ST. PAUL, Minn. – USA Baseball today announced the final 20-woman roster for the 2022 Women’s National Team, which will compete in a five-game friendship series with Canada at Baseball Central in Thunder Bay, Ontario, July 28-August 1.
“We are thrilled with the depth of knowledge, experience, talent, and passion on this year’s roster,” said Women’s National Team Program Director Ann Claire Roberson. “This is an incredibly strong group of athletes that we are confident will represent the U.S. well both on and off the field as we head to Canada to compete in a five-game friendship series.”
In total, 12 alumnae of the Women’s National Team will once again compete for a chance to wear the red, white, and blue in 2022, and all 12 helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2019 COPABE Women’s Pan-American Championships.
The roster is highlighted by Malaika Underwood, who will suit up for the red, white, and blue for the 11th time, as she owns the record for most appearances on a USA Baseball national team. Additionally, this will be the 10th time Anna Kimbrell and the ninth that Marti Sementelli have been members of a national team. 2022 also marks the seventh time for Jade Gortarez and Kelsie Whitmore and sixth for Meggie Meidlinger.
Alex Hugo, Kylee Lahners, and Ashton Landsell will make their third appearance representing the U.S. on the international stage, while Denae Benites, Kate Blunt, and Alexia Jorge will don the red, white, and blue for a second time.
For eight players – Jillian Albayati, Jamie Baum, Elise Berger, Janelle Calvet, Niki Eckert, Alana Martinez, Olivia Pichardo, and Remi Schaber – this year marks their first appearance on a Women’s National Team roster. Albayati, Baum, Berger, Calvet, Martinez, Pichardo, and Schaber have all participated in a Women’s National Development Program in prior years, meanwhile Eckert earned a roster spot after her first experience in a Women’s National Team program.
This year’s Women’s National Team manager is five-time Team USA player Veronica Alvarez. She will coach alongside assistant coaches Manny Crespo, Sr. and Alex Oglesby, and pitching coach Reynol Mendoza.
The Women’s National Team will train at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 25, at Neiman Sports Complex in St. Paul, Minnesota, on July 26, and at Baseball Central in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on July 27, before opening its five-game friendship series with Canada on July 28.
Fans can follow along with the action by following @USABaseballWNT on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
The 2022 Women’s National Team roster is as follows:
2022 Women’s National Team Roster
(Name; Position; Hometown)
- ^Jillian Albayati; RHP/INF; Anaheim, Calif.
- ^Jamie Baum; RHP/UTIL; Los Altos, Calif.
- *^Denae Benites; INF/RHP; Las Vegas, Nev.
- ^Elise Berger; RHP/INF; Shelburne, Vt.
- *^Kate Blunt; RHP/INF; Ladera Ranch, Calif.
- ^Janelle Calvet; UTIL/RHP; Deerfield Beach, Fla.
- Niki Eckert; LHP/OF; Englewood, N.J.
- *^Jade Gortarez; INF/RHP; Riverside, Calif.
- *^Alex Hugo; INF/OF; Olathe, Kan.
- *^Alexia Jorge; C/INF; Lyndhurst, N.J.
- *^Anna Kimbrell; C; Fort Mill, S.C.
- *^Kylee Lahners; INF; Laguna Hills, Calif.
- *^Ashton Lansdell; INF/RHP; Marietta, Ga.
- ^Alana Martinez; INF/OF; Cooper City, Fla.
- *^Meggie Meidlinger; RHP/INF; Sterling, Va.
- ^Olivia Pichardo; RHP/OF; Forest Hills, N.Y.
- ^Remi Schaber; INF/RHP; Cordova, Tenn.
- *^Marti Sementelli; RHP; West Newton, Mass.
- *^Malaika Underwood; IF; San Diego, Calif.
- *^Kelsie Whitmore; OF/RHP; Temecula, Calif.
* denotes national team alumna
^ denotes National Team Development Program participant
