The Opening Ceremonies for the 2017 Canada Summer Games will take place this Friday at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg.

Team Manitoba's softball team will hit the diamonds at the John Blumberg Softball Complex during week two of the Games.

Gill Woodward of Ile Des Chenes is on Team Manitoba's 15-player roster.

"The day I got the email saying I had made the team, I was in the grocery store getting groceries so it made grocery shopping a little more exciting," said Woodward who will be playing softball for the University of South Dakota this fall. "I read through the whole email and the whole process of what was going to happen and everything...then immediately I got on the phone and called mom & dad and they were just as excited as I was. It was kind of anticlimactic because I was in the grocery store."

Team Toba will play their round robin opener on August 7th against Prince Edward Island.

"I'm looking forward to it so much," said Woodward, who pitches and plays first base for the host province. "Not just to compete against players from other provinces but also get to know them. It's just going to be such a great experience."

Team Manitoba will play nine round robin games in four days at Blumberg and Woodward says they're up for the challenge.

"We have a really good team. We're strong everywhere, outfielders, infielders, our pitching, our hitting - when we're on, nothing can stop us. I'm feeling really hopeful for the Games."

Woodward, who has played softball for 12 years and was named Softball Manitoba's 2016 U18 Female Player of the Year, explained what she wants to take away from the Canada Summer Games experience.

"What it feels like to be one of the best to represent your province and playing in front of the crowds and having all the younger players look up to you because I was once that younger player looking up to those Team Toba and Team Canada players. Getting the all around experience of what it's like to be a leader and growing up an moving forward."