The players who will don the red-and-white Maple Leaf jersey at next month鈥檚 Canada Cup are expected to be revealed this week.
Softball Canada is expected to announce its final rosters for both its national team and its development team June 30 (Friday), at the conclusion of a selection camp that began June 22 in Mississauga, Ont. and was to wrap up Tuesday.
While players have not yet been allotted to either the national or development teams, a number of Lower Mainland players are taking part in the Ontario selection camp this week, including Delta鈥檚 Jocelyn Cater, Abbotsford鈥檚 Taylor Lundrigan and Maple Ridge鈥檚 Larissa Franklin 鈥 all three are former White Rock Renegades 鈥 as well as Kelsey Jenkins, from Delta, Abbotsford鈥檚 Chelsea Jenner and Callum Pilgrim, Surrrey鈥檚 Grace Messmer, Port Coquitlam鈥檚 Jenn Salling, and Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary grad Holly Speers.
In addition to those two squads, the Canadian national program will also send a to the South Surrey tournament 鈥 an under-19 junior team. The roster for the juniors was announced earlier this month, and three Surrey players 鈥 Messmer, Danielle de Ruiter, and Maria Palmegiani 鈥 as well as 91原创鈥檚 Abbey Fortin, a former Renegade.
All three teams will play in the women鈥檚 division of the Canada Cup, which runs July 7-17. After the Canada Cup, the junior team will head south to the Junior Women鈥檚 World Championship in Clearwater, Fla., slated for the end of July.
One player notably absent from the evaluation camp鈥檚 is veteran national teamer 鈥 and Semiahmoo Peninsula resident 鈥 Sara Groenewegen.
The 22-year-old former Renegade 鈥 who is one of the country鈥檚 top pitchers 鈥 is expected to be unavailable for this year鈥檚 tournament due to her commitments in the U.S.-based National Pro Fastpitch league. Groenewegen recently completed her senior season at the University of Minnesota, after which she joined the professional circuit鈥檚 Akron Racers, who selected her second overall in the draft last spring.
has been a staple at the Softball City-hosted tournament for years 鈥 suiting up for Canada at last year鈥檚 world championships and prior to that, at the Canada Cup鈥檚 predecesssor, the Canadian Open. She has also played in the tournamen鈥檚 U16 and U19 divisions as a member of the Renegades.
鈥淚t鈥檚 looking like she won鈥檛 be here. That鈥檚 not the greatest news for us, but it鈥檚 great for her to be able to play pro ball,鈥 said Canada Cup chairperson Greg Timm. 鈥淪he鈥檚 coming up an incredible season (in the NCAA), and she鈥檚 at the calibre now of Danielle (Lawrie, former Renegade and national team star) at her peak.鈥
Scheduling conflicts between the pro league and softball various governing bodies south of the border are not just keeping Groenewegen from the tournament, but also the defending world champion U.S. national team, as most players on that team play in the professional league.
Timm told Peace Arch News earlier this month that he hoped the issues would be worked out in time for future tournaments.