BY DEAN GREENAWAY

A BVI over 40 softball team is eyeing victory in a weekend tournament in St. John, which also involves two teams each from St. Thomas and St. Croix. All but five of the 14 players selected for the team played in the 2003 BVI Amateur Softball Association league that ended in August. According to team manager Rennie 'Panchie' Jeffers the mixture makes the team a lot better. "We are supposed to be in good enough shape because the league ended recently and we feel that we can win," Jeffers pointed out. "We have our top pitchers; Bert Henley, Roy Hill, Lester Fahie and Raymond Mercer. We have a good thing going. Pitching is the strength of our team but we have good batting and the defense will fall in place." The BVI had an over 40 team that played several games against St. Thomas and St. John three years ago, but then the team disbanded. In their last outing the team split their two games. About two weeks ago, BVI Little League Baseball Association president Terry Chinnery told Jeffers about putting a team together to play in St. John and he jumped on the idea. "I picked a super team to go to this tournament," Jeffers said. "We feel pretty good about going to the tournament. We've had great practices over the last several days and the team looks good." The BVI team is as follows. Managers: Rene 'Panchie' Julius Jeffers and Byron Parson. Coaches: Julian Adams and Gene Hodge; Players: Bert 'Bigman' Henley, Kenneth 'Gease' Powell, Nolan 'Dickie' Davis, Raymond 'Mahasa' Mercer, Ronnie 'The Hull' Fahie, David 'Archie' Maduro, Rufus 'Sleepy' Malone, Lester 'Moko' Fahie, Austin Todman, Sylvester 'Bucker' Johnson, David 'Flopper' Matthias, Roy 'Panhandle' Hill, Eli 'Yampi' Nibbs, Austin 'Woody' Maduro.