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ASA/USA Softball names athletes to the 2012 USA Softball Women’s National Team

OKLAHOMA CITY — Twelve athletes have been named to the 2012 USA Softball Women’s National Team, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced today. An additional five athletes will be named to the squad, which will compete at the International Softball Federation (ISF) Women’s World Championship, following a 2012 USA Softball Women’s National Team and USA Softball Women’s Elite National Team Selection Camp in June.

The 12 athletes who were named to the roster by the USA Softball Women’s National Team Selection Committee (WNTSC) are Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif./Cal senior), Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif./Arizona State 2009), Lauren Gibson (Pasadena, Md./Tennessee junior), Ashley Holcombe (Fayetteville, Ga./Alabama 2009), Molly Johnson (Tucson, Ariz./Kentucky 2010), Stacy May-Johnson (Reno, Nev./Iowa 2006), Jenae Leles (Sacramento, Calif./Arizona 2009), Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla./Florida senior), Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif./Oklahoma junior), Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Michigan 2011), Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga./Missouri 2011) and Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa/Missouri junior). All athletes who have been named to the 2012 USA Softball Women’s National Team helped Team USA to the Gold Medal at the 2011 World Cup of Softball in July in Oklahoma City and the 2011 Pan American Games in October in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Athletes who have accepted an invitation to try-out for one of the five remaining spots on the team and the 2012 USA Softball Women’s Elite National Team are Lauren Chamberlain (Trabuco Canyon, Calif./Oklahoma freshman), Whitney Canion (Aledo, Texas/Baylor junior), Raven Chavanne (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Tennessee junior), Dallas Escobedo (Glendale, Ariz./Arizona State sophomore), Kenzie Fowler (Tucson, Ariz./Arizona junior), Taylor Hoagland (Flower Mound, Texas/Texas junior), Meagan May (Spring, Texas/Texas A&M junior), Megan Langenfeld (Bakersfield, Calif./UCLA 2010), Christi Orgeron (New Orleans, La./ULL senior), Ellen Renfroe (Jackson, Tenn./Tennessee sophomore) and Jessica Shults (Valencia, Calif./Oklahoma junior). With the exception of Renfroe, all athletes have played USA Softball previously on a Women’s National Team, Women’s Futures National Team or Junior Women’s National Team.

Throughout the spring, additional athletes will be invited to the June Selection Camp, where the five remaining members of the 2012 USA Softball Women’s National Team and the 17-athlete roster for the 2012 USA Softball Women’s Elite National Team will be decided. Following the Selection Camp, members of both teams will play each other in exhibition games before beginning competition.

The Women’s National Team will compete at the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City, the Canadian Open Fast Pitch International Championship in Surrey, B.C., Canada, and the World Championship in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. The Women’s Elite National Team will compete at the World University Games in Colorado Springs, Colo. Additional events may be added to the team schedules at a later date.