*This article was originally published on Saskatchewan Dugout Stories on September 4. You can read it here.

September 6, 2024

By Joe McFarland

Saskatchewan Dugout Stories

Saskatchewan is quickly asserting itself as a powerhouse on the girls and women’s national baseball stage.

Headlined by a silver medal in the 21U Women’s Championships in Summerside, Prince Edward Island this summer, all four of the province’s programs played for national medals for the first time ever.

With the 14U, 16U and Women’s Open teams claiming fourth place in each of their tournaments, it marked the best summer ever for the program.

“We often get underestimated and labeled as the underdog by our opponents,” said Saskatoon’s Braidy Birdsall.

“However, our ability to pull through as a team has put Saskatchewan’s name up top which is crucial to the development of female baseball in our province.”

The 18-year-old was among three players named tournament all-stars at the 21U National Championships, and figures to be a key piece for what looks to be a bright future for the team.

PICKING EACH OTHER UP

Saskatchewan’s silver medal finish in this year’s 21U tournament marks the province’s best performance in any national event to date.

After finishing third in 2022 and fifth in 2023, the team was determined to get back on the podium when they headed to the East Coast for the Aug. 8-11 championships.

They ran the table in the round-robin, going 3-0 before beating Quebec 8-2 in the semi-final and falling 8-5 to British Columbia in the gold medal game.

“I’m so proud of how our team stayed strong in the gold medal final,” said pitcher/outfielder Addie Ziebart, who was also named a tournament all-star.

“B.C. is a powerhouse team with lots of talent and our team persevered throughout the entire game, giving every bit we could and eventually falling just short of a gold.”

Pitcher Amy Johnson, who has played on the Women’s National Team, was also impressed with the team’s resilience.

“I think we played really well as a team – everyone knew that if they made a mistake, the rest of us were there to pick them up,” said Johnson, who was also named a tournament all-star. “If someone struck out, the next girl would go and get a hit.”

She says the team’s ability to get hits and runs with two outs proved to be a big confidence builder throughout the tournament and beyond.

OPEN FOR MORE

Birdsall, Ziebart and Johnson were among several players from the 21U team who packed their bags for Quebec City, Quebec the following weekend to play in the Women’s Open Nationals.

After going 3-1 in the round-robin, Saskatchewan edged Ontario 9-8 in the quarterfinals and lost 16-10 to B.C. in the semis before being shutout 12-0 by the hosts in the bronze medal game.

Despite not getting their second medal of the summer, it was still a tournament the team won’t soon forget.

“It meant a lot to me to be able to represent Saskatchewan on a national level,” said Ziebart.

“Being able to showcase my skills at such a high-level tournament really is an honour to be a part of and I’m so thankful I got to represent my community and my family.”

Johnson says Saskatchewan is respected as a team with strong sportsmanship, which makes her proud to wear the colours of her home province.

“Lots of us girls have never played together before, so it was exciting to see us work together so well,” said the 21-year-old Johnson, who was also named a tournament all-star.

“With having so many young players, it makes me excited to see what the program will accomplish in the future.”

INSPIRING THE FUTURE

If the performance of the 16U team is any indication, baseball fans will have to get used to Saskatchewan making strong medal-round pushes.

After going 3-1 during the round-robin in Saskatoon, the team fell 3-0 to Quebec in the semi-final then 12-2 to Ontario in the bronze medal game.

It’s also the second time the province finished fourth in the 16U championship, repeating the feat from 2022.

Meantime, the 14U girls team also finished fourth in the Western National championships.

Birdsall says determination has become a staple of Saskatchewan’s game, with players and coaches alike putting in extraordinary efforts year-round in hopes of building the program’s success.

“Our coaches have put in numerous hours of effort, including in their spare time, to make sure we have access to all of the resources we need to excel as players,” she said. “They also helped us build skills which allowed us to attain little wins individually, which led to huge wins as a team.”

All three see this summer’s success as a way to inspire more girls to play the game, with Birdsall adding it’s a great opportunity to represent the values and skills of Saskatchewan.

It particularly hit home for her when she saw the bat girls during each of the tournaments.

“It makes me so proud as I can be a positive influence on young and upcoming female baseball players,” Birdsall said. “We hope we are inspiring girls to continue to play and grow female baseball across Canada.”

The 2025 Girls 16U nationals are set for St. John’s, Newfoundland while the Women’s Open nationals will go in Quebec City. A host for the 21U nationals has yet to be named.