THE Mount Gambier softball league has announced the team to compete in the 2019 South Australian senior state championships over the Australia Day long weekend to defend last year’s title.
The Mount Gambier side will be represented by all local clubs and will receive strong support from Di Humphries, Pam Wesolowski and Dylan Walker.
Leyna Bruggemann will coach the side with assistance from Caroline Gardner, who has achieved multiple Adelaide competition best and fairest award’s and A Grade premiership’s.
The team will benefit from the experience of Warriors’ Nicole Vause, while the Demons will be well represented by all-round talents Cody Manning, plus Montana and Mackenzie Millard, who can shoulder pitching and catching responsibilities and still be a force with the bat.
Em Hart has led the Wanderers side by example and will be joined by Concordes Chelsea Fowler in outfield who had shown form with the bat before the Christmas break.
Mount Gambier will relish the inclusion of Concordes’ Jo Hopgood and Wanderers’ Fiona Finch, while Raquel Sneath returns after she overcame some injury concerns.
Warriors player Jenna Burston has made herself available despite having recently played for the Hills Heat in the Adelaide competition.
Former national championship player Taylor Wilsmore is a fantastic inclusion for the representative team as she will provide on-field leadership and batting strength.
The squad will hope to receive the pitching services of Jade Peterson from Seacombe in the Adelaide competition despite the recent birth of her second child, as she dominated last year’s championships to be named in the team of the tournament.
The team has remained largely unchanged from the last year’s successful side in an attempt to go back-to-back.
