Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Eliminations are complete and the field of eight teams that will compete at the 2023 U20 Men’s Canadian Fast Pitch Championship, Aug. 15-20 in Napanee, is set.
Coming from outside of the host province will be the Newfoundland Selects and Team Quebec along with Saskatchewan’s Saskatoon Selects and Rosebud Royals. Ontario’s representatives include the Rostock Braves and Haldimand Heat along with the defending champion Tavistock Athletics and host Napanee Express.
This will mark the second straight year Softball Napanee has hosted the tournament at the Fairgrounds, last year swooping in to save the tournament when the original hosts in Newfoundland had to withdraw just a few months beforehand. Softball Napanee stepped up to the plate and delivered, not only as hosts but also as competitors, as the Express reached the finals before falling 8-3 to Tavistock.
This time around with a little more time to plan, coupled with the experience of hosting a national tournament just last summer, there’s reason to believe this year’s event will be another home run.
“Things are shaping up great,” said Softball Napanee’s Ryan Reynolds. “We’re hoping to make it bigger and better than ever.”
Last year’s tournament wrapped up Aug. 7, which means when the Express take the field on Aug. 15 for the opener, it’ll have been just over a year since their hope of clinching gold on home dirt were dashed. They’re once again looking like a team to beat as the 2023 championship draws ever nearer. Earlier this month they placed fourth at the qualifying tournament that saw the Braves and Heat clinch their spot at nationals, along with the defending champs and hosts.
“The team itself has had great success last year,” said Reynolds. “Realistically our fourth place finish at elims has been the only tournament we haven’t won that we’ve been to. Everybody’s right where they need to be. We’re definitely excited to be back as not only as a qualifying team but back as a host and back knowing that we are in contention for this as well.”
The vast majority of last year’s club returned for another run, while those who aged out have been replaced with quality, homegrown talent.
“We’re as local of a team as we’ve been in a long time,” said Reynolds. “We’re definitely excited to be playing in front of a home crowd again.”
A schedule, as well as a link to purchase tickets and weekly passes will be available soon at https://softball.ca/u20mens.