Monday, 16 April 2012
The Doncaster Baseball Club will make up one fifth of the Australian team following the selection of Samantha Hamilton, Amy McCann, Bronwyn Gell and Erin Collins to 2012 Australian women's baseball team which will contest the IBAF Women's World Cup V in Edmonton, Canada, in August.
The quartet was selected following their performances at the recent 2012 Australian Women's Baseball Championships in Canberra and national squad training camps held over the past twelve months.
The 20-member team features five Victorians, three West Australians, two Queenslanders, one Country NSW and nine from New South Wales. Thirteen players from the 2010 World Cup silver medal winning side return, with six rookies also selected.
The selection of Hamilton, 39, and McCann, 33, makes the pair just two of only four Australian players to have contested all five IBAF World Cups since the inaugural championships was held in Canada in 2004. Victoria's Shae Lillywhite and New South Wales' Katie Gaynor are the other two players.
Like all previous World Cups, Hamilton will perform a dual role as she is likely to line up in the outfield and first base, with McCann once again slated for centrefield.
Gell, 18, who at just seventeen years of age wowed the opposition at the 2010 World Cup, will feature at shortstop, with thirdbaseman-turned-pitcher Collins, 26, to make her debut in the green and gold from the mound.
After taking a couple of weeks off to recover from their summer season and Nationals campaign, the four Doncaster players will spend the next four months preparing through weekly training sessions, playing in respective men's competitions and also continuing their rigourous national team fitness program.
Despite already owning an international baseball resume that most would dream of, veteran Hamilton might be the oldest on the team, but the thirty-nine-year-old will be taking nothing for granted as she continues to prove age is no barrier to success.
"It isn't a right to wear the green and gold, it is a privilege," explained Hamilton, "Each and every time I get to wear Australia across my chest is the proudest moment of my life and I will be be working harder than ever before to make sure that I can give one hundred percent every time I step out onto the field in Canada.
Australia is aiming to go one better than their amazing silver medal performance at the 2010 World Cup in Venezuela, with Head Coach John Gaynor believing the team is looking fitter, stronger and faster than they have at stage of preparation in previous years.
“We still know we have a lot of hard work to repeat or go one better than our silver medal in 2010," Gaynor said. "Some of the senior members of the squad have made massive adjustments to their training regime and their play is already reaping the rewards.
“This has also inspired the younger players to step up to the level needed, and as a result, the standard and level of baseball has increased in the team due to the senior player’s commitment to the 2012 World Cup,” added Gaynor.
The 2012 IBAF Women’s World Cup will be held in Edmonton Canada from 10 to 19 August.
2012 Australian Women's Team
|
Name
|
State
|
Position
|
Throws
|
Bats
|
|
Barclay Jacinda
|
WA
|
Pitcher
|
R
|
R
|
|
Collins Erin
|
VIC
|
Pitcher
|
R
|
R
|
|
Crosby Rebecca
|
WA
|
Pitcher
|
R
|
R
|
|
Gaynor Katie
|
NSW
|
1st Base
|
R
|
R
|
|
Gaynor Stephanie
|
NSW
|
Pitcher
|
R
|
R
|
|
Gell Bronwyn
|
VIC
|
Infield
|
R
|
R
|
|
Hamilton Sam
|
VIC
|
OF/1B
|
L
|
R
|
|
Hepburn Brittany
|
NSW
|
Pitcher
|
R
|
R
|
|
Kreppold Christina
|
WA
|
Utility
|
R
|
L
|
|
Latimer Mindy
|
NSWC
|
Pitcher
|
L
|
L
|
|
Lenard Maddison
|
NSW
|
Pitcher/Inf
|
R
|
R
|
|
Lillywhite Shae
|
VIC
|
Infield
|
R
|
R
|
|
Lovering Tahnee
|
NSW
|
Catcher
|
R
|
R
|
|
McCann Amy
|
VIC
|
Outfield
|
R
|
R
|
|
McDonald Tahlia
|
NSW
|
Outfield
|
R
|
R
|
|
McGrath Lauren
|
NSW
|
Pitcher
|
R
|
R
|
|
McMillan Kim
|
NSW
|
Inf/Pitcher
|
R
|
R
|
|
Neads Laura
|
NSW
|
Pitcher
|
R
|
R
|
|
Torrington Amanda
|
QLD
|
Catcher
|
R
|
R
|
|
Welch Taylah
|
QLD
|
Pitcher
|
R
|
R
|
|
