Phoenix, AZ - Following two days of national team trials, USA Baseball has selected its 18-player roster for the Women’s National Team. Team USA manager Julie Croteau will direct the team that will compete compete in the International Baseball Association Federation (IBAF) Women’s World Cup II, hosted by Taiwan, July 31 through August 6. Team USA is the defending gold medalist and will face Australia, Canada, Cuba, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Venezuela in a round-robin format.
Eight members on the current roster played on the 2004 gold medal winning team, including tournament Most Valuable Player, Laura Brenneman, and Most Valuable Pitcher, Laura Rose. Brenneman was also honored as the 2004 Woman Player of the Year by the International Baseball Federation Executive Committee
“The competition was very tight with very talented players,†said Croteau. “I feel that we are sending the 18-best players to represent the USA at the IBAF tournament. These next few days will be important in terms of forming a cohesive team as we move towards facing Canada in our opening game.â€
Brenneman recently completed her Ph.D in astrophysics at the University of Maryland. At Williams she was a four-year letter winner in soccer, basketball and softball, four-time All-NESCAC choice in softball, three-time All-NESCAC selection in soccer, named All-NESCAC in basketball once and a four-time academic All-NESCAC choice. Brenneman also earned All-New England honors in softball and soccer and earned All-America honors in soccer as a goalkeeper.
"I've been fortunate enough to make the Team USA again this year and we'll be leaving for Taiwan for the tournament Wednesday night," said Brenneman. "Competition this year should be fierce between us, Canada, Japan, Australia, Cuba, Hong Kong and Taiwan."
Team USA will practice at Phoenix Municipal Stadium through Wednesday, July 26 before traveling to Taiwan. The team will also compete in three scrimmages prior to facing Canada on July 31.
The players, selected through regional and national trials, represent 10 states with California leading with six players. Three members are from Florida while two hail from Massachusetts.
Croteau, an assistant coach with the 2004 team, is recognized as the first woman to play men’s NCAA baseball (St. Mary’s College of Maryland), as well as the first woman to coach men’s NCAA Division I baseball (University of Massachusetts). She is one of two women to ever play in an MLB sanctioned winter league (Hawaiian Winter League) and her glove and photo are on permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
Eph fans can follow Laura Brenneman and Team USA throughout the World Cup II in Taiwan on the web at www.usabaseball.com
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Dalton Finance Makes Reserve Fund Transfers
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Finance Committee made two reserve fund transfers last Wednesday night.
The reserve fund balance is currently $60,000. This is the first reserve fund transfer the town has made this fiscal year, committee clerk Karen Schmidt said.
A transfer to the vocational education tuition account for $16,000 was approved. The original appropriation was $605,020 and the present balance is $4,527.
It had been previously demonstrated that setting the budget for this account can be challenging due to the uncertainty about how many students will choose to attend vocational education programs.
The vocational education account was reduced by $90,000 during a September special town meeting; however, a spot opened up at a vocational program, so a student decided to transfer after the start of the second quarter.
A transfer for the employee fringe benefits account was approved for $10,000. The original appropriation was $64,180.
The present balance is $4,412.77 and is not sufficient to cover the vacation payouts and sick buy backs of the six employees who left this year.
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires President Arlene Schiff opened the festivities with a recognition of the victims of Sunday's mass shooting in Australia and praise for a hero who helped stop the killing.
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The Friday morning fire that gutted the Wagon Wheel Inn is still under investigation, and several people who were living at the motel have moved to another one.
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