Baseball Canada honours best from women’s baseball
Photo Credit: Baseball Canada
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
OTTAWA - An unforgettable evening featuring the past, present and future of women’s baseball took place at the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel over the weekend with proceeds from the event benefiting the Women’s National Team program.
Original All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Maybelle Blair and Shirley Burkovich thrilled those in attendance with stories from their baseball experiences to highlight the event that was co-hosted by award-winning baseball writer Alexis Brudnicki and Baseball Québec Vice President Julie Gosselin.
Baseball Canada also honoured the accomplishments of dedicated female baseball volunteer Holly LaPierre with the first-ever Female Baseball Builder Award. The Hammond Plains, Nova Scotia native has spent nearly two decades growing and promoting female baseball at the local, provincial and national levels.
Several members of Canada’s 2018 Women’s Baseball World Cup bronze-medal-winning squad were in attendance and received awards for the efforts and contributions to the program.
Allison Schroder of Fruitvale, BC took home the Women’s National Team Futures Award, presented by Canadian Girls Baseball for her tremendous performance at the Women’s Baseball World Cup in August. The 16-year-old allowed just one earned run and struck out three batters over 4 1/3 innings of work to earn the win over Team USA in the bronze medal game.
Daphnée Gélinas of Repentigny, QC was given the Women’s National Team MVP Award, presented by Rawlings Canada for her efforts in helping Canada to a bronze medal win. Gélinas belted a three-run homer in the decisive win over the United States and also broke a tie in extra-innings with an RBI single that put Canada in the lead for good.
Longtime Women’s National Team members Kate Psota and Ashley Stephenson were honoured with Special Recognition Awards, presented by Rawlings Canada for their years of service to the program. Psota and Stephenson are two of three athletes in the world to have competed in all eight Women’s Baseball World Cup events. The have helped Canada the two silver medals and three bronze medals in world cup play while also winning a silver medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games.
Cornwall’s Jenna Flannigan was given the inaugural Ashley Stephenson Award, presented by GM Event Inc. for her consistent play at the world cup. She led Canada in plate appearance and hit .321 including a clutch, two-out double in a win over Australia in the Opening Round.