Gwizdala, 21, is a pitcher for the 21-and-under Midland Junior Explorers, who will play in the International Softball Congress 21U Tournament in Midland in August.
“It’s really exciting to be on the team,” said Gwizdala, who played baseball at Bay City Western and is a student at Delta College. “It’s exciting because it’s something new (on the fastpitch scene) and something new for the younger players. It’s also exciting because they are associated with the Midland Explorers.”
The Junior Explorers, who played their first games this past weekend at the Junior Explorer Invitational in Midland, are aiming at placing high in the ISC 21U Tournament during the second week of the ISC World Tournament.
Dave Lach, a co-chairman of the ISC, is running the 16-team, 21U tournament that has attracted teams from around the world, including a team from British Columbia, the Argentina Junior National team and several players from New Zealand.
“With the ISC (World Tournament) coming to Midland in 2012, we thought it was a good time to start something like this,” Lach said of forming the squad. “We, as the Midland Explorers Booster Club, said it would be valuable if we took the initiative to have our own team for the event.”
A few other local players are on the team, including Western graduate Jared Stewart, Freeland’s Justin Krenzke, and Midland’s Trevor Hoon and Chase Porter. Some of the players participate in fastpitch leagues in Midland. Lach’s son, Zach Lach, who is originally from Frankenmuth, is also on the squad and forms a formidable 1-2 pitching duo with Gwizdala.
“We have two of the best young pitchers in the area,” Dave Lach said. “We thought it was a good time to start a team and build around them.”