Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Softball season gets underway in Whanganui for 2019-20

By Jared Smith
Sports Editor·Whanganui Chronicle·
27 Sep, 2019 05:00 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The Mustangs, in blue, with the victorious Kapiti team after the thrilling Mustangs Cup final in January. The tournament should be returning this season.

The Mustangs, in blue, with the victorious Kapiti team after the thrilling Mustangs Cup final in January. The tournament should be returning this season.

The local softball season will step up to the plate with a good sense of optimism for the 2019-2020 summer, starting tomorrow with the Whanganui Softball Association hosting a 'Give it a Go' day at Puriri St Ballpark.

Beginning with registration at 10.30am, there will be two hours of pick up games and skill sessions of both teeball and softball for youngsters to try out the sport, followed by two adult exhibition games to watch in the afternoon.

A sausage sizzle and spot prizes will also be highlights of the day.

"It's going to be pretty full noise," said association secretary Lindsay Edwards.

It is likely there will be three adult clubs committing to play in the Manawatu Softball Association grades this year, with competition matches starting next weekend.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Athletic club is fielding a women's team, who tomorrow are playing a preseason match with Feilding at 1.30pm, as well as an Athletic men's team, who will take on the Castlecliff Club Mustangs at 3pm.

The Mustangs squad was formed last year to enter the Manawatu Senior Men's Reserve Grade, where they finished fourth.

Team manager Layce Madams said while some of their younger players have transferred to clubs in Palmerston North for more opportunities, the core of last year's squad is still there – specifically the Hollis family in Ben, Josh and Jake.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The club also hosted a successful Mustangs Cup tournament in early January this year, which featured teams from the Mustangs, Palmerston North, Wellington, Hutt Valley, Kapiti and composite squads.

Madams said after such positive feedback from the visiting clubs, they will look to run the two-day event again this season.

The top side in town remains the Ezi Finance Wanganui Braves, who are again playing in the Manawatu Senior Men's Premier grade, which should have 6-7 teams.

Player-coach Shane Foster said the squad will miss their franchise pitcher from last season in Brad Worsley, who has transferred to Porirua City United.

Discover more

Red letter softball day for Danny Green

15 Oct 04:00 PM

"He wants to have one more crack at the Black Sox. After that, he might return home."

In addition, Toby Rison has family commitments, but the team has picked up Palmerston North Raiders pitcher Shaun Terry, coming back home.

Shane Foster and the Braves will be having another crack at the Manawatu Senior Men's Premier grade this season.
Shane Foster and the Braves will be having another crack at the Manawatu Senior Men's Premier grade this season.

While the Braves team has been active in recent seasons, the actual club they represent has been in recess, so on Sunday Foster has organised an official AGM to get the organisation activated and elect people to specific roles.

"I want to get a committee back up and running, as an incorporated society, because that's what we are," said Foster.

The club can also update their constitution, as getting back into operation means they can formally apply for fundraising grants to cover equipment and travel expenses.

The other delicate issue both the Braves and the Mustangs have been working towards is negotiating with Manawatu Softball to allow them to play home Premier and Premier Reserve games on their skin diamond during the season.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Foster said the Braves now have an official delegate who can attend the Manawatu association's meetings, which he previously could not do due to work commitments.

"Hopefully his voice might be a bit better than me emailing all the time."

Having to prepare a diamond for a national age grade tournament next year, Manawatu plans to play their club games on grass fields, compared to the Whanganui Ballpark having full diamonds.

As well as the Mustangs Cup last season, there was the Wanganui Softball Association Reserve Cup between the two Mustangs club teams, while the Braves and Mustangs met in a exhibition game to showcase local adult derby matches for the first time in a decade.

Edwards said they are considering plans for a midweek cup competition this season between Athletic, Mustangs and the Braves, but the lobbying will continue to allow the teams to host Manawatu regular season fixtures.

"I think it will happen, we're getting closer towards that."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Whanganui Chronicle

Endurance ace ready for 'Wimbledon' of trail running

Sponsored Stories

Rugby: Marist Knights seize senior title

Sponsored Stories

Rugby: One point in it as Taihape edge Kaierau


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Endurance ace ready for 'Wimbledon' of trail running
Whanganui Chronicle

Endurance ace ready for 'Wimbledon' of trail running

'I’m doing it again to compete in it, rather than just complete it.'

15 Jul 05:00 PM
Rugby: Marist Knights seize senior title
Sponsored Stories

Rugby: Marist Knights seize senior title

14 Jul 05:00 PM
Rugby: One point in it as Taihape edge Kaierau
Sponsored Stories

Rugby: One point in it as Taihape edge Kaierau

14 Jul 05:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP