National selectors to cast critical eye over opening weekend

[Al's Fastball News]

Received: 1/17/07 2:14:05 PM 
From:  Vance <vanf(at)ihug.co.nz> 


  
Subject:  National selectors to cast critical eye over opening
weekend  
  

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National selectors to cast critical eye over opening weekend

Wednesday January 17th 2007

After a shortage of top class play in recent month’s players
will haveitchy feet to get out on the softball diamonds of Christchurch
thisweekend for the opening round of the New Zealand Community
Trust Men’sNational League. 

Since the softball season started in October last year the sports
eliteplayers have been focusing on performing for their clubs
with nointernational and very little provincial softball in between.


NZCT Black Sox coach Eddie Kohlhase believes this weekend will
see a stepup in intensity and performance while it will also
test the player’sability to attain the performance levels required
after time away fromthe highest level.

“I would imagine a lot of the guys wouldn’t have played a lot
at thislevel in the past few months. While they have been playing
for theirclubs domestically they haven’t been stretched so this
will be anopportunity to see some good pitching,” said Kohlhase.


Going into the opening weekend at Canterbury Foundation Park,Christchurch
on Saturday and Sunday North Harbour hold the tag ofdefending
champions. 

Since claiming the title last season the franchise has appointed
a newcoach in Graeme Gollan and he is well aware of the challenge
ahead of hisside this time around.   

“To come off a good championship win and to show your worth as
a team youneed to back it up and defend the title and that is
what we will belooking to do,” said Gollan.

Much of the teams success last season was based around North
Harbour’stwo star players NZCT Black Sox captain Jarrad Martin
and fellowinternational Brad Rona. Coach Gollan admits it will
be the same againthis season with Martin and Rona to handle the
pitching duties while alsobeing the team top hitters.   

“They are our pitchers and the top batters in the team so it
is fair tosay we will be relying heavily on our New Zealand players
but they havethe class to do it.”

There are six teams entered in the men’s National League this
season withtwo weekends of round robin play in January and February
ahead of the topthree finals series in March.  

The fact only three teams will qualify for the finals will make
roundrobin play very tight with five teams Auckland, Wellington,
Hutt Valley,Canterbury and North Harbour all looking strong on
paper while SouthernPride appear to be the only team short of
overall class andexperience.

Draw:
Saturday January 20th  
11am    Auckland v North Harbour 
11am    Southern Pride v Hutt Valley 
1pm     Canterbury Red Sox vSouthern Pride 
1pm     Wellington v HuttValley
3pm     Canterbury Red Sox vNorth Harbour  
3pm     Wellington v Auckland
5pm     Southern Pride v NorthHarbour 
5pm     Hutt Valley v Auckland
7pm     Canterbury Red Sox vWellington 

Sunday January 21st
9am     Southern Pride v Auckland
9am     North Harbour vWellington
11am    Hutt Valley v Canterbury Red Sox
11am    Southern Pride v Wellington
1pm     Auckland v Canterbury RedSox 
1pm     North Harbour v HuttValley 

Teams:
Auckland – Heinie Shannon, Thomas Cameron (Pitchers), Lyndon
Andrew,Patrick Shannon, Nathan Nukunuku, Bobby King, Michael
Cameron, Carlaus TeKawa, Jonathan Munden, Michael Gibbs, Aaron
Thompson, Gus Leger, BernardHale.
Player / Coach – Donny Hale.

Canterbury – Penese Iosefo, Nathan Taikato (Pitchers), Clayton
Ellis,Darren Davies, Jamie Frisby, Steve McFarlane, Paul DeLatour,
TravisWilson, Paul Stead, Anthony Stewart, Gareth Cook, Todd
Grego, DanielMilne, Brad Annandale.
Coach – Mike McDowell.

Hutt Valley -  Jeremy Manley, Regan Manley (Pitchers), Steven
Deans,Curtis Ames, Justin Karaitana, Jerol Lajpold, Tyson Byrne,
David Butler,Rakai Hokianga, Scott Higgins, Bronson Marino, Geoff
Packer, MichaelTelfer, Michael Foote. 
Coach – Dominic Richards.

North Harbour- Brad Rona, Jarrad Martin (Pitchers), Leon Lambert,
MichaelBoaler, David Down, Aaron Collier, Todd Wilson, Callum
Ryan, JasonGerbes, Zack Doney, Grant Dean, Yosuke Fukui, Haizley
Martin, RuebenTopia.
Coach – Graeme Gollan. 

Southern Pride – Jared Welsh, Isaac Fletcher (Pitchers),Scott
Cartwright,Bevan Passmore, Daniel Tarapi, Chris Telfer, Jonathan
Campbell, DanielShayler, Christopher Anderson, Wanye Sangster,
Scott Dale, Aaron Risdon,Martin Warren, Phil Bayne.
Coach – Ted Forrester.

Wellington – Craig Gibson, Tane Richardson (Pitchers), Stephen
Ratu,Wayne Laulu, Gene Lutton, Les Poutama, Craig Wallace, Stacy
McLean, DaveBishop, Thomas Makea, Fabian Makea, Corey Matakatea,
Rick Manson, JohnPotts.
Coach – Les Bishop.



By SNZ Media Liaison: Kelly Mitchell
* mailto:kelly.mitchell at xtra.co.nz 

http://www.softball.org.nz/
*mailto:snz at softball.org.nz 


Cheers Vance 
Softball New Zealand web master.
* mailto:vanf at ihug.co.nz 

 

 Al's Fastball News
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