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The regular season gets underâ€" way with a 7 p.m. doubleheader at New York Central Park beâ€" tween the host St. Thomas Pot of Golds and Owen Sound. Chym‘rs spring into action the following Thursday at Hillside Park as they host Owen Sound. The reason for the optimism is a new franchise from St. Catharâ€" ines. The Ovations will join league this season and there are reportedly other prospects for the 1989 season. Waterloo Chym‘rs face a pair of monumental tasks heading into the 29th consecutive season of operation for the Interâ€"City Fastâ€" ball League. The first hurdle is devising a scheme to bring fans back to Hillside Park. The second problem will be figuring out how to score runs off Owen Sound Canadian Tire‘ pitching â€" someâ€" thing that has everyone in the league scratching his head. Neither will be easy to solve. Owen Sound, last year‘s league champion and pennant winner, has bolstered its already formidâ€" able pitching staff with the offâ€" season acquisition of 1987 Canaâ€" dian National Team pitcher Glen Moereland. Coupled with lefty Brad Underwood (14â€"2, 0.62 ERA in 1987), Owen Sound‘s dynamic duo will make a trip to the plate about as pleasant as a visit to the dentist. The problem with dwindling attendance is an area of concern throughout the league but offiâ€" cials claim to be optimistic headâ€" ing into this year‘s fully interâ€" locking schedule with the teams which comprise the remains of the Memorial Fastball League. The two leagues played a partialâ€" ly interlocking schedule last seaâ€" son, but the MFL unexpectedly lost a pair of franchises over the winter (London and Dorchester) to bring its membership down to three. As a result, the MFL requested a full interlocking schedule at the IFL‘s annual meeting in January. Here‘s what to expect from the league‘s eight entries. for a long year Pitching should remain strong though as Ron Harper (9â€"4, 112 K‘s, 1.93 ERA) and Dave Martin (5â€"2, 41 K‘s, 2.29 ERA) are both back. League MVP Brian Ostrossâ€" er and his .442 batting average (.574 on base percentage)will be back to lead the club offensively. ‘"We‘re in a rebuilding year but in the tradion of Burlington we‘ll try our best," said coach John Pegg. Last year‘s pennant runnerâ€"ups and league finalists could be in ments can‘t fill the holes. Burlington Clancy‘s: The major task facing general manager Dave Bourne â€" and it‘s a biggie â€" will be trying to replace five players that skipped town over the winter to pursue their careers in St. Catharines. Gone are: pitcher John Andrews, centre fielder Ray Turner, first baseman Peter Rupcic (all three are twoâ€"time league all stars), right fielder Matt Hubert and third baseman Don Ingham. CLANCY‘S III What to expect from upcoming IFL season Cambridge Gores: The most notable absence at Kinsmen Stadium this year will be pitcher Dan Yantzi (7â€"9, 129 K‘s, 2.30) who has departed for Waterloo. Other than that, generâ€" al manager Glenn Moeser‘s team should look an awful lot like the one that finished in fourthâ€"place last year. That‘s if the club can sign most of the players in camp. Only three players from last year‘s team have reâ€"signed, including pitcher Don Stebbings (7â€"5, 100 K‘s, 1.76 ERA), 1987 rookie of the year Jeff Lobsinger and threeâ€"time IFL batting champ Paul Clemens. Cambridge should still have enough talented players to be competitive this year. per Mike Mayer has the mtikin;;s of a good ball club. â€" "A lot of people are saying a visit to Lancaster Park will equal two easy points. I think they‘re wrong, we‘ll be very competiâ€" tive," said Mayer, who is still searching for a leftâ€"handed St. Catharines Ovations: The acquisition of five players from Burlington, a successful Junior fastball franchise (Cleland Junior A‘s) to draw from, and a pair of mighty hurlers should combine to make the St. Catharâ€" ines franchise an immediate conâ€" tender. St. Kitts‘ pitching tandem of John Andrews (6‘4", 230 lbs) and Byron DeMoe (6‘6", 270 lbs) are both big and hard throwing. Combined with the offensive talâ€" ent"taken from Burlington, skipâ€" "On paper we‘re pretty good," said GM Lloyd Simpson, whose club will play out of Duncan McLellan Park. Owen Sound Canadian Tire: Bad news for the rest of the league â€" last year‘s League Champions and Pennant winners are an improved ball club this season. In addition to the already menâ€" tioned pitching tandem of Underâ€" wood and Moereland, Owen Sound has added two 1987 Interâ€" national Softball Congress Chamâ€" pionship Tournament "All World" selections to its roster. Slugger/first baseman Al Burnâ€" ham and leadâ€"off man Larry Bodeshefsky join an already powâ€" erful offensive lineup led by the likes of Underwood, Tom White (8 HR‘s, .304), Bob Richardson (.330) and Rob Patteson (.315). And if that isn‘t the understate ment of the year then... St. Thomas Pot of Golds: Sarnia Ransons: One of the MFL‘s two remainâ€" Last year‘s Ontario Senior ing charter members, St. Thomas champions and National silver made a big acquisition in the offâ€" â€" medallists will rely heavily on season by signing Canadian Naâ€" pitcher Derwin Hodgins if they tional â€" Team â€" member _ Rob are to repeat. Although his 8â€"6â€"1 Schneckenburger. wonâ€"lostâ€"tied record was not specâ€" The hardâ€"hitting second baseâ€" tacular, a closer look reveals that man led the league last season he lost several close, lowâ€"scoring with a 461 batting average, a Contests. He had a stingy 1.60 leagueâ€"leading 29 RBI‘s and three â€" ERA, with 152 strikeouts in only hamars in aniv 22 cumes Shor: 118 innings. _ ooo The hardâ€"hitting second baseâ€" man led the league last season with a .461 batting average, a leagueâ€"leading 29 RBI‘s and three homers in only 23 games. Shortâ€" stop Wayne Walker (.358, 5 HR‘s, 19 RBI‘s) and right fielder Mark Hiepleh (.409, 22 RBI‘s) will also add muscle at the plate. The question mark on the St. Thomas staff is pitching, where the task of keeping opposition batsmen off the bases will belong to Rich Abbott (6:6â€"1, 32 K‘s, 4.36 ERA) and Larry Walker (8â€"4, 101 K‘s, 3.63 ERA). Dave Cox will also return after an injuryâ€"filled 1987 season. ' Waterioo collegiate soccer goaltender Marc Strong makes a lunging save -fl(almt Forest Heights Friday afternoon in Waterloo County hight school play. V ings lost the game 2â€"0. Offensively, Sarnia will be led by Canadian National Team catcher Rob Menzies (.408, 5 HR‘s, 21 RBI, outfielder Lou Ciccini (.299, 9 HR‘s, 16 RBI‘s), and outfielder Steve Scott (.301, 3 HR‘s, 14 RBI‘s). Also expected out with the Ransons for ‘88 is Canadian Naâ€" tional team player Ray Tilley, who once again will play second base after two years with the Saskatoon Allâ€"Oâ€"Matics. AGGRESSIVE SAVE . a aalace a id &A Ao% a e t e c & t t es SS=RAngon â€"< _ SARNIA FASTBALL CLUS with Mark Bryson Along with St. Thomas, Strathroy holds the distinction of being the MFL‘s other remaining charter member. Even so, the club has never won a championship _ crown _ despite reaching the finals five times since 1974. Jets‘ offence is powered by Glenn Gollum (.333, 2 HR‘s, 29 RBI‘s), veteran shortstop Tom Woodiwiss (.313, 1 HR, 11RBI‘s) and centreâ€"fielder Mike Galbraith (.295, 9 RBI‘s). John Ferguson (6â€"8, 92 K‘s, 2.31 ERA) and the aforementioned Gollum (5â€"6, 80 K‘s,.3.56 ERA) will provide GM Doug Welch with steady pitching. Strathroy has also picked up a few players from the now defunct London franchâ€" Strathroy Langs Jets: (Continued on page 36) Mark Bryson photo