From South Dakota ASA
The 2011 USA Softball Women’s National Team begins its final preparations this weekend for the Pan American Games, Oct. 14-30, in Guadalajara, Mexico, with practices and exhibition games in Houston at the Cougar Softball Field on the University of Houston campus. Team USA faces Texas A&M in a doubleheader beginning at noon CT on Oct. 9 and the University of Houston at 7 p.m. on Oct. 11.
“I am very excited about being reunited with all of my USA teammates and get back to playing with them. Even though we spent a short time together this summer playing I feel like they’ve been in my life forever,” said Taylor Hoagland (Flower Mound, Texas/Texas junior). “I also am really pumped about playing the University of Houston and Texas A&M University because my school, the University of Texas, plays against both of these schools this season. It will be nice to get a little head start on them, as well as fun to play them in a different uniform.”
Tickets to the exhibitions games, which are followed by an autograph session with Team USA, cannot be purchased online but are available now for $10 by calling 281-655-7303. Tickets can also be purchased at Absolute All Sports in Spring, Texas, prior to the games or at the Cougar Softball Field on game days. Practices are closed to the public.
With a record of 44-15, Texas A&M finished the 2011 season ranked No. 13 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll. Houston (44-18) finished the season at No. 18. Both teams are expected to be ranked in January’s ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 pre-season poll.
Following the practices and exhibitions in Houston, Team USA will head to Guadalajara in pursuit of a seventh consecutive Pan American Games Gold Medal for the USA Softball program. The multi-sport event is Oct. 14-30 with softball competition scheduled for Oct. 17-23.
Athletes slated to compete for USA Softball in Houston and Guadalajara: Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif./California senior); Whitney Canion (Aledo, Texas/Baylor junior); Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda Calif./Arizona State 2009); Lauren Gibson (Pasadena, Md./Tennessee junior); Kelly Grieve (Asheville, N.C./Tennessee 2011); Hoagland; Ashley Holcombe (Fayetteville, Ga./Alabama 2009); Molly Johnson (Tucson, Ariz./Kentucky 2010); Stacy May-Johnson (Reno, Nev./Iowa 2006); Jenae Leles (Sacramento, Calif./Arizona 2009); Meagan May (Spring, Texas/Texas A&M junior); Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla./Florida senior); Christi Orgeron (New Orleans, La./ULL junior); Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif./Oklahoma junior); Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Michigan 2011); Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga./Missouri 2011); and Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa/Missouri junior).
All 17 athletes are Pan American Games rookies. In 2010, Cochran and Holcombe helped Team USA to the Gold Medal at the 2010 International Softball Federation (ISF) Women’s World Championship in Caracas, Venezuela.
Ken Eriksen (Tampa, Fla./Head Coach at the University of South Florida) is the head coach of the 2011 USA Softball Women’s National Team. He will be joined in Houston and at the Pan American Games by assistant coaches Mike Larabee (Fayetteville, Ark./Head Coach at the University of Arkansas), Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz./Head Coach at Cal State Northridge) and Mike White (Eugene, Ore./Head Coach at the University of Oregon).
USA Softball enters the Pan American Games following a Gold Medal finish at World Cup of Softball VI in Oklahoma City, marking the fifth straight World Cup title for the Americans. Team USA has won seven Pan American Championships (1979, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007) including the last six. The program has a record of 78-3 since softball debuted in the 1979 Pan American Games