We Interrupt This Hockey Blog...

With running just a few international tournaments over the summer, there's a chance for kids and adults alike to get out of the rink for a few months to do something else. One of the most popular summer activities is softball or baseball depending on which game you prefer, but getting out to a diamond to play, watch, or officiate is often a good way to spend the summer months when rinks are getting ready for another winter of hockey action. Being an umpire myself, I can attest to enjoying the summer on the diamond, but Stonewall, Manitoba will have a chance to host this nation's best in a couple of weeks at the 2022 Women's Invitational Tournament!

I can already hear you saying, "Teebz, this HOCKEY Blog In Canada, not BASEBALL Blog In Canada," and you're correct. But there is a hockey tie-in that we'll get to in a few seconds, so read on to find it!

Nine teams from seven provinces will descend upon Fines Field at Stonewall Quarry Park to play games over three days from July 21-24 in the bustling town of Stonewall. Fines Field, named for the great Gordon Fines, hosted the 1997 and 1998 Blue Jays Cups (now known as the Baseball Canada Cup), the 21U Women's Invitational in both 2017 and 2018, and the 2003 Western Canada Summer Games. It also served as a venue for baseball at the 1999 Pan-American Games where it played host to several games alongside Shaw Park, the Class AA ballpark in Winnipeg. Having been to this park a couple of times, it's a great diamond for playing or watching the game, so these teams should be in good hands in July.

I'm sure for these nine teams that it will be a welcomed sight to be back on the field after the 2020 and 2021 Invitational Tournaments were cancelled as a precaution during the pandemic. Getting back out on the field in an elite tournament for these women, many who played on the Canadian Women's National Baseball Team, will allow them to show their stuff on the mound, in the field, and at the plate as they look to capture the gold medal.

"The calibre of baseball is excellent, and we would love to see fans from across Manitoba come out and enjoy a weekend of exceptional baseball," said Gail Langlais, co-chairperson of the Women's Invitational Championship Committee. Gail's right - Manitobans who love the game should be coming to Stonewall as this is literally the "field of dreams" for these young women assembled from seven provinces. This is where they can wow the Baseball Canada folks and possible find their names on the national team with a good showing. The women will be at their best in late July, so get out and be dazzled by their talents!

Let's go one step further, though, and invite fans from across Canada to cheer on their favorite players and teams. While some won't be able to make it to Stonewall for July 21-24, there's no reason that people shouldn't be watching the stream available from the tournament. If you can make it to Manitoba that weekend, come and cheer the women on, but please tune into the stream to show everyone - Baseball Canada, the tournament organizers, and the teams - that women's baseball is on the radar in the country!

Ok, so you've read this far and are likely wondering where the hockey tie-in is that I promised at the start of this article. I want to preface this by saying that I have not seen any of the rosters for the nine teams who will be coming to Stonewall, but I do know that one team has two pretty impressive hockey players who may be coming if the rosters have remained intact.

Alberta Pandas sniper Madison Willan is the first hockey player who has shone on the baseball diamond as well. Madison will be part of Team Alberta if she visits Stonewall, and her baseball exploits have not gone unnoticed on this blog. She's been a key contributor on the Canadian Women's National Team, and it's likely that, at her age, she has many more years of being simply awesome with a bat and glove.

Another woman who could make a big impact on the diamond for Team Alberta is Mount Royal Cougars netminder Kaitlyn Ross! Ross catches for Team Alberta and the Canadian Women's National Team, and I'm under the impression that her efforts with Team Alberta in Stonewall won't go unnoticed. She calls a fantastic game from behind the plate, and she's not afraid to unleash a laser to pick off players who believe they can steal a base on her. Like Madison, I suspect we'll be hearing a lot about Kaitlyn's success in Stonewall as she looks to come home with hardware.

You may also see Daniella Matteucci roaming the field for Team BC. Ella, as she's better known, is another outstanding ball player for the Canadian National Women's Team, but she was also known for her ability to break up plays and power the Clarkson Golden Knights from the blue line! The 27 year-old has been out of the NCAA since 2015, but she did help the Golden Knights to an NCAA Championship while skating for the team! Keep an eye out for her as Ella's got all the tools to be a star in Stonewall!

Might we see a recent U SPORT National Championship participant on the field for Manitoba? It could happen as recently-graduated defender Katelyn Heppner traded in her skates at Nipissing University where she was captain of the Lakers for a baseball glove as she jumped into the Canadian Women's National Team summer camp! Heppner could be seen on the basepaths as an infielder or on the mound as a right-handed pitcher, but she'll be one of the women Manitoba relies on to compete for gold on their home soil!

The schedule has been posted on the Baseball Canada website if you're looking to head out to a game or come out for the weekend to cheer on the ladies. Ontario and Quebec have a pair of teams at the event while Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia will send one to join the host Manitobans. There are six games per day in the round-robin spread over two fields, so be sure to note on which diamond the team you're following is playing. If you can't get out to Stonewall, though, hit the streaming option and watch from the comfort of your home, office, or where ever you can!

This should also be an interesting time for Baseball Canada as the women's national team will head to Toronto one week after the 2022 Women's Invitational Tournament to play a friendly series against the Americans! Might we see some of the faces who suited up in Stonewall? It's very likely that every player heading to Toronto will have played for their provincial teams at the Invitational Tournament, so come out to the ballpark in Stonewall and see Canada's very best women's baseball players start their preparation to win a gold medal at the 2024 Women's Baseball World Cup!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice and your eyes on the ball!