RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech will face the US National Team in an exhibition on Wednesday, April 15 at 5:30 p.m. at Cargill Park in Shreveport as part of the US Softball "Stand Behind Her" tour.

The 2020 USA Softball Women's National Team prepares to capture a Gold Medal in Tokyo where the sport of softball returns to the Olympic program for the first time since 2008.

The contest will be part of a doubleheader that day for the US National Team which will also play ULM approximately 35 minutes after the conclusion of the Tech game.

Head coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said the contest is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for her players to face off against some of the top names in the game of softball.

"Louisiana Tech is so excited to be a part of this opportunity to showcase our program and our university on the same stage with the national team," said Winn-Ratliff. "This will give our players an opportunity to play against the best of the best in the world; players they have grown up following and idolizing in many respects.

"Louisiana Tech has a large alumni base in the Shreveport/Bossier City area and this will give us a chance to play in front of a lot of our fans who may not otherwise see us play. It will be a great stage for the game of softball in north Louisiana, and we are thrilled to be a part of it."  

With the return of softball to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games program, the "Stand Beside Her" tour provides much-needed training and competition for the 2020 WNT in their preparation for the Olympic Games while also giving fans a chance to watch the Red, White and Blue in person. Olympic competition will start July 22, 2020 with the Gold Medal Game being played on July 28.

"Louisiana is beyond honored to be a host of the 'Stand Beside Her' tour," said USA Softball of Louisiana Junior Olympic (JO) Commissioner, Dakota Hill. "Softball fans will enjoy seeing Team USA while enjoying Louisiana's legendary southern hospitality in Shreveport. The 2020 USA Softball National Council Meetings will also be held in Shreveport, so we hope that Team USA will return to Shreveport with Gold Medals."

The Lady Techsters return 13 letter-winners from last year's team that won 45 games and captured both the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles. Tech earned a spot in the NCAA Regionals in Baton Rouge, its second postseason trip in the past three years.

"The City of Shreveport is excited to welcome the US Softball team for their 'Stand Beside Her' tour," said Shreveport Mayor, Adrian Perkins. "This tour encourages people across the country to support the Women's National Team on their journey to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. This tour brings people from around the region to Shreveport. It is a great opportunity for us to show our support for the U.S. Softball Team, area universities, and showcase our city and our newly renovated facilities at Cargill Park."

Kelly Wells, Executive Director of the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission echoed Mayor Perkins' sentiments.

"The Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission is extremely proud to partner with USA Softball, Mayor Adrian Perkins and the City of Shreveport, along with Lt. Governor Billy Nunguesser and the Louisiana Office of Tourism to bring to our cities, the state of Louisiana and our region, this prestigious sporting event at Cargill Park, a SPAR managed facility," said Wells. "We are thrilled to host Team USA and be the only stop on the tour in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi.  We encourage sports fans from around our region to purchase their tickets today, visit and enjoy Shreveport-Bossier, and be a part of a once in a life-time opportunity."

Tickets for the event are limited and can be purchased online at https://shreveportbossiersports.com/ with home plate premium seating tickets available for $30, foul line general admission tickets for $25, outfield general admission for $20 and outfield grass seating for $10. Groups of 10-or-more can purchase discounted outfield general admission tickets for $15 per ticket.