Dallas Sports Commission Hosts Future Olympians at the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup

Dallas (August 28, 2024) – The excitement is building as Dallas, and the Dallas Sports Commission, prepare to host the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage for the first time. From August 29 to September 2, the newly renovated softball field at the Village Dallas will be the center of the prestigious international softball competition, featuring some of the best young talent from around the globe.

The Group C tournament, one of the most highly anticipated group stage brackets, includes six world-class teams vying for two coveted spots in the 2025 Women’s Softball World Cup Finals, which will also be held in Dallas. Leading the group is top-ranked Team USA, with No. 5 Canada, No. 7 Mexico, No. 10 Australia, No. 15 the Philippines, and No. 21 Ireland, each adding their own competitive edge to the tournament.

"Dallas is poised to experience the excitement of watching the top U-18 softball teams and female athletes compete for a place in next year’s Softball World Cup Finals," said Crag Cress, Executive Vice President Softball, WBSC. "The U-18 Women's Softball World Cup has proven to be a significant stepping stone for many young athletes on their path to international success."

In the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage, teams compete in a four-day, 15-game round robin format. The top four teams advance to the final day’s playoffs, with two guaranteed spots in the 2025 World Cup Finals on the line. The first and second-place teams will square off for the first Finals berth. The losing squad from that contest will have a second chance, facing off against the winner of the third-place vs. fourth-place game for the second spot in next year's Finals.

"We are excited and honored for Dallas to host the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup, showcasing elite young talent from around the world," said Monica Paul, Executive Director, Dallas Sports Commission. "This tournament is a testament to Dallas' growing prominence as a global sports destination, providing our residents a front-row seat to witness world-class talent in action and celebrate the spirit of international competition and camaraderie."

The WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup is a premier international competition, serving as a launching pad for the world’s best young players. Many of today’s top Olympic athletes started their careers on this stage, making this a critical event in the softball calendar. Of the 90 athletes in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Softball competition, 46 honed their skills in the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup. Softball will return as an Olympic sport at the Los Angeles Summer Games in 2028.

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Fans and media are invited to attend and witness the future stars of women’s softball as they compete at the highest level. Tickets are available now on the WBSC website.

Schedule of Events:

August 29

• 12:30 PM Game 1: Australia vs. Philippines
• 3:30 PM Game 2: Canada vs Mexico
• 6:30 PM Game 3: USA vs Ireland

August 30

• 9:30 AM Game 4: Mexico vs. Philippines
• 12:30 PM Game 5: Philippines vs. Ireland
• 3:30 PM Game 6: USA vs. Australia
• 6:30 PM Game 7: USA vs. Canada

August 31

• 9:30 AM Game 8: Australia vs. Ireland
• 12:30 PM Game 9: Ireland vs. Canada
• 3:30 PM Game 10: Philippines vs. Canada
• 6:30 PM Game 11: USA vs. Mexico

September 1

• 9:30 AM Game 12: Canada vs. Australia
• 12:30 PM Game 13: Australia vs. Mexico
• 3:30 PM Game 14: Ireland vs. Mexico
• 6:30 PM Game 15: USA vs. Philippines

September 2

• TBD Game 16: Fifth-Place vs. Sixth-Place
  
• TBD Game 17: Third-Place vs. Fourth-Place
• TBD Game 18: First-Place vs. Second-Place (FINAL)
• TBD Game 19: Game 17 Winner vs Game 18 Winner (REPECHAGE)
  
  

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About the WBSC
Headquartered in Pully, Switzerland-- adjacent to Lausanne, the Olympic Capital -- the World BaseballSoftball Confederation (WBSC) is the world governing body for baseball and softball. The WBSC has 204 National Federation and Associate Members in 137 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceania,
which represent a united baseball/softball sports movement that encompasses over 65 million athletes and attracts approximately 150 million fans to stadiums worldwide annually.

The WBSC governs all international competitions involving official National Teams. The WBSC oversees the Premier12, the World Baseball Classic and Baseball World Cups (U-12, U-15, U-18, U-23 and Women's), Softball World Cups, (U-12 Mixed, U-15 Women's, U-18 Women's, U-18 Men's, U-23 Men's, Women's and Men's), and official disciplines Baseball5 (Senior and Youth World Cups) and E-Sports as well as Baseball, Softball and Baseball5 events at the Olympic Games.

For more information, visit www.wbsc.org, which is available in six languages: English, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Traditional Chinese.

About Dallas Sports Commission
A division of Visit Dallas, the Dallas Sports Commission (DSC) focuses on generating economic impact as well as improving the quality of life within the community through sports. The DSC is tasked with attracting and retaining amateur, grassroots, collegiate and professional championship events, with the goal of maintaining Dallas’ status as the No. 1 City for Sports Business as determined by Sports Business Journal. Now celebrating its 10-Year Anniversary, the DSC has hosted 570+ events, 8.1M+ attendees, and generated over $4.3B in economic impact.

Media Contacts
Dandy Killeen, Tony Fay PR | 817.307.4645 | dandy@tonyfaypr.com
Marcus Carr, Tony Fay PR | 817.773.1514 | marcus@tonyfaypr.com