Colborn combines love of softball and country life

Local star piles up awards with Lady Buffs in Texas

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Cadence Colborn sets to make a hit during game action.

Cadence Colborn couldn’t pass up a chance to go on a new journey in Texas when the opportunity combined two of her biggest loves – softball and country life.

After graduating from Tommy Douglas Collegiate in June of 2024, Colborn ventured down to Canyon, Texas, to play for the West Texas University A&M Lady Buffs Softball Team in the NCAA Division II ranks. While Colborn grew up as a softball standout in Saskatoon, she would travel with her family to do work on the family farm outside of town. It was a place where Colborn always felt like she was home.

When she was with presented the chance to join the Lady Buffs playing out of a small city of just over 16,000 people in the northern part of Texas, Colborn couldn’t pass it up.

“I have a huge agriculture background,” said Colborn. “My dad is a farmer.

“I’ve grown up around the farm. I’m an animal science major, pre-vet major. It is just right up my alley.

“Everything is ‘yee-haw’ and cowboy hats. I also rodeo, so that is really cool too. Everything is rodeo down there.”

Colborn is back in Saskatoon playing for the CT&V Selects U19A team. The 18-year-old returned home after having a spectacular first season with the Lady Buffs. In 57 total games, Colborn, who plays first base, went 48-for-111 at the plate for a .432 average, nine home runs and 51 RBI.

She was named a second team All-Lone Star Conference all-star, to the Lone Star Conference All-Freshman team and a National Fastpitch Coaches Association South-Central Region second team all-star.

Along with piling up the awards, Colborn helped the Lady Buffs put up a 56-8 overall record. The Lady Buffs fell 2-1 in the best-of-three NCAA South Super Regionals to the University of Texas at Tyler Patriots for the right to advance to NCAA Division II College World Series. The Patriots would move on to claim a second straight NCAA Division II national title.

Cadence Colborn goes yard at nationals on August 3, 2025.

Being part and playing well in the Lady Buffs lengthy post-season run was a thrilling new experience for Colborn.

“It was awesome,” said Colborn, who stands 5-foot-7. “We talked a whole year about playing for a national championship, so we could kind of set ourselves up for that stage.

“In practice, we play harder than we do in the games. Practice is always harder. It was just unreal.

“I’ve never played on a stage like that. The fans are crazy.”

Growing up in Saskatoon, Colborn seemed destined to play softball for the longer term. She regularly went to games her father, Shawn, played in and remembers chasing down foul balls to make a little extra cash from the scorekeeper. She credits Shawn and her mother, Andrea, for being the biggest influences in helping her in the game.

“I grew up around the ballpark,” said Colborn. “I’ve just kind of been playing my whole life.

“It has just kind of been in the family. I was born with a ball in my hand. There are pictures of me with my dad’s ball glove on.

“I started T-ball when I was like five.”

When she started playing softball, Colborn was drawn to crushing the ball with the bat.

“I think hitting has always been my favourite,” said Colborn. “I love just swinging the bat and feeling the ball fly off the bat.

“I just like the atmosphere. I think it is fun. If you strike out or have a tough day at the plate, you can come back on defence.”

Colborn excelled at the sport as she grew up. Before she headed off to play for the Lady Buffs, Colborn gave hometown fans thrills playing for the provincial champion Saskatoon Prairie Dog Selects at Softball Canada’s Under-19 Women’s Canadian Fast Pitch Championship Tournament that ran July 31 to August 4, 2024 at the diamonds on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

Cadence Colborn takes up a defensive position at first base.

The Selects posted a 5-3 overall record, and Colborn was named a tournament all-star. At the plate, Colborn posted a .474 batting average and nailed three home runs. In the playoff round, she homered off Fraser Valley Fusion pitcher Morgan Reimer, who has been a regular in Softball Canada’s national team system.

Ryan Ray coached Colborn last season and is coaching her again this season in the Selects program. 

Having been part of high-level softball as either a player or a coach for almost his whole life, Ray was immediately impressed with Colborn.

“She is a very, very hard worker,” said Ray. “When she puts something in her mind, she does it.

“She works and works until she gets it done. It is not always easy to coach a player that is that driven, because they expect a lot out of you too. I love the challenge that she gives all the time, and it has always been enjoyable coaching her.”

Ray believes Colborn’s potential to go far in the sport is huge.

“The sky is the limit,” said Ray. “She can play in the Olympics.

“I firmly believe that she is a good enough hitter to do that, and her defence is getting better and better all the time. The sky is the limit for her. Whatever she puts her mind to, she will get.”

Originally, Colborn thought she would remain close to home when it came to playing post-secondary softball. That changed the deeper she got in her high school years.

“I started to really think about it when I was in Grade 11,” said Colborn, whose younger brother, Braeden, plays for the Saskatoon Giants Under-18 AAA Baseball Team. “I actually didn’t think I was going to go play college softball.

Cadence Colborn enjoys driving the ball deep.

“I wanted to stay home and go to the U of S (Saskatchewan). Then, a couple of my friends started signing. They’re older than me.

“Then, I was kind of like, ‘Yeah, I kind of want to go do this, and I think I could be good at it.’”

When she started playing for the Lady Buffs, Colborn said she had to adjust to how good the pitchers were, and her coaches worked with her regarding approaches at the plate.

“The pitching was unreal,” said Colborn. “I had never seen pitching like that.

“There were rise balls where they hit their spots. On the other side, our coach found ways to help us. We hit off the machine every day.

“The pitching was just unreal. They threw like 66, 67 and all the way up to like 72 (miles per hour). They mix their pitches, they mix paces, and they just really tried their best to get you out.”

On a personal front, Colborn was hoping to pick up an all-star award as a rookie. She wasn’t expecting a trio of all-star honours to come her way.

“It was just unreal,” said Colborn. “That was a goal going in was just to make a conference team.

“I made a conference team and a region team. I did not expect to be named a region player in my first freshman year, but that was just surreal. I was just grateful to even be nominated for the regional award.”

Now that she is back at home for the summer, Colborn is hoping to help the Selects have another big season. When the campaign with the Selects wraps up, she will play for Saskatchewan’s women’s softball team at the Canada Summer Games that runs August 8 to 25 in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

While the NCAA is more open for movement than it ever has been with rule changes regarding the transfer portal in recent years, Colborn is planning to remain with the Lady Buffs, because that is where she feels most at home.

Cadence Colborn, left, is pictured after winning a provincial title.

“I like where I am at right now,” said Colborn. “It is great.

“It is good for my schooling as well. I will see what the future holds, but I definitely want to win a national championship. I think we have a really good chance at that next year, so I’ll be sticking around for the next couple of years until we win one.”

Prokopchuk shares love for 222’s for opening doors in softball

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Olivia Prokopchuk is one of Saskatoon’s best power hitters.

Olivia Prokopchuk will be part of the 222’s Fastpitch program for life.

The 17-year-old power hitter and first base infielder credits the fall and winter season travel team program for creating unique opportunities for her in the sport of softball. She always loved softball from an early age after her father, Steve Prokopchuk, convinced her to give the sport a try, and the 222’s would come into her life a handful of years later.

“Honesty, I think my dad just kind of was like, “Oh, do you want to try T-ball one day?’” said Prokopchuk reflecting on her start. “I was like, ‘Yeah, for sure.’

“I kind of just started, and I instantly liked it. I got to the point where I quit all my other sports and started to become more competitive in softball. I started out as a pitcher for the 222’s.

“I kind of just discovered that I liked hitting and kind of passed on the pitching aspect. Here I am now, and I’m a hitter and an infielder.”

Prokopchuk used to play hockey, soccer and did some horseback along with softball while growing up. At around age 11 turning 12, Prokopchuk focused on softball as her lone sport, and she joined up with the 222’s program.

“I like getting to meet new people and having new teammates,” said Prokopchuk, who stands 5-foot-7. “I think for me the 222’s brought a lot of friendships that I wouldn’t have had now.

“The coaches and everyone that I got to meet to help me further my career were really nice.”

Olivia Prokopchuk drives a ball into the net.

Back in November of 2024, Prokopchuk signed on with the University of South Carolina-Union Bantams Women’s Softball team located in Union, South Carolina. They play in the National Junior College Athletic Association in the United States.

She is also slated to play for Team Saskatchewan at the 2025 Canada Summer Games that run this coming August 8 to 25 in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Prokopchuk said the 222’s, who are based out of the Indoor Training Centre on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds, had a big impact on her in being able to get the chance to play softball at the post-secondary level and play in the Canada Summer games.

“I definitely learned a lot with them,” said Prokopchuk. “They definitely were one of the biggest reasons as to why I am where I am now.”

Prokopchuk credits longtime 222’s coaches in Ryan Ray and Keith Mackintosh on being the biggest influences in helping her out in the sport. She said Ray was important in helping her with the mental side of hitting.

“He (Ray) just helps me understand the game and for me to not get in my head when something doesn’t go my way, which is definitely a bit part of the game,” said Prokopchuk, who is slated to graduate from Bishop James Mahoney High School this coming June. “Softball is a mental game.

“It can definitely take over, but he (Ryan Ray) has definitely helped me understand and realize that it is OK.”

Prokopchuk said Mackintosh was huge in helping her improve in a couple of areas of her game.

Olivia Prokopchuk makes a throw from first base.

“He has helped me with hitting and has spent countless hours working me through my swing,” said Prokopchuk. “He was also the start of helping me with my first base skills.”

With the work she put in with the 222’s, Prokopchuk was able to sign with the Bantams. She said it was fun setting up and getting the pictures done for the social media posts of her signing announcement.

“It was like having everyone there that has been there for you the whole time and knowing that you accomplished what you’ve worked so hard for over the past however many years has finally come true,” said Prokopchuk. “It was pretty nice.”

She elected to join the Bantams for a variety of reasons.

“I knew I wanted to go far (away), and I knew that if I wanted to go far, I might as well go somewhere in the sun,” said Prokopchuk. “The coaches were really good with me.

“They were good with my parents. They were just well-oriented down there I feel. When I went down, everyone was good with the players.

“The players had a close relationship with them, which was definitely a big thing for me.”

Prokopchuk said there was a natural comfort vibe feeling between herself and the South Carolina program.

Olivia Prokopchuk was a pitcher at first before focusing on hitting.

“I had an offer there before I went down there,” said Prokopchuk. “It was just a matter of me going down there and deciding if I liked the school.

“I did fall in love with it when I went down there, so it was a very quick and easy call and decision to make.”

While Prokopchuk has experienced her share of highs, she encountered a new challenge with a major injury. 

During a training session in late 2024, Prokopchuk tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee.

She is focused on her road to recovery, which will allow her to play in the upcoming Canada Summer Games and the 2025-26 campaign with the Bantams. Still, Prokopchuk said she was a bit nervous at first when it came to starting out on the comeback trail.

“I was definitely shaky at the start, because I wasn’t expecting it,” said Prokopchuk. “I had never gotten hurt before, so this was a big thing for me, but I kind of just came to the realization that it has to happen to everyone.

“If it didn’t happen now, it was going to happen at some point. I am just focusing on rehab and getting back and pushing myself to get back in time for what I want to more so accomplish down the road. That is the good thing is that straight out of rehab I get to do something that I wanted to do and that I’ve worked hard for.”

In the future, Prokopchuk still wants to be part of Softball Canada’s national team system at some point in time. When her playing days are complete, Prokopchuk wants to embark on a career that will help her stay around the sport.

Olivia Prokopchuk drives a ball into the outfield.

“I do want to come home, and I want to become a physiotherapist,” said Prokopchuk. “That has been a dream of mine for a long time, so that is the plan as of right now.”

Overall, she has appreciated the support of Saskatoon’s softball community during her journey in the sport. Prokopchuk said that support has also helped her realize her dreams in the sport.

“The softball community here is so nice and welcoming,” said Prokopchuk. “Everyone is here for a purpose and wants to be here, which is really encouraging to us and the little ones below us.

“I enjoy it.”

Frisky to realize dream

Pitcher will play for Canada’s under-18 women’s softball team

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Emma Frisky will play for Canada’s under-18 women's national team.

Emma Frisky is going to live her dream a little faster than she anticipated.

The skill right-handed pitcher, who will turn 16-years-old on March 10, was named to Softball Canada’s Under-18 Women’s National Team that will play in the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation Americans Pan Am Championship slated to run March 30 to April 6 in Monteria, Colombia. While the official announcement of the Canadian roster came out on February 26, Frisky is still pretty awestruck by the news.

“It is kind of surreal still,” said Frisky. “It is a great honour to wear the leaf and represent my country.

“It has been a great since I was a little girl. It feels great that it is coming true.”

Playing on one of Softball Canada’s national teams has been a lifelong aspiration for Frisky. She began playing the sport at age four when her family was located in her original hometown in Tisdale.

Frisky played lots of minor softball for the Spirit program in Melfort. At the 2022 Under-15 Girls Canadian Fastpitch Championship held on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds in August of that year, Frisky was named the all-star pitcher playing for the Spirit.

From about age seven or eight, she also began training with the 222’s Fastpitch program in the late summer, fall and winter months at a young age and has been a member of their travel teams for about four years.

About two years ago, her family relocated to Martensville, which allowed Frisky to play her first season with the Twin City Angels program last year. Frisky, who stands 5-foot-8, helped the Angels win a provincial title and appear in the Under-15 Girls Canadian Fastpitch Championship help last August in Brandon, Man.

Even to this point in her young life, Frisky has gained numerous positive experiences from the sport of softball.

“All my best friends have come from this sport,” said Frisky, who also plays third base and shortstop when she is not pitching. “I’ve learned so many life lessons.

Emma Frisky chats with a 222’s Fastpitch teammate.

“I really like the feeling of being on a team where you know that all the girls have your back and that competitiveness you get on championship Sunday to go out and that edge to go win. It is a good feeling.”

In her current Grade 10 school year, Frisky spent the first semester attending Tommy Douglas Collegiate, where she did further softball training at the Tigers Softball Academy overseen by Trevor Ethier and Don Bates. She is taking her second semester of studies at Martensville High School.

She said the biggest influences she has had helping her along in the sport have come from the 222’s and the Tigers programs.

“I’d say the Twos (222’s Fastpitch) program has been my biggest influence,” said Frisky. “I liked all my coaches when I was younger growing up that have pushed me in this direction.

“A big shout out to Dean Holoien and Keith Mackintosh and “Rayzor” (Ryan) Ray, and then at the softball academy Trevor Ethier and Don Bates.”

Mackintosh, who is one of the 222’s veteran instructors and head coach of Canada’s under-18 women’s team, said Frisky had a great compete level and strives to get better. The veteran field boss, who is a member of International Softball Congress Hall of Fame, said Frisky excels at the sport for a number of reasons.

“I just think her work ethic has got her to the point where she throws with velocity,” said Mackintosh. “Her spins are great.

“She is very mature for her age in that regard. I really think the number on thing that probably makes Emma who she is as a player is her compete level. She just wants to play softball.

“She wants to win for her teammates. She is an unbelievable teammate that way.”

Frisky’s fastball has gotten up to 64 miles per hour, which is impressive for someone about to turn 16-years-old. She also had great control of her rise ball, drop curve and change up.

Mackintosh said Frisky deserves to be on the under-18 national team, and the coaches decided to take her and a couple of other players that are the same age as her having an eye to the future. If Canada finishes in the top five of the WBSC Americans Pan Am Championship, the squad advances to the WBSC Under-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage.

The World Cup Group Stages have been awarded to Sao Paolo, Brazil (Group A – July 23-27), Pingtan, China (Group B – August 14-18) and Dallas, Texas, in the United States (Group C – August 29 to September 2). If Canada is successful in the group stage earning a spot to the under-18 worlds in 2015, the 2006 born players who are on Canada’s roster at the moment will fall off.

Emma Frisky’s fastball can hit 64 miles per hour.

Knowing what could happen if Canada earns a spot at worlds next year, Mackintosh said the coaching staff was looking to carry some younger aged players on the under-18 team this year.

“We just thought we’re going to take some young players and give them a taste of international competition to see how they do, and then we know exactly where we are at a year and a half down the road,” said Mackintosh.“That was part of it.

“She (Frisky) earned her way on. She had a great camp. She had a great summer season.

“I’m really proud of the development she has had over the last couple of years. She just deserved to be there.”

Mackintosh believes Frisky has the potential to play softball at the highest levels long into the future.

“I think the sky is the limit for her,” said Mackintosh. “You look at the age of our senior national team going into an Olympic year in 2028 it is going to be a fairly older team.

“I think that the next generation of players that are coming up of that age group Emma is definitely one of those players that she could be wearing the maple leaf for a very long time. The hope is she goes to a good school in the States.I just think the upside to her and her career is unlimited.”

Frisky said she wants to follow in the path of her favourite player in Jorde Chartrand. Chartrand is an ace right-handed pitcher and power hitter with the NCAA Division I University of North Carolina Greensboro Spartans Women’s Softball Team in Greensboro, N.C.

A Weyburn, Sask., product, Chartrand spent a number of years playing in Saskatoon and training at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. She suited up for Softball Canada’s Senior National Women’s Team in 2022.

“Jordy (Jorde) Chartrand is my biggest idol,” said Frisky. “I look up to her.

“When she made the national team, that was kind of inspiration. To see her live her dreams kind of helped push me to get there myself.”

Emma Frisky takes part in a bunt defence drill.

Looking towards the future, Frisky wants to earn more chances to represent Canada at the international level and earn a scholarship to play softball for an NCAA Division I school. At the moment, her focus is on the immediate future in playing for Canada at the WBSC Americans Pan American Championship tournament.

“It is coming up pretty quick,” said Frisky. “It is really exciting.

“I’m super excited to go down there and meet all the girls. It is going to be an awesome experience.”