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International News: Team USA Arrives in Australia Ahead of the 2025 USA Down Under Series (December 29, 2025)

By Brentt Eads

December 29, 2025

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

International News: Team USA Arrives in Australia Ahead of the 2025 USA Down Under Series (December 29, 2025)

The U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT) has arrived in Brisbane, Australia, ahead of the 2025 USA Down Under Series, set for this Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 through Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.

The world-ranked No. 2 Team USA will face No. 10 Australia in a four-game series at Redlands Softball Park.

In addition to the competition, the U.S. will have the opportunity to hold a training camp ahead of the event while experiencing the culture and traditions of Australia off the field.

With sights set on inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic program, Team USA will take on Australia in a series of exhibition games beginning December 31 at Redlands Softball Park in Ormiston, Queensland.


Follow the U.S. Women’s National Team on X for LIVE updates

 

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

Match-ups 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.

CLICK HERE to view the complete schedule, box scores, daily recaps & more »

Two current student-athletes and 14 former student-athletes have been selected to represent the U.S. in the 2025 USA Down Under Series.

Oklahoma Head Coach Patty Gasso was officially named the USA National Team Coach at a press conference held on Tue., Feb. 11, 2025.

Among them, five athletes — Reese Atwood, Alyssa Brito, Ana Gold, Karlyn Pickens and Sierra Sacco — will be representing the U.S. for the first time in their careers while seven members of the 2025 World Games gold medal squad return to the international stage.

The roster includes athletes from four athletic conferences: SEC (10 athletes), Big Ten (2), Big 12 (2), ACC (1) and Sun Belt (1), who collectively represent 11 NCAA Division I universities.

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.

Click here to view the 2025 Down Under Series roster »

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.

Fans can follow all the action on Softball Australia TV, with daily passes available for $7.99 AUD and event passes for $29.99 AUD.

To learn more about the U.S. Women’s National Team Program, visit USASoftball.com.

*****

 

USA Women’s National Team Roster

Players

#

Name

Position

College

15

Reese Atwood*

C

Texas

7

Maya Brady

OF

UCLA

33

Alyssa Brito*

INF

Oklahoma

21

Erin Coffel

INF

Kentucky

24

Megan Faraimo

RHP

UCLA

37

Hannah Flippen

INF

Utah

14

Montana Fouts

RHP

Alabama

4

Ana Gold*

INF

Duke

23

Tiare Jennings

INF

Oklahoma

99

Kayla Kowalik

UTL

Kentucky

75

Aubrey Leach

UTL

Tennessee

28

Kelly Maxwell

LHP

Oklahoma

34

Dejah Mulipola

C

Arizona

9

Karlyn Pickens*

RHP

Tennessee

29

Sierra Sacco*

OF

Mississippi State

8

Morgan Zerkle

OF

Marshall

*Denotes first-time Women’s National Team member

COACHES

Name

Position

Affiliation

Patty Gasso

Head Coach

Oklahoma

John Bargfeldt

Assistant Coach

Trisha Ford

Assistant Coach

Texas A&M

Lincoln Martin

Assistant Coach

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