Men's softball season starts today

For twelve seasons the men of summer have displayed their athletic prowess in contests of skill and finesse on the softball diamonds of the Miramichi. The members of the Miramichi Men’s Fast-Pitch Softball League are proud to see that tradition continue for a thirteen summer and are pleased to announce the beginning of the season this week. This year’s league will feature the talents for four crack squads.

The 2012 champions, the Nelson Red Sox, will take to the field in hopes of regaining their laurels from two seasons past. The 2013 League MVP Daniel Goodin, whose pitching also earned him top honours last year, will anchor the pitching, ensuring that the team ought to be deadly on the mound. Yet, there will be no shortage of offence, with the big bats of Billy Ahern, Doug Connick and Jason Lynch. The Red Sox will also benefit from the speed of the Harris brothers, Riley and Ranson. With such a well-rounded club, it’s no trouble to see why they were contending for the #1 spot in last year’s rankings going into the year-end tournament.

The always competitive Bass River squad, who have won League titles under the banner of Richibucto in the past, will return to league play this year. Coach Glen McDermott says that the nucleus of the club will be young, with a few experienced hands rounding things out. He says that his team is looking forward to returning to softball and hoping to have plenty of fun in the process. Latest reports indicate that recruitment for this club is ongoing, so there could be a few surprises on opening day.

The Miramichi Brewers will also be back this season, after an astounding ascent in last year’s finals that saw them finish in 2nd place. Though the line-up still boasts such highly seasoned players as Joey Ryan, Ben O’Toole and Mike Boudreau, they are faced with several old hands having relocated out of province for work. Undaunted, they have engaged several prospects from now defunct Douglasfield Dodgers to fill the gaps. Chief among these are Devon MacKenzie and Ryan Doyle, who will stand service to the team from the pitcher’s circle.

The final entrant this season is the defending champion Eel Ground Eagles, one of the eldest clubs in the league. Coach Kelvin Simonson expects that most of last year’s line up will return this season. Offensively-minded, the eagles will rely on their bevy of hard-hitters, like outfielder Harvey Simon, to run wild on the scoreboard. The talents of Kris McKay, Mike Simon, and Blair Augustine will also be prized, while the youth of new players, such as Kolby Simonson and AJ McKay, will further invigorate the team’s drive toward a back-to-back championship. Defence will be the purview of ace hurlers Rod Simonson and Wesley Donovan, who look to keep the opposition in check, while the Eagles’ bats go to work.

Expectations across the board are high this season, which likely means that we’ll be in for a lively time, filled with lots of excitement. Anyone wanting to see all of the action up close is encouraged to visit the Gerald King Memorial ballpark on Monday, and Tuesday. Keep an eye on Miramichi Online in the days ahead, as the results will be published and the games covered right here.