Slo-pitch league hits the diamonds and invites players

The first round of softball games lit up the diamonds last week at Juan Teran Regional Park in Pincher Creek. Every Tuesday and Thursday until the weekend of Sept. 10, teams will gather at the park for friendly games of softball.

Following weeks of casual play, the season will wrap up with a league-wide tournament to see who will claim bragging rights, while keeping things fun and loose.

Pincher Creek Slo-Pitch is a mixed recreational softball league with the goal of ensuring that all players, whether men or women, have a space to have fun, enjoy the outdoors and enjoy the game of softball.

“It’s a fun league for people to get out and enjoy themselves in the warm weather every year with as many teams and as many people as we can get,” says Cole Campbell, six-year veteran and head organizer for the league.

Individuals and teams can still register to join the league.

“There’s never a worry about the skill level, it’s mostly for fun,” Cole says. “We love seeing new faces out there. It gets us to play a little more and have a little more fun, but every year has always been fun.”

Typically, teams will field 10 people at a time, but given that this is a mixed league, teams are required to field a minimum of three men or women at a time.

In slo-pitch, the pitcher releases the ball slower and lobs it high into the air, providing batters more time to set up and react to the pitch.

The cost of registering a full team for the season is $450, with teams typically ranging from 15 to 20 players, while individuals can register for $20.

To register, potential teams are asked to contact the recreation office at 403-627-4322, while individuals looking to join a team can call Cole at 403-632-6059.