Canada announce final roster for WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals
After celebrating a Canada Cup first-place finish, head coach and former Olympic bronze medallist Kaleigh Rafter announced Canada's roster for the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2024, which take place in Castions di Strada, Italy from 15-20 July. Twelve of the 16 players participated in the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Group C tournament last year.
PITCHERS (4) Dawn Bodrug, Sarah Groenewegen, Katie Korstrom, Morgan Rackel
CATCHERS (2) Madelyn McKinnon, Natalie Wideman
INFIELDERS (6) Kelsey Harshman, Zoe Hicks, Janet Leung, Grace Messmer, Jana Want, CC Wong
OUTFIELDERS (4) Larissa Franklyn, Kianna Jones, Callum Pilgrim, Erika Polidori
Among the 12 World Cup veterans, Franklin, Groenewegen, Harshmann, Leung, Polidori and Wideman participated at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where Canada won their first ever Olympic softball medal - bronze.
Want helped Canada finish second at the U-18 Pan American Championship earlier this year. The other three rookies all play collegiate softball. Korstrom and Wong played in their senior season, while McKinnon was a freshman.
Rafter's coaching staff will include assistant coaches Chris Jones, Joey Lye and Christian Conrad.
World No. 5 Canada will compete in Group A at the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2024 and face No. 1 USA, No. 6 Italy and No. 17 China,
Group B includes No. 2 Puerto Rico, No. 3 Japan, No, 8 Netherlands and No. 10 Australia.
After the Opening Round, the top two finishers of each group will play in the Super Round. The top two finishers of the Super Round will compete for the Women's Softball World Title, while the third and fourth-place teams will play for the bronze medal.
The medal games are scheduled for Saturday, July 20.
