Surrey knuckleballer first female in West Coast League

Claire Eccles steps in front of the mound for acouple of easy tosses before signalling she's ready to pitch.

The catcher prepares for the delivery, neither really knowing where her knuckleball is headed.

And that's the point.

"It's dancing!" the catcher blurts out after snagging the ballthat dipped sharply before returning it to Eccles. She flashes aquick smile and heads back to the rubber.

A member of both the UBC Thunderbirds softball team and the Canadian women's baseball team, that knuckleball is why Eccles will be wearing another hat this summer after the Victoria HarbourCats announced Tuesday that the 19-year-old from Surrey, B.C., has joined the club for the 2017 West Coast League season.

Eccles will be the first female to compete in the 11-team circuitthat's home to mostly men's university players from the UnitedStates and Canada, including some who have been drafted by majorleague clubs.

She will also be the first Canadian woman to suit up at thislevel.

"A 100per cent Claire is good enough to play on our team," saidHarbourCats general manager Brad Norris-Jones."Is it going to be achallenge for Claire? Absolutely.

"We're just going to get everyone involved and show that in 2017,this isn't different.This isn't weird. It's normal."

Eccles, who has a baseball subtly tattooed behind her right ear, was intrigued when Norris-Jones first reached out.

But theleft-hander, who also throws a two-seam fastball and a curve, wanted to make sure she would be getting a real shot.

"I was obviously a little skeptical," she said."You have to wonder: 'Is this just for their ownpublicity?' Brad said I'd get fair opportunities and it's not just for show."

Knuckleballcompetes

Like many knuckleballers, Eccles fell into the pitch almost byaccident.

"All the kids would try and throw a knuckleball," she said. "I played around with it and it eventually turned into something Icould use."

"If we strictly went on her velocity, I don't think she could compete at this level," said Norris-Jones. "But her knuckleball definitelycompetes at this level."

Eccles' fastball tops out at around 76 m.p.h. for comparison,major-leaguers regularly throw in the 90s but the knuckleball ismore about minimizing spin than maximizing speed. The pitch istricky for batters to read because of the ball's erratic movement.

Idol Ichiro

Eccles counts Ichiro Suzuki as her sporting idol andplayed onboys' teams until Grade 8 when her parents made her switch tosoftball.

Growing up her goal was to play in the major leagues. Notwanting their daughter's hopes to get too high, her mom explainedthat wasn't possible.

The tears soon followed.

"I don't think she was trying to crush my dreams," said Eccles. "She was just trying to be more realistic."

Playing for the HarbourCats wasn't what she ended up setting hersights on, but now that the opportunity is here, she plans on makingthe most of it on the field and as a role model.

"I want to get it out there that girls can play baseball," she said."Hopefullythis paves the way for other girls in the future."