World No. 5 Canada completed their preparation for the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2024, which will take place in Castions di Strada, Italy from July 15-20, by participating in the PC Colorado event and the Canada Cup. In both cases the TC Colorado Team proved the strongest opponent.
"The P5 event was a great first event and it was awesome to play the TC Colorado team," commented head coach Kaleigh Rafter. "The Canada Cup has also been a good tournament for us."
Canada defeated TC Colorado in the final, 7-0, to win gold at the Canada Cup.
Rafter, 38, was Canada's starting catcher at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She led Canada to second place in the Women's Softball World Cup Group C last year, and her 2024 roster will have 12 of those players returning, including Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists Larissa Franklin, Sarah Groenewegen, Kelsey Harshmann, Janet Leung, Erika Polidori and Natalie Wideman.
Pitcher Katie Korstrom, infielder Jana Want, CC Wong and catcher Madelyn McKinnon will make their World Cup debut. Want helped Canada finish second at the U-18 Pan American Championship earlier this year.
"As of right now, the strength of our team has been the offence," commented Rafter. "We also have a pitching staff that is very diverse and unique in what they bring to the team. The big key for us will be trying to put people in the best situations to succeed and match up their skill sets accordingly in games."
Canada finished Group C in second place with a 4-2 record, behind Japan and tied with Italy. The hosts won the opening round game, and rain cancelled the Play-Off head-to-head. Canada will face No. 6 Italy in the final game of the Opening Round on July 17. They will also play the world No. 1 USA on July 15 and No. 17 China on July 16.
It looks like the game on July 17 will decide the second team for the Super Round behind the defending World Champions USA. "This is why we play the games," commented Rafer. "It doesn't matter how strong teams look on paper. Every team in this tournament is strong. I truly think anyone can beat anyone on both sides. We expect to be in a battle from the tournament's first day until the end."
Women's/girls' softball is offered across Canada at various levels, from recreational to high-performance. Local associations form teams across all age groups and levels of competition, providing opportunities to compete at the Provincial/Territorial level.
Softball Canada hosts the Canadian Championships at the end of the season. Provinces send teams to compete against the top teams in Canada within their age categories.
Canadian colleges and universities offer women's softball. Many of the top Canadian players compete at the NCAA level in the US. The estimated number of active women's players in Canada exceeds 200,000.
Canada will warm up for the Women's Softball World Cup Finals facing Japan on Friday, July 12.
