The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Government Departmental Softball Association, with a much beefed up national team, is heading to the 2018 World Baseball Softball Confederation's Co-Ed Slow Pitch International Cup Tournament next week.

And BGDSA president Dwaine Stevens insists that they are looking forward to returning from Plant City, Florida, with no less than the gold medal.

The tournament will run from November 15-18.

The team leaves on Wednesday. "We have put together a dynamic team," said Stevens, who will travel as the chef de mission. "This is the sixth year that they are hosting the tournament and the Bahamas has been the most successful team.

"We won two gold and silver and bronze since we have been going to the tournament to compete. So we intent to once again go there and bring back the gold."

The team, managed by Derrick Christie and coached by Terrace Culmer and Nathaniel Porter, comprise of the following players:

Men - Eugene Bain, Richard Bain, Martin Burrows, Sherman Ferguson, Alcott Forbes, Rudy Fox, Austin Hanna. Philip Johnson, Jamaal Scavella, Aaron Wood, Jeffery Woiodside and Duane Mackey.

Ladies - Melinda Bastian, Tyrice Curry-Davis, Karen Darville, Maryann Fowler, Thela Johnson, Keesha Pratt, Shavette Taylor and LaShanda Bethel.

The Bahamas will play a triple header, including back-to-back games on day one of the tournament on Thursday when they face the Turks & Caicos Islands at 1:30 pm and the United States at 3 pm. They will play the third game at 6 pm against Great Britain.

On Friday, they will have another triple header with back-to-back games at 11:30 pm against Curacao No.1 and Germany at 1 pm before they wrap up the round robin at 4 pm against Curacao No.2 team.

The double elimination round leading up to the championship game will take place on Saturday and Sunday. The team will return home on Monday, November 19.

Christie said he have high confidence in the team.

"This is one of the better team that we have put together to go to the tournament," Christie pointed out. "We have done very well every year that they have attended the tournament and I expect us to do very well this year."

Compared to previous teams, Christie said they were a little short in the female talent that they had, but they have added Taylor, whom he indicated they will be relying on to carry a lot of the load.

The Bahamas won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016, but fell short and had to settle for the silver last year. Christie said with the make-up this year, they're going to regain the gold.

"Our chances are extremely high," he projected.

Mackey, one of the leaders on the team, said he would be highly disappointed if they don't make the championship.

"This team could have even been better, but due to work commitments, we had a couple of people who were wanted to travel with us," he stated.

"But we still have an excellent team. This is the best team that we are carrying since we've been going to the tournament. We have a good mix of young and old players who can play in and out. That is the key to this tournament."

With the hectic schedule that they have to endure each day, Mackey said it was important that they compiled a team that had players who could play both in and outfield in order to give some players a rest.

"This team, we can blend to any situation," he proclaimed. "If we have to play small ball, we can play the small ball. Over there at some point you have to play big ball too and we feel we have some players who are capable of hitting home runs."

Canada, the United States and Germany are normally the Bahamas' biggest threats, but Mackey said they have something in store for Canada, who denied them a three-peat last year.

The BGDSA has had to self fund the expenses for the team to travel and on Saturday from noon-6 pm, Stevens said they will hold a cook-out at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex when they continue their slowpitch season.

"We are still looking for help from corporate Bahamas to get the team there," Stevens stated. "But we are moving forward."