OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced today a list of athletes who have been identified for the National Team athlete pool following their participation at the 2015 USA Softball Junior Olympic (JO) Cup in Chino Hills, Calif.  Twenty-eight teams competed in the inaugural event, which served as an identification opportunity for athletes wishing to compete in front of members of the Women's National Team Selection Committee (WNTSC).  In addition to an identification opportunity, teams competed for a prize pool with the top finishers receiving a cash donation award back to their participating 501c3 program.

"The inaugural USA Softball JO Cup was proof that the United States has some of the best future National Team players at the youth level," said Women's National Team Head Coach Ken Eriksen (Tampa, Fla./South Florida Head Coach).  "The USA Softball JO Cup gave the entire USA Coaching Staff a great look at how far these players have been developed and where our programs can best be benefited from. I look forward to many more JO programs vying to not only get to this great event but also to be competitive enough to follow in the footsteps of the Wichita Mustangs and win the JO Cup."

Click here to see the list of athletes identified for the National Team athlete pool

In addition to members of the WNTSC attending the inaugural event, members of the USA Softball Women's and Junior Women's Coaching Staff were present for the week-long event.  In total, 69 athletes were identified as either 2017 Junior Women's National Team age-eligible or as Women's National Team age-eligible.  These athletes will enter into the identification pool with other athletes who have been previously identified at various ASA/USA events, the National Identification Program through Softball Factory, recommendations from college coaches, high school coaches and ASA/USA Junior Olympic (JO) Coaches. 

"The opportunity that our players got from playing in the USA Softball JO Cup was amazing," said Texas Bombers Gold Head Coach Scott Smith.  "This tournament showcased our players to the Women's and Junior Women's National Team coaches in a quality run and competitive event.  We absolutely can't wait for this next year's event in 2016."

Members of the USA Softball WNTSC are responsible for selecting the rosters that represent the United States in a variety of international competitions, including the Pan American Games, the World Cup of Softball, World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Championships, and potentially the Olympic Games.  Athletes wishing to get identified by members of the WNTSC are encouraged to compete at either the USA Softball JO Cup, a high level ASA/USA tournament or at an ASA/USA National Championship.

The Wichita Mustangs (Wichita, Kan.) claimed the inaugural USA Softball JO Cup, going undefeated throughout the event.  Following the success of the inaugural event, the 2016 USA Softball JO Cup will head to Marietta, Ga. in 2016.  Slated to be held July 25-30, the Lost Mountain Softball Complex will serve as the site of the invitational tournament.  For more information on the USA Softball JO Cup, please visit USAJOCup.com. 

For updates on the USA Softball National Team programs visit www.ASAUSASoftball.com.

About ASA/USA Softball
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation's largest sports organizations, ASA/USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 71 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.5 million.  ASA/USA is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women's National Team is one of only two women's sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visit http://www.asausasoftball.com.