Geraldton Softball Association Inc
News
2025 June Carnival is Here!
Published Thu 29 May 2025
2025 June Carnival Celebrates 50 Years of Softball in Geraldton
This weekend, the Geraldton Softball Association (GSA) will proudly host the 2025 GSA June Carnival, marking the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic and long-standing softball tournaments in Australia.
What began decades ago as a modest competition between Geraldton and Karratha has grown into a massive celebration of women’s softball, now recognised as the largest women’s softball tournament in the country. Over the years, the event has expanded significantly—first outgrowing its sole venue at Utakarra Oval in the early 2000s, and now spanning two major locations: Utakarra Oval and GBSC Sports Park.
This year, the Carnival will feature more than 50 teams competing across six divisions, with players travelling from across Western Australia, including Perth, Bunbury, Port Hedland, and Tom Price. Geraldton will also be strongly represented, with nine local teams taking the field.
The action kicks off at 5pm Friday evening at Utakarra with the annual Simone Purcell Memorial Game, where a team of local players—led by Simone’s family—will face off against the umpiring crew in a spirited opener.
Games continue all day Saturday and Sunday morning, with finals to be played Sunday afternoon and evening back at Utakarra Oval.
A key change in 2025 is the restructure of Division 1, which has been downsized from 8 to 6 elite teams in order to foster a more competitive environment. Each team will play one another twice, culminating in a Grand Final on Sunday evening. With reigning champions Rockingham unable to attend this year, the Division 1 title is well and truly up for grabs.
The GSA is excited to announce the return of an All-Star GSA representative team to compete in Division 1 for the first time in several years, while a junior and rookie development squad will also represent GSA in Division 6—highlighting the association’s commitment to growing the game at every level.
To celebrate the tournament's 50th year, the GSA has introduced some exciting new initiatives. In a first for the Carnival, Saturday night games have been removed, allowing teams to let their hair down and enjoy the social side of the event. The evening will feature a Players’ Revue and 50th Anniversary Celebration hosted at the Utakarra ballpark—a chance to reflect on five decades of memories and milestones.
To accommodate the removal of night games, the tournament has expanded to 13 diamonds across the two venues, thanks to the support of GBSC Sports Park, enabling even more teams to participate in this milestone year.
GSA Chairperson Paul Valenti, who is also doubling as Tournament Director and Coach of the GSA Division 1 side, said the event will be one to remember.
“It’s going to be a huge weekend, and we can’t wait. I can’t thank all the volunteers enough who’ve worked tirelessly over the past six months to make this happen. This take a huge effort from many people to pull off an event this size and we have agreat team.” said Valenti.
“If you’ve never watched a game of softball, or haven’t been to the ballpark in a while, I’d encourage you to pop down to either venue over the weekend and take in the action and atmosphere.”
“Our GSA side is looking strong and we expect to be very competitive in Division 1.”
Whether you're a die-hard fan or just looking for something exciting to do over the long weekend, the 2025 June Carnival promises thrilling softball, community spirit, and a celebration of 50 years of history.
For all information June Carnival related, please like and follow our June Carnival Facebook page and check out our June Carnival page on our website.
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