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(No, not that Chronicle – the “Toowoomba Chronicle”, down under.)
Dodgers plan to douse Firebirds
Dodger Andy Blackshaw in action.
photo by Dave Noonan
DODGERS men will need to win without star pitcher Andy Blackshaw when they face USQ Firebirds in Toowoomba A Grade men’s softball fixtures tonight.
Blackshaw will be in Canberra participating in the ActewAGL Canberra Skins Tournament where Australia’s elite male softballers compete for $20,000 in team prize money.
Blackshaw has a remarkable softball portfolio that has international and national honours.
He has played in the local Toowoomba competition for the past four years and also plays in Redlands.
For three months of this year he travelled to the United States to participate in a tournament league that resulted in participation in the International Softball Congress World Titles.
He was acknowledged as the “Rookie of the Year†and intends to return in 2010.
This year he also made the Australian Open Men’s squad and participates in the New South Wales state league every second or third week in the latter half of each year.
Last weekend, Blackshaw led Redlands (Green) to victory in the Open Men’s state titles.
It was not surprising then that Blackshaw was a finalist for the Junior Male Athlete of the Year for Softball Australia recently and that he was selected in the Queensland Open Men’s softball team.
This is Blackshaw’s second selection into the Queensland side.
“It is an honour to represent the State and the second time means just as much,†Blackshaw said.
When asked why he adds Toowoomba to his long list of softball commitments he said he enjoyed the atmosphere.
“I love coming to Toowoomba every year, it’s a good competition to play and it’s competitive. There are great people playing here,†he said.
The Dodgers v Aces game is at 7pm.
In other A grade softball matches today, Warriors (Green) women will face Aces at 3.15pm and USQ Firebirds men will play the first of their double-header at 5pm against Warriors.
All Stars women will face Dodgers at 5pm, today with both going into the game undefeated it is anticipated to be an exciting match.
Editor’s note: Readers will remember Andy’s debut on the world stage at this year’s Monkton tournament, as the #2 for The Farm, alongside ace Frank Cox, filling in admirably for the then-injured Darryl Tilley.