After Wichita State breakout season, CC Wong named to Canada National Softball Team
When CC Wong picked Wichita State from the transfer portal, she was coming off a softball season with a .288 batting average, zero home runs and seven RBIs.
The Shockers gambled that Wong would return to the hitter she had been in the junior-college ranks, while Wong felt more empowered than ever by a coaching staff led by Kristi Bredbenner that believed in her.
In the end, WSU reaped the benefits of an All-American season at the top of its lineup and Wong enjoyed a breakout year that earned her the Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference after hitting .470 with 14 home runs, 53 runs and 50 RBIs.
Her turnaround in Wichita also vaulted Wong, a native of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, onto the Canadian Women’s National Softball Team, which was announced by Softball Canada on Tuesday. She is the just the second former WSU player (Sydney McKinney, USA) to be named to a national team.
“It means the world. Being able to play for my country is the biggest honor that I could (dream of),” Wong said. “I wouldn’t be here without Wichita State.
“When you go into the transfer portal, you don’t know what’s going to be on the other side. Is the grass greener on the other side? You don’t know. But for me, it was. (WSU) took a chance on me, and they helped me see the potential of what I could do and it’s all props to them for this year.”
Wong will join Team Canada for a busy summer that will see them play in the P5 Colorado event from June 26-28 in Fort Collins, Colo., the Canada Cup from July 1-7 in British Columbia and the Women’s Softball World Cup from July 11-26 in Italy.
She told local media on Tuesday that she had actually tried out for the national team last summer, but was cut and given feedback on what to work on from coach Kaleigh Rafter, who is also an assistant coach at Florida State.
Since childhood, Wong had aspired to play for her country after watching her cousin, Jenn Salling, star for Team Canada. When WSU was recruiting Wong, Salling, now an assistant coach for UCF, put in a good word for her.
And now, just like her cousin, Wong will wear her country’s colors.
“It’s absolutely insane to think the dream I had as a little kid is now a reality,” Wong said. “Watching Jenn growing up was so cool, and now some of her teammates are my teammates. It’s so surreal to me that I can call them my teammates now. Jenn has been a mentor to me throughout this journey and someone I’ve looked up to all my life.”
Wong credits a focus on her mental health as a huge reason why she was able to perform so well for WSU. She worked extensively with Mallie Hall, a mental health and performance counselor in the athletic department, and that work translated to the best softball season in her career.
While her time in Wichita only lasted one year, Wong said it will always have a special place in her heart.
“For me, it was about mentally trying to get in a stronger place and everyone really helped me with that last fall,” Wong said. “When I was able to get my mental game in place, that’s when I was able to really compete and be like this, ‘OK, I can do this.’”
This story was originally published June 18, 2024 at 7:47 PM.
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