23 June 2026
Meet the Emeralds: A brief line about every player on the Australian Women's National Baseball Team
Australia’s women’s national baseball team, the Emeralds, are entering the final stages of preparation for the 2026 Women’s Baseball World Cup in Rockford, Illinois.
The tournament format is unique. Australia will compete in a challenging group featuring a mix of international powerhouses and emerging nations, including No. 2 USA, No. 3 Canada, No. 6 Mexico, No. 8 Hong Kong, No. 12 Korea and No. 19 China.
The objective is simple: finish in the top three and secure a place at the 2027 Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals, also to be held in Rockford. Three teams from Pool B will join the top three finishers from Australia’s group in next year’s finals.
Baseball Australia announced the Emeralds roster in May. You can revisit that announcement to learn more about the team’s selection philosophy and hear from the coaching staff.
The squad will be captained by 23-year-old Caitlin Eynon.
Before the tournament begins, the Emeralds will travel to the United States for a five-day training camp. The camp will provide an opportunity to train, adjust to the time zone and play a series of exhibition games before competition starts. In the lead-up to departure, athletes will continue their preparation through their respective Performance Pathway Programs.
Let’s learn about each of the players on the team:
POSITION PLAYERS
Catcher / DH – Chloe Atkinson (WA): The 18-year-old has emphatically entered the Australian baseball scene. Atkinson has won the last two Australian Women’s Championships (AWC) Golden Bat Awards. In 2026, Atkinson went 17-for-30 with nine extra base hits, a homer and 16 RBI. Her batting average ranked fifth, and no player who qualified for the finals drove in more runs (16). She also hit a clutch, game-winning grand slam to send her team to the Gold Medal Game. Atkinson is making her World Cup debut. She is a draft pick of New York in the Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL).
Catcher – Jamie Bastian (VIC): A two-time national champion, Bastian makes her Emeralds debut after narrowly missing out on selection in 2026. She’s turned into a high-end contact bat, and has developed her arm strength over the last few years. She’s a great option to control the run game and can play in the outfield if required for additional depth. Bastian represented Australia at the 2024 Baseball5 World Cup.
Catcher – Maddi Heath (NSW) – Heath is the only catcher on Australia’s roster with World Cup experience, having caught for the Emeralds at the 2023 World Cup. She has won multiple championships at the AWC with New South Wales, including coming up with some clutch moments and diving catches. Heath notably recovered from major hip surgery in 2022, hitting the field just in time for the 2023 World Cup. It was a total reconstruction and a great story.
1B – Gen Beacom (VIC) – Beacom made international headlines at the 2023 tournament as a 16-year-old left-handed pitcher with a fast-ball around 89 miles per hour. This year, she will only play in the field and hit. Beacom has since been playing softball at NCAA Division I program Oregon State. Her bat plays in both codes. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you she has some of the highest exit velocities in the women’s game, while being able to lock down first base. Beacom hit .308 with a pair of doubles at the 2023 World Cup.
2B / RHP – Abbey Kelly (VIC) – One of the most experienced and accomplished players on the Emeralds roster. Kelly is entering her fourth World Cup (2016, 2018, 2023). In 2016, she pitched 5.1 innings, allowing just one run and a couple hits in a famous win over the USA to help Australia advance to the Super Round. In Australia, Kelly has won multiple national championships, an AWC MVP, Golden Glove and Golden Arm. She can play second base, shortstop, come out of the bullpen or start a game. Kelly adds tremendous versatility, experience and skill in multiple spots.
2B / RHP – Bronwyn Gell (VIC) – The most experienced and accomplished player on the Emeralds roster. In fact, no other player has a World Cup medal on Team Australia. Gell has two. She was a young 16-year-old who won a silver in 2010. She won Bronze in 2014. Gell is playing in her first World Cup since 2018, but her sixth overall (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018). Gell brings a career .310 average at WBSC events to the fold. Since we last saw Gell, she became a pitcher. She won the 2026 Victorian State League Pitcher of the Year. Bronwyn brings defensive ability, composure at the plate, leadership and valuable innings on the mound
SS / RHP – Caitlin Eynon (WA) – The 23-year-old was just named captain of the Emeralds. A draft pick in the WPBL, Eynon has done it all. At Australian Women’s Championships, she’s won a Gold Medal, MVP, a Golden Arm and a Golden Glove. She has a fast ball that tops out around 77 mph, making her one of the hardest women throwers in the world. She plays elite defense up the middle and has a dominating bat. Eynon is in her second World Cup campaign and will be an important part of the line-up and likely pitch high-leverage innings. She may even start an important game.
3B / RHP – Leah Cornish (WA) – A 19-year-old returning for a second World Cup. In 2023, Cornish was a catcher. She led Australia with a .600 batting average and an .800 on-base-percentage. Now, Cornish plays third base. She also has a mid-70mph fast ball and will pitch some key innings for Australia. Cornish is a WPBL Draft Pick and played overseas in Canada in 2025. She is a national champion and 2023 AWC Tournament MVP.
INF / RHP – Claire O’Sullivan (NSW) – Simply put: one of the most prominent names in the Australian baseball community. Claire returns to the Emeralds for her second World Cup. She has won Australian national championships, Japanese national titles, a Women’s Championship MVP and a Golden Bat Award. Claire can play first base, third base and will likely be a very important starting pitcher for the Aussies. She’s a dual threat. In 2023 she delivered an epic 5.0 inning shutout start vs Korea to keep us in the hunt. She was also .333 at the plate.
CF / SS / RHP – Lili Cavanagh (VIC) – On paper, Cavanagh is one of the most important players on this roster. She will play up the middle – either in centre field, at shortstop or as a high-leverage pitcher. Cavanagh has hit over .600 at the last two women’s nationals she’s played in, including winning tournament MVP in 2024. This is Cavanagh’s second World Cup, playing more of a depth role in 2023 after a late injury hampered her campaign. Cavanagh recovered from a major knee reconstruction she suffered in 2024 at the Australian Women’s Showcase.
OF – Ticara Geldenhuis (NSW) – Ticara is a highly athletic return player from the 2023 Emeralds squad. She famously hit Australia’s only home run of the 2023 World Cup. Geldenhuis has turned into a leader in her baseball community. She can steal bases, hit for power, and brings World Cup pedigree and multiple national championships to the team.
OF / LHP – Molly Paddison (QLD) – At 18-years-old, Molly Paddison is the youngest player on the roster. Nicknamed “the Business”, Paddison has turned in three excellent AWC campaigns in a row having ranked consistently in the top five of batting metrics at the national championships. She runs well, can play multiple spots in the outfield, and brings in a left-handed option from the bullpen. Paddison is one of nine Australians drafted to the WPBL.
OF – Elodie O’Sullivan (NSW / WA) – O’Sullivan returns to the national team for the first time since 2018. It’s also the first time she and her sister Claire will share the field in national team colours. Elodie missed out on 2023 selection. A foot injury played a factor. Elodie re-invented her game since then, travelling to Japan to play professionally and work on her craft. There’s a great story on how she turned injury and disappointment into opportunity here. O’Sullivan brings a solid bat, smarts, work ethic and experience to the team. She is one of nine Australians drafted to the WPBL and has won multiple championships.
RHP / OF – Meaghan Haggart (WA) – Haggart will be able to provide some flexibility and options for manager Jason Pospishil. She plays solid outfield and third base. She can also catch if required. Haggart brings plus off-speed pitches and can be used both as a reliever or start. We’ve seen Haggart lead Western Australia to a national championship by embracing all kinds of different roles. She is a return player from the 2023 squad.
UTIL – Rio Bradley (QLD) – She can catch, she can play outfield and, crucially, she can run. Bradley has been one of the most consistent bats for Queensland over the last half-decade. She’s always near the tournament leaders in stolen bases. It’s a tournament debut for Bradley, who is one of the most respected players in the Australian baseball community.
PITCHER ONLY
The below players are expected to be used primarily as pitchers.It’s important to note that Claire O’Sullivan, Caitlin Eynon, Leah Cornish, Bronwyn Gell, Lili Cavanagh, Molly Paddison, Meaghan Haggart and Abbey Kelly are also expected to contribute on the mound.
RHP – Allie Bebbere (VIC) – Bebbere will hope to double down on her tremendous 2023 World Cup campaign where she posted a 1.24 ERA in 5.2 innings. An iron horse of women’s pitching, Allie has claimed dual National Championship Golden Arm awards (2022 & 2024). Allie has also represented Australia at the 2024 Baseball5 World Cup. The 31-year-old is also a WPBL draft pick. There’s a great feature story on her and why she dropped everything to pursue her passion. You can read it here.
RHP – Brittney Baker (VIC) – Baker has cracked her first World Cup side after being on the cusp of selection for nearly a decade. She was a key pitcher in Victoria’s 2026 Women’s Championship win and has pitched in Australian Women’s Showcase events. Baker brings a good pitch mix. She is one of two mums on the roster.
RHP – Maddi Erwin (ACT) – Erwin returns for a second World Cup, after debuting in 2023 for the Emeralds. Erwin was one of nine Aussie draftees in the 2025 WPBL Draft. She brings a great curveball that keeps her near the top of the list in strikeout rates at national championships. She last won a title with New South Wales in 2025.
RHP – Mackenzie Jackson (NSW) – Jackson had to work hard to even be in position to make the squad. After pitching New South Wales to a championship in 2025, Jackson suffered a shoulder injury that wiped out nearly all of her 2025-26 club campaign. She recovered just in time for the Australian Women’s Championships where she tossed 4.2 innings. Jackson has great command of the strike zone and is making her World Cup debut.
RHP – Jess Johnson (VIC) – The 37-year-old is one of the feel good stories of the team. Johnson was in the last round of cuts for the 2023 World Cup squad. Between then and now, she became a mum. She also worked relentlessly, not wanting to squander an opportunity to represent her country. After a fantastic 2026 tournament, Johnson showed enough to earn a spot. She is a consistent strike-thrower who won multiple championships with Victoria. Of note, Johnson has represented Australia in Gridiron (American Football) World Championships.
