Verge: Catterall starring offensively and defensively at World Cup
Sena Catterall (Montreal, Que.) has starred offensively and defensively for the Women’s National Team at the Baseball World Cup in Thunder Bay, Ont., and is a big reason the team will play for bronze on Saturday morning. Photo: WBSC
August 2, 2024
By Melissa Verge
Canadian Baseball Network
Everywhere Sena Catterall is placed on the field, she’s a threat.
Thankfully, she hails from Montreal, Que., so with her red and white Canada jersey on, the only thing she is for Canada is a force.
The 22-year-old has speed on the basepaths, dominance at the plate, and fearlessness in centre field, all of which have been on full display at the Women’s Baseball World Cup so far.
Her on-field dominance has helped Canada secure a spot in the bronze medal game Saturday vs. Mexico, in the first World Cup finals of her baseball career. Canada will face Mexico at 11 a.m. E.T. at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay. The last time they faced them Sunday evening, they won 7-2.
An important factor in her success right now is how she’s feeling. She’s in a good headspace right now whenever she takes her place in the batter's box.
“I think I'm just super confident at the moment and just seeing the ball and hitting my pitch and just going with the pitches that I want to swing at and I want to hit,” Catterall said. “And I think I’m getting good contact on those balls because I like hitting those kinds of pitches.”
In the World Cup so far, she is 8-for-14 (.571 batting average), with one double and six stolen bases.
In her position in centre field, she’s also been dominant, taking hits away from the opposition.
Earlier this week, she stole a hit from Japan in a close 7-6 loss in extra innings on a lay out grab in centre field, deserving of the MLB highlight reels.
“Honestly it was just I just really wanted to catch that ball,” Catterall said.
Not much was going through her head on the sprint to the ball, she said. She knew she was capable of grabbing it, and she was relying on her skills to get her to it.
She’s sharpened those skills this summer as a player with the Ligue Canada-Est, a competitive all female baseball league in Quebec. She’s one of many Canadian players in the league. Also joining her is shortstop Mia Valcke (St Marys, Ont.) second baseman Maddie Willan (Edmonton, Alta.) Kaitlyn Ross (Redcliff, Alta.) Sophy Gagné (Sainte-Martine, Que.) Alexane Fournier (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.) and Cassie Matlock (Edmonton, Alta.).
It’s not only built up a camaraderie between players going into this World Cup, but helped hone Catterall’s skills that have been on full display so far.
Heading into their medal matchup tomorrow at 11 a.m. E.T., they just have to continue to play like they have been at the tournament so far, Catterall said.
“I think we just have to keep it rolling,” Catterall said. “We got to just play like we're capable and play to our potential and just play like we can, and I think it will be a really good game and a really fun game to play in.”