News Updates

The Manos Riot captured the silver medal in the championships  while the Prince Albert Aces took the gold.  After finishing fourth in round robin play and qualifying for the playoff round, the Manos Riot faced an uphill battle.  In their first playoff game, they defeated third place Manitoba #1 represented by the Winnipeg Devils under the lights on Saturday night.  The team followed that up with a thrilling 3-2 win over Alberta #1 represented by the Strathmore Magic in a Sunday morning game.  That win qualified the team to meet the Prince Albert Aces in the gold medal game.

The Manos Riot finally succumbed the the Aces as a strong and well rested host team won the game to take home the gold.  It was the tenth game of the championships for the Saskatoon squad, the most by any team in the tournament.

Lindsay Hrycuik of the Manos Riot captured the award for top pitcher in the four day event.

The team would like to congratulate the Aces on their gold medal win and thank the organizing committee for hosting a great tournament.

July 30 - After a 3-1 win over the Mulberry Steelers last night, the Manos Riot improved their league record to 14 wins and 4 losses.  It was the first win by the Manos Riot over the Steelers in over two years and it kept the team solidly in third place.  Only the Money Mart Mystics and the Steelers have better records.  The team has three regular season games remaining on the schedule.

In tournament play, the Manos Riot has a record of 16 wins 9 losses and 1 tie.  That includes a record of 6 wins and two losses in the Provincial Championships.

With an overall record of 30 wins 13 losses and 1 tie the Manos Riot are looking forward to league playoffs and participation in the Western Canadian Championships.

July 22 - The Manos Riot are please to announce that Ashley Schreyer of the Jr. Lady Diamondbacks and Lindsay Hrycuik of Earls have agreed to join the team for the Western Canadian Championships which will be held in Prince Albert on August 14 - 17.  Both players have had successful careers in Saskatoon Minor Softball.  Last year Ashley was a member of the Saskatoon Selects team that participated in the Midget A National Championships while Lindsay competed in the Junior A National Championships with the Jr Lady Diamondbacks.  Lindsay has also played college softball in Arizona for the past two seasons.

July 21 - The Manos Riot came from behind to win the Provincial Junior B Ladies championship held in Shellbrook over the weekend.  In round robin play, the team finished first in their pool with a 3-1 record and advanced to the playoff round on Sunday.

After a 6-0 loss to the Jr. Diamondbacks in their first playoff game, the Manos Riot faced elimination with one more loss.  The team then faced the Prince Albert Aces to see who would meet the Jr Diamondbacks for the provincial championship. An 8-3 win qualified the Manos Riot where they had to beat the Jr Diamondbacks in two consecutive games to win the gold.  A win in either of the two games would have given the Jr. Diamondbacks the championship.

The first game was a closely fought contest with the Manos Riot coming out on top with a 4-1 win.  In the second game, the bats came alive as the squad came away with an 8-1 victory.

The Manos Riot played a total of eight games in three days.  With only eleven players dressed for each game, the coaching staff did a great job of managing their personnel and the players themselves should be congratulated for a great effort.

The Manos Riot would like to thank all of the volunteers from Shellbrook for hosting a great event.  They would also like to congratulate the Jr Diamondbacks on their silver medal and the Prince Albert Aces on their bronze.

The win qualified the Manos Riot for the Western Canadian Championships to be held in Prince Albert from August 14th to 17th.  As the host team, Prince Albert will be the other Saskatchewan representative at the tournament.

June 24 - The Manos Riot won the "B side" of the Erical Eclipse tournament held this past weekend in Martensville.  It was the fourth tournament of the season for the team and brought the overall tournament record to 10 wins 7 losses and 1 tie.

The team would like to congratulate Cal Galambos, Heather Helt and everyone associated with the Erical Eclipse for hosting another fine tournament.

In league play the Manos Riot took extra innings to defeat the Pike Lake Rebels on Monday night, pushing the team record to 8 wins and 3 losses.  With 16 points in 11 games the team is solidly entrenched in 3rd place behind the Mulberry Steelers and the Money Mart Mystics.

The combined record of the team is a respectable 18 wins 10 losses and 1 tie when you include both league and tournament play.

There is a lull in the schedule with only 3 league games scheduled over the next three weeks.  Junior B provincials begin on July 18th in Shellbrook and the league schedule ends on August 6th.  League playoffs begin after the schedule ends.

June 10 - The Manos Riot fared well in the Sherwood Park Belles tournament this past weekend with 3 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie.  In their final game of the tourament, the team battled back from an early 6-0 deficit to tie the game at 6-6 in the top of the 7th inning.  In the bottom of the 7th inning, Calgary scored to win the game 7-6 and advance to the finals.

The overall record in tournaments for the Manos Riot is now 6 wins, 5 losses and 1 tie.  The next tournament for the team will be the Eclipse Tournament in Martensville beginning on Saturday June 21st.

In team news, Whitney Barker has returned from Fort McMurray to rejoin the team.  Another key player from last year, Aline Charpentier, joined the team for the Sherwood Park tournament and Vanessa Frederick played her first games for the team this weekend.

The Manos Riot would like to congratulate Gary McDonald and the Jr. Diamondbacks for winning the Junior B division of the Belles tournament.  The players were looking forward to facing the Jr. Diamondbacks in the final but fell just short.

April 29 - The league roster was finalized for the Manos Riot and the league schedule was handed out last night.  The team schedule can be seen on the Calendar page or the Standings page. This year the Riot have 18 players listed on the league roster and have a lot of depth at every position.  The challenge will be for the coaching staff to get everyone as much playing time as possible.

April 18 - The Manos Riot wil officially be competing in Ladies Second Division (Lisa Down Division) again this year. With some new faces in the lineup the team is looking to improve on its 9 - 10 record of last season. The competition will be stiff with the Steelers, Mystics, Sk Connexion, Eclipse and Fatigues all returning for the 2008 season. There will be two Midget A teams and the top two teams from Ladies Third Division will also competing for one of the six playoff positions.

The team has added Bobbi Ryan and Brianna Janzen to the roster. Bobbi has competed in SASA for a number of years and adds much needed depth to the pitching staff. Brianna is originally from Outlook and adds a lot of flexibility to the lineup. She can play infield and outfield as well as pitch.

The roster looks almost set and must be finalized by April 27th. The team would still consider looking at potential players until that time.

March 14 - Infielder Nicole Pelletier has agreed to join the team. Last year Nicole played in Ladies Division One for the AA Midget Cave Selects and competed in the Canadian Championships held in Edmonton. She provides the team with additional depth in the infield, a solid bat and a passion for the game. The Riot look forward to Nicole becoming a key part of the team.

March 3 - Indoor practices are continuing every Sunday for the team. Two new faces vying for spots on the team are Justine Crittenden, a catcher/infielder and Chelsea Carrick, a pitcher/3rd baseman. Both players are originally from Imperial and now live in the city.

As the season approaches, the new coaching staff is getting a much better idea of what roles everyone will play on the team and where upgrades might be necessary to make the team more competitive. There are still a couple of question marks with regard to the availability of players but as summer jobs are lined up, those questions are gradually being answered.

Overall, the quality of the talent on the team looks very good and everyone is looking forward to a successful season.

The team would also like to acknowledge Marcoux Farms for once again sponsoring the team. This is the fourth consecutive year that they have been one of the team sponsors and their generous support helps to provide the players with an opportunity to play competitive softball.

February 15 - The Saskatoon Manos Riot are pleased to announce that Manos Restaurant has agreed to sponsor the team for another year. Their financial support is important and helps make it possible for the team to participate in the Saskatoon Amateur Softball Association and in various tournaments throughout the the year.

Manos has a history of community involvement.

Mano's on 8th Street sponsors the annual Greek Gourmet Feast, a fundraiser for the Royal University Hospital Foundation. It was held last year on March 7 and, as always, was a sold-out first class event. The restaurant was able to raise $32,000.00 for the Hospital. The 2008 event will be held in the near future and is once again sold out.

The team would like to congratulate Manos for their efforts on behalf of a worthy cause.

We encourage everyone to support Manos at any of their various locations:

            1820 - 8th Street E, Saskatoon
            2202 - 22nd Street W, Saskatoon
            277 Broadway Street E, Yorkton

Check out their website at www.manos.ca to see their menus and winelist.

January 15 - The Riot began preparations for the upcoming season with a well-attended practice on Sunday evening. New coaches Warren Lucky and Jordan Sly ran the girls through the paces and liked what they saw. Throughout the practice the players were enthusiastic and upbeat.

Michaela Erickson was a new face at practice and immediately showed that she would fit in and be a solid contributor. Her skill level and ability to play a number of positions will be a valuable asset.

Players returning from last year included Colette Charpentier, Laura Connor, Rebecca Hammel, Tori Olson, Stephanie Trask and Nicole Whiteside. They showed why the team was competitive last year and why the outlook for 2008 is very good. Their gloves and arms showed no hint of rust as they tackled the drills laid out by the coaches.

A year away from ball didn't affect Megan Marcoux as she brought her smooth swing and strong arm to practice. She will add to team speed, outfield defense and strengthen the batting lineup.

Practices will now go almost every Sunday at River Heights Gym at 6:00 PM. Interested players are encouraged to come and take part to see if there might be a fit.

Three members of the executive were in attendance as Elise Hammel, Greg Mylks and Bob Trask checked out the action. The fourth executive member, John Marcoux, was unable to attend but he will be a key contributor regarding all team decisions throughout the year.

In a bit of good news, Greg Mylks has agreed to stay on as the team treasurer and a member of the executive, lending a hand whenever required. While the executive will remain in the background on a day to day basis, they will be available to provide support to the coaching staff and the players if necessary.

With a few key additions to the lineup, an independent coaching staff and an experienced executive the Riot are optimistic that 2008 will be the most successful season the team has enjoyed.

December 31 - Jessica Mylks has informed coach Warren Lucky that she will be taking a year off from playing ball. Over the past two years she has been a stalwart on the pitching staff and lead the team in innings pitched. Jessica will be missed and the team would like to wish her all the best for the coming year.

The Manos Riot will try to fill the vacancy with new faces to the staff and by having returning pitchers share a bigger portion of the load.

December 20 - The Manos Riot continue to prepare for the upcoming season. A small group of players joined coach Warren Lucky for a workout on Sunday at Vincent Massey school. If the first practice is any indication, the workouts will be fast paced with a lot of emphasis on fundamentals and conditioning.

After last season most of the players wanted to see the team get to the next level. One way to improve is through hard work during practices and through each player's individual efforts to keep fitness at a high level. That will allow the team to maintain strong play throughout the course the season and demanding tournament weekends.

Another way to improve is by adding top quality players to the roster. These kinds of players not only replace those who are not returning, they can help players who are returning by pushing them to always play hard. Several new players have already expressed an interest in attending practices that will be starting in mid-January.

For any new players looking to join the team, there has to be a fit for the team and a fit for the player. Some of those who inquired have been referred on to other teams but the Riot have invited one familiar face and two new players to join the team for practices. Jessica Niekamp pitched for the Riot in the team's first season, Vanessa Frederick played for the AA Midget Selects in Saskatoon two years ago and Michaela Erickson played for Rosetown midgets two years ago.

When practices resume, these new players along with the coaching staff will have a better idea if the situation might work out for everyone. However, with some players not returning for the upcoming year and a couple of players unsure of whether they will be in Saskatoon next summer, the team has taken steps to ensure that any potential holes are filled.

The coaching staff will look at the level of commitment in terms of both time and effort that each player is willing to make. They will also be looking at the contribution that each player can make on the field before deciding how the roster can be used most efficiently.

The maximum size of the roster for the Saskatoon Amateur Softball Association is twenty players and for provincials it is fifteen players. Last year the Riot carried seventeen players and this year the team currently has eighteen players who have expressed an interest in playing. The final roster will be determined by which players decide to return and whether any new players join the team.

December 9 - The Manos Riot will be holding an indoor practice/evaluation at Vincent Massey School on Northumberland Ave (south of 33rd street) at 6:00 PM on Sunday, December 16. Players who have graduated from the midget program and other interested junior age players are invited to attend.

With a new coaching staff and a strong core of returning players, the team is looking forward to its most successful season in its four year history. One or two key additions could take the Manos Riot to the next level. It could be a great opportunity for a player to join an established team.

September 14 - With the conclusion of the season, the Riot will be saying good-bye to some old faces and introducing some new personnel. The team would like to congratulate Brittany Trask who was with Riot from its inception. Brittany graduated from junior ball, graduated from engineering and moved to Alberta all in the same year.

The Riot would also like to pass on its best wishes to Sam Nemanishen who has been a key player for the past two years. Always an exciting player, Sam will continue to play ball and we hope to see her on the diamonds next summer. She will be a great addition to her new team.

Brin Dyer and Megan Marcoux have indicated they will be returning to the team for 2008. They filled key spots in the infield and outfield two years ago and will be counted on to do the same next year.

The coaching staff is also undergoing major changes as both Bob Trask and Greg Mylks will be stepping down.

The team is extremely pleased to announce that Warren Lucky has agreed to take over the reins as head coach. Warren has played competitive softball in Saskatoon for over 20 years and has coached minor girls softball up to the midget age group for 14 years.

Returning to join Warren on the coaching staff will be Travis Pool who worked with the Manos Riot pitching staff for the last half of the 2007 season. He has been associated with the team for three years and his knowledge of the players abilities will be invaluable. A native of Blaine Lake, Travis brings a lot of experience as a player and a pitcher at the competitive level.

The third new member of the coaching staff will be Jordan Sly. Jordan has played both competitive softball and baseball while growing up in Saskatoon. For the past four years he has gained valuable coaching experience working with various minor league ball teams in the Falcons zone and is looking forward to working with the Riot.

August 26 - The team held their year-end wind-up at Manos Restaurant on Saturday evening. Everyone who was able to attend enjoyed the fine food and the great atmosphere at Manos. It marked the end of a successful season for the Riot who narrowly missed league playoffs and finished in the money in tournaments in Moose Jaw, Calgary and Saskatoon.

The team is already preparing for next season with a couple of holes to fill on the playing field and in the coaching ranks. Any changes should be relatively minor and with two players returning from a one year sabbatical the roster is already close to being set.

The team would also like to recognize the success of the following teams that competed in SASA in 2007.

Provincial Championships:
Senior A Women - DBJ Leasing - 2nd place
Intermediate A Women - Money Mart Mystics - 2nd place
Intermediate B Women - Erical Eclipse - 2nd place
Midget A Girls - R&B Outlaw Selects - 1st place
Midget A Girls - Cave Selects - 2nd place
Midget B Girls - Grand Slam Selects - 2nd place

Western Championships:
Midget B Girls - Grand Slam Selects - 5th place

Canadian Championships:
Midget A Girls - R&B Outlaw Selects - 10th place

A complete list of results can be seen at www.softball.sk.ca

July 31 - The regular season of SASA has come to an end and the Manos Riot finished with a record of 9 wins and 10 losses. While it may not seem like a great improvement over last year, it should be noted that 6 of the 10 losses were by a single run. Two of the one run losses came against the Mulberry Steelers who lost only one regular season game during the season. With only a small improvement, the team would have had a chance to win half of those games.

There were only three disappointing games all year when the Manos Riot lost by lopsided margins to the Hyundai Selects, the Money Mart Mystics and the Mulberry Steelers.

The team now waits to see if it has qualified for playoffs in the Lisa Down Division. The playoffs will run from August 6th to 10th.

In tournament play, the team finished with a record of 9 wins and 6 losses. As in league play, there were only three or four disappointing games and the Manos Riot were in medal contention for every tournament.

After the playoffs, the Manos Riot will look forward to next season and hope to build on the success they enjoyed this year. With a couple of players returning after a year away from ball and a few minor adjustments, the team has high hopes of improving its record in league play and of winning a tournament or two.

June 30 - Team picture from 2007 Eclipse Tournament

June 25 - The Manos Riot would like to congratulate Cal Galambos and Heather Helt for hosting another great tournament. Sixteen teams from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta got together for a weekend of competition and fun in Martensville. The new facilities in Martensville were ideal for the tournament and teams were able to play full games without any time restrictions.

In the end, the Manos Riot finished with a 3-2 record with wins against the Interlake Phillies from Winnipeg, the Regina Vipers and the Hyundai Selects from Saskatoon. The Mulberry Steelers and the Moose Jaw Slammers handed losses to the Manos Riot.

The team missed two of its regulars for most of the tournament but everyone pulled together for a successful weekend.

The Eclipse Tournament was the last for the Manos Riot this season as the team will not be entering provincials. League play continues until July 27th with the possibility of league playoffs following the regular season.

June 11 - The Manos Riot returned from a successful tournament in Calgary where they finished third in the Junior B pool. The team finished the round robin portion of the tournament in second place with a record of three wins and one loss. In the semi-final game, the Manos Riot fought back from a big deficit to make the game close. The Strathmore Magic eventually eked out a one run victory.

Once again the name of the game was offense as the team scored an amazing 47 runs in only five games.

But the weekend wasn't all about softball Several team members had a chance to attend a Calgary Vipers pro baseball game on Friday night. The highlight of the game was a hula hoop contest that featured two of the Manos Riot players and the Vipers mascot. On Saturday the girls unwound after a long day of softball by playing a game of indoor bocce. Aline Charpentier had won the bocce set as a tournament door prize Saturday morning and decided to make use of it right away.

The star of the weekend was Elise Hammel. She provided great meals for all the players and coaches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Her efforts made it possible for the players to save a lot of money and concentrate on playing ball. The team would also like to thank Donnna Sterling and Cindy and Duane Whiteside for providing transportation to Calgary and for the support they showed during the weekend.

May 30 - The Manos Riot are extremely pleased to announce that Travis Pool has agreed to join the team as a coach. Travis played competitive softball for several years and has competed in the Western Canadian Championships. His experience as a pitcher, an infielder and an outfielder gives him a great background in the game and the ability to provide instruction to every position.

The fact that Travis has been closely associated with the team since it began gives him a good idea about the abilities of the players on the team. This head start combined with his playing experience will make him an asset from day one.

May 28 - The Manos Riot competed in the Moose Jaw Ladies tournament over the weekend competing in five games. Entrants were from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw, Weyburn, Kindersley and Carnduff. The ten teams battled for the four playoff spots with the Manos Riot successfully earning one of those spots.

Offense was the name of the game as the team scored 63 runs in the five games played. In the end, it was good enough for a silver medal on the B side. Tori Olson, Stephanie Trask, Whitney Barker and Sam Nemanishen all hit round trippers for the Manos Riot. Every player had a least one hit and scored at least one run in the tournament.

The Manos Riot would like to congratulate the tournament organizers and hope to be back next year for a shot at a gold medal. The next tournament action for the Manos Riot is the Calgary Women's Fastball tournament to be held at Shouldice Park on June 9th and 10th.

May 18 - It's hard to believe that the Manos Riot have completed almost one-third of their league schedule. After six games the team has three wins, two losses and a game against Earls that is still up in the air. It could result in a default win for the Manos Riot or it could be re-scheduled for a later date.

The only disappointment to date has been a blow-out loss to the previously winless Hyundai Selects. The team bounced back from that loss to beat the Fatigues on home runs by Tori Olson, Ashley Breland and Lindsay Facca. Jessica Mylks tossed a complete game shutout.

A quirky schedule has no league games scheduled for the next 11 days. In the meantime, the team will be travelling to Moose Jaw to compete in the annual Moose Jaw ladies tournament to be held from May 25 - 27.

May 2 - Manos Grill and Brewhouse lived up to their reputation last night as they hosted a successful steak night for the Manos Riot junior ladies softball team. The food was great and everyone from the team had a lot of fun.

Big winners on the evening were Martha Loewen who took home $230 on the 50/50 draw and Bob Seel who won a set of TopFlite Encore golf clubs and a Adamsgolf carry bag.

The ball team would like to thank everyone who attended for their support as well as the sponsors who donated the prizes. They are looking forward to a bigger and better event with Manos later in the year.

April 29 - The Manos Riot would like to acknowledge the generous sponsorships provided by Marcoux Farms (Faye and John Marcoux) and by Walpole Massage Therapy (Elise Hammel). These contributions along with the contribution made by our major sponsor, Manos Restaurant, make it possible for the ball team compete in league play, tournaments and provincials this year.

On the field, the Manos Riot played a six inning exhibition game with the Pike Lake Rebels. Both teams took advantage of the fact that there were unlimited substitutions and everyone got a chance to play. Lindsay Facca, Stephanie Trask and Laura Connor each threw two innings for the Manos Riot. Tori Olson and Whitney Barker were solid behind the plate while Sam Nemanishen hit a round tripper.

The coaching staff was very happy with the play of all the players. Returning players and newcomers have blended in very well together and team chemistry should improve with more experience together.

League play begins Wednesday night at Gordie Howe Park. The game is under the lights with an 8:00 PM start.

April 27 - 2007 League Schedule 

April 19 - At the SASA semi-annual meeting on April 18th at the Ramada Hotel, it was announced that there will be three ladies divisions competing in league play for the upcoming year.

The Bob Stayner division will drop down to six teams this year as the Shamrocks will not be returning. The Startco Phantoms and the Jr Diamondbacks will also be merging to form one team and a new entrant will be the Quill Plains Midgets. DBJ Leasing, the Trojans and two Midget AA teams round out the Bob Stayner division.

The Lisa Down division will have nine teams including the Manos Riot. Other teams competing in this division are the Mystics, Steelers, Eclipse, Connextion, Fatigues, Earls Restaurant and two Midget A teams. The Merchants and the Angels will not be returning while Earls Restaurant is back after a one year absence.

The Vic Loewen division will feature the Pike Lake Rebels, Junior Eclipse, Mustangs, Humboldt and three Midget B teams.

League play for the Lisa Down division begins on May 1st. The full schedule will be available late next week.

April 2 - Fundraising - The Manos Riot will be holding their 3rd annual steak night at Manos Grill & Brewhouse on Tuesday, May 1 at 6:00 PM. Tickets are available for $15 each from any player or executive member. The address is 2202 - 22nd Street W. It will be an evening of great food and good prizes including an Adams golf carry bag, gift certificates from Manos, and many more.

March 12 - The Saskatoon Manos Riot have almost finalized their roster for the upcoming season. There may be one additional player announcement that would round out the squad. So far the team has added depth at all positions including the pitching staff. Team defense, speed and power should also be improved over last year. This could be the best all-around team that the Manos Riot have fielded in the past three years.

Everyone associated with the team would like to thank those that showed an interest in playing this year. You can check out the list of players on the roster page and the team schedule will be posted on the calendar page.

February 25 - The Manos Riot co-hosted a skills clinic with Zone 3 softball (Falcons) over the weekend. Players from the team helped teach the fundamentals of throwing, fielding and hitting to squirt, pee wee and bantam age players. The combination of professional video instruction and practice drills in the gym helped the younger players hone their skills.

This was the third year that Zone 3 and the Manos Riot have worked together to help players improve their play. The players worked as instructors and enjoyed the interaction with the younger players and would like to thank Tim Frasz, Steve Davis and the rest of the Zone 3 executive for providing them with this opportunity.

To learn more about Falcons softball, check their website at www.saskatoonfalcons.ca

February 8 - Season outlook

The Riot improved their record slightly in 2006, winning 25 games and losing 19. In 2005 the team's record was 23 wins 21 losses and 2 ties.

In the field and at the plate, the team improved in 2006 but a turnover on the pitching staff hurt. None of the four starting pitchers returned from the 2005 season and other than a couple of games the team used two midget-age pitchers for the entire year.

This year the two pitchers will be returning with a year of experience under their belts. That alone will make the pitching staff stronger. The team will be going with three pitchers in 2007 and is continuing to look at candidates to fill that last spot on the staff.

The Riot have added some new players that should provide the team with an upgrade on defense and improve the offense. A slightly larger roster improves the depth at every position as well.

With the new additions, the team looks to improve their record for the second consecutive year. One more pitcher could be the key to making that improvement a dramatic one.

January 8, 2007 - The Riot held a pub-crawl on the weekend as part of the team's fund-raising and from all reports the event was a success. Becky Hammel was the primary organizer and did a great job.

The extra money will be put to good use; it allows the team to book additional gym times over the next few weeks. Check the calendar for times and locations.

December 6, 2006 - The Riot are pleased to announce that Mano's Restaurant has agreed to sponsor the team for the upcoming year. Everyone associated with the team thanks the ownership and management of the restaurant for their sponsorship.

Mano's has always been recognized as one of the finest restaurants in Saskatoon and the team encourages everyone to support them. During the next twelve months the team will be looking at various ways in which to acknowledge the contribution that Mano's has made to the team.