Aussie Spirit wrap campaign at the home of the LA Olympics
Published Wed 05 Aug 2026
The Aussie Spirit have wrapped up an exciting and valuable campaign in Oklahoma City at the 2026 International Cup at Devon Park, the future home of softball competition at the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
The team closed out the tournament with a 4-0 win over Chinese Taipei, providing a positive finish to a campaign that delivered important learning opportunities against elite international competition.
The tournament featured five of the world’s top 10 teams, including No. 1 Japan, No. 2 USA, No. 4 Canada, No. 5 Chinese Taipei, No. 8 China and American Samoa.
Facing five top softball nations, the Aussie Spirit were tested across all areas of their game and gained valuable insight into the standards required at the highest level of international softball.
The campaign also provided opportunities to expose emerging athletes to top level international competition, build combinations across the squad and continue strengthening Australia's high performance pathway towards the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2027 and beyond.
While results were mixed throughout the week, the campaign delivered several important milestones for the Australian softball program:
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Maddy Schofield and Millie Fidge proudly made their Green and Gold debuts in the game against the USA Softball Women’s National Team, marking an important milestone in their softball journeys.
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Kylie Steemers reached her 50th international game for the Aussie Spirit, a significant achievement that reflects her commitment, consistency and contribution to the program.
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Aussie umpire Krissi Travers was selected as one of the officials for the gold medal game between the USA and Japan, a prestigious appointment that highlights the calibre of Australian officials on the world stage.
Aussie Spirit Head Coach Kerrie Porter said the event provided an important benchmark for the group as preparations continue towards future international competitions.
“We are proud to have given so many of our Aussie Spirit athletes international experience over the last few weeks. To play against some of the best in the world at the Olympic venue was a wonderful experience,” Porter said.
"We will carry our learnings into the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2027 in Redcliffe, Australia.”
