She was ready to start her California adventure, but then COVID-19 threw a curveball.
Caley Leslie’s plans changed in early 2020 due to the global pandemic after she formally committed to playing college softball in the United States, even getting to the point of possibly hanging up her cleats completely.
However, after a year of soul-searching, growing and practicing, the Prince George product has decided to keep pursuing her diamond dreams and will head south of the border in fall 2021.
The 18-year-old will play for Orange Coast College (OCC) in sunny Costa Mesa, more than 60 km south of Los Angeles, a dream that seemed bleak more than a year ago.
“I definitely thought for a minute that my softball career was done and I was having an identity crisis trying to figure out my life without it,” Leslie explained in an interview with PrinceGeorgeMatters.
However, as youth sports slowly reopened to training and practices in a safe way, the pitcher’s passion for softball came back with the chance to expand her talents.
“I reached out to Northern Baseball Training and the guys there and improved my swing and power drastically. I also really took the time to be a student of the game and watch as many softball games on YouTube as I could. I take what I see those pitchers doing in the games and try to apply it to my pitching.”
So Leslie put in the work to gain her strength in all aspects of the game, already building on many years of experience across different clubs and opportunities.
She’s an alumna of the Prince George Thunderbirds program across various divisions, which included a silver medal at the 2019 Under-16 girls provincial ‘B’ championships.
Her résumé also includes stints with Delta Baseball Academy and the White Rock Renegades.
In 2015, Leslie toured the states of Georgia and Alabama with Canada’s best upcoming prospects in a series of exhibition contests.
At 13 years old, she was one of the youngest members of the 36-player roster and one of six from Prince George.
To finally see everything come to fruition in achieving her goals means more to Leslie than a signature on a piece of paper.
“Finally being able to pursue my dreams of playing collegiate level softball means a ton to me,” the 2020 Prince George Secondary graduate remarked.
“It reminds me of the hard work I have put in and the sacrifices my family and I have made to get me here. It is also special to me because I want to be a role model for other young girls in northern B.C. who have hopes of playing at a collegiate level somewhere.”
Leslie is joining an OCC fastpitch program that’s currently in rebuild mode.
As of this publication (April 27), the Pirates are 1-7 in its 2021 altered schedule; last year, they finished 2-9 in 11 games before COVID-19 cancelled the remaining 17.
She’s played across multiple positions in addition to her primary role as pitcher and believes she’s ready to play wherever she’s needed.
“I am really excited to be able to improve both sides of my game under some really great coaches. I think what makes me unique is that I am a two-way player and can be very versatile. Typically pitchers just pitch and that’s it, whereas I also swing for power and can play the infield.”
The OCC Pirates are part of the eight-team Orange Empire Conference within the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA).
Off the field, Leslie plans to study athletic training with plans to transfer to athletic management, hoping to give back to softball as a coach down the line.
