The diamonds at Nickle Lake Regional Park will be buzzing with energy this weekend as the fourth annual Energy City Exposure Showcase kicks off, bringing top-tier softball talent and college scouts together in a unique event focused on player development and recruitment.
Organized by Morgan Walter and her father, Trent, the showcase is rapidly growing in popularity. What started last year with just five teams has nearly tripled in size, with 14 teams from across Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba set to take part in this year’s event.
“The Energy City Exposure Showcase is an opportunity for players from across Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba to come to our event to gain exposure in front of college coaches,” said Walter.
The weekend kicks off Friday with a full day of skills camps and metric testing, led by two college coaches from North Dakota. These sessions will help provide athletes with updated performance metrics, valuable data shared directly with attending and online college recruiters.
Games begin bright and early Saturday morning and will continue through to Sunday afternoon, but it’s not just about the competition on the field.
Throughout the weekend, athletes will also take part in information sessions covering the college recruitment process, life as a student-athlete, and what coaches look for when building their rosters. A special panel discussion with current and former collegiate athletes and coaches will also allow for interactive Q&A opportunities.
What makes the event especially meaningful, Walter said, is the involvement of local athletes who’ve gone on to play at the college level.
“Some of these players that are coming back, these college athletes actually got recruited at their previous Energy City Exposure,” she explained. “It’s kind of a full circle moment to see them come back and now give back to these athletes that are participating this year.”
Among the returning athletes are Jorde Chartrand of Weyburn, recently named to Team Canada after completing her college career at UNC Greensboro in North Carolina, and Estevan’s Reagan Walter, currently attending West Texas A&M University. They’ll be joined by others from the southeast, including players from the Carnduff and Oxbow areas.
“There’s no doubt about it, there’s going to be a lot of great talent and great softball games going on,” said Walter. “It’s a super unique and cool opportunity for us to be able to showcase this talent to these college coaches.”
Admission will be charged at the gate, with proceeds going toward supporting the showcase and bringing more college coaches and teams to southeastern Saskatchewan in the future.
You can find the full schedule posted on the Energy City Exposure Showcase Facebook page.