Confident softball coach

Press, 4 December 1981, Page 28

Confident softball coach

Eyes might light up once home-run specialists spot a revamped Papanui Domain when the South Island men’s softball tournament for the Jefferies Cup is held this week-end. The skin diamond on the ground has been completely fenced-in for the occasion and batters can go for automatic home runs instead of having long hits caught by a deep outfield. Canterbury won the tournament when it was last conducted at Christchurch in 1979 and the new coach, Mr Tom Hurinui, is confident that he has a team which will retake the title. “We won’t disappoint the Canterbury crowd," he said. The home team has beeff drawn in the B section and will meet West Coast (10 a.m.) Nelson (11.45 a.m.), and Mid-Canterbury (1.30 p.m.) tomorrow and Otago (9.30

a.m.) on Sunday in its bid for a place in the finals. Southland and Marlborough are the main contenders in the A section and Mr Hurinui predicted a Canterbury-Southland final though he said it wouldn’t pay to underestimate Marlborough. In section play the deciding game as far as Mr Hurinui is concerned is Canterbury’s clash with the holder, Nelson, which will rely a lot on its pitching lineup of Dennis Dolejs and Rab Jamieson. Dolejs and his brother, David (infielder), have both played for the Christchurch club, United in recent seasons. The Canterbury coach has dropped the Burnside utility, Glyn Eades, from the squad which thrashed Otago in a double-header at Mosgiel last month and he will go into the Jefferies Cup tournament with 15 players.

His starting top nine for the big game against Nelson is likely to be: Robert Tangaroa (pitcher), Simon Heath (catcher), Graeme Anderson (first base), Murray Lanini (second base), Paul McFarlane (third base), Michael Hall (short-stop), Mark McFarlane (left field), Kevin Steel (centre field), Ray Marsh (right field). The Burnside catcher John Daly, will be the designated hitter for Lanini, Mr Hurinui said, with Maia Toa and Eric Tomlinson, both batters who “move the ball,” in line for similar roles. Tangaroa can move the ball both as a batter and pitcher and it will be interesting to see if the visiting representative teams can cope any better with his speed deliveries than have the local club sides so far this season. The young Burnside player has struck out an amazing 61.3 per cent (165

out of 269) of the batters he has faced while conceding a mere 13 safe hits in 11 games. Mr Hurinui is looking for good performances from both his pitchers, Tangaroa and Colin Sutherland with plenty of backing from such topline batters as Marsh, Hall and the McFarlane brothers. “The top line-up can bat from No 1 to No 9 in the order,” he said. He” expects Canterbury to be the top fielding side with the infield outstanding. “Paul McFarlane is back again dead keen and must be in line for the New Zealand team place now vacant with the departure of Lindsay Anderson.” The tournament is the main part of Canterbury’s build-up for the Rothmans national championships at Fraser Park, Lower Hutt, from December 28 to January 2.