Three days till first pitch!
Australia’s best female and malesoftball players will be representing their respective States at the AustralianOpen Women’s and Men’s Fastpitch Championship in Sydney from 7-13January 2007.
The joint Championship will be hosted by the New South WalesSoftball Association with 13 teams from around Australia gatheringat Blacktown Olympic Park to participate in the biggest event Blacktown has seensince the 2000 Olympic Games.
Teams will be competing for their historic shields, theGilley’s Shield (Open Women’s) and John Reid Shield (OpenMen’s) named after the sports greats.
“The Championship will see over 250 players andofficials flood Blacktown to demonstrate the highest level ofthe sport on a National level. The year also marks the 60th anniversary of theChampionship which promises to be exciting and with hard hittingsoftball,” said Susan Crow, ChiefExecutive, Softball Australia.
For the Open Women’s, Queensland will be striving fora back-to-back title to send Marissa Carpadios, who announced her retirementfrom the sport last month, out on a high. With Sandra Allen and Jodie Boweringat bat and Jocelyn McCallum on the mound the team will be looking to put in astrong consistent performance facing tough competition.
New South Wales, who went down to Queensland in lastyear’s final 2-1, will be looking to reclaim the Shield with Olympians NatalieWard, Fiona Crawford, Simmone Morrow and Kerry Wyborn in good form.
Tasmania and the Northern Territory have joined forces and entered a combined young team andfive players for Western Australia will make theirdebut in Open representation. Other teams participating include ACT, South Australia and Victoria.
The Open Men’s competition will be fierce with ACT,who won last year’s title defeating Queensland 7-2, strongcontenders to take out the Shield having six Australian players making up theirteam of 16. Headed by Australian Softball Coach of the Year, Lindsey Carroll,ACT will be strong offensively and defensively. NSW, Queensland, Northern Territory, Victoria and Western Australia have fielded strong teams and will be looking to stop ACTin their tracks.
Selectors will be watching with intent as 30 players will beselected into the Australian Men’s squad. Two Australian teams willparticipate in the Pacific Series in Canberra in Decemberagainst Japan, New Zealand and Samoa.
All players from State softball teams will be wearingZaidee’s Rainbow Shoelaces to show their support to Zaidee’sRainbow Foundation during the competition.
“We hope by showing our support to this cause ouractions will help encourage organ and tissue donation and to increase thenumber of registered donors in Australia,”concluded Ms Crow.
The championships are a double round robin over five days,with the top four qualifying teams playing off in the finals series, with fifthand sixth a positional match. The grand final will be played on Saturday 13January.
AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW
Ms Susan Crow, ChiefExecutive, Softball Australia
State/Territory Head Coaches
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
DiAnne Lilburn
National Communications Coordinator
Softball Australia
Telephone: 03 9890 8200
Mobile: 0405 509 674
OR
Kelly Gentle
Marketing and Media Officer
New South Wales Softball Association
Telephone: 02 9677 4000
Mobile: 0409 030 595
____________________________________
DiAnne Lilburn
National Communications Coordinator
Softball Australia
Suite 4, Ground Floor
38-40 Prospect Street
Box Hill, Victoria 3128
T: +61 3 9890 8200
F: +61 3 9890 8295
M: +61 (0) 405 509 674
For more information visitwww.softball.org.au
