Giants aim high for Classic

Giants are aiming high at the Lion Red North Island Classic men's softball tournament which gets under way in Hastings tomorrow.
Coach Tony Nixon is confident his side has the potential to reach the semi-finals for the second successive year and he says anything less would be regarded as a disappointment.
"We won't be intimidated by anyone, we know we can match the best of them on any given day."
To make the semis Giants have to finish in the first two in their pool where the opposition will come from three Hawke's Bay sides, Dodgers, Saints and Tamatea, and the team which beat them in an exciting Intercity series club match last weekend, Porirua City United.
Nixon considers a win for Giants over PCU is by no means out of the question. He said there was very little between the two sides in their latest match and is adamant that, of the two, Giants have the most scope for improvement.
"They played about as well as they could, we were probably a notch below what we can do," he said. "A peak effort from us and the tables could be turned."
Nixon sees Tamatea as a dangerous opponent as well because they have a history of picking up talented "imports" for this particular tourney and that will probably be the case again.
And he's not discounting Dodgers either they are a young side with a strong pitching staff who will make runs difficult to come by.
"The pool games aren't going to be easy but a top two spot is definitely on and that's the way we are approaching it," Nixon said. "We got there last year and we should be able to do it again."
Adding to Nixon's confidence is that Giants will be fielding a full strength squad this weekend and that their form in both Intercity series and Hutt Valley premier league matches this season has been consistently good.
"We won't be intimidated by anyone, we know we can match the best of them on any given day," he said.