Grad Student is a Pan Am Pitcher

Postscript:  The Canadian Women’s Baseball Team won a silver medal at the Pan Am Games. Here is a picture of Melissa Armstrong pitching in the final game against the U.S. Click here for more information.

Melissa Armstrong is a pitcher for the Canadian women’s Pan Am baseball team and has been a part of the Canadian national team beginning in 2007.

Armstrong was also awarded a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS), valued at $150,000, in 2014.

Canada is one of the top-ranked nations in the world in men’s baseball, but history will be made as women take the field for the first time ever at a multi-sport games. Canada kicked off play in the Pan Am games against Cuba on July 20.

“I am one of the pitchers the team has taken,” said Armstrong. “This is a very exciting opportunity for me. It is a historic moment being the first time women’s baseball has been included in a multi-sport games. There is a lot of hype, lots of media, it will help to develop the sport and let people know women play baseball.”

Armstrong is working on her History doctorate, involving research on the provision of health care by the African National Congress (ANC) to its members in exile and its military wing, Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), during the struggle for South African liberation.

“My academics and my training keep me balanced,” said Armstrong. “I think I would go crazy if I spent all my time reading or going to school, so I often hit the new gym at Carleton or train in the pool. I am extremely lucky to have a supervisor, Susanne Klausen, who is very flexible and accommodating. She understand and allows me the time I need to train and to play baseball during the summer.”

Until this year, the biggest international event for the Canadian team was the Women’s Baseball World Cup, held every two years since 2004. Playing in each of those six World Cups, Canada has earned three bronze medals and a silver. The women finished just shy of the podium last fall in Japan. The current International Baseball Federation rankings have Canada fourth behind Japan, the United States and Australia.