Peninsula Merchants Open 2009 Season With Virginia Classic
May 1, 2009
Hampton, VA
The Peninsula Merchants men’s fast-pitch softball team will open its 2009 schedule on Saturday with the annual Virginia Classic at Francis Asbury Park in Hampton.
The Merchants, 2008 National Softball Association World Series Champions, brought in three other teams for the season-opening event. Two of those teams they will see often this year in their Mid Atlantic Fastpitch Travel League schedule.
New York Knights open the event facing the Chapel Hill Warriors at 9 am with the Peninsula Merchants (14-9-2 in 2008) facing league foe Cornerstone (Pa.) at 11 am. The Merchants will face fellow league foe the Knights at 3 pm and will close out the day against Chapel Hill at 7:30 pm.
Eleven returnees from last season’s championship team will be on the roster for the opening weekend including pitcher Dewey Dyck (4-0, 1.12 ERA), and the top five hitters from last season in Dave Catlin, Jr. (.431 avg), Joe Hineline (.358 avg., 5-1 pitching record), Brian Harrison (.345 avg), Paul Hall (.333 avg) and Ken Musselman (.290 avg).
Virginia Classic
Francis Asbury Park
Hampton, Va.
Saturday’s Schedule
9 am: N.Y. Knights vs. Chapel Hill, N.C. Warriors
11 am: Peninsula Merchants vs Cornerstone (Pa.)
1 pm: Cornerstone vs Chapel Hill
3 pm: N.Y. Knights vs Peninsula Merchants
5:30 pm: N.Y. Knights vs Cornerstone
7:30 pm: Peninsula Merchantsvs Chapel Hill
Sunday’s schedule
9 am: #1 seed vs. #4 seed
11 am: #2 seed vs. #3 seed
1 pm: Championship
2009 Peninsula Merchants Schedule
May 2-3 Virginia Classic
May 15-17 MAFTL Weekend – Lancaster, Pa.
May 30-31 Memorial Day Tournament (home)
June 13 Home doubleheader
June 19-21 MAFTL Weekend – Lancaster, Pa.
July 17-19 MAFTL Weekend – Lancaster, Pa.
July 25 Home doubleheader
July 31-Aug. 2 NSA World Series – Salem, Va.
May have a couple additions later in the season
Jim Heath
Media Director
Peninsula Merchants
