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Black Sox hopefuls will be playing for world championship places as well as club glory at the national interclub men's softball tournament.
The championships, which start on Wednesday at Albany, are the final chance for players to stake a claim in the Black Sox world championships squad which head coach Mark Sorenson will name on Tuesday.
That will add an extra edge to a tournament which is already a highlight on the Softball New Zealand calendar.
Perennial power houses are again the favourites for this year's title with defending champions Ramblers, Auckland United, Hutt Valley Dodgers, Poneke Kilbirnie and Parklands Christchurch United among the legitimate contenders.
Ramblers won't have Australian ace Andrew Kirkpatrick on the pitching mound at Albany but they can still call on veteran hurler Tane Richardson, three-time Black Sox world champions Nathan Nukunuku and Donny Hale and rising infield star Cole Evans.
Auckland United are led by Black Sox brothers Ben and Thomas Enoka, their younger sibling Campbell, Black Sox pitcher Bailey Hoani, Isaac Fletcher and the experienced Kallan Compain.
Hutt Valley Dodgers have one of the better pitching duos in Black Sox hurler Nik Hayes and Brad Worsley but will have to lean heavily on the bats of Joel Evans, Craig Wallace and Scott Cartwright to topple their rivals.
Wellington's Poneke Kilbirnie have great strength in depth with Thomas Cameron and Jovaan Hanley on the mound and six members of the Makea family in their midst, including Black Sox legend Thomas Makea and his brothers Fabian and Campbell.Â
The PCU Devils, Canterbury's last champions in 2001, can call on past or present Black Sox players, Stephen Ratu, Gareth Cook, Daniel Milne, Regan Manley, Josh Thomson and Darren Davies and ex-Australian international Zenon Winters.Â
Manley's pitching will be instrumental to PCU's title hopes and his own bid to join older brother Jeremy on the Black Sox roster.
Between them, Ramblers, Auckland United, Dodgers, PK and Christchurch United have won 19 of the last 20 titles. The other was claimed by Hutt City United, which was basically the Dodgers team before their wholesale defection to their new club.
It's unlikely anyone will break the Big Five's stranglehold.Â
Northcote can call on the blazing bats of father-and-son pair Brad and Pita Rona, but possibly lack pitching strength, although North Harbour stablemates, Roosters, can call on promising Junior Black Sox hurler Blake Radford and catcher Connor Peden.
Canterbury champions Albion have recruited Black Sox pitcher Kurt Schollum and his Marlborough clubmate Kyle Marfell to join a roster replete with New Zealand triallists Josh Harbrow, Frank Pointon and left-handed pitcher Aiden Cocker.
Christchurch club Papanui have Black Sox shortstop Tyron Bartorillo at the heart of their batting lineup.
They have also lured two of his Australian compatriots, Aaron Cockman (top batter at the Australian national championships) and Jacob Rooke, to help a young team spearheaded by former Junior Black Sox pitchers Ethan Johnston and Ben Watts and the more experienced Scott Sutherland.
The tournament, at North Harbour's Rosedale Park, ends on Sunday.
