Buckeye Softball Represented at the 2002 Canada Cup – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
July 26, 2002
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Former Ohio State softball players Anna Smith (Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar) and Stacy Roth (Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) and current Buckeye Kristi DeVries (Jr., Corona, Calif./Corona) recently competed on teams at the 2002 Canada Cup, held July 13-21 in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, with Smith and the USA Elite Team advancing to the tournament finals. Roth, a member of the teamsmith Nationals, advanced to the consolation finals before falling to the USA World Team while DeVries joined the Iowa Dynasty, a squad that was bounced from the competition in the second round of the consolation bracket with a loss to the Australian national team.
“It was a great experience for me and a great honor to play for a United States team, Smith said. “It was the longest tournament I had ever played but it was worth it. We made the finals by defeating the USA World Team and many people never thought we would be able to do that. I think that really opened the eyes of the players on their team and showed that any team can defeat another on any given day.
Smith saw action in six games with one start for the Elite. She was perfect in stealing two bases, tying her for the team-best stolen base percentage, while scoring two runs. Her team finished pool play with a perfect 5-0 record before winning two games in the championship bracket and dropping the final contest of the event to the USA World Team, 4-0. Roth and teamsmith also went 5-0 in pool play and won its first two games in the winner’s bracket before falling to Smith and the USA Elite. In the consolation bracket, teamsmith dropped a 3-1 game to the USA World Team in the final elimination game of the tournament.
DeVries and the Iowa Dynasty, a team formed by current Iowa Hawkeye Jessica Bashor, posted a 4-1 pool play mark before falling in two-consecutive elimination play games. The Dynasty lost games to two national teams, the first being Chinese Taipei and the second at the hands of the Australians. DeVries pitched in two games, played the outfield in two more and filled the role of designated player from time to time. In the Dynasty’s elimination game with Chinese Taipei, DeVries pitched her team to a three-all tie at the end of six before a relief pitcher surrendered the winning runs. DeVries also belted a home run in the loss.
“Our team went into the tournament as a group of unknowns and left with a lot of compliments on how well we played, DeVries said. “It was very nice to get the international experience. It was neat to be on the field and hear the third base coach talking to the batter in their language. I also was able to form friendships with the players on the team and that will make some of the games I play this year more interesting because many of those teammates will become opponents.
As DeVries prepares to return to Columbus for the 2003 season, Smith is readying herself for the next level.
“I want to hold a position on one of the national teams, Smith said. “I know I have to continue to work hard on my game. I need to improve my skills and, since I have not been in the national pool (of players) before this year, I need to bring my level of play up so I can have a greater opportunity to contribute.
