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TORONTO — Ashley Stephenson sees snapshots of “monumental moments” in her career.

The first time she put on a Canadian jersey. Standing on the field in Edmonton and singing the anthem during the first Women’s Baseball World Cup in 2004. Winning a silver medal at home in the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. There’s no shortage of moving experiences to choose from.

Then something happened in St. Marys, Ontario, this year, and all those great memories took a back seat.

“That weekend in the Hall of Fame just knocked them all out of the park, no pun intended,” said Stephenson. “Those other things were so impactful, but the Hall of Fame, it lasts forever, right?”

Monumental is the right word here.

A member of Canada’s original women’s National Team, Stephenson made history on June 15, when she became the first woman to make it into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. It was the peak of a lifetime of dedication, as well as some overdue praise for the squad that started this whole movement in 2004.

“Honestly, I was so proud, because it was recognition — finally — for a woman, whether it was me or my teammates who are going to follow,” said Stephenson. “For the work we’ve been doing for 20 years, the sacrifices made. We’re damn good ballplayers, and lots of people don’t know that we play ball. Lots of people don’t know we exist.”

At this point, Stephenson is pretty hard to ignore.

Retired as a player since 2018, the 41-year-old is in her second season as a position coach with High-A Vancouver, a job that has come with its own set of rewards and learning curves. She’s getting the hang of it, though.

“Last year, I was really just trying to keep my head above water, learn as much as I could and be as helpful as possible,” said Stephenson. “ … I’m doing more this year. I’m able to take on more tasks and show more initiative, because I understand how [things] run. But yeah, I’ve learned a ton. Brent [Lavallee, manager] has been awesome to work with and the players have really been great.”

Sixteen years as a physical education teacher have proven useful when working with big league hopefuls in their early days as pros. One key element Stephenson has centered on is trust.

“This is their career. This is their dream,” said Stephenson. “So they’re not just going to listen to anybody because I have a sticker on it that says ‘coach.’ You have to build those relationships. So I work really hard to find those connections in any way I can.”

That process takes different forms from player to player. It can be as simple as a shared love of hockey or as unexpected as giving French lessons to Latin Americans.

“It’s something that I never thought I would connect with them over,” Stephenson said with a laugh.

Call it a happy accident.

Looking to build bridges with every corner of the Canadians’ clubhouse, Stephenson risked a few words in Spanish to a couple of Latin guys at one point. They stared at her in utter confusion until she realized her mistake.

“They looked at me and I was like, ‘That’s French, not Spanish, is it?’ And they laughed,” Stephenson said. “ … So they’re like, ‘Teach us some French!’ And they were so excited. So every day we learn something new.”

If all else fails, Stephenson can always find connection through the long, winding road that is life in baseball. Of all people, she can relate to the sacrifices that go into it.

That’s what made that Hall of Fame moment so surreal.

“This is an amazing time in women’s sports now, but 20 years ago, it wasn’t anything close to this,” said Stephenson. “You play because you love to play, but it is hard to sometimes be dismissed, almost. … I’m extremely honored to have been the first one, it’s kind of cool — I think that just means I’m the oldest — but yeah, it’s the pinnacle of a career.”

Stephenson was joined on the first National Team by fellow pioneers such as Kate Psota, Samantha Magalas, Geneviève Beauchamp and Karine Gagné. They paved the way for women like Stéphanie Savoie, Nicole Luchanski and the late Amanda Asay.

Now, Stephenson is helping develop a new wave of Canadian talent as a coach on the National Team, which captured bronze in the 2024 WBWC in Thunder Bay, Ontario, earlier this month.

The Hall of Fame wave started with Stephenson, but she wants everyone to know it shouldn’t end here.

“It just happened to be me, but it will be Kate, it will be Asay, it will be Luch, it will be Steph Savoie,” said Stephenson. “The list goes on and on and of people who will be there year after year — and deservedly so.”