OKLAHOMA CITY — The 2020 USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) will bring the “Stand Beside Her†tour to the University of Arizona on February 18, 2020 as Team USA will face off against the Arizona Wildcats. This tour stop marks a memorable homecoming for 2020 WNT member, Dejah Mulipola, who is redshirting her senior season as she trains alongside her teammates in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Games. This exhibition matchup also pits current Olympic Head Coach Ken Eriksen against Arizona Head Coach Mike Candrea, who served as the Head Coach for the 2004 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Softball Teams.
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“I am so excited to return to Tucson, which I consider my second home,†said Mulipola. “Getting to play in the newly built Rita Hillenbrand Stadium in front of the most loyal and amazing fans in Tucson is the best feeling ever and I can’t wait to share the experience with the 17 other women on this Olympic roster! The fans are the best part about playing at Rita Hillenbrand and me returning on a different team will be a bittersweet feeling because I will be on the other side. However, I am excited to take the field with Team USA and play against my college teammates as well as Coach Candrea, who I hope to make proud on this journey to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan!â€
In Tucson, Team USA will face off against the Wildcats in a 7 p.m. MT solo contest. Played at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium (1700 E. 2nd Street, Tucson, Ariz., 85719), tickets for the game will go on sale to the general public on December 20 at 9 a.m. MT and can be purchased at ArizonaWildcats.com. Ticket prices are as follows: Club Seats $45, Homeplate Seats $35, Baseline Reserved Seats $30, General Admission Adult Seats, $15, General Admission Youth Seats $10, Standing Room Only Adults $15 and Standing Room Only Youth $10.
"It is an honor and a great privilege to have the opportunity to host our U.S. Women's National Team as they prepare to bring home the gold medal from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo,†said Candrea. “We are excited to show off our newly renovated Hillenbrand Stadium and compete against the very best players in the world. It will be exciting to see Dejah Mulipola in the USA uniform and we are so proud of her adding to the list of former Wildcats that have played in the Olympic Games. I'm so very excited for Coach Ken Eriksen and the great staff he has assembled and am looking forward to our Tucson fans to pack Hillenbrand for this great opportunity for our players, fans and alumni. Bear Down and Go USA!"
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With the return of softball to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games program, the “Stand Beside Her†tour provides much-needed training and competition for the 2020 WNT in their preparation for the Olympic Games while also giving fans a chance to watch the Red, White and Blue in person. Olympic competition will start July 22, 2020 with the Gold Medal Game being played on July 28.
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The “Stand Beside Her†tour evokes a powerful message of unity aimed to inspire communities to stand beside HER – the members of the WNT, America and the future generation of female athletes.
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Additional stops for the “Stand Beside Her†tour will be announced at a later date. For more information on the “Stand Beside Her†tour, please visit StandBesideHerTour.com.
About USA Softball
USA Softball (USAS) is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USAS sanctions competition through a network of Local Associations, which includes all 50 states and select metro associations. USAS is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch. USAS annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships. The USAS umpire program is among the nation’s largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game.Â
As the NGB for the sport of softball, USAS is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USAS, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com. |
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