Celebrating Baseball Alberta’s Best of 2024

It will go down as a year many around Baseball Alberta won’t soon forget.

From the new “Bighorns” moniker to surging registrations to the MLB debut of alum Erik Sabrowski, the organization says it was a pivotal year.

We take a look back at what was accomplished and what’s next following the annual Baseball Alberta Awards.

Bronze Medal Rally

It was a rollercoaster ride for Team Alberta at the Baseball Canada Women’s Nationals in Nova Scotia.

After going 1-2 in the round-robin, they outlasted Saskatchewan and lost to Quebec before claiming bronze in an exciting 5-4 win over the hosts.

Behind the Mask

Whether she’s tagging out runners at home plate or keeping pucks out of the net, Kaitlyn Ross is comfortable as the last line of defence for her teammates.

She’s proved that on the diamond and at the rink.

Making An Impact

You can’t spell “baseball” without “A … L … B … E …” … well, you get the picture.

Baseball Canada’s 2019 Women’s Invitational Championships – which pitted rivals from four provinces and a national prospects team against one another – have come and gone from Okotoks and Alberta turned in another impressive performance.

In addition to capturing their second straight bronze medal finish at the event, Alberta saw eight players chosen to participate in the national team’s three-day selection camp that followed the July 4-8 tournament at Tourmaline Field and Seaman Stadium. Of those eight players, five earned spots on this year’s Women’s National Team, including Spruce Grove sisters Carrie and Ellie Jespersen, Red Deer’s Kelsey Lalor, Edmontonian Madison Willan, and Kaitlyn Ross of Redcliff.

Unfinished Business

With one eye on the prize of the 2018 Women’s Baseball World Cup, Canada has another eye on the future and it may not be more prevalent than by looking at the Alberta contingent heading to Viera, Florida.

Five Albertans make up the roster, including three first-year national team players.

While there is plenty of new blood, the expectation remains the same: win.