On Twitter one day, we stumbled on something new in Brandon, Caswell’s Wiffleball League. Now you might be sitting there asking yourself, “What on earth is this.” According to Wikipedia “Wiffle ball is a variation of the sport of baseball designed for indoor or outdoor play in confined areas. The game is played using a perforated, light-weight, resilient plastic ball and a long, typically yellow, plastic bat.” Carthy Caswell, a young up and coming entrepreneur, had a vision to start what he believes is one of the only Wiffleball League’s in Manitoba.  He, and his family, built an official Wiffleball diamond in the family’s back yard which eventually led to Carthy wanting to start a league here in Brandon.  (Video of Caswell Field) BDNMB had a chance recently to witness a game and following the game, I sat down with Carthy to find out some more information about his league. BDNMB – Explain to us what wiffleball is? Carthy – It is basically like baseball. It’s really close to the same rules except we use a wiffleball, a much lighter version of a hardball …we use a plastic bat, and the game is played on a much smaller field… it's a miniature, easier version of baseball and games are only 3 innings long. (Carthy's official league rule book can be found here.) BDNMB – It seems like your buddies take it serious. This is your first year, and you already have 4 teams and a league web site.  How have things been going so far? Carthy – The response has been nothing but awesome. We have shirts…we have everything, so I think this will be a great year.  We hope that our league can be competitive and more teams can be added down the road. BDNMB – Is there anyone else in Manitoba doing this? Carthy – No, I don’t think so. I am not even sure if anyone in Saskatchewan has a real wiffleball field. BDNMB – Did you dad help out putting everything together? Carthy  - Well, ha ha,  I am not sure if that is true. BDNMB – Who is all playing in the league this year? Carthy – Mason Kaspick, Nolan Ritchie, Dylan Halliday, Nate Hunter, and my brother…most guys are AAA Bantam or Midget hockey players. Official League Website Official Twitter Account (click to see more photos/videos, or to become a part of the league.) Sample video of what a wiffleball game looks like.

It’ll be Act II for the Westman Softball Umpires’ Association when the Softball Manitoba U14 ‘A’ Girls’ Championship begins two weeks from today at Simplot Millennium Park in Brandon. The three-day Championship will be the second major softball event hosted by the WSUA this year, having hosted a highly successful exhibition game between the New Zealand ISA and La Salle Bullets on June 20th. The U14 Championship features eight teams including the host Westman Magic, coached by Jason Slator. The Magic, who are currently fourth in the Manitoba Ladies’ Super Softball League standings with an 8-7-2 record, will open the full round-robin with a matchup against the Manitoba Angels on Friday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. The MLSSL leading Central Energy and defending champion Smitty’s Terminators are among the other seven teams competing for the Provincial title. Manitoba Thunder, Winnipeg Lightning, Eastman Wildcats, Interlake Phillies and Manitoba Angels are the other teams involved in the Championship. The top three teams at the Championship will qualify for the Softball Canada U14 Girls’ Jamboree in Brampton, Ontario from August 16-20 while the 4th and 5th-place teams will represent Manitoba at the U14 Western Canadian Championship in North Battleford, Saskatchewan from August 4-7. The Softball Manitoba U14 ‘A’ Girls’ Championship is being held in conjunction with the Baseball Manitoba Pee Wee AAA Qualifier at Simplot Park, making for an exciting weekend of action for Western Manitoba fans. Admission is $20 for a weekend pass, $10 for a daily pass and $5 for a ‘last draw’ (after 4:00 p.m.) pass. Fans can also follow the results online at http://westmansoftballumpires.blogspot.ca/, on twitter at@U14provsbrandon or via our Facebook page. Two other exciting softball events are on tap in Brandon later this summer. The Western Canadian U16 Girls’ Championship will take place August 10-13 at the Ashley Neufeld Softball Complex, and then the ANSC will hold their official grand opening on September 9th.

TAKE A KID TO THE COURSE – July 3 to July 9 TAKE A KID TO THE COURSE week is here! Kids under the age of 16 play free with a paying adult! When: Monday, July 3, 2017 to Sunday, July 9, 2017 Where: Glen Lea Golf Course Replace screen time with lifetime memories! For more information, please call: (204)728-9090

The grand opening of the Ashley Neufeld Softball Complex is slated to take place on Saturday, September the 9th, 2017. Gates will open at 10:45 am that morning, followed by opening ceremonies at 11:00 am. A double-header softball game between Dickenson State (Ashley's alma mater) and Maryville State softball teams will take place following the opening ceremonies, starting at approximately noon. Cost to attend is only $2.00. You can purchase advance tickets here. The Westman Softball Association along with the Westman Adult Orthodox Leagues, Brandon Slo-Pitch League, and the Westman Old-Timers undertook the project to build a new softball facility in the City of Brandon. It has been named the Ashley Neufeld Softball Complex to honour her commitment to the sport and Brandon. The facility includes 4 full-sized diamonds and 4 mini diamonds for youth ages 4-12, a canteen and washrooms. Location Brandon 331 -10th Street North Brandon, MB  

BDNMB.CA has already reported that Wheat Kings Tyler Coulter and Dmitry Osipov will be attending NHL developments camps in 2017. With camps just around the corner, several other un-drafted players with the ties to the Wheat Kings, and Manitoba, have been listed as taking part including those mentioned below.  Additional names may be added to the list in the coming days, as more teams release their rosters. Ty Lewis: Colorado Avalanche Zack Whitecloud: LA Kings Brady Keeper: LA Kings Logan Thompson: Las Vegas Golden Knights