Women's baseball will be part of the Pan Am Games in Toronto for the first time and Prince George will have another reason to cheer on Team Canada.
Amanda Asay has been selected to the Canadian team as a pitcher/first baseman.
The 27-year-old native of Prince George is one of seven pitchers named Sunday to the 18-player national team.
Asay first joined the national team in 2005 at age 17. In 2006, she made the all-tournament team at first base helping Canada win the bronze medal at the International Amateur Baseball Federation Women's World Cup in Taiwan, and in 2008 came home with a silver medal from the World Cup tournament in Japan.
Asay was a two-sport NCAA star at Brown University in hockey and baseball, and also played for the Brown softball team. She finished her college hockey career in 2012 playing for the UBC Thunderbirds.
The Pan Am Games will be the first major multisport games to include women's baseball.
"Canada is excited to welcome women's baseball to the Pan Am program," said Marcel Aubut, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee. "These women will make history as the first-ever Canadian Pan Am Games female baseball team and that honour is well-deserved."
Asay just wrapped up a seven-day national team training camp in Toronto on Saturday.
The team will prepare for the Games with a six-game exhibition series in Quebec City, Ottawa and Toronto. The Pan Am Games tournament is scheduled for July 20-26 in Ajax, Ont.
Asay is the second Prince George athlete to be named to Canada's Pan Am team. Boxer Kenny Lally has qualified to fight in the 56-kilogram weight class.
High jumper Alyx Treasure is also in line for a spot in the track and field competition in Toronto.
