Business picks up for baseball, football, softball in photo roundup

By Gordie Howe Sports Complex staff
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Rachel Siwak drives the ball of a tee at the Indoor Training Centre.

The excitement and momentum for the spring season kept building and kept going when it finally came.

For the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, the arrival of May starts a period lasting about six to seven months where all the facilities on the Complex grounds are in operation. Baseball and softball begin regular season play.

Football gets going with numerous flag leagues, Saskatoon Minor Football’s North Sask Academy league and the Saskatoon Valkyries, who venture on a quest to capture another WWCFL title. The Track and Field Track gets swamped with various meets in May, June and July.

Of course, there is big excitement for the return of Western Canadian Baseball League to Saskatoon. The Saskatoon Berries will play their home opener on May 28 at 7 p.m. at Cairns Field against the Regina Red Sox. That contest will mark the first time Cairns Field has hosted a game in Canada’s premier collegiate summer wood bat league since the Saskatoon Yellow Jackets ceased operation following the 2014 season.

Activity was still busy inside the Indoor Training Centre as athletes in all these sports were peaking their training throughout April in anticipation of the calendar turning to May. One group looking further down the road in this calendar year was the University of Saskatchewan Women’s Softball Program. They held a tryout camp inside the Indoor Training Centre from April 13 to 14.

Samantha Moore runs down a ball hit into the outfield.

Our lead picture for our photo roundup comes from that camp and sees veteran centerfielder Rachel Siwak working on her sweet swing in a batting cage on April 13. The second picture sees veteran right-fielder Samantha Moore running down a ball hit into the outfield.

The tryout camp allowed the U of S players to get in some work before joining various club teams at the start of May and playing with those squads in spring and summer. The U of S squad usually begins play in late August.

The pictures in this photo roundup capture some of the memories that are made on our grounds. In this photo roundup, all of these pictures were taken by our Communications Coordinator in Darren Steinke.

Without further ado, here is a selection of 11 shots we hope you enjoy.

Focus on tackle form

A player with the Saskatoon Wild Oats Rugby Club concentrates on perfecting a tackling technique on a teammate during a practice session hosted by the program on April 10 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Wild Oats men’s and women’s clubs get in regular indoor training sessions as their respective seasons approach.

Lineout catch looks good

Members of the Saskatoon Wild Oats Rugby Club work at making sure the ball is caught in a lineout on April 10 at the Indoor Training Centre. Members of both the Wild Oats men’s and women’s programs were gearing up for their upcoming campaigns.

Securing the flyout

An outfielder with a Saskatoon Selects under-18 team gets under and secures a catch in the outfield during a training session on April 10 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Selects players were getting in as many defensive repetitions as possible with the season around the corner.

Tracking in top form

A catcher follows the ball into her glove during a tryout session hosted by the University of Saskatchewan Women’s Softball Program on April 13 at the Indoor Training Centre. The coaches with the U of S club were evaluating players before they departed to their club teams in May that play in spring and summer.

Take down

A young player flattens a tackle wheel during a drill on April 16 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Saskatoon Minor Football was holding an ID camp for its North Sask Academy in the under-16 age group on this day.

Running with power

A ball carrier powers through a couple of tacklers during a kick return drill on April 16 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The drill was part of the activities overseen by Saskatoon Minor Football as part of an ID camp for its North Sask Academy in the under-16 age group.

Winter reminder

Just when it looked like the weather outside was cleared up, winter sent a reminder that it could come back at any time. Saskatoon Minor Football Field is pictured here after a snow dump on April 18.

Sweet touch throw

A quarterback makes a perfect throw during a Rush Female High School Flag Football mass practice on April 22 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Players taking part in the Rush program develop a strong love for the game.

Well-timed juke

A ball carrier puts on a juke move to fake out a defender during a Rush Female High School Flag Football mass practice on April 22 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Rush program is outstanding when it comes to delivering fun and competitiveness.

All in the release

A young pitcher focuses on making a good release working on her craft at a Saskatoon Phantoms under-15 team practice at the Indoor Training Centre on April 28. The Phantoms coaches had pitchers working on their release before going into a full pitch wind up.

Turning on the jets

A base runner finds her top gear turning a well-placed hit into a triple during a modified scrimmage between a pair of Saskatoon Selects teams on April 28 at the Indoor Training Centre. The turf field at the Indoor Training Centre provides a perfect spot to conduct simulated game situations.

Safe at home

Saskatoon Giants base runner Tristin Tetreault Yaremko slides in safe at home during a Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League game in under-18 AAA play against the Saskatoon Diamondbacks on May 8 at Leakos Field. The Diamondbacks ultimately squeaked out a 4-3 win.

Special delivery

Saskatoon Diamondbacks pitcher Casey Rauckman finesses a pitch to the plate during a Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League game in under-18 AAA play against the Saskatoon Giants on May 8 at Leakos Field. The Diamond slipped past the Giants 4-3.

He could go all the way

Samuel LaFreniere from Team Green runs a punt a long way back to a touchdown during North Sask Academy league action on May 8 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Team Green took this contest over Team White 41-2.

Making it look routine

A Cardinals men’s team baseball player settles under a fly ball during a training session on May 8 at the Indoor Training Centre. A smaller group of Cardinals players were out getting lots repetitions in the outfield.

A beauty site

The K+S Potash Canada Multi-Sports Centre sits overlooking the Track and Field Track on May 9 waiting to be used for that evening’s twilight meet. It makes for a great site on a sweet sunny day.

U of S Softball team cements place in sports scene

Club give locals place to play at home at a high level

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Thora Reynolds (#16) drives a ball into the outfield.

The University of Saskatchewan Women’s Softball Program aims to live out the cliché, “Be it ever so humble there is no place like home.”

While the club team has a relatively short history first hitting the field in 2008, it gives players in Saskatoon and the provincial softball community an avenue to combine academics and play at a high level in the post-secondary scene. The club also allows those players to stay home or close to home.

The U of S team has won the Western Collegiate Softball Association title on five occasions including 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016. Along with the WCSA championships, U of S has won two Canadian Collegiate Softball Association titles including the team’s inaugural campaign in 2008 and 2016.

Growing up playing softball in Saskatoon or anywhere in Saskatchewan, players dream of playing the sport at the NCAA Division I level in the United States. For a lot of players as they get older, a desire develops to play at home or closer to home, and that is where the U of S Softball program fills an important role.

For utility infielder Thora Reynolds who grew up playing minor softball in Saskatoon, the pull to go play in the United States was there, but it ultimately made more sense for her situation to stay home.

“I think staying home was a big factor because I went through the 222’s (Fastpitch) program, and lots of girls that I knew they went to the States to play college,” said Reynolds, who is in her second season with the U of S Softball club. “That was definitely an option I was considering, but I think education was a big thing for me and also just being able to stay home not having to go to the States.

“The whole atmosphere of the team was great and you can have kind of shorter season but still have that competitive energy about the team. It brings the sport to life. I love it.”

Reynolds has played softball for 10 years and grew up playing in the Hustlers Zone of the Saskatoon Minor Softball League and suited up for the Saskatoon Selects under-19 AA team this past summer. She graduated in June of 2022 with the highest average of all Grade 12 students at Centennial Collegiate, which resulted in the Saskatoon Public School Division giving her a Proficiency Award.

At U of S, Reynolds, who is 19-years-old, studies in the biomedical sciences program. Reynolds said staying at home was a better fit for her educational goals. She added the level of play of the U of S Softball team and the league it plays out of is high, and it is important for local players to have that option to continue playing the sport.

Thora Reynolds is a high achiever academically.

“It is great to have the opportunity to play here,” said Reynolds. “I don’t think it is recognized enough.

“We don’t get as much recognition as we should I think. Just having the opportunity to play ball especially in Saskatchewan it is super awesome. It is definitely worth it.”

While Reynolds is a Saskatoon product who joined the U of S Softball team, first year outfielder Rachel Siwak came to the club via Melfort, Sask. She began playing softball with the Prince Albert Aces under-12 program before joining her hometown Melfort Spirit under-14 team.

This past summer, Siwak was one of Reynolds teammates on the Selects under-19 AA team. Siwak elected to join the U of S Softball club due to the fact Stacey Thomson, who has a very decorated softball resume, was the team’s head coach.

“Basically, I played with the 222’s growing up, and Stacey is the outfield coach of the 222’s,” said Siwak. “I became really fond of her, and I loved playing for her.

“When the opportunity presented itself for me to come to school at the University of Saskatchewan, I thought there would be no better team for me to play on than this team. I reached out to Stacey and here I am.”

A graduate of Melfort and Unit Comprehensive Collegiate, Siwak, who is 18-years-old, is studying business at the U of S and hopes to get into the College of Law. Along with the fact her educational plans line up with what U of S offers academically, Siwak wanted to play at a place where it was close enough for her family to come to games.

When the U of S hosted a number of regular season games at Bob Van Impe Stadium, Joe Gallagher Field and Glenn Reeve Field #3 from August 25 to 27, Siwak had a sizable group of family members in the stands that came out to support her. She also had a great first impression of the environment on the team.

“From the first practices, all the girls are like really inclusive,” said Siwak. “With me being (one of) the youngest, I thought it would be more challenging, but they are really great at just like bringing everybody together.

“The older girls they are really supportive of the younger girls. Even after the first game, I just feel like they made me feel apart of the team and not just like a new rookie.”

Rachel Siwak wants to get into the College of Law in the future.

Thomson has a close identification to what her players have gone through when it comes to deciding where their softball careers go after high school. Before getting into coaching, Thomson grew up playing softball in Saskatoon and played intermittently with Canada’s National Women’s Softball Team from 1994 to 1999.

With U of S having strong academic programs, Thomson said it was important to have the U of S Softball program in Saskatoon to give players from Saskatoon and across Saskatchewan an extra reason to stay home or close to home to pursue academics and athletics. While she focuses on attracting players from in province, Thomson is open to adding players from out of province, if the situation lines up for it.

She said the U of S Softball team has one out of province player in Amanda Paquette, who joined the club as a walk-on. Paquette was originally going to go to the United States to play hockey but elected to pursue her educational goals at the U of S. Once at U of S, she decided to join the U of S Softball team.

“I think that it allows girls that maybe would have gone down south to stay here for a really great university,” said Thomson. “There are so many colleges and opportunities at the U of S.

“It is top rate education rather than going down south and not having the academic side of it as much. I used to be the academic advisor in kinesiology and in psychology, so I got perspective from seeing student athletes trying to get transfer credit. Often times, they’ll go down to school (in the United States) and spend so much money and then come back here, and they won’t have a lot of transfer credit to show for it.”

Thomson said she has heard from parents and other coaches that the U of S Softball team is comparable to programs in the United States. She said she has a pretty strong coaching staff from Saskatoon and area that becomes another factor in athletes deciding to play at U of S.

One of those assistant coaches is Karmen Twordik, who played for the Carnduff Southeast Steelers to took part in Softball Canada’s U23 Women’s and Women’s Canadian Fast Pitch Championship tournament in L’Ile-Perrot, Quebec, this past August 16 to 20. Twordik was a named a tournament all-star in the outfield and helped the Steelers down Ontario’s Oakville Angels under-23 team 1-0 in the event’s gold medal game.

The U of S Softball team celebrates a home run.

While U of S Softball team might not play a season schedule that is as long as post-secondary programs in the United States do, Thomson her program is still a great option to accomplish academic and athletic goals while still getting to represent a team from Saskatchewan.

“I think that it is a little bit more laid back, but it is still competitive,” said Thomson. “There is some pride in playing for Saskatoon and for your home province.”