Takasaki City, Japan  — Fresh off a Gold Medal performance at the 2016 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s World Championship last month, the USA Softball Women's National Team landed in Takasaki City, Japan for the 2016 Japan Cup the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball announced today.  Team USA will participate in an exhibition game against Team Honda, a Japan Softball League professional team, and practices before facing off against Australia on Friday at 12 p.m. JST (10 p.m. CT) for their first game of the Japan Cup.

Click here for live stats and a game schedule for the 2016 Japan Cup

Beginning on Friday, Team USA will join Australia, Chinese Taipei and Japan for the 2016 Japan Cup, a three-day tournament held at Jonan Baseball Stadium in Takasaki City, Japan.  The U.S. will look to defend their 2015 Japan Cup title after defeating Japan 2-1 (eight innings) in last year’s finale.  Team USA kicks off the Japan Cup on September 2 with their 12 p.m. JST (10 p.m. CT) game against Australia.   The Eagles will continue play on September 3 against Chinese Taipei at 3 p.m. JST (1 a.m. CT) immediately followed by a 6 p.m. JST (4 a.m. CT) contest against Japan.  On September 4, the teams with the second a third best records will play in the Bronze Medal game at 2:30 p.m. JST (12:30 a.m. CT) while the Gold Medal Game between the No. 1 and No. 2 seed will take place at 5:30 p.m. JST (3:30 a.m. CT). 

Representing Team USA at the 2016 Japan Cup are: Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.), Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.), Kelly Barnhill (Marietta, Ga.), Bianka Bell (Tampa, Fla.), Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.), Kasey Cooper (Dothan, Ala.), Delanie Gourley (Lakeside, Calif.), Paige Halstead (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Jazmyn Jackson (San Jose, Calif.), Jessica Moore (Sutter, Calif.), Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.), Aubree Munro (Brea, Calif.), Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.), Janie Takeda (Placentia, Calif.) and Jaclyn Traina (Naples, Fla.).

Team USA will led by Howard Dobson (Baton Rouge, La./Asst. Coach at LSU), Kristie Fox (San Diego, Calif./head coach at UT- Arlington) and Tyron McKinney (Ashland, Ohio). 

Fans at home can follow along with live stats, recaps and more at ASAUSASoftball.com.

About ASA/USA Softball 
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, ASA/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 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.02 million.  ASA/USA is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won 10 World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visit http://www.asausasoftball.com/.