Shushkewich: Catterall savours Women's National Team MVP Award

Sena Catterall (Pierrefonds, Que.) was named the 2024 Women’s National Team MVP. Photo: Baseball Canada

January 23, 2025

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

Sena Catterall is no stranger to the bright lights and pressures that come with playing competitive sports at a high level.

A two-sport athlete, Catterall (Pierrefonds, Que.) thrives in the big moments, and it’s one of the reasons that Baseball Canada deemed her the Women’s National Team MVP for 2024.

Catterall was unable to attend the Baseball Canada banquet earlier this month at the Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel due to prior commitments but she was honoured to be named this year’s MVP.

“It’s always such an privilege to be recognized by Baseball Canada for your accomplishments both on and off the field,” said Catterall, speaking to the Canadian Baseball Network. “I have trained and worked so hard to get to the top level of women’s baseball and to be presented with the MVP award is such a great feeling. It’s unfortunate I wasn’t able to be there (at the banquet) to accept it but I am just so honoured to be taking home this award.”

With the Women’s Baseball World Cup in Thunder Bay, Ont., this year, Catterall and her teammates got to play in front of a home crowd once again. The majority of the team had competed in Thunder Bay the year before during the Group A stage of the World Cup.

However, this was her first time representing Canada at the World Cup tournament where hardware was on the line. The COVID pandemic cancelled the last tournament, which was slated for 2020, and would have likely been Catterall’s first chance at a title, since she has been suiting up with the Women’s National Team since 2019.

“It’s always great to play in front of a home crowd,” said Catterall. “We had such a great turnout for all of our games and for me personally, having my family in the stands was a great feeling. My grandparents, aunt, uncle, parents, sisters, and a lot of my friends cheering us on, there is no better feeling than to have their support when the stakes are high.”

Catterall was a go-to option for manager Anthony Pluta at the top of the lineup through the tournament. The Quebec product started in every one of the team’s six games and was either slotted in at the leadoff spot or in the two-hole due to her contact ability and her quick speed on the base paths.

Across all six contests, Catterall posted a .500/.625/.556 slash line with nine hits, one double, and one RBI. Catterall wasn’t afraid to stand her ground in the left-side of the batter’s box as well, getting hit by four pitches at the plate while also generating two walks.

She tied Mia Valcke (St. Marys, Ont.) for the most hits on the team and her .500 average and .625 OBP led the squad, along with her 1.181 OPS. She led all players in the World Cup in stolen bases (six) and runs scored (10).

“Every game I just went out there trying my best to help our team win,” said Catterall. “While this was my first real World Cup tournament, we had played in Thunder Bay before and had faced some top teams last year (2023) and we knew what we were getting into. We knew Japan was going to be a tough task, same with the United States. But this was a talented group of women and I was confident that our team could go far.”

Canada went 3-2 in the opening round of play, capped off by an exciting finish to that potion of the tournament by going into extra innings against Chinese Taipei. Catterall came up to bat to start the extra eighth inning, with runners on first and second per the tiebreak rules. A sac bunt by her moved the runners to second and third base and Valcke was able to bring in the run shortly after, giving Canada the lead.

Catterall and her teammates would emerge victorious, holding Chinese Taipei off the scoreboard in the bottom half of the eighth to win 9-8 and set themselves up for a bronze medal clash with Mexico.

Hitting in the leadoff spot, Catterall collected one hit in the contest – a single to left centre in the bottom of the third inning - and scored as a runner, helping her team edge Mexico to secure the hardware. She also made an excellent diving catch in centre field in the second inning, helping put the first out on the board and put the momentum back in Canada’s favour after Mexico led off the inning with a solo home run.

“After Mexico got the early lead, I just wanted that next ball to be hit to me so badly,” explained Catterall. “I always want the ball hit to me. I live for those moments. To make that catch and have things swing back our way I think helped but overall, it was a complete team effort from start to finish. Everybody had a job to do, and we executed as a team.”

Outfielder Sena Catterall (Pierrefonds, Que.) led all players at last year’s Women’s World Cup in stolen bases and runs. Photo: Baseball Canada

She capped off the tournament with being named to the All-World Team alongside Canadian teammates Valcke and Elizabeth Glider (Port Moody, B.C.).

Catterall was also named the defensive player of the tournament, led by a highlight reel diving grab during the opening game against Japan that ranked at No. 5 on the WBSC’s top 10 plays of the year.

“Winning the bronze medal will be the biggest highlight of the tournament for me but that diving grab against Japan was such a thrill as well,” said Catterall. “To make that stop against a team that has just dominated on the women’s baseball circuit for so long, it was just awesome.”

Outside of her time with the Women’s National Team, Catterall is a student at Clarkson University and is a forward on the D1 women’s hockey team. A junior for the Golden Knights, Catterall has earned many accolades on the ice as well – the Golden Knights Rookie of the Year (2023), ECAC All Academic (2023 and 2024), and AHCA/Krampade Academic All-American.

Through 26 games this season, Catterall has 11 goals - including two game-winners - and 15 assists. She sits third on the team in goals and fourth in overall points with a +22 +/- rating.

The reason she was unable to make the Baseball Canada banquet to accept her award was because the Golden Knights were on the road, playing Union College down in Schenectady, N.Y. She made the stat sheet that night, adding a third period goal to help her team win 4-0.

“I think playing hockey has really helped on the physical side of my game, just because of the work ethic and demands that come with playing such a high-pace sport,” said Catterall. “I have always loved playing both sports and to be able to take some of the things I learn from one and apply it to another, whether that is from a mental aspect or based in my routine away from the rink or diamond, I think has helped me become a more-rounded person and player in both aspects.”

Looking ahead, Catterall is as gifted on the field and the rink as she is in the classroom, with the Quebec product currently enrolled in chemical engineering at Clarkson University (which, combined with the multiple academic honours, speaks for itself).

With the Ashley Stephenson Award already on her mantle from 2023, awarded to the Women’s National Team member for their on field accomplishments and leadership, Catterall continues to keep carving out a leadership role on the team and should play a big part in the next Women’s Baseball World Cup tournament, slated to begin in 2026 (barring the Continental Qualifiers being held this year instead of next year).