USA Softball, the National Governing Body (NGB) of softball in the United States has announced the Women’s National Team (WNT) roster set to compete in a series of exhibition games against the Australian Women’s National Team, the Aussie Spirit.

Scheduled for December 31, 2025 – January 3, 2026, in Brisbane, Australia, the USA Down Under: International Softball Series aims to promote the sport of softball as both nations advocate for its inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic program.

Here is the U.S. Women’s National Team roster:

*Denotes first-time Women’s National Team member

The 16-player roster features five newcomers who will make their debut with Team USA alongside 11 returning veterans, including seven members of the 2025 World Games gold medal squad.

Dejah Mulipola is the lone representative from the 2020 Olympic roster set to travel to Australia, while first-time Team USA athletes include Reese Atwood, Alyssa Brito, Ana Gold, Karlyn Pickens, and Sierra Sacco.

Comprised of 14 former student-athletes and two current collegiate standouts — Atwood (Texas) and Pickens (Tennessee) — the International Softball Series roster showcases representation from 11 universities across four athletic conferences:

• SEC (11 athletes),
• Big Ten (2),
• Big 12 (2), and
• ACC (1).

Oklahoma leads all programs with three athletes, followed by Kentucky, Tennessee, and UCLA with two each. Alabama, Arizona, Duke, Florida, Mississippi State, Texas and Utah are also represented with one athlete apiece.

representing the Red, White + Blue 🇺🇸@PickensKarlyn and @aubrey_lynne10 will play for Team USA Dec. 31-Jan. 3 as it takes on Team Australia in Brisbane pic.twitter.com/ZByTJ6ka0h

— Tennessee Softball (@Vol_Softball) September 26, 2025

Here are the coaches who will manage the USA team in Australia:

Leading Team USA in Australia will be head coach Patty Gasso (Oklahoma), who is in the midst of her first season with the Red, White, and Blue.

Most recently, Gasso and the U.S. coaching staff led the Eagles to a gold medal finish at The World Games 2025, where Team USA went undefeated with a 5-0 record.

Alongside Gasso in Australia will be John Bargfeldt, Trisha Ford (Texas A&M) and Lincoln Martin.

“I am extremely excited to bring a strong group of young athletes, along with some experienced veterans, to Australia,” said Gasso.

“This opportunity will allow them to showcase their talents and promote the sport of softball in front of fans and officials in Australia. With Australia hosting the Olympics in 2032, it’s crucial to put on a great show for the audience,” she added.

“We need to ensure that softball remains an important part of the 2032 Olympics!”

The trip marks the Red, White and Blue’s first visit “down under” since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, where Team USA captured gold.

Matchups between the two nations have long been fan favorites, highlighted by their clash at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, which drew the largest crowd in Olympic softball history with 9,209 fans at Blacktown Park 25 years ago.

In that 13-inning thriller, Australia edged Team USA, 2-1, in one of the most memorable games in Olympic history. The contest also marked a historic performance by Team USA legend Lisa Fernandez, who set an Olympic record with 25 strikeouts.

The USA Down Under Series also marks the 60th anniversary of the inaugural 1965 World Cup in Melbourne, where Australia edged Team USA, 1-0, in the finals.

Looking ahead, the Eagles aim to return to Australia in 2027 for the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals, with sights set on securing their spot at the 2026 Group Stage event in Oklahoma City at Devon Park.

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Selected from the WNT athlete pool, the Women’s National Team Selection Committee (WNTSC) formed the exhibition roster based on previous and ongoing evaluations at the collegiate and professional levels, as well as USA Softball National Team events.

Learn more about the USA Softball Women’s National Team at USASoftball.com.