By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER a seven-year break, Loretta Maycock is bringing the New Providence Wholesalers Modified Pitch Softball League back this weekend at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

Already five teams have signed up to compete, but Maycock said she is anticipating that the numbers will more than double.

“We decided to bring it back for the young boys,” Maycock said. “A lot of the younger players have been asking for us to bring the league back, so we decided to bring it back. I’m looking forward to a very competitive league.”

An official opening ceremony will take place at noon when Quintin Brennen, General Manager of the National Sports Authority, will give some remarks. The keynote speaker will be Sandy Morley, the president of the BAF Financial Home. Desiree Taylor, the president of the New Providence Softball Association, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Immediately following that, the first game will be played at 1pm between the Young Boyz and the Outsiders. Then at 3.15pm, the Undertakers will face the Smokin’ Rams.

The action continue on Sunday when the Airbourne Freight Stallions will battle the Young Boyz at 1.45pm. The Outsiders will face the Undertakers in the feature game at 3pm.

“A lot of the players who played in the league in the past went on to play in the New Providence Softball Association and have even made the national team,” said Maycock, of the league that is designed primarily for wholesalers companies.

“With the NPSA not yet ready to start, this will give some of the players to get fit for the fast pitch league, even though we are playing modified softball. We are happy that it’s back and running again.”

When the wholesalers league took a break, Maycock went on to become the first female elected to serve as president of the NPSA. She continue to work with the NPSA as one of the league’s scorers.

Now that the league is back, Maycock said she intent to make it just as vibrant as it was before they took a break. In time, she said she hope to have an increase in the amount of teams that will participate as well.

“We already have teams waiting to come in, so we are looking for a very competitive season,” she said. “We don’t know who will make up the teams because the rosters are not in, but a lot of the young players who participate in the NPSA are expected to compete.”

Games will be played using the International Softball Federation’s rules, which will allow games to be stopped by 15 runs after three innings, ten runs after four and seven runs after five.