Australia names Women’s National Team for 2012 Season

by Trish Quayle, Australian Baseball Federation

This team is filled with experience, rookies and firsts.

For four players this will be their fifth World Cup, having first competed at the inaugural ten years ago which was also hosted by Canada.  Congratulations to Katie Gaynor, Shae Lillywhite, Sam Hamilton and Amy McCann on this monumental achievement.

Proving that age is no barrier, Maddison Lennard is the youngest on the team at fifteen and Sam Hamilton the oldest at thirty-eight.

A family affair for the Gaynor’s, with veteran Katie Gaynor sharing the roster with her rookie niece Stefanie.

For the first time in many years that are two players from Queensland in the team, Taylah Welch and Amanda Torrington; showing that female player development is taking off around the country.

Five rookies will take to the diamond for Australia this year, congratulations to Maddison Lennard, Stefanie Gaynor, Amanda Torrington, Brittany Hepburn and Erin Collins on your National Team selection.

Head Coach John Gaynor said that the team is looking fit, strong and faster than they have at stage of preparation in previous years.

“We still know we have a lot of hard work to repeat or go one better than our silver medal in 2010.  Some of the senior members of the squad have made massive adjustments to their training regime and their play is already reaping the rewards”.

“This has also inspired the younger players to step up to the level needed.  The standard and level of baseball has increased in the team due to the senior player’s commitment to the 2012 World Cup” said Gaynor.

The 2012 IBAF Women’s World Cup will be held in Edmonton Canada from 10 to 19 August.

Further information on the Australian Teams campaign will be released in the lead up to the World Cup.