Incoming Ole Miss softball freshman Avery Tucker has been selected to represent the Canadian national team, as Softball Canada announced its roster ahead of summer competition on Friday.
Tucker was named to the roster as one of 16 athletes, who are also joined by an additional two alternates. Tucker joins the national team as team Canada enters the 2026 WBSC Softball World Cup group stage in group A, hosted in Prague, Czech Republic.
Team Canada is one of five other nations competing in the group, alongside Australia, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Czech Republic and Italy. Tucker and team Canada will open up action on Tuesday, June 16 at 12 p.m. local time, or 5 a.m. CT at Svoboda Ballpark. The top two teams from each of the groups A, B, and C, as well as two wild card teams, will advance to the 2027 Women’s Softball World Cup finals that are hosted in Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia, from April 5 to 11, 2027.
Team Canada has several more upcoming events on the calendar, including exhibitions against team Japan in Japan, as well as competing in both the Canada Cup from July 4 to 14 in Vancouver, Canada and the Oklahoma City World Cup at Devon Park from July 27 to August 4.
Ranked as the No. 90 player in the nation by Softball America at the time of signing, Tucker will bring an elite pedigree to the Rebels next season. A four-time first team All-Region and All-State honoree, Tucker previously competed for the Canadian U-18 Women’s National Softball Team, while simultaneously becoming a key outfielder for her club team Texas Bombers Gold.
Tucker is not the only member of her family to represent Canada on the world stage, as her mother Ardin competed for the Canadian national team in track & field her brother, Nate Riech also competed as a member of the Canadian national paralympic team.