World No. 3 Canada announced a 24-athletes preliminary roster for the 2019 Women’s Softball National Team, highlighted by two-time Olympian Lauren Bay Regula, and Beijing 2008 veterans Danielle Lawrie-Locke, Kaleigh Rafter and Jennifer Salling. Canada aims to clinch one of the two Tokyo 2020 Olympic berths available for the Americas nations at home soil; the continental qualifier is slated to be played in Surrey, British Columbia, from 25 August to 1 September 2019.
Click here to see the full roster.
Canada is one of the main contenders to advance to next year’s Olympic Games for the Americas continent. They have claimed back-to-back bronze medals in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship (2016 and 2018), and will host the WBSC Olympic Softball Qualifier as the top seeded team, since No. 1 USA is already qualified for Tokyo 2020 (as 2018 World Champion). This qualifier will feature up to 16 National Teams, with the top two advancing to the six-team Olympic softball event.
Canada will also compete at the Canada Cup International Softball Championship from 8-14 July also in Surrey, B.C.; and will defend the Gold Medal at the 2019 Pan American Games from August 4-10 in Lima, Peru.
The roster size for the Pan American Games and Olympic Qualifier will be 15 players. Final rosters for each of those teams will be announced at a later date.
