Fitzpatrick: Women's national team legend Psota joins Canadian ball hall "family"
Women’s national team legend Kate Psota (Burlington, Ont.) was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday. Photo: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
June 20, 2026
By Trevor Fitzpatrick
Canadian Baseball Network
For the third straight year, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s circle of women inductees has grown.
During the 2026 ceremony, 15-year national team veteran Kate Psota (Burlington, Ont.) was rightfully enshrined in St. Marys. She’s joining longtime teammates Ashley Stephenson (Mississauga, Ont.) and Amanda Asay (Prince George, B.C.) in the hall, who were inducted in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
“It’s finally sinking in more,” Psota said with a smile during the induction press conference, “You get up in the morning and you’re in the lobby with Bill Stoneman and then Stubby (Clapp) comes down the stairs. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but these guys are like family now. Baseball has a great way of connecting people.”
A seven-time Women’s World Cup medalist (six as a player, once as a coach), Psota has been with the women’s national team since its inception in 2004. Her dominant left-handed swing earned her two team MVP awards back-to-back in 2009 and 2010.
She accomplished that while also playing hockey at a collegiate level with the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, winning five consecutive OUA titles from 2006-2010. Later in her sports career she would also add on a Pan Am Games silver medal in 2015.
Which sport did she end up liking better?
“I like both, but I’m better at baseball, so it’s hard not to say baseball,” she explained, “They were two very different sports, two very different groups of women I played with. I like them equally, but I was better at baseball.”
Nowadays, Psota is advocating for the growth of women’s baseball across Ontario, Canada, and the world.
“Women and girls that stick with sport become leaders in communities. It’s really great for them to be involved in,” Psota said, “We’re starting to see other countries get involved now. For example we took a team from Quebec over to Europe to get that foot in the door. We kind of have a responsibility to do so, being from a country that’s in a leadership position (for women’s baseball).”
“Giving back and helping the game grow in Canada and Ontario is so important,” she continued, “I think the most important next step would be a feeder program to our national team. All the social media that exists now, I did not have when I played. That visibility is the most important. Like I say all the time, ‘if you can see it, you can be it’. If young women start to see initiatives like those, they have a better shot of being it.”
Kate Psota (Burlington, Ont.) delivers her Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech on Saturday. Photo: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame