Baseball Australia, Softball Australia set sights on LA28 Olympics and beyond

The baseball and softball world joined in the celebration when the IOC announced that both disciplines were included in the sports programme of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. It will be a historic Olympic comeback for baseball and softball in the cradle of the sport.

Baseball and softball's addition to LA28 has given every country a clear and ambitious goal. For Australia, for many reasons, it can also be a game-changer.

Both national governing bodies expressed their happiness with baseball’s and softball’s reinstatement in the Olympics for Los Angeles 2028.

Baseball Australia Chief Executive Officer Glenn Williams – a two-time Olympian and 2004 Olympic silver medallist – said he believes this could have major implications for the sport in Australia. “We’re obviously excited,” Williams said. “We’ve been working under an assumption that baseball will be included but there was still an element of uncertainty. It makes planning for our next tournament cycle real and tangible. All the hypothetical plans are gone – they are now concrete.”

“This is fantastic news for our softball community,” said Softball Australia Chief Executive Officer Sarah Loh. “Being included in the Olympic Games program will provide an immeasurable boost to grassroots participation and the ongoing sustainability of our sport in Australia. This announcement will inspire a new generation of kids to pick up a bat, ball and glove and ignite their own Olympic dream.” 

Australia has enjoyed success in the baseball and softball Olympic stage combining for five Olympic medals, including two in Athens 2004. The Oceania giant is always a strong candidate to reach the podium in any international competition.

A history of success

Australia is one of only four softball nations to compete in all five Olympic competitions (along with Canada, Japan, and USA), winning a medal in the first four editions in a row (three bronzes in 1996, 2000 and 2008; and a silver medal in 2004). In 2019, they remained undefeated to win the Asia Oceania Olympic Qualifier for Tokyo 2020, where they eventually finished in fifth place, just one game short of advancing to the bronze medal game.

Meanwhile, the Australian National Baseball Team has three Olympic appearances to its name: Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, where they won an historic bronze medal.

Travel restrictions related to the COVID pandemic stopped them in their quest to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, forcing them to withdraw from the Final Olympic Qualifier in 2021. However, Australia’s future looks in good shape, coming off an historic quarterfinal appearance at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, a sixth place showing at the 2019 Premier 12, and a Super Round finish at the 2022 U23 World Cup.

With the Summer Olympic Games 2032 awarded to Brisbane, Australia, the LA28 announcement not only gave the green and gold squads a tangible goal for the next Olympic cycle. It also puts baseball and softball in the conversation for inclusion at the 2032 Olympic Games on home soil.

“It has taken a lot of hard work across the board to ensure softball’s return to the Olympic program,” Chair of Softball Australia Richard Lindell added. “Let’s go for gold in Los Angeles and work together to see softball continue on the Olympic programme for Brisbane 2032 and beyond, a move which will unite all of Australia behind our wonderful sport.” 

Great memories from Sydney 2000

To imagine what baseball and softball in Brisbane 2032 could be like, we only need to recap what happened in Sydney 2000. Baseball and softball were a huge hit during the second Olympic Games hosted in Australia, leaving long-lasting memories and a strong legacy in the community. 

Almost 600,000 fans filled the baseball and softball stadiums during Sydney 2000. The Olympic softball competition set new spectator records of nearly 300,000 fans in the stands; while 287,000 spectators witnessed the entire baseball tournament, 42,000 at Blacktown and 245,000 at the Baseball Stadium.

The seating capacity of the Baseball Stadium was 14,500 including grassed areas. The Blacktown Olympic Centre seated 4,000 in the baseball stadium. Softball was played in a purpose-built stadium for the Olympic competition with a seating capacity of 8,500 at the Blacktown Olympic Centre.

The importance of Olympic baseball in the minds of the players was summed up best by Australian David Nilsson (now manager of the Australia National Team), who had turned his back on the 2000 Major League Baseball season in order to represent Australia at the Olympic Games. When asked what he had given up to play in the Games, he replied, "I don't feel I've made any sacrifices to play in the Olympics – it's still the Olympics."

The softball event featured one of the most memorable Olympic moments in history, in Australia’s 2-1 victory over USA in 13 innings, in front of an election crowd, 9,209-strong. The game remained scoreless until the top of the 13th inning, when the US took the lead as Christie Ambrosi singled down the third-base line, scoring their tiebreak runner, Michele Smith. However, in the bottom of the 13th, Peta Edebone launched a two-out, two-run walkoff homer off Lisa Fernandez to give Australia an historic 2-1 win.

Then International Softball President Don Porter couldn’t hide his pleasure in watching the drama unfold. “We have accomplished what we came here for, to show that softball is a highly competitive sport, played by great athletes, supported by outstanding coaches and officials while being provided with the ‘best ever’ support and playing facilities of any Olympic venue here in Sydney or elsewhere,” he proclaimed.

“In only its second appearance at an Olympic Games, softball again proved to be a worthy member of the Olympic Family,” says the Sydney 2000 Official Report. “The precision and speed of the game, combined with the sheer athleticism of the competitors and the tightly fought matches, made it one of the most exciting and heavily supported sports at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Sydney legacy

All baseball and softball stadiums used for the Sydney 2000 Games are still being used. Blacktown hosted softball and baseball during the Olympics and both venues continue to host national-level events to this day. The baseball stadium is home to the Australian Baseball League (ABL) team Sydney Blue Sox, while the softball centre has hosted many national and international events, including the Junior Men’s Softball World Championship 2001 and all the editions of the Asia Pacific Cup.