Theo Longboy gets GB team call-up for European Championships

Theo Longboy has received confirmation that she has been selected by the Great Britain Under-16 National Softball Team. She has been a member of the Herts youth teams since 2008. Last year she proved to be one of the leaders for the Herts Cardinals who picked up the bronze medal in the Under-14 National Baseball Championships.

GB Under-16 Head Coach Jeremy Thomas has named a squad of 13 players for the European Cadette Championships that will be played in Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy from 29 June-4 July. Only three of the 13 players selected for this year’s GB Cadettes competed in Ostrava two years ago, while the rest have either come up from the GB Under-13s or are new recruits to the programme. GB Cadette Head Coach Jeremy Thomas said, “Overall, we had more than 20 players going for squad places, which reflects the excellent work that has been done with the GB Under-13s over the past few years.

The GB Cadettes will open the tournament on Monday 29 June with a game against Spain at 2.00 pm Italian time, and will then play two games on Tuesday: Slovakia at 10.00 am and Russia at 6.00 pm. After that, the tournament will go to trophy and consolation playoffs.

The players selected are:

Laura Hirai (IF)
Theo Longboy (Utility)
Issie Mosely (OF)
Yolanda Phillips (Utility)
Mary Racz (Utility)
Jasmine Rushin (IF)
Katherine Ryan (P, IF)
Alana Snow (P, C, Utility)
Amira Solomon (C)
Annecy Stevens (OF)
Alys Thomas (OF)
Marlia Van’t Sant (Utility)
Niamh Walker (P, Utility)

This news is further evidence that baseball and softball offer fantastic opportunities for boys and girls to enjoy the game and progress through to the highest levels of baseball. With new players joining the Herts youth teams every week, it will be interesting to see how they will develop and if they will follow in the footsteps of Longboy and the other Herts players who are part of the GB baseball and softball national teams.