Canada Games coverage from weekend
Winnipeg Games give Mitch and Mark Stack their first chance to play together on the same competitive team
The Telegram’s Robin Short throws a journalistic spotlight on a couple of softball-playing brothers and a standout stopper on Newfoundland and Labrador’s women’s soccer team at the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg.
Good ball teams are based on their strength up the middle, and that’s where the Newfoundland team is ‘Stacked’ at these Canada Summer Games.
Brother Mitchell and Mark Stack are the field generals of the provincial men’s softball team, which carried a 2-1 record entering Sunday night’s game against Nova Scotia.
Mitch, the older of the two, is 20, while Mark is playing in the Canada Games as an underager, at 17. Mitch is the team’s shortstop, and Mark plays second base.
It’s the only time the pair will get to play together until they both hit the senior ranks. That’s because the age gap between two didn’t allow them to be teammates in the various minor divisions coming up through the ranks.
“To represent your province is always special, but having your brother on the other side of the infield is a really cool feeling,” said Mark.
Mitch is one of the leaders of the squad, and Mark has certainly proven to be a capable member, despite his age.
Mark, along with Games teammate Jordan Pomeroy, is off to the national under19 team selection camp in P.E.I. in August. A team will be picked from that camp to play for Canada in the world U19 championship next summer in Prince Albert, Sask.
It’s the same squad that Mitch Stack dressed for at the 2016 worlds in Midland, Mich.
“These kids,” said Newfoundland and Labrador Canada Games coach Paul King, “are gamers.
“They come prepared for each game and every game. They’re great hitters, great on defence, great teammates. They bring everything to the field that makes a successful ballplayer.
“They really are a dynamic duo.”
Men’s softball is back in the Games for the first time since 2005 (to celebrate, Mitch Stack says he’s gone old school, with the retro-style stirrup socks) and Newfoundland and Labrador is regarded as one of the tournament’s top entries.
Nobody knows this better than the ball players themselves, who have a confident strut around the Athletes Village.
“Newfoundland,” Mitch said, “especially in senior men’s play, has seven or eight guys in the (national team) athlete pool. We’re big in softball and we know it, and when we come up here, we feel good.
“We train with the best and we feel pretty confident coming up here.”
They certainly looked like a confident lot in an 8-1, five-inning win over Alberta Sunday morning. That came after a disappointing 10-4 loss to Quebec Saturday night.
Newfoundland opened the tournament Saturday morning, beating New Brunswick 9-2.
In the game against Alberta, Mitch Stack staked Newfoundland to a 3-1 lead in the first on a three-run home run.
“That was a huge win,” said Donny King, who is coaching the squad with his brother, Paul. “To bounce back after a loss like that (to Quebec) was important to their psyche … to know they can come back and get back into the winning margin again.”
Newfoundland was scheduled to play Nova Scotia Sunday night, but the result was not available as of press time.
For a full results wrap from Sunday, log on to www.thetelegram.com