EAST STROUDSBURG – After helping lead the East Stroudsburg University softball team to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, former ESU softball standout Denva Shaw-Tait will represent her home country as a member of the New Zealand White Sox at the Canada Cup in British Columbia from July 1-7.
The Canada Cup International Softball Championship is operated by the Canadian Amateur Sport Society, a registered not-for-profit society dedicated to advocating and encouraging the development of the sport of softball by staging a first class, family oriented elite international fastpitch event.
"I'm really excited to represent my country," Shaw-Tait said of the opportunity. "I think I've grown a lot as a ball player these past few years, so I'm really grateful I get the chance to showcase my skills and compete with and against the best of the best."
Shaw-Tait helped the Warriors to a 156-79 record in five seasons from 2019-20 and 2022-24, missing the 2021 season due to staying in her native country during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She started in 208 games at ESU and appeared in 211 contests, posting a .340 batting average with 49 hits and 26 RBIs this season. In total, the utility infielder accumulated a .305 batting average with 180 hits, 40 doubles, 14 home runs and 104 RBIs during her impactful time as a Warrior that saw an NCAA DII Atlantic Region Championship in 2023 and back-to-back PSAC regular season championships.
Shaw-Tait is no stranger to international play, playing for the White Sox in 2017 and 2018 in various tournaments.
Shaw-Tait's mother, Kiri, competed in the 2000 Olympics in for the White Sox, with New Zealand placing sixth in the tournament with Denva watching in the crowd as just a nine-month-old. Kiri Shaw captained multiple teams that competed at the world championships. Kiri is currently the head coach of New Zealand's Junior White Sox Team. Denva's father played softball for the men's New Zealand national team on the Black Sox.
The bloodline doesn't end there, with Denva's grandmother, Naomi serving as a captain on New Zealand's women's softball's world championship in 1982 and later served as the head coach for the junior White Sox U19 team in 1995, an assistant coach of the White Sox from 1992-98 and became head coach in 2010-14, helping New Zealand to two world championship appearances.
Naomi was inducted into the Softball New Zealand Hall of Fame in 2001 and the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame in 2010. Her 1982 New Zealand women's team was admitted to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
Denva, Kiri and Naomi are the first family to produce three generations of New Zealand White Sox softballers, with Denva's younger sister and her two brothers representing New Zealand in the sport of softball.
So how did Denva end up as an East Stroudsburg Warrior? ESU Softball Head Coach and world traveler Jaime Wohlbach played professionally in 15-plus countries with a sixth month stay in each stint, trekking to the Land of the Long White Cloud to play for Hawke's Bay during the Winter of 2003. Wohlbach played against Kiri Shaw and later played for Naomi Shaw as a catcher on her all-star team. Since leaving New Zealand, Wohlbach stays connected with the Shaw's and continues to make trips to New Zealand to work with softball players and recruit players to the United States.
"I met Denva when she was a little kid in New Zealand, and to see her grow over the years, and then have the opportunity to coach her here at ESU, has been fun," said Wohlbach. "Denva brought so much joy to the team with her likable personality and athletic skills, while also sharing the kiwi culture with all of us. She has made best friends with her teammates, made history with a World Series run, and will have memories, friends and family for a lifetime. Being a 24-hour flight away from New Zealand to East Stroudsburg, takes a strong-willed student, to trust the process, and commit to conquering a goal that most would struggle to do.
"Denva set an example for other Kiwi's to dream big," Wohlbach continued. Personally, knowing her family, Denva competing in the Canada Cup for the White Sox is an honor for the whole family. She left her mark in our program, and we will miss her dearly, but we are so excited for her to compete at the next level. Once a Warrior, always a Warrior!"
Denva and the White Sox open their time in Canada on Mon., July 1 against Team Canada. Other countries competing include, Chinese Taipei, Israel, Czechia, Mexico, Australia, Greece, Hong Kong, the Philippines, along with teams representing Colorado and Saskatchewan.
