It’s been a very, very long wait for Team USA softball.
After not being included in the last two Olympics, softball makes its triumphant return and welcome to the sport’s biggest stage at the 2021 Tokyo Games.
While a bit of time has passed, Team USA seeks to continue its dominance over the rest of the world in sport: With three golds and one silver, Team USA has landed in the two highest steps of the podium in all the Olympic games. during which softball has been played.
This round could turn out to be more of the same. While the US has an almost entirely new roster, there are three names to look out for: Haylie McCleney, Monica Abbott, and Cat Osterman.
On the field, the US is going to depend on McCleney’s bat to help them get through the tournament. Outside of that, the team will rely on Abbott and Osterman to provide veteran leadership, as they are the only two members of Team USA left from that team that won the silver medal in 2008.
Women go for gold, and global domination once again. This is how you can look:
MORE: Watch the softball olympic games live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
How To Watch US Olympic Softball
- Television channel: NBC Sports
- Live broadcasts: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, fuboTV
Most of Team USA softball games will air on NBC Sports. You will also be able to stream games live on the NBC Sports and Peacock app.
Here’s when Team USA will take the diamond at the 2021 Olympics:
| Date | Match | television channel | Start time (ET) | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday July 20 | Italy vs. United States | NBC Sports | 11 p. M. | TBD |
| Wednesday July 21 | United States in Canada | NBC Sports | 8 p. M. | TBD |
| Saturday July 24 | United States in Mexico | NBC Sports | 1:30 am | TBD |
| Saturday July 24 | Australia vs. USA | NBC Sports | 9 p. M. | TBD |
| Sunday July 25 | Japan vs. United States | NBC Sports | 9 p. M. | TBD |
| Tuesday July 27 * | Bronze medal set | NBC Sports | Midnight | TBD |
| Tuesday July 27 * | Gold medal game | NBC Sports | 7 a. M. | TBD |
MORE: Explaining the Olympic Softball Tournament
US softball roster
Team USA returns just two players from the 2008 silver medal winning team: veterans Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman. Osterman is the only remaining member of the 2004 gold medal winning team in Athens.
Here is the team that will take the field in Tokyo.
| Player | Position | Olympic experience |
|---|---|---|
| Monica abbott | Pitcher | 2008 (silver) |
| Ali aguilar | Infielder | N / A |
| Valerie arioto | Infielder | N / A |
| Ally card | Pitcher / infielder | N / A |
| Amanda chidester | Receiver | N / A |
| Rachel Garcia | Pitcher / Infield | N / A |
| Haylie McCleney | Gardener | N / A |
| Michelle Moultrie | Gardener | N / A |
| Dejah Mulipola | Receiver | N / A |
| Aubree Munroe | Receiver | N / A |
| Bubba nickles | Utility | N / A |
| Osterman cat | Pitcher | 2004 (gold), 2008 (silver) |
| Janie reed | Gardener | N / A |
| Delaney spaulding | Infielder | N / A |
| Kelsey stewart | Utility | N / A |
How does the Olympic softball tournament work?
Qualification
In total, there are six teams that qualified for the 2021 Olympics: Japan, the United States, Italy, Mexico, Canada and Australia. Here’s how they did it:
– Japan it was a self-qualifier for being the host country.
– The United States won the 2018 Women’s Softball World Championship, winning a qualifying bid for the Olympics.
– At an Africa / Europe qualifying event in 2019, Italy won, which allowed them an offer.
– At a qualifying event in the Americas in 2019, Canada Y Mexico emerged, winning bids for the Olympics.
– At an Asia / Oceania qualifying tournament in 2019, Australia won, which allowed them an appearance for the 2021 Olympics.
Tournament
The softball tournament is pretty simple: each team will play each other in a single free-for-all tournament for a total of 15 games.
The top two teams compete for the gold medal in the gold medal game on July 27. The bronze medal game between the teams in third and fourth place precedes it on July 27.
2021 Olympic Softball Schedule
In total, there will be 15 games to determine qualification for the gold and bronze medal games at the 2021 Olympics. Here is the full tournament schedule:
Tuesday July 20
| Match | television channel | Time (ET) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia in Japan | NBC Sports | 8 p. M. | TBD |
| Italy in the US | NBC Sports | 11 p. M. | TBD |
Wednesday July 21
| Match | television channel | Time (ET) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico in Canada | NBC Sports | 2 a. M. | TBD |
| United States in Canada | NBC Sports | 8 p. M. | TBD |
| Mexico in Japan | NBC Sports | 11 p. M. | TBD |
Thursday July 22
| Match | television channel | Time (ET) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy in Australia | NBC Sports | 2 a. M. | TBD |
Friday July 23
| Match | television channel | Time (ET) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia in Canada | NBC Sports | 9 p. M. | TBD |
Saturday July 24
| Match | television channel | Time (ET) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States in Mexico | NBC Sports | 1:30 am | TBD |
| Japan in Italy | NBC Sports | 7 a. M. | TBD |
| Australia in the US | NBC Sports | 9 p. M. | TBD |
Sunday July 25
| Match | television channel | Time (ET) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada in Japan | NBC Sports | 1:30 am | TBD |
| Italy in Mexico | NBC Sports | 7 a. M. | TBD |
| Japan in the US | NBC | 9 p. M. | TBD |
Monday July 26
| Match | television channel | Time (ET) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada in Italy | NBC Sports | 1:30 am | TBD |
| Mexico in Australia | NBC Sports | 7 a. M. | TBD |
Tuesday July 27
| Match | television channel | Time (ET) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze medal game | NBC Sports | Midnight | TBD |
| Gold medal game | NBC Sports | 7 a. M. | TBD |
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.