ORIGINAL STORY:

Heather Tarr will be named the next head coach of USA Softball, JWOS has learned.

Tarr’s appointment is expected to be officially announced this week and possibly as early as Monday afternoon; the USA Softball Annual Council Meeting is taking place this week in Oklahoma City.

Currently the head coach at Washington, Tarr was part of Team USA’s coaching staff during the Tokyo Olympics and served as first-base coach for the US squad. She previously was head coach of the U19 Women’s National Team and spent the 2017-18 summers as part of the national team’s coaching staff.

While at Washington, Tarr has become the winningest coach in any sport in UW history. A program alumnus, she led the Huskies to the national championship in 2009. Most recently, the Huskies finished as national semifinalists in 2019 and as Super Regional participants in 2021.

In taking the reins of the US National Team, Tarr replaces Eriksen, who spent the more than a decade leading the program.

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The new league will play a two-month season, from June to August 2022, and will be headquartered in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma Sooners legend and former pro player Lauren Chamberlain has been named the league’s inaugural commissioner.

“I am deeply humbled and incredibly excited for my role as Commissioner of WPF,” Chamberlain said in a statement. “I have worked hard to build good standing with existing softball athletes, people of influence in our sport, and those outside of our sport. I am confident that I can bridge the gap between all parties and create an exceptional professional level of softball, one that our sport and its athletes deserve.”

Thursday’s announcement also noted that, while the league will be headquartered in Oklahoma City, teams will play games nationwide. Information on scheduling or team ownership structure was not included in the press release.

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“I am SO SO excited to announce my partnership with [DeMarini],” Bates wrote on Instagram. “From such a young age I fell in love with these products and have used them ever since! Excited for what’s to come.”

Bates is currently playing for Athletes Unlimited in her first professional venture. With two games remaining in Week 4 of the AU season, Bates ranks 14th overall on the unique player points list.

A 3-time All-American during her playing career at Washington, Bates was named the PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons when the award was presented. She set the UW program record for career hits and career triples during her final season and ended her Husky career with a .385 batting average and a .450 on-base percentage.

After graduating from UW following her “super senior” season in 2021, she will return to Seattle as a student-assistant coach for the Huskies next season.

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The first week of Season 2 of Athletes Unlimited is officially in the books. Team Osterman ended the opening week with an undefeated 3-0 record, while Team Hayward went 2-1, Team Warren 1-2, and Team Piancastelli 0-3.

New team captains for week two will be Sahvanna Jaquish, Osterman, Tori Vidales, and Lilli Piper. The quartet will draft their teams on Tuesday evening. Before that draft, though, here are four players that were hot out of the gate in the league’s opening week.

Sahvanna Jaquish

Jaquish leads in the league’s unique point system after week one, which sets her up as the Gold team captain for week two. Jaquish looked as sharp as ever at the plate leading the league in batting average and hits, and tying for the league lead in runs scored. Jaquish went 7-9 at the plate on the week, with three extra base hits, three RBIs, and five runs scored to her credit. She owns an .800 on-base percentage through one week, a mark that also leads the league.

Gwen Svekis

Not on Cat Osterman’s team for the first time in league history, Svekis made her own mark quickly with a solo home run and a double in Team Hayward’s opener, then hit a walk-off single in Monday’s weekend finale that scored Aleshia Ocasio and gave the Blue squad the 3-2 win. Three of Svekis’ four hits have been for extra bases in the season’s early goings, and she owns a .444 batting average.

Amanda Chidester

The only AU player with multiple home runs in week one was Chidester, and her pair of solo shots also accounted for her only RBIs on the week. Her batting average of .556 (5-9) ranks second in the league, behind only Jaquish, and she’s scored three runs. Chidester also owns an identical on-base percentage of .556 and seems to have regained the tremendous power stroke that she has shown in years past.

Carrie Eberle

One of three players to reach double digits in innings in week one, Eberle made three appearances for Team Piancastelli. She allowed just one run, struck out two, and allowed four walks, though opposing hitters batted just .211 against her. Eberle was the hard-luck loser on Monday, giving up Svekis’ walk-off in the eighth inning with the winning run unearned due to the international tiebreaker.

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Making the announcement on her Instagram page, Arioto wrote, “It’s official, I am retired.” The post was accompanied by a photo of Arioto in Tokyo, with her silver medal around her neck. Arioto was one of two veterans who spent the last decade as part of the US National team en route to the long-awaited Tokyo Games.

“A journey that I am truly proud of has come to an end,” Arioto’s post continued. “I followed, led, fell and rose. I made mistakes that propelled me to achieve more. I tired my hardest and stayed true to who I am. I bought in to being the best teammate I could. I served and gave for the next generations. Highest of highs and lowest of lows, and every amazing emotion in between. This has been an unforgettable, rewarding, and humbling experience. I can truly say my career has been everything I could imagine and more!

“There is no such thing as doing it on your own in my opinion. That is why I am eternally and immensely grateful for the sport of softball, @usasoftball, my teammates, and my family and friends! I look forward to staying involved with the sport and giving back even more!”

Highlights of Arioto’s international career included World Championship gold medals in 2016 and 2018, as well as a Pan Am Games gold medal in 2019. During the 2018 International Cup, Arioto batted .400 with five home runs and a 1.467 slugging percentage.

In 2020, Arioto was named the JWOS Team USA Player of the Decade. She spent her collegiate playing days at Cal, suiting up for the Golden Bears from 2008-12.

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Among the crop of AU rookies – a group that makes up roughly 1/3 of the league’s 60-member pool of players – are Olympians, veteran professionals, and players fresh out of college. AU held a college “draft” earlier this spring that saw a dozen players earn invitations to play in the league, and a late-spring open tryout also saw four additional players signed.

Here are five first-year AU pros worth watching this season…

Amanda Lorenz, OF
Lorenz was drafted in the first round of Tuesday night’s Week 1 player draft and was the first AU rookie position player to be selected. Lorenz’s bat remains one of the most lethal in the nation, staying consistent with her scouting report from Florida and with her traditional pro team, the USSSA Pride. Her high draft position right off the bat shows that her offensive capability is still fearsome, though her general “softball smarts” have also gained acclaim. She could easily be a quick leaderboard contender in AU Season 2.

Sydney Romero, IF
The ability to play virtually the entire infield is a major positive in Romero’s scouting report, but like Lorenz, she also hasn’t lost anything since her stellar collegiate days. Romero played with the USSSA Pride and with Team Mexico this summer, finishing just shy of an Olympic medal in Tokyo and adding to her professional resume with the Pride. Romero’s bat was consistent during the Olympic Games, and she’s equal parts power and get-on-base. AU made a good call in signing Romero, and you can expect the usual heroics at the plate and on defense from the ex-Sooner.

Sis Bates, IF
One of the most celebrated players during her college days, Bates gained significant notoriety for her defensive wizardry, occasionally earning comparisons to the stellar glove work of former New York Yankee Derek Jeter. Now Bates is set to begin her professional career with AU, and you can bet that her defense will be front and center. Bates was not a bad hitter in college – she was a terrific on-base threat, as a matter of fact – but her insanely-smooth glove work is still her best-known feature. Look for her to continue that mastery as a pro.

Aliyah Andrews, OF
Speaking of defense, the legend of Air Aliyah grew every time that Andrews left her feet for a catch this season while playing for LSU. A tremendous speed threat at the plate and on the base paths, Andrews forged her own legacy with diving catch after diving catch and even made the few that she missed look pretty impressive. Aliyah, like Bates, is well-known for her defense but also brings a offensive component in her skill set. In the solid pool of pros in AU camp, Andrews may find herself slotted as a bottom-of-the-order table-setter in the lineup, but with her speed, she is a difference maker no matter where she is.

Sami Williams, IF
Williams was one of the last four players selected in the Week 1 draft, but Cat Osterman’s Gold team got a steal with the former Iowa State infielder. Williams is still seen as something of an unknown commodity to some, thanks to playing for the seemingly small-market Cyclones, but if you don’t know the player they call Slammin’ Sami, then get ready. Williams wields a wickedly-powerful bat at the plate and can smash a home run as easily as she can a single up the middle.

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Nagoya (Japan) mayor Takashi Kawamura bit into Goto’s gold medal during a recent celebratory event, a happening that caused quite an uproar in Japan. The medal-biting was captured live on television and included Kawamura removing his required COVID-19 mask to perform the biting.

Medal-biting is a traditional photo op for Olympic medalists, particularly gold medalists, but is often associated only with that exclusive group.

According to a recent report from CNN, Nagoya officials received more than 8,000 complaints about Kawamura’s actions, including calls for the mayor’s resignation.

“With support from the International Olympic Committee and in line with her own intention, Ms Goto’s medal is now set to be exchanged for a new one,” Tokyo 2020 organizers said in a statement to Reuters.

During the Japanese professional season, Goto plays for Toyota Motor Corporation; the company was one of many persons and entities to issue a statement condemning Kawamura’s actions, describing the medal-biting as “inappropriate.”

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The Tokyo Olympic Games were the final international showing for a number of softball players, and among those ranks was Australian legend Stacey Porter. One of the most decorated softball Olympians in history, Porter was the captain of the Australian Olympic squad as the recognized veteran of the Aussie softball roster.

For the first time, Australia did not receive an Olympic medal in softball; the team from Down Under had medaled in each of the previous four Games where the sport was sponsored. Following the final game of Porter’s Olympic career, the Aussie great took to social media to reflect on the Tokyo Games and the final stage of her playing career.

“Tokyo 2020 has officially finished & I’m finally allowing myself the time to reflect and put into words what it meant to me to represent the Aussie Spirit,” Porter began one post. ” I’ve been struggling to find the words, as my time has also come to an end in my favourite uniform. Watching the Olympics and other athletes compete over these last 2 weeks has me feeling all kind of emotions – pride, envy, admiration, frustration, love and happiness. How bloody good did our athletes represent our country, the Olympic spirit is something else Our week back on the Olympic arena was not at all what I wanted it to be, I’d be lying if I said I was satisfied with my Olympic experience this time. I wanted more. We didn’t hit our potential & that’s a hard pill to swallow when you dedicate your whole heart to it. What I do know is I am proud of our journey & I’m proud of every single athlete that was involved in our entire Olympic campaign. Thank you for the sacrifices, the commitment & the want!! We had it, but it wasn’t our time.

“I honestly pinch myself when I consider the chances I’ve had to play this game. The amount that I’ve learned in my time with the Aussie Spirit is immeasurable. I was a different athlete & person 20 years ago. If there is anything I can pass onto those still to come it is this. I believe I evolved as an athlete until the day I finished. So please never stop learning & making sure you’re being the person you want people to look up too! It was always important for me to be a person before an athlete.

“Thank you to those athletes before me who led the way & taught me to be stronger. I’ll forever be grateful coming into this game at a time you were taught hard lessons. It set me on my path.”

In a second, follow-up post, Porter added, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart to every single person who reached out before during and after the event. I’ve been immensely overwhelmed with the support and well wishes. The stands were empty in Tokyo but our hearts were full!! Special mention to my Mum, Kristy & Mel who have forever been in my corner, you were & will be forever in my heart!! To that beautiful man shining down on me who I missed the most! Thank you for giving me the ability to love something as much as I did, I know you would’ve been the proudest, you always were!! Thank you Mr Webb for the vision and belief you had in me way back when & to Maz & Kez you’ve always been more than supporters to me! Thank you to the rest of my family who have always show me nothing but support! Thank you Softball Australia, Softball NSW & my current club Brisbane Panthers for the opportunity to represent you.

“It started as a dream for me, I always wanted to represent my country and my people with pride. I can’t wait to see many more little Aussie Spirits living out their dream one day.”

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Former UCLA great and Team USA pitcher Rachel Garcia has signed a high-profile endorsement deal.

Garcia announced an agreement with Under Armour last week. Writing on social media, Garcia said, “Excited to announce that I’m officially a member of #TeamUA! Can’t wait to grow the game of softball with @underarmour.”

Under Armour later shared Garcia’s post on their own social media channels.

A two-time National Player of the Year during her collegiate career, Garcia helped lead UCLA to the 2019 National Championship and was selected for the United States’ roster for the Tokyo Olympics. She appeared once during the Olympics, as a pinch hitter.

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Softball in the Tokyo Olympics drew good TV viewership despite the unique start times of the individual games.

According to SpoilersTV.com, the United States’ opening-round win over Japan on Sunday night, July 24th, was watched by an estimated number of 1.37 million viewers. That number is what the USA Network drew during the 9 pm Eastern block when the softball game aired that night. It was the most-watched softball game of the Olympics.

The Gold medal game on July 27th – which resulted in a 2-0 win for Japan over the United States – garnered 603,000 viewers in the 7 am Eastern block on the NBC Sports Network.

One demographic where Olympic softball had major success was in viewers 18-49. The Gold medal game was the 19th-most-watched cable program in that demo. The Sunday night game between the US and Japan that served as a precursor to the gold medal matchup was 34 in the cable rankings in the same 18-49 demo that night.

Other games of note from the Olympics:

• The Bronze medal game between Canada and Mexico was watched by 217,000. The game aired at 12 am Eastern time on CNBC.
• The United States’ dramatic extra-inning win over Australia on July 23rd collected 533,000 viewers. The game aired at 9 pm Eastern on CNBC.
• The United States’ 1-0 win over Canada on Wednesday night, July 21, was tuned into by 733,000. That game aired on NBC Sports Network at 8 pm Eastern time.

These numbers reflect only when games were aired live; it does not include reairings that may have occurred later in the day or night. These numbers are also higher than what both the US women’s soccer and basketball teams drew while in Tokyo.

NBC received criticism for their coverage of the Olympics, specifically related to a lack of transparency on what sport would air when or on what channel. The same can be said for softball’s presentation during the Olympics. These numbers could play a role in the sport returning to the Olympic slate for Los Angeles in 2028.

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