THUNDER BAY – Team Canada could lose every game it plays next week and not have to worry about its spot in next year’s WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup.
As the host, they’ve automatically claimed a spot in the field.
But that’s not how Canada, the No. 3-ranked team in the world, rolls. No, they want to win their way in at the 2023 qualifying event, which will be played at Baseball Central and Port Arthur Stadium, the top two teams advancing to the 2024 championships.
Allison Schroder, who spends her non-baseball time fighting wildfires in the heart of British Columbia, said there’s a lot to play for this summer, starting with national pride.
“We’re playing on home turf and we want to win every single game this year, and we want to win every single game next year. Having that home crowd with us, for a lot of us veteran players and for a lot of young players being their first World Cup experience, we want to win it at home,” said Schroder, a seven-year veteran of the national team, a right-handed pitcher known to play the occasional stint at third base too.
“Why not bring a gold medal home to Canada while we’re here?”
Catcher Kaitlyn Ross, who doubles as a goaltender for the Mount Royal University women’s hockey team and who hopes to play professionally after graduating, said there’s still plenty of pressure on Team Canada to perform.
Luckily it doesn’t take much for the team to respond.
“We’re still going to play with our hearts on our sleeves. I think it’s important for us to come together as a whole team, to have fun. I think if we’re able to come together as one unit, we’re going to have great success and obviously we’re going to play our hearts out,” said Ross, a native of Redcliff, Alta.
Ross, Schroeder and Madison Willan are among Team Canada returnees who helped Canada capture bronze at the 2018 WBSC Women’s World Cup and three of 12 returnees from last year’s Friendship Series in Thunder Bay that pitted Canada against long-time rivals, the United States, one of six teams in this year’s qualifying round Pool A field.
Six more teams will play in another qualifier in Japan.
Canada also has seven newcomers on the team and will be guided by manager Anthony Pluta, who is using this year’s event as an audition for next year’s roster when the Women’s Baseball World Cup arrives in the city.
Getting off to a good start next week is key, Pluta said.
“We’re going right after Mexico. That’s our first game. We know that all of these teams deserve to be here and we’re going to face some pretty good talent,” Pluta said. “We want to set our best foot forward right out of the gate.”
Pluta said the Canadians can do a lot of things well, which should benefit them in the qualifying event.
“I think the best piece we have is cohesiveness, their ability to work together and work as one and be just one team … and come out and grind and compete.”
Team Canada will take on the Thunder Bay Lakers in exhibition play at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and opens against Mexico on Tuesday at Baseball Central at 7:30 p.m. They’ll also take on Hong Kong, the United States, South Korea and Australia, the final three games played at Port Arthur Stadium.
