Baseball Northern Territory’s female pathway was proudly represented on the national stage this month, with five Territorians contributing across the Australian Women’s Championships and Australian Youth Women’s Championships, while Baseball NT Chairperson Narelle Gosstray also played a key leadership role as Tournament Director.
Across both events, Territory athletes and staff were given the chance to test themselves in high-level environments, gain valuable experience, and continue building connections into Australia’s female performance pathway.
At the Australian Women’s Championships, Darwin Women’s Baseball League representatives Libby Price, Zoe Webb, and Maddie Patrick were selected in the Roos composite side, with Gemma Scales joining the program as Assistant Coach.
Patrick, a former Australian Emerald, was a standout performer across the week, finishing with a .357 batting average while swiping three bases. Defensively, she anchored the Roos as the team’s primary shortstop, providing stability and leadership through the middle of the diamond.
Webb contributed three innings of composed relief pitching, throwing strikes in key moments and giving the Roos valuable outs when called upon. Price added innings in the outfield before unfortunately sustaining an injury on the basepaths early in the tournament, cutting her campaign short.
For Webb and Price in particular, the tournament marked their first exposure to Australian Women’s Championships competition, with both gaining experience that will serve them well as they continue their development back home in the Darwin Women’s Baseball League.
Scales also played an important role across the week, working from the third base coaches box and helping guide the Roos through a demanding tournament schedule.
The Roos finished the tournament in 6th place with a 2–6 record, highlighted by strong wins over New South Wales and South Australia.
Further south, Alice Springs product Hannah Fior represented Queensland at the Australian Youth Women’s Championships in Melbourne and delivered an impressive all-round tournament.
Fior was a consistent presence in the lineup, finishing with a .455 batting average, good for fifth on the team. She also contributed valuable innings on the mound and in the outfield, showcasing her versatility and ability to impact the game in multiple ways.
Queensland ultimately finished 5th, closing its campaign strongly with a 12–8 win over Victoria.
Victoria claimed the Australian Women’s Championship title, while Western Australia took out the Australian Youth Women’s Championship, defeating South Australia in the final.
Also contributing to the success of the week was Baseball Northern Territory Chairperson Narelle Gosstray, who served as Tournament Director and played an integral role in the delivery of the championship.
Baseball NT Participation and Pathways Manager Kai Meuronen said the week was another encouraging step forward for female baseball in the Territory.
“It’s so good to see female players from the NT get exposed to Australia’s female performance pathway,” Meuronen said.
“Whilst we are still a little way away from an NT side return to AWC, it’s great to see our girls getting exposure and experiencing levels of success at these tournaments.
“Big thanks to both Baseball Australia for facilitating the Roos program, and to Baseball Queensland for extending an invitation to Hannah for the AYWC. We hope to have more NT players involved in both in the future.”
With Territory players, coaches, and administrators all contributing across a major week of national competition, the championships provided another strong indicator of the continued growth of women’s baseball in the Northern Territory.