Women’s Baseball World Cup Set To Begin After Six Year Layoff

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Team USA is going its first World Cup title since 2006 (Photo Courtesy of World Baseball Softball Confederation)

At long last, the Women’s World Cup Baseball championships have returned.

It’s been six long years since the last Women’s World Cup. Japan won its sixth consecutive World Cup in 2018, but the following championship was delayed and eventually canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But the tournament has returned to a traditional host (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada). And the storyline remains consistent to what was true in 2018: can Japan continue its complete dominance of women’s baseball or is this the year that the U.S. can win its first World Cup since 2006.

There have been eight Women’s World Cup tournaments. Japan has won the past six and finished second the other two times.

If the qualifying tournaments are any indication, Japan and Team USA are headed towards a showdown. In the Group A qualifier, the U.S. went 5-0 while out-scoring its opponents 71-2. Japan went 5-0 in the Group B qualifier while out-scoring its opponents 41-7.

Because it has been six years since the last World Cup, there has been somewhat of a changing of the guard. Veronica Alvarez, a coach on the 2018 team, is now Team USA’s manager. She’s been joined on the coaching staff by Malaika Underwood, who was a player on the majority of Team USA World Cup teams.

Now outfielder/righthander Kelsie Whitmore, catcher Anna Kimbrell, righthander Maggie Meidlinger and catcher Anna Kimbrell are the experienced vets on the U.S. team.

The best women’s player in the world over the past decade, Japan ace Ayami Sato is back. Sato is 11-0, 0.64 in 65 innings of international play over 29 appearances. She was 3-0, 0.37 in the 2018 World Cup over three starts.

There will be five days of pool play to determine which teams advance to the gold medal and bronze medal games which are set for Aug. 3.

Determining a champion is important, but more than anything women’s baseball needs this. It’s been too long since the best in the world got onto the field to face off. The wait is finally over.

“In 2019, we were ready to select a team for the 2020 World Cup. The pandemic canceled everything. We didn’t have a chance to play in WBSC events until last year’s group stage,” Team USA manager Veronica Alvarez said at the tournament’s opening press conference.