Canadian Wild Set To Return To NPF In 2020

The National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) has announced that the Canadian Wild will return to the league for the 2020 season, which will mark the team's second NPF campaign.

The Wild, who finished the 2019 NPF season in third place with a 22-19 record, will once again exist thanks to a partnership between Softball Canada and the Southern Illinois Miners. The home field of the Wild will continue to be Rent One Park in Marion, Ill. in 2020.

"We are excited about the 2020 season, and to play in front of our great Southern Illinois fans," Team Canada and Canadian Wild head coach Mark Smith said in a statement.

The Canadian national softball team, which makes up the Wild squad, qualified for the 2020 Olympics back in September. The team will use its NPF contests as a way to train for the Tokyo Games.

"We are so very proud of our continued relationship with Softball Canada, a relationship that will be extra-special in 2020 as we watch them compete for Olympic gold in Tokyo," NPF Commissioner Cheri Kempf said in a statement. "The partnership between Softball Canada and the Southern Illinois Miners' staff and ownership has added a high-quality product to professional softball in the NPF. We are grateful for the vision and commitment of everyone involved to continue to grow softball at the highest level, a commitment we know will make a consistent difference for our sport."

The 2020 NPF season, which will be the 17th campaign in the league's history, will begin in May. Softball competition at the 2020 Olympic Games will begin July 22.

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