OKLAHOMA CITY  -  USA Softball, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, will be conducting open tryouts on December 31, 2017 for players hoping to make the 2018 USA Softball Women's National Team (WNT) roster.  Held at Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex in Clearwater, Fla., eligible athletes have from now through October 31 to sign up through USASoftball.com for the open tryout, which will involve a series of softball related skill drills for each position, hitting and bunting.  A select number of athletes could be invited to participate at the USA Softball WNT Selection Camp January 1-5, where they will compete for a spot on the 17-athlete roster along with the list of invited athletes to be released at a later date.  Those athletes selected to the 2018 WNT will compete at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women's World Championship in Chiba, Japan August 2-12, 2018, the World Cup of Softball XIII and select invitational events.

Click here for more information on the open tryout

"With softball’s return to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, we are looking forward to providing additional opportunities for athletes to be seen by members of our Women’s National Team Selection Committee," said USA Softball Director of National Teams Chris Sebren.  “This open tryout not only provides athletes an opportunity to potentially achieve their dreams of representing the United States, but it also affords them the opportunity to participate in skills stations being run by the top coaches in fast pitch softball.” 

The open tryout is open to any female U.S. citizen who can commit to a June – November 2018 time period.  There is a $125, non-refundable registration fee that includes a participant t-shirt, visor and skill drills. Participants are responsible for their own equipment and expenses to the tryouts.  Those athletes who advance from the open tryout and are selected to attend the WNT Selection Camp will then have their expenses paid for by USA Softball.

Below are the minimum standards for athletes to register for the WNT open tryouts:

Infielders/Outfielders (must meet each of the following)

• Bat Speed - 50 mph minimum
• Run (home to first) - 2.95 seconds maximum
• Run (home to home) - 12.5 seconds maximum
• Throwing Speed - 55 mph minimum
• Pushups - 30 minimum

Pitchers (consistent speed for any three of the following)

• Fastball - 63 mph minimum
• Riseball - 60 mph minimum
• Change up - 45 mph maximum or 18 mph slower than maximum pitch speed
• Curveball - 60 mph minimum
• Dropball - 63 mph minimum

Catchers (must meet each of the following)

• Throw (home to second) - 2 second maximum
• Throwing Speed - 55 mph minimum
• Bat Speed - 50 mph minimum
• Run (home to first) - 2.95 seconds maximum
• Run (home to home) - 12.5 seconds max
• Pushups - 30 minimum

Further information on the WNT open tryout, including registration time and hotel information, will be relayed to registered athletes after the registration deadline. 

The 2018 USA Softball WNT will look to defend their Gold Medal finish at the 2016 WBSC Women’s World Championship where the team claimed the 10th overall World Championship title for the WNT program.  The team finished the 2016 WBSC World Championship with a .436 team batting average, 19 home runs, 80 RBI and outscored opponents 83-10.  The pitching staff was lights out, allowing just eight earned runs for a 1.19 ERA.

For updates on the USA Softball Women’s National Team and events throughout the 2018 season visit www.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.