Courtland’s Tosha Hains featured on Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame panel discussion

Tosha Hains marks the count during the 2025 Women’s Summer Games. (Kim Opheim Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Post Correspondent

Judging by her resume, Tosha Hains’ participation on the 2026 Canadian Women In Baseball Panel Discussion may not be her only association with the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (CBHF).

But it’s a good starting point.

“Just being considered to do this panel is quite humbling,” said the Courtland native, describing herself as both pleased and surprised. “But very honoured.”

The virtual panel is scheduled on National Girls & Women in Sport Day Wednesday, February 4 at 7 p.m., hosted by the CBHF in conjunction with Rawlings Canada. It features four women with significant impact in the sport on the field, behind the scenes and in MLB front offices discussing their work how they got there. The event will be streamed via Zoom and is free of charge although donations are welcome. Interested persons need to pre-register via baseballhalloffame.ca, pulling down the ‘What’s On’ option near the top, middle of the website, and from there, clicking on Canadian Women In Baseball under the ‘News’ heading.

Invited for her pioneering and ongoing work as a woman umpire, Hains will joined by Baseball Canada Women’s National Team centre fielder Sena Catterall, consultant, on-air analyst and former Director of Major League Ops. for the New York Mets Liz Benn, and Andrea Goldstein, Vice-President of Communications for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The then Tosha Winters began playing fastball in Tillsonburg, enjoying the sport but not the travel required as she moved into older age divisions. Wanting to stay in the game she loved, Hains began umpiring as a teenager in 1988. Traditionally, female umpires began and stayed in fastball, men doing baseball. However, Hains received zero push-back when she broke an invisible barrier by umpiring the latter, in fact was welcomed to do so.

“It was ‘Oh great, another umpire,’” recalled Hains, who several years later, would also be the first woman baseball umpire in London. “I was blessed to be in Tillsonburg that way.”

Setting her sights high, Hains attended the Brinkman/Froemming Professional Umpire school in Cocoa Beach, Florida first in 1992, and again in 1994 as the lone woman on both occasions. One of three professional umpiring schools at the time, its five-week course was the first qualifier for a selection process for a second six-week program, and thence onward for potential job offers at the minor league level, the first step toward the ultimate goal of a major league umpiring career.

“It was boot camp,” said Hains, who quickly realized how much she still had to learn about baseball.

The experience, while tough, was also productive despite the fact she did not advance. Hains did however form friendships and facilitate positive networking that would lead to other opportunities, while also advancing her own understanding of her craft.

“That gave me the confidence and skills to become a better umpire and move into the national program.”

She joined the Baseball Canada national program in 1988, the starting point for a full count’s worth of lifetime achievements. Hains umpired her first national championship in 1999, going on to umpire/supervise 10 such events. She was the first woman to umpire in Ontario’s Inter-County Baseball League, the first in the Frontier League (1999) and in 2005, became the first woman to umpire in the Canada Cup, first to do so twice with a 2024 return. Hains officiated at the 2001 International Women’s World Series in Toronto, working with USA catcher Jen Pawol during the gold medal game. Pawol went on to be the first woman umpire at the MLB level. In 2022, Hains umpired during the Women’s Team Canada versus Team USA Friendship Series and also had home plate for the historic first game at the 2025 Women’s Summer Games in Newfoundland.

“It was just incredible,” said Hains. “The whole game was electric on the field and in the stands.”

She is also a Baseball Canada Master Course Conductor and Umpire Supervisor.

In short, Hains has been a pioneering woman in a male-dominated space, breaking through glass ceilings and creating a roadmap for others to follow.

“It hasn’t been easy, but it has been worth it.”

As an illustrative point, Hains referred to the national level certification course she attended for years with fellow umpire Lisa Turbitt.

“We always knew who we’d be rooming with because there was only the two of us.”

That was the case for years said Hains, but more recently, they were two of nine women at the event. Modest change perhaps, slow in coming, but undeniably, change Hains has been a role model for, humbled when other women umpires tell her there are there, ‘because of her.’

“Being that mentor, being that person someone turns to is satisfying.”

Hains is inspired by the enthusiasm of young women umpires, encouraged to see them taking advantage of the opportunities she and others like Turbitt created.

“We’re passing that torch and these girls who are picking it up and taking it forward are going to be able to do so much more than we did. We got to shine a little bit, but they’re going to shine even more.”

Hains and husband Blair, also a national level umpire, reside in Milton and have one son. She is grateful for the many opportunities umpiring has afforded her - admittedly would accept one more international assignment as a career ‘pinnacle’ - and sustained by her love for the game.

“I loved playing but I think I love umpiring more,” Hains concluded. “It’s just a different side of the game.”