USSSA Pride is slated to take on Team USA in a 4 game series starting June 2nd at 7 PM in Oklahoma.
Team USA comes into this series as a team on a mission. Softball and Baseball have been absent from the olympics since 2008 and may go on another long hiatus after Toyko. The sports were proposed as Tokyo specific events given the popularity in the country. Paris, who hosts the 2024 Olympics, did not propose the sport, essentially cutting it once again. This means that this may be the only chance for most of these players to play in an Olympic games, making the stakes massive.
For legends like Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott, this opportunity marks their only chance for redemption. They both combined to throw every pitch in the 2008 gold medal game, ultimately losing 3-1 to Japan. Team USA seems determined to not repeat that fate, as they have been crushing in exhibition games. In their last 3 exhibitions, they have outscored their opponents 23-1. While the opponents may not be on par with their olympic competition, it shows that they are not taking their training lightly and have a certain fire that they will certainly look to carry into Toyko.
While gold is the main prize of Team USA, it is not the only thing they are chasing. Team USA is currently on the “Stand Beside Her” tour, promoting Team USA and building a better future for future female athletes. The tour consists of clinics and games trying to gain awareness for the team and softball being back in the Olympics in the hopes it may change minds about its inclusion in future Olympics. USSSA Pride’s series is part of this tour, being one of the last stops before the group goes off to Tokyo.This series is looking to be another tough one for the Pride as Team USA seems to be on quite the roll. USSSA Pride is going to have to put together complete game performances as they did their last game against Canada Wild to stay in this fight. If they come out flat like they did last series, it will be long nights in the office for the Pride. Hitting is going to be key in this series, as we know Team USA has stellar pitchers in Cat Osterman, Monica Abbott, and new addition Rachel Garcia. The good news for the Pride is they have firepower, as last series they ended up hitting 8 home runs and despite losing that series 3-1, they were only outscored by 1 point overall. Not only that but new addition Haley Cruse adds another solid hitter to the lineup, batting .389 with 27 RBI her senior season at Oregon. The team looks forward to this series, as Sam Show is playing at her alma mater in Cowgirl Stadium and the Women’s College World Series begins Thursday, June 3rd, in Oklahoma City!
USSSA Pride start the series tonight, June 2nd at 7 PM at Oklahoma State University. Tickets to this series can be found here. If you cannot make it in person, games will be streamed live on www.usssalive.com
Tickets are on sale for home games at the USSSA Space Coast Complex in Melbourne, FL
About Pride
The five-time NPF Cowles Cup champion and seven-time NPF regular season champions, the USSSA Pride will be back in action at the Space Coast Complex in Viera, FL on June 15th. For more information about the Pride or to purchase tickets, please visit USSSAPRIDE.com.
About USSSA
USSSA is headquartered in Viera, Florida. USSSA is the world’s largest multi-sport athletic organization. Founded in 1968, USSSA has grown to over 4 million participants, competing in 14 nationally sanctioned sports including Baseball, Fastpitch, Slow Pitch, Karate, Basketball, Soccer and more! For more information about USSSA, visit www.usssa.com and follow USSSA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter