Following the successful 2023 Australian Women’s Championship at Melbourne Ballpark, Baseball Australia has unveiled the Emeralds squad that will represent Australia at the next World Cup, with 10 Victorians making the cut.
Congratulations to Jamie Bastian, Genevieve Beacom, Allie Bebbere, Lili Cavanagh, Morgan Doty, Jessica Johnson, Abbey Kelly, Shae Lillywhite, Abbey McLellan, and Maddy Patrick on their selection alongside talented women's baseballers from around the country.
"It's fantastic to see such great representation from Victoria in the 2023 Emeralds World Cup Squad off the back of a strong performance at nationals," BV High Performance Officer Damian Shanahan said. "This will be an amazing opportunity for these dedicated athletes, and we can't wait to support them on their journey as they represent on the world stage. Their success on and off the field will continue to inspire the next generation of women in baseball, too."
Victorian Women's Head Coach Samantha Hamilton has been named to the coaching staff along with manager Jason Pospishil and fellow coaches Chris Oxspring, Lisa Norrie, and Tammy Ong. Ursula Howard will serve as EO.
The squad will begin preparations immediately with Australia one of six teams placed in Group A with Canada, USA, Mexico and two qualifiers coming from the upcoming Asian Women’s Baseball Championship. The Emeralds will battle the competition in Group A action in Thunder Bay, Canada in August 2023.
Group B will take part in Japan in September.
Unlike other years and editions of the World Cup, this competition will take place over two years. The top two teams from each group, plus two wild cards, will advance to the final group stage in August 2024 where the competition will return to Thunder Bay to determine the World Champion.
The 2024 tournament will be the ninth edition of the Women’s Baseball World Cup. Australia has traditionally fared well at the World Cup, finishing in the top 4 on six occasions with their best result being a silver medal in 2010.
Read the full release on baseball.com.au.