Women’s National Team roster announced for 2026 WBSC Americas qualifier
Baseball Canada has announced the Women’s National Team roster for the 2026 WBSC Americas Women’s Baseball World Cup Qualifier that will begin on April 29. Photo: Baseball Canada
April 22, 2026
Baseball Canada
OTTAWA—Baseball Canada is excited to announce the 2026 Women’s National Team roster that will compete in the 2026 WBSC Americas Women’s Baseball World Cup Qualifier.
The team will be traveling to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a best-of-five game series against Puerto Rico from April 29 to May 3 with the winner earning a spot in the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage.
The Women’s National Team will feature a veteran roster of 20, with 16 returning players in Lucie Anctil C , Emily Baxter UTL, Sena Catterall OF, Ela Day-Bédard INF/RHP, Claire Eccles OF, Alizée Gélinas 1B/RHP, Liz Gilder LHP, Andréanne Leblanc 1B, Jaida Lee RHP, Cassie Matlock OF, Raine Padgham RHP/OF, Sarah Pengelly RHP/OF, Michelle Roche RHP, Alli Schroder RHP, Mia Valcke INF/OF, and Madison Willan INF.
Two members of the roster, Mia Valcke and Claire Eccles, were part of Canada’s silver medal performance at the 2016 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup - Eccles has competed in three World Cups and one Pan Am Games for the National Team.
Five roster members, Claire Eccles, Liz Gilder, Alli Schroder, Mia Valcke, and Madison Willan helped Canada earn bronze at the 2018 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup.
Fourteen players on the roster also competed and helped the national team earn bronze at the 2024 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals: Lucie Anctil, Emily Baxter, Sena Catterall, Ela Day-Bédard, Alizée Gélinas, Liz Gilder, Andréanne Leblanc, Cassie Matlock, Alli Schroder, Mia Valcke, Madison Willan, Raine Padgham, Michelle Roche, and Jaida Lee.
Newcomers looking to make their international debuts for the National Team include Ariane Domingue OF, Frédérique Noël RHP/INF, Julianna Scott C, and 16-year-old RHP/INF Mikael Fields.
The winning team will advance to the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage and will be grouped with U.S.A., Mexico, Hong Kong, Australia and Korea in Rockford, Illinois from July 22-27, 2026. The group of six will narrow down to the top three teams that will then advance to the final stage of the tournament where they will meet the top three teams of the Tainan, Taiwan group in August.
This all leads to the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals that will be held in Rockford, Illinois in 2027.
Head coach Anthony Pluta, who has been with the team since 2023 and was part of the 2024 World Cup squad, will be joined by veteran pitching coach Aaron Myette, who has been with the program since 2016. Alongside the veterans the National Team welcomes back coaches Kristy Watson, Brittney Langlais, and Logan Wedgewood who made their debuts with the program last fall during the Women’s National Team Development Camp held in Cary, North Carolina.