WeSA国际影视传媒檝e all read about the success of the Yellowknife Wolverines in Blackfalds, Alta., earlier this month. They became the first team from the NWT to win a provincial championship of any sort since the Yellowknife Junior Merchants in 2006.

ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 another team gearing up to hit the road in the coming days and theySA国际影视传媒檙e hoping to emulate that result.

The Yellowknife Merchants, made up of players from the Yellowknife Fastball League, is preparing to take on a provincial championship through Softball Alberta. TheySA国际影视传媒檒l do it in the Intermediate MenSA国际影视传媒檚 B division in Calgary from July 28 to 30, where theySA国际影视传媒檒l be one of 10 teams looking to score the banner.

Steve Thomas was one of the catalysts behind getting the team together and he said Yellowknife has always had the capacity to do something like this.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e always wanted to help take a team from Yellowknife down south for as long as ISA国际影视传媒檝e been here,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e had good players and I thought travelling would be a good idea.SA国际影视传媒�

ThomasSA国际影视传媒� original idea was to play in a North American Fastball Association (NAFA) tournament. Unlike other circuits such as the International Softball Congress (ISC), which is considered to be the top menSA国际影视传媒檚 fastball loop on the planet, NAFA has certain criteria teams must meet in order to enter certain divisions.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey have pitcher classification and that determines where a team will be playing,SA国际影视传媒� said Thomas. SA国际影视传媒淵ou wonSA国际影视传媒檛 get pitchers like Adam Folkard (from Australia) destroying everyone in your division because itSA国际影视传媒檚 all done on classification.SA国际影视传媒�

The only problem is getting to a NAFA tournament can be quite costly. This yearSA国际影视传媒檚 NAFA World Series events are happening in Wisconsin and there simply wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 enough time or money to get the team down to play there, said Thomas.

That meant going somewhere close to home, meaning Calgary was the best option.

Devin Hinchey has also been involved in the organization of the Merchants and he feels now is the perfect time for this current crop of players in Yellowknife to try something big.

SA国际影视传媒淕iven the skill level we have (in the league), all the best players in the league are playing at a really high level,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of interest around (Tommy Forrest Ball Park) with a new team in the league this season and the Wolverines playing part-time, so fastball is super healthy.SA国际影视传媒�

Was it a hard sell to get the players on board? Not one bit, said Hinchey.

SA国际影视传媒淎s with all things, the logistics has been the toughest part,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲hat do we want to be called? Who can we get as sponsors? What are we doing for fundraising?SA国际影视传媒�

One e-mail following the 2022 league championship to the membership, said Hinchey, was all it took.

SA国际影视传媒淚 had never seen so many replies so quickly,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淓veryone who got back was completely and fully on board.SA国际影视传媒�

The last time a menSA国际影视传媒檚 team had travelled outside the city to play was to a menSA国际影视传媒檚 recreational tournament in Grande Prairie, Alta., in 2016. Hinchey was a member of that team and there are some who made the trip back then who are making the trip this time around.

SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of the guys want to scratch the itch and play some competitive ball,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Picking to play in a provincial was strategic in a way, added Hinchey, in that it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 too late in the season where everyone wouldSA国际影视传媒檝e been tuckered out, but not too early where players would still be trying to work out the kinks.

SA国际影视传媒淚t gave us two of our tournaments, plus half of our regular season already played, plus time to schedule some practices,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

As for the selection of the team name, Hinchey said itSA国际影视传媒檚 all about paying homage to the past.

SA国际影视传媒淭he Merchants name is very well-known and has a lot of history in Yellowknife,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淎nyone whoSA国际影视传媒檚 lived here long enough will know the success of past Merchants teams and it was our way of tipping the hat to those players who represented Yellowknife in the past and who did it so well.SA国际影视传媒�

All of the Merchants roster will be playing this weekend at the NWT MenSA国际影视传媒檚 Fastpitch Championship in Hay River, followed by an exhibition game against an SA国际影视传媒渁ll-star teamSA国际影视传媒� from the league at Tommy Forrest on July 25.

When asked if thereSA国际影视传媒檚 the pressure to match the WolverinesSA国际影视传媒� result earlier this month, Thomas said the hope is that they just donSA国际影视传媒檛 get blown away.

SA国际影视传媒淒onSA国际影视传媒檛 finish last,SA国际影视传媒� he said with a chuckle. SA国际影视传媒淪eeing what the Wolverines did was awesome and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 going to be motivating for them, but I think weSA国际影视传媒檒l hold our own.