OKLAHOMA CITY – USA Softball announced today the 26 athletes selected to the 2022 USA Softball Men’s Slow Pitch National Teams program set to compete in the 2022 Border Battle this summer. The Men’s Slow Pitch National Team (MSPNT) and Men’s Futures Team will each carry a 13-player roster as they represent the Red, White and Blue in the annual international slow pitch tournament slated for Sept. 9-11 at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex.
The 2022 edition of Border Battle featuring the USA Softball and Canada Slow Pitch National Teams returns to the Softball Capital of the World® after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The action will kick off with a series of exhibition contests before the Slow Pitch Showdown will take place as the Men’s and Women’s U.S. Slow Pitch National Teams face off against their respective U.S. Futures Teams. The weekend will conclude with Team USA matching up against Team Canada in the annual Men’s and Women’s Border Battle competition scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 11 at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium – OGE Energy Field. For more information on Border Battle XII, click here.
Click here to view the 2022 USA Softball Men’s Slow Pitch and Futures Team rosters »
Comprised of 13 athletes from eight different states, the 2022 MSPNT garners exceptional experience with nine veterans named to the squad alongside four rookies with Tyler Marshburn (Nashville, Tenn.), Josh Riley (London, Ky.) and Everett Williams (Austin, Tex.) previously competing with the Men’s Futures team while Mike Jacobson (Oak Creek, Wisc.) will represent the U.S. for the first time in his career. Returning to the coaching staff for the fourth-straight year, National Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Inductee Brett Helmer (Cicero, N.Y.) will serve as Head Coach while Tim Barnes (Union Grove, Tex.) will take on all assistant coach duties.
A mixture of veteran talent and fresh faces from 12 different states is the Men’s Futures roster with six returning players in addition to seven rookies who will make their debut in the Red, White and Blue. Looking to continue the tradition of excellence and high competition, the Men’s Futures team will be led by seven-time Head Coach Rob Humphrey (Burlington, Iowa) in the 2022 Slow Pitch Showdown.
Athletes are selected to represent the United States as a member of a Slow Pitch National Team based on grassroots participation. For more information on the USA Softball Men’s Slow Pitch National Teams program and to learn about the history of the Border Battle, please visit USASoftball.com.