Leading off....
After a long offseason for the Belfast American Sports Association, it will be up to the softball contingent to get the ball rolling for the organisation in 2016.
In their first season last summer, Jay Slevin and Jonny Craven's team finished a solid fourth in Softball Ulster, ahead of some established and experienced teams and also managed a very respectable third in last year's end of season blitz that was held at Newforge.
In a strange symmetry, Softball Ulster will return to that same Newforge Country Club to kick off this summer's season in a start of season blitz against teams from the league, as well as the Irish Women's fast pitch softball team as they prepare for their inaugural trip to the World Championships, and the delightfully monikered Sons of Pitches and Sauce Monsters.
With many holdovers from last season, Chris Stange coming over from the Aviators as well as some talented rookies in Amy Simpson and Vicky Thompson, the Angels' coaches will be looking to see how this particular unit gels before their first league games. After 2015's respectable campaign, the Halos will be out to prove it wasn't beginner's luck.
Hopefully winter's tenuous grip on the weather will be shaken loose by the time 12pm on Sunday rolls around.
