Team USA, Canada among six teams in long-awaited Women's World Cup finals

THUNDER BAY, Ont. -- Most National Team players wait two years for this moment. Sena Catterall waited five.

Now 22 years old, Catterall made her Team Canada debut in August 2019, ahead of the qualifier for the following year’s edition of the Women’s Baseball World Cup. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the rookie was handed a lengthy lesson in patience.

“You get in the swing of momentum, and it’s my first year, I’m trying to learn as much as I can,” Catterall said. “I didn't really play much -- I wasn't expecting to play much -- I was just trying to learn as much as I can and come back stronger next year. Then, in the next year, it gets shut down. It sucked, for sure.”

Like so many of her teammates and peers, though, Catterall kept the dream alive. Now, all that static energy is about to be unleashed.

The final round of the WBWC’s ninth edition is set to begin on Sunday, a triumphant return to normalcy after the COVID-driven cancellation of the tournament in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2020-21. Six teams will square off here over the coming week, as the defending champion Team Japan is joined by Team USA, Team Venezuela, Team Mexico, Team Chinese Taipei and the host Team Canada.

“Being here again fills us with pride,” Venezuelan outfielder Srishna Arciniega said in Spanish. “ … We’re moved by being able to represent our country again. It’s an honor.”

Anticipation swirled as players and coaches gathered at Lakehead University on Saturday for a pre-tournament press conference.

“It has been a long time,” Japan manager Risa Nakashima, who’s been at the helm since 2020, said through an interpreter. “We’re very excited about the fact that we’re back to playing in the World Cup, and we’re hoping that we can raise awareness to women’s baseball through this series.”

You’ll hear that refrain over and over. Each player is here to represent their country, but it’s about more than that.

“First of all, we want girls in Taiwan not just [to watch] baseball, but [to know that] if they like baseball, they can play baseball,” Chinese Taipei outfielder Shih-mei Shu said through an interpreter. “They’re entitled to enjoying it. … We want to send a message to the girls in Taiwan: If you like baseball, just play baseball.”

At long last, that’s what these six teams will do.

For a powerhouse such as Japan, that means a chance at a seventh WBWC title. For Canada, this is a chance to represent on home soil. Team USA, meanwhile, is looking for redemption after a fourth-place finish in 2018.

“We really turned the team around in 2019 and we were very much looking forward to 2020 and being able to compete,” said USA manager Veronica Alvarez. “So we’re very much looking forward to this event. These last six years, we’ve made good use of it.”

Adversity is nothing new to these athletes.

Many of the players on this side of the pond have been carving out their own chances from a young age, proving themselves on boys and men’s teams while pioneering a trail for the girls that will come after them.

“This is a dream of mine since I was 7 years old,” said Mexico infielder Daniela Leal. “ … So I’m hoping that we’re representing more than just our country. I think that we’re also representing a lot of the dreams that are coming true.”

Having role models is a crucial step in growing the game. Just ask Olivia Pichardo, the first woman to play Division I college baseball, who didn’t even know women’s baseball could be a thing until she attended the MLB Breakthrough Series at 14.

Pichardo also attended some games in Viera, Fla., during the 2018 WBWC. Now, she’s sharing the outfield with an idol in Kelsie Whitmore.

“The first year that I made [Team USA, in 2022], I had kind of a starstruck moment with Kelsie,” said Pichardo. “Looking at the women on the team -- I’ve been here for a couple of years now -- how they conduct themselves in knowing they’re upholding a standard … it’s pretty inspiring.”

Saturday was all about the social part. The athletes started off shy and gradually let loose, aided by the wonders of a post-conference pizza and chips buffet. Sunday, however, will bring renewed focus.

“I've never really played in games like these, with this much meaning behind them,” said Catterall. “But I'm embracing the pressure. ... I'm embracing the fact that not many people get to be in this position. It's pretty awesome.”