07 May 2026
Emeralds Announced! Australia names 2026 Women's Baseball World Cup Roster
Australia’s roster for Pool A the 2026 Women’s World Cup Group Stage has been locked in.
Off the back of the recent Women’s National Championships, manager Jason Pospishil and the High Performance arm of Baseball Australia have named a 20-woman squad for the July tournament.
Australia’s national team, also known as the Emeralds, will compete in Pool A in Rockford, Illinois from July 22-27.
They will face a challenging mix of powerhouses and emerging nations. Australia will take on No. 2 USA, No. 6 Mexico, No. 8 Hong Kong, China, No. 12 Korea, and the winner of a playoff series between Canada and Puerto Rico.
If they finish Top 3 in the Group, they will qualify for the Finals with five other nations in 2027.
The athletes will depart to the USA in advance of the tournament for a five-day training camp where they will practice, adjust to a new times, and play exhibition games. Between now and then, the players will work out with their respective Performance Pathways Programs.
Here’s a little bit more about the roster:
AT A GLANCE
This roster features:
– 13 players with World Cup experience
– 11 returning players from 2023
– An average age of 25.8
– 7 players set to make their Emeralds debut
– 13 pitchers, including 8 who can play multiple positions
– 9 Women’s Professional Baseball Draft Picks
– 3 teenagers: Atkinson, Cornish, Paddison
– 11 players aged 25 or younger
ROSTER CONSTRUCTION
This group is built on versatility.
Head coach Jason Pospishil notes that having players who can play multiple positions is important due to the number of two-way players in the mix.
“We have such a high percentage of quality two-way players, we need as much defensive versatility as possible,” says Pospishil. “One of our foundations is being able to throw two pitches for strikes in any count. There was a big emphasis on pitchers who were able to do that.”
“One of the other pillars is that we are a tournament style baseball-centred team. We picked 20 players who we think fit into this team and give us as many good options as possible for the environment we’re about to play in.”
Pospishil said the lessons from 2023 heavily influenced the roster makeup. Australia finished fourth, barely missing out on qualifying for the Final Stage. They made six errors in two key – and close – losses.
“It would be very naïve of me to not take into consideration the lessons we learned from three years ago,” he says. “That’s played a big part in the ability to be better defensively, throw more strikes, and foster a positive winning culture.”
He also pointed to the impact of the recent Australian Women’s Championships (AWC) on selection decisions.
“The AWC put some players in contention and allowed players to make this team that may not have been as firmly on the radar before,” says Pospishil. “What the AWC showed us is there are parts of each individual game they can work on for the next eight-to-10 weeks. We were studious on looking at players and how their skill sets measure up with the Team Australia foundations.”
Pospishil believes the balance of youth and experience gives the Emeralds a strong foundation heading into the tournament.
“We have a great mix of ages here,” he said. “We have a few young players on this team, three teenagers, and players who have clubhouse leadership in veteran leadership. I think that’s a really good mix.”
“At just under 26, the average age is in the sweet spot,” he adds.
Culture also played a major role in the final selections.
“It’s important we all understand who we are right away,” said Pospishil. “There are players on this team we picked because of their outstanding clubhouse qualities.”
Now, the focus shifts to what the team can do on the field. Australia is looking to medal for the first time since 2014.
“Our expectation is qualify for the World Cup Finals next year,” said Pospishil.
At the same time, he stressed the door remains open for players who missed this roster, especially with the 2027 Finals in mind.
“2027 is an option for players that didn’t make this team,” he said. “We have four players who were on the radar and missed out last World Cup cycle that are now here. So for those that aren’t part of this twenty it doesn’t mean the book is closed on you. When we qualify for 2027, players are going to play AWC and the process continues. The book is not closed on the people that didn’t make this team.”
“I think that’s what the AWC also showed. There is so much talent coming through. I can’t put a line through a player ever. I can’t stress enough how excited I am,” he adds.
THE NEW FACES
The Emeralds feature nine players who were not on the 2023 World Cup squad – a group that fell one place short of advancing to the finals.
They are catcher Jamie Bastian, catcher Chloe Atkinson, 2B / RHP Bronwyn Gell, OF / LHP Molly Paddison, OF Elodie O’Sullivan, UTIL Riordan Bradley, RHP Brittney Baker, RHP Mackenzie Jackson and RHP Jess Johnson.
It’s hard not to be excited with what each brings to the table.
Atkinson is an 18-year-old emerging superstar. She has won back-to-back Golden Bats at the Women’s Nationals (AWC) and is a Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) draft pick.
Molly Paddison, 18, is also a WPBL draft pick and has led Queensland to the finals the last few AWC.
Jamie Bastian put together a huge tournament behind the plate. She led Victorian pitching staff to the best ERA and threw out multiple runners on the base paths. Bastian also missed out narrowly in 2023. With a great ability to control the run game, it’s evident why she cracked the squad this time around.
Rio Bradley missed out narrowly on World Cup selection in 2023. She pieced together a brilliant 2026 National Championship with Queensland and is one of the fastest players on the roster. She can catch, play outfield, run and provides the team with a versatile option with leadership ability.
Bronwyn Gell has already appeared in five World Cups but hasn’t been on a roster since 2016. She’s been one of the most dominant players in Victorian baseball over the last couple of seasons and a leader over the last two decades.
Elodie O’Sullivan was on the 2018 squad but missed out on 2023 selection after not quite being healthy enough after a foot injury. O’Sullivan plays professionally in Japan. More on her below.
Then there’s the pitchers. Brittney Baker and Jess Johnson both make the team shortly after becoming mums for the first time. Johnson is a rookie at 37.
Mackenzie Jackson was arguably the best pitcher at the 2025 Nationals for New South Wales. She tore her labrum and missed nearly all of the recent season. She returned and fired off four shutout innings at the 2026 nationals and made the squad.
THE RETURNEES
11 players are back from 2023 – many of them already young players with more experience.
Claire O’Sullivan has turned into one of the best all-around players in Australia and has even won a national championship in Japan. She was selected in the recent WPBL draft, too.
22-year-old Caitlin Eynon is the reigning Women’s MVP and considered one of the best players in the world. She, like O’Sullivan is a WPBL draft pick.
There are four other WPBL picks: OF Ticara Geldenhuis, INF Leah Cornish, RHP Allie Bebbere and RHP Maddi Erwin. Bebbere was one of the best statistical pitchers in the 2023 tournament, Cornish had an .800 OBP as a 16-year-old, and Geldenhuis went deep fro Australia in 2023.
Maddi Heath returns for her second year behind the plate, with more experience and a national title to her name.
Gen Beacom offers serious power at first base, and has been playing top level softball in the NCAA college system at Oregon State.
Abbey Kelly returns for her fourth World Cup experience. She’s won nearly every award you can at a nationals.
Meaghan Haggart can play multiple positions and will play in her second World Cup. She pitched a huge finals game in a win vs eventual champion Victoria in April.
Lili Cavanagh looks ready to become an international star. The 23-year-old was the 2024 Women’s MVP and will play important positions. She’ll pitch, play centrefield and shortstop.
HEAR FROM A COUPLE EMERALDS
“Calling people and telling them they made the team is just awesome,” says Pospishil. “It’s one of the best parts of the job to tell somebody their dream came true. There were tears. They were fun calls to make.”
One of those calls was the Jess Johnson, a 37-year-old pitcher who was one of the final cuts in 2023.
Since then, she has played a key role in winning two Victorian national championships. Importantly, she became a mum in that time.
“It was pretty emotional,” says Johnson of the phone call. “After not making the previous team, there’s always a bit of anxiety around receiving one of those calls. I don’t think reality has fully sunk in yet and it probably won’t until we’re on the plane.”
“I’ve been working towards this for a few years now. Despite everything the goal never really changed, if anything, it pushed me more. The last year especially, coming back after having my son and putting in the work to get back to this level has been a big part of that.”
“Before it was about me and my goals, but now there’s a bigger why behind it. I get to do this not just for myself and the team but also for my son, which makes it really special.”
Another fun call was to Elodie O’Sullivan.
That’s in direct contrast to the last World Cup cycle. Pospishil says a phone call to her in 2023 was one of the harder conversations. He had to tell O’Sullivan, a 2018 representative, that she wasn’t on the team. Lingering issues from a major foot injury was the headline.
O’Sullivan used the disappointment as motivation. She changed her story.
“Over the last three years I’ve been really proud of the narrative I have written for myself. After the work I put in to return from my injury in 2023 I wanted to find a place to play some games; to capitalise on the good shape I was in and I was hungry to challenge myself.”
“I found myself with opportunities to play in the Japanese domestic competition for Tokai Nexus. Being around a whole new level of passion, enjoyment and high standard of the game reminded me of what I want in a baseball environment and an enhanced understanding of how to get the best out of myself.
“I have an immense amount of gratitude for everyone who has supported me (especially my family and friends and a number of Emerald alumni, baseball WA HP staff, Carine Cats, Eastern Suburbs dolphins, my gym Jump Lift Run and Form and Function Chiro who have ensured I’ve been in top shape, and of course Risa Nakashima and Tokai Nexus).”
There are plenty more stories to come!
But for now, congratulations to the 2026 Emeralds.
Note: The Coaching Staff will be announced next month.
