A member of the last three ISF Men's World Champion teams, New Zealand captain Jarrad Martin moves from first base to pitcher as the Black Sox prepare for a busy international schedule. (Photo courtesy of Softball New Zealand)

MEN’S SOFTBALL CONTINUES ON
2005-12-02

The softball being played at the 23rd Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines is winding down, but additional tournaments elsewhere will pick up where that one leaves off in terms of providing international softball competition for men. (Note: women’s softball is also currently being played at the multisport event in Manila.)

Beginning tomorrow and continuing on Sunday, the defending world champion New Zealand Black Sox will take on Samoa in a four-game series, to be played in Auckland and North Harbour.

Then, on December 11, the 3rd Asian Junior Men’s Championship (19-and-under) begins in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Preparations also continue toward the first Men’s Commonwealth Softball Championship, which is scheduled for next month in Melbourne, Australia (January 25-29).

All these tournaments help the men’s national teams around the world continue to develop their level of competition, in preparation for the 2009 International Softball Federation (ISF) XII Men’s World Championship, which was recently awarded to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada).

Upon recently naming the 17-man roster for this weekend’s games against Samoa – who surprised many with a sixth place finish at the 15-nation ISF XI Men’s World Championship in early 2004 – New Zealand coach Eddie Kohlhase said, “We are very aware that we have got a pretty intensive international programme ahead of us over the next nine months and the Samoan series is a stepping stone to kick it off. We have selected the 17 athletes for this series with the whole year in mind and we are looking to build depth in key positions.”

Those next nine months for his team will include the Commonwealth Championship, the Pacific Cup in May in Japan, and a development tour in Australia in August/September.

The rest of the international men’s fast pitch softball community is working to dethrone New Zealand in 2009. The Black Sox have won the last three ISF Men’s World Championships (2004, 2000, & 1996).

Men’s softball is on the program of more than ten multisport games.