Ali Schroeder (Fruitvale, BC) is a veteran presence with Canada in the Women’s World Cup starting Tuesday against Mexico in Thunder Bay.

August 6, 2023

Pre Women’s World Cup

By Melissa Verge

Canadian Baseball Network

Go after the opposition. Win. Repeat.

That’s the mindset they need to have going into Game 1 of the World Cup Tuesday at Thunder Bay, according to Women’s National Team right-hander Alli Schroder.

Canada is in a talented pool of teams, first playing Mexico and then taking the field against Hong Kong-China, USA, Korea and Australia.

None can be taken lightly, Schroder said.

“We’re going to go right after Mexico and we want to stop them,” Schroder said. “And then we want to continue and roll over every team as well, there’s no team we can take easy here.”

With an impressive looking pool, in order to be successful they need to maintain that intensity throughout the tournament, she said.

Schroder, 21, is an important veteran presence on a roster that features a lot of young talent. She made her first appearance with the team as a 15-year-old, and is now helping out the younger and more inexperienced members of the team leading up to the World Cup.

It’s being held on home soil in Thunder Bay, beginning Tuesday and played through the 13th, with a roster that includes 13 returning players, and seven new players.

From on the field during practice to off the field, both the returning players and new faces have been connecting well so far, said manager Anthony Pluta.

“It doesn’t matter whether their first language is French or English, everyone is hanging out together and spending time together and playing games and enjoying being a part of the group,” Pluta said.

Their pitching rotation and bullpen are both big strengths for them this year, he said. Raine Padgham (Abbotsford, BC), 18, is slated to get the start Tuesday against Mexico. She made her debut with the Women’s National Team last year, and is no stranger to high pressure situations like the one that will be faced in this international competition.

Padgham was the youngest player asked to join the Canadian Prospects Team in Okotoks, Alberta at age 13 and was invited by MLB to a Florida camp last year. This fall she’ll be attending Thomson Rivers University on a scholarship where she’ll pitch for the school team.

Also joining the team as a pitcher is a new face - a tall, right hander — Jaida Lee (St. John's, Newfoundland). The 17-year-old made history at the 2022 Summer Games becoming the first female to pitch in men’s competition. “She’s mature beyond her years,” Pluta said, and will be an asset on their team this year.

“Having young, talented athletes is always a great thing,” he said. “Jaida brings that excitement of being able to throw hard and have some good pitches and experience pitching against the boys teams.”

Despite the large age gaps between some of the players on the team, and physical distance apart for most of the year, they’re all connecting over their shared love for baseball. That off-the-field chemistry is going to be an important piece in their on-field success at this tournament, Lee said.

“I think that will be way better because the more you chat off the field the more you’ll know how to pick each other up and how to like help each other when you’re down,” Lee said. “Because there’s some people, that don’t want to be talked to when they did bad, there’s some people that need a little extra pickup, so I think talking more off the field helps you know each other better.”

The team has been together for a while now, traveling to Halifax for the Women’s National championship earlier this month.

Although Schroder (Fruitvale, BC) joined the team a bit late, coming off the fire line in her high pressure job as a B.C. wildfire service crew member, the veteran is here now, with good advice for her teammates.

Play hard.

“I think that our mindset is just going to be going right into it with a super high intensity, and then keeping that intensity throughout the entire tournament,” Schroder said.

Games will be live streamed on the World Baseball and Softball Confederation website.