Category Archives: Tournaments

3-24-2018 Qualifying for Tokyo 2020

WBSC reveals Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualifiers for Baseball, Softball

PARIS — 24 March 2018 — Following the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Executive Meeting held today at the headquarters of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, the WBSC revealed the qualification system for the six-team baseball and softball events at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, as approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

WBSC Members and affiliated National Teams will have the opportunity to qualify for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad exclusively through eight WBSC international tournaments, four for baseball and four for softball.

“The eight competitions to get into Tokyo 2020 promise to deliver some of the most exciting and meaningful international baseball and softball games ever seen,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “As the biggest sport in Japan, the historic return of Olympic Baseball and Softball is expected to make a major buzz and be a magical experience for the athletes and spectators alike, so we can expect that millions around the world will have their sights set on Tokyo 2020 and do whatever they can to be a part of it.”

Host nation Japan will be automatically entered into the men’s baseball and women’s softball medal events at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

ROAD TO TOKYO 2020 – BASEBALL

The first opportunity to advance to the Olympic Baseball medal event at Tokyo 2020 will be the WBSC flagship Premier12® in November 2019, where two Olympic spots will be awarded. The Premier12’s top finisher from the Americas and the top finisher from Asia/Oceania (excluding Japan) will earn direct entries into Tokyo 2020 without having to pass through Qualifiers. The Top 12 (“Premier12”) nations in the final 2018 WBSC Baseball World Rankings will compete in this top-tier, elite global battle.

Africa/Europe Qualifier

The Africa/Europe qualification event will be a six-team tournament, with the winner earning a place at Tokyo 2020. Competing in this Qualifier will be top five finishers from the European Baseball Championship 2019 and the winner of the African Baseball Championship/Qualifier 2019.

Americas Qualifier

The Americas Olympic qualifier, where the winner will advance to Tokyo 2020, will be an eight-team tournament, bringing together all Americas representatives from the WBSC Premier12 2019 that did not qualify for Tokyo 2020. Currently, there are seven nations from the Americas in the Top 12 (Premier12) of the WBSC Baseball World Rankings. The top finisher(s) from the Pan American Games Lima 2019 would complete the eight-team field

Intercontinental Qualifier

The final Olympic Baseball qualifier will be a six-team world tournament for the last remaining place at Tokyo 2020. Participants will include:

2nd Place finisher from the Africa/Europe Qualifier
2nd and 3rd Place finishers from the Americas Qualifier
Top two finishers from the Asian Championship 2019 (not counting nations already qualified for Tokyo 2020)
Winner of Oceania Qualifier 2019

Men’s National Baseball Team Composition

National Team roster sizes for Olympic Baseball will be 24 athletes, and the athletes must be at least 18 years old (prior to the start of the respective event) to participate in any of the four qualification events as well as the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 tournament. Professional players are eligible. Athletes must comply with Olympic Charter Rule 41 (Nationality of Competitors) and Rule 43 (World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of Manipulation of Competitions).

ROAD TO TOKYO 2020 – SOFTBALL

The first opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Softball medal event at Tokyo 2020 will be this August at the WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship 2018 in Chiba, Japan. The 1st Place finisher in Chiba will be awarded direct entry into Tokyo 2020 without having to pass through Qualifiers. (Should Japan win the WBSC World Championship in Chiba, the 2nd Place finisher would be granted the Olympic spot.)

Africa/Europe Qualifier

The Africa/Europe qualification event will be an eight-team tournament, where the winner will earn a place at Tokyo 2020. Competing in this Qualifier will be top six finishers from the European Softball Championship 2019 and the top two teams from the African Softball Championship 2019.

Americas Qualifier

The Americas Olympic qualifier will be a maximum 16-team tournament, with the winner and the 2nd Place nation advancing to Tokyo 2020. Eligible nations to compete in this Qualifier will be based on the finals standings of the Pan American Championship 2019.

Asia/Oceania Qualifier

The Asia/Oceania Qualifier will be an eight-team tournament, with the winner advancing to Tokyo 2020. Competing in this Qualifier (not counting already qualified nations for Tokyo 2020) will be top six finishers from the Asian Softball Championship 2019 and the top two teams from the Oceania Softball Championship 2019.

Women’s National Softball Team Composition

National Team roster sizes for Olympic Softball will be 15 athletes, and the athletes must be at least 16 years old (prior to the start of the respective event) to participate in any of the four qualification events as well as the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 tournament. Professional players are eligible. Athletes must comply with Olympic Charter Rule 41 (Nationality of Competitors) and Rule 43 (World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of Manipulation of Competitions).

Baseball – Path to Olympic Games Tokyo 2020	Softball – Path to Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Nov 2019: WBSC Premier12 (2 Qualify)	Aug 2018: WBSC Women’s Softball WC (1)
TBC: Africa/Europe Qualifier (1)	TBC: Africa/Europe Qualifier (1)
TBC: Americas Qualifier (1)	TBC: Americas Qualifier (2)
TBC: Intercontinental Qualifier (1)	TBC: Asia/Oceania Qualifier (1)

WBSC will announce dates, locations/hosts and respective broadcast rights agreements of the Qualifiers in future news releases.

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For media inquiries, contact media@wbsc.org, @WBSC.

About the World Baseball Softball Confederation

Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland — the Olympic Capital — the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the world governing body for baseball and softball. WBSC has 202 National Federation and Associate Members in 143 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceania, which represent a united baseball/softball sports movement that encompasses over 65 million athletes and attracts approximately 150 million fans to stadiums worldwide annually.

The WBSC governs all international competitions involving official National Teams. The WBSC oversees the Softball World Cups, Softball World Championships (Men, Women, U-19 Men, and U-19 Women), Premier12, World Baseball Classic, and Baseball World Cups (U-12, U-15, U-18, U-23 and Women’s).

For more information, visit www.wbsc.org, which is available six languages: English, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Traditional Chinese.

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7-5-2017 World Cup of Softball

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Media Information | World Cup of Softball XII

The World Cup of Softball XII features seven of the top 10 world-ranked teams in the world and marks the first international softball event in the United States since the announcement of softball’s return to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Team USA’s #JourneyToJapan begins now as the road to qualify for #Tokyo2020 begins right here in OKC!

Competing Teams:

Team USA

USA Junior Women’s National Team (19-Under)

Australia

Canada

Japan

Mexico

Philippines

Puerto Rico

World Cup of Softball XII Game Schedule

July 5:

OGE Energy Field:

Puerto Rico vs USA JWNT – 11 am

Canada vs USA JWNT – 1:30 pm

USA vs Philippines – 4 pm

USA vs Mexico – 6:30 pm

INTEGRIS Field:

Japan vs Canada – 11 am

Japan vs Puerto Rico – 2 pm

Australia vs Mexico – 4:30 pm

Australia vs Philippines – 7 pm

July 6:

OGE Energy Field:

Japan vs Mexico – 9:30 am

Mexico vs USA JWNT – 12:30 pm

Australia vs USA JWNT – 3 pm

USA vs Canada – 6 pm

INTEGRIS Field:

Japan vs Philippines – 12 pm

Canada vs Philippines – 2:30 pm

Australia vs Puerto Rico – 5 pm

July 7:

OGE Energy Field:

Canada vs Mexico – 10:30 am

Philippines vs USA JWNT – 1 pm

USA vs USA JWNT – 4 pm

USA vs Japan – 7:30 pm

INTEGRIS Field:

Puerto Rico vs Philippines – 10:30 am

Canada vs Puerto Rico – 1 pm

Japan vs Australia – 4pm

July 8:

OGE Energy Field:

Puerto Rico vs Mexico – 10 am

USA vs Puerto Rico – 1 pm

Japan vs USA JWNT – 3:30 pm

USA vs Australia – 7 pm

INTEGRIS Field:

Mexico vs Philippines – 12:30 pm

Canada vs Australia – 3:30 pm

July 9:

OGE Energy Field:

Seed #1 vs Seed #2 – 12 pm

Seed #3 vs Seed #4 – 2:30 pm

INTEGRIS Field:

Seed #7 vs Seed #8 – 12 pm

Seed #5 vs Seed #6 – 2:30 pm

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LIVE Media

TV:

USA vs. Canada on July 6, 2017 – (ESPN)

USA vs. Japan on July 7, 2017 – (ESPN2)

USA vs. Puerto Rico on July 8, 2017 – (ESPN2)

USA vs. Australia on July 8, 2017 – (ESPN2)

Seed #1 vs. Seed #2 Championship Game – (ESPN)

Online: All other games will be available to watch via live stream on USASoftball.com for free.

Tickets

General admission single session tickets will be available at the gate. For those ages 12 and older, tickets can be purchased for $10 while youth and senior citizen (ages 4-12/55+) are available for $5. All-session tickets are available for adults for $40, and youth/senior for $20.

Credentials

Media passes will be available for pick-up at the “Will Call” window at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium throughout the event.

Please contact:

Katie Willis – Communications Manager

Cell: 440.315.2802 I Email: kwillis@usasoftball.com I Social Media: @USASoftball

Please note: USA Softball will allot time after the conclusion of each team’s final game of the day for media requesting interviews. Please contact Katie Willis with your requests.

Pressbox Hours

Please note your respective work space will remain open for 1 hour after the final out of the last game of the day. If you need to make other arrangements, please contact Katie Willis prior to the start of each day.

Meals/Drinks

Working media will have access to meals and drinks, which will be located in the VIP area of the USA Softball press box. Please note: there will be no bottled water, but there will be a water cooler in the meal area. Media will need to bring their own bottle, canister, etc. to fill with available water. Bottled water can be purchased at the concession stands along with other snacks.

6-16-2017 World Cup Schedule

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Game and promotional schedule announced for World Cup of Softball XII in Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY – The softball season continues in Oklahoma City, Okla. as the top teams in the world of international fast pitch head to the Softball Capital of the World® for the World Cup of Softball XII. With 32 games to be played July 5-9 at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex – OGE Energy Field – INTEGRIS Field, the World Cup, a World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) sanctioned event, will be highlighted by the top teams in the world. Fans will have the opportunity to watch the world’s best softball and potential Tokyo 2020 Olympians, with general admission all-session and single-session tickets on sale by phone at 800-654-8337 or online at USASoftball.com.

In addition to the complete game schedule, USA Softball has also announced the promotional lineup for the World Cup of Softball. Highlighted by events such as Military Appreciation Day, League Night, Health and Wellness Day and Family Fun Day, special activities highlight each day of the World Cup while groups of 10 or more can receiving special pricing.

Click here to view the entire game and promotional schedule for World Cup of Softball XII

*NOTE: Schedule is subject to change

The World Cup of Softball features No 1. ranked Japan, No. 2 USA, No. 3 Canada, No. 4 Australia, No. 7 Puerto Rico, No. 10 Mexico, No. 17 Philippines and the USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team (JWNT). The tournament is a round robin format, which will feed into the Championship Playoff Round on Sunday, July 9. Ticket packages are now on sale for the World Cup of Softball XII. All-session tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for youth, while single-session tickets are $10 for adult and $5 for youth. All tickets are general admission and allow for the ticket holder to watch all games held on that respective date. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 800-654-8337 or online at USASoftball.com.

A complete broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date. For complete coverage of World Cup XII including live stats, streaming and results log on to USASoftball.com.

About USA Softball
USA Softball is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 70 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 150,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2 million. USA Softball is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch. USA Softball annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships. The USA Softball umpire program is among the nation’s largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game.

As the NGB for the sport of softball, USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USA Softball, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com.

About the World Baseball Softball Confederation

Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland — the Olympic Capital — the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the world governing body for baseball and softball. WBSC has 213 National Federation and Associate Members in 142 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceania, which represent a united baseball/softball sports movement that encompasses over 65 million athletes and attracts approximately 150 million fans to stadiums worldwide annually.

The WBSC governs all international competitions involving official National Teams. The WBSC oversees the Softball World Championships (Men, Women, U-19 Men, and U-19 Women), Premier12, World Baseball Classic, and Baseball World Cups (U-12, U-15, U-18, U-23 and Women’s).

For more information, visit: www.wbsc.org

6-7-2017 WCWS Championship Notes

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from NCAA

POSTGAME NOTES

Championship Series Game 2: Oklahoma 5, Florida 4

No. 10 seed Oklahoma won its third NCAA title in the last five years, defeating No. 1 seed Florida, 5-4, on Tuesday. The Sooners are the first No. 10 seed to win the Women’s College World Series.
Oklahoma improves to 27-16 at the Women’s College World Series, while Florida falls to 25-14. OU ranks fourth in WCWS history with 27 wins at the event. The Sooners have won six straight and 12 out of their 13 games at the WCWS dating back to 2016.
Every WCWS Championship Series since 2011 has featured either Florida (2011, ’14, 15, ’17) or Oklahoma (2012, ’13, ’16, ’17). The Gators won the NCAA title in 2014 and 2015, while OU captured the crown in the 2013, 2016 and 2017.
Nicole Mendes’ leadoff home run in the bottom of the first put the Sooners ahead 1-0. It was the second home run for Mendes in WCWS Championship Series and her second career leadoff home run. The freshman also threw 1.0 inning of relief, giving up just one hit in her first appearance in the circle at the WCWS.
Florida shortstop Alexis Reynoso belted her third home run of the year, a solo blast to left field, to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the second. It was the first homer for Reynoso since March 19 at South Carolina.
The Gators tacked on two more runs in the second as Aleshia Ocasio’s single to right plated Justine McClean. Florida added its third run of the frame as OU reliever Mariah Lopez hit the Gators’ Kayli Kvistad with the bases loaded, scoring Amanda Lorenz.
With the bases loaded, OU’s Caleigh Clifton walked to trim Florida’s lead down to 3-2. After Clifton reached, Shay Knighten cleared the bases with a double to the right center gap to put OU up 5-3. In 11 games at the WCWS, Knighten has recorded 16 RBIs and is hitting .389 with three home runs.
Clifton finished 2-for-2 with one run scored and a RBI to lead the Sooners. It was the junior’s 17th multi-hit game of the season.
Florida cut the OU lead down to 5-4 as Alex Herndon recorded her fifth home run of the season with a solo homer to center field. Herndon finished with 1-for-3 with a run scored and a RBI.
Oklahoma freshman Mariah Lopez (18-1) earned the win in relief, tossing 2.1 innings and allowing just one run on one hit.
Paige Lowary earned her third save at the WCWS, pitching the final 2.0 innings and retiring all six batters she faced in order. Lowary’s three saves are the most in WCWS history. The junior recorded 11 saves during 2017, which is tied for the most by a pitcher in NCAA single-season history.
Lowary made four relief appearance at the 2017 WCWS, which is tied for the most in series history with Auburn’s Rachel Walters (2015) and Alabama’s Jackie Traina (2011). The junior’s 0.88 ERA is tied for the second-lowest ERA in WCWS history (minimum 10 appearances). Lowary finished four games at the WCWS, the most by a pitcher in series history.
Ocasio (8-2) took the loss, giving up four runs on four hits in 1.1 innings pitched. Delanie Gourley pitched the final 4.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits, while striking out five.
The contest marked the first time since 2010 that both teams scored in four consecutive half-innings. UCLA and Arizona combined to do it in six straight at-bats.
The six pitchers used between Oklahoma (4) and Florida (2) were the most used in a WCWS Championship Series Game and tied for the most used in a game in WCWS history (twice). It is also the most pitchers used in a single game at the WCWS since 1997 (Fresno State vs. Iowa).
Kelsey Arnold’s stolen base in the bottom of the sixth inning was the 112th stolen base of the season, tying the single-season steals record, which was set in 2000.
OU finished the season with 61 wins, its most in a season 2000. The Sooners rank third in NCAA history with four national titles. Only UCLA (11) and Arizona (8) have more NCAA Championships than the Sooners.
Oklahoma is the fourth team to repeat as national champions, joining Arizona, Florida and UCLA has teams to win back-to-back NCAA titles.
The national title marked Oklahoma’s fourth in the 2016-17 academic year, the most ever for the department. The men’s gymnastics and women’s gymnastics teams also earned their second consecutive titles this season, while the men’s golf team recorded its first championship since 1989.
Attendance for Session 9 was 8,507.