SIX UST Tiger Softbelles will don the Philippine colors as the national team makes its long-awaited debut in the 2026 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage from August 13 to 17 in Tainan, Chinese Taipei.
The six Thomasians selected to the national squad are Ma. Christine Bautista, Angel Kaye Bedaño, Helga Campos, Mharnie Dela Cruz, Erika Fernandez and Shyla Mae Celis, a team insider told The Flame.
Ranked No. 21 in the world, the Philippines earned a wildcard entry after missing its first-ever World Cup appearance in 2020, when the tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Filipinas will face powerhouse nations World no. 1 Japan, no. 5 Venezuela, no. 6 Chinese Taipei, no. 7 Cuba, and no. 15 Great Britain.
The top three teams of the group will qualify for the 2027 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Final Stage, scheduled from July 19 to 25, 2027 in Rockford, Illinois, USA.
Among the six Tiger Softbelles, Bautista, Campos, Dela Cruz and Fernandez will bring international experience from the 2025 BFA Women’s Baseball Asian Cup, where the Philippines finished fifth.
The España standouts will carry the momentum of a UST softball program that has secured four consecutive UAAP bronze-medal finishes over the last four seasons. F
