Nearly every player dreams of being able to represent their country at the highest levels. For Julia Kwakernaak, the dream is becoming a reality.

In her first season at LSUA, Kwakernaak has put up gaudy numbers, including an average of .503, 13 home runs, and 62 runs batted in. She was named the RRAC Player of the Year, alongside earning First Team All-RRAC honors.  At Indian Hills Community College, Kwakernaak was an NJCAA and NFCA All-American.

This past summer, the junior from The Hague, Netherlands, suited up for the Netherlands' U-22 squad in their run to a European Championship. Netherlands defeated rival Italy 5-1 with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the eighth. It was the Netherlands' first title since 2016.

Kwakernaak hit .476 over eight games with three home runs and seven batted in. One of her home runs was a game-tying blast in the final against Italy. In 17 total games with the U-22 squad, Kwakernaak has posted an average of .457 with six home runs and 18 runs driven in. 

It's not the first time Kwakernaak has donned a Netherlands jersey; she has been representing her country since she was 14.

"I started in the Under-15, we played in Croatia and won the Under-16 European Championships," Kwakernaak said. "I went to Peru for the World Championships with the Under-19s. But this [the U-22 European Championship] was kind of the biggest accomplishment that we've made."

The selection process is similar to Major League Baseball's Spring Training. Approximately 40 players are brought in and compete for spots on the roster as players are cut to form the final squad.

"It's really competitive," recalled Kwakernaak. "You have players who make the pre-selection and have never been on a national team, and want to try and make the team. For players who have made the teams before, we know the process and how things work, but I know a player who made the last four teams and didn't make this last one."

Competition between players extends past the selection process as they battle for spots in the starting lineup.

The U-22 squad played exhibitions against top-level club teams to prepare for their international play and hosted the German national team. 

Outside of playing for the Netherlands Junior National teams, Kwakernaak has played for Sparks Haarlem of Hoofdklasse Softbal, the highest club competition in the Netherlands. 

Kwakernaak competes with and against her younger sister, Lizzy, who is a pitcher and infielder for Neptunus.  

"It's competitive," Kwakernaak said. "We don't play for the same club team, so we end up playing each other. I hit an inside-the-park home run against her; she thought it was foul. It was down the right field line, and their right fielder dove for it, and it went to the wall. I don't know how many times I've heard the ball was foul. She struck me out looking, and I said, okay, we are kind of even. You know, we are sisters and best friends, but we are still both really competitive. It helps us push each other when we play together in the national program."

Kwakernaak has competed for the Netherlands in the European Championships with the U-16, U-18, U-19, and U-22 teams, as well as the U-19 World Championship.

"When I started playing for the Under-16, I didn't really think I was going to make the team," said Kwakernaak. "I was young, only 14, when I joined the team. I didn't expect to make the team, so I was just out there having fun, and I turned out to be the tournament MVP, which was pretty cool. I think, at that point, I was just having fun. I didn't think about stats or what it meant to be playing for my country or, you know, our rivalry with Italy."

As she got older and her experience mounted, Kwakernaak's expectations rose.

"When I played for the U-18, the Netherlands were the last team to win a European Championship," Kwakernaak noted. "There was a lot of pressure on us, thinking we would win it again. As a team, we struggled. Then, with the U-22, we came in third with a bronze medal. We knew we wanted more, and so this summer, we were definitely working towards gold. Everyone expected us to play well, which brought a different mindset. I expected more of myself."

Kwakernaak's goal, she says, is to represent the Netherlands at the highest stage and earn a spot on the National roster.