Canadian softball team named for Santiago 2023 Pan American Games
Canada will look to reach the podium for the seventh time in a row.
Softball Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced their roster for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games on Thursday, nominating 16 athletes to wear the maple leaf at the tournament this October and November.
Players were selected by the team’s coaching staff after three open identification camps, and a final selection camp, were held in June. Seven players — Emma Entzminger, Larissa Franklin, Sara Groenewegen, Kelsey Harshman, Janet Leung, Erika Polidori, and Natalie Wideman — were also part of the Canadian team that won the Olympic bronze medal at Tokyo 2020 two summers ago.
Two members of the Canadian staff — head coach Kaleigh Rafter and team leader Joey Lye — were players on that team as well before transitioning into off-field roles.
Canada qualified for Santiago 2023 after placing second at the 2022 WBSC Women’s Pan American Championship in November, and are ranked fifth in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Rankings.
“I am thrilled to represent Canada at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago,” said Groenewegen in a press release. “Getting to wear the red and white at a major tournament like this is always a privilege and I can’t wait to compete with the other 15 women who were named to the roster.”
“It is a privilege and an honour to lead this talented Canadian team at the 2023 Pan American Games,” added Rafter. “This team has a great blend of experienced and younger members who are looking to achieve great things in Santiago.”
Canada has won medals at the past six editions of the Pan American Games, a gold medal in Toronto in 2015 and silvers from 1999-2011 and in 2019. The United States are the dominant team in the region, winning nine of the eleven women’s tournaments going back to the sport’s debut in 1979. Canada won in 1983, and the aforementioned 2015 tournament.
Canada has dominated the men’s tournament, winning eight of the nine men’s gold medals. There won’t be a men’s tournament in 2023, however, just as there wasn’t in 2007 or 2011. There will, however be a men’s baseball tournament in Santiago.
“It is so thrilling to see Canadian softball grow and excel, including that historic Olympic medal in Tokyo,” said Christine Girard, Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 chef de mission, in a press release “Seeing athletes transition to coaching really shows the value of giving back which is so important in sport in Canada.
“These bonds will for sure positively impact the entire team as this mix of veterans and rookies take on Santiago 2023. I’m truly excited to see so many amazing sport stories!”
The softball competition, set to be held at the Centro de Béisbol y Sóftbol, will begin on October 29 and run through November 4, days 9 to 15 of the Games.
The full Canadian softball roster:
Dawn Bodrug (Georgetown, ON), Rylie Crane (Toronto, ON), Emma Entzminger (Victoria, BC), Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, BC), Sara Groenewegen (Surrey, BC), Kelsey Harshman (Delta, BC), Zoe Hicks (Boissevain, MB), Kianna Jones (Surrey, BC), Janet Leung (Mississauga, ON), Grace Messmer (Surrey, BC), Callum Pilgrim (Abbotsford, BC), Erika Polidori (Brantford, ON), Morgan Rackel (Calgary, AB), Morgan Reimer (Langley, BC), Nicole Rivait (Oakville, ON), Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, ON)
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