The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHEN the ECAST Softball Tournament gets underway on Thursday in Grand Bahama, the Bahamas will be playing against three other countries for the one spot to go to the World Games in Cali, Colombia, in July.

Originally, it was anticipated that the Bahamas Softball Federation would host a total of six teams in the tournament that was scheduled for the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, but eventually moved to Grand Bahama because the facilities were not ready.

Now only Aruba, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas will be participating. Both Belize and the British Virgin Islands have opted not to compete. Instead, they will have representatives at the ECAST Congress that will get underway today.

On Thursday at 8pm, the Bahamas will host Aruba in the first game following the official opening ceremonies at 6:45pm. The feature game at 10pm will be played between Jamaica and Turks and Caicos. At the end of the tournament on Sunday night, the winner will earn the right to represent the ECAST against the five other regions at the World Games.

“We have four of the six teams from the ECAST here for competition, but all six countries will participate in the congress,” said federation president Burkett Dorsett.

The teams will participate in a double round robin format before they end up in the playoffs, which will end up with first and second playing against each other, while third and fourth places will square off. The two winners will go on to play in the championship game on Sunday.

Dorsett noted that everything is starting to come together for what they anticipate will be a very competitive tournament.

“The Bahamas team has already moved into the Games Village and they are excited,” he said. “The team from Aruba will arrive at 6pm tomorrow (Wednesday) and Jamaica and Turks and Caicos will both arrive on Thursday. Their representatives are already here for the Congress and they say their teams are looking forward to competing in the tournament.”

Both Belize and the British Virgin Islands, according to Dorsett, had difficulty fielding their teams because the majority of their best players are away in college and were not released from their schools. Additionally, Dorsett said the teams also had to make some financial adjustment when the tournament had to move to Grand Bahama.

But he said he’s convinced that based on the teams coming to Grand Bahama, the Bahamas will still have its hands full in their bid to win the tournament and eventually go on to compete in the World Games. Only the winning team will get a chance to represent the ECAST region in the tournament in July in Cali, Colombia.

“The four teams are excited to be here and they are ready to roll,” Dorsett said. “So we expect the tournament to be a very exciting one.”

The tournament will have just one session on Thursday and Friday nights. There will be two sessions played on Saturday, starting at 11am and 6pm. The playoffs will begin at 3pm and will go right into the championship game.

All games will be played over a seven inning duration, but the International Softball Federation’s abbreviated run rule will be in effect.

The Bahamas team, managed by Mario Ford and coached by Spurgeon Johnson and Lenny Newton from Grand Bahama, will comprise of the following players:

Mary Edgecombe, Thela Johnson, Marvelle Miller, Latoya Brown (Grand Bahama), Larikah Russell (Grand Bahama), Neressa Seymour, Tyrice Curry, Dorina Perry (Spanish Wells), Brandy Perry (Spanish Wells), Sharnell Symonette, Desiree Coakley, Breshante Darville, Tyra Evans (Grand Bahama),  Teshenna Pinder (Grand Bahama), Shavette Taylor, Candice Smith and Lathera Brown.