Ada hopes CNMI will have Little League softball

CNMI Little League district administrator James Ada is hoping that the Little League board of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota would someday include a girls fast-pitch softball program on their respective calendars.

Girls softball is hoping to become part of the CNMI Little League program to give young female players their own tournament. (Jon Perez)

Ada, in an exclusive interview by Saipan Tribune, said he knows there are a lot of talented young female players in the CNMI and having a separate softball league would further improve their skills.

Several female players saw action in the last Saipan Little League season with the reigning champion Red Sox’s Kiana Aldan earning the chance of getting selected to the Saipan All-Stars that reached the Asia Pacific regional tournament held at the Guilin Institute of Tourism in Guilin, China.

“Hopefully we could implement and start with the girls softball program this coming season. Little League softball is also getting bigger in the world,” said Ada, who was confirmed as the CNMI DA again last month by Little League headquarters in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

“We want all three—Saipan, Tinian, and Rota—Little Leagues to also have softball. A lot of girls are now playing softball in Guam and they even reached the Senior League Softball World Series this year in [Lower Sussex] Delaware.”

Ada added that although he supports girls playing with boys in Little League baseball he wants to have a separate program under softball.

“There are girls who had played in the Little League World Series but it would also be nice for them to have their own league,” said Ada.

A total of 18 girls have played in the Little League Baseball World Series since 1984 with youth sensation Mo’ne Davis and Emma March both having pitched for their respective teams in 2014.

Davis, who gained prominence last year after being the first female to pitch a shutout and first African-American girl to play in the Little League World Series, was a member of the Taney Youth Baseball Association Little League of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She went 2-2 in the World Series.

Pitcher Victoria Roche of Brussels Little League of Belgium broke the gender barrier when she became the first girl to play in the Little League World Series in 1984.

Ada said he is eyeing to team up with the Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization since the high school girls youth sports program has softball in their list of events played every year.

“Hopefully we get the chance to tie the Little League program with MISO. I saw a lot of talented young players in the last MISO season. All we need is more volunteers so we could start the girls softball program,” Ada said.

Ada also supported measures to organize a softball league for adults for continuity of the program since it would also benefit the youth female players. He is the second sports personality after CNMI Sports Hall of Famer Tony Satur, who also made calls of having a softball program for adults.

“Playing softball could earn some of these kids college scholarships in the mainland just like [Saipan Little League products] Josh Jones and Jeremy Rabauliman.”

Satur, who holds a lot of records in softball in the CNMI, wants to become an adviser if ever women’s fast-pitch softball resurfaces.