DALLAS, Texas (August 22, 2024) — The USA Softball U-18 Women’s National Team (WNT) has arrived in Dallas, Texas for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Cup – Group C Stage event, where the team aims to secure a spot in the 2025 World Cup Finals. The Group C event will feature 19 games with six teams battling for advancement. As hosts, Team USA received an automatic bid to the Group C event, which includes Canada, Mexico, Australia, the Philippines, and Ireland. The event will take place from August 29 – September 2, and the top two teams from the group, along with two wild card selections, will head to the World Cup Finals in 2025.
Team USA, ranked No. 1 in the world, will compete alongside No. 5 Canada, No. 8 Mexico, No. 9 Australia, No. 16 Philippines, and No. 21 Ireland. The competition kicks off on August 29 and runs through September 2, with the top four teams advancing to the playoff round. The schedule is as follows:
- USA vs Ireland — Thursday, August 29 at 6:30 p.m. CT
- USA vs Australia — Friday, August 30 at 3:30 p.m. CT
- USA vs Canada — Friday, August 30 at 6:30 p.m. CT
- USA vs Mexico — Saturday, August 31 at 6:30 p.m. CT
- USA vs Philippines — Sunday, September 1 at 6:30 p.m. CT
- Playoff Round — Monday, September 2
The Group C Stage will be streamed via GameTime, with options for a Group Pass ($12.99) or Daily Pass ($7.99). Local fans can also purchase tickets for the event via Brushfire.com, with options for a Tournament Pass ($60) or Daily Pass ($15).
The U-18 WNT will be coached by Kyla Holas, who previously led the U-15 WNT to three gold medals in 2023, including a 7-1 campaign at the WBSC U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup. She will be joined by assistant coaches Alisa Goler and Kelly Kretschman, a two-time Olympian.
The selected athletes for the U-18 WNT come from 11 states and eight USA Softball regions, with Texas leading the way with five players. This roster marks the second group of athletes to advance through the High Performance Program (HPP), following the success of the 2023 U-15 WNT. The HPP, created in 2020, aims to identify and develop athletes to represent USA Softball on both the domestic and international stage, fostering equal opportunities to showcase talent and grow the game of softball in the U.S.