On July 1, Chelsea Strandlund and Emma Entzminger will be wearing the Maple Leaf for opening day of the 2013 International Softball Federation Junior Women鈥檚 World Championship, being held July 1-7 in Brampton, Ont. After a tense night of waiting, the two young women got word on Monday they had made the cut, and were named to the 17-player Team sa国际传媒 roster.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 quite hit me yet,鈥� said 17-year-old Entzminger, one of the youngest players on the team to survive the whirlwind of tryout camps and cuts. 鈥淚t鈥檚 playing for your country. That鈥檚 very exciting.鈥�
Players were identified locally, then went through two cuts at either a Western or Ontario regional camp, before the final round in Brampton. Strandlund, one of a family clan of ball players in Victoria, said the evaluations were based mainly on fitness testing and intra-squad games.
Just coming off her freshman season on a softball scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Strandlund, who鈥檚 celebrating her 19th birthday this week, noted several of the hopefuls at camp were experienced NCAA Division 1 players.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e stronger and smarter,鈥� Strandlund said about the college level of play. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good calibre ball.鈥�
The calibre will definitely be top-notch next week, when teams from 16 countries converge on Brampton. sa国际传媒 is playing in a pool with Venezuela, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Korea, Puerto Rico, United States and New Zealand. First up for the Canadians on Monday will be Venezuela, at 8:30 a.m. PDT, followed by Great Britain at 11 a.m.
Victoria pitching legend Rob Guenter, enjoying his first official gig as a national team assistant coach, said the key to medalling in the championship 鈥� which has the U.S. and Japan as favourites 鈥� will be hitting the speed and movement of international pitching. After tossing them plenty of practice balls, he鈥檚 confident Strandlund and Entzminger are up for the task.
鈥淚n camp, they were able to hit better pitching and handle the speed,鈥� Guenter said. 鈥淭hey solidly made the team.鈥�
Both young women 鈥� Entzminger is just finishing Grade 11 鈥� honed their skills through the Lambrick Park Secondary Diamond for Excellence Baseball Academy, and the Victoria Devils Softball Club. Neither Guenter nor Lambrick Park athletic director Rock Vitale could recall any other Victoria players ever making the junior national team.
鈥淭heir athletic ability is unbelievable,鈥� Vitale said of the pair, who are both five-sport athletes in softball, basketball, volleyball, soccer and tennis. Strandlund was offered scholarships in both basketball and volleyball, and colleges are scouting Entzminger, whose seven goals at this year鈥檚 double-A high school provincial soccer championship earned her the Golden Boot Award. 鈥淣ow, their skill level is starting to match their athletic ability.
鈥淭hey dominate their sport.鈥�
In the field, Strandlund expects to play second base and possibly outfielder. Offensively, she had a good camp at the plate, Guenter said, despite adapting to the confusing signals of coaches preparing to out-fox their opponents.
鈥淎ll of us have been studying together trying to figure it out,鈥� Strandlund said.
For Entzminger, who was 鈥渟wapped鈥� from her normal positions of shortstop and catcher to third base, the best chance to earn playing time will also be with the bat.
鈥淚f I鈥檓 hitting, they鈥檒l usually find a spot for me,鈥� Entzminger said. 鈥淚f you hit, you鈥檒l play.鈥�
Despite the pressure of tryouts, and now the championship, the coaches at camp have stressed the need to shake off mistakes and play on. If Entzminger and Strandlund can do that wearing red and white next week, their future on the junior and senior women鈥檚 national stage looks bright.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e looking at the big picture,鈥� Entzminger said. 鈥淭hey said, 鈥楪et out there and show what you鈥檝e got.鈥� 鈥�
