Being a girl hasn鈥檛 gotten in the way of 15-year-old Lexi Fenske when it comes to playing baseball.
Fenske is a rookie pitcher for the Parkland Expos Midget AAA baseball team. When the team is on the field, Fenske stands out - not only for being a fierce pitcher, but also because she鈥檚 the only female on the team. She鈥檚 also the only female in the entire Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League.聽
鈥淚 started playing competitive baseball when I was four or five,鈥� Fenske said. 鈥淚 played all the way up and I鈥檝e always played on guys鈥� teams.鈥� She said she鈥檚 always played triple-A, but this is her first year in the Midget age group.
Fenske said at this point, she鈥檚 just used to it. The toughest challenge she鈥檚 faced over the years as a female playing on male-dominant teams was this year when she came to the Expos.聽
鈥淎ll the way up, I鈥檝e always played in Melville. So I鈥檝e always gone to school with the guys,鈥� Fenske explained. Since the Expos are a team mixed of Yorkton, Melville and Parkland-area athletes, there were some unfamiliar faces playing with her.聽
鈥淏ut at the same time, once you get to know them, they鈥檙e great guys and great people,鈥� she said about her Expo teammates.聽
Those teammates don鈥檛 hesitate to stick up for Fenske whenever opposing teams have something to say.聽
Fenske said she gets those reactions all the time when she steps up to the mound.
鈥淵ou hear little things from the other dugout like 鈥榯here鈥檚 a girl pitching.鈥� But once you start throwing, and maybe even strike a couple out, then they鈥檙e like 鈥榦h, she can throw.鈥欌�澛�
But the Expos always come to her defense.聽
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 let them get away with anything,鈥� she said.聽
Expos鈥� head coach Mark Jacobs said he had absolutely no hesitation in adding Fenske to his roster.
鈥淎nyone that can pitch and is capable, which she definitely is, there鈥檚 no second thought. If she鈥檚 capable, I don鈥檛 care if it鈥檚 a boy, girl, whatever,鈥� said Jacobs.
鈥淸Lexi] contacted us saying she wanted to have a go at tryouts, and we said sure. We knew she was a pitcher coming in, so we thought if she shows us something then we鈥檙e going to take her because we need pitchers at this level,鈥� he said.聽
Jacobs added that Fenske is an asset to the team because she seems to be able to pitch every day if they need her to. When the team plays four games in two days, they need that depth on the bench.聽
Fenske said her strength as a pitcher is her hand.
鈥淚鈥檓 pretty good at throwing it where it needs to be. And I can change up the speeds pretty well,鈥� she said.聽
With the addition of the Pink Panthers, an all-girl rookie baseball team, to Yorkton Minor Baseball last year, the future is bright for more female baseball players just like Fenske.聽
She said if teams like that had been around when she was younger, she would have enjoyed getting to play all-girl. But for her, the only other option was all-girl softball.
鈥淭he only reason I didn鈥檛 go to girls softball was because I didn鈥檛 want to give up pitching,鈥� said Fenske.聽
鈥淚f I was younger and growing up with a girls baseball team around, I would have played on that team and it would have been cool to play all-girl right off the bat,鈥� she added.
