Four young softball players from Terrace have been named to the provincial men's team off to play in the 2025 Canada Games in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador this month.
Ryler Haugland-Kutenics, Issiah Mahill, Nic Neid and Gabe Ridler are among the 14 players chosen by Softball B.C. for the team. Bruce Neid of Terrace has been named as the assistant coach.
All four are products of the Terrace Minor Softball Association, adding to the community's already-solid reputation as a location for high calibre talent.
For right-handed pitcher Neid, 20, being named to the team continues participation in high level competition which has taken him to a growing list of countries since graduating from Caledonia Secondary School. The list includes the United States, Mexico, Colombia, New Zealand, the Czech Republic and soon, Argentina.
Neid was most recently in Minnesota, pitching for a team from Wisconsin and last year he spent four months in New Zealand.
"It's actually popular over there. Everybody knows about it," said Neid of his time in New Zealand. He added that softball's popularity ranks well with that of rugby and cricket.
Since returning from New Zealand Neid's been playing in Kelowna and he's also spent time with the Vanderhoof Rippers.
He counts his dad, a ball player himself at an early age, as the person who developed his talent when he started playing at the age of 9. He quickly developed a likeness for pitching.
More often than not at home his dad was the catcher during training sessions.
"I am just trying to hit location," Neid said of the more than 100 pitches he might throw during a training session.
Neid's specialty is a rising fastball, thrown with a deceptive spin so that a batter swings under it as it rises while crossing the plate.
"You want movement over speed," said Neid in order to foil a batter trying to count quickness of an approaching pitch to time his swing.
Once finished in St. John's Neid will be off to the World Baseball Softball Confederation Pan American Championships in Santa Rosa, Argentina as a member of the Softball Canada U23 national team. That takes place from Sept. 13-20 and is a qualifier to the confederation's 2026 Softball World Cup in Sincelejo, Colombia.
At 16 years of age, Gabe Ridler has one more year to finish secondary school but already counts appearances at the North American Indigenous Games in Halifax, a national competition in New Brunswick, the B.C. Summer Games in Prince George and provincial championship competition with local teams on his resume.
"What really stands out for me in my recent ball playing experience is that there are some really great older players out there," he said. "Getting to play against them, watch them and learn from them, I know that ball doesn't end for me when I turn 19 because I want to go as far as I can."
Ridler is playing left field for Team B.C. but otherwise plays third base and has been playing since he was 9. "We won provincials that year and I was hooked ever since," he said.
Ridler described rising in softball ranks as challenging in a small northern city because in order to be known, a player has to travel to larger centres such as Prince George. Other cities also have the advantage of year-round training facilities.
Ridler counts Jordie Edmonds has his favourite local mentor.
Issiah Mahil is also 16, leaving Caledonia this spring to take online courses to then provide him with the flexibility to play in the spring softball season. He'll complete Grade 12 by the end of this summer.
A pitcher, he was first given the opportunity to play with the Big Guy Lake team in the Prince George Spruce City League. Its travel team is called Broken Bow.
"This year I started the season with PNW Trucking from Washington in Las Vegas," Mahill said of his schedule. "I joined Big Guy Lake for the Vancouver Ice Breaker, stayed in Nanaimo and played with Parksville." After trying out for Team B.C. he stayed to play in Kamloops and went to the John Cho Cup in Prince George.
He's also been in tournaments in Fife, Washingon and Centralia, Washington and counts as a highlight playing at the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation tournament just west of Edmonton.
"All of these tournaments are possible from teams giving me the chance to play and having game experience," said Mahill.
Mahill started with T-Ball and was at first a catcher before discovering at age 11 that he enjoyed pitching more.
"I find that our teams excel due to coaching and worth ethic, with lots of support from parents," said Mahill of Terrace Minor Softball Association's record of tournament and provincial championship wins.
He also counts Jordie Edmonds as a mentor along with his mother Julie Basky who taught him using YouTube videos and Darcy Zloklikovits.
"It was his mentorship that really helped me improve," said Mahill of Zloklikovits.
And in Prince George, Mahill benefited with coaching from Pablo Migliavacca of the Argentinian national team.
Ryler Haugland-Kutenics, 17, is going into his Grade 12 year along with a first year welding apprenticeship at Northwest Community College. Mainly a pitcher, he also plays first base.
In 2023 he was part of the U17 team which went to the nationals in Fredericton, New Brunswick. For the last several years, he's been building strength at the gym to become more fit and competitive.
"I feel my respect for sport and my sportsmanship stands out in my recent career as well as my drive to become a better ball player while having fun," said Haugland-Kutenics.
He started playing softball at four years of age and being big for his age, was often moved up a year for more competition and to avoid hurting others.
The prospect of playing for Team B.C. first arose during a conversation with a coach at a provincial tournament in Merritt in 2022.
Haugland-Kutenics made a point of emphasizing Terrace Minor Softball Association's record of skills development within a positive environment.
"Having success at tournaments and provincial championships raised local profiles and helps inspire young athletes. As for myself, I have been a part of five provincial championships, winning gold four years in a row," he said.
Haugland-Kutenics counts his father Les as his mentor in teaching and encouraging him to be better.
His one disappointment came in 2022 when a back injury prevented his dad from watching him win gold medals at a provincial championship and then at the B.C. Summer Games.
"I wanted him to see me succeed far more than I ever did," said Haugland-Kutenics of his father.
The 2025 Canada Games run from Aug. 8 to Aug. 25. The softball portion begins Aug. 19.
