Mustangs host tournament in attempt to bring senior softball back to Whanganui

The Mustangs Sports Club softball division is doing great things for Whanganui on and off the diamond.

Softball is making a welcome return to Whanganui after a lengthy hiatus.

The Mustangs Sports Club, which has two teams play in the Manawatu Senior Men's Reserve grade during the season, is hosting a two-day Mustangs Cup tournament at the newly-named Whanganui Softball Park (formerly Braves Ballpark) on Puriri St this weekend.

President and head coach Ron Hollis said the tournament would feature nine teams including four from Whanganui and five from out of town.

"We will have two Mustangs sides and two composite teams comprising some Braves players and then there's Dodgers from Hutt Valley, a Kapiti team from Wellington, and Raiders, Dodgers and Blue Sox from Manawatu," Hollis said.

"Mustangs is all about bringing softball back to Whanganui and ultimately creating a pathway for young players to follow without having to travel out of town to play."

Hollis said there was 16 games scheduled for Saturday with a 9.30am start and Sunday was reserved for the playoffs.

While junior softball is well catered for in Whanganui during the season, the cit has not hosted a senior competition for four years.

Wanganui Softball Association secretary Lindsay Edwards said Braves did host a regular Wellington Anniversary Weekend tournament, but that came to end about eight years ago.

"It's a wonderful thing Ron, his family and Mustangs are doing. The Mustangs is a club that has just seemed to have appeared out of nowhere," Edwards said.

"We still look after the juniors and that will resume again around the third weekend in February after the New Zealand Masters Games. But it will be great to have a senior competition return to the park. We have an excellent venue in Puriri St."