International field set to join Australian women in baseball showcase

The Australian Women's Baseball Showcase runs from May 9-12.

Australian Emeralds player Claire O'Sullivan began her baseball career at Kempsey and says she's thrilled to be returning to one of her old stomping grounds.

"I love that everyone gets to see that there's a baseball world outside of main cities, and everyone gets to experience a great community and world class facility in the country," Ms O'Sullivan said.

"I hope it helps people living in country towns realise there are pathways to playing the highest level of baseball, and I'd love to see the numbers continue to grow because of this tournament. If it helps just one girl say to their parents 'I'd like to try baseball' then that would be a pretty cool thing."

Baseballers from the Adelaide Giants, Brisbane Bandits, and Victorian Aces will play alongside World Cup players from Canada, Japan, and the United States, hitting home runs and pitching fast balls across the four days.

The Australian Women's Showcase will run alongside the Australian Little League Girls Division Championships, which will be the first Little League Girls Division Championships in the world.

Australian player Maddi Erwin first played in a Lismore Little League tournament in 2015, but it was a different ballgame for girls back then - with the boy's division the only option.

"Growing up I was the only girl on almost all of my club teams and the small number of chances I had to play with all the girls were some of my favourites, so to see these girls now get an opportunity to play in an all-girls team, in an all-girls tournament, is so cool and I'm excited about what this tournament will do for future generations," Ms Erwin said.

Department of Regional NSW Executive Director Harriet Whyte said hosting the showcase is a moment for Lismore to be proud of, just over two years since Albert Park was impacted by flooding.

"This eagerly anticipated event was delayed because of COVID and then by severe weather events in the Northern Rivers, so after some challenging times it will be a great opportunity for the region to come together and enjoy an absolute spectacle of sporting prowess," Ms Whyte said.

Baseball Australia CEO Glenn Williams said it's fantastic to see players with strong links to regional NSW sharing their sport with regional fans.

"The facility in Lismore is first class and custom built to host incredible events, and showcasing the Northern Rivers region and playing at Albert Park in Lismore will be a great experience for the players," Mr Williams said.

The event is the third women's showcase to be held in Australia, with previous events held in Adelaide and Geelong.

If you're keen to check out the action, or you want to see Lismore up in lights, games will be broadcast around the world on Baseball+.

The Australian Women's Baseball Showcase received $200,000 in support from the NSW Government.