Three KRTB athletes in the new Canada East League

Three baseball players from the region are currently experiencing the inaugural season of the Canada East League, a new circuit bringing together the best Canadian athletes aged 17 and over, from the interior. Alex-Ann Gamache, Sarah Beaulieu and Lucie Anctil are all part of the Jackie du Centre-Est team which will play matches against two other teams from Quebec this summer.

The three players were selected following training camps organized in recent months. They received the good news in early April.

For the first time, Alex-Ann Gamache, Sarah Beaulieu and Lucie Anctil will have the opportunity to play high-calibre baseball against other female athletes during the summer season. A great opportunity that they want to make the most of.

“It’s going to be a great experience. We will be able to play against girls who have a good caliber every week. The fact that national team athletes have decided to spend their summer here to play in the league is also going to be really interesting. It will show us the caliber that we must reach if we want to play there one day,” shared Alex-Ann Gamache of Saint-Antonin.

“I am proud to be part of the Canada East League […] It’s always a pleasure to play with other female athletes and I’m happy to be able to compete with them this summer,” confided Sarah Beaulieu of Rivière-du-Loup.

The Centre-Est Jackies, whose name is a nod to the memory of Jackie Robinson, bring together players from Mauricie, the Capitale-Nationale, Saguenay and Eastern Quebec. They also have two Canadian players in their ranks: Amy Johnson (Saskatchwan) and Julia Konigshofer (Nova Scotia).

The other two teams in the Canada East League, for this first year, are the Southwest Wings and the Northwest Rockies. In total, some forty athletes, including nine members of Canada’s national team, are part of the adventure.

Every Saturday, the players will meet to train and compete for regular season and playoff honours. There will also be events against teams from Canada and the United States. On May 26, the Jackies and the two other teams will leave for example for Baltimore, in the United States, in order to face American teams.

“The competitive aspect, I think it’s going to be fun. Just playing against girls, it’s going to be a big plus in the preparation for the Canadian championships. It’s really the first summer that we will be able to play in a women’s league, ”said Alex-Ann Gamache.

By playing in the Canada East League, players will also have more time and opportunities to showcase themselves for the Team Quebec program. The athlete from Saint-Antonin, who will play at third base and in the fields, does not hide the fact that the objective is to continue his experience with the provincial team.

“The teams will be formed at the beginning of July. The leaders will rely on our performance and our attitude during the season to decide on the Quebec teams. We have to show them that we value our place and that we will do everything to win it, even if they already know us. Nothing should be taken for granted,” she said.

An opinion shared by Sarah Beaulieu who expects to play second base, outfield, as well as throw a few innings on the mound, with the Jackies. For her part, Lucie Anctil, from La Pocatière, is the receiver.

CANADA EAST LEAGUE

The Canada East League, the first elite women’s league in the country, was created with the objective of becoming, by 2025, the most competitive league bringing together the best players aged 17 and over in Canada. Already, expansion projects elsewhere in the country and even in the United States are part of the discussions. Ultimately, we want to have 5 to 6 teams in 2025.

Following the success of the Team Quebec program and the establishment of the Baseball Canada Academy (ABC) women’s component, Quebec is now a leader in the development of a large number of high-level players. “I think this is the beginning of an important element for the development of women’s baseball,” said Sarah Beaulieu.

In addition, Baseball Quebec also launched, at the same time, the ABC League which will welcome and supervise the 48 best female hopefuls aged 16 and under in a 4-team league.