USA Baseball Announces Women’s National Team Roster

Image credit: Ila Borders (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

USA Baseball announced the 20-player roster for the U.S. Women’s National Team that will compete in the Women’s World Cup tournament in Viera, Fla., from Aug. 22-31.

The U.S. will be attempting to thwart Japan’s World Cup dominance. Team Japan has won the last five World Cups, stretching back to 2008. The U.S. won the first two, held in 2004 and 2006, and is the only other team to win a World Cup. The U.S. failed to finish in the top four in 2016 as it was knocked out in pool play. Team USA finished second in 2014.

U.S. national team fixtures like Tamara Holmes, Meggie Meidlinger, Marti Sementelli and Malaika Underwood were all included on the roster. Underwood extends her own record for U.S. National Team appearances as she will be playing on her ninth national team. Underwood hit .526 for Team USA during the 2016 World Cup while Holmes hit .722.

The team also includes lefthander Ila Borders, who is making an impressive comeback. Borders, 43, pitched at Vanguard and Whittier Colleges in California before joining the independent league St. Paul Saints. Borders pitched three years in the Northern League and another year in the Western League, going 1-0, 1.67 in 32.1 innings with Madison in 1999 during her best season. But Borders last pitched professionally 18 seasons ago, long enough ago that her pitching career ended before the first World Cup was held.

Other notable names on the roster include righthander/outfielder Kelsie Whitmore, catcher Anna Kimbrell and righthander Stacy Piagno, all of whom have played in the Pacific Association.

 

2018 Women’s National Team Roster:

Name; Position; Hometown

Ila Borders; LHP; Los Angeles, Calif.

Samantha Cobb; OF/RHP; Garland, Texas

Michelle Cobb; IF/RHP; Wenatchee, Wash.

Shelby Estocado; OF/IF; Las Vegas, Nev.

Amanda Gianelloni; IF; Napoleonville, La.

Brittany Gomez; OF; New Braunfels, Texas

Jade Gortarez; IF/RHP; Riverside, Calif.

AJ Hamilton; C/OF; Tallahassee, Fla.

Tamara Holmes; OF; Albany, Calif.

Alex Hugo; IF/OF; Olathe, Kan.

Anna Kimbrell; C; Fort Mill, S.C.

Kylee Lahners; IF; Laguna Hills, Calif.

Ashton Lansdell; IF/RHP; Marietta, Ga.

Meggie Meidlinger; RHP; Sterling, Va.

Stacy Piagno; RHP; St. Augustine, Fla.

Brittany Schutte; RHP/IF; Gainesville, Fla.

Marti Sementelli; RHP; Newton, Mass.

Emily Tsujikawa; RHP/IF; Redmond, Wash.

Malaika Underwood; IF; San Diego, Calif.

Kelsie Whitmore; OF/RHP; Temecula, Calif.