NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario – Fastball fans in southern Ontario can put a shrimp on the barbie for the Australian Junior Men’s national fastball team as they take on a pair of all-star teams from the Golden Horseshoe Fastball League (GHFL) on Monday June 13 at Ker Park in Niagara Falls.

The games will be webcast via Ballparkradio starting at 7:00 pm eastern time.

The Australian team is looking to get a head start on the competition for the 2005 International Softball Federation Junior Men’s World Softball Championship running from June 24 to July 3 in Summerside, PEI with a 20-game, 10-day trek through southern Ontario. “We’re excited about playing these young men, some of whom are going to be superstars in the game in the future,” said GHFL President Blair Setford, noting that Aussie pitcher Adam Folkard is already being courted by some of the top men’s teams in North America. “We’re hoping that events like this will bring out families to the park and get people excited about the game again,” said Setford, a former St. Catharines resident who grew up playing minor ball in the area.

The GHFL counts 13 teams spanning from Niagara Falls through Niagara-on-the-Lake, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Waterdown and Mississauga. Players from the Niagara-based teams and Mississauga will be playing in the first game at 7:00 pm while players from the Waterdown teams will take the field at 9:00 pm. (that’s 4pm and 6pm for those of us on the West Coast)

After the doubleheader in Niagara Falls, the Aussies are off to Milverton, for a doubleheader the next day; Wednesday they play the Innerkip Eagles before spending two days in Belmore when they play Belmore and Harriston on Thursday. They regroup and face two all-star teams from the Belmore area on Friday.

On Saturday, June 18 they play another doubleheader as they face the Kitchener Senior and Junior Hallman Twins. Their last game is the Silver Kings in Mitchell before taking in a Toronto Blue Jays game Monday June 20. They leave Toronto Tuesday morning for PEI where they will compete against nine other countries for the gold medal. The Aussies have won the past two championships in 2001 and 1997.

Setford said the fans will be in for a treat during the exhibition games. “Fastball fans will be thrilled with the exciting brand of ball played by the Australian team. They’re a talented group of players with strong pitching, speed and some power, but our guys will be taking this seriously, too. We’ve got some of the best players in Ontario playing in the GHFL and we’re delighted to get them some exposure.” Among the players will be several members of the Niagara Snappers, who recently won a star-studded tournament in Virgil over top Ontario and American competition, players from the defending Niagara Falls league champions Niagara Falls Fury and representatives from the 2004 GHFL champion Hamilton Hawks along with players from all the GHFL teams.

Entry to the games is free. Ker Park is on Sinnicks Road just off Thorold Stone Road in Niagara Falls.

For further information, please contact:
Blair Setford
Golden Horseshoe Fastball League
905.826.2697 evenings
416.681.8803 days
blairjs@rogers.com
http://www.ghfl.ca