For the first time in league history, a woman will suit up in the Canadian College Baseball Conference next season.

Vancouver Island University Mariners baseball club announced this week the signing of Alli Schroder, a right-handed pitcher from the Kootenays for the 2021-22 season. According to Baseball Canadasa国际传媒檚 website, Schroder is the first woman to commit to a CCBC program.

The 18-year-old Fruitvale native is a veteran of the national womensa国际传媒檚 team and helped Team Canada advance in World Cup qualifiers two summers ago.

After graduating high school last year, Schroder took a year away from school and has had limited opportunities to play baseball in a pandemic. She practised and played with the Cranbrook Bandits club team when she could, but has mostly been doing individual training, finding someone to throw to, motivated to play college ball and stay in the mix for the national team.

Schroder wanted to stay in Canada and decided that VIU was the sa国际传媒減erfect fitsa国际传媒� for her to study environmental science and pursue athletics.

sa国际传媒淰IU had it all for me,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淎lso [being] from the other side of the province, almost, living in the Kootenays, I thought it would be a pretty cool opportunity to live on the coast for a little while.sa国际传媒�

She said shesa国际传媒檚 personally been sa国际传媒渟uper fortunatesa国际传媒� in the past with being accepted on teams of boys and men sa国际传媒� theysa国际传媒檝e seen she can play and contribute, so gender hasnsa国际传媒檛 been an issue.

sa国际传媒淚 know that this hasnsa国际传媒檛 been the case for a lot of girls,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 been teams that wesa国际传媒檝e played against that arensa国际传媒檛 super receptive, but every team that Isa国际传媒檝e personally played on, theysa国际传媒檝e been awesome.sa国际传媒�

She said coming to the VIU Mariners as a rookie, shesa国际传媒檒l recognize her role, know that opportunities will come through work ethic, and will be ready to contribute to the team in any way shesa国际传媒檚 asked.

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Her change-up and her two-seam fastball are her best pitches and shesa国际传媒檚 looking forward to seeing how she fares against CCBC batters.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e always played against big guys sa国际传媒� you kind of just have to find your own advantages and know yourself, know how you play,sa国际传媒� Schroder said. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 excited to see the competition and Isa国际传媒檒l just have to find my place there.sa国际传媒�

As for her place in league history, Schroder is willing to embrace the role of an advocate for women in mensa国际传媒檚 sports. Girls who play baseball sometimes switch to softball when they reach college, but Schroder said there are pathways to keep playing baseball and maybe she can sa国际传媒渂laze a trail.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淏ut at the end of the day, Isa国际传媒檓 also just a player,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 excited to contribute to the team any way possible and Isa国际传媒檓 more focused on just being looked at as a baseball player.sa国际传媒�

Itsa国际传媒檚 official, RHP from Castlegar, BC is the newest addition to the Mariners 2021/2022 roster. Welcome aboard, Mariner!

sa国际传媒� VIU Mariners (@VIUBaseball)

editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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