March 1, 2019

By Adam Morissette

Baseball Canada

OTTAWA - Women’s National Team athletes Liz Gilder (Port Moody, BC) and Alli Schroder (Fruitvale, BC) were among eight Canadians announced by Major League Baseball to attend ‘MLB Grit’, an inaugural high school invitational designed specifically for girls who play baseball.

The event - run jointly between MLB and USA Baseball - will take place from March 8-10 with games scheduled for the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy in Dallas and Globe Life Park in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers and feature 60 female athletes, ages 18 and under, from across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

In addition to the on-field action, participants will be treated to special panel presentations designed to prepare the young women for the collegiate recruiting process and offer information about alternative careers within baseball. 'MLB Grit' joins the 'Trailblazer Series' and the 'Girls Baseball Breakthrough Series' as MLB and USA Baseball-operated events designed to support and provide exposure for girls playing baseball. Women’s National Team General Manger André Lachance will also attend the event and sees it as a great opportunity for the eight Canadian athletes.

“MLB GRIT is a great initiative that will benefit these athletes as they continue their baseball careers,” he said. “Anytime you can get young athletes together and expose them to a new level of competition in a professional environment, and with the resources of Major League Baseball, it can only be a positive experience for them and female baseball.”

MLB GRIT Canadian participants:

• Allison Schroder, RHP (Fruitvale, BC)

• Sena Catterall, OF (Montréal, QC)

• Liz Gilder, LHP (Port Moody, BC)

• Alexane Fournier, RHP (St. Jean sur Richelieu, QC)

• Sophy Gagné, SS (St. Martine, QC)

• Caitlin Tomotsugu (Vaughan, ON)

• Ellie MacAulay (Sydney, NS)

• Marika Lyszczyk (Delta, BC)