On Wednesday, May 15 at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, legendary multisport Prince George athlete Amanda Asay will be posthumously inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame for her accomplishments in baseball. Asay, who died two years ago in a skiing accident near Nelson, became a member of the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame at the latest induction ceremony in April. In preparation for that local ceremony, the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame committee wrote the following tribute to Asay and her remarkable sporting career.
Trailblazer might not do this inductee justice.
Whether it was on the ball diamond, at the hockey rink or in the classroom, Amanda Asay gave it everything she had.
Heralded as one of the best athletes to ever come out of Prince George, Asay was part of the Canadian women’s national baseball team from 2005 to 2021 as a pitcher and first baseman.
Asay helped Canada capture five Women’s Baseball World Cup medals (two silver and three bronze) and played a key role in the nation’s silver-medal performance at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.
Andre Lachance, who coached Asay at the national level as well as internationally, recalled one performance that stands out to this day.
“The World Cup in 2016, the semi-finals where we played against Taiwan and she pitched a masterful game to allow us to play for the gold medal against Japan right after, is one of the best performances I saw of Amanda,” Lachance said.
Another gem was in 2019 when Asay pitched a complete game for Canada during a women’s World Cup qualifying tournament in Mexico.
Asay was a two-time winner of Baseball Canada’s female player of the year award (2006 and 2016). In 2017, Baseball America ranked her seventh overall in the world among female baseball players – and she was the only Canadian named to the list.
Asay also played hockey and softball for Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, for three years (2006 to 2009), earning a bachelor's degree in science while on a four-year academic scholarship. Her teammates at Brown called her “Barb Ruth” because of her success as a power hitter. Asay continued her studies at the University of British Columbia, where she attained a master’s degree in science and a PhD in forestry while playing two seasons for the Thunderbirds hockey team (2010 to 2012).
The revered multi-sport athlete also suited up for the Northern Penguins of the South Coast Women’s Hockey League. And with baseball, she spent two years in Melbourne, Australia, playing for the Footscray ladies and men’s teams. She was named Most Valuable Player in 2018.
Sadly, Asay passed away following a skiing accident near Nelson in January of 2022. She was living and working in the community at the time.
In March of 2022, the Prince George Community Foundation launched the Dr. Amanda Asay Memorial Award.
At the time of her passing, at age 33, Asay was the longest-serving member of the Baseball Canada women’s national team program.
“Amanda was an amazing person who meant a great deal to our program,” Lachance said. “She was a competitor who possessed all of the characteristics that you look for in a baseball player.
"She was versatile, intelligent and competitive, and rose to the challenge on many occasions. Above all, she was a terrific person who will leave a lasting impact on many people, not only with the women's national team program but all of those who were lucky enough to meet her."
Asay was named to the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in October 2023.
The 2024 class of inductees also includes in the athletes category Justin Morneau (baseball), Ryan Cochrane (swimming), Casie Sharpe (freeestyle skiing) and Richard Zokol (golf), as well as builders/coaches Beverly Felske (ringette), Dr. Bob McCormack (sports medicine) and Wayne Norton (baseball).
The May 15 ceremony will also induct in the team category the 1998 Langley Little League All-Stars (boys baseball) and the 1921-22 Vancouver Amazons (women’s ice hockey.
