News Stories

A summer of softball sprinkled with Kiwis

June 3, 2016

Saskatoon, SK - A summer of softball sprinkled with Kiwis


SASKATOON,SK--JULY 5 2015- Canada's Devon McCullough (24) throws a pitch during Canada's 10-5 win over New Zealand in the gold medal game at the 2015 World Softball Championship at Bob Van Impe Field on Sunday July 5th, 2015.(PETE YEE/STAR PHOENIX) Pete Yee / The StarPhoenix

 

ORIGINAL STORY by Mark Loehndorf

Last week was a busy one on the local softball front that unfortunately ended in disappointment with the cancellation of Saskatoon Minor Softball League’s annual Presidents Tournament on Sunday.

SMSL president Kent Kostuk pulled the plug as the diamonds could not handle the rains from Friday and Saturday. Nonetheless, Minor Softball Week got off to a rousing start last Wednesday when the Saskatoon Amateur Softball Association made an announcement around three huge events that will do much to promote boys’ softball in this area. This summer, Saskatoon will be hosting an international softball series and two national championships all involving players from the Saskatoon Selects boys program.

The Super 8 International Youth Softball series will feature the New Zealand International Softball Academy. The ISA New Zealand tour team, with players from across New Zealand, has 10 boys who have been selected all stars in various New Zealand age-group tournaments. They will be touring Saskatchewan with games July 5 in Saskatoon, July 6 in Prince Albert, July 7 in Delisle and July 8 at Fleming. They will be taking on coach Scott Hudson’s Saskatoon Selects, the host team for the 2016 CO-OP under-18 men’s Canadian softball championship.

The U18 men’s Canadian softball championship will take place Aug. 9-14 and feature 12-14 of the best U18 teams in the country. Teams have confirmed from coast to coast, including BC, Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. This event is critical to the development of men’s softball as it has produced many great players at the national team level. The last time this event was here was in 2007. That championship saw last year’s ISF world’s hero Devon McCullough pitch the Saskatoon Selects to a bronze medal. He led the Selects to two consecutive gold medals in his next two seasons in the junior category. Joining McCullough from the 2007 championship was world championship leadoff hitter Mathieu Roy, as well 2016 national team athletes’ pool member Scot Lieph and Kyle Ezekiel. Many of the stars of this event will be representing Canada at the WBSC world junior men’s softball championship in Michigan later in August. The national Jr. team selection process is down to 24 and the Saskatoon Selects have three players vying for a spot: Jordan Hudson, Evan Morris and James Shirley.

The day after the U18’s begin, 8-10 teams will take to the field in the U14 boy’s Canadian softball championship. This will be the first ever U14 boy’s national championship and will provide about 150 boys a chance to shine on the national stage. With the U18 championship going on at the same time in the same complex, young teens will be able to view the next level of male softball, the one that leads to the Canada Games and the junior men’s world championship. The host team for this event will be coach Howard Hiebert’s Thunder Selects.

On the evening following the big announcement, the two host teams took the diamond in front of hundreds of excited softball players at SMSL’s Minor Softball Night. The fans had to leave the ball park impressed with the quality of softball in the U14 and U18 categories. The U14 Selects dominated Warman 10-1, while the U18 beat the junior team from Conquest 11-1.

 

OUR SPONSORS

TRENDING NOW
@alsfastball
FRIENDS OF AL'S FASTBALL
AU Sable AFP Fastpitch Fastpitch West International Softball Congress Men’s Fastpitch SA North American Fastpitch Association Ontario Amateur Softball Association

Ontario Masters Fastball sports betting site betway Shooters Fastpitch League Softball Canada Softball New Zealand WBSC