DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN

The 2015 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) women's softball season will begin how it ended last year, with the defending champion St. Clair Saints visiting the Conestoga Condors in a rematch of the 2014 gold medal game.

St. Clair prevailed 7-5 in that contest, winning its first provincial title in five seasons. And while the Condors may have fell short in the end, it marked Conestoga's best finish at an OCAA championship since winning silver in 1998.

There will be no easing into the regular season for the Saints, as St. Clair hosts reigning bronze medalist Durham in a Sunday doubleheader.

MORE SOFTBALL

There will be more OCAA games in 2015 (weather permitting) as the schedule expands from a triple to a quadruple round robin.

Similar to men's baseball, teams play each other in a pair of doubleheaders throughout the next five weeks, once on the road and the other at home.

With six extra games for each team, OCAA individual and team records are sure to fall. Two records that fell last season included Sarah Bondy's 24 runs scored, and Skyler-Dawn Patteson's 34 hits. Both played for St. Clair in 2014.

CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN

Todd Bannister makes his regular season debut as head coach of the Mohawk Mountaineers this Sunday as his team hosts Conestoga in a twin-bill.

Bannister is no stranger to success on the diamond, leading club teams to seven appearances in Softball Canada's national championships, winning four gold and two silver medals.

It will be a mountainous achievement for Bannister if he can lead Mohawk to provincials this season, with the program suffering three consecutive winless seasons.

OPERATION OSHAWA

The top four teams at the end of the OCAA regular season will assemble in Oshawa for the OCAA championship from Oct. 23-24. A double knockout tournament decides the OCAA title, with the opening schedule based on seeding (1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3).

While the Durham Lords play host, they are not guaranteed a spot at the championship (unlike other OCAA league sports). But with Durham awarded an OCAA medal in 17 of the past 18 championships, this scenario seems unlikely.

UPCOMING GAMES

Source: OCAA Communications