Ready to take on the rest of SA

The Mount Gambier Softball League will be sending two teams to compete in the three-day Softball SA Country Championships carnival over the January long weekend at West Beach.

Both teams will be playing against other regions from around SA and will be looking to showcase their skills and talent representing our great city.

One team, including some of the league’s most exciting and skillful players, will compete in the A Grade division.

This team will be led by playing coach Leyna Bruggemann and playing assistant coach Kezia Feast.

Originally set to compete in the Softball SA Master Championships; the league’s Masters team have been moved to be in the Country Championships as a Masters team in the B Grade division.

This team is a talented, hard-working group of players who will be led by playing coach Sonia Morris and playing assistant coach Kylie Cook.

A Grade Team

The Mount Gambier Softball League team has been looking sharp and not surprisingly have been regraded into the A grade.

Sarah Polderman is captain of the team, the Warriors gun is the all-round team workhorse – pitches and throws lasers, loves playing infield and outfield, hits the ball hard and runs the bases even harder.

She is matched by Demons star Cody Manning with her cannon arm and long ball hitting.

As a previous winner, Manning was also the obvious choice to represent the league in the home run derby.

Demons Meg Merrett also has an arm to envy, and she will be one of the mainstay catchers having shown steadying support and sharp glove work since returning to the best position on the diamond after over a decade.

She will be ably supported by Bandits coach Chrystal Lock who blocks and cheers like no other.

Warriors catcher Daena Wombwell has joined the team this year and has been working hard on her situational hitting and base running.

Base running shenanigans will be high on the agenda of her club teammate, Justine Koop, and Wanderers Lily Clifford-Finch – both can easily play in infield and outfield positions, covering serious ground with their efforts.

Conversely veterans Leanne Little from Wanderers and Warriors and league team coach Leyna Bruggemann will be looking to limit any unnecessary running by simply hitting the ball far enough.

They bring experience, pitching options and cool heads to the team along with assistant coach, Mount Gambier Softball League president and Demons coach Kezia Feast. Feast always gets the team laughing and somehow dodges trouble when she flashes her pearly whites after missing signals at training.

Steph Chant is a coach’s favourite and newbie to the team. The Demons utility is all about the team, doing whatever is asked of her without fuss but also asking questions when unsure showing maturity.

Speaking of team favourites, Warriors’ Melissa Chuck is another great on field leader.

She has been consistent with her RBI tally in the regular season and will be looking to contribute to the team’s success as will her usual Warriors teammates in Taylor Pearson and Teresa Hatch.

Hatch can pitch, play infield and is a championship team of the year outfielder in addition to a consistent hitter.

Pearson is one of the younger team members and she has a great stretch at first base.

She is also eager to learn and will do anything to help out, which mirrors the assisting officials in Simone Little and Jasmine Disselbach – both very good eggs in their own right and will have their work cut out for them keeping Bruggemann, Feast and team scorer and MGSL life member Di Humphries in line.

Humphries would not miss a championship and will herself be kept on her toes by those supporters she brings with her that well and truly get behind both Mount Gambier teams.

Masters Team

As the country championship approaches, the Master’s team is eager to showcase their talent on the diamond with an awesome mix of players, this team is primed for an exciting run in the tournament, full of fun and laughter.

The lineup is filled with both power hitters and contact hitters who can get on base consistently, but it will be our smart and safe base running that will generate the scoring opportunities.

Defensively there is great versatility in the field, with good reflexes, and players who can track down deep fly balls and keep runners from advancing, with solid communication and awareness the team has the ability to be on fire.

Their goals for this tournament are to stay disciplined at the plate, minimise errors and to focus on team chemistry.

Who are the key players to watch? All of them, this is a talented bunch of women who all bring their own strengths to the team.

This tournament will feature some amazing teams from around South Australia and as long as they stay focused, adjust to whatever arises and keep on smiling and having fun, they will be a team to watch.