According to Geoff Nixon of CBC News, the Women’s Pro Baseball League launched on Saturday with four teams involved. They are all American based as the teams are the Boston Hunters, Los Angeles Queens, New York Heights and San Francisco Firebells. However, there is plenty of Canadian content. The co-owner of the league is Keith Stein of Toronto, Ontario. There are also 17 Canadian players.
The 17 Canadian players are Queens pitcher Sydney Barry of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Hunters outfielder Emily Baxter of Oakville, Ontario, Heights pitcher Sarah Beaulieu of Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, Hunters third baseman Brady Birdsall of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Heights catcher Elodie Ciamarro of Mont-Saint-Hillaire, Quebec, Firebells infielder Ela Day-Bedard of Gatineau, Quebec, Hunters pitcher Maika Dumais of Quebec City, Quebec, Heights outfielder Claire Eccles of Vancouver, British Columbia, Heights pitcher Zoe Falardeau of Welland, Ontario, Firebells pitcher Liz Gilder of Port Moody, British Columbia, Queens pitcher Juliette Kladko of Vancouver, Heights pitcher Jaida Lee of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Hunters pitcher Raine Padgham of Burnaby, British Columbia, Queens pitcher Michelle Roche of Burnaby, British Columbia, Hunters pitcher Alli Schroder of Fruitvale, British Columbia, Heights infielder Madison Willan of Edmonton, Alberta, and Heights outfielder Adelaide Ziebart of Saskatoon.
Schroder was the first female player to play in the Canadian College Baseball Conference as she played for Vancouver Island University. She was the Hunters first round pick (fifth overall) in the WPBL Draft and is the Hunters captain. Eccles was the first female player to play in the West Coast League as she was with the Victoria HarbourCats in 2017. Lee was the first female to play in men’s baseball at the Canada Summer Games as she represented Newfoundland in 2022 when the Canada Summer Games were in Welland. Willan is a multi-sport athlete who recently played women’s hockey with the University of Alberta Pandas.
