U15 nationals finally set to begin

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This article was published 08/08/2023 (887 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The big day has finally arrived for the under-15 Westman Magic.

Starting this morning, the local team will be playing host to 23 other squads from across the country for Softball Canada’s U15 girls’ softball championship at Ashley Neufeld Softball Complex.

“I expect that it’s going to be very different,” outfielder Katie Bell said. “There is going to be lots of faster pitching, the base running is going to be different, a lot of teams are going to be more aggressive than what we’ve seen this year.”

Westman opens today against Cloverdale at 12:30 p.m., and Quebec at 6:30 p.m. (BP)

On Thursday, they meet Waterloo at 7 p.m., and on Friday they entertain Moose Jaw at 12:30 p.m., and View Royal at 7 p.m. All their games are at the Boston Pizza diamond.

“I don’t really know what I expect,” outfielder Kendra Grift said. “High-performance ball, and girls that want it and girls that deserve to be here.”

The Magic, who are 36-20-1 overall after finishing third in the Manitoba Premier Softball League with a record of 17-11, have picked up three local players off the U13 Magic, calling up catcher Rachel Lyver, Callie Franklin and Kasia Baranyk. They will be without one of their top players in catcher Alexa Banga, who broke her leg at provincials.

“I’m really excited,” said Kaylee Rank, the team’s third baseman who has moved back behind the plate to replace Banga. “I’m happy that we’re going, especially because all the younger girls too and it’s just bringing us closer together for sure.”

The 24 teams are divided into four pools.

• WHITE POOL — Westman Magic, British Columbia’s View Royal Venom and Cloverdale Fury 08, Ontario’s Waterloo Ghosts, Saskatchewan’s Moose Jaw Ice and Quebec.

• BLUE POOL — Nova Scotia White, Newfoundland & Labrador Selects, British Columbia’s Fraser Valley Fusion 08, Manitoba’s Eastman Wildcats, Alberta’s St. Albert Angels White and Ontario’s D1 Nationals.

• RED POOL — Winnipeg Lightning, Calgary Adrenaline Black, Prince Edward Island Whitecaps, British Columbia’s White Rock Renegades 08, Saskatchewan’s Lumsden Cubs and Ontario’s Guelph Gators.

• BLACK POOL — Nova Scotia Blue, New Brunswick Selects, Saskatchewan’s Twin City Angels, Ontario’s UTM Bandits, British Columbia’s Ridge Meadows Pride 09 and Manitoba’s Central Energy.

The four Manitoba squads face a daunting task.

Softball powerhouses Ontario and British Columbia have won all but one of the U15 championships since 2000, with the sole exception coming in 2014 when the Smitty’s Terminators from Winnipeg captured the national title in Surrey, B.C.

The Cloverdale Fury 07A won in 2022.

Westman finished fourth at provincials, falling to the Eastman Wildcats in the three-four game in the Page playoff system. It was still a fine showing for the team, which saw an unfortunate collision between Banga and ace pitcher Presley Hodson knock two of its top players out of the lineup four innings into the event.

“I think we’re a very tight group so we were able to rely on each other,” pitcher, infielder and outfielder Brynna Andrew said of her team’s fine play in the three days after watching two teammates carried away by ambulance.

“We knew that nothing was too seriously wrong with them, so we could all work together and help finish out provincials.”

Of course that also meant other players had to step up into less familiar roles. And naturally, the Magic, who would have been in contention for the title with a full roster, relished their new status as underdogs.

“I was really happy with the group because no one really thought we were going to make it this far,” Rank said. “I was just so proud of the girls, especially with how we played in the last couple of games. They were really close too.”

The teenagers have managed to turn the page on that chapter of their season and are now looking ahead to one last week together and the prospect of hosting the nation.

They are realistic about what lies ahead.

“It’s going to be tough,” Bell said. “We’re going to get beat and we’re going to have some tough games, but as a team we just have to be ready for that and always stay up with our intensity and never get down.”

Andrew added her team’s effort will be a major key. “There are going to be a lot of good teams coming into this, and we’re a good team too, but we just can’t expect to win every game,” Andrew said. “It’s not going to happen, but we have to put the effort there so we can win lots of games.”

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