Summerland’s Raina Whitfield never expected to make the Canada Futures Collegiate Showcase team.
Whitfield, who helped the Summerland Scorch U16 fastball team earn silver at provincials this past season, went to tryouts in Coquitlam on Aug. 27 to see how she would do and get more field time.
“I was really happy,” said Whitfield, who has been playing softball for seven years. “It’s pretty cool. I’ve never really had any opportunities like this before.”
Whitfield, who is also trying out for the Kelowna Heat softball team, said tryouts were like a normal practice with drills. Whitfield was up against strong players, many whom she said were better than her. For that reason she was surprised to get selected.
Whitfield and her team head out on their college tour to Georgia and Florida from Oct. 4 to 10 and return to Canada on Oct. 11. They will play 10 games during that time while visiting colleges and universities.
“I look forward to seeing a bunch of different colleges, playing different teams,” said Whitfield, who was named the 2016 Summerland U16 most sportsmanlike player. “I think it would be a pretty cool opportunity.”
Whitfield plays first base and pitches, which is her prefered position. Along with a fast pitch, Whitfield can throw a change up and enjoys the feeling of striking batters out.
“A lot of people on my team say I always get like a smirk when I strike someone out, I don’t really notice it,” she said.
Whitfield’s family has created a Go Fund Me account, called Raina Whitfield Hitting the Road, seeking support to help send her on the college tour.
