Five Queenslanders named in Aussie Spirit softball team for Olympic qualifying tournament

Five Queenslanders have been named in the Australian Spirit softball squad to compete at the WBSC Asia/Oceania Olympic Qualifier next month. Jessica Torpey, Chelsea Forkin, Tamieka Whitefield, Jade Wall and Carmelle Sorensen made the team.

Five Queenslanders have been named in the Australian Spirit softball squad to compete at the WBSC Asia/Oceania Olympic Qualifier next month.

Bears’ pair Jessica Torpey and Chelsea Forkin, who is a teacher at Redcliffe State High School, Redsox product Tamieka Whitefield, Jade Wall of Saints and Carmelle Sorensen from Panthers made the team.

Australia will compete in China, September 24-28.

The top six national Teams from the Asian Softball Cup final standings and the top two ranked national teams from Oceania will play for the last spot in the softball competition in Tokyo 2020.

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Torpey, a past student of Norris Road State School and Kedron State High School, said the Queenslanders were proud of selection.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time to play softball in Australia,’’ Torpey said.

Australian softball players Chelsea Forkin teaches at Redcliffe State High School.

“The opportunity to represent our country is never taken for granted but to have the potential opportunity of playing for Australia in the Olympics is incredible.

“Queensland has always bred extremely talented softball players and I’m thrilled that myself and four other of my Queensland Heat teammates will get to play together again in our quest to qualify the Aussie Spirit for the Olympic Games.

“Qualifying for the Olympics certainly isn’t going to be easy but we are up for it and looking forward to the challenge in September.”

Torpey and the Aussie Spirit players and potential players have been in the USA sharpening their skills over winter playing in the world class National Pro Fast Pitch league, arguably the highest standard tournament in the sport.

Carmelle Sorensen . (Photo: Lisa Williams)

They played under the banner of the Aussie Peppers,

“Over the past 10 weeks, the Aussie Spirit squad members in one of the best professional softball leagues in the world based in the USA,’’ Torpey explained.

“This gave us the opportunity to play around 50 games against some of the best players in the world.

“It wasn’t easy and we learnt some tough lessons but there would be no better preparation for an Olympic Qualifier than playing world-class opposition day in, day out.’’

TraveLodge Aussie Spirit Head Coach Laing Harrow led the Peppers in the NPF.

Tamieka Whitefield.

“There’s no replacement for game time against top level athletes and that’s what we’ve been able to put our players through over the last few months with the Peppers,” he said.

“The coaching staff and I were able to try out a few things over the course of the season and give ourselves a good idea of what we can improve on between now and the qualifier.”

The full Australian squad of 20 is:

Madeline Cameron (SA)

Michelle Cox (NSW)

Chelsea Forkin (QLD) — bears

Leigh Godfrey (WA)

Rachel Lack (NSW)

Verity Long-Droppert (WA)

Stacey McManus (NSW)

Kaia Parnaby (NSW)

Leah Parry (WA)

Gabrielle Plain (NSW)

Stacey Porter (NSW)

Ellen Roberts (NSW)

Carmelle Sorensen (QLD) — Panthers, Downey

Tarni Step to (NSW)

Jessica Torpey (QLD) — Bears

Taylah Titsikronis (NSW)

Jade Wall (QLD) — Saints

Clare Warwick (ACT)

Belinda White (SA)

Tamieka Whitefield (QLD) — formerly Redsox