominant win on Tuesday, the Stripes once again used a red-hot offense to cruise to a comfortable 8-1 victory over the Stars in the second game of the Women's National Team Training Camp series on Wednesday at Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, Arizona. With the win, the Stripes clinched the series.

Unlike the game yesterday, the offenses took a while to get going, with the starters from both teams looking very sharp early on. On the Stars side, Jillian Albayati made quick work of opposing hitters through her first two innings, navigating through the top part of the lineup in just 19 pitches. For the Stripes, Jamie Baum managed to do even better, retiring six of the first seven batters she faced and doing so in just 17 pitches.

The formidable Stripes lineup could not be held down for long, though, finally breaking through in the third to strike first blood against Albayati. Alana Martinez led off the inning with a well-struck single up the middle, and after stealing second base to put herself in scoring position, Naomi Ryan cashed in with another base hit into center to drive in the first run of the game. Two batters later, Alex Hugo added on another, driving a fly ball into center field that scored Ryan from third easily and brought their advantage up to 2-0.

As they did in the first game of the series, the Stripes really got it going with the bats in the fourth. With one out and a runner on first, the team had six consecutive hitters reach base successfully, a stretch that helped put four more runs on the scoreboard by the time it finally ended. Starting things off was Anna Kimbrell, who picked up her first hit and RBI of the game with a line-drive double right down the left field line to score the first run of the frame. Martinez followed this up immediately after with a bloop single into right to score Kimbrell, and after Ryan and Ashton Lansdell both reached on infield singles to load the bases, Hugo was hit by a pitch to bring in another. Finally, Olivia Pichardo drove home the sixth run of the game for the Stripes on the next plate appearance, reaching on another infield hit despite a spectacular diving stop by first baseman Kylee Lahners that saved at least one more run from coming across.

After seeing themselves fall behind big once again, the Stars started to show some signs of life at the plate. They capitalized on a few errors by their opponents to bring home their first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth on a slow bouncer off the bat of Luciana Moreno, and in the fifth, they loaded the bases with just one out in what was the best opportunity they would get all day. Ryan came up clutch on the mound for the Stripes, though, picking up two huge strikeouts to escape from her own jam unscathed.

Seemingly energized by Ryan's magic act, the Stripes offense got to work again in the sixth to really put the game away. Kelsie Whitmore got in on the action with a ground ball off the glove of the diving third baseman that scored Pichardo from third, and to cap things off, Valerie Perez lined a base hit into center field that brought home the team's eighth and final run of the day.

Notable Stats

• The Stripes pitching staff was the star of the day, with the trio of Baum, Ryan, and Alyssa Zettlemoyer combining to allow just the lone unearned run with nine strikeouts against five hits throughout their seven innings of work.
• Four different Stripes players had multi-hit games, with those being Pichardo, Perez, Martinez, and Ryan. In the RBI column, Hugo paced the team with two.
• The Stripes got a balanced effort at the plate once again, with nine of the 11 players to get two at-bats or more recording at least one hit.

On Deck

The Stars vs. Stripes series comes to an end tomorrow, with first pitch being set for 9:30 A.M. MT at Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa. You can follow along with the action @USABaseballWNT on Twitter or at the GameChanger link here. Shortly following the game, the final 20-women roster for the Women's National Team will be unveiled.

In the first of a three-game series taking place at the Women's National Team Training Camp this week, the Stripes used an all-around offensive explosion to overwhelm the Stars 16-1 and take a 1-0 lead into tomorrow.

As the final score would indicate, the Stripes jumped all over their opponents with the bats right from the first pitch. The team scored four runs in the game's opening frame, using two-out RBI base hits from Jade Gortarez, Olivia Pichardo, and Naomi Ryan to grab a big early lead.

After going dormant for the next few innings, the Stripes roared back to life in the fourth, putting up five more on the board to take full control of the game. London Studer and Ashton Lansdell got the rally going with a pair of one-out base hits, which set the table for Alex Hugo to drive a fly ball into the grass in left field for a double that scored the former and brought the latter to third. Jillian Albayati cashed in on her opportunity right after with a base hit to drive home both runners, and after Gortarez doubled for her second hit of the game to put another pair in scoring position, Kelsie Whitmore joined the action with a hard-hit sacrifice fly into center to bring home Albayati. Finally, Pichardo put the exclamation mark on the inning, crushing a triple into deep left-center to pick up another RBI.

Things wouldn't stop there, though, as the Stripes picked up right where they left off one inning later. The team once again put two runners on right away via a walk by Ryan and a base hit by Studer, and two batters later, Peyton Coria got on the scoresheet with a bloop double that gave her her first RBI of the morning. Albayati followed this with another clutch single for her third run driven and a stolen base, and on the next batter, a throwing error allowed both runners to stroll home and increased the team's advantage to twelve.

The Stripes put one last crooked number on the board in the seventh, scoring three more times to bring the score up to its final total of 16-1. Whitmore doubled with a pair of runners on to notch her second and third RBIs of the game, and Beth Greenwood ripped a line drive right up the middle two batters later to score Whitmore and put a cherry on top of an excellent team performance.

Notable Stats

• The Stripes' dominant showing in the box was a total team effort. Ten of the 12 players on the team to record at least one plate appearance got a hit, and the two that didn't still pitched in with either a walk or an RBI.
• The 3-6 hitters of Albayati, Gortarez, Whitmore, and Pichardo combined to go 11-17 five extra-base hits and nine RBIs. Beyond them, Studer picked up three hits of her own, and Coria notched two despite entering late as a substitute.
• On the mound, the quintet of Elise Berger, Paloma Benach, Luciana Moreno, Cameron Ely, and Maggie Fox combined to give up just four hits and one unearned run in their seven innings of work.
• On the other side of things, the standout performer for the Stars was Akira Kopec, who tossed 1.2 innings of one-hit ball against the red-hot Stripes lineup while striking out three.

On Deck

The second game of the Stars vs. Stripes series will take place tomorrow at 10 A.M. MT at Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, Arizona. You can follow along with the action @USABaseballWNT on Twitter or at the GameChanger link here.

After the Women's National Open came to its conclusion on Sunday afternoon, the action rolled on Monday morning with the start of the Women's National Team Training Camp.

The 37 players who were named to the Training Camp roster arrived bright and early to the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, Arizona, where the first thing on the ledger was a round of Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) Athletic Performance Assessments. These included things such as 30-yard sprints, broad jumps, and reaction time tests among others, and they were used to test a variety of different skills from all the athletes in attendance.

From there, things shifted toward a more traditional practice, with manager Veronica Alvarez and staff wanting to drill the fundamentals into their players from the very beginning. The main focus of the day was baserunning, which included leads, jumps, and dirt ball reads as the main priorities. In addition to this, the players also took part in positional fielding work and a few rounds of batting practice before the day was done.

With this work came a surprise, as YouTuber Eric Sim joined the group partway through in preparation for an upcoming video. In an attempt to bring a bigger spotlight to women's baseball, the frontman of the King of JuCo channel participated in a few drills and stood both in the box and on the mound for some live at-bats against a few Women's National Team alumni at the end of practice, including Olivia Pichardo and Denae Benites.

"It was amazing," Sim said about the experience. "I just came out here to showcase what the girls are doing, and they were working extremely hard. They killed it. They've got some serious talent, so it's very exciting to watch them."

On Deck

The Women's National Team Training Camp continues on Tuesday, with the beginning of the three-game Stars vs. Stripes series scheduled to kick off at 9:30 A.M. MT. You can follow along with the action on Twitter @USABaseballWNT as well as at the GameChanger link here.

Mesa, Ariz. - USA Baseball today announced its roster for the 2023 Women's National Team Training Camp, following the conclusion of the Women's National Open, the primary identification event for the Women's National Team. The roster is made up of 37 women from 21 different states across the U.S.

Training Camp will begin Monday, July 10, and will consist of workouts and a series of three intrasquad games at Riverview Baseball Complex – the Spring Training facility for the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, Arizona. The final 20-women roster will be announced on Thursday, July 13.

The Women's National Team will then travel to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, for the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup group stage from August 8-13.

"We are very pleased with the selection of athletes chosen for Training Camp," said Women's National Team Program Director Ann Claire Roberson. "Narrowing down the field to thirty-six was a tough endeavor, but we are excited to see this group of talented players continue the process of competing for a spot on the Women's National Team throughout the week."

In total, 19 alumnae of the Women's National Team will compete for the chance to once again don the uniform in 2023, including 18 that helped the team take home a 3-2 friendship series victory over Canada last year.

Highlighting the roster is Anna Kimbrell, who has made 10 different appearances on a USA Baseball national team over her career. Additionally, Kelsie Whitmore and Jade Gortarez have played on seven national teams, and Meggie Meidlinger has featured on six different occasions.

The Training Camp roster includes six players -- Sarah Edwards, Cameron Ely, Akira Kopec, Jacqueline Reynolds, London Studer, and Alyssa Zettlemoyer -- that are brand new to the Women's National Team Program in 2023, and 26 others have participated in a Women's National Team Development Program in years past.

This year's Women's National Team manager is five-time Team USA player Veronica Alvarez. She will coach alongside assistant coaches Alex Oglesby and Malaika Underwood, and pitching coach Reynol Mendoza. In addition, Tamara Holmes, Tanner Vesely, Tim Esmay, and Calvin Pickering will serve as coaches for the Women's National Team Training Camp.

Fans can follow along with the action by following @USABaseballWNT on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

The 2023 Women's National Team Training Camp Roster is as follows:

2023 Women's National Team Training Camp Roster

(Name; Position; Hometown)

• *^Jillian Albayati; RHP/INF; Anaheim, Calif.
• Sierra Baldwin; C/UTIL; Lawton, Mich.
• *^Jamie Baum; RHP/UTIL; Los Altos, Calif.
• ^Paloma Benach; LHP/INF; Washington, D.C.
• *^Denae Benites; C/UTIL; Las Vegas, Nev.
• *^Elise Berger; RHP/INF; Shelburne, Vt.
• *^Kate Blunt; RHP/INF; Ladera Ranch, Calif.
• ^Olivia Bricker; LHP/OF; Cincinnati, Ohio
• *^Janelle Calvet; UTIL/RHP; Deerfield Beach, Fla.
• ^Peyton Coria; RHP/INF; Perris, Calif.
• *Niki Eckert; LHP/OF; Englewood, N.J.
• Sarah Edwards; INF/LHP; Bay Shore, N.Y.
• Cameron Ely; RHP/OF; Valencia, Calif.
• Maggie Foxx; C/INF; Bedford, N.H.
• *^Amanda Gianelloni; INF/OF; Gretna, La.
• *^Jade Gortarez; INF/RHP; Riverside, Calif.
• ^Beth Greenwood; C/UTIL; Amherst, N.H.
• *^Alex Hugo; INF/OF; Olathe, Kan.
• *^Alexia Jorge; C/INF; Lyndhurst, N.J.
• *^Anna Kimbrell; C; Fort Mill, S.C.
• Akira Kopec; RHP/INF; Kingston, Penn.
• *^Kylee Lahners; INF; Laguna Hills, Calif.
• *^Ashton Lansdell; INF/RHP; Marietta, Ga.
• *^Alana Martinez; INF/OF; Cooper City, Fla.
• ^Meredith McFadden; C/UTIL; Charlotte, N.C.
• *^Meggie Meidlinger; RHP/INF; Sterling, Va.
• Luciana Moreno; INF/UTIL; Sun Prairie, Wis.
• ^Maggie Paulovich; INF/C; Albany, Calif.
• Valerie Perez; INF/UTIL; Corpus Christi, Texas
• *^Olivia Pichardo; RHP/OF; Forest Hills, N.Y.
• Jacqueline Reynolds; RHP/UTIL; Woburn, Mass.
• ^Aspen Robinson; OF/UTIL; Folsom, Calif.
• ^Naomi Ryan; LHP/INF; North Chesterfield, Va.
• *^Remi Schaber; INF/RHP; Cordova, Tenn.
• London Studer; INF/LHP; Blacklick, Ohio
• *^Kelsie Whitmore; OF/RHP; Temecula, Calif.
• Alyssa Zettlemoyer; C/INF; Murrieta, Calif.

* denotes National Team alumna

^ denotes National Team Development Program participant

Of all the 54 women that made the trek to Mesa, Arizona to participate in the 2023 Women's National Open this year, none have more experience in the game of baseball than Anna Kimbrell.

Over the span of her long and successful career, Kimbrell has seen and done pretty much everything there is to see and do. The South Carolina native has been a member of 10 different Women's National Teams, amassed 24 hits and 25 RBIs in international competition, and most importantly, won three gold medals at the 2015 Pan American Games Qualifier and Pan American Games and the 2019 COPABE Pan-American Championships.

This resume would be impressive even if it ended there, but under the hot Arizona sun this week, Kimbrell will try to lengthen it even further by earning a spot on this year's team that will travel to the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup Group Stage in Canada next month. A selection to the team next Thursday would mark a very impressive milestone for her, as it would help tie her with her new coach, Malaika Underwood, for the most USA Baseball national team berths in a career with 11.

Even with all of that in mind, though, Kimbrell's main focus right now is to just enjoy being out on the diamond for another go-round. After the second day of the Women's National Open concluded, Kimbrell spoke with USA Baseball about her many years of experience with the organization, the competition she has faced at the event so far, and a potential return to international competition.

Q: This isn't your first rodeo here, but how does it feel to be back at the Women's National Open?

A: It's always fun to come out and just see the competition and watch the game grow. That's been the most important thing to me over the last couple years

Q: Speaking of competition, what have you thought of all the players out here so far?

A: It's been really good this year. A lot of young kids are coming up, which is really cool to see. There have been some very competitive games so far as well, so it's been great.

Q: You've been on 10 different national teams, and you can tie Malaika for the record with 11 if you make it this year. Has it dawned on you that you've been able to compete on that many?

A: Honestly, it hasn't really sunk in yet. Everyday I come out, and it's just like the first day for me. I don't even think about how many years I've been on the team at all, I just come out and compete and do my best.

Q: Since you've been here longer than everyone else, do you feel any responsibility to take on a leadership role with some of the new people that haven't been out here before?

A: Yeah, for sure. I usually just try to lead my example and kind of step up to show them the ropes and help them along the way. I try to have conversations like, 'Hey, how can we improve, what can we do better?' to try and help the younger kids up their game a little bit.

Q: You guys had the Friendship Series with Canada last year, but this year you're back at the World Cup for the first time since 2018. How excited are you for that, and what are you expecting when that time comes?

A: Oh, I'm super excited for it. It's been so long since we've had a big international competition, so I'm really looking forward to that, and I hope we're able to win gold. That's the whole goal.

Q: Since the last time you were out here, you were able to host the Homegrown Clinic in April with the kids from your home state of South Carolina. How special was it for you to get to be able to do that?

A: That was super cool. I really, really enjoyed getting to know the kids and getting the community involved. Fort Mill is where I'm from, and they've supported me a lot along the way and given me a lot of really good coaches that I'm grateful for. Just to be able to have the kids out and share my knowledge and show them that their dreams are just as achievable as anyone else's, that's the main goal, right? To give them that hope that you can come from a small town and still do big things and do whatever you hope to do.

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today revealed its roster for the 2023 Women’s National Open. The roster, which consists of 57 players from around the country, will be split into four teams - Pride, Stripes, Stars, and Eagles - and each team will play three games from July 7-9 at the Riverview Baseball Complex, the Spring Training facility for the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, Arizona.

There will additionally be workouts throughout the event, as the Women’s National Open will serve as the primary identification process for the 2023 Women’s National Team. Fans can follow along with the action by following @USABaseballWNT on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Forty players will be selected from the Women’s National Open on July 9 to participate in the Women’s National Team Training Camp, which will be held July 10-13 at the Riverview Baseball Complex. From there, 20 athletes will be chosen to represent the United States on the final Women’s National Team roster.

Seventeen players heading to the Women’s National Open are alumnae of the Women’s National Team, including nine members of the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier gold-medal winning roster. Additionally, 26 members of the Open roster have previously participated at the Women’s National Team Development Program (WNTDP).

The Women’s National Team Training Camp roster will be announced on Sunday, July 9, following the completion of the Women’s National Open. The final national team roster will be revealed by USA Baseball on Thursday, July 13.

The Women’s National Team will then travel to Thunder Bay, Ontario, for the group stage of the IX WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup from August 8-13. The team most recently played on the international stage last year when it defeated Canada in a five-game international friendship series in Thunder Bay.

This year’s Women’s National Team will be led by 2019 Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year and five-time Team USA alum Veronica Alvarez. She will be joined by assistant coaches Alex Oglesby and Malaika Underwood, along with pitching coach Reynol Mendoza. Additionally, Matthew Flores, Tamara Holmes, Jim Koerner, Dave Tyoski, Tanner Vesely, and Chris Villa will serve as coaches for the Women’s National Open.

The 2023 Women’s National Open Roster is as follows:

2023 Women’s National Open Roster (click here for the individual team rosters)
(Name; Position; Hometown)

• Samantha Agredo; INF; Bronx, N.Y.
• *Jillian Albayati; P/INF; Anaheim, Calif.
• Jordan Andreas; P/INF; Las Vegas, Nev.
• Cassadie Armstrong; INF; Portland, Maine
• Sierra Baldwin; C; Lawton, Mich.
• Sierra Barnes; INF; Jacksonville, Fla.
• Celeste Barrios; RHP; Mission Hills, Calif.
• *Jamie Baum; RHP; Los Altos, Calif.
• Kaija Bazzano; INF; Sebastopol, Calif.
• Paloma Benach; LHP; Washington, D.C.
• *Denae Benites; C; Las Vegas, Nev.
• *Elise Berger; RHP; Shelburne, Vt.
• *Kate Blunt; P/INF; Ladera Ranch, Calif.
• Olivia Bricker; LHP; Cincinnati, Ohio
• *Janelle Calvet; UTIL; Deerfield Beach, Fla.
• Summer Comstock; OF; Phoenix, Ariz.
• Peyton Coria; RHP; Perris, Calif.
• *Niki Eckert; LHP; Englewood, N.J.
• Sarah Edwards; INF; Bay Shore, N.Y.
• Cameron Ely; RHP; Valencia, Calif.
• Bella Espinoza-Molina; RHP; Ladera Ranch, Calif.
• Quinn Faria; UTIL; Bristol, R.I.
• Maggie Foxx; C; Bedford, N.H.
• Alicia Gambone; INF; Fair Oaks, Calif.
• Kaylee Garner; INF; Newark, Ohio
• *Amanda Gianelloni; INF; Gretna, La.
• *Jade Gortarez; INF; Riverside, Calif.
• Elizabeth Greenwood; C; Amherst, N.H.
• Sydni Griffin; INF; Costa Mesa, Calif.
• Scrappy Hopkins; C; Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
• *Alexia Jorge; C; Lyndhurst, N.J.
• *Anna Kimbrell; C; Fort Mill, S.C.
• Akira Kopec; P/INF; Kingston, Penn.
• *Kylee Lahners; INF; Lake Forest, Calif.
• Patsy Lane; INF; Yorba Linda, Calif.
• *Ashton Lansdell; INF; Marietta, Ga.
• *A'Lana Martinez; P/OF; Cooper City, Fla.
• Meredith McFadden; C; Charlotte, N.C.
• *Meggie Meidlinger; RHP; Marietta, Ga.
• Luciana Moreno; UTIL; Sun Prairie, Wis.
• Katherine Murphy; INF; Belmont, Mass.
• Jadyn O'Dette; RHP; Orange, Calif.
• Maggie Paulovich; OF; Albany, Calif.
• Valerie Perez; INF; Corpus Christi, Texas
• *Olivia Pichardo; OF; Forest Hills, N.Y.
• Jacqueline Reynolds; RHP; Woburn, Mass.
• Aspen Robinson; OF; Roseville, Calif.
• Naomi Ryan; LHP; North Chesterfield, Va.
• *Remi Schaber; INF; Cordova, Tenn.
• London Studer; INF; Blacklick, Ohio
• Jana U'Ren; INF; Tucson, Ariz.
• Dawn Vana; LHP; Albuquerque, N.M.
• Celicia Wilken; P/INF; Wylie, Texas
• Lily Woodworth; INF; S. Glastonbury, Conn.
• Stasja Yaspelkis; LHP; Moorpark, Calif.
• Skylar Young; INF; Fayettevillle, N.C.
• Alyssa Zettlemoyer; C; Murrieta, Calif.

* denotes national team alumna

Read through Adobe Express

Representing Team USA as a coach or player is an experience unlike any other. It is an opportunity for some of the best in baseball to come together to pursue a common goal: to win gold on the international stage.

From the outside looking in, most people only get to see the surface of what it entails to put together a national team. Public announcements of who will make up the coaching staff and roster, the schedule of events, and the outcome are all just a small part of what goes on behind the scenes to compile the best possible team.

Behind the scenes, a considerable amount effort from the USA Baseball staff goes into the process of identifying a leader, determining a staff, and building a roster. It is a process that begins roughly six to nine months before that respective team’s international competition and involves difficult and complex decisions.

“Constructing a national team is like a puzzle, and everything that we do behind the scenes contributes to not only identifying the best players, but the best people to make up a coaching staff and support staff,” said USA Baseball Chief Executive Office Paul Seiler. “One of the biggest challenges is making sure we find the right pieces so that at least when we begin our journey to playing for a gold medal, we feel like the puzzle is pretty completed. We have a good picture of where we want to go and how we will get there.”

ASSEMBLING THE STAFF

The primary part of assembling a national team is identifying a manager who will lead and embody what it means to represent Team USA. USA Baseball’s staff considers many variables when choosing who to give that responsibility to. Of course, their prior successes on the field matter, but more importantly, how they can connect with and motivate players and embrace what Team USA stands for helps complete the makeup of the ideal manager.

“The process of identifying a manager for a national team varies between the programs,” said National Teams General Manager Ashley Bratcher. “You need that person to be familiar with the age of the athletes who they will ultimately lead, but also, we try to look for someone that will represent our national team programs well and uphold our standards and expectations of our athletes.”

But just as important as identifying the right manager to lead a national team, it is just as vital for the manager to surround themselves with a staff that can identify the top talent and character at the respective identification events for their squad.

“I tried to surround myself with knowledgeable people through the entire process, people at all levels from high school, to college, to pro, to working with USA Baseball,” recalled 2022 18U National Team Manager Denny Hocking, who led Team USA to gold medals at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup and World Cup Americas Qualifier.

“My number one thing while being in charge of a team is building relationships, so for me, it was important to put people in roles at the PDP League where they would be able to learn about the kids because I wanted an honest evaluation of the 100 players that we had there. It was about what 20 puzzle pieces we were going to put together in order to be the best representation of Team USA.”

THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

When preparing for an international competition, determining a roster is one of the most complex parts of the entire process. From the hundreds of players in each age group who put their talent on display to the coaches and staff members, only 18 are selected for the 12U National Team, while 20 are chosen for the 15U, 18U, and Women’s National Teams. Meanwhile, the Collegiate National Team carries 26 players and the Professional National Team’s roster size ranges from 24-30 players based on the event.

It’s not always about finding the best players, though. It’s about finding the right players.

“When we’re identifying players, we tend to look for qualities that would play well in the international environment,” explained 2022 15U National Team Manager Drew Briese, who led the team to its second consecutive World Cup title last summer. “An international environment can be very hostile, so some of the things that we were looking for with that [15U] team were guys who were highly competitive, had the ability to handle adversity, and their qualities as a person fit into the team dynamic.

“If you want to find the right folks to hit the field and win that gold medal, you have to have that mentality in the team chemistry and dynamic in order to do it.”

Selecting a national team is an intricate process. With such a large pool of talented players to choose from that can compete at a high level, the few who are selected must be able to not only fill the roles needed but also have the intangibles. The things that can’t be taught on a ball field.

“Everyone's pretty much in agreement on who the first 10 to 12 players are, but it's those last few pieces for the roles that we need that you can't miss on because those are what's really going to determine your success,” said 2022 12U National Team Manager R.J. Farrell, who guided the squad to an 8-0 record and a gold medal at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. “It’s tough at any age group once you get the top players to Training Camp. They all can play the game, and they all bring something that's really, really good.

“When you start getting to where you're going to make the selection of who's going to actually make the national team, it comes down to who fits what piece that we feel we need. It’s a really difficult process, and there’s a lot of conversation involved. But at the end of the day, it's what we have to do.”

Most national teams have a primary identification event where the national team staff and a group of Task Force members carefully evaluate every player in the event. However, the selection process varies between each national team program.

For the 12U and 15U teams, the process for selecting players starts at USA Baseball’s identification events: The Futures Invitational, the National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina, and the National Team Identification Series.

The primary identification event for the 18U National Team is the Prospective Development Pipeline (PDP) League, which features 100 of the top eligible players for the following year’s draft. Meanwhile, the Women’s National Team process begins with the Women’s National Open, a three-day event for players around the country to compete for a Team USA roster spot.

In addition to the Women’s National Open, a large chunk of the identification for the Women’s National Team comes from various joint events that USA Baseball hosts alongside Major League Baseball throughout the calendar year. With women’s baseball still on the rise, these events give staff members and players a unique chance to build relationships while honing in on the development aspect of the game.

From these identification events, the coaching staff determines a Training Camp roster of 36-72 players to advance to the next step towards deciding who will wear U-S-A across their chest.

With the Collegiate National Team, the best 48-56 non-draft eligible players are selected for a Training Camp as the initial step towards identifying its national team each year. With the short time window from the end of the college season to when the team preps for its event, the players are evaluated throughout their season, giving USA Baseball a chance to recognize the best of college baseball.

“It's great for USA Baseball to put together its very best collegiate players to play international competition year in and year out,” said Professional and Collegiate National Teams General Manager Eric Campbell. “But the segment where college players play peer to peer during our annual Stars and Stripes series in which we pick our final team is an exceptional week and a lifetime baseball experience that no one will forget, regardless of if they make the final national team or not.”

Likewise, with the Professional National Teams, those squads are composed of the top Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball players who are evaluated based on current and past performances at the professional level.

“It's exciting when MLB designates a pool of players that are available for a Professional National Team event,” added Campbell. “Those guys are playing for their club and are reaching for the pinnacle of the game, but it's exciting for everyone at USA Baseball when we can put our nation's uniform on those professional players. They've earned it based on their performance in any given year.”

For the national teams that select their roster from Training Camp, that stage could be considered the toughest part of the entire process. It is an intense three to four days and with a lot of conversation involved. Each night, the coaching staffs hold a meeting to evaluate the talent in front of them and determine who will represent Team USA. Because so many factors go into deciding that 18-20 player roster, the conversations can take hours.

“The difficulty during Training Camp to figure out that final roster is unlike anything else you experience,” said former 12U and 15U National Team Program Director Will Schworer. “Being in that room where they're talking about phenomenal athletes and how one might carry himself better off the field, or how one has a better bat but another player might be better defensively, is intense. The conversations can last hours, and it’s not an easy process.

“Just getting to the Training Camp roster is difficult, but once you’re looking for those final 18-20 guys, you really have to consider the intangibles on top of the talent. A lot of deep conversation goes into that selection process, and it’s not an easy one.”

SELECTION DAY

Once a national team is selected, several different emotions surface for all involved. There’s the slight relief that the selection process has been completed, so much excitement that the best possible roster has been put together, and anticipation to really begin the journey to win gold.

“Selection Day is an interesting day because not only am I telling 20 players that they have made the national team, but I am also releasing 20 players and letting them know they didn’t make the team,” said USA Baseball alum and two-time Women’s National Team Manager Veronica Alvarez. “It’s a mix of emotions because I very much empathize with those players who I have to release knowing how hard they have worked to get to that stage, but it’s also exciting to present the news to the 20 who make it and let them know they are representing USA Baseball.

“By selecting someone to the Women's National Team, it means that not only have they excelled on the field, but that they encompass everything that it means to represent the game and represent women within the game.”

Alvarez is a four-time Women’s National Team alum and served as manager in 2019 and 2022, so having the experience as a player and a manager has given her a deeper appreciation for what it truly means to wear the U-S-A letters across your chest.

“Having been a player on the Women’s National Team, I have a love and passion for what it means to represent Team USA. I have really high expectations for the women who follow because I want them to be successful and understand what that looks like. But now, being on the coaching side, I’ve moved away from having a personal goal or accomplishment, and I now understand what it means to help somebody else accomplish a goal. I wear the uniform with pride and very much feel this responsibility to uphold the standards of USA Baseball and what it means to be a woman within the game.”

The journey to pursuing gold is extensive, but it is one that provides so much reward to all involved. It’s a gratifying experience for those staff members and coaches who get to see all of the months of hard work finally come to fruition when Team USA competes on the international stage. Therefore, no matter what capacity you are serving in, it’s a badge of honor to be able to represent the red, white, and blue through America’s Pastime.

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today named the coaching staff for the 2023 Women’s National Team. The staff is highlighted by three returning members from 2022, including 2019 Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year and five-time Team USA player Veronica Alvarez as manager. Reynol Mendoza and Alex Oglesby return to their roles as pitching coach and assistant coach, respectively, and 11-time Team USA player Malaika Underwood will make her coaching debut as she joins the team as an assistant coach.

The staff will lead the Women’s National Team in 2023 at the IX World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup group stage, which will take place from August 8-13 in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The team most recently played on the international stage last year when it defeated Canada in a five-game international friendship series in Thunder Bay.

“We are thrilled to have Veronica, Reynol, and Alex back to guide our Women’s National Team, and to add Malaika to the staff, as we return to World Cup action in 2023,” USA Baseball Director of Baseball Operations Ann Claire Roberson said. “Every one of these coaches brings an incredible amount of baseball knowledge and experience to this program that will be instrumental in not only the pursuit of a gold medal but also the growth and development of all of our athletes both on and off the field. We are confident that they will represent this organization and the U.S. exceptionally well at the helm of Team USA, and we cannot wait to get started.”

Alvarez has been named Women’s National Team manager on three previous occasions (2019, 2020, and 2022). In 2019, she became the first female recipient of the USA Baseball Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year award for her efforts in leading the Women’s National Team to a gold medal in the COPABE Women’s Pan-American Championships. The team finished with a perfect 7-0 record and outscored its opponents 124-20, a performance that led to the team being named USA Baseball’s 2019 Team of the Year.

Beyond just her managerial career, Alvarez has donned the red, white, and blue in several roles. She served as Field Coordinator at the Women’s National Team Development Program and the inaugural USA Baseball Girls Camp in 2021, worked on the 2018 staff as an assistant coach, and played for Team USA on five separate occasions. As a player, she medaled at every international competition she featured in, including a gold medal at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, a silver medal at the 2012 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup, and bronze medals at the 2008 and 2010 IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cups.

Alvarez, who is currently the Coordinator of Player Development in Latin America for the Oakland A’s, has also continued to help grow the game of women’s baseball through programs created from the collaboration between Major League Baseball and USA Baseball, aimed at fostering the next generation of female baseball players in the United States. She has also been a coach at the Trailblazer Series since 2017, the Girls Baseball Breakthrough Series Showcase & Development Camp since 2018, and the Girls Baseball Elite Development Invitational from 2020-2022.

“I am proud to once again serve as the manager of the Women’s National Team because I am proud of the women that I get to lead,” said Alvarez. “Since our last international competition in 2019, we have taken advantage of every opportunity that we have been given to develop our players, elevate our level of play as a team, and grow the game. It’s been incredible to witness how the players have stayed focused and have continued to challenge themselves and each other during uncertain times. We are eager to finally showcase the work we’ve done, both physically and mentally, on and off the field in pursuit of our goal to be the best in the world.”

Mendoza returns as Team USA’s pitching coach after previously serving in the role in both 2019 and 2022. During the 2019 team’s run to a gold medal at the COPABE Women’s Pan-American Games, he helped coach its pitchers to a collective 3.16 ERA and .255 batting average against in 37 innings of work. Mendoza is also the head coach at Eagle Pass High School (Eagle Pass, Texas), where he has led the Eagles to 15 consecutive playoff appearances and three regional finals appearances in 2013, 2014, and 2021. Prior to coaching, Mendoza played seven seasons in the Miami Marlins’ minor league system after being drafted in the seventh round of the 1992 MLB Draft.

Oglesby also returns to Team USA as an assistant coach after working in the position in 2019 and 2022. Oglesby was a member of the inaugural Women’s National Team that won a gold medal at the IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup in 2004, where she was named to the All-Tournament Team. Before representing Team USA, she played in the Ladies Professional Baseball League and was the league’s youngest player when it began in 1997. At just 17 years old, Oglesby led the San Jose Spitfires to the league’s first World Series Championship and was named both Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year for her efforts. She also helped form the California Women’s Baseball League in 2002, where she earned MVP honors twice.

Oglesby has also been a member of the coaching staff at the USA Baseball Girls Camp in 2021, the Women’s National Team Trials and Women’s National Open in 2018, and the Trailblazer Series since 2017. In addition to these events, she coached at the first-ever Major League Baseball and USA Baseball GRIT in 2019.

Underwood makes her debut on the Women’s National Team staff as an assistant coach after recently concluding one of the most successful playing careers in USA Baseball history. From her debut in 2006 through her final appearance in 2022, Underwood played on a Team USA-record 11 national teams and medaled at eight different international competitions. She won four total gold medals, including at the 2006 Women’s Baseball World Cup, the 2015 Pan American Games Qualifier and Pan American Games, and the 2019 COPABE Pan-American Championships. In addition to these, she also earned two silver medals at the 2012 and 2014 IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cups and two bronze medals at the 2008 and 2010 World Cups.

Along with all of her team success, Underwood achieved many different individual accomplishments while playing for Team USA. She was named to the Women’s Baseball World Cup All-Tournament Team in both 2008 and 2014, and she earned the USA Baseball Sportswoman of the Year award in 2015. Underwood also holds the Women’s National Team record for most hits, runs, RBIs, and stolen bases in a career, as well as the record for most hits in a single game with five.

The 2023 Women’s National Team schedule begins with the Women’s National Open, which will take place from July 7-9 at Riverview Baseball Complex – the Spring Training facility for the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, Arizona – and serve as the primary identification event for Team USA. Players from around the country will be divided into teams and compete in games and workout sessions, where they will be evaluated by the national team coaching staff. Registration for the event is open to female baseball players born in 2007 or earlier.

At the end of the Women’s National Open, a minimum of 35 players will be selected by the coaching staff to participate in the Women’s National Team Training Camp, which will take place from July 10-13 at Riverview Baseball Complex. Once Training Camp concludes, 20 women will be chosen to represent Team USA at the IX WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup group stage starting on August 8.

The USA Baseball Women’s National Team has medaled in six of the eight WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cups since the tournament’s inception in 2004. The U.S. earned gold in the first two editions of the event in 2004 and 2006, posting a 10-2 combined record. After winning bronze medals in 2008 and 2010, the stars and stripes claimed silver in 2012 and 2014. Overall, the Women’s National Team owns five gold medals in international competition, most recently earning a first-place finish at the 2019 COPABE Women’s Pan-American Championships.

CARY, N.C. – The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) announced today that Team USA received a wild card bid into the IX WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup. The event will span two years and begins with the group stage, where the U.S. will participate in Group A from August 8-13 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The top three teams from both groups will advance to the IX WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals in 2024.

"We are excited to have received a bid to the upcoming Women’s Baseball World Cup,” said Women’s National Team Program Director Ann Claire Roberson. “Since competing in our last international tournament in 2019, our program has only gotten stronger and is poised to compete for another gold medal. We look forward to beginning the identification process and building a world championship-caliber team.”

The USA Baseball Women’s National Team has medaled in six of the eight WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cups since the tournament’s inception in 2004. The U.S. earned gold in the first two editions of the event in 2004 and 2006, posting a 10-2 combined record. After winning bronze medals in 2008 and 2010, the stars and stripes claimed silver in 2012 and 2014. Overall, the Women’s National Team owns five gold medals in international competition, most recently earning a first-place finish at the 2019 COPABE Women’s Pan-American Championships.

The Women’s National Team identification process will take place at the USA Baseball Women’s National Open from July 7-9. The event is open to female baseball players born in 2007 or earlier. Players will be divided into teams and compete in games and workout sessions, where they will be evaluated by the national team coaching staff. At the conclusion of the event, the coaching staff will select a minimum of 35 players from the Women’s National Open to participate in the Women’s National Team Training Camp.

Training Camp will take place immediately following the Women’s National Open from July 10-13, where 20 women will be selected to represent Team USA in the IX WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup group stage.

The location for the Women’s National Open and Training Camp will be announced at a later date.

The IX WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup group stage will include two groups made up of 12 nations. The U.S. will compete in Group A in Thunder Bay, Ontario, while Group B will be held in Miyoshi City, Japan. The U.S. is the ninth team to qualify for the group stage, joining Australia, Canada, Cuba, France, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. The final three countries will qualify at the Asia Qualifier in May. The top three finishers from the group stage will advance to the IX WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals in 2024, also set to take place in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.