Head coach Carl Tuinenga and Assistant coach Alison Boys in conjunction with the national selectors have named a team of 14 to compete in the Southern Cross Softball Tournament in Christchurch, 25-28 March.

The New Zealand White Sox A team is part of an extended White Sox squad allowing the wider group opportunities to be part of the national environment.

The team is one with plenty of youth, a team that is likely to farm athletes towards the 2018 WBSC–SD World Championships in Chiba, Japan. The 2018 event is extremely significant given it will determine the teams to compete in the 2020 Olympics, subject to the decision of Softball being reinstated after the Rio Olympics this year.

White Sox A is spearheaded by three Auckland pitchers; Pania Monk, Beth Stavert and Tyla Morrison. The team also contains Gillian Wills and Keri Simeon who were recently named as non-travelling reserves for the New Zealand White Sox to compete at this year’s World Championships in Vancouver, Canada.

The Southern Cross will provide a tough and competitive environment in the form of competition from Queensland Heat and locals the Canterbury Red Hawks.

The Softball New Zealand President Lyn Lockhart proudly announces the New Zealand White Sox A Team to compete in the Southern Cross.

Pania Monk (Auckland)
Beth Stavert (Auckland)
Tyla Morrison (Auckland)
Lucy McIntyre (Southland)
Zoe Tolhopf ; (Auckland)
Keri Simeon (Wellington)
Nita Hickey (Auckland)
Aieesha Hooper (Auckland)
Ashley Johnson (Hutt Valley)
Gillian Wills (Auckland)
Ancelle Van Molendorff (Auckland)
Lisei Le’aupepe (Wellington)
Danielle Tanoa (Wellington)
Yvonne Burgess (Hutt Valley)

Carl Tuinenga Head Coach (Canterbury), Alison Boys Assistant Coach (Wellington) and Gail Werahiko (Canterbury).