Softball History & the ANSC
Brandon is a long history of hosting Softball events. Still, the 2023 Softball Canada U15 Girls' Championship will be the first Canadian Championship held in Brandon since 2000. The Ashley Neufeld Softball Complex opened in 2017 and added lights to its main diamond in the spring of 2022. It has quickly built a reputation as the premier softball facility in Manitoba.
The Westman Magic is the host team for the 2023 event. The Magic program is one of eight AAA programs under Softball Manitoba. 2023 will be the second straight year the U15 team will compete at the Canadian Championships. After claiming the Softball Manitoba title in 2022, the squad tied for seventh place with an overall 5-and-3 record at last year's event in Saskatoon. Callie Hilhorst was named a tournament all-star after hitting .478 with three home runs and 11 RBI.
Ashley Neufeld was a talented local softball star who tragically lost her life on November 1, 2009, when the vehicle she and two teammates were riding in became submerged in a pond in North Dakota where she had been attending college and playing ball. Thanks to local support in her memory, the Ashley Neufeld Softball Complex opened in 2017. It was named to celebrate her life and her passion for softball.