“C’est surtout l’accomplissement des années de travail au niveau sportif,” Charline Merlhe told La Dépêche du Midi after receiving the engagement in sport distinction at the eighth edition of the Victoires audoises du sport féminin.
Organized by the departmental council of Aude, the annual awards ceremony recognized Merlhe for her athletic career and her ongoing work to develop baseball and softball across the region. At 35 years old, she plays, coaches, manages, and holds a national umpiring license.
Merlhe co-founded the Black Sheep of Castelnaudary club four years ago alongside her husband, Julien. The association currently lists roughly 15 members after starting with about 30 licensees, and recently launched a youth section for children aged three to six to attract new players.
Her involvement in the sport spans roughly 15 years, beginning with softball before she shifted toward baseball. “Les femmes n’avaient pas le droit de jouer au baseball à l’époque,” Merlhe recalled to La Dépêche du Midi regarding her early hurdles in a discipline that was once exclusively male in competition.
She pushed to integrate teams in 2016 to help change practices and expand opportunities for female athletes. “Je suis une des rares filles en France qui, depuis quinze ans, joue avec les hommes au baseball,” she told La Dépêche du Midi.
Outside of her local club work in the Lauragais region, Merlhe plays as a pitcher and first baseman for the top-division club in Clapiers, near Montpellier. She also earned selection to the French national women’s baseball team.
In the summer of 2025, she competed with the national selection at the European Cup held in the Czech Republic, where the French squad captured the bronze medal. The team finished in the top three despite financial hurdles, having to fund much of their travel after federal support was reduced.
Departmental councillors Éliane Brunel and Patrick Maugard highlighted Merlhe’s recognition as a step toward boosting the visibility of female athletes and encouraging access to historically male-dominated disciplines. The community of communes Castelnaudary Lauragais audois also features women’s sport as a central focus during its Fortnight of Female Engagement.
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