The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Several weeks into the academic year, the athletic calendar gets underway for the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools with the 2018 softball season.

A total of 38 teams will compete in four divisions this season, with opening pitches set for September 24 at various locations throughout New Providence.

Senior boys and junior girls will play Mondays and Wednesdays, while junior boys and senior girls take to the field Tuesdays and Thursdays. Senior boys will field 10 teams, the junior boys will field 11 teams, senior girls nine and junior girls will feature eight teams.

The Queen's College Comets (QC), Nassau Christian Academy Crusaders (NCA), Kingsway Academy Saints (KWA)), St Augustine's College Big Red Machine (SAC), St Anne's Blue Waves (SAS), St John's College Giants (SJC) and Aquinas College Aces (AQ) will be the only schools to field teams in all four divisions.

The St Andrew's Hurricanes (SAS), Bahamas Academy Stars (BA) and Charles W Saunders Cougars will field three teams, while the Jordan Prince William Falcons (JPW) will only compete in the junior boys' division.

St Anne's and NCA senior boys teams will play at the Freedom Farm Baseball Park in Yamacraw. The remaining divisions will play at their school field.

St John's College teams will play at the Blue Hills Softball Complex and Jordan Prince William will play at Flamingo Gardens Community Park.

The playoffs are scheduled to begin on November 6 and championship series on November 12.

The perennial powerhouse Big Red Machine dominated the 2017 softball championships with titles in three of the four contested divisions while the Comets were the only team to prevent the sweep in deciding game twos in the best-of-three series.

The Big Red Machine's junior boys defeated the Crusaders, 6-2, SAC's junior girls came from behind to beat QC 26-17, and SAC's senior boys scored a 33-13 win over NCA. The Comets' senior girls knocked off SAC 9-4.

Day one in the senior boys' division will be highlighted by the defending champion Big Red Machine hosting the Blue Waves. The runner-up Crusaders will host Kingsway.

Also on opening day, the Big Red Machine's junior girls will begin their road back to the championship series this Monday when they travel to face the Blue Waves. The junior boys and senior girls begin play the following day - Tuesday, September 25. SAC's junior boys will host the Cougars while the runner-up Crusaders will host Bahamas Academy.

In senior girls' play, the Comets begin their title defence by hosting the Kingsway Saints.

BAISS Softball Schedule

Monday September 24

Senior Boys

QC Comets at SA

Hurricanes

KWA Saints at NCA Crusaders

SAS Blue Waves at SAC Big Red Machine

BA Stars at SJC Giants

AQ Aces at CWS Cougars

Junior Girls

NCA Crusaders at KWA Saints

CWS Cougars at AQ Aces

SAC Big Red Machine at SAS Blue Waves

Tuesday, September 25

Senior Girls

KWA Saints at QC Comets

SAS Blue Waves at SA Hurricanes

NCA Crusaders at BA Stars

Junior Boys

CWS Cougars at SAC Big Red Machine

AQ Aces at JPW Falcons

QC Comets at KWA Saints

SA Hurricanes at SAS Blue Waves

BA Stars at NCA Crusaders