The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE New Providence Softball Association should be winding down its regular season, but instead they have extended it to another round to keep the teams active heading into the Bahamas Softball Federation’s National Round Robin in October.

NPSA president Godfrey ‘Gully’ Burnside said the additional round will now allow the regular season to be completed by October 3 with the first round of the playoffs set to start on October 6.

“It’s been very competitive in the ladies’ division. We have stacked at the top of the standings, the Sunshine Auto Wildcats, the Bommer G Operators, the Johnson Lady Truckers and the Lady Stingers,” Burnside said. “The College of the Bahamas Lady Caribs are looking to make a run for the playoffs.

“As for the men’s division, the BTC Elite Warriors are out front, but they have just lost two in a row. The chase now is between the Iradez Hitmen, the Commando Security Truckers and also the Chances Mighty Mitts. I think the Mighty Mitts are going to be the shocker in the league this year. They have been playing exceptionally well late in the season.”

Although the pitching has not been what he expected, Burnside said there is still a lot of competitive softball being played on a nightly basis when games are contested in the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. Tonight, two make up games are scheduled to be played.

In the 7pm ladies’ opener, the Lady Stingers face the COB Caribs and in the men’s feature contest, the Warriors face the Hitmen. The regular scheduled games will be played on Thursday and Saturday nights. On Thursday at 7pm, the Black Scorpions meet the Wildcats and Lady Truckers play the Lady Caribs. Then on Saturday, the Wildcats play the Stingers at 7pm and the Warriors clash with the Mighty Mitts in the feature contest.

“We decided to add the extra round because if we had finished the regular season this week, the championships could have been over by the end of September,” Burnside said. “By the end of September, the teams would have been sitting out for a whole month. So we decided to put in the fourth round so that we can have our teams active right up to the start of the round robin tournament.”

Unfortunately, Burnside said the JMEL Panthers withdrew from the league because of some disciplinary actions the manager and coaches had to deal with some of their players.

“They have indicated that their withdrawal has nothing to do with the operation of the league because they intend to be back next year,” Burnside said. “They just decided that they were not going to continue this year in the manner in which the players have been performing.”

Burnside also responded to some allegations by the Elite Warriors, who claimed that the league allowed Thomas Davis to play for the Truckers even though he didn’t participate in the league before the All-Star Classic was scheduled.

“We had a meeting last night (Monday) and it was well attended, but BTC manager Erin Adderley nor their coach Robert Gilbert was in attendance,” Burnside said. “We took the time to iron out all matters that we were faced with during the regular season, including the issue with the player from the Truckers.

“We made it clear that once a player’s name is on the initial roster that was given to us, that player has the ability to play in the regular season and into the playoffs. Our constitution states that if a player is added after the initial roster is submitted, he must play a game before the date that has been set for the All-Star Classic.”

Burnside said Davis played on the men’s national team in March but left for an assignment in the United States where he stayed longer than he had anticipated and came back.

“He resides in New Providence, he lives in New Providence and he works in New Providence, but he had something he had to take care of in the United States,” Burnside said. “He was on the Commando Security Truckers’ roster from the start of the season, so he satisfies our constitution and we in the NPSA have allowed him to play in the 2015 season.”

From day one of his reign as president of the NPSA, Burnside said he has been getting flack from Adderley and he and his executives have been trying to deal with all issues that he has presented and he’s confident that they are in compliance with the constitution of the NPSA as they move forward to completing the regular season this month and prepare for the post season next month.