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First female in league history

The Victoria HarbourCats are breaking down baseball stereotypes

A historic announcement was made at Royal Athletic Park this afternoon when the Victoria HarbourCats of the West Coast League announced the signing of 19-year-old Claire Eccles.

The left-handed pitcher from White Rock becomes the first female player in league history and will make her debut with the team on June 6 in Victoria.

“I’m extremely excited to be getting the opportunity to play at such a high level of ball and being the first female in Canada to do so,” said Eccles.

“The HarbourCats seem like an amazing organization and I can’t wait to play for them As much as this is an accomplishment for myself, I can’t help but realize that this is a step in the right direction for any girl with a dream of playing baseball. There’s a bigger picture out there”

The B.C. baseball star also played for the University of British Columbia softball team this spring and represented Canada at the 2016 Women’s Baseball World Cup in South Korea last September.

More to come.