Western Australia will have a major presence on the international stage this July, with five athletes from the WA pathway selected in the Australian Women’s National Team squad for the 2026 Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage.
The Emeralds will travel to Rockford, Illinois from July 22–27 to compete in Pool A of the Women’s Baseball World Cup, taking on some of the strongest nations in the world including the United States, Mexico, Korea and Hong Kong, China.
Representing Western Australia in the squad are:
- Chloe Atkinson (Wanneroo Giants)
- Caitlin Eynon (Melville Braves)
- Leah Cornish (Melville Braves)
- Elodie O’Sullivan (Carine Cats)
- Meaghan Haggart (Wanneroo Giants)
The selection highlights the continued rise of women’s baseball in Western Australia and reflects the growing strength of Baseball WA’s high performance pathway.
Head Coach of the WA Women’s Program, Kurt Russell, said the selections were an important milestone in the evolution of the program.
“Baseball WA has made it very clear that they are invested in developing the performance environment in our women’s program,” Russell said.
“The end goal is becoming the number one state for women’s talent development. In year one of what is essentially a rebrand of the program, to have a quarter of the Emeralds squad selected from WA is a tremendous platform to build from.”
Russell also believes the visibility of these athletes is critical for the next generation coming through the pathway system.
“We have a very deep talent pool of young athletes that have already entered the senior program or are about to graduate from the junior program. It’s really important they get the opportunity to see that we are providing a legitimate pathway to get there.”
Chloe Atkinson
Among the selected athletes is catcher Chloe Atkinson, who has quickly established herself as one of the brightest young talents in Australian baseball. The 18-year-old has claimed back-to-back Golden Bat awards at the Australian Women’s Championships and earned selection as a Women’s Professional Baseball League draft pick.
Russell said Atkinson’s development behind the plate has been one of the biggest growth stories of the past World Cup cycle.
“Talent has never been a question mark when it comes to Chloe… the kid can flat out hit,” he said.
“She identified that catching depth in the country was low and put in the work over a three-year period to force her name into the conversation. Combine the best arm behind the plate in the country with a power bat that can also hit for average and you have an athlete that can help you on both sides of the ball.”
“Her growth has come in the form of her mindset. She has put a tremendous amount of work into her mental game to help her regulate better in games and put herself into a position to perform regularly with a clear mind.”
Caitlin Eynon
Caitlin Eynon returns to the Emeralds setup as one of the most respected players in the country. Still only 22 years old, Eynon is already regarded as one of the premier two-way players in international women’s baseball, a WPBL draft pick and just finished at the AWCs as the reigning Women’s MVP.
Russell described Eynon as the benchmark for work ethic in Australian baseball.
“She is by far the hardest working athlete in the country,” he said. “Caitlin puts in a volume of work outside of scheduled practices that exceeds what most athletes do in their practices and personal time combined.”
Last World Cup she set out to improve her defence and become the country’s premier short-stop. In her prep for selection, Eynon has focussed on cleaning up her mechanics and unlocking her power game, as well as setting out to become a legitimate runner and stolen base threat.
“The athlete you see now is a legitimate five-tool two-way player and stands alone as the only five-tool player in the country.”
Leah Cornish
Fellow Melville Braves athlete and WPBL draft pick, Leah Cornish, continues her rapid rise after another standout national campaign. Already known for her offensive production, Cornish has added another dimension to her game with significant growth as a power pitcher.
“She has put up numbers at every level she has played. She came back from a season playing in Canada with a fire and a real desire to win with WA,” Russell said.
“The biggest growth in her game has come on the mound. She has turned herself into one of the country’s best power arms and now lays her claim as a legitimate two-way player.”
Elodie O’Sullivan
For Elodie O’Sullivan, this selection represents both persistence and reward after narrowly missing the 2023 World Cup squad following a major foot injury.
Since then, O’Sullivan has rebuilt her game while playing professionally in Japan with Tokai Nexus, using the disappointment as motivation to push herself further.
“Over the last three years I’ve been really proud of the narrative I have written for myself,” O’Sullivan said.
“Being around a whole new level of passion, enjoyment and high standard of the game reminded me of what I want in a baseball environment and gave me an enhanced understanding of how to get the best out of myself.”
Russell said O’Sullivan’s professionalism and leadership have had a major impact on the WA program since arriving in the state.
“She operates at an extremely high standard and is an exceptional role model to the young generation of athletes coming through,” he said.
“She is one of the toughest outs in the country, an absolute competitor in the box and by far one of the toughest competitors in Australian baseball.”
Meaghan Haggart
Meaghan Haggart rounds out the WA contingent after another impressive tournament where she continued to establish herself as one of the nation’s premier arms. Haggart’s ability to both start and relieve provides valuable flexibility for the Emeralds pitching staff.
“She has continued to develop herself into one of the country’s stronger arms,” Russell said. “For a long time she was known for her ability to spin the baseball but has since been able to add some velocity to help get hitters off the breaking ball.”
“After hitting a career-best 73mph at nationals she is primed and ready to make an impact with the Emeralds.”
The 2026 Emeralds roster features 13 players with previous World Cup experience, seven debutants and an average age of just 25.8 years old.
For Western Australia, the selections reinforce the continued growth of the state’s women’s program and provide another example of the pathway now available for female athletes across the country.
For more information, head to baseball.com.au.