There are a dozen McQuade softball team players in front of you, complete strangers.

To try to learn all of their names, what a chore.

What an easy chore.

Starting from left to right, their last names:There's Wolf, then Wolf, then another Wolf - and then Wolf, Wolf, Wolf, Wolf, Wolf, Wolf, Wolf, Wolf and Wolf.

Whoa, wow and what the heck?

Well, it's the first time in the McQuade Softball Tournament's 31-year history - as far as longtime tourney director Marlow Lindblom knows, anyway - that an entire team playing in the McQuade has had the same last name. The only one that comes closest would be the father-son team years ago that had pairs of names the same.

Patrick Wolf, 42, of Bismarck, was the big, bald Wolf who came up with the idea to form the Wolfpack team. Nostalgia played a part.

Decades ago, the Wolf family, growing up east of Rugby in little Knox - population 120ish, then - played softball together. Back in the day.

Well, it's been a lot of days since then.

Patrick Wolf decided it would be a good idea to bring back male family members who played together in their youth, as well as some who didn't. So there are a dozen of them, ages 18 to 60 - two brothers, Patrick and Mike Wolf, as well as some sons, nephews and cousins. There's Michael, Steven, David, Chris, Jack, Brandon, Jim, Jeremy, Doug and Dustin Wolf

They came in from as far away as Minnesota, Grand Forks, Devils Lake, Wolford, Wheatland, Leeds and Knox. There's also a family contingent - a cheering section - from Florida.

Also making the Wolfpack unique is that all of the other McQuade teams this year, 413 of them, are sanctioned teams, meaning established teams registered with the city and state, Linblom said. The Wolfs have nothing established, and so had to submit a letter to get special permission to play.

The Wolf players' tourney preparation could be described as intense. But should it be … really?

One team member reported that his training involved doing one-handed pushups. He reportedly is ready now. Where's the beer mug?

Other preparations: There was discussion about team practices. Lots of discussion. Well, some discussion. Topic of discussion:How nice it would have been to have been able to practice.

Some of the team members weren't in town until Saturday morning, and the Wolfpack's first game was at 1:20 p.m. Saturday.

Other prep: There were 40-plus T-shirts to order, for players and family members, in the old Knox school colors, maroon and gold with the team name "Wolfpack" on them. And there has been the struggle to scrape up enough equipment. A friend of Pat Wolf's from Rugby brought some circa-1980s equipment over to Wolf's house. It was fun to look at, laugh at, and to leave in the garage.

Their secret weapon might have been Steven Wolf, 18, of Bismarck. Wolf, one of Mike and Pam Wolf's sons, reportedly has an amazing swing. The family was just hoping a ball is a ball is a white ball. Steven Wolf has a golf swing - he placed second recently in the Class A boys high school golf tournament in Minot.

But the Wolfpack ended up looking for sympathy in the consolation bracket. The team lost its first game against Saskatoon Budlight Canada. The Wolfpack got in a few hits, but were bested 7 to 4. The results of the team's second game Saturday were not available at press time.

(Reach reporter Virginia Grantier at 250-8254 or at virginia.grantier@;bismarcktribune.com.)