U.S. Women’s National Team 16-player collegiate roster arrives in Iwakuni, Japan

(Note: Kentucky infielder Erin Coffel is on the 16-player roster)

IWAKUNI, Japan – Members of the U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT) 16-player collegiate roster have arrived in Iwakuni, Japan ahead of the 2023 Japan All-Star Series scheduled to take place August 4-7. Stretching across three cities in Japan, the world-ranked No. 1 Team USA will go head-to-head with No. 2 Japan in a three-game series held at three major venues that contributed to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Game 1 of the series will take place at Kizuma Stadium (Iwakuni, Japan) – host of the WNT pre-Olympic training, followed by Game 2 at Azuma Stadium (Fukushima, Japan) and Game 3 at Yokohama Stadium (Yokohama, Japan) – both of which were host venues for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Thanks to the hospitality and efforts made by the Japan All-Star Series Organizing Staff, the U.S. will have the opportunity to participate in a series of training sessions ahead of the event while experiencing the culture and traditions of the three Japanese cities off the field.

An annual event that is highly anticipated in both Japan and the U.S., the Japan All-Star Series showcases the best talent from across the globe while providing the two countries with opportunities to continue their goals of growing and developing the game at the highest level. Facing off for the first time this year, the three-game series will open on Friday, August 4 at 7 p.m. JST (5 a.m. CT) in Iwakuni, Japan followed by a second matchup on Sunday, August 6 at 2 p.m. JST (12 a.m. CT) in Fukushima, Japan. The two international rivals will cap the three-game series in Yokohama, Japan on Monday, August 7 at 7 p.m. JST (5 a.m. CT).

The Japan All-Star Series has provided an exciting experience for fans since its inception in 2016 where over 31,000 fans packed the Tokyo Dome while 2017 saw 15,000 fans in the stands at Yokohama Stadium. Continuing its popularity across the country of Japan, last year’s three-game series held at Azuma Stadium and Yokohama Stadium saw more than 17,000 fans across the three-day event, which signified as a one-year celebration of the Tokyo Olympic Games. The U.S. WNT looks to improve from the 2022 Japan All-Star Series, which resulted in a hard fought 1-2 series loss to Team Japan