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Ernst Only New Face on Congressional Softball Game Roster

Check out the members and media rosters ahead of the June 20 game

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi pose with the members team before the 2017 Congressional Women’s Softball game. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi pose with the members team before the 2017 Congressional Women’s Softball game. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

The rosters for the 10th annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game on June 20 are out and include one new face on the members team: Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa.

The members team will battle it out against the women of the Washington press corps, known as the Bad News Babes, who are the reigning champs after winning, 2-1, last year.

“I couldn’t say no to my good friend Kirsten Gillibrand when she asked me to be a part of this year’s congressional women’s softball team,” Ernst said in a statement. “It has truly been a joy to join these women in practicing and prepping for the big game, and I want to thank all of my teammates for being so welcoming. It’s going to be a great game and I’m looking forward to taking home the title!”

The game raises money for the Young Survival Coalition, which supports young women with breast cancer. It began in 2009 when Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz revealed she had beaten back breast cancer. Since then, the game has raised more than $900,000 for the coalition.

“We are thrilled about this year’s rosters, and we’re so proud to once again come together in a bipartisan way to beat cancer,” CWSG president and treasurer Atalie Ebersole said. “The game is an important opportunity for women leaders to raise money for an important cause that is close to all of our hearts.”

[Practice Begins for 10th Annual Women’s Congressional Softball Game]

The members team captains are Schultz, Gillibrand, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Rep. Martha Roby of Alabama and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, who is playing her last game this year after announcing her retirement from Congress at the end of this term.

Other lawmakers who may not be returning next year are Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, who is running for governor, and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who is running for the Senate.

The media team captains are Emmarie Huetteman of Kaiser Health News and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report. The team also includes Roll Call politics reporter Bridget Bowman.

[New Faces on the Field for Congressional Baseball Game]

The game is at Watkins Recreation Center (420 12th St. SE) at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $10.

Here are the full rosters:

Members team

Coaches

  • Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Colorado
  • Tori Barnes
  • Natalie Buchanan Joyce
  • Jim Kiley

Media team

  • Jennifer Bendery, HuffPost
  • Bridget Bowman, Roll Call
  • Leigh Ann Caldwell, NBC News
  • Lisa Desjardins, PBS NewsHour
  • Elise Foley, HuffPost
  • Emily Goodin, DailyMail.com
  • Erica R. Hendry, PBS NewsHour
  • Emmarie Huetteman, Kaiser Health News
  • Kasie Hunt, NBC News
  • Pamela Kirkland, PBS NewsHour
  • Abby Livingston, The Texas Tribune
  • Leigh Munsil, CNN
  • Alicia Parlapiano, The New York Times
  • Julie Percha, PBS NewsHour
  • Lynn Sweet, The Chicago Sun-Times
  • Shawna Thomas, Vice News
  • Amy Walter, The Cook Political Report
  • Sarah D. Wire, The Los Angeles Times

Captains emeritus

  • Dana Bash, CNN
  • Mikayla Bouchard, The New York Times
  • Carrie Budoff Brown, Politico
  • Brianna Keilar, CNN

Coaches

  • David Espo, Associated Press (retired)
  • Frank Thorp, NBC News
  • Carl Hulse, The New York Times

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