Three days till first pitch! - AU

[Al's Fastball News]

Received: 1/3/07 6:43:39 PM 
From:  "DiAnne Lilburn" <dianne.lilburn(at)softball.org.au> 

  
Subject:  Three days till first pitch!   


4 January 2007

 

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

 

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