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Team Canada stacked with Lower Mainland talent

This year's version of Team Canada features a slew of headliners and superstars from around Greater Vancouver.

*Here are some quick profiles of Team Canada's hometown heroes at the 2012 Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship:

Jocelyn Cater - Delta

Since we last saw Cater at the 2011 tournament, she was brought in as a relief pitcher in Oklahoma City earning the win for Team Canada against USA in a ESPN televised event. She signed with the University of Washington and will be heading to Seattle for the 2012/13 season, and she helped the Senior Team Canada earn a silver medal at the Pan Am Games in Mexico and the competed as part of Junior Team Canada at the world junior nationals in South Africa.

She's been compared to Canada's top pitcher, Danielle Lawrie (also a Washington product), and her UW coach believes she may be one of the best pitchers he has ever seen.

Jenn Yee - North Delta

Jennifer Yee is one of the longest-running athletes on Team Canada. She began playing in the Canadian Open Fastpitch tournament when it was called the Canada Cup, in the Futures division, in 2004. She completed her degree at Georgia Tech in Materials Science and Engineering and was one of the strongest college players in the NCAA. In 2010, she was named a top three finalist for the NCAA Player of the Year and was the top hitter in the NCAA that season.

She also helped Team Canada at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Melanie Matthews - Surrey

One of the most consistent players from Team Canada, Matthews went to SFU and is well-known for her calm and sportsmanlike demeanor. She's currently an accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and she still manages to fit training in between her hectic work hours.

She graduated from SFU in 2008 and was part of the school's successful fastpitch teams, which won the gold medal (2005) and silver medal (2004) at the NAIA National Championships. In those championships, she led the NAIA in batting average, runs per game, doubles per game, home runs per game, slugging percentage and total bases per game in her final season.

As proof of her sporting genes, Matthews' dad was also drafted by the Los Angeles Kings, who currently lead the Stanley Cup Final, 1-0, over the New Jersey Devils.

Kelsey Haberl - Burnaby

Haberl finished off a very successful Senior season at SFU, setting very strong offensive numbers that put her in the top five to graduate from SFU and one of their best first base players, helping SFU finish at second place in their standings.

Haberl originally played for the Burnaby Oakeys and later for Surrey Storm. She has played at the Canada Cup (now Canadian Open Fastpitch Championship) since 2006, when she played in the Showcase division.

Kelsey Bryant – Surrey

Bryant currently plays infield for the University of Southern Utah. Before that move, she played two years at the College of Southern Idaho where she led her team to a pair of second-place conference finishes. She formerly competed in softball (and five other sports) at Sullivan Heights High School.

Marina Demore – Richmond

Demore is a former student of Point Grey Secondary in Vancouver. She currently pitches for Oregon State University, where she started 14 games and made 22 appearances in her 2011 sophomore year.

She was a two-time gold medal winner as a member of Team B.C. and helped the team to four national championships.

Corrine Doornberg – Langley

Doornberg plays outfield for the University of Mississippi, and she played on the 2012 Canadian Senior Women’s National Team and the 2007 Canadian Junior Women’s National Team. She also won a gold medal with Team B.C. at the 2009 Summer Games, and has been a member of both the Delta Heat and White Rock Renegades.

(*Information provided by the Canadian Open.)