By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

THE CNMI Softball Association has cancelled tonight’s opening of the Island-wide Men’s Fast-pitch Softball League at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield and pushed it to Tuesday.
CNMISA president Manny Tenorio in a telephone interview with the Variety said that they decided to reschedule the opening of the league to give teams more time to prepare and complete the requirement.
The D-9ers and the Tanapag Falcons will kick of the action in the league when they square off in the first game at 6:30 p.m.
Also set to play in the opening day are the Proas and the San Vicente Sunrisers at 8 p.m.
Games in the fast-pitch league will be played every Tuesday and Thursday.
Next Thursday, the Islanders will face the Chelus.
The league will have a three-round elimination format in the regular season with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs.
This year’s fast-pitch league is a very important event for the local players, as outstanding performers in the league will be chosen to represent the NMI in the North Pacific Fast-Pitch Championship.
The regional meet will be held on Guam this year, but the date has yet to be decided.
The top four teams in the North and the four best squads in the South Pacific Championships will then fight for the two slots in the 2008 Oceania Softball Championships.
The top two placers in the Oceania meet will gain tickets to the World Championships in Canada in 2009.
A CNMI Women’s Team will also play in the North Pacific event, but since there is no local tournament for female players, CNMISA with the help of Oceania Softball Federation development officer Andrew Purdon will be conducting a series of tryouts to select the members of the NMI squad.
A mandatory orientation is set for Monday, March 19 at 6 p.m. at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym’s conference room.
Purdon in an earlier interview with the Variety said that at the orientation, he will be explaining the criteria for the selection of the NMI team.
He added that the criteria will be set by the CNMISA officials. The local association will pick 25 to 30 players for the NMI pool.
From the pool, the association will select 17 players, which will make up the CNMI Women’s Team that will compete against teams from the Marshall Islands, Guam, Palau, FSM, Nauru and Kiribati.