USA National Team
This summer, a Women’s World Cup will be taking place in Thunderbay, Ontario, Canada. But the sport isn’t Soccer. It is Baseball.
What: Women’s Baseball World Cup 2024
- The inaugural Cup took place in 2004
- Team USA won Gold
- Japan has won every Gold medal since, including 2018
Where:
- Each tournament is hosted by a different country, who is also competing in the tournament
- Past locations have included: Canada, South Korea, USA and Japan
When:
- The tournament is resuming for the first time since 2018
- This year’s tournament takes place from July 28 to August 3
Who:
- The top teams from around the world are: Canada, Cuba, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Japan, Taipei, Hong Kong, Australia, Korea, Puerto Rico and of course, United States
- There are additional countries that vie for a coveted spot in the tournament every year
- Teams compete from different regions of the world: Europe, Asia, Americas
- Only the top teams make it to the actual tournament but many countries continue to develop Women’s baseball teams: India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Nicaragua, France, Czech Republic and England are some of the other countries that have teams
A very brief history of the World Cup
Japan has dominated the tournament since 2006. It is by no means a coincidence that they also had a professional Women’s League up until recently. Although the league is no longer funded, Women’s baseball still thrives in Japan as talent continues to be developed from High School and onwards.
The 2024 Women’s Baseball World Cup resumes after a six year hiatus. The last time the Cup took place was in 2018 when the U.S. played host. It will be my first time competing for Gold while representing my country! Since it’s not widely known that this tournament exists, I thought I would answer some questions that people might have about the tournament.
Q: You did say BASEBALL did you? You sure you don’t mean…
A: How’s this for proof:
Q: Do women hit bombs?
A: See here:
And here:
Q: What does the future hold for Women’s Baseball?
The sport is at its nascent phase. The more opportunities girls have to develop their skills all through high school, the higher the level of baseball we will see. The future is very bright!
With baseball being an Olympic sport for 2028, we would love to have Women’s Baseball in the Olympics as well!
Support our team, but really all of us women playing this wonderful sport that we’ve fallen in love with. You can stream all games here: www.wbsc.org.