The Golden Homes Black Sox squad for next month's Men's Softball World Cup has been named.
Softball New Zealand chairman Hoani Lambert made the announcement on Te Ao Tapatahi.
The Mark Sorenson-coached squad includes five Black Sox debutants and seven members playing their first-ever World Cup.
Your Black Sox team for the Men's Softball World Cup!
Three sets of brothers are also part of the squad: captain Cole Evans and his brother Rhys, Thomas and Ben Enoka, and Reilly Makea and Dante Makea-Matakatea. The latter pair are the sons of 2022 International Hall of Fame inductee Thomas Makea, the second most-capped Black Sox with 143 international appearances within a near 20-year international career.
Another notable member includes Te Wera Bishop, who signed with Major League Baseball team Boston Red Sox in 2011 when he was 17 years old. Bishop is also signed with New Zealand-based Auckland Tuatara who will return to the Australian Baseball League this summer.
Sixth world-ranked New Zealand is the most successful country in Softball with seven world titles and 13 medals collected across the world cup's 57-year history.
The official broadcasting rights of the world cup have gone to Whakaata Māori, the world's first indigenous broadcast station to do so. All 50 games across the nine days of the event will be live-streamed on the MĀORI+ app, while all Black Sox games will be live to view on television.
On Saturday, November 26, coverage kicks off at noon with the opening ceremony from Rosedale Park on Auckland's North Shore. New Zealand and Czech Republic will be the first match to open up the world cup that same day at 1:30pm.
The Black Sox will then face the United States, defending champions Argentina, the Philippines and Cuba from November 27 through till November 30. December 1, 2 and 3 will have the semi-finals played with the final happening on December 4.
Golden Homes Black Sox team for WBSC Men's Softball World Cup 2022:
- *Bradley Bennett, Auckland - Outfield.
- *Te Wera Bishop, Wellington - Catcher.
- Daniel Chapman, Auckland - Pitcher.
- Thomas Enoka, Auckland - Infield.
- Ben Enoka, Auckland - Outfield.
- Joel Evans, Hutt Valley - Infield.
- *Rhys Evans, Auckland- Infield.
- Cole Evans, Auckland- Infield (captain).
- Reilly Makea, Wellington - Outfield.
- *Dante Makea-Matakatea, Wellington - Infield.
- *Tane Mumu, Hutt Valley - Infield.
- Connor Peden, Auckland - Catcher.
- Josh Pettett, Wellington - Pitcher.
- Jerome Raemaki, Wellington - Infield.
- *Pita Rona, North Harbour - Utility.
- *Cam Watts, Canterbury - Catcher.
* = debutant.
