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USA Softball announces 2010 roster for Team USA
 Nederlandse tekst
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (USA) - The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced the roster and schedule for 2010 for its Women's National Softball Team.
After a training camp earlier this year, 17 players were already invited for the roster on January 11, with 13 other players being named alternates.
The 17 players which were selected in January, all agreed to play for the national team and so the final roster was announced today, February 25.
Team USA, which will be led again by Head Coach Jay Miller, will play its first games on June 16-17 in Ohio.
Fifteen of the 17 players on the roster also played for the American National Team last year.
Fourteen of them were part of the team that won the Canada Cup in Surrey (Canada) and World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City (USA).
The Dutch National Softball Team participated in both events.
One player, Tammy Williams, who wasn't in Canada and Oklahoma City, last year did participate with Team USA in the Pan American Qualifier in Maracay (Venezuela), which it also won.
Returning to the team after an one-year absence is Jessica Mendoza, who took the year off for the birth of her child.
Jessica played her last games during the Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing (China).
One player will make her debut in the national American squad, Eileen Canney.
Eleven of the 17 players are coming from California.
The players on the roster of Team USA are:
Pitchers
Monica Abbott, Eileen Canney, Jennie Finch (+ 1B), Cat Osterman.
Catchers
Chelsea Bramlett, Ashley Holcombe.
Infielders
Ashley Charters, Andrea Duran (+ OF), Vicky Galindo, Lauren Lappin (+ C), Natasha Watley, Tammy Williams.
Outfielders
Kaitlin Cochran, Alissa Haber, Caitlin Lowe, Jessica Mendoza.
Utility
Ashley Hansen.
Team USA will play its first exhibition game on June 16 at Thurman Munson Stadium in Canton (Ohio), followed by a game on June 17 at Brookside Park in Ashland (Ohio).
In these games, Team USA will play against the USA Futures Team.
In 2010, Team USA will defend its world title in Caracas (Venezuela), where the World Championship will be held June 21-July 2.
Hereafter, Team USA will travel to Canada to participate in the Canadian Open Fast pitch International Championship on July 7-11 in Surrey at the site of the Canada Cup, which will not be held this year due to the change of dates of the World Championship.
After this event, the American squad will play two exhibition games on July 13 and 14 at Whitehorse in Canada, the site of the 2012 World Championship.
Next, Team USA participates in the fifth edition of the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City (USA), July 22-26.
Also participating in that event are Olympic champion Japan, Canada and the USA Futures.
The Dutch Team initially also received an invitation to come to Oklahoma City again, but unfortunately this was not possible due to financial reasons.
From Oklahoma City its on to Japan for Team USA, where it will participate in the Japan Cup (which it also won in 2009), which will be held August 3-9 in Sendai City.
In that city, the Dutch National Softball Team participated in a Tri-Nation Exhibition Series and held its final preparations for the Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing (China).
(February 25)
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