OKLAHOMA CITY – In preparation for the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Ala., USA Softball has announced two exhibition contests for the U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT) slated for July 4 in Columbus, Ga. Competing at South Commons Complex, the world-ranked No. 1 Team USA will be joined by No. 8 Australia and No. 2 Japan as the three countries aim to tune-up their game prior to the World Games, which is set to take place July 9-13 at Hoover Met Stadium and will signify as the 2022 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Cup.

The series of exhibition contests will begin with a 2 p.m. ET matchup between Japan and Australia before the U.S. steps in for a double header against the two countries to cap the day. Team USA will take on Australia at 4:30 p.m. ET for its first contest before heading into a highly anticipated rematch against Japan who overcame the Eagles in the Tokyo Olympic gold medal contest to send the Red, White and Blue home with its second consecutive Olympic silver medal in program history – falling to Japan both times (2008, 2020). Live stats and streaming will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for all three contests will be available to purchase online through July 1 at 5 p.m. ET. VIP seating (individual chairbacks) is available for $30 while General Admission tickets (bleacher seating) can be purchased for $20. All pre-purchased tickets will be available at Will Call located at the softball complex ticket booth one hour prior to game time. Children 5 and younger seated in a lap will receive free entry. 

Click here for the schedule, tickets and more information »

Known as the site of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games where Team USA claimed the first-ever Olympic softball gold medal, South Commons Complex has since grown to host a multitude of events throughout the years including the 2019 USA Softball International Cup and the prestigious USA Softball Junior Olympic Cup.

With top-tier softball facilities and the title of 2019 Complex of the Year, presented by Stabilizer Solutions, South Commons is a premier park containing eight softball fields with a five-field hub in addition to a three-field fan with a stadium. A recent multi-million-dollar renovation provided South Commons with LED lighting and scoreboards, video streaming capabilities, Wi-Fi and internet access, indoor score booths and press boxes, hospitality suites, umpire rooms, renovated restrooms and concessions, refillable water bottle stations and stadium seating for 2,500.

While training in Columbus, the 18-player World Games roster will include four additional USA Softball WNT members from the Canada Cup and Japan All-Star Series rosters to assist with training efforts leading up to the World Games. Joining the squad for the exhibition games will be Sahvanna Jaquish, Baylee Klingler, Kelly Maxwell and Kathryn Sandercock.

Head Coach Heather Tarr (Head Coach at Washington) will lead the Red, White and Blue alongside previously named World Games assistant coaches Cindy Ball-Malone (Head Coach at UCF), Tony Baldwin (Head Coach at Georgia) and Tim Walton (Head Coach at Florida). Also joining the World Games coaching staff in Columbus are recently announced Canada Cup and Japan All-Star Series assistant coaches Jimmy Kolaitis (Assistant Coach at ASU), Brian Kolze (Head Coach at Pacific) and Mike Steuerwald (Head Coach at Gaston College).

Media interested in acquiring additional information should contact Morgan Palmer (mpalmer@usasoftball.com).