Dutch Women Softball Team

2010

Ginger & Nathalie to start season

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Ginger de Weert and Nathalie Timmermans to open season in USA

Nederlandse tekst

COOLIDGE, Arizona / OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (USA) - Pitcher Ginger de Weert and Catcher Nathalie Timmermans, who are both on the roster of the Dutch National Softball Team, are about to start the new college-season with their respective team in the United States.

Ginger de Weert left for the USA on January 8 to start her first season on an American college. The righthanded pitcher, who in January won the Riet Vermaat Trophy for Best Pitcher Under 19, will study at Central Arizona College in Coolidge (Arizona), where she also will play for Vaqueros, the softball-team of CAC.

In the weekend of January 29-31, Ginger and her team will start the season participating in the Las Vegas Classic, yes, in Las Vegas, Nevada! The first game of the regular season will then follow on February 3 at Glendale (Arizona).

Sandra Wente is the Head Coach of Central Arizona College and is in her fourth year leading the team after having served as Assistant Coach in 1996-2000 and 2005.

Reporting from Arizona, Ginger (who will wear uniform number 22) states: ,,Everything is going well over here. I just finished a very exhaustive week. Running in the desert and practices twice a day. On Tuesday the 19th, I had my first day at school. And that went well. Except for starting at 7:30 in the morning, but on the other hand, we finish early. After lunch, we have practice. And every day we have to work out half an hour in the fitness-room. My teammates are fun. At the end of January, we have a tournament in Las Vegas, so we shall see how that will go.''

Nathalie Timmermans returned to Oklahoma City in the USA on August 23 to join Oklahoma City University. After a brief return back home during the Christmas holidays, Nathalie flew back early January to prepare for the upcoming season with the Stars, the softball-team of OCU.

Nathalie (who will wear uniform number 17) will open the season with the Stars on February 16 at Alva (Oklahoma) when her team plays a double-header against Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

Since 1988, Phil McSpadden is the Head Coach of OCU (winning 1124 games) and is no stranger to both Nathalie and the Dutch National Softball Team. During the Holland Tour of last year, the Dutch Team played two games in Oldenzaal against Kansas Express USA, which was coached by McSpadden. A month later, the Dutch Team and McSpadden met again during the World Cup of Softball, which was held in Oklahoma City. Before the event, Phil McSpadden supported the team with traveling during some of the practice sessions to prepare for the event. It was during this tournament that McSpadden and Nathalie first discussed the possibility to come play for OCU. Nathalie earlier played in the USA for John A. Logan College in Carterville (Illinois) during the Fall of 2007 and the Spring of 2009.

From Oklahoma City, Nathalie reports: ,,Hello, all going well here in Oklahoma. The weather is reasonable, but sometimes we have a cold wind. It's about 12 degrees. In two weeks, we will start with our season. Most of the time, we will play in the weekend and on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On the other days, we will practice from 2 through 5 PM. We start with fitness and then we will have a 2 hour practice. Besides that, I have to catch the pitchers, which is done before or after the regular practices. I think we will play quite a few games. We start in February and play through the end of May if we reach the Nationals. I'm looking forward very much to this season and then I can see how my team will do. Last year, they went to the Nationals. The only thing I afraid off is that I put on the wrong clothes for the games. We have five different trousers and six different shirts and also several socks, so I have to look out for that. I will return home again in May, but I don't when exactly because of the Nationals. What my study is concerned, that is going well also now. I have to do a lot, but I like it very much.''