Captain asks Kiwi fans to pull Black Sox up

Black Sox captain Cole Evans says his side are counting on home support to give them an edge as they chase an eighth title in the men’s Softball World Cup starting this weekend.

“We’re just really excited. We’ve had a lot of fan support and the New Zealand public have been really getting behind us,” Evans said.

The Black Sox campaign starts against the Czech Republic in today’s tournament opener. New Zealand are one of 12 teams gunning for the title at Rosedale Park on Auckland’s North Shore, with hopes of matching their 2013 success at the same venue.

“We’re really looking forward to running out on Saturday afternoon and putting on a good show,” said Evans.

In the 2013 tournament, they became world champions for the sixth time, adding a seventh with their last triumph in 2017. Argentina won the title in 2019.

The tournament, held every two years, was initially scheduled for 2021 but delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Evans’ men haven’t played at home since 2019.

“This is my fourth World Cup but this is going to be the most special one. I was lucky enough to be there in 2013 when the Black Sox won that home World Series. We’ll be looking to do something similar over the next 10 to 12 days.”

Evans said his side were approaching today’s match with caution, after losing 3-2 to the Czechs at an invitational tournament in New Plymouth last weekend.

“They have always been a tough side for us,” said Evans. “They come with good quality pitching and good hitting.

“They put three on the board on us over the weekend, they’re not to be taken lightly, but we’re really excited to get out there and give them a run.”

Following today’s match, the Black Sox take on the United States, Argentina, the Philippines and Cuba before the top three teams from both pools are found. Those teams progress to a super round, with points accrued in the group stages carrying over and the remaining contenders playing the teams they haven’t yet faced to determine the finalists.

“Those first three games pretty much make or break your tournament, really,” said Cole.

The final is on December 4.