Canadian Wild opens home schedule Thursday
MARION - There's a new kid on the block and she is seeking your attention, if not affection.
The Canadian Wild of Southern Illinois debut in front of the home crowd at Rent One Park tomorrow (Thursday) evening at 7:05. The Wild are a professional women's fastpitch softball team that serves as the national team for Canada. And because the professional softball league is played in the U.S., the Wild was looking for a more central location for a home base and chose Southern Illinois - and Rent One Park, home of the Southern Illinois Miners.
The Wild opened its summer schedule of games on the road in Florida last week, sweeping a six-game series from the Chinese national team, which is based there. Tomorrow night's match pits the Wild against the defending league champion, USSSA Pride, a collection of American talent that is based in Viera, Fla.
Like the Miners, general admission tickets are $7. Box seats range from $10 to $12 and club tickets are $14 to $15 the day of the game.
There will be postgame fireworks Thursday rather than Friday.
"Our pitching was solid and our hitting was timely," said Wild head coach Mark Smith of last week's sweep of the Beijing Eagles.
"For the most part, the games were competitive as China is a Top 8 team in the world, but there was no reason for us to believe that we shouldn't come out on the right side against them. We felt this was a team we should beat each time out, and we did just that."
Smith said the Wild was led offensively by Victoria Hayward, who hit close to .500 over the six-game stretch. Top hurler was Jenna Caira, who not only posted two wins, but allowed no runs in the process.
Caira is from Toronto, Ontario. Hayward was born in Camada, but grew up in Northern California before eventually moving to Florida.
Smith said he and the team is excited about taking on a formidable opponent like the U.S. and hopeful that a large crowd will turn out for the series in Marion.
"I know that we sold over 1,000 advance tickets and we hope to have a big walk-up crowd each night," Smith said. "We are proud to represent Southern Illinois."