OLYMPIC TEAM TOUR
OKLAHOMA CITY
,
OK
—USA Softball announced today its plans for the "Aiming for
Athens
" tour in 2004. The tour will consist of two segments - a college tour and
a grassroots tour. During the collegiate tour the 2004 USA Softball Women’s
Olympic Team will participate in various high profile collegiate tournaments. In
May it will begin the grassroots portion of the tour, making stops in over 20
cities across the country. Fans throughout
America
will have the opportunity for a first glimpse at one of the
USA
’s best bets for Olympic gold when the National Team begins its national tour
in February.
SPY Note:
The
USA
team will play two games each against
Japan
and
China
at the
Japan
Cup, November 28-30.
The "Aiming for
Athens
" tour kicks-off in
Palm Springs
,
CA
at the Palm Springs Classic. Fans will get their first look at the 2004 USA
Softball Women's Olympic Team on February 20 when it faces Stanford in its
opening game. The
U.S.
will then play a double dip on the 21st versus
Georgia
and
Tennessee
before closing out the tournament on February 22 versus tournament host
Oregon
State
.
After training a few additional days in
Palm Springs
, the National Team will head to
Columbus
,
GA
for the NFCA Classic where it opens tournament play on February 27 versus
Michigan
and Virginia Tech. On February 28 the
U.S.
will face off against Army and
Arizona
State
before closing out the tournament on February 29 versus Georgia Tech.
The Speedline Tournament in
Tampa
,
FL
awaits the National Team, March 4-6, where it will face the likes of
Illinois
, UNLV,
Iowa
,
Baylor
,
Oregon
and host
South Florida
.
Following the Speedline Tournament the U.S. Women stop over in the state of
Texas
for games in
Austin
and
Waco
. National Team pitcher Cat Osterman (
Houston
,
Texas
) will return to
Austin
on March 9 to face her teammates before heading up to
Waco
for a rematch with the Baylor Bears on March 11.
The final collegiate tournament of the “Aiming for
Athens
” tour will be in
Fullerton
,
CA
at the KIA Classic. The
USA
begins play on March 16 versus the
University
of
Pacific
and will face Cal State Fullerton (17th), DePaul (18th) and Louisiana Lafayette
(19th) in successive days.
The
USA
wraps up the month of March with stops at perennial powers
Arizona
and UCLA. Head Coach Mike Candrea and four
Arizona
alumni return to
Tucson
on March 26 to face the 2004 Arizona Wildcats. Defending National Champion UCLA
will welcome five Bruin alumni home on March 28 when the two teams face off at
Easton Stadium.
Lmost the entire month of April will be spent in
Italy
training before heading back to the
U.S.
for the grassroots portion of the tour. The team will depart for
Italy
on April 6 and return on April 26.
The grassroots portion of the tour, which features, a 22-city sweep, begins May
17 in
San Antonio
,
TX
and ends July 17 in
Stratford
,
CT
, just days before the
U.S.
departs for the 2004 Olympic Games.
“This is an exciting opportunity to see
America
’s team in action prior to its defense of its two Olympic gold medals,” said
Ron Radigonda, ASA executive director. "We have raised the bar on the
competition we will face on this tour and that should prepare us for what we
will face in
Athens
.
Cities scheduled as stops on the tour include San Antonio, TX; Ridgeland, MS,
Springfield, MO, Stockton, CA, Hayward, CA, Sacramento, CA, Portland, OR,
Spokane, WA, Montgomery, AL, Charlotte, N.C., Salem, VA, Topeka, KS, St. Louis,
MO, Normal, IL, South Bend, IN, Midland, MI, Houston, TX, Killeen, TX, Fort
Worth, TX, Oklahoma City, OK, Stevens Point, WI, and Stratford, CT.
The 2004 Women's National Team roster consists of four two-time Olympic gold
medalists and six of the 15-member 2000 Olympic Team. Twelve of the 17 members
of the 2002 World Championship gold medal winning team remain intact.
The players are:
Laura Berg,
Santa Fe Springs
,
CA
– Outfielder Laura Berg is one of four two-time Olympic gold medalist to be
selected to the 2004 Women’s National Team. Along with her two Olympic gold
medals, Berg has captured gold at three World Championships and two Pan American
Games.
Crystl Bustos, Canyon Country, CA – Third baseman Crystl Bustos captured gold
at the 2000 Olympic Games and is one of the most feared hitters in the game
today. In 2003, she led the
U.S.
to a gold medal at the Pan Am Games after collecting nine RBI in nine games.
Jaime Clark,
Tustin
,
CA
– Shortstop Jaime Clark is making her second consecutive national team after
being part of the 2001 Pan Am Qualifier Team. A former standout at the
University
of
Washington
,
Clark
hit .778 during the 2003 Pan Am Games.
Lisa Fernandez,
Long Beach
,
CA
– Right-handed pitcher Lisa Fernandez, who is widely regarded as the best
softball player in the world, makes her third consecutive National Team roster.
She has pitched in last two Olympic and World Championship gold medal games.
Jennie Finch,
La Mirada
,
CA
– A right-handed pitcher, Jennie Finch adds to the strong pitching staff
among the 2004 USA Softball National team. A 2003 Pan American gold medalist and
2002 ISF World Champion, this marks her third consecutive season with the
national team.
Amanda Freed, Cypress, CA – A 2000 Olympic team alternate, Amanda Freed joins
the 2004 National team roster as an outfielder/pitcher after taking home the
gold at the 2003 Pan American Games. In 2002, she also led the USA Softball
National team to the ISF World Championship title.
Nicole Giordano,
Saugus
,
CA
– A 2003 Pan American gold medalist, Nicole Giordano lists among the
outfielders named to the 2004 National Team. Making her third consecutive
National Team appearance, she was also a member of the 2002 ISF World
Championship team.
Lori Harrigan, Las Vegas, NV – Left-hander pitcher Lori Harrigan is one of the
four two-time Olympic gold medalists to be chosen for the 2004 Women’s
National Team. In the opening game of the 2000 Olympics, she became the first
pitcher to throw a solo no-hitter in Olympic competition.
Lovieanne Jung, Westminster, CA – Second baseman Lovieanne Jung makes her
third consecutive appearance on USA Softball Women’s National Team roster. She
captured gold at the 2002 ISF World Championships and the 2003 Pan Am Games. At
the Pan Ams she hit .455 with a team leading 10 base hits in nine games.
Kelly Kretschman,
Indian Harbour Beach
,
FL
– A 2000 Olympic team alternate, this marks Kelly Kretschman’s second
season on the National team roster. A member in 2000 and now 2004, the 5’6”
outfielder led the 2003 USA Softball Elite team to the Canada Cup gold medal
title and a sweep of Olympic bronze medalist
Australia
in the Pacific Challenge.
Lauren Lappin,
Anaheim
,
CA
– The youngest member of the 2004 USA Softball National Team at 19, Lauren
Lappin makes her first appearance among the national team ranks. During the 2003
season, this shortstop/catcher led the USA Softball Elite squad to the gold
medal at the Canada Cup and a sweep of Olympic bronze medalist
Australia
in the Pacific Challenge.
Jessica Mendoza,
Camarillo
,
CA
– Outfielder Jessica Mendoza has been a consistent member of the USA National
Team since the 2001 season. She brings experience to the outfield after
capturing gold at the 2002 World Championships and the 2003 Pan Am Games.
Tairia (Mims) Flowers,
Tucson
,
AZ
– A utility player at first base, third base and catcher, Tairia Mims joins
her third national team after success as a 2002 World Champion and 2003 Pan Am
gold medalist.
Stacey Nuveman,
La Verne
,
CA
– Catcher Stacey Nuveman was an integral part in the
USA
’s come back during the 2000 Olympic Games. In the playoffs versus
China
she blasted the game winning home run and drove in the tying run in the gold
medal game versus
Japan
.
Leah O’Brien-Amico, Chino Hills, CA – First baseman Leah O’Brien-Amico is
considered as one of the best clutch players in the game. She is a two-time
Olympic gold medalist, two-time World Champion and two-time Pan Am gold medalist.
She returned to national team competition in 2002 after taking a year off to
give birth to her son Jake Thomas Amico.
Cat Osterman,
Houston
,
TX
– Just one of two collegiate athletes on the ’04 lineup, Cat Osterman will
provide depth in the circle for the 2004 National team. Leading the 2003 Pan
American team to its fifth consecutive gold medal, the left-handed pitcher
recorded a 2-0 record and tossed a perfect game against
Canada
in the gold medal game. In 2002, she was a member of the USA Softball Elite
National team.
Jenny Topping,
Whittier
,
CA
– Providing depth behind the plate, Topping enters the 2004 National team
roster after taking home the 2003 Pan American gold medal. A 5’6” catcher,
this will be her third consecutive National team selection.
Natasha Watley, Irvine, CA. – A highly recognized shortstop, Natasha Watley
joins her third National team after taking home the 2002 World title and 2003
Pan American title. She was honored in 2003 by the NCAA as the Top Collegiate
Female athlete and finished the 2003 season batting .432 in the lead-off spot
for Team
USA
.
Coaches for the 2004 USA Softball Women’s Olympic Team will be Head Coach Mike
Candrea (Casa Grande, AZ) from the University of Arizona, Assistant Coach Ken
Eriksen (Temple Terrace, FL) from the University of South Florida and Assistant
Coach John Rittman, (San Jose, CA) from Stanford University.
"The tour gives our team the opportunity to play together as a unit before
Olympic softball competition begins, as well as giving fans around the nation an
opportunity to see their team in action. The players are excited about the
opportunity to thank the thousands of loyal softball fans who helped make their
Olympic dream a reality," Radigonda said.
After capturing its first Olympic gold medal in the sports history at the 1996
Olympic Games in
Atlanta
,
GA
, the USA Softball Women’s National Team defended its gold medal at the 2000
Olympic Games in
Sydney
. In Olympic Competition, the women have tallied a 15-4 overall record since
their first title in 1996.
fter winning the past five World Championships, the past five Pan Am Games and
the only two Olympic gold medals, the USA Softball Women’s team has been the
undisputed No. 1 team in the world for the past 17 consecutive years.
In 2002, the Women’s team captured their fifth consecutive World Championship
title qualifying them as the top seed at the 2004 Olympic Games in
Athens
. USA Softball Women’s National Teams have been among the most dominating of
any sports team in history. The
USA
’s ability to bring home the title in World Championships, Pan American Games
and Olympic Games is unchallenged, with a total of 16 gold medals.
As the National Governing Body of Softball, USA Softball is responsible for
training, equipping and promoting women’s, men’s, junior girls’ and junior
boys’ National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions.
USA Softball is one of the only two women’s sports to capture back-to-back
gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996.
A detailed tour schedule including times, dates and facilities follows.
Player bios and photos available upon request. Interviews may also be arranged
by contacting Brian McCall at the bmccall@softball.org
"AIMING FOR ATHENS"
TOUR SCHEDULE
USA Softball has announced the cities on its 2004 "Aiming for
Athens
" Tour as follows.
Contact information for each site will be available at a later date on
www.usasoftball.com.
Date
Location
Facility
May 17
San Antonio, Texas
Kennedy Complex
May 19 or 20
Ridgeland, Mississippi
Freedom Park
May 22
Springfield, Missouri
Meador Softball Complex
June 4
Stockton, California
UOP or Lewis Park
June 5
Hayward, California
Larry Standley Field
June 7
Sacramento, California
Sacramento Softball Complex
June 10
Portland, Oregon
Ervlind Stadium at Normandale Park
June 12
Spokane, Washington
Franklin Park Complex/Whitwort College
June 14
Montgomery, Alabama
Lagoon Park
June 16
Charlotte, North Carolina
Renaissance Complex
June 18
Salem, Virginia
James Moyer Sports Complex
June 20
Topeka, Kansas
Hummer Sports Park
June 28
St. Louis, Missouri
ABC Park
June 30
Normal, Illinois
Champion Field (Cary Frey)
July 2
South Bend, Indiana
Belleville Complex
July 4
Midland, Michigan
Currie Stadium
July 6
Houston, Texas
Memorial Park
July 8
Killeen, Texas
Killeen Athletic Complex
July 10
Fort Worth, Texas
Gateway Park
July 13
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium
July 15
Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Zenoff Park
July 17
Stratford, Connecticut
DeLuca Hall of Fame Field
End:
ASA Press Release
Spy Softball Home
Page