Story by Todd Lindenmuth
Video by Christian Fox, '17
LongwoodLancers.com
 
FARMVILLE, Va. – One word comes to mind for Megan Baltzell when she talks about her recent experience at the 2016 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women's Baseball World Cup.
 
Unbelievable.
 
A sense of pride comes across the face of the energetic, happy-go-lucky Baltzell when speaking about her run with Team USA at the World Cup in Korea earlier this month. That pride stems partly from the enormous numbers she posted at the seven-game tournament, including an 11-for-25 (.440) performance at the plate with three doubles, one home run, eight runs scored and 14 RBI. But for Baltzell, who refused to allow her hardball pursuits to end after a record-setting collegiate career, it's about more than that.
 
A former All-American catcher at Longwood from 2012-15, Baltzell's journey from a diamond in the rough to shining star on the biggest stage in the growing sport of women's baseball has been an unbelievable trip in of itself.
 
A two-time Big South Player of the Year, Baltzell's path to women's baseball came after her professional softball career was abruptly cut short almost as soon as it began. Despite a career at Longwood that saw her finish at the top of the program's and Big South's charts in nearly every offensive category and rank among the top-10 all-time in NCAA history with 76 career home runs, Baltzell was overlooked when trying to pave her way into the pros.
 
After leading Longwood to its second Big South title in three seasons as a senior and helping the Lancers capture their first NCAA Tournament win over Commonwealth foe Virginia Tech, Baltzell turned her attention to professional softball. She impressed coaches and scouts at the National Pro Fastpitch League tryout, but the call to sign with one of the organization's six franchises never came.
 
With her career in the NPFL never coming to fruition, that led Baltzell down a different path – women's baseball.
 
"After I tried out last summer for various teams, I had a feeling that softball had kind of given up on me because I wasn't a big name that went to a big school," Baltzell said.
 
Finishing among the top five in the NCAA in home runs in back-to-back seasons and being the nation's only player with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases during her senior season, Baltzell wanted one more chance to prove her doubters wrong. She found that opportunity in a Team USA jersey.
 
"I knew that I wasn't done playing, and I knew that I wanted to showcase my abilities," Baltzell said. "I had the opportunity to represent my country and wear the red, white and blue, and that was enough motivation in itself."
 
Women's baseball is a growing sport in the United States with the Women's National Team being founded in 2004. While the game has existed throughout the United States since the post-World War II era, softball has long overshadowed its hardball counterpart despite women's baseball holding a national competition every other year.
 
The sport is growing, however, as the 2016 World Cup saw the largest field in the tournament's history. Team USA is one of two countries to win the World Cup since play began during that 2004 season, along with Japan, which has professional women's baseball leagues. Team USA won the World Cup title in the first two competitions – 2004 and 2006 – before Japan has captured the last five titles. In addition, the U.S. squad captured the gold medal at last year's Pan-American Games held in Toronto.
 
For Baltzell, it was a no-brainer to try her hand – and bat – at baseball, a sport she played as kid before moving to the softball field in high school. While the skills she brandished on the softball field at Longwood would translate to baseball, she still had work to do.
 
"Instead of working a 9-5 job, I trained in the gym and on the field," Baltzell said. "I was always trying to figure out how to make my hitting better, my throwing better. I was just trying to get myself as prepared as possible to go to tryouts."
 
According to Baltzell, the hardest part of switching from one sport to the other is the throwing mechanics, as she admitted to spiking a baseball straight into the ground the first time throwing.
 
"Honestly the throwing mechanics from softball to baseball is so different," Baltzell said. "That was a huge challenge for me. It took me quite a while to get over that."
 
While challenging, that transition wasn't enough to deter Baltzell from the game. A strong left-hander, she ended up both hitting and pitching after spending her entire college career behind the plate. Although she played solely in right field at the World Cup, Baltzell made several appearances for Team USA on the mound during exhibition games after being named to the squad.
 
More than two months after being named to the Team USA Trials roster, Baltzell took part in the final part of the tryout process in California with 38 players ranging in age from 16 to 42. In a room with all 38 hopefuls, Baltzell heard her name called as one of the players selected among the final 20-player roster to compete in the World Cup.
 
 "The coaches put us in a room and told us they were going to read off a list of 20 names," Baltzell described. "Once he read off our name, we had to leave the room and try to keep our cool. For me, once I was by myself, I just celebrated. It was the biggest relief for me because of all the work I poured into it."
 
A year of hard work paid off for Baltzell, who represented Longwood and her country on the biggest stage in the Women's Baseball World Cup. During the World Cup, Baltzell batted either third or cleanup in every game, helping Team USA go 6-1 in the tournament and outscore opponents 77-13 in seven games during WBSC play.
 
"It's a tremendous honor to wear Team USA's uniform," Baltzell said. "At the same time, it's a great thing for Longwood as well. I'm so appreciative of all the support, and I love coming back to campus."
 
She was among the Team USA leaders, hitting the first home run of the tournament and finishing with 14 RBI and a .440 average. However, for Baltzell, it wasn't just about the ridiculous numbers she posted; it was about the journey and opportunity to represent her country while playing the sport she's loved for as long as she can remember.
 
Baltzell describes an aura around the event, representing the United States abroad and a sense of pride that she's unable to truly put into words. 
 
"It's an honor," Baltzell said. "It's such a rare opportunity to represent your country playing the sport that you love and work so hard for. You walk onto the field and hear the national anthem. For me, I was taken aback and couldn't really believe I was there."
 
With the sport of women's baseball, which at this point is relatively unknown on the national level, growing, Baltzell had the opportunity with her teammates to assist in the growth of the game and make people, perhaps aspiring young baseball players like she once was, aware of the game.
 
Baltzell says that while she transitioned out of baseball after Babe Ruth League like many girls, several players on the United States roster and at tryouts have never played softball and have played solely baseball throughout their careers. That, of course, is rare but Baltzell explains that without women's baseball, many of those women wouldn't have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.
 
With baseball and softball recently added to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Baltzell and her teammates hope for the opportunity that they too will have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to represent their country on the world's biggest stage. She explains that having women's baseball in the game would spur more growth, raising more awareness and providing exposure for the sport.
 
"For our sport, the Olympics is the highest level you can attain," Baltzell explained. "Being able to experience the Olympics would be a dream and the crowning moment of my career. We're not sure if women's baseball will be there or not, but we're praying and crossing our fingers that it will be."
 
The diamond in the rough is now on full display on another diamond. Hardened and refined by her journey, Baltzell is only beginning to scratch the surface of her full potential. The former local softball star has taken to hardball to let her skills shine on an international stage.
 
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