Australian Team Profile
The Beijing Games could be the last time softball is contested at the Olympics with London having already dropped it from the schedule.
USA, Japan, China, Netherlands, Canada, Venezeula and Chinese Taipei join Australia as the eight nations to have qualified for this year's Games.
The Australian squad is full of experience, with 10 of the 15 women having already been to at least one previous Olympics.
Pitchers Tanya Harding and Melanie Roche and shortstop Natalie Ward will all be making their fourth appearance at the Olympics while the experience continues with Sandy Lewis, Simmone Morrow and Natalie Titcume all making their third appearances.
Jodie Bowering, Kylie Cronk, Justine Smethurst, Danielle Stewart and Belinda Wright are the babies of the team and will all be making their Olympic debut in Beijing.
The USA will once again be the team to beat, but Australia should be confident of at least reaching the gold medal playoff match.
All matches will be played on the Fengtai Softball Field, with Australia facing Japan in its first game on August 12. The following day it faces the USA in a much-anticipated match.
The semi-finals and bronze medal play-off will be played on August 20, with the gold medal playoff the following day.
Since the first competition in 1996, Australia has medalled in every competition, but no nation has come close to beating the dominant USA. The Aussies finished third in 1996 and 2000 and improved to second place in Athens 2004.
Previous Results:
Silver
2004
Bronze
2000, 1996
Australian Olympic Softball Team:
Jodie Bowering, Kylie Cronk, Kelly Hardie, Tanya Harding, Sandy Lewis, Simmone Morrow, Tracey Mosley, Stacey Porter, Melanie Roche, Justine Smethurst, Danielle Stewart, Natalie Titcume, Natalie Ward, Belinda Wright, Kerry Wyborn