Softball Australia names head coach, prelim roster for WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup

Softball Australia has announced that Tokyo 2020 Olympics head coach Laing Harrow will manage the National Team in the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup 2022, to be played at Rosedale Park in Auckland, New Zealand from 26 November to 4 December. Australia also announced a 29-athlete preliminary roster for the flagship men’s softball competition. 

Softball Australia CEO Rosie Williams said, “Laing has demonstrated that he is the right coach for this team. He guided our women’s program to the 2020 Olympics, and I’m confident Laing will get the most out of this squad and the team he takes to New Zealand."

The roster includes three members of the 2009 national team, that claimed a historic World Championship in Saskatoon, Canada: Adam Folkard, Nick Shailes and Nick Norton.

In addition, the team also features 13 veterans from the 2019 Men’s Softball World Championship Australian team that finished in seventh place in Prague.

The new blood in the team is brought by four from members of the 2018 Australia’s Junior Men’s Softball World Champion squad. The roster also named three players from the 2020 U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup.

World No. 3 Australia will compete in the upcoming WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup against No. 2 and defending world champions Argentina, No. 4 Czech Republic, No. 5 New Zealand, No. 6 Canada, No. 7 USA, No. 9 Denmark, No. 10 South Africa and No. 18 Cuba. The remaining teams will be two squads from the Asian qualifier and a wild card.