Gritty and passionate, the underdog No. 7 ranked Canadians are looking to upset at the Women’s Baseball World Cup this summer.
The heart the women’s national team players perform with is unmatched, said manager Anthony Pluta, and if there are no injuries “we’ll be walking out of there with a medal around our neck at the end of it.”
With the tournament only a few days away, here are five Canadians to watch in Thunder Bay when they take the field against Mexico on July 28.
CF Sena Catterall
Sena Catterall had a busy off-season. The centre fielder was selected to perform in Australia at the Women’s Baseball Showcase in May, and she dominated at the plate with a .556 OBP, six runs and two RBIs.
Defensively, Catterall is one of the best centre fielders Pluta’s ever seen.
“She tracks everything down in the outfield, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ball drop that’s catchable by the above average player,” Pluta said. “And most balls that shouldn’t be caught ever, are getting caught by her.”
Last year was the first year Catterall was a starter for Canada in international play, so she’ll plan to take the confidence from that experience into the tournament.
RHP Alli Schroder
A strong right-hander on the mound, Schroder has established herself as a leader on the team, Pluta said. The busy wildland firefighter and Team Canada vet has been an integral part of their roster for years.
She’s been getting her practice in for the World Cup while deployed firefighting any way she can. Her ball and glove go with her, and she throws against trees to stay loose.
At the World Cup qualifiers last year in Thunder Bay, she had a 2.33 ERA, and is looking to be a strong presence on the mound again this year.
“I’m very excited to be able to represent Canada in Canada, and hopefully do something big in front of a home crowd,” Schroder said.
3B Zoe Hicks
The MVP of the Women’s National Team in 2023, Hicks was key to Canada punching their ticket to the finals at the World Cup qualifiers last summer. The multi-sport athlete, who also plays softball at the highest level for Canada, hit .667 with six runs in nine at-bats in the tournament last year.
The infielder is a force both on the field and in the energy she brings off of it. That energy will be key at the World Cup, Pluta said, and help ground players’ emotions that can become intensified performing on such a large stage.
“It can be overwhelming at times, so when you have a positive energy like that in the dugout, it helps to get rid of some of the negative feelings and thoughts and help bring some positivity back,” Pluta said.
2B Maddie Willan
Willan is a defensive and offensive threat for any of Canada’s opponents, Pluta said. She’s a power hitter and doesn’t make mistakes on defence.
Willan also sharpened her skills in Quebec over the summer, playing in a competitive all-female baseball league called Ligue Canada-Est.
Seventeen of the players at the Women’s National Team selection camp in Ottawa earlier this month were players in that league. Getting extra on-field time together has helped improve their bond and communication, Willan said, an important piece to success.
All the practice has her ready for when the stakes are the highest in Thunder Bay.
“Maddie Willan is on fire right now,” Pluta said. “Having Maddie at second, I don’t know if anything is going to get through.”
SS Mia Valcke
Valcke likes to take risks on the field, and they pay off. She’s always looking for anything she can do to help her team get that critical extra out, she said, and uses her baseball knowledge to her advantage, pulling backdoor picks and making plays that others may not have chanced.
“I like to think that I will excel in those areas, and hopefully can pull out some tricks at the World Cup,” Valcke said, who is also playing alongside Willan in the Ligue Canada-Est in Quebec.
The shortstop took a year off last summer to focus on her masters degree, but despite that, is a standout player heading into the World Cup.
“She’s one of our best players on the field,” Pluta said.
He’s confident if his roster stays healthy, Canada will see success at the tournament. They have more heart, he said, more grind than the majority of players he’s ever coached or watched play.
That passion will take them far, Catterall said, who will be taking the field for Canada on July 28 against Mexico.
“I think people don’t realize how much heart and grit we have on the team and how we can use that to our advantage,” Catterall said.
“We might be young, but we’re really, really talented.”
