From TVNZ.co.nz
Mark Sorenson has been rewarded for guiding New Zealand’s Black Sox to this year’s Men’s Softball World Championships crown with a contract extension through to the next championships in 2019.
The Black Sox became softball world champions for the fifth time in 21 years in July, beating Australia 6-4 in the final in Canada.
Losing just one pool match to Venezuela, Sorenson’s troops breezed through their first post-section match against Australia 6-2 and then edged hosts Canada 12-11 in a semi-final thriller to make the decider.
Having first taken over as coach in 2013, the ex-Black Sox catcher couldn’t wait for the next championships in Prague in two years’ time.
“I think there’s an opportunity, if we get these next couple of years right, to set the Black Sox up for another decade of dominance,” Sorenson said.
“We’ve got so much talent coming through and we’ve got a great nucleus already – it’s a strong team which now has the experience of climbing the mountain.”
Sorenson had been given four months by Softball New Zealand to weigh up his career options after the Black Sox’s triumph.
He said he’d now look to focus on talent development heading into 2019.
Softball New Zealand chief Tony Giles congratulated Sorenson for his retention, saying he remained the best candidate for the job.
“He’s an outstanding leader and has huge respect and backing from the team and his peers, and is the right man to guide the group,” Giles said.
Sorenson’s Black Sox will next play on New Zealand soil in February, when they host the Challenge Cup tournament in Albany.
Editor’s note: The list of accomplishments of Mark Sorenson in the fastball world is a remarkable one. Click here to view And that list is only through 2010, the year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. I had the opportunity to see him play in his prime. I’ve had the opportunity to see him manage in his prime, most notably, steering the Black Sox to their most recent WBSC World Championship at Whitehorse, Yukon, this past summer, 2017. Safe to say their program is in good hands. Congratulations to Mark Sorenson on his contract renewal.