Now the crew at the Otago Softball Association just need the weather gods to play ball.
Local softball resumes tomorrow and there are hopes the next couple of seasons will help the sport continue some promising growth.
There will again be four teams in the division one mixed club competition and a further seven in division two.
Otago men’s and women’s teams will defend the Bates Shield and Henderson Cup in the annual interprovincial clash with Southland — to be played in Dunedin this year — before heading to Christchurch for another bid at the Jefferies and Jubilee trophies.
A boost for the sport this summer is the Masters Games in early February, which always brings plenty of softball action to the city.
Doug Hill, a long-serving member of the Cardinals club, is part of a small but passionate operations team at Otago Softball who rack up the volunteer hours now the association has no fulltime paid employee.
He said there was a long-term plan to foster the sport’s growth in Otago.
There were also plenty of talented junior players in the province, which was a bright sign for the future.
Softball, like many team sports, has had to ride through some tough times since the halcyon days, but the community around Dunedin remained optimistic about the sport, Hill said.
He pointed to Dunedin teacher Cam Watts — who has been a regular member of the Black Sox for several years — as an example of what could still be achieved from a small softball region.
Watts has played largely in Christchurch in recent times, but has this year committed to playing for Cardinals in the Dunedin competition.
"Having someone of Cam’s experience and ability is huge for us," Hill said.
Otago are also looking at sending teams to the fledgling second-tier heartland competition that runs alongside the New Zealand fastpitch tournament.
And, at the end of the 2026-27 summer, Dunedin will host the New Zealand under-17 boys tournament.
"Having a full national tournament down here is a pretty big deal for us, and it’s been a few seasons since we hosted one."
