Amanda Asay

Amanda Karlene Asay (May 16, 1988 – January 7, 2022) was a Canadian baseball and ice hockey player. She was on the Canada women's national baseball team from 2005 to 2021 and was its longest-serving member at the time of her death. She batted and threw right-handed, and played at catcher, first base, and starting pitcher.

Asay joined the national team when she was 17 years old. She played in the World Cup one year later, when she was named to the all-tournament team as first baseman and won the national team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. She competed in six more World Cup tournaments, earning two silver and three bronze medals. She was also part of the team that won a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games. At the 2016 World Cup, she played as a pitcher, won both her starts by pitching complete games, and again won the team MVP award.

After Asay died in a skiing accident in 2022, Baseball Canada retired her jersey number in her honour at a memorial game. She was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Early life and education Born in Prince George, British Columbia on May 16, 1988, to parents Loris and George, Amanda Asay was raised with her brother, Brad. Her father worked as a high school science teacher; her mother was a nurse. Asay began playing baseball when she was five competing for Prince George East in Little League Baseball, a local boys baseball league, and the Prince George Knights rep team.

Asay attended College Heights Secondary School in her hometown graduating with a Bachelor of Science in 2010. and a Doctor of Philosophy in forestry in 2020.

Playing career

Collegiate Brown University, 2007–2010 Asay competed in softball for Brown University from 2007 to 2010 playing as first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter. In her first season, she had the most runs batted in (RBIs) on the team with 16, along with 20 hits and 8 runs scored in 42 games played. Asay was limited to eight games the following year due to an injury that prematurely ended her season, but maintained a .435 batting average with 10 hits and six RBIs. Her 2009 season was also shortened to six games because of another season-ending injury. Asay had 10 hits, two home runs, six RBIs, and six runs scored in 13 at bats. She served as team captain during her senior year. She also played in the South Coast Senior Women's 'AA' Hockey League for the Northern Penguins team.

Canada national baseball team Asay joined the Canada national team in 2005. One year later, she made her World Cup debut at the tournament in Taiwan and helped the team win bronze. Asay was a first baseman, designated hitter, and backup as catcher. Later that year, she was a finalist for the Tip O'Neill Award, given by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame to the top Canadian player of the year. She posted a 1.00 earned run average (ERA) and 16 strikeouts. Offensively, she had a .333 batting average with two doubles and three RBIs. The team advanced to the gold medal match of the women's tournament, losing 11–3 against the United States. She pitched innings in relief and recorded an RBI in the final.

In 2016, Asay was again a finalist for the Tip O'Neill Award In 2020, Baseball Canada honoured her with the Ashley Stephenson Award for her leadership on the 2019 team. At the time of her death, Asay was the longest-serving member of the Canadian team, having played for 16 years.

Personal life and death Asay appeared alongside her supervisor Suzanne Simard in the documentary film Intelligent Trees. She was employed as a forester for the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and Rural Development in Nelson, British Columbia. She played hockey there in the winter of 2021–22. She had fallen into a tree well while skiing at the nearby Whitewater Ski Resort. Two months later, the Canadian women's baseball team wore a patch bearing the word "Ace", Asay's nickname, on the right sleeve of their jersey in a series of games against the United States.

Baseball Canada organised a memorial game in her honour in September 2022. In 2024, she was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame and the following year she was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.