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It’s World Series time again for Poland girls
By CODIE TALLEY
The Poland Junior League softball team is making a habit of this.
Poland is back in the Junior League Softball World Series in Kirkland, Wash.
The tournament, which consists of 10 teams from around the world, begins on Sunday.
Poland Coach Matt Bobbey had high praise for the level of competition the team will face in the tournament.
“You’ve got 10 teams here from all over the world,” Bobbey said. “Everyone is solid. Everyone will compete.”
Pool play lasts four days, and based on win-loss record teams are then seeded in a single elimination bracket to determine the winner. There are five teams in each pool and the last-place finisher from each pool will be eliminated before bracket play.
Besides Canada, International representatives in the tournament include teams from Puerto Rico, The Philippines, and The Netherlands along with U.S. teams from Washington, Virginia, Rhode Island, Texas, and Montana. After finishing fifth last year, Poland will look to lean on that experience and knowledge of some opponents.
“There’s some familiar teams from last year. The East region winner out of Warwick, Rhode Island is back and we faced them last year,” Bobbey said. “Our experience from last year will help.”
In order to make a run and have a better outcome this year, Poland will rely heavily on pitching. Bobbey said it was Poland’s strength a year ago.
“Last year we had one good pitcher and this year we have two,” he said.
Those pitchers are KaiLi Gross, the lone Canfield product on the Poland roster, who is new to the team this year and Bobbey’s daughter Brooke, who was the ace last season.
Brooke Bobbey, Jackie Grisdale, Camryn Lattanzio, and Lexi Diaz are all back from last year’s team. The foursome are the only girls from the area to make it to back-to-back Junior World Series.
“Having those four back along with two outstanding pitchers gives us the depth we need to make a run at it,” Matt Bobbey said. “In a seven-day period that gives both of them time to recoup after games and allows us to have a strong rotation.”
Poland’s first game is at noon Sunday against the Canadian represenative from Victoria, British Columbia. Following that the locals will play Mechanicsville, Va., at 4:45 p.m. on Monday. Poland will face Kirkland, Wash., at 8 p.m. Tuesday and the Philippines at 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday to round out pool play.