XVII Women’s Softball World Cup - Group A Preview: USA start as favourites
The battle in Group A for a place in the Finals of the XVII WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup starts on Tuesday, 11 August in Fingal-Dublin, Ireland. World No. 1 United States are the defending World Champions and the favourite to win the Group, but they will face fierce competition from the other five nations.
World No. 3 Chinese Taipei and No. 9 Australia have medalled in the past, while No. 16 Great Britain, No. 17 and Ireland and No. 43 Botswana will try to advance and make the top-eight for the first time in the history of the World Cup.
UNITED STATES
- WSWC Appearances: 16
- Highest finish: Champion 11 times (1974, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2016, 2018)
- 2018 finish: Champion
- World Ranking: 1
After Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott’s retirement in 2021 and 2022 respectively, USA has turned to a renovated pitching staff. Head coach Heather Tarr trusts in Olympic silver medallist Ally Carda as the veteran presence on the staff, playing a leading role for youngsters Megan Faraimo, Montana Fouts and Kelly Maxwell.
Among the position players, the biggest news is Ali Aguilar’s return to the National Team. Aguilar, also a Tokyo 2020 medallist, was part of USA's 2018 and 2016 WBSC Women's World Championship gold medal winning teams, hitting .310 in the 2018 edition with 2 HR, 10 RBI and 8 runs scored and .333 at the 2016 edition with 1 HR, 4 RBI and 5 runs scored.
CHINESE TAIPEI
- WSWC Appearances: 15
- Highest finish: Second (1982)
- 2018 finish: 9th
- World Ranking: 3
Chinese Taipei aim to return to the top-eight elite of the Women’s Softball World Cup for the first time in nine years. The last time they made the playoffs was in 2014 in Haarlem, Netherlands, the only previous World Cup played in Europe. Hsia-Ai Ke is the rising star of the Asian squad, after leading her team to a silver medal in the U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup 2021 and a bronze medal at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham.
Last year’s medal in Birmingham marked Chinese Taipei’s return to the podium in a global official competition after 20 years. They topped Group A rivals Australia in the Bronze Medal Game, 6-0. They will meet again on 14 July, in a game that could be critical for both teams' aspirations of finishing in the top-two of the opening round and having a double chance to reach the Finals.
Chinese Taipei last medal at a World Cup was a bronze in 2002 in Saskatoon, Canada, their second medal in history after losing the final of the 1982 World Cup on home soil against New Zealand, 2-0.
AUSTRALIA
- WSWC Appearances: 16
- Highest finish: Champion (1965)
- 2018 finish: 4th
- World Ranking: 9
One of only four nations to win the World Championship, Australia’s goal is to make the top-eight again and contend for a medal in the Finals 2024. “USA and Chinese Taipei are opponents we know will be tough and you never know what challenges unknown opponents like Great Britain, Ireland and Botswana could bring,” said Head Coach Laing Harrow.
Australia won a medal in the first four Olympic Games, but could only manage a disappointing fifth place in Tokyo 2020. Stacey McManus, Kaia Parnaby, Ellen Roberts, Taylah Tsitsikronis, Jade Wall, Claire Warwick and Belinda White are the seven Olympians to represent Australia in the group stage of the World Cup.
GREAT BRITAIN
- WSWC Appearances: 7
- Highest finish: 10th (2006)
- 2018 finish: 11th
- World Ranking: 16
In their seventh consecutive participation in the Women’s Softball World Cup, Great Britain aim to finish in the top-eight for the first time ever. In Beijing 2006 they finished in 10th position, and since then, have never missed a World Cup, however they have also failed to return to the top 10 in those last five appearances.
The British squad trusts in their ace, Georgina Corrick, to advance to next year’s Finals. Their ambitions go far beyond - qualification for the potential softball return to the Olympic Games in LA28. “This is a very young roster, as we have aligned the strategy to our long-term aim of LA 2028,” Great Britain Head of Performance Gary Anderson said.
Corrick had a monster senior year in US college in 2022, becoming the first triple-crown winner in NCAA history, leading her team in wins (37), strikeouts (418) and ERA (0.51).
IRELAND
- WSWC Appearances: 1
- Highest finish: 26th (2016)
- 2018 finish: n/a
- World Ranking: 17
The XVII WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup will represent a milestone in Ireland’s history, becoming the 11th nation to host this event. Ireland will try to use the support of the local fans to surprise some of their more experienced rivals in the group and advance to the Finals.
Their only previous participation in the biggest event in the women's softball international calendar was in 2016 in Surrey, Canada. They finished in 26th place in the tournament, with an overall 2-7 record, their only wins came in the Placement Round playoffs, beating Israel, 7-6, and Kenya, 11-3.
A total of 12 veterans of the Irish roster for the European Championship 2022 will compete in the World Cup Group A from 11-15 July on home soil. They finished in ninth position in the continental qualifier.
BOTSWANA
- WSWC Appearances: 5
- Highest finish: 14th (2006 and 2014)
- 2018 finish: 16th
- World Ranking: 43
Botswana is the lowest-ranked team among the 18 participants in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup.
Their last win in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup was in 2014 in Haarlem, the Netherlands. They topped group rivals Great Britain, 5-3, in the opener of the competition. Oreabetse Mojeremane was the winning pitcher for the African team with Bafedile Dube knocking in three runs.
Botswana aim to surprise one of their opponents and clinch their fifth win in the history of the competition, after winning twice on debut in 1994 (against France and Ukraine), and once in 2006 (7-0 against Colombia) and 2014 (the aforementioned win against Great Britain).
Botswana qualified for the World Cup as the runner-up of the Africa Qualifier, behind South Africa.
