The Central Energy competed at the 2024 Canadian U17 Softball Championship that was held in Calgary from July 31st-August 4th.
The top two teams from Manitoba earned spots in the 24-team tournament.
Central Energy was proud to wear the title of MB1 after earning gold at Softball Manitoba's Provincial Championship in early July and set a goal of finishing in the top 10 in the country - no easy feat!
Pool play ran from Wednesday through Friday.
In their pool of six, Energy finished second, losing out only to BC3 16-9. Scores included wins against Saskatchewan2 10-2, Nova Scotia 2-0, Ontario3 8-1 and the best team coming out of Quebec - Quebec1, 8-5.
In round robin play Central Energy pitching was tough. Nelia Fehr, Karli Toews and Molly Cowan shared pitching duties amassing 45 strikeouts, 25 of those for Karli Toews.
After impressive pool play Central Energy then found themselves playing MB2, the Eastman Wildcats, in the crossover.
Early Saturday morning Eastman bats found holes and defeated MB1 10-2 ending Central Energy’s tournament. BC3 from Energy’s pool, would go on to earn the silver medal at the tournament, losing to BC1. Brooklyn Friesen earned herself a spot on the National All-Star Team with a batting average of .611 at the tournament. In 19 plate appearances the catcher had 11 hits including 3 home runs, 3 doubles, and 5 singles driving in 11 runs.
Despite a disappointing loss, Central Energy finished 9th in Canada - achieving their goal and improving on the U17 National result from the previous year which was a 12th place finish.
This talented group of athletes work hard and hold each other accountable on the field and on the bench which has led to impressive achievements. Two years ago, when these athletes were last combined, they won the Western Canadian Championships.
Central Energy Teams are consistently successful in Manitoba and competitive on the National Stage as U13, U15 and U17 teams all won Provincial medals this year and qualified for Nationals or Western Championships.
A big thanks to U17 coaches Cam Zacharias, Mark Friesen and Abby Conrad, as well as to manager extraordinaire Bobbi-Jo Guffei for all of their expertise, time and effort throughout the season! Additional thanks to the Energy organization who ensure opportunities for athletes looking to improve their skills, extend their softball season and play some fantastic ball. The U17 team played 49 games this year with a record of 35 wins, 13 losses and 1 tie.
Tryouts for Central Energy U13, U15 and U17 will be held in the fall.