Dustball begins tonight
The annual Dustball tournament is set to begin today, with the first pitch being thrown out at 6:15 p.m.
The annual Dustball tournament is set to begin today, with the first pitch being thrown out at 6:15 p.m.
Sixty teams will take part in the tournament, which is taking place a month earlier this year due to the Women's World Fastpitch Championships.
The Fastpitch Championships will run from July 13 to 22 and shut down the Pepsi Softball Centre (PSC) from local league play.
George Arcand, executive director of Softball Yukon, said there's only a slight dip in numbers after 64 teams participated in last year's Dustball tournament. "We weren't sure what we would see for numbers but 60 is good,鈥� he said.
The games will be split between the PSC and the Robert Service fields.
Play is scheduled to conclude mid-afternoon on Sunday, and league officials well begin the
preparation at PSC for the Worlds. The co-ed slo-pitch league will continue their season by playing on other fields in town.
The Dustball tournament is equipped to handle 72 teams total, 24 in the Men's division, 12 in the Women's and 36 Co-ed teams.
The Co-ed division was the only pool to max out this year, while 17 teams will compete in the Men's division and 7 in the Women's.
"We're all set and we're ready to go right now,鈥� Arcand told the Star this morning.
All games will be played at the PSC tonight with the last round of games beginning at 8:45.
The teams in each division have been placed into pools for seeding, once round-robin play wraps up, the elimination round will begin.
Last year's tournament featured several repeat champions and international match-ups in each of the finals.
For the fourth straight tear, Yukon Gold topped the Women's 鈥楢' division, defeating Juneau's YKAK 13-4.
Whitehorse's P & M Recycling Guns pulled off a late game rally to defeat the Southeast Mine Supply from Juneau, Alaska, 23-22, in the Men's 鈥楢' final.
The Guns also won the tournament in 2010, when they defeated the Skagway Chico's Bail Bonds 14-13 in another exciting final.
Both Yukon Gold and the Guns will be looking to continue their streaks in this year's tournament.
In the Co-ed 鈥楢' division finals, the Whitehorse Dental Donkeys defeated Juneau's Lynden Co-ed, 7-3.
The Donkeys will be back on the field tonight, when they face the KK Mutts in one of the first games of the tournament.
They will look to continue their strong play against the Mutts; who won the Division four opening slo-pitch co-ed league tournament earlier in the month.
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