Emma Entzminger bided her time. As the youngest member of the Canadian 2016 world championship bronze-medallist women鈥檚 team, the 20-year-old didn鈥檛 get into game action at Softball City in Surrey.
But her moment will come and there鈥檚 one city across the Pacific that is looming large in her future. The 2018 world championships are in Tokyo, followed likely by female softball鈥檚 return to the Summer Olympics at Tokyo 2020.
鈥淚鈥檓 waiting for that [IOC] vote [to be taken next week prior to the Rio Olympics opening] . . . I have a good feeling about it,鈥� said the graduate of the Victoria Devils and Lambrick Park Secondary academy.
It鈥檚 nearly a foregone conclusion the IOC will vote to allow women鈥檚 softball and men鈥檚 baseball back in the Summer Games for 2020 because the Japanese hosts want them in.
鈥淚 was part of the national team tour of Japan [earlier this year] and there were 30,000 fans in the Tokyo Dome when Japan played the U.S,鈥� added Entzminger. 鈥淚t鈥檚 huge there.鈥�
Which is good for a young player such as Entzminger, who is heading into her junior NCAA season at San Jose State.
鈥淚f softball gets back into the Olympics, that will mean more funding for things such as a development team,鈥� noted Entzminger.
Meanwhile, she listened and learned over the past 10 days at the 2016 worlds in Surrey, as she was thrown into the mix with Canadian national team players who were in their late 20s and some in their 30s.
鈥淚t was an awesome experience,鈥� Entzminger said.
鈥淵ou could see how much knowledge the veteran players have, and how much love and passion they have for the sport, and how they carry themselves.鈥�
The U.S. defeated Japan 7-3 in the world final Sunday before more than 4,500 fans at Softball City. The U.S. defeated sa国际传媒 11-1 earlier in the day as the Canadians settled for bronze.
The Canadian women鈥檚 team is coached by Mark Smith and assistant coach Rob Guenter, both former pitching legends with the men鈥檚 national team and with past national-powerhouse Victoria Senior A clubs.
鈥淭hey are both great coaches and I learned so much from them,鈥� said Entzminger.
They must know by now Entzminger will be soaking it all in on the road to Tokyo 2020. The Islander hit .300 with a team-leading on-base percentage of .500 in leading sa国际传媒 to fourth place at the 2015 world junior women鈥檚 softball championships in Oklahoma City.
Entzminger鈥檚 NCAA career at San Jose State has also been stellar. The kinesiology major and third baseman started in 42 of 50 games for the Spartans this past season as a sophomore, hitting .324 with three doubles and 21 RBIs.
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