Haylie McCleney makes Olympic softball team, Montana Fouts to stay with Crimson Tide this season
Former University of Alabama standout Haylie McCleney was named to the U.S. Olympic Softball Team on Sunday morning.
However, current Crimson Tide pitched Montana Fouts was not.
The sophomore ace was one of eight pitchers invited to try out for the staff that will be headed by Monica Abbott, Ally Carda, Rachel Garcia and Cat Osterman. The entire roster was just 15 players and three replacement s. Former Oklahoma pitcher Keilani Ricketts was named one of the alternates.
The team will play an exhibition schedule in preparation to compete next July in the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Japan
Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said on Friday that if Fouts was named to Team USA the plan was for her to redshirt this season.
McCleney, an all-American outfielder for the Crimson Tide, was on the 2018 WBSC Women's World Championship team that won the Gold medal. She hit .520 (13-for-25) average with two home runs, six RBIs and 14 runs scored.
She is the first Crimson Tide Olympian in the sport since Kelly Kretschman competed as an alternate in the 2000 Olympics before winning gold and silver medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic games, respectively. The 2008 Beijing Games were the last time softball was an Olympic sport.
“We are so proud of Haylie and all her accomplishments on and off the field,” Murphy said in a release. “However, making the U.S. Olympic Team trumps them all. She has worked tirelessly to get to this point and has earned this incredible honor.”
The Tokyo Games are set to begin July 24, 2020 and conclude Aug. 9, 2020, with softball running from July 22-28 at Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium and Yokohama Baseball Stadium.
