U.S. Olympic Softball Team

The 15 members of the U.S. Olympic team are, according to USAsoftball.com, the most successful softball team in the world. They will be looking for their fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal, starting with a game against Venezuela on Aug. 12 in Beijing. Ten of the players have gold medals from previous Olympics, and five will be looking for their first medal. Veteran Laura Berg of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., will try to make history with a fourth consecutive gold.

At the games four years ago, the U.S. softball team had a 9-0 record. The team’s head coach is Mike Candrea, head coach of the University of Arizona. Softball only became an Olympic sport in 1996 and has been dropped from the Olympic program for 2012.

Keep an eye out for Jennie Finch, (pictured) one of the team’s three pitchers. She is, according to NBC’s Olympics Web site, the “most popular softball player in the world.” The best pitcher in the game is considered to be Cat Osterman of Texas, and the strongest hitter is Crystl Bustos, the third baseman.

Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) – Position: LHP; B/T – L/L

Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.) – Position: OF; B/T – L/L

Crystl Bustos (Canyon County, Calif.) – Position: IF; B/T – R/R

Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.) – Position: IF; B/T – R/R

Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.) – Position: RHP; B/T – R/R

Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz.) – Position: UT; B/T – R/R

Vicky Galindo (Union City, Calif.) – Position: IF; B/T – L/R

Lovieanne Jung (Fountain Valley, Calif.) – Position: 2B; B/T – R/R

Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Beach, Fla.) – Position: OF; B/T – L/R

Lauren Lappin (Anaheim, Calif.) – Position: UT; B/T – R/R

Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.) – Position: OF; B/T – L/R

Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif.) – Position: OF; B/T – L/R

Stacey Nuveman (La Verne, Calif.) – Position: C; B/T – R/R

Cat Osterman (Houston) – Position: LHP; B/T – L/L

Natsha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) – Position: SS; B/T – L/

For more information on the U.S. Olympic Softball Team, visit their website. If you want to see all the U.S. Olympic qualifiers in every sport for the Beijing games starting in August, start your search on this official U.S. Olympics page.