Sara Riske

Biography

Sara Riske began her collegiate career at Eastern Arizona College, where in her freshman year her .519 batting average was 7^th among all NJCAA players. She went 18-2 as a starting pitcher, earning National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Second Team honours. Riske transferred to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne for 2010-11. In her junior season at IPFW, she broke the single season school record for at-bats (155) and runs scored (35). She was named Softball British Columbia’s Senior Athlete of the Year in 2010 while a member of the White Rock Renegades. Riske joined Team Canada in 2013 for the World Cup of Softball, Canadian Open, and Pan Am Championships. At the 2014 World Championship she batted .294 and scored 4 runs in 8 games.

 PERSONAL

Family: Parents Jack and Susan Hopwood… Older sister Kayce Hopwood… Partner Leah Riske… Getting into the Sport: Started playing softball at age 5… Her mother enrolled her in t-ball but her father had played baseball and her grandfather had played softball competitively… Has wanted to represent Canada since attending the Canadian Open with her dad and getting players to sign the foul ball he caught… Outside Interests: Attended Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne… During the off season likes to play recreational volleyball, read, take her dog on adventures and give softball lessons/clinics… Instructor at Yale Softball Academy, Power Zone, and part-time personal trainer… Odds and Ends: Inspired by her grandfather who always told softball stories and taught her the importance of good work ethic and that anything is possible… Nicknames: Hop, Hoppy… Favourite quote: “Just keep swimming.” (from Finding Nemo)…

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL RESULTS