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Fall 2014
World Series
tournament
director, Elliot
Clark, presents
co-MVPs, BJ Fulk
(left) and Andy
Purcell (right).
Resmondo/Worth Wins the 44th Annual
USSSA Men’s Major World Series
“The Showcase Of Softball”
USSSA World Tournaments
attract record number teams
Nationwide Conference
USSSA completes another
successful season
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Chairman of the Board
and CEO of USSSA
wins ninth
6 Resmondo
USSSA Major World
Publisher, USSSA Today
Stafford Connor
18Resmondo-Specialty
Tank/Worth Wins
Sixth Nationwide
Conference USSSA
Championship
Managing Editor, USSSA Today
Greg Huchingson
Communications Director, USSSA
Tom O’Hara
REEDESIGN
Lebco Graphics
Contributing Writers
Ian Auzenne
Leo Carnes
Mike Cornell
Van Galeon
Jeremy Isenhower
Maggie MacDonald
Rick Redman
Craig Scriven
Jim Swint
Dennis Turner
Dale Weiser
Equipment Logistics
Roy “Heavy Peanut” Dean
Nationwide
22 2014
Conference USSSA
Awards & Banquet
Sports
25 Worth
Boasts Top Three
Homerun Hitters In
2014 Nationwide
Conference USSSA
Regular Season Play
Teams
26 Easton
Dominate ‘A’ Worlds
Capturing Three of
the Top Four Spots
29
Briggs Dominates To
Win National Golf
Championship
& Windy
32 Hot
Conditions, Field of
31 Proves No Match
for Precision/Easton in
Men’s B Worlds
34
USSSA Today is published quarterly. Publishing offices are
located at 6028 Rayburn Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76133. One
year subscription is $25; two year is $40. Reproduction or
use of the contents in whole or in part without prior written
permission of the publisher is prohibited. USSSA Today
welcomes unsolicited articles or photographs, but must be
accompanied with a self-addressed, stamped envelope for
return of unsolicited material.
160 Teams
Thirty Victorious
38 Dirty
At Men’s E Worlds
North in MI
Victorious
42 Southland
at Men’s E Worlds East
Tournament
B Worlds
44Women’s
and C Worlds
Tournament
Heating Capture
46Ohio
Women’s D Worlds
Warrior
48Wounded
Amputee Softball
Photographers
John Demagistris
Scott Duffy
Gary Godden
Kit Mohr
Tom Pfundstein
Pete Spatula
Dale Weiser
Class D World
36 Men’s
Tournament Draws
Series crown
Don DeDonatis
Design / Printing
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CONTENTS
96 Teams Converge
On Osceola County,
Fl For A Shot at the
USSSA Men’s C World
Tournament
Team Hosts Kids Camp
for Children with
Missing Limbs
Baseball – The
54 USSSA
Road to the Show
Auto/JJ’s/
62 Laservision/H
Easton Rolls Through
Miken Last Chance
Undefeated
Classic rises
66Cajun
from swamp to return
to Major prominence
For Rings’
70‘Battle
Crowns Six Lone Star
Champions
USSSA TODAY
5
Resmondo wins ninth USSSA
Major World Series crown
LEGIT POWER. LEGIT PERFORMANCE.
By Greg Huchingson
Resmondo-Specialty Tank/Worth Team Family 2014 USSSA Major World Series Champions
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – Resmondo /
Specialty Tank / Worth rolled through
the USSSA Men’s Major World Series
undefeated through five games to
capture their record ninth championship at the “Grand Daddy of Softball.”
’97; Elite Coating of Gordon, GA won in
1984 and ’85; Jerry’s Caterer’s of Miami,
FL won in 1982 and ’83; Howard’s of
Denver, NC won in 1978 and ’81; and
Snyder’s Softball Club of Detroit, MI
won in 1975 and ’76.
The Men’s Major World Series was held
September 17-21 at Champions Stadium,
located at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports
on the grounds of Disney World. The
facility is the Spring Training home of
the Atlanta Braves and has dimensions
equivalent to a Major League Baseball
stadium.
Resmondo / Worth entered the 2014
World Series having won first place in
the Conference USSSA regular season,
as well as seven out of 12 tournaments including the Conference USSSA
Championships on Labor Day Weekend.
Resmondo finished the season with a
67-12 record, including a 51-6 mark
after finishing second in the first three
tournaments of the year.
Superior-Apollo of Windsor Locks,
CT won in 1989 and Ritch’s-Kirk’s of
Harrisburg, NC won in 1990, then the
combined Ritch’s-Superior group won
in 1991 and ’92. Prior to that, Smythe
Sox of Houston, TX won in 1986 and
6 USSSA TODAY
“It is such an honor to cap our year by
winning another championship here at
Disney,” said Resmondo / Worth slugger
B.J. Fulk, who has played on five of the
nine championship teams. “We have the
best sponsor in the game and want to
do everything possible to win this tournament for him.”
Resmondo / Worth opened the tournament in front of a big crowd on
Wednesday night by defeating Xtreme /
Miken of Brooklyn Center, MN (24-3). The
following night, Resmondo knocked off
Travis Resmondo receiving another championship
trophy from tournament director, Elliot Clark.
2014 Class A World Champion Line Drive
/ R&M / Easton of Warren, MI (23-2).
That win moved Resmondo into the
semi-finals of the winner’s bracket
against Backman / Shoppe / Louisville
Slugger of Aurora, IL. In a game that
would be Resmondo’s only scare of the
tournament, the contest was played in
a persistent rainstorm that rendered the
field a muddy quagmire.
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Resmondo / Worth, based out of nearby
Winter Haven, FL, previously won the
Major World Series in 2003, ’05, ’06, ’07,
’09, ’10, ’11 and ’13, which is the most
of any team in history. Second on the
list is the Dan Smith / Menosse group of
San Jose, CA with four crowns, including
2005 when Resmondo and Dan Smith
co-sponsored the World Champion team.
Backman scored eight runs in the top
of the first on the strength of two-run
homers from Brian Rainwater, Sam
Lopez, Kevin Rye and L.C. Watson. A
double-play shortened Resmondo’s half
of the inning, and Backman led 8-2 after
the first frame.
In the second inning, Resmondo closed
the lead to 12-6 on homers by Fulk
and Jeremy Isenhower. In the third,
Neil Haglund hit a two-run homer and
Resmondo went 1-2-3 in the bottom half,
as a strong wind blowing in knocked
down a couple of home run chances.
The game was played in pouring rain
from start to finish, but the wind died
down some in the fourth and Backman’s
Rye hit a two-run homer to put them up
18-8 after four innings.
In the fifth inning, Backman pushed the
lead to 16 runs on a two-run double
from Lopez and a two-run homer from
Dave Kessler. This forced Resmondo
to score at least two runs to keep the
game going and avoid the 15-run rule
after five innings. In the bottom of the
fifth, with Resmondo down to their
last out, clutch hits by Bubba Mack and
Lee Powers kept the game going for
Resmondo before Fulk hit a huge home
run to cut Backman’s lead to 24-13. Great
defensive plays from Kevin Kennington
and Kevin Rye held Resmondo from an
even bigger inning.
In the sixth, Backman’s Haglund hit a
two-run homer to make it 26-13. In the
bottom of the frame, Resmondo had
their biggest inning of the tournament.
With the rain still pouring, Powers hit a
two-run homer and Greg Connell hit a
pair of three-run homers and Resmondo
scored 14 runs to erase the huge deficit
and take a one-run lead, 27-26. Two of
the outs recorded by Backman were on
a line drive that was knocked down and
thrown out by pitcher L.C. Watson, and
a home run-robbing catch by centerfielder Kyle Cowart at the 400-foot
mark that was the defensive gem of the
tournament.
Two-time MVP, B.J. Fulk. Co-MVP, Fulk, batted .824,
7 HRs and 19 RBIs.
Record setting four-time MVP, Andy Purcell.
Co-MVP, Purcell, batted .714, 9 HRs and 20 RBIs.
Backman/Shoppe/Louisville Slugger Team Family 2014 USSSA Major World Series- Second Place
In the top of the seventh, a stunned
Backman team was unable to score and
although they put up an incredible fight
and played their hearts out, still lost by
one run.
The win over Backman moved Resmondo
8 USSSA TODAY
Laservision/H. Auto/JJ’s/Easton finished third. Bob
Hortenbach, H. Auto, receives the trophy.
Precision/Easton’s William Wax receives the fourth
place trophy.
into the all-important finals of the
winner’s bracket on Saturday night,
against the same Laservision / Easton
team that they faced in the 2013 winner’s
bracket finals and championship game.
2014 All-World Tournament Team. All-World selections from Laservision, Precision, Line Drive and Classic Glass
are missing from the photo.
Laservision got off to a fast start by
putting up a 10-spot in the top of the
first inning. Then, with one out in the
bottom of the first, with Connell on
first base and Andy Purcell at the plate,
Purcell hit a towering fly ball in foul
territory down the third base line. As
Laservision left-fielder Brian Wegman
and shortstop Luis Reyna pursued the
ball, it landed between the two who
collided and tumbled to the ground.
Reyna was writhing in pain, as he broke
two bones in his leg. After a 30-minute
delay, Reyna was carted from the field
and taken to an Orlando hospital where
he underwent emergency surgery the
same night.
It was a devastating loss, as Reyna
was recently named the Outstanding
Defensive Player of Conference USSSA
for 2014.
The stunned Laservision team was
never the same after the Reyna injury.
Resmondo not only caught up and
passed Laservision by the end of the
second inning, but ended the game
after five innings on a run-rule score of
39-24.
10 USSSA TODAY
All-World Tournament Team member- Backman/
Shoppe/Louisville Slugger’s Kevin Rye
All-World Tournament Team member- Resmondo/
Worth’s Jeremy Isenhower
Laservision returned to the stadium
Sunday morning for the third place
game against Backman / Shoppe, but
was still demoralized. Backman’s Kyle
Cowart hit a huge grand slam in the top
of the third inning to put his team up
15-3 and Backman / Shoppe flip-flopped
the favored home team and ended the
game on a run-rule score of 26-11.
CHRIS GREINERT
All-World Tournament Team member- Backman/Shoppe/Louisville Slugger’s Neil Haglund. Learn more about
Neil in Louisville Slugger’s Dennis Turner’s interview on page 53 in this issue.
LONG HAUL BOMBER
TEAM COMBAT
“Purcell was getting players to pop out
on a regular basis, Connell was hitting
them over the scoreboard, and the rest
of the team was doing their part to
win. But the thing most striking about
Resmondo’s play was the absolute focus
by all players in putting the bat solidly
on the ball when losing to Backman in
the rain,” said veteran softball reporter
Dale Weiser. “It was one of the greatest
comebacks of all-time. Andy Purcell’s
ERA in the sixth and seventh inning of
close games this year has to be the best
in the league.”
Andy Purcell and B.J. Fulk of Resmondo
/ Worth were named Co-Most Valuable
Player award winners for the Major
World Series. Purcell batted .714 with
nine home runs and 20 RBIs and was
12 USSSA TODAY
Greg Connell of Resmondo/Worth was named the Outstanding Offensive Player. Presenting Connell with his
award is USSSA VP, Clay Dickey.
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It has been rumored that 2015 will be
the last year of the Resmondo dynasty,
with sponsor Travis Resmondo possibly
leaving the game after next year, but
that is only speculation at this point.
SP4
One of the highlights of the tournament was Easton’s Brett Helmer passing the legendary Rick “Crusher” Scherr for
the all-time record for most RBIs in the Major World Series. Helmer’s 12 RBIs this year give him 258 for his career,
passing Scherr’s 225.
BRY
Weiser added, “Tip your cap to
Resmondo. They did it again in a year
where they started very slow. Connell,
Powers, Fulk, DeDonatis, Purcell and
Isenhower were all over .700 (in the
World Series). Purcell had nine home
runs. The defense wasn’t needed as
much as usual but the pitching was far
superior to their opponents. Resmondo
will enjoy this one and come back strong
in 2015 for their final run.”
YOUR ADVANTAGE
IS IN OUR DNA
BRY
CE O
LIVE
That set up a championship matchup
of Resmondo / Specialty Tank / Worth
against Backman / Shoppe / Louisville
Slugger on a sunny Florida day.
Resmondo pitcher Andy Purcell retired
Backman 1-2-3 in the top of the first
inning, then hit a two-run homer to
give Resmondo the lead in the bottom
of the frame and never looked back.
Resmondo scored 11 runs in the second
inning, five in the third, then cruised to
a 22-7 championship win.
TO VIEW THE ENTIRE
2015 ARSENAL
VISIT: combatsoftball.com
his usual dominant self on the pitching
rubber. With his nasty knuckleball and
pinpoint precision, Purcell gets opposing
batters to pop-up and mis-hit pitches
more than any pitcher in the game. This
was Purcell’s fourth MVP award at the
Major World Series. Nobody else has
ever won more than two.
Fulk batted .824 with seven home runs
and 19 RBIs, including clutch hits in
several key situations. The free-spirited
catcher / extra hitter is also the glue that
keeps the Resmondo clubhouse together
and playing loose. It was the second
MVP for Fulk, who joins Brian Rainwater
and Don DeDonatis as the only other
two-time winners of the award.
Greg Connell of Resmondo was named
the Outstanding Offensive Player.
Connell batted .773 with seven home
runs and a team-high 21 RBIs and a
team-high 22 runs scored. Two of his
towering home runs actually cleared
the 45-foot scoreboard in center-field.
Connell also made a nice defensive play
in the mud at second base to end the
thrilling one-run win over Backman.
Kyle Cowart of Backman / Shoppe was
named the Outstanding Defensive
Player of the tournament. In addition
to the home run-robbing catch against
Resmondo, the fleet-footed 36-year-old
Cowart fluidly patrolled center-field as
effectively as he did over a dozen years
ago in his early 20’s for teams such as
Aubrey’s / TPS and Budweiser / Worth.
Assistant Executive Director, Danny Brown, presents
Laservision/Easton’s Kevin Kennington with his
All-World Tournament Team award
All-World Team selection, Don DeDonatis III,
receives his trophy from USSSA VP, Bob Holland.
IT’S ALL
ABOUT
THE
BASE
Brian Rainwater of Backman / Shoppe
and Bryson Baker of Laservision were
co-winners of the Home Run Champion
award, as each blasted 11 balls out of
the stadium during the tournament.
Resmondo / Specialty Tank / Worth
finished their championship performance with a 5-0 record by averaging
27.0 runs per game, while allowing just
12.4 runs. In addition to Purcell, Fulk and
Connell, other Resmondo players named
to the All-World Tournament Team were
first-baseman Bubba Mack, who batted
.647 with four home runs and nine RBIs;
shortstop Don DeDonatis, who batted
.722 and played his usual spectacular
defense in the infield; catcher / extra
hitter Lee Powers, who batted .750 and
drove in eight runs; and right-fielder
Jeremy Isenhower, who batted .765 with
14 USSSA TODAY
YOUR PLACE FOR FULL SUBLIMATED
JERSEYS, FLAGS AND MORE!
Backman/Shoppe/Louisville Slugger’s Brian
Rainwater receives the Homerun Champion award
from USSSA VP, Greg Huchingson. Rainwater shared
the award with Laservision/Easton’s Bryson Baker.
Both had 11 home runs.
Kyle Cowart of Backman/Shoppe/Louisville Slugger
was named the Outstanding Defensive Player.
Presenting Cowart with his trophy is USSSA VP Tony
DeDonatis.
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five home runs and 16 RBIs.
After a disappointing regular season,
which produced no tournament championships and only two finishes higher
than fourth place out of 11 tournaments, Backman / Shoppe / Louisville
Slugger had to be thrilled with their 5-2
record and runnerup finish at the Major
World Series. Backman players named
to the All-World Tournament Team in
addition to Cowart and Rainwater were
middle infielder Kevin Kennington,
who hit eight home runs and scored 21
runs from his leadoff position; secondbaseman Kevin Rye, who batted .609
with five home runs and 14 RBIs; and
right-fielder Neil Haglund, who blasted
eight home runs and drove in 19 runs
with his smooth left-handed swing.
Laservision / H.Auto / JJ’s / Easton from
Cicero, NY won first place in their first
six tournaments of the year and looked
like they had the right formula to unseat
Resmondo from the throne. And while a
3-2 record and third place finish at the
Major World Series would be thrilling
for almost any other team, Laservision
would be the first to say they were
hoping for more. Laservision placed four
players on the All-World Tournament
Team, including first-baseman Bryson
Baker, who batted .727 in addition to his
11 home runs; pitcher Travis Clark, who
batted .750 with a team-high 21 RBIs;
extra hitter Brett Helmer, who batted
.706 with seven home runs and 12 RBIs;
and utility player Mike Umsheid, who
batted .733.
One of the highlights of the tournament
was Helmer passing the legendary Rick
“Crusher” Scherr for the all-time record
for most RBIs in the Major World Series.
Helmer’s 12 RBIs this year give him 258
for his career, passing Scherr’s 255. In
addition, Helmer’s seven home runs this
year give him 114 for his career, which
ties him with Bruce Meade for second
most in World Series history. Helmer
is now just six home runs away from
catching Scherr’s all-time record of 120.
Precision / Easton from Chicago, IL was
the surprise team of 2014. After finishing
second at the A World and winning
first at the B World, Precision made an
even bigger impression by going 3-2
and finishing fourth at the Major World
Series. Precision defeated Red’s Astros
16 USSSA TODAY
(19-16) in one of the closest games of
the first round, then destroyed a Major
team Albicocco / The Scene (21-11) in the
second round. After losing to Laservision
in the semi-finals, Precision dropped to
the loser’s bracket and defeated Line
Drive (22-15) in a re-match of the Class A
World Tournament championship game.
Precision placed three players on the
All-World Tournament Team, including
catcher Chris Geron, who hit .750 with
six home runs and 15 RBIs; infielder Seth
Burgmeier, who tied for a team-high
with 15 RBIs; and pitcher Andy Vitcak,
who batted .750 and did a magnificent
job of pitching and fielding his position.
The 2014 World Series umpires enjoy a pre-tournament brunch hosted by Don DeDonatis, USSSA Chairman of
the Board/CEO.
Line Drive / R&M Metals / Easton from
Warren, MI and Classic Glass / Easton
from San Jose, CA each went 3-2 to tie
for fifth place and placed one player
apiece on the All-World Tournament
Team – Jason Branch of Line Drive, who
batted .800 with eight home runs and 19
RBIs; and Cal Ford of Classic Glass, who
hit 10 home runs and tied Rainwater for
the tournament-best in RBIs with 24.
Baugh / Deorflinger / Easton from
Clanton, AL and Buzini / BWW / Miken
from Jackson, MS each went 2-2 to tie
for seventh place, while 3rd Street /
Louisville Slugger from West Chester,
OH; Red’s Astros / Louisville Slugger
from Indianapolis, IN; Team Albicocco /
Scene / Easton from Huntington, NY; and
Taylormade / TM Sports / Mizuno from
Williamsburg, VA all tied for ninth place.
many thrills over the past 20 years and
will be sorely missed.
Bumgardner retires as the all-time
World Series leader in at-bats, hits and
runs scored, and is sixth all-time in home
runs and third all-time in RBIs. McCraw
is also in the Top 15 all-time in four of
the five offensive categories. Both are
already members of the USSSA Hall of
Fame.
The four teams tied for 13th place were
Xtreme / Miken of Brooklyn Center,
MN; OI Livingston / Scott’s Lawn Care
of Fayetteville, GA; TG Brand of Flint,
MI; and Team Combat / Softball.com of
Kent, WA. The other two teams who
participated in the Major World Series
were B&B Drywall / Easton of Belton,
MO and the military champion Semper
Athletics / DeMarini of Washington D.C.
The Tournament Director for the Major
World Series was Elliot Clark, while the
Umpire-In-Chief was Rick Robertson.
The stadium announcers were Paul and
Jeff Brown,Kevin Croft, while statistics
were kept by Ken Franzen, who will be
inducted into the USSSA Hall of Fame
at the 2014 National Convention in
Championsgate, FL in November.
Two decorated veteran players who
previously announced this year would
be their final season in slow-pitch softball played in their final World Series.
Rusty Bumgardner and Johnny McCraw,
both of Team Combat, have provided
The play-by-play announcer for broadcasts on USSSA Live and ESPN3 was
Bernie Guenther, while commentary was
provided by various guests such as Mike
Cornell of Worth Sports, Dennis Turner
of Louisville Slugger, and Don Cooper of
Combat Sports.
Comfort Inn Maingate
A Good Neighbor® Hotel with Disney and a USSSA preferred hotel partner.
Conveniently located less than two miles from Walt Disney World®
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
As always, the press box was manned by (left to right) Kevin Croft, Jeff Brown, Paul Brown and Ken Franzen.
Their announcing and statistical talents makes “The Showcase of Softball” even more memorable. On a special
note, Franzen will be inducted into the National Hall of Fame this November at the National Convention being
held in Championsgate, FL.
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refrigerator, hair dryer, coffee maker, tub/shower,
flat screen TV, iron/board, electronic in-room safes
✦ Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel
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USSSA VPs (left to right) Elliot Clark, Tony DeDonatis, Bob Holland, Clay Dickey and Greg Huchingson along
with Assistant Executive Director, Danny Brown (far right).
✦ Discounted group room rates
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For more information or to book your team call Maria Rolon (407) 396-4000 or email: [email protected]
USSSA TODAY 17
Resmondo-Specialty Tank/Worth Wins Sixth
Nationwide Conference USSSA Championship
By Dale weiser
USSSA National Office and Osceola County Stadium hosted the 2014 Nationwide Conference USSSA Championships.
Resmondo Specialty Tank/Worth solidified their #1 seed position for the
upcoming Major World Series by winning
their 6th Nationwide Conference USSSA
championship tournament. It was their
7th tournament win of the season, but it
wasn’t easy. The tournament was played
at the Osceola County Stadium and
surrounding baseball fields at Heritage
Park in tremendous 95 degree heat and
humidity. The tournament was delayed
by rain storms on Friday night just as the
top 16 teams in the nation were about to
begin play. So at 8 AM Saturday morning
the actual game play began with the
top 16 teams in the Conference playing
the Big East basketball style elimination
bracket. Losers from the first two rounds
dropped into a bracket of their own
called the “Open” bracket. In the 4 first
round games (seeds 9-16) B&B Drywall/
Easton used a grand slam by newcomer
and former ASPNation slugger Stuart
Snell to beat OI Livingston/Worth 23-22.
TG Brand jumped out to an 11 run lead
on Red’s Astros and never relented in a
23-15 win that could have been worse.
3rd Street/Louisville Slugger upset Team
Combat on the stadium field 26-19 in a
game where 3rd Street jumped out to
an 18-6 lead. And Taylormade powered
by big Stacy Mizelle home runs broke an
11-11 tie to beat a skeleton crew Classic
Glass team 25-18. Each of the 4 winners
advanced to the second round to play
the 5-8 seeds right away.
18 USSSA TODAY
The addition of the video scoreboard is a nice improvement for Osceola County Stadium. In this game action, 3rd
Street/Louisville Slugger upset Team Combat, 26-19.
#16 B&B Drywall took a lead in the top
of the 6th on #8 Line Drive Sportz but
Line Drive came back and won 17-16
holding off B&B in the top of the 7th
with their defense. #5 Backman/Shoppe
exploded on #13 TG Brand and used all
12 of their homers over on Field #2 and
won 20-12. #7 Buzini in the Stadium
jumped out to a 7-2 lead on #15 3rd
Street and trounced them 21-6. And #12
Taylormade advanced to the round of 8
again this year with a rather ugly 10-8
win over #6 Precision.
In the round of 8 the lucky winners took
on the top 4 seeds who earned two byes
with their strong play during the regular
season. #1 Resmondo trailed Line Drive
Sportz by 8 runs in the bottom of the
5th and scored 9 to take the lead and
the win 26-20. The higher seed in this
tournament was home team automatically and that really did affect many of
the outcomes. #4 Baugh Ford destroyed
a listless Backman/Shoppe team 22-7. #2
Laservision led Buzini 16-6 after 3 innings
and held on to win in a good one over
on the stadium field 25-14. And #3 Team
Albicocco beat Taylormade who was
playing their 3rd game in a row 19-18
on a Dirty Sanchez walk off homer after
Taylormade had made an incredible late
game comeback to take the lead!
In the final 4 Resmondo quickly run
ruled Baugh Ford 27-12 and Laservision
squeaked by a strong Team Albicocco
15-14 to advance to the Sunday morning
winners finals. In the loser’s bracket
Backman knocked off Line Drive 25-22,
Taylormade sent home Buzini 33-30,
and Baugh sent home Taylormade 26-19
with Backman and Baugh advancing to
Sunday.
On Sunday at 9 AM the winner’s bracket
final was played with #2 Laservision
taking an early 9-2 lead on #1 Resmondo
and keeping the lead the entire game
winning 18-15. Earlier at 7:30 AM Team
Albicocco in the loser’s bracket scored
5 runs in the first with the sun facing
the batter right in the face and beat
Backman 17-6. Then Team Albicocco sent
home Baugh Ford 14-4 in a game where
Baugh just didn’t seem to have their
usual fire. Then Team Albicocco moved
to the stadium to play the loser’s bracket
finals against Resmondo and carried
a 7 run lead (14-7) into the bottom of
20 USSSA TODAY
Above All Landscaping/GWS Conference Qualifier Champion. Note: Above All was unable to accept the Major
World Series berth and was handed down to a very appreciative Xtreme/Miken team.
2014 Co-MVP, Resmondo/Worth’s
Andy Purcell, blasting one of his
twelve homeruns for the weekend.
Resmondo/Worth’s leftfielder, Jeremy
Isenhower, makes a tremendous,
leaping grab robbing Easton’s Brett
Helmer of a homerun.
the 7th! Resmondo in true champions
fashion scored 8 runs with no one out
in the bottom of the 7th to win 15-14
on a Nick Santana walk off double down
the right field line set up by a single by
BJ Fulk. Resmondo would then have the
big innings the rest of the day as they
fought through the heat and humidity
and “double dipped” a Laservision team
that just couldn’t get the offense going.
Resmondo scored 13 runs in the 4th
inning of the first championship game
after being down 16-5. Bubba Mack hit
a 3 run homer in the bottom of the 6th
to make it 21-17, his 3rd homer of the
game and Resmondo won 22-17. In the
final game, where the winner would get
the 1st seed and home team advantage
for the upcoming Major World Series,
Laservision again jumped out to a lead
and a cramping and tired Resmondo
found a way, dug very deep, and pulled
out a 26-18 win with Laservision rolling
over in the bottom of the 7th and putting
up a zero, conceding a yearlong battle
between the two giants. Resmondo
pitcher and Conference Co-MVP Andy
Purcell led the way with a tournament
high 12 home runs and 25 RBI.
2014 Defensive Player of the Year,
Easton’s Luis Reyna, making a play
on a sliding Resmondo/Worth’s
Don DeDonatis III.
In the “Open” bracket Team Combat/
Softball.com squeaked out two wins
over TG Brand 10-2 and Classic Glass
20-19. Then on Sunday morning Precision
never showed up for the winner’s
final (dehydration) and Team Combat
awaited Reds Astros in the championship. Red’s knocked off B&B Drywall
and then advanced to the championship
with forfeit wins over Classic Glass (early
flights) and Precision and beat Combat
handily in the first championship game
30-16 before Combat returned the favor
and won the “Open” Championship
13-8 in the “if” game. Combats first
tournament win of the season.
Finally there was one more tournament. Over at Fortune Road there was a
Conference Qualifier where the winner
of the 10 team event gets a berth as the
#17 seed to the Major World Series. The
3 game guarantee bracket was hard
fought and in the end it was Above
All Landscaping/GWS from New Jersey
going undefeated 4-0 to win the berth
in the finals over Xtreme/Miken from
Minnesota 8-4. Above All pitcher Russ
Banasiak was the tournament MVP!
2014 Nationwide
Conference USSSA
Awards & Banquet
Photos by Kit Mohr
Recently-crowned A World Champions, Line Drive Sportz/R&M Metals/Easton, enjoying themselves at the banquet.
2014 Co-Homerun Champion, Resmondo/Worth’s
Bubba Mack, with 102 homeruns.
2014 John Gldewell Award Winner (left), Easton’s
Billy Messina. Presenting the award is Don DeDonatis
III (right), longtime Glidewell friend and teammate.
Assistant Executive Director (left), Danny Brown,
2014 C0-MVP, Resmondo/Worth’s Andy Purcell
(middle) and USSSA EVP, Kevin Naegele.
2014 Co-Homerun Champion, Resmondo/Worth’s Lee
Powers with 102 homeruns.
2014 Co-MVP, Easton’s Brian Wegman was, also, the
2014 Batting Champion with .826 average.
Team Combat’s Hecrtor Pagan- Statistician Award
22 USSSA TODAY
Steven Lloyd
Jeff Flood
Mike Umschied
Jimmy Salas
Don Dedonatis III
Chente Granados
Brad Reckart
Dennis Rulli
Kevin Kennington
Brandon Dillon
2014 Special Conference Awards
Billy Messina
John Glidewell Award
Paul (Hosscat) Johnston Award of Merit
John Rector
Manager of the Year
Lee Powers
Home Run Champion - 102
Bubba Mack
Home Run Champion - 102
Brian Wegman
Batting Average Champion - .826
Luis Reyna
Defensive Player of the Year
Lee Powers
Offensive Player of the Year
Andy Purcell
Most Valuable Player
Brian Wegman
Most Valuable Player
Hector Pagan
Statistician Award
2014 First Team All Conference
Andy Purcell
Pitcher
Travis Clark
Pitcher
Robert Blackburn
Catcher
BJ Fulk
Catcher
Brett Helmer
Catcher
Bryson Baker
Utility
Chris Larsen
Utility
Ryan Harvey
Utility
Chris Greinert
Utility
Kyle Moyer
Utility
Lee Payne
Utility
Terry Baggs
1st Base
Scott Kirby
1st Base
Bubba Mack
1st Base
Greg Connell
2nd Base
24 USSSA TODAY
Laservision
Backman
Resmondo
Resmondo
Resmondo
Laservision
Laservision
Resmondo
Resmondo
Laservision
Team Combat
Resmondo
Laservision
Backman
Resmondo
Laservision
Laservision
Baugh Ford
Albicocco
Team Combat
Albicocco
Albicocco
Albicocco
Laservision
Resmondo
Resmondo
2nd Base
2nd Base
3rd Base
3rd Base
Shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop
Middle Infield
Middle Infield
Outfield
Neil Haglund
Outfield
Ryan Parfitt
Outfield
Nick Santana
Outfield
Cory Large
Outfield
Jeremy Yates
Outfield
2014 Second Team All Conference
Andy Vitcak
Pitcher
Stacy Mizelle
Catcher
Orlando Castillo
Utility
Clifton Williamson
Utility
Kyle Pearson
Utility
Chris Geron
Utility
Jackie Corn
Utility
Sean McDonald
1st Base
Sal Formosa
1st Base
Travis Dale
2nd Base
Billy Maggard
2nd Base
Sam Lopez
3rd Base
Brian Lipman
3rd Base
Jeff McGavin
Shortstop
Chris Hansen
Shortstop
Steve Whaley
Middle Infield
Tyler Driskell
3rd Base
Colby Hughes
Outfield
Buddy Wolf
Outfield
Andrew Collins
Outfield
Manfred Budnarowski
Manager of the Year
2014 Third Team All Conference
Andrew Miller
1st Base
Matthew Rear
3rd Base
Keith Laski
Shortstop
Daniel Kirkwood
Outfield
Jamie Hancock
1st Base
Adam Tennyson
Outfield
Adam Kaminski
1st Base
Josh Masden
Infield
John Radich
Catcher
Donald Hollingsworth
Outfield
Tyson Steele
Pitcher
Filip Washington
Outfield
Chris Hoffer
Outfield
Nick Masur
Shortstop
Bobby Noeth
Pitcher
Brandon O’neal
Infield
Mickeal Brown
Infield
Wes Newell
Pitcher
William Wax
Manager of the Year
Laservision
Baugh Ford
Laservision
Resmondo
Resmondo
Albicocco
Baugh Ford
Resmondo
Backman
Laservision
Backman
Line Drive Sportz
Resmondo
Line Drive Sportz
Resmondo
Precision
Taylormade
Albicocco
Taylormade
Buzini
Precision
Taylormade
Baugh Ford
Line Drive Sportz
Red’s Astros
Buzini
Backman
Team Combat
Team Combat
Line Drive Sportz
Line Drive Sportz
OI Livingston
Buzini
Red’s Astros
Red’s Astros
Line Drive Sportz
Buzini
Precision
Precision
Precision
OI Livingston
OI Livingston
TG Brand
TG Brand
TG Brand
Classic Glass
Classic Glass
Classic Glass
3rd Street
3rd Street
3rd Street
B&B Drywall
B&B Drywall
B&B Drywall
Precision
Corny’s
Corner
Mike Cornell with Travis Resmondo
Mike Cornell
Worth Sports Boasts Top
Three Homerun Hitters
In 2014 Nationwide
Conference USSSA
Regular Season Play
Well softball fans it’s been quite an exciting summer. Softball’s
regular season is winding down, and the State and World tournaments are now cranking up. For me it’s been great to travel
the country and see a lot of Worth product on the field. I have
really enjoyed the many testimonies from male and female
players on how well our lineup of Legit and 454 Sick bats have
been performing. These hitters all agree that Worth has stayed
true to its mantra of “HOT OUT OF THE WRAPPER!”
The 2014 softball season has been crazy this year. All you have
to do is look at the Conference USSSA schedule and you would
know what I mean: our flagship team Resmondo/Specialty Tank
began the campaign a bit slow taking second place in their
first three events. It all changed once they arrived in Euless, TX.
Since then the “Sod Boy’s” reeled off six straight tournament
wins including the much coveted Smoky Mountain Classic; if
you want to talk about consistency, this was Resmondo’s sixth
straight SMC title. They were led by middle infielder Dennis
Rulli --the tournament MVP. Resmondo finished the regular
season number one in points, and are out to capture the
number one seed for the USSSA Men’s Major by winning the
Conference Championships Labor Day Weekend. I would like
to congratulate Bubba Mack, Lee Powers and Greg Connell:
these three Worth Advisory Staff members finished one, two
and three in home runs for the regular season. This is quite
an accomplishment for these three sluggers, and a great testimony to the performance of Worth bats! Resmondo’s Dennis
Rulli also had a great year at the plate in 2014. Rulli finished
third in Conference OBA with an impressive .783 average.
I would also like to take this opportunity to give a huge shout
out to all of our Worth Sponsored teams: Our ‘B’ class teams
have had very solid year led by OI Livingston/Scott’s/MWA/
Worth. They not only finished the year as the highest ranked
‘B’ class team in the Conference (at #9), but they also qualified for the USSSA Men’s Major World Series. The ‘B’ Worlds
should be very interesting as we will have five Worth teams
competing in this elite event, and if you have ever been down
to the ‘B’ Worlds you will find that anybody can win this event;
you can always count on at the B’s is upsets and surprises. It
should be a very interesting weekend in September down in
Kissimmee, FL. Good luck to all of our sponsored teams as they
head into the post season!
On the grassroots front the summer of 2014 has also been a
lot of fun. Aside from our many 454 Home Run Derby’s nationwide, we did two Worth Power Tour stops in the Hoosier state
Dennis Rulli Smoky MVP 2014
Bubba Mack....102 HRs
Lee Powers....102 HRs
Greg Connell....97 HRs
Resmondo Smoky Champs 2014.
and I have to say both were a blast. With events scheduled in
Bedford and Indianapolis Hallsy and I got a real taste of the
passion and love for the game this state possesses. We had two
great home run derby’s and got to see some monster shots hit
off the Worth sticks provided at these events. Whether it was
“Big” Adam Miller in Bedford, or Michael Oliver in Indy these
guys from the Hoosier state come to put on a show! Both were
winners of the Power Tour Home Run Derby and both of these
gents hit Worth softballs a long way!
Well folks that’s a wrap from the Worth side. I hope all of your
teams FINISH the year strong and enter the post season with
momentum. Be ready to play have some fun and bring some
hardware home! Until next time keep hitting it hard and I’ll
SEE YOU AT THE BALLYARD!
CORNY
USSSA TODAY 25
Easton Teams Dominate ‘A’ Worlds
Capturing Three of the Top Four Spots
By Dale Weiser
The 2014 USSSA ‘A’ World tournament was a closely contested
event by the top 9 teams from the beginning. The tournament
began on Friday night at the Fortune Road softball complex
and its long (310-325-325-325-310) fence distances. The rain
held off and all of the top seeded teams won in the first round
including #7 Red’s Astros/Louisville Slugger from Indiana
who out powered #9 seeded Sonny’s from Wyoming 25-18.
Immediately following that game Red’s Astros turned around
and played the #2 seeded Baugh Ford/Doerflinger/National
Pawn/Klutch/Easton from Alabama. The winner would go to
the final 4 of the winner’s bracket. Baugh Ford held a decent
lead for most of the game but couldn’t put Red’s away, and the
Red’s got a 3 run homer from Andrew Collins in the bottom of
the 7th and a walk off homer by right fielder Buddy Wolf to
26 USSSA TODAY
upset a shocked Baugh Ford team 27-25! In the other Friday
quarterfinal game #1 seeded Team Albicocco/The Scene/Easton/
Elite from New York broke an 11-11 tie with Combat/Blockers/
PTDesign/Bat Brigade from Washington midway through the
game and coasted to a 25-19 win.
On Saturday the Florida heat and humidity reached near 100
degrees and the scores and home run totals were very low. In
most of the games during the daytime the home run limit of 8
was not reached. At 10:30 AM the final two quarterfinal games
were played. #3 seeded Precision/Easton from Illinois used a
big grand slam homer from right fielder Frank Fracek to power
them to a 24-9 run rule victory over #6 Taylormade/TM Sports/
Diamond&Ice/Mizuno from Virginia. And in the other quarterfinal #4 seeded Buzini/BWW/Miken from Louisiana used a big
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3 run homer by veteran catcher Tim Bowser to tie the game in
the 6th inning with #5 seeded Line Drive Sportz/R&M Metals/
Easton from Michigan. But in the bottom of the 6th Line Drive
Sportz got a 2 run homer from 3rd baseman Joey Formosa and
a solo homer from extra hitter Keith Anderson to take a 3 run
lead and Line Drive held on to beat Buzini 26-25!
The final 4 of the winner’s bracket was delayed for over 4
hours by a rain storm. When the games resumed a light breeze
was blowing in on diamond #4 where Red’s Astros was taking
on Precision and blowing out slightly on diamond #2 where
Line Drive Sportz was playing Team Albicocco. In the Red’s
game the wind, big fields, and the heat and humidity coupled
with the nasty knuckleball of Precision’s pitcher Andy Vitcak
held a potent Red’s Astros offense to just 3 runs over 7 innings!
Precision won 8-3. In the other semi-final Line Drive jumped
out to an early lead, separated mid game, and held on to beat
Team Albicocco 18-12 for an upset win. So it was Line Drive
Sportz and Precision in the winner’s bracket championship at
9:30 PM on Saturday night. Precision used some great defense
by shortstop Keith Laski and third baseman Matt Rear to hold
down Line Drive and advance to the championship on Sunday
16-10.
On Sunday, Line Drive regrouped and defeated Red’s Astros
19-16 when Red’s left the bases loaded in the bottom of the
7th inning in the loser’s bracket final. Then in the championship Line Drive and Precision fought for almost 2 hours in
the first game, trading big hits and defensive stops until the
7th inning when “Championship” Joel Ramos hit a clutch rbi
single to center field to break a 19-19 tie and send Line Drive
to the championships “if” necessary game! In the final game
Line Drive found a second wind and used adrenaline to blast
some big homers on the bigger fields and jumped out to an
8-0 lead. Precision never matched Line Drive’s energy in the
final game and was unable to use their home run advantage
to get back into it and lost 21-14. Line Drive wins the prestigious tourney, “double dips” a Precision team who’s defense
and pitching were dominating teams all weekend, and end up
winning from the #5 seed. Line Drive won 4 of their games by
3 runs or less, and 5 of 6 wins were by 7 runs or less. Precision
won all 4 of their winner’s bracket games by 6 runs or less.
Congratulations to the sponsorship group, managers, and
entire team on a well-deserved championship!
Sponsor Tarz Lanzon - Linedrive Sportz
Sponsor Roger Tompkins - R&M Metals
Sponsor Easton - Brett Helmer
Sponsor Kenny Lowell
Sponsor James Troupe
Manager Fred Budnarowski
Manager Bill Reardon
Coach Donny Sikora
Staff Andrew Wojcik
by Ian Auzenne
2014 Men’s A World Champions- Line Drive Sportz/R&M Metals/Easton
Precision celebrates their 8-3 win over Reds
Precision Offensive MVP Chris Geron
Final ‘A’ World Standings:
1. Line Drive Sportz/R&M Metals/Easton- MI
2 . Precision/Easton- IL
3 . Red’s Astros/Louisville Slugger- IN
4 . Baugh Doerflinger Nat-Pawn/Easton- AL
28 USSSA TODAY
Line Drive’s centerfielder, Ryan Parfitt, was the MVP.
Avondale, La.--Nothing could stop Beau Briggs this weekend at
the Mizuno USSSA Junior National Championships.
Despite the heat, humidity, and two lightning delays during
the final round, Briggs outlasted the largest tournament field in
USSSA Junior Golf History by giving a performance that would
have made some professional golfers jealous.
The rising high school senior from Covington, La., shot 69 in
both of the first two rounds and a 71 in the final round, finishing
at -7 (209) to claim the Boys 15-18 championship during the
56-hole event at the Tournament Players Club of Louisiana. An
eagle midway through the final round allowed Briggs to become
the first player to shoot three under-par rounds at the national
championship tournament.
Steven Benoit, of Marrero, La., finished second in the 35-man
senior division by finishing at even par (216). Benoit recovered
from a first-round 74 by shooting 71 in each of the final two
rounds.
A disappointing second round disrupted Matthew Jakuback’s
chances of winning the championship. The Baton Rouge, La., resident shot a 75 in the middle round of the tournament. A strong
first and third round still pushed Jakuback into a third-place finish
at +3 (219).
Nicholas Arcement was also impressive this weekend. Despite
a brief hiccup in the third round of the tournament--he shot
+3--the Mathews, La., resident shot -1 in both of the first two
rounds en route to a victory in the Boys 12-14 division. Despite
brief hiccup in the third round, he still finished the tournament at
even par (216) to top the field of 16 in that bracket.
Caleb Davern recovered from a rough first two days to take
runner-up honors. The Grove City, Ohio, resident shot a 71 in the
final round to finish at +4 (220) on the tournament.
Charlie Flynn, who claimed a number of championships in
Louisiana during the season, was tied for the lead after the first
18 holes. However, he fell off the pace in the final two rounds
and finished in third place. Flynn, of Alexandria, La., finished at
+6 (222).
Louisiana golfers dominated the Boys’ 9-11 tournament.
Logan Batiste, of Slidell, La., didn’t allow an early one-stroke
deficit to keep him from taking home the championship. Batiste
shot 38 in each of the final two rounds en route to 27-hole total of
117, putting him atop the 10-man field.
A rough second round cost Canon Clark the championship.
The Lafayette, La, resident shot 42 in the second round en route to
a second-place score of 121,
Kale Fontenot, also of Lafayette, La., and Peyton Canter, St.
Amant, LA. finished in a third place tie, by shooting 127.
Two regulars on the Louisiana USSSA Junior Golf Tour took
home the titles in the older girls’ divisions. Brooke Duzan took top
honors in the Girls’ 15-18 division by shooting 239, while Brooke
Tyree shot 230 to claim the championship in the Girls’ 12-14 group.
Both girls hail from Sulphur, LA.
In the Girls’ 9-11 event, USSSA Tour veteran Emily McLatchey,
who has competed in all four of the USSSA National Championship
tournaments, claimed a six-stroke lead after the first round and
never looked back. The Winter Park, Florida., resident won her
Boys 15-18 (L-R) Beau Briggs, Covington, LA; Steven Benoit, Marrero, LA;
Matthew Jakuback, Baton Rouge, LA; Jacob Bergeron, Slidell, LA.
Girls 15-18. Brooke Duzan, Sulphur, LA
Girls 12-14. Brooke Tyree, Sulphur,
LA.
second consecutive national championship by shooting 126 in the
27-hole event. Cassidy Lambert, of Gretna, La., shot 133 to claim
runner-up honors. Alexis Gonzalez, Baton Rouge, LA., finished in
third place with a total of 149.
In addition to holding the tournament, USSSA honored
its graduating golfers and national points champions during a
Saturday-night banquet at the Tournament Players’ Club.
Louisiana swept the 2013-2014 national points championships.
State and regional champion Jamison Thomassee, of
Opelousas, La., claimed the points title in the Boys 15-18 Division.
Roberto Espinsosa, of Arnaudville, La., used consistent play
throughout the year to take home the Boys’ 12-14 points title.
Another consistent and steady player, Peyton Canter, of St. Amant,
La., took home top points honors in the Boys 9-11 Division.
On the girls’ side, Duzan and Tyree claimed the points championships in the Girls’ 15-18 and Girls’ 12-14 divisions, respectively.
They are joined in the points winners’ circle by fellow Louisiana
state champion, Cassidy Lambert. The Gretna, La., resident claimed
top honors in the Girls’ 9-11 Division.
The national points champions were awarded Adidas golf
bags.
Three golfers will be leaving the USSSA Junior Golf Tour for
collegiate and other advanced levels of competition. Thomassee,
Jakuback, and Logan McGee, of Raceland, La., were honored by
USSSA during the ceremony.
The USSSA Junior Golf Tour will kick off its 2014-2015 season
later this month with events across the country. For more information on USSSA tournaments in your area, contact Robert Boudreaux
at [email protected] or visit www.usssatoday.com.
USSSA TODAY 29
Never Say Die Attitude
Izzy believes in his team and his equipment
By Jeremy Isenhower
It’s hard to believe another season is coming
to an end. This has definitely been the
most unpredictable season I’ve been apart.
Going into the year, we had huge expectations, as usual, but things
started very slow for our group... Once we hit stride, we figured out
a way to pull out another conference regular season championship. In
my opinion, it came down to a clutch performance by our team at the
Smoky Mountain Classic. We lost the first championship game to a very
loaded Laser Vision team and down 7 runs going into the bottom of
the 7th in the IF game. Our first hitter led off the inning with an out
and things looked as if we may be in some real trouble. I was our 2nd
hitter of the inning and as I walked to the batters box, I looked at our
dugout and everyone had a that same look I have always seen out of
our team.. the never die attitude, the don’t make excuses and just get it
done mentality. That’s exactly what we did. With one out, we went on a
run and scored 8 straight runs to win the ball game. That has been our
season in a nut shell. We have had to battle our tails off to get it done..
I can honestly say I don’t know if we could have got it done without our
bat companies. My Miken Psycho and our teams Worth Legit are two of
the most reliable bats of all time. Every time I came to the plate, I knew
that if I did my job and put the proper swing on a ball that my bat would
never fail me. It’s one of the best performing bats I’ve ever swung. From
the first swing to the last swing, the ball jumped off the bat. There was
no field or condition that could hold me all year.. That’s one of the most
important keys at the upper level.
Izzy recognizes sponsor, Travis
Resmondo, and his Miken
equipment as keys to his success.
“Show me another World Championship”.....
Izzy celebrates with Billy Joe Fulk.
Going into Disney this year I don’t know how many more of these
trips I’ll have with some of the guys that have been so important to me
as a player and as a person.. We have won many battles together and
look to win one more for the most loyal and all around best sponsors
the game of softball has ever seen, Travis Resmondo... His loyalty and
commitment to his players make him a rare breed in the softball world.
I would like to thank Miken and Travis Resmondo for giving me
the privilege of playing another year at the top level. I would also like
to thank Don DeDonatis for providing us Conference USSSA. Without
people like this, there would be no upper level softball...
Good luck to everyone at their world tournaments and remember to
keep swinging that Psycho....
Izzy
Affiliation with Boys Club Championship
brings 1,200 New Players to USSSA Soccer
By Maggie Macdonald
With each passing season, the USSSA Soccer populace widens. New
initiatives and partnerships are what push the organization toward that
expansion, toward constant growth.
Most recently, USSSA has connected with Terry Foley, league director
and president of the Boys Club Championship (BCC). The BCC is a new
organization that will offer opportunities to non-US Soccer Development
clubs. The mission of the BCC is to revive the highest level of competition
both regionally and nationally for players within the program.
USSSA is now the official sanctioning body of the BCC. In its first
year, the new cooperative will bring 1,200 players for USSSA. Directors
of USSSA will assist Foley and the BCC with identification and programming of the championship.
A program like the BCC has been long overdue. Players who aren’t
on an A-club are likely to have an arduous time showcasing themselves
in front of college scouts. Because level-of-play is less intense, the vicious
cycle begins. Less competition translates into a decline in personal development of players and teams, and the cycle continues on from there.
For these reasons, USSSA is thrilled to be sanctioning the Boys Club
Championship, as it is in-line with the organization’s mission to develop
and expand the game of soccer in the United States.
The BCC was born when Foley and fellow colleagues got together
at a convention this past January. The group recognized the need for
a top-level program for boys to play consistently throughout the year.
30 USSSA TODAY
While there was a group on the girls side, there was nothing to show
for the boys.
The BCC will host over 20 recognized, big clubs across the nation.
Participant clubs come from the West Coast, South East, Mid-Atlantic
and Midwest regions. All through, the BCC will act as a platform for
these elite boys clubs, across all age brackets, to compete in meaningful and steady league-play. League play will grow into a National
Championship. Plans for teams within the BCC include competing in
two well known tournaments in the world of soccer, the Disney Cup
International and the Players Cup.
The BCC was not designed to take away from US Soccer or US Club;
only to administer a supplemental environment for players. “Our hope
is that we can provide a high level of competition that grows into something college coaches want to see,” says Foley. “As a club owner and
director, you want your kids to have the ability to play the game at the
highest level and create a level of competition that is superior, and I
think that’s what we are doing with the BCC,” he added.
Craig Scriven, USSSA’s National Director also looks forward to the
new partnership.
“I am pleased to be working with the BCC and having them within
USSSA. It allows us to give players the opportunity to enhance their
potential and play at a competitive national level,” stated Scriven.
Hot & Windy Conditions, Field of 31 Proves No
Match for Precision/Easton in Men’s B Worlds
By Dale Weiser
The 2014 USSSA ‘B’ World Series
played out as expected as the #1
seeded Precision/Easton based out
of Chicago, Illinois rolled through
the field of 31 teams almost
without breaking a sweat in the
85 degree heat and humidity.
the day. In the winner’s bracket
final Precision and Xtreme
exchanged 3 run homers early on
with Xtreme taking an early lead
on big homers by Dustin Palm,
Mike Rhines, and left fielder Matt
McGowan but Precision pulled
away in the 5th when they batted
around the order. Leadoff man
Matt Rear, 2 man and power hitter
Chris Geron, 3 hitter Keith Laski,
and 4 hitter Seth Burgmeier were
lacing line drives and home runs
all over the park. And whatever
they left on the bases seemed to
be cleared off by Denis Fisher. The
defense held steady even when
the air started to cool off and the
ball started to fly and Precision
won the game 29-19.
The tournament began on Friday
afternoon at 3 PM and the games
were hotly contested with very
few run rules and except for the
night games and a few games
where the wind was blowing
out, the scores were very low.
Some of the Friday games of note
were Pure Romance from Ohio
knocking off Sonny’s 11-4 in the
first round matchup between
two of the favored teams to win Precision/Easton celebrating their Men’s B World Championship.
the event. Pure Romance then
turned around and knocked off OC Swats from California
On Sunday morning Sonnys took on Pure Romance in the
24-14. H Auto from Minnesota smashed Vivid from Texas by
loser’s bracket semi-final. The two teams traded great defenthe run rule 30-10 with the wind blowing out on field #1. A
sive plays in a low scoring start. Sonny’s right fielder Alexis
highly talented ‘C’ team from Georgia called New Era knocked
Ramirez made a nice diving catch in the 2nd inning. Pure
off one of the favorites 3rd Street from Ohio 16-14 and then
Romance 2nd baseman Steve Edwards returned the favor by
turned around and knocked off H. Auto 14-13. In both games
making a nice diving stop in the 3rd. And Pure Romance led
the New Era team led most of the way. Highly seeded TG Brand
7-6 after 5 complete innings. But in the top of the 7th Sonnys
out of Michigan was impressive in wins over a local C team
Alexis Ramirez, Kevin Ballard, and Dan Bean hit big homers
and then beating New Breed 33-15 to advance to the final
in a 15 run 6th inning where Sonnys scored 13 runs before
8. Non-Conference ‘B’ team T’s 13 from Nebraska beat B&B
the first out to take a 21-7 lead. Pure Romance third baseman
Drywall from Missouri 8-7 and Broughton from Georgia 27-24
Jason Ferguson sparked a comeback in the bottom of the 6th
with great defense and timely hitting. On Saturday morning
to cut the lead to 21-14 but Sonnys Ramirez made a nice sliding
P&P 333 from Michigan shocked Classic Glass to advance to the
catch to end the inning. Sonny’s would add a 4 runs in the top
final 8, Above All Landscape continued to play well in beating
of the 7th to advance 25-15.
a roster depleted B&B Diamond & Ice team, and Xtreme upset
Sonny’s then took on Xtreme/Miken in the loser’s bracket
#2 seeded OI Livingston 19-8 to advance to the final 8.
championship. Xtreme jumped on Sonny’s early and often with
The final 8 was played out on Saturday afternoon with the
temperature rising and runs hard to come by. Precision
squeaked by Pure Romance 16-14 for what would be their
only close game. TG Brand held on in an ugly win over upstart
New Era 15-14. T’s 13 held off P&P 333 21-18, and Xtreme/
Miken continued to play well with a big win over Above All
Landscape 15-9.
That set up the final 4 which USSSA had livestreaming on
ESPN3.com! At 5 PM the favored #1 seeded Precision/Easton
came out with a 12 spot in the first inning on TG Brand and
used their pitching and defense the rest of the way to win
14-6. And in the other semi-final Xtreme/Miken completely
shut down T’s 13/Demarini 10-3. Xtreme center fielder Dan
Skelly made a couple of incredible diving catches which were
sent to ESPN to see if they would make the Top 10 plays of
32 USSSA TODAY
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So is one sports destination.
Discover a playing field that extends
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homers by Mike Rhines, Chris Bauer, and Alex Bremer. They
mixed in some great hockey goalie type defense from pitcher
Aaron Lewicki, and some more diving catches by center fielder
Dan Skelly. Sonny’s tried to hang tough but Xtreme finished
them with more home runs from Kyle Decker, Dustin Palm, and
Mike Rhines 25-8.
In the championship game a fresh and confident Precision
team dominated Xtreme/Miken from start to finish and the
game was over as quickly as it began with Precision winning
17-2 by the run rule in 5 innings.
Final Standings:
1)Precision/Easton (IL)
2)Xtreme/Miken (MN)
3)Sonny’s (WY)
4)Pure Romance/Chics/Headlines/Easton (OH)
Learn about Kissimmee’s sports facilities at KissimmeeSports.com or
contact the Sports Department at Experience Kissimmee at 800-831-1844 or
email [email protected]
Discover Kissimmee and experience more fun!
96 Teams Converge On Osceola County, Fl For A
Shot at the USSSA Men’s C World Tournament
By Maggie Macdonald
Deluxe Bakery- Runnemede, NJ - 2014 USSSA Men’s C World Champions
ASPNation/JOCO/reset/Easton- Dallas/Fort Worth, TX - 2014 USSSA Men’s C
Worlds- Second Place
Crossfit/RDU- Raleigh, NC - 2014 USSSA Men’s C Worlds- Third Place
Craig’s Bullshippers- Chambersburg, PA - 2014 USSSA Men’s C Worlds- Fourth
Place
There was rain this year at the Men’s C World Tournament
at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and surrounding
Osceola County, FL. complexes,but that would not prevent 96
teams across North America from contending for a championship title.
a tight, back-and-forth nail biter. “Neither team could get
ahead offensively,” Givens explains. “We scored four runs in
the fifth which put us up, and two in the sixth.” A double play
for Deluxe Bakery ended the game at 11-9 and earned them
the tournament.
By the end of the weekend, Deluxe Bakery from Runnemede,
N.J., took the trophy with a two-run victory over ASPNation/
Joco/Reset/Easton. Deluxe Bakery Manager, Tom Givens has
been involved in slow pitch softball for over 15 years now,
and was impressed with the caliber of teams this year in which
nearly every state was represented.
Givens attributes his team’s success to long-term team sponsor
Sammy Racobaldo, and the individual commitment each player
brings forth.
The final matchup between Deluxe Bakery and ASPNation/
Joco/Reset/Easton reflected the tone of the entire weekend:
34 USSSA TODAY
Deluxe pitcher Tim Bouch was awarded Tournament MVP.
Bouch, was able to hold teams down defensively with his ability
to throw a shifty knuckleball. Thomas Paturzo of Deluxe was
Offensive Tournament MVP and Curtis Cornett of ASPNation/
Joco/Reset/Easton won Defensive Tournament MVP.
alwharf.com
Men’s Class D World
Tournament Draws 160 Teams
by Maggie Macdonald
KBI- Joliet, IL - 2014 Men’s D World Champion
Team Gillette/Coach’s Corner- Savannah, GA - 2014 Men’s Class D World- 2nd Place
HAS THE
PERFECT ROOM
D. Rumors/VTees- West Texas, TX; 2014 Men’s Class D World- Third Place
Midwest Thunder- Topeka, KS; 2014 Men’s Class D World- Fourth Place
The Men’s Class D Tournament was a showcase of wide-range
talent, hosting 160 teams this year.
The final matchup was a close one, a game in which every
inch mattered and every play made a difference. According to
Shaff, the championship followed the same pattern of all of
KBI’s games; not a lot of offense but a lot of defense. At the
bottom of the 6th, KBI scored 8 runs, the most runs the team
had scored in any game all weekend. “We just exploded from
there,” said Shaff. KBI was able to hold Gillette/Coach’s Corner
off for the remainder of the game.
With impeccable fields, timely games and tight competition,
the weekend at the ESPN Wide World of Sports was a success.
On Sunday, KBI from Joliet, Ill., became champions. In the final
tournament game, KBI edged Team Gillette/Coach’s Corner
from Savannah, Ga., 9-5 for the win.
KBI Team Member, Dave Shaff explained that KBI went through
major renovation before heading out to Florida. “We had lost
nine starters from last year, so we made the conscious decision
to go with a young, athletic and defense-minded team hoping
we would hit just enough to win some games, Shaff said, “As
the year went on, the team gelled, culminating in a win over
the weekend.”
36 USSSA TODAY
Jose Garcia was awarded Tournament MPV. Shaff expressed a
great deal of respect for teammate and MVP, Garcia. “The way
he pitched this weekend kept us in every game. If it wasn’t
for him, we wouldn’t have won this weekend, and to do that
with his son Julian Garcia in attendance.” John Fairbairn from
KBI earned Offensive Tournament MVP, and John Adams from
Team Gillette/Coach’s Corner was the tournament Defensive
MVP.
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Dirty Thirty Victorious At Men’s E Worlds
North In Sterling Heights, MI
Liberty Park
By Leo Carnes
Friday night started the E worlds North
a little chilly but dry, calm conditions.
There were 4 rounds of competitive battles. With only one team not
showing, 57 teams were looking to be
the “one team, one dream” champion!
Come Saturday morning that dream
would have to be put on hold.
With an all-night rain and cold weather
the tournament was put on a 2 hour
delay but, Liberty Parks Staff, maintenance and security all jumped to high
gear to get 11 diamonds up and running
for the tournament to continue. At 11
am the first round of games were in full
swing! Liberty Park 1 Mother Nature 0.
With cool conditions and clouds, the day
long fierce battles and superior defense
the day ended with a 12 inning game
at 1 am!
With 4 teams coming back on Sunday
to finish their quest DIRTY THIRTY from
Ohio was in the driver’s seat undefeated
with 3 strong teams looking to avenge
their loss on Saturday!
Warmer conditions and sunshine Sunday
brought on the finals, first up was TNT
SOFTBALL CLUB vs DDJ/EAGLES 2070/
ELKS 509 SOFTBALL . A 9-5 victory for
TNT SOFTBALL CLUB resulted in them
facing the next tough opponent in
SUPERFRIENDS/ELITE/MUSHTUBE. Once
again with a 7-5 victory TNT SOFTBALL
CLUB was in the finals looking to battle
DIRTY THIRTY for the prize.
TNT SOFTBALL CLUB came out straight
smashing and took game one with a
11-1 mercy. The if game was a different
story with both teams struggling to
score runs! In the 5th inning it was a 2-2
tie. Then in the 6th inning DIRTY THIRTY
scrapped for 1 more run and that is all
they needed to become the 2014 E
World Series winner! Congratulations
DIRTY THIRTY you earned it!
Dirty Thirty- Brunswick, OH
Men’s E Worlds North- Champions
TNT Softball Club- Fostonia, OH
Men’s E Worlds North- Second Place
Big League Dreams - Las Vegas
Hosts USSSA Men’s E Worlds West
Photo by Tom Pfundstein
1
Sacramento, CA
Anarchy
2
Phoenix, AZ
AZ Rapid/MyLawyersAZ
3
Las Vegas, NV
Next Generation
4
Phoenix, AZ
Rosita’s Place Rivals
5
Pittsburgh, CA
Baliztix/TR Trucking
5
Greeley, CO
Chaos
2014 Men’s Class E West Champions- Anarchy
(team in white) and second place, AZ Rapid/
MyLawyersAZ (team in blue).
38 USSSA TODAY
VIRGINIA BEACH CONVENTION CENTER
Virginia Beach
is A
Superior
Sports Destination
With a combination of state-of-the-art facilities
and topnotch service, every team is a winner
in Virginia Beach! Our locale is popular with
sports enthusiasts of all types, showcasing
venues and amenities that rival most metropolitan areas. With sports facilities appealing
to participants and teams of all levels, Virginia
Beach is the ideal place for every athlete to
compete like a champion, and a top destination
for regional and national sporting events.
The Princess Anne Athletic Complex offers
eight lighted tournament-quality softball fields
and seven multi-purpose playing fields, two
of which are lighted. Located in the heart of
Princess Anne Commons, home to six sports
venues and the area’s premiere live music
amphitheater, the Princess Anne Athletic
Complex features two full-service concession
stands which are open during league play and
tournaments. Youth and adult softball leagues
play on the eight ball fields while the seven
multi-purpose fields are used for additional
sports such as soccer and football.
Another premier facility is the Virginia Beach
Field House, an indoor sports facility with over
175,000 square feet. The Field House offers
sports spaces for arena (indoor) baseball
and softball along with soccer, flag football,
volleyball, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse,
dodgeball and other social sports. The indoor
sports complex features eight regulation
volleyball courts, four basketball courts, six
turf fields, multiple party rooms, an arcade
and an indoor Fun Zone. A food court that
NHSCA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
is well-stocked for hungry athletes and full
locker rooms with day lockers and showers
are available. For entertainment, there are
more than 40 flat screen TV’s throughout the
building, along with four 110” giant screen
TV’s in the lounge.
VIRGINIA BEACH SPORTSPLEX, USA FIELD HOCKEY
REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER AND PRINCESS ANNE
ATHLETIC COMPLEX
For more outdoor sporting excitement, the
Virginia Beach Sportsplex can accommodate
multiple field sporting events. This multi-sport
/multi-use facility boasts a newly redesigned
turf field making it perfect for year-round
leagues and programs of all sizes. In addition
to bleacher and berm seating for 6,000
spectators, fans also enjoy a picnic area, four
concession stands and six luxury suites. The
stadium features ample parking, a press level,
two fully equipped locker rooms with separate
trainers’ rooms and television production-level
lighting, allowing events to be broadcasted.
The first LEED® Gold–Certified Convention
Center in the country, the Virginia Beach
Convention Center captures the true essence
of this coastal destination. The state-of-the-art
facility combines innovative design with
sustainable features and amenities, and boasts
more than 500,000 square feet of space,
offering unique configurations for athletes of
every game, including a 150,000 square foot
column-free exhibit hall. The Convention
Center regularly plays host to the National
High School Coaches Association (NHSCA)
High School Wrestling Championships.
Unique to our destination is the Virginia Beach
oceanfront, allowing athletes to bask in the
sun and feel the sand between their toes as
they battle it out. With 13 miles of public
access beach and its famed 3-mile paved
boardwalk, the oceanfront is the perfect place
for beach volleyball, sand soccer or hanging
10 as competitors ride the waves to shore.
Sporting events held here annually include the
North American Sand Soccer Championships,
the East Coast Surfing Championships, the
Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon finish line,
the Sandman Triathlon and the Shamrock
Marathon, Half Marathon and 8K.
With first-class facilities and the dedicated
Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau
Sports Marketing staff, unheralded effort
and larger-than-life performances are the
expectation in our coastal city. Virginia Beach
is the ideal location for truly unforgettable
competitive experiences!
208 Teams Answer the Bell at the USSSA
Men’s E East World Tournament
By Maggie MacDonald
The USSSA Men’s E East World tournament at the ESPN
Wide World of Sports and surrounding Osceola County sports
complexes came to an impressive end this weekend, with
a victory for Southland of Canton, Ga. Despite the rain, 208
teams brought it all to the field in a wide-display of great
athleticism and spirit.
In Sunday’s final, Southland topped Ball Game from Winter
Haven, Fla., in a game that ended 5-1 in favor of the team from
Georgia. Earlier that weekend, Ball Game defeated Southland
10-7.
Before the final, Southland Manager Rusty Roberts told
his team that this was the moment they have been working
towards all year. As a manager, he and his team are motivated
by success. “I like to win. We’ve had a good run as a team for
the past four years. We walk on the field and expect to win.
We don’t always win, but we expect to.”
Holding on to that expectation of winning undoubtedly
pushed them over the top through several close games, where
last-inning hits made the difference.
This was Southland’s first year in the tournament, but
Roberts has plenty experience in the realm of slowpitch softball. For Roberts, winning the Men’s E East Championship
42 USSSA TODAY
Southland- Canton, GA 2014 USSSA Men’s E East World Champions
will be one of his favorite memories. “I’ve been coaching and
playing softball for 20 years, and this was the granddaddy of
them all. It’s kind of hard to fathom,” said Roberts.
Brady Vaughn of Southland came through as Tournament
MVP. Vaughn, a consistent player year-round stepped it up for
his team both offensively and defensively during Worlds. Josh
Jaco of Southland was awarded Offensive MVP and Danny
Ousley of Ball Game won Defensive Tournament MVP.
Third Time is the Charm for the MN Northstars
at the USSSA Women’s Class B Worlds
by Maggie MacDonald
Tournament Directors/Photographers- Gary Godden, John Magistris
A Women’s Class B championship title was long-over due
for this year’s victors, the Minnesota North Stars. The team,
managed by Jennifer McGuinness, fell two years in a row
during the final game of the tournament.
This season, the MN Northstars came out on top, besting
Washington Worth 15-7. Over the course of the weekend, the
MN Northstars [5-1], scored 78 runs. Washington Worth [5-2]
scored 64 runs.
According to McGuinness, this year’s tournament was more
competitive than ever when it was decided to combine A/B
teams. “We’ve wanted that scenario for the last several years,”
she continued, “The WS is a special weekend, you’re competing
against the best players and teams so timing and a bit of luck
are part of it all. We had all of the pieces in place, it was inevitable that we would do well.”
‘No excuses, find a way to win’ was the team motto of the MN
Northstars. Coming into the final matchup, the MN Northstars
set out to replicate a hot performance on Saturday, and, as
McGuinness stated, reminded themselves that there are ‘No
Excuses’.
MN North Stars- St. Paul, MN 2014 USSSA Women’s Class B World Champions
Patricia Becker was the recipient of the Tournament MVP
award. “Patty is simply ESPN Top 10, she is that player you
go to the ballpark to watch,” said McGuinness. Shannon
Higginbotham from MN Northstars was awarded Offensive
Tournament MVP, and Carri Phelps from Washington Worth
won Defensive Tournament MVP.
California Prevails Over Florida
in the Women’s Class C Worlds
By Maggie MacDonald
Tournament Directors/Photographers- Gary Godden and John Magistris
A team new to the world of slow-pitch softball became World
Class C tournament champions their first year of competing.
The Stank Face Killahz (SFK) came to ESPN Wide World of
Sports Complex from Ponoma Calif., were formed last year by
Laura Alikhan and Kelly Park. The pair played at World’s last
year, and decided after that they would create a team of their
own. SFK began their season as a class D team, but was soon
bumped to a division C.
SFK [6-1] outplayed BSM Women’s [7-2] in Sunday’s final,
earning a 10-1 victory. According to SFK manager Hector
Alikhan, the focus of the team was to trust one another and to
have a good time. “Here, in Florida the philosophy remained
the same even though the stakes were higher,” he said. “There
were strong teams out in this tournament, big hitting teams.”
Alikhan attributed SFK’s success to the team. “The strength
of the team is each individual member. The strength of each
member is the team,” he expressed, “It was a pleasure coaching
these Stank Face Killahz.”
44 USSSA TODAY
SFK- Pomona, CA 2014 USSSA Women’s Class C World Champions
SFK pitcher Brittney Guzman won the MVP selection for the
tournament. “She reminds me of the ‘wild horse’ Yasiel Puig,
and it ignites the team. However, she does run like Bengie
Molina,” Alikhan said. Kelly Park from SFK was awarded
Defensive Tournament MVP and Jessica Scala of BSM Women’s
won Offensive Tournament MVP.
Ohio Heating Capture Women’s D Worlds
by Maggie MacDonald
Ohio Heating from the city of
Columbus, Ohio became the 2014
Women’s D World Tournament champions after a hard-fought weekend at the
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Ohio
Heating maintained a record of 9-1 over
the weekend, scoring 95 runs and allowing
49. Tournament runner-up, Centerfield
from Rock Hill, S.C., went 6-2, scoring 84
runs and allowing 37.
Sunday’s final proved to be a clash
of two topnotch teams. Ohio Heating
jumped ahead of Centerfield early in the
game, scoring 7 runs. “We had five games
and won four of those by coming back
from behind,” explained Ohio Heating
Manager Toby Marvin, “After we went up
early, we knew that all we had to do was
keep playing our game.” Ohio Heating
held Centerfield to 5 runs, and won the
match 8-5.
Marvin attributes a great deal of
Ohio Heating’s success to defense. Over
the course of the tournament, the team
46 USSSA TODAY
allowed an average of just four runs per
game. Another determinant of the team’s
achievement is the chemistry they share.
“We have 15 girls and everyone had a role,
whether they came in to run, as a backup
pitcher or extra outfielder. Everyone
accepted the role they had and flourished
with it,” said Marvin.
In a final quote, Marvin explains with
gratitude the significance of the championship team. “I’ve been coaching for over
20 years, and this is, hands down the best
thing I’ve ever been apart of.”
Marilyn Clifford of Ohio Heating was
presented with the Tournament MVP
award. Clifford is a talented, consistent, and long-term pitcher. This past
year, Clifford was inducted into the slow
pitch hall of fame in Columbus, Ohio.
Erica Remshard from Ohio Heating won
Offensive Tournament MVP and Crystal
Martin from Centerfield was awarded
Defensive Tournament MVP.
Ohio Heating- Columbus, OH
2014 Women’s Class D World Champions
Centerfield- Rock Hill, SC
2014 Women’s Class D Worlds- Second Place
Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball
Team Hosts Kids Camp for Children
with Amputations, Missing Limbs
By Rick Redman
WWAST Kids Camp kids visit Louisville Slugger
WWAST Kids Camp participants after their big game at Louisville Slugger Field
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) Before deploying to Afghanistan, former US
Marine Josh Wege played softball six nights a week. But when
a roadside bomb took both of his legs in 2009, he wondered
if he’d ever walk, let alone play softball again. Thanks to the
miracle of 21st century prosthetics, the Wounded Warrior
Amputee Softball Team recruited Wege and changed his life.
48 USSSA TODAY
11 year old Cooper Blair of Glen Dale, WV warms up for the Wounded Warrior
Amputee Softball Team Kids Camp game at Louisville Slugger Field in Louisville, KY.
This summer Wege and his WWAST
teammates did the same for children
with prosthetics. They taught 20 kids
to play softball in the 2nd WWAST Kids
Camp and served as examples that,
regardless of their physical limitations,
they can do anything they set their mind
to.
better group to inspire than these kids
who face some of the same challenges
as our players. Some were injured, some
were born without limbs. Others had
amputations because of illnesses. These
kids and their families have so much in
common from the challenges they have
faced. It’s heartwarming to witness
them realize they are not alone.”
“Our motto is ‘Life without a limb is
limitless,’” said WWAST founder and
general manager David Van Sleet. “Our
players want to be an example to kids
with missing limbs, to help them build
confidence and learn that they are
capable of great things.”
11 year old Sydney Howard of Tehachapi, CA waits to catch the ball in her prosthetic outfitted with a lacrosse head
during the WWAST Kids Camp game at Louisville Slugger Field in Louisville, KY.
9 year old Jen Castro of Fairfield, CT has one arm just like Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team outfielder
Greg Reynolds. They challenged each other to a push-up contest at the WWAST’s Kids Camp at Louisville Slugger
Field in Louisville, KY.
The kids came from twelve states and
took part in hitting, throwing, fielding,
and base running drills over a week in
June. Their coaches lead by example
since they were Afghanistan and Iraq
wounded soldiers and veterans (we still
have active duty players) who’ve had
to creatively adapt in order to continue
playing softball. Campers learned from
seasoned WWAST players like Greg
Reynolds, a left-arm amputee who has
learned how to one-handedly catch
a pop-fly, toss off his glove and throw
the ball home in one fluid motion. They
watched Wege, a double-amputee,
chase down grounders on two prosthetic legs.
While there were challenges for the
kids on day one of the camp, each
child improved their softball skills every
day. By the end of the week they were
hitting, fielding and throwing with
ease. Two of the children with missing
arms caught the ball with lacrosse heads
attached to a prosthesis.
“This is fun,” said 12-year old Marley
Sheridan of North Mankato, Minnesota
who was born without a femur. “Getting
selected to come to this camp and play
ball, I feel like my life is turning around.”
9 year old Jace Etheridge of Florence, AL has no
arms but doesn’t let that keep him from batting in
the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team Kids
Camp game at Louisville Slugger Field.
8 year old Noble Tousha III of Nokesville, VA takes
a swing during the WWAST Kids camp game at
Louisville Slugger Field in Louisville, KY.
The kids not only learned softball skills
from the WWAST, sponsored by USSSA,
Louisville Slugger and others, they also
built confidence and bonded with each
other, making friendships that could last
a lifetime.
“It brings joy to my heart to see other
kids do what I do,” 12-year old Jordan
Halterbeck from Chico, California told
the Louisville Courier-Journal. He was
born with just part of his right leg. “It’s
nice to know more kids have kind of
been through the same thing.”
50 USSSA TODAY
12 year old Brayan Solano of Miami, FL takes a swing
during the WWAST Kids camp game in Louisville
Slugger Field in Louisville, KY.
“It just seemed like a natural fit to further
our WWAST mission of educating and
inspiring the public,” said Rodio. “What
“We’ve watched the WWAST inspire
people all across the country and we
were there to provide equipment and
support for the first kids’ camp last
summer in Florida,” said Louisville
Slugger Slow Pitch Softball Business
Manager Dennis Turner. “It made sense
to bring the camp to Louisville where
we have the staff, facilities, and connections to help the WWAST create a first
class camp experience for the kids.
That included our world class Louisville
Slugger Museum & Factory tour and
other great attractions in Louisville like
a horse barn tour at Churchill Downs,
and visits to Kentucky Kingdom amusement park, the Kentucky Derby Museum
and the Muhammad Ali Center.”
The kids also got to watch the WWAST
split a double-header against two ablebodied teams at Lyndon Elks Field in
Louisville, including a team of Louisville
Slugger employees.
The WWAST Kids Camp idea came
from Susan Rodio, a longtime WWAST
volunteer. Rodio noticed what a positive influence the team had on young
amputees as they traveled the country
and decided to take it a step further.
The WWAST covered expenses for the
20 campers and one parent each.
Kristopher Negron of the Louisville Bats, AAA affiliate
of the Cincinnati Reds, high fives the kids after their
game at Louisville Slugger Field
The camp was held at Lyndon Recreation
Association in Louisville, Kentucky
where WWAST sponsor Louisville
Slugger provided support .
12 year of Makhi Sumstead of Onamia, MN learned to
hit backhanded with his right arm during the WWAST
Kids camp. He shows off is newfound power during a
game at Louisville Slugger Field in Louisville, KY.
11 year old Marley Sheridan of North Mankato, MN
heads to first after a base hit during the WWAST Kids
Camp game at Louisville Slugger Field in Louisville,
KY.
“Amazing,” said 9-year old Jace
Etheridge. “We knew our coaches were
pretty good, but we had no idea how
good. Watching them made us realize
we can play as hard as they do.”
The kids would get their chance to prove
USSSA TODAY 51
Meet Backman/Shoppe/
Louisville Slugger’s Outfielder,
Neil Haglund
By Dennis Turner
DT: Neil, tell us a little history
of yourself; where did you grow
up and what were your hobbies
growing up.
NH: I was born and raised on Long
Island, New York. Growing I loved baseball, and most days I would either be
playing baseball or some sort of baseball related activity.
DT: Who were your sports heroes
when growing up?
NH: I’m a diehard Mets fan. My favorite
player was always Mike Piazza, the best
hitting catcher of all time. I was also a
big fan of Barry Bonds; his dominance
of the sport for a couple years was
great to watch.
DT: How did you get involved with
slow-pitch softball?
NH: I started playing with my dad and
brother in a church league when I was
15. I started playing tournaments at the
D level in 2008.
DT: Who has had the greatest
influence on you in life and in
sports?
8 year old Steven Kazemekas of Thomasville, GA runs to first after
hitting the ball during the WWAST Kids Camp game in Louisville
Slugger Field, in Louisville, KY.
how hard they could play. The week long
camp culminated with a big game in a
big stadium. The 20 kids were split into
teams of ten and faced off in Louisville
Slugger Field, home of the Louisville Bats,
the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati
Reds. Tears flowed down parents’ faces
as they watched their children do things
they doubted they’d ever see.
“It’s remarkable,” said J.J. Sheridan,
Marley’s dad. “I’ve watched her confidence grow this week. It’s a turning
point. We’ll always be grateful to the
Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball
Team.”
52 USSSA TODAY
Jordan Halterbeck of Chico, CA is encouraged by Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team and
Afghanistan War veteran Matt Kinsey during the Kids Camp game last week at Louisville Slugger
Field, in Louisville, KY. Both have right leg prosthetics.
The WWAST is gratified knowing they’re
making an impact.
“Suffering a life-altering injury is traumatic and scary, there’s no doubt about
that,” said Van Sleet. “But it’s our
mission to show people that life-altering
doesn’t have to mean life-ending. It’s
still possible to follow your passions
after an injury. You just have to take a
different approach. And that’s what our
guys are here to teach these kids.”
About WWAST:
The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball
Team (WWAST) is a charitable organiza-
tion whose mission is to raise awareness,
educate and inspire the public about
the strength and resiliency of America’s
wounded warriors. The team was
created in March, 2011 and is comprised
of veteran and active-duty military that
lost limbs while serving in the military.
WWAST travels the country playing
able-bodied softball teams and is sponsored by Louisville Slugger, Majestic,
Ossur, NewEra and United States
Specialty Sports Association along with
other major corporations. You can find
more information about WWAST and its
Kids Camp at www.thewwast.org.
NH: I would have to say my father. I
used to love going to the fields as a kid
and watching him play. Mark Weber
was also very influential; my first 5
years of playing tournaments were
for teams that he ran and sponsored.
Also a couple friends Kris Issakson,
Dave Norval, Danny Fitton, Adam
Belding and Danny Settoducato who
are always there to take BP whenever I
can. They’ve all probably thrown me a
couple thousand pitches.
DT: What are your goals in life and
sport?
NH: The main goal is to win the USSSA
Major World Series. Also continue to
play hard and be a good teammate
and represent Louisville Slugger with
respect on and off the field.
DT: What is your greatest
accomplishment? (Either on or off
the field)
DT: Do you consider yourself
to be someone who is a good
ambassador for the sport?
NH: I have a couple all tournaments
and offensive MVP’s in some big tournaments but the team accomplishments
are more memorable. My proudest
team accomplishment probably
was winning the USSSA Conference
Championship with Suncoast in 2012.
NH: I would like to think so. I try to
treat every opponent and umpire with
respect and think that I’m a good teammate.
DT: What is your greatest
challenge?
NH: The greatest challenge is trying
to put the work in to be on the top
of your game during the work and
manage working a full time job on
top of it. Sometimes you don’t want to
go to the field and take batting and
fielding practice after working all day,
but there are so many good players
out there now that it’s something you
consistently have to do.
DT: What do you think of the
Louisville Slugger slow-pitch
product that is starting to leave its
mark on the game?
NH: Louisville Slugger is doing a great
job of leaving its mark on the game.
This is my second year being with
Louisville Slugger and I have nothing
but the highest praises for all their
products. The bats are as good as any
in the game and the fielding gloves are
top notch as well. With Dennis Turner
running the Louisville Slugger Softball
department and the new products
coming out the sky is the limit.
DT: How much time do you spend
training (daily, weekly)?
NH: During the season I’ll usually take
BP 2 times a week and play league
twice as well and try to mix in the gym
once or twice.
USSSA TODAY 53
USSSA Baseball –
The Road to the Show
by Jim Swint
USSSA Assistant Executive Director
If USSSA Baseball had been
during the late 70’s and early
80’s what it is today chances
are good that recently
inducted MLB Hall of Famers
Frank Thomas from Georgia
and Greg Maddux from Nevada
would have grown up playing
USSSA Baseball. It is therefore
with some degree of confidence to believe that sometime
between 2030 and 2040 the Hall
of Fame will have its first former
USSSA player inducted.
It could be someone like four time
MLB All Star David Price, two time
MLB All Star Paul Goldschmidt, or
21 year old two time MLB All Star
Bryce Harper, all established players
whose baseball roots trace back to
playing a part of their youth in the
USSSA program. It could also very
well be someone who debuted in
2010 – 2014 and is just now emerging as
a future super star.
The beginning of USSSA Baseball and its
tie to making it to the Major Leagues
began in 1996 when the USSSA Board
of Directors approved baseball as a pilot
program at the national convention
in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Going
outside the box from all other established organizations, single age groups
and multiple divisions of play based
on team strength were introduced. In
the summer of 1997, USSSA Baseball
was up and running and USSSA World
Series tournaments were held with the
10 and under and 11 and under Major
and AAA in Missouri, the 12 and under
Major and AAA in Kansas, and the 13
and under Major and AAA in Michigan.
Tournaments for 14 and under, 15 and
under, 16 and under and 18 and under
were also scheduled with minimal
success and some cancellations. No tour54 USSSA TODAY
YOUR ADVANTAGE
IS IN OUR DNA
nament bracket had more than 13-14
entries and if any players in those inaugural World Series tournaments ever
made it to the Major Leagues it is not
known.
By 1999, the 3rd year of USSSA World
Series play, the program had grown
enough that quality travel ball teams
were beginning to participate in
USSSA World Series events in Florida,
Texas, Missouri, Michigan, Louisiana,
Oklahoma and Kansas. By that time,
future Major League players that had
been born in 1981 or after could be
playing as 17-18 year olds, getting their
first experience with USSSA Baseball at
the tail end of their youth careers.
Beginning in the early 2000’s, players
that had USSSA experience were getting
drafted out of high school and college.
It was then that those with enough
talent were beginning to work their
way through the Minor League system
hoping for a call up to a Major League
team. For USSSA, the landmark event
happened during the 2005 season when
Joey Devine from Topeka, Kansas and
Shaun Marcum from Excelsior Springs,
Missouri debuted for the Atlanta Braves
and Toronto Blue Jays in August and
September respectively.
Making it difficult to track the road
from USSSA Baseball to the Major
Leagues is the fact that from USSSA
Baseball’s inception in 1997 until
approximately 2003, many if not all
USSSA rosters were hand written hard
copies, sent as such from state directors to USSSA World Series tournaments
with a letter of transmittal. In nearly
all cases these rosters simply no longer
exist having been trashed or shredded.
Beginning in 2003, the introduction of
online rosters changed the dynamics
combatsoftball.com
proud partner of the usssa national youth championship
of tracking players and it started being
possible to look at the MLB debut date
and then do a person search of that
name on the USSSA website to discover
whether or not that player had any
history in the USSSA program. The first
such player identified through an online
search is Clay Buchholz who came out of
Beaumont, Texas and debuted for the
Boston Red Sox in 2007. Clay had played
for the Beaumont Explosion in USSSA
tournaments during the 2002 season.
Leading the way in converting from
paper to online rosters were Texas and
North Carolina. From 2007 to 2009, Texas
debuted 4 players and North Carolina 3
out of the 13 that it has been possible to
identify online. Still hit or miss on how
rosters were handled, many players that
made it to Major League Baseball and
that debuted during the years 2005 to
2010 must have played USSSA Baseball
but have simply been impossible to track
and have fallen through the system.
From the 3 former players with online
rosters that debuted in 2008, USSSA can
claim David Price from Tennessee and
Jay Bruce from Texas. In 2009 established MLB players, Alex Avila from
North Carolina, Gordon Beckham from
Georgia, Derek Holland from Ohio,
and Madison Bumgarner from North
Carolina debuted. Kyle Drabek from
Texas, Jeremy Hellickson from Iowa,
Jason Heyward from Alabama, and Ben
Revere from Georgia debuted in the
2010 class. By 2011, online rosters were
nearly 100% and in that year 20 former
USSSA players had their MLB debut. In
2012 it was 18 players. The floodgates
opened during the 2013 MLB season
as 48 former USSSA players debuted.
By July 31, 2014, 36 more players have
been added to the list and with August
debuts and then September call ups, this
baseball season should see a number
approaching 60.
Although it is way too early to give a
lot of speculation to someone from
USSSA Baseball making it all the way
to Cooperstown, the honor of being
named to the Mid-Summer Classic All
Star Game is taking on a USSSA look. 9
different players have now made 13 All
Star Game appearances. Leading the way
is David Price with four appearances. He
is followed by two appearances each
for Paul Goldschmidt from Texas, Bryce
56 USSSA TODAY
Bryce Harper playing USSSA for the McDowell
Mountain Yankees out of Arizona in 2006 as a 13
year old.
Shaun Marcum as a 17 year old when he played
USSSA Baseball.
Baltimore Orioles Dylan Bundy, played USSSA
baseball 2003-2007 and in 2011 was named Gatorade
National Baseball Player of the Year.
Jordan Lyles, Colorado Rockies. Pitching for the South
Carolina Hartsville Heat in 2005.
Harper from Nevada, Clay Buchholz, Jay
Bruce, and Madison Bumgarner.
number, 50 to 70 players are born
outside the United States. By far the
greatest number of those come from
the Dominican Republic followed by
Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Japan, and
Canada. Other countries that are now
sending players include Australia,
Curacao, Korea, and Taiwan. Such
numbers tell us that beginning in 2013,
approximately 35% of the United States
born players that debuted in the Major
Leagues had played USSSA growing up.
With 36 of the 111 United States born
MLB debuts through July, 2014 having
played USSSA baseball, it is expected
that the percent this year will again be
approximately 35%.
As the USSSA Baseball program
approaches its 20th anniversary, another
tie between USSSA and MLB may very
well be seeing former USSSA directors or former USSSA softball players
having sons come through the baseball
program and make it to MLB. Some
have been close but the first to do so
came June 28, 2014 when Dallas Beeler
out of Tulsa, Oklahoma debuted for the
Chicago Cubs. His father Darrell Beeler
was inducted into the USSSA Hall of
Fame in the male player category in
2004.
Major League Baseball debuts between
200 and 240 players a year, an average
of 7 or 8 players per team. Of that
It comes as no surprise that the leading
states for producing USSSA players that
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make it to MLB would be the more
heavily populated, warm weather states
but it is noteworthy that 25 states have
had at least 1 player with USSSA experience make it to Major League Baseball.
Leading the way are Texas 33, California
15, North Carolina 12, Missouri 10 and
7 each from Oklahoma, Tennessee,
Kansas, and Florida. It is anticipated that
significant numbers will start showing
up from places like Georgia, Alabama,
Louisiana, and Arizona where USSSA
directors are now dominating the youth
tournament market.
Some of the more notable USSSA alums, their home state, debut date and first Major
League team that have already made a name for themselves include:
Shaun Marcum
Missouri
9/6/2005
Toronto Blue Jays
Clay Buchholz
Texas
8/17/2007
Boston Red Sox
Jay Bruce
Texas
5/27/2008
Cincinnati Reds
David Price
Tennessee
9/14/2008
Detroit Tigers
Alex Avila
Michigan
8/6/2009
Detroit Tigers
Gordon Beckham
Georgia
6/4/2009
Chicago White Sox
Madison Bumgarner
North Carolina
9/8/2009
San Francisco Giants
Derek Holland
Ohio
4/22/2009
Texas Rangers
Mat Latos
Florida
7/19/2009
San Diego Padres
Jeremy Hellickson
Iowa
8/2/2010
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Jason Hayward
Alabama
4/5/2010
Atlanta Braves
Ben Revere
Georgia
9/7/2010
Philadelphia Phillies
Tyler Chatwood
California
4/11/2011
Los Angeles Dodgers
Lonnie Chissenhall
North Carolina
6/27/2011
Cleveland Indians
Andy Dirks
Kansas
5/13/2011
Detroit Tigers
Paul Goldschmidt
Texas
8/1/2011
Arizona Diamondbacks
Eric Hosmer
Florida
5/6/2011
Kansas City Royals
Jordan Lyles
South Carolina
5/31/2011
Colorado rockies
Jarrod Parker
Indiana
9/27/2011
Arizona Diamondbacks
As USSSA Baseball grows in numbers of
participants and teams, as new directors are appointed, as underdeveloped
parts of the country start reaching their
USSSA potential, as there are more and
more USSSA sanctioned elite showcase events, and as directors continue
working to convert and saturate their
states with USSSA Baseball, the road to
the show through USSSA will continue
to explode. It is conceivable to expect
that within a year or two, better that
50% of the American born MLB debuts
will have played USSSA Baseball during
their youth.
Kyle Seager
North Carolina
7/7/2011
Seattle Mariners
Cody Allen
Florida
6/20/2012
Cleveland Indians
Dylan Bundy
Oklahoma
9/23/2012
Baltimore Orioles
Adam Eaton
Ohio
9/4/2012
Arizona Diamondbacks
Justin Grimm
Virginia
6/16/2012
Texas Rangers
Bryce Harper
Nevada
4/28/2012
Washington Nationals
Dallas Keuchel
Kansas
6/17/2012
Houston Astros
Will Middlebrooks
Texas
5/2/2012
Boston Red Sox
Trevor Rosenthal
Missouri
7/18/2012
St Louis Cardinals
Jackie Bradley
Virginia
4/1/2013
Boston Red Sox
Michael Choice
Texas
9/2/2013
Texas Rangers
Jarod Cosart
Texas
7/12/2013
Houston Astros
Already there are highly regarded
prospects in the minor leagues that
developed their talents playing USSSA
Baseball. Five candidates were recently
identified and one of them will be
named the 2014 Minor League player of
the year. They are; Kris Bryant Chicago
Cubs, 22 from Nevada, Joey Gallo Texas
Rangers, 20 from Nevada, Tyler Glasnow
Pittsburgh Pirates, 20 from California,
Matt Olson Oakland A’s, 20 from
Georgia and Henry Owens Boston Red
Sox, 22 from California. They all are on
a fast track to the Major Leagues and all
played USSSA Baseball.
Corey Dickerson
Louisiana
6/22/2013
Colorado Rockies
Evan Gattis
Texas
4/13/2013
Atlanta Braves
Sonny Gray
Tennessee
7/10/2013
Oakland A’s
Kyle Gibson
Indiana
6/29/2013
Minnesota Twins
Billy Hamilton
Mississippi
9/2/2013
Cincinnati Reds
Will Myers
North Carolina
6/18/2013
Tampa Bay Rays
Anthony Rendon
Texas
4/21/2013
Washington Nationals
Nick Tepesch
Missouri
4/9/2013
Texas Rangers
Michael Wacha
Texas
5/3/2013
St Louis Cardinals
Alex Wood
North Carolina
5/30/2013
Atlanta Braves
Christian Yelich
California
7/23/2013
Miami Marlins
As of August 1, 2014, 143 players with
USSSA experience have played Major
League Baseball. They range from just 1
game to as many as 7-8 years of experience and counting. Those coming into
the league in the past 2-3 years are for
the most part relatively unknown at
present but given a few more seasons
will in some cases become the faces of
Major League Baseball. There will be
.300 hitters, 20 game winners, MVP’s
and Cy Young winners, Gold Glove
recipients, All Star Game selections,
World Series heroes and on and on.
58 USSSA TODAY
W W W . B O O M B A H . C O M
Laservision/H Auto/JJ’s/Easton Rolls
Through Miken Last Chance Undefeated
by Dale Weiser
The “Last Chance” Major lived up to its
billing as 32 teams including 28 teams
from the Nationwide Conference USSSA
played the double elimination tournament to try and score the last points of
the regular season. There were some of
the biggest upsets of the season, some
near upsets, a rash of walk off homers
and game winning hits, a triple play,
A NO HITTER, extra inning games, and
huge comebacks. But when it was all
said and done it was Laservision/H Auto/
JJ’s/Easton who went an undefeated 6-0
to win the prestigious season finale and
did so all weekend with big innings and
suffocating offensive firepower. They
beat Resmondo Specialty Tank Worth
50-35 in the final game.
The tournament began amidst perfect
weather on Friday night at 6:30 PM
with 6 games and the upsets began
right away. Cooper/Yuengling/Easton,
a ‘B’ team from Ohio upset Major Team
Combat/Softball.com 18-10. At 7:45 PM
TG/Mush a local ‘C’ team knocked off
the #4 ranked Baugh Ford/Doerflinger/
National Pawn/Easton 27-26! TG Brand
also beat Bad Draw by just 1 run in a spirited game back on field #1. The rest of the
favorites won their first round games on
Friday. Then the annual home run derby
began. The derby was held in front of
the largest crowd we have witnessed at
Liberty Park in the Conference era and
the crowd got to see some long homers
by many of the players including big
Dave Miller from Line Drive Sportz who
hit 6 of 7 balls in the first round over
the trees in right field on the 300 foot
fields. But as the derby went on it was
the consistent hitters that kept going
and Louisville Slugger’s Neil Haglund
ended up defeating Easton’s Scott Kirby
by one homer in the finals and Neil won
the $1,000 prize money!
The tournament continued on Saturday
morning bright and early at 8 AM
with some more first round games and
the string of great games continued
when H Auto LLC/Easton beat Combat/
62 USSSA TODAY
Laservision/H Auto/JJ’s/Easton
Easton’s Luis Reyna- Co- MVP
Easton’s Bryson Baker- Co-MVP
Blockers/PT Design/Bat Brigade 30-29
on a base hit by Ryan Allanson. Then, in
the second round, 4 The Fallen/Miken/
Evo9x, who was trying to score enough
points to slip into the Major World Series
top 16,”flip flopped” #3 ranked Team
Albicocco, meaning they were winning
by the run rule in the 4th inning and
became the home team so Albicocco
could bat twice to speed up the game.
Albicocco made a huge comeback
and almost beat 4 The Fallen but lost
30-29! This dropped #3 Albicocco into
a section of the loser’s bracket where
they would end up playing #4 Baugh
Ford. Meanwhile, back in the winner’s
bracket, the top seeds took care of business in the second round as Precision,
Laservision, Line Drive, and Resmondo
all won fairly easily. The last two teams
to make the final 8 were Red’s Astros
who knocked off their fellow Louisville
Slugger team Backman/Shoppe 33-32
on a John Sullivan walk off single! And
upstart Cooper beat Xtreme to go to
the final 8 as well as B&B Drywall/Easton
who pulled out a come from behind win
over TG/Mush 18-17.
In the final 8, Precision pitcher Andy
Vitcak, assisted by some great defensive
plays, NO HIT 4 The Fallen in 5 innings
and won 16-0. This after 4 The Fallen
had just come off their biggest win of
the season beating Team Albicocco.
And with 4 The Fallen re-classifying to
Major both teams had 12 homers to
use? Elsewhere in the final 8, Laservision
handled Line Drive Sportz 35-20, Red’s
Astros continued their points pursuit
with a 24-14 win over B&B Drywall, and
experience
the perfect
serve
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Welcome to Maingate Lakeside Resort
Cooper, who was on a roll, jumped out
to a 15-3 on Resmondo on the show
field. Resmondo then came back with a
big 20 run 5th inning and held off a top
of the 7th inning comeback by Cooper
to win 34-31.
In the final 4 of the winners bracket,
Precision jumped out to a nice lead on
Laservision and held that lead until late
in the game when Laservision pulled
out a 39-37 win. And over on the main
field, the hot Red’s Astros put one on
Resmondo and ended up run ruling
them 34-17. This was only Resmondo’s
second loss to a non-major team all
season. In the winners bracket championship game, Laservision, with its
offense clicking on all cylinders, beat
Red’s Astros 46-23.
The loser’s bracket ended up having
7 games decided in the last at bat
including the last game of the nightPrecision and Backman, who played
into extra innings after Precision took a
32-0 lead. The final score was Backman
53 and Precision 51! B&B Drywall also
made it far enough to unseat Above All
Landscaping (who didn’t play Michigan)
from the 16th spot in the points and
qualify for the USSSA Major World
Series. 4 The Fallen, Broughton, Combat/
Blockers, and others came up short.
Red’s Astros was a surprising 3rd place finisher - Andrew Collins batting
Maingate Lakeside Resort is a USSSA preferred hotel partner
for sport teams, athletes and fans alike. With an ideal location to several
sporting venues and only 2 miles from ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
the property is a win with sporting teams!
On Sunday at 8 am it was Resmondo
run ruling Backman 30-15 and then
knocking off Red’s Astros 41-26 to get
back to the showdown with Laservision
once again. A fresh Laservision team
though would not be denied and ended
up taking a 15 run lead on Resmondo
through 4 complete innings. In the top
of the 5th with two out and no runners
on and Resmondo facing a 5 inning
run rule loss, they scored 10 runs to
extend the game. But in the bottom
of the 6th, a strong Laservision offense
finally finished off Resmondo, 50-35.
Laservision’s Bryson Baker (32-37 .865, 8
HR, 22 RBI) was Co-MVP with shortstop
Luis Reyna (27-31 .871, 5 HR, 20 RBI).
• Free Coaches room with 10 or more
rooms paid per night
• 3 pools, basketball court, miniature
golf and fitness facility
• On-site Pizza Hut, Greenhouse
Restaurant
• Hurricane Sam’s Bar & Grill
• Coined laundry facility
Final 4 Teams:
• 100% non-smoking rooms
1. Laservision/H.Auto/JJ’s/Easton- NY
• Visiting fan & family rates
2. Resmondo-Specialty Tank Worth- FL
• FREE Wifi located throughout resort
3 . Red’s Astros/Louisville Slugger- IN
4 . Backman / Shoppe/Louisville SluggerIN
64 USSSA TODAY
Bubba Mack was Offensive MVP of Michigan and
tied for the seasons HR lead with Lee Powers at 102
HR.
Laservision CF Brandon Dillon
7769 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy.
Kissimmee, Florida 34747
www.maingatelakesideresort.com
For more information or to book your teams
call Stella Ortiz at (407) 997.1105
or email : [email protected]
Cajun Classic rises from
swamp to return to
Major prominence
By Greg Huchingson
CARENCRO, LA. – After a 10-year absence
from the Major softball scene, the Cajun
Classic made a triumphant return on
July 25-27 with the 36th Annual Classic.
The Cajun Classic originally put
Louisiana softball on the national
map. It was founded in 1978 by USSSA
pioneer Robert Boudreaux and was
played at Pelican Park in Carencro,
which is located just north of Lafayette.
Pelican Park was one of the first softball
complexes in the United State to feature
Astroturf infields.
Times must be good in Louisiana these
days, as yet another five-field complex
with Field Turf infields was built across
town in Youngsville, a suburb on
the southern side of Lafayette. The
two ultra-modern facilities gave new
Louisiana USSSA State Director Richie
Soley nine carpeted field to work with.
2014 Cajun Classic Champions: Buzini/BWW/Miken - Jackson, MS
“Softball is going great in Louisiana this
year and these parks are a big reason
why,” said Soley. “Instead of our teams
traveling out-of-state to play every
weekend, they’re staying home and
even teams from other states are now
coming here to play.”
Soley is confident that with this year’s
successful event as a drawing card, the
Cajun Classic will soon return to the
status of its glory years from the past.
Over the course of almost three decades
of use, however, the turf got worn down.
And just like the tattered turf on the
Pelican Park infields, even the mighty
Cajun Classic eventually lost some luster
too. The last year the tournament had a
Major division was 2004.
“Hopefully, more of the big teams will
take notice of what we were able to do
this year and come join the party next
year,” he said.
2014 Cajun Classic Second Place: ASPNation/Reset/Easton - Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
Buzini/BWW/Miken from Jackson, MS
came into the tournament as the top
seed and they did not disappoint. The
nucleus of the team won the USSSA
Men’s B World Tournament last year and
were bumped to Class A for this year.
Pelican Park was shut down for a few
years in the mid-2000s and sat empty as
a ghost town with high weeds growing
where many of the top softball players
of all-time used to play. The City of
Carencro eventually bought the facility
and got it back into a playable condition. But for most of the past decade,
the Cajun Classic has been relegated to
just D and E events.
66 USSSA TODAY
The result is a jewel of a park, which
earned the Cajun Classic renewed notoriety and a spot on the 2014 Conference
USSSA lineup.
Soley did a great job promoting the
return of the Cajun Classic Major Division
and the result was a 56-team tournament, making it the second largest team
turnout of the 21 events in Conference
USSSA. Included in the field were five
Conference USSSA teams.
For most of the 1980s and ‘90s, Pelican
Park was the place to be on Memorial
Day weekend as the Cajun Classic was
one of the top three USSSA Major
Tournaments in the nation. All of the
top teams in America made their way
to the Acadiana country in southwest
Louisiana.
Then, this past winter, the City of
Carencro made a major financial investment to improve the facility. First
and foremost was ripping up the old,
tattered Astroturf and replacing it with
state-of-the-art Field Turf on all four
fields. The new facelift included turf on
the batter’s boxes and around the bases,
something the old turf did not have.
Dugouts on all four fields were also
completely renovated.
Top returning players from their World
Champion team were Billy Maggard,
Brady Bascle, Chad Loudon, Jake Mays,
Steve McLin, Chris Smith, Justin Stuart,
Kyle Wilks and Jason Williams. They
added three players from Fence Brokers
– Tim Bowser, Jason Bridges and Bob
Hankins – plus veteran pitcher Losson
White to prepare for the move to Class A.
The newly renovated Pelican park in Carencro, LA brought back some great memories.
Buzini opened the Cajun Classic on
Friday night with a win over Clean
2014 Cajun Classic Third Place: Vivid/Worth - Frisco, TX
USSSA TODAY 67
Sweep/Adtikiv from Crestview, FL (29-2).
The returned in the sweltering heat
Saturday afternoon and posted blowout
wins over Faith & Hope from Clinton, LA
(16-1) and Sports Center/Worth from
Booneville, MS (18-2) to set up a semifinal matchup against rival LA Classic/
Worth from Haughton, LA.
LA Classic/Worth had a few players from
the 2013 Buzini team, which made for
an interesting game which Buzini/BWW/
Miken held on for a narrow win (20-19).
That propelled Buzini to the winner’s
bracket final late Saturday night, where
they defeated ASPNation/Rest/Easton
from Dallas-Fort Worth (28-13).
2014 Cajun Classic Fourth Place: Klutch/Doc’s - Niceville, FL
Only four teams returned for play on
Championship Sunday. In the fourth
place game, Vivid/Worth from Frisco,
Texas eliminated Klutch/Doc’s from
Niceville, FL to get a shot against their
D-FW Metroplex rival ASPNation.
ASPNation came out swinging early,
hitting several home runs in the humid
air, en route to a 22-6 win over Vivid to
advance for another shot at Buzini. The
championship game was a low-scoring
affair that Buzini held on to win (13-10).
“I am very pleased that we were able to
come in here and handle our business
in our own backyard to win this tournament,” said Buzini/BWW/Miken sponsor
TJay Busin. “Richie did a great job with
this thing in his first year, and I’m sure
it’s only going to get bigger and better
in years to come.”
Buzini/BWW/Miken received 180 Conference
USSSA Points which helped them to a
seventh place finish (out of 50 teams)
in the final standings. The impressive
achievement earned them a ticket to
the USSSA Men’s Major World Series for
the third year in a row. Buzini has gone
1-2 at the MWS each of the past two
years and will be shooting for an even
higher finish at this year’s event, being
held Sept. 17-21 at the ESPN Wide World
Of Sports Stadium at Disney in Florida.
Cajun Classic Tournament Director, Richie Soley, grabs a quick bite between monitoring two complexes(nine
fields) and 56 teams.
68 USSSA TODAY
Buzini/BWW/Miken finished with a
perfect 6-0 record in the Cajun Classic.
It was their first tournament championship of the year. Their previous best
showing was a third place finish at the
Space City Classic in Houston to open
the year.
ASPNation/Reset/Easton
finished
second at the Cajun Classic with a
5-2 record, while Vivid/Worth came
in third also at 5-2, and Klutch/Doc’s
settled for fourth at 5-2.
A pair of Louisiana C teams – LA Classic/
Worth and Carboline from Houma
– tied for fifth place; Texas Threat/
TI Sports from Houston and Sports
Center/Worth tied for seventh; and Old
School from Houston, Pro Gutter from
Pearl, MS, Fat Pat’s from Lafayette,
and hometown favorite YouWho from
Carencro all tied for ninth.
Kyle Pearson of Buzini/BWW/Miken
was named Most Valuable Player of
the tournament, while Lyf Nimmo
of ASPNation/Reset/Easton was the
Outstanding Offensive Player. Chad
Loudon and Justin Stuart, both of
Buzini, were the Co-Outstanding
Defensive Players.
The rest of the All-Tournament team
included Jason Williams, Billy Maggard,
Andrew Miller, B.J. Thomas, Colby
Hughes and Jason Bridges, of Buzini;
Stuart Snell, Chris Potts, Daniel Evans
and Mike Cervantes, of ASPNation;
Michael Ortiz, Ryan Kunz and Alex
Henry, of Vivid; and Mike Horton and
Steve Felix, of Klutch.
ASPNation’s Lyf Nimmo was the 2014 Cajun Classic Offensive MVP.
As an incentive for the Men’s D and
Men’s E teams to enter the Major
bracket, Soley offered those teams
consolation brackets against teams
from their own division in games
played on Sunday. The D teams played
a
single-elimination
tournament,
while the E teams played double-elimination.
In the 20-team Men’s D Consolation,
MS Extreme from Bassfield, MS went
5-0 to win first place. Rubber Ducks
from Gonzales, La. finished second,
Wood Shed of Hammond, La. came
in third, and Adiktiv Sports from
Pensacola, Fla. took fourth.
In the 18-team Men’s E Consolation,
T-Bits from New Iberia, La. also went
5-0 to win first place. Flip Squad from
Chackbay, La. finished second, Nola
Heat from New Orleans came in third,
and Mathews Bow/Addicted from
Jackson, MS took fourth.
Pictured(left to right) at the beautiful Youngsville, LA facility is: MS Assistant State Director, Mark Hebert, USSSA
VP, Greg Huchingson and Richie Soley, LA State Director.
USSSA TODAY 69
‘Battle For Rings’ Crowns
Six Lone Star Champions
By Van Galeon
MANSFIELD, TX – The Lone Star Shootout
State Championship Series is the premier
adult slow-pitch softball program in
Texas. Qualifiers begin in early January
and are held in every corner of the state
on a weekly basis, culminating with the
Grand Championship “Battle for the
Rings” in late July.
In a new twist this year, each tournament of the series was designated a
Ring Qualifier with the first place team
receiving an Automatic Berth to the
“Battle For The Rings.” Previously, the
only Automatic Berths came from the
three geographic State Finals and the
Budweiser Softball Festival, then the
rest of the field was filled with At-Large
Berths from the Lone Star Shootout
Point Standings.
The new format enabled teams from
remote areas, even surrounding states,
to earn a trip to the “Battle For The
Rings” without having to rely on getting
hot on the State Finals weekend. Those
At-Large Berths are naturally dominated by teams from Houston, DallasFort Worth and San Antonio, where it
is much easier for them to play in more
qualifiers and thus accumulate more
Lone Star Points.
There were still plenty of At-Large
Berths awarded this year to teams who
did not win an Automatic Berth at one
of the Ring Qualifiers or the North Texas
State Finals (Mansfield), South Texas
State Finals (League City), Southwest
State Finals (San Antonio), Budweiser
Softball Festival (Bryan-College Station)
and North Texas Budfest (Mansfield).
But the net result was the field at the
“Battle For The Rings” being larger and
much more diverse, and two of the six
divisions were even won by out-of-state
teams and another division had an outof-state team finish runnerup.
In true Texas tradition, huge Super
Bowl-style rings were awarded to
members of the championship teams in
each division. This year’s piece featured
a prominent star surrounded by replica
diamonds on the face of the gaudy ring.
And though some say it resembles the
star worn on the side of the helmet of
a popular pro football team in Dallas, it
actually signifies the Lone “Star” of the
Lone Star Shootout Series.
The 2014 Lone Star Shootout “Battle
For The Rings” was held over two weekends – July 19-20 and July 26-27 – at
Big League Dreams in Mansfield, Texas
which is located between Dallas and Fort
Worth. The modern eight-field complex
was selected due to its large number of
TKO/FalloutSports - Claremore, OK
Battle For Rings Men’s C Champions
70 USSSA TODAY
FALL SOFTBALL FESTIVAL
Carrier - Fort Worth, TX
Battle For Rings Men’s D Champions
fields, plus its recently installed FieldTurf
playing surfaces which virtually eliminates weather-related issues.
On the opening weekend, Men’s Open,
Men’s C, Men’s D and Mixed divisions
were played, while Men’s E and Women’s
were held on the second weekend. A
record 187 teams played in this year’s
tournament.
In the Men’s Open bracket, Club Chill
from Grapevine added to their growing
jewelry collection by winning a set of
rings for the third year in a row. In 2012,
the majority of the roster played on the
Texas Regulators who won the Men’s C
division, then they repeated as Men’s C
champions in 2013 playing as Club Chill.
In both of those years, the team did
things the hard way by losing their first
game of the tournament, then having to
fight back through the loser’s bracket.
This year, Club Chill defeated Bear
Hollow Ranch from Mountain, Missouri
(13-2) and Jokers/FTP/Diamond Sports
from Ft. Worth (20-12) to advance to the
championship game undefeated. After
losing their first game, Bear Hollow
72 USSSA TODAY
Ranch dropped to the loser’s bracket
and defeated Conference USSSA team
Vivid/Worth/ShirtDrs from Frisco (19-18)
and Jokers/FTP/Diamond Sports (19-18)
to make it back to the championship.
Bear Hollow Ranch even won the first
game (21-11) to set up a winner-takeall “If” game, which resilient Club Chill
won (21-9) to win rings for the third
year in a row.
Aaron Kenny of Club Chill was named
Most Valuable Player, while Adrian
Gascon of Bear Hollow Ranch won
the Gold Glove Award. Other players
named to the All-Tournament team
were Lorque Cooper, Jason Allen, James
Powell Hilton, Cole Campbell and Paul
Grounds, of Club Chill; Josh Kohrs, Oliver
Odle, Derrick Jones and Troy Kimble, of
Bear Hollow Ranch; Angel Castillo, J.J.
Garcia, Mark Fatino and David Salas,
of Jokers; and Dennis Shrum and Mike
Ortiz, of Vivid.
With the two-time defending champions moved up a class, the Men’s C
division was wide-open for a new champion this year. TKO/FalloutSports from
Claremore, Oklahoma played in three
Lone Star Shootout Qualifiers during
the season and never placed higher
than a tie for fifth. Their combined
record in those three tournaments was
a combined 10-6. But on this weekend,
they got hot when it counted the most.
TKO/FalloutSports opened with a
narrow one-run win over Texas Hazmat
from Conroe (12-11), then posted victories over Texas Threat/TI Sports from
Houston (16-3), L3S from Mansfield
(22-2), Playoffs/KD Logo from Seguin
(13-10) and ManCave DFW from
Grapevine (20-16) to advance to the
championship game. ManCave DFW
dropped to the loser’s bracket and
knocked off Steel/PowerhouseSportz
from Corpus Christi (17-14) to get
another shot at TKO/FalloutsSports in
the championship. But the team from
northeastern Oklahoma, which is sponsored by new Oklahoma USSSA State
Director Lawson Edwards, scored early
and often en route to a 19-8 championship win, to bring the rings back north
across the Red River.
TKO/FalloutSports finished the tournament with a perfect 6-0 record, while
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Texas Terror - Lake Jackson, TX
Battle For Rings Men’s D Champions
runnerup ManCave DFW finished at 5-2.
Steel/PowerhouseSportz came in third
at 7-2; Playoffs/KD Logo placed fourth at
3-2; and BTX/West Ltd. From Beaumont
and Old School from Spring each tied
for fifth, also at 3-2.
Other teams finishing in the Top 10
of the 28-team bracket were Goons/
DoubleDave’s from Houston and Olmito
Heat/Diamond Kingz tied for seventh;
and FTP/D2E Sports from Andrews,
Mayhem/FalloutSports from Plano, L3S
from Mansfield and Texas Threat/TI
Sports from Houston all tied for ninth.
Eric Pando of TKO/FalloutSports was
named Most Valuable Player, while
Brandon Young of ManCaveDFW was
the Gold Glove winner. Others named
to the All-Tournament team were Justin
Beal, J.C. Chaisson, T.D. Thrash and Brian
Masoner, of TKO/FalloutSports; Jared
Hood, Brad Pollard and Dan Boley, of
ManCave DFW; Donte LaPoint, Mark
Dennis and Josh Sylestine, of Steel/
PowerhouseSportz; Jon Eric Villegas,
Kevin Martinez and John Groce, of
Playoffs/KD Logo; Brian Lopez of Old
School; and Jarod Hughes of BTX.
In the Men’s D division, Carrier from Fort
74 USSSA TODAY
Worth set their sights on making and
winning the “Battle For The Rings” at
the beginning of the season. They played
in every single qualifier held in North
Texas, which virtually assured them of
getting into the Grand Championship
on Lone Star Points, if nothing else.
However, Carrier did win an Automatic
Berth at the Stockyards Shootout, which
was their only first place finish out of
those eight tournaments. But they were
extremely consistent by placing in the
Top 10 in seven of the eight, including
four Top 5 finishes.
At “Battle For The Rings,” Carrier
defeated Team MTS from McAllen (9-8)
and
Realside/EagleClean.com
from
Dallas (11-9) on Saturday, then held off
Stand Alone from San Antonio (21-10)
and Dirty Sox from Conroe (14-10) on
Sunday morning to advance to the finals
of the winner’s bracket. Dirty Habit
from Edinburg made the long 10-hour
trip to North Texas determined to bring
the rings back to the Rio Grande Valley.
Dirty Habits knocked off Them Boyz
from Tyler (10-9), SA Hitmen from San
Antonio (9-7), CGR from Houston (13-1),
Dodging Bullets from Midlothian (11-7)
and C.P.S. from Houston (16-6) to join
Carrier in the King Seat game.
Carrier scored a narrow one-run win
(8-7) to advance to the champion game.
Dirty Habits dropped to the loser’s
bracket and held off a scrappy Dirty
Dozen team from Houston (15-13) to
get another shot at Carrier. But Carrier
held on for an exciting 17-16 championship win to complete their mission of
winning the rings.
Carrier finished the tournament with a
perfect 6-0 record, while runnerup Dirty
Habits finished at 6-2. Third place went
to Dirty Dozen at 7-2, fourth was Stand
Alone at 6-2, and tied for fifth were
Dirty Sox and C.P.S.
Tied for seventh place in the 48-team
bracket were Team Worth It from
Orange and East Texas Desperados from
Lufkin; tied for ninth were CGR from
Houston, Rumors/VTees from Midland,
New Era from Houston and Dodging
Bullets from Midlothian; and tied for
13th were Joysticks from Spring, Booya
from Denison, HR/DGK/TMT from
Conroe and OuttaControl/ParadiseLawn
from San Antonio.
James DeLaGarza of Carrier was named
5-2 and South Texas Oilers from Alice at
4-2 both tied for fifth. FKA/Raw Sports
from Austin and JM Insurance/Miller
Lite from San Antonio tied for seventh;
Twisted/ASP Nation from Brownwood,
Clutch/FTP Empire from Midland, Texas
Tigers from San Antonio and Chop City
from Houston all tied for ninth; while
WTX New Era from Abilene, Ego from
Pearland, Smoking Guns from San
Antonio and Powerhouse form Waco all
tied for 13th.
Edward Freking of Texas Terror was
named Most Valuable Player, and
Thomas Padilla of Young Bucks was the
Gold Glove winner. Others named to the
All-Tournament team were Ryan Ondrey,
Corey Bass, Michael Gregory and Collier
Crisp, of Texas Terror; Matt Ortega,
Daniel Montoya and Ryan Maldonado,
of Young Bucks; Chris Robb, Ryan Perez
and Eric Wilson, of Hardfeathers; Chase
Reeders and Pablo Martinez, of Texas
Strokers; and E.J. Zalewski and Samuel
Coke, of Crooks-Reloaded.
Club Chill - Grapevine, TX
Battle For Rings Men’s Open Champions
Most Valuable Player, and Joey Guajardo
of Dirty Habits won the Gold Glove award.
Others named to the All-Tournament
team were Gabriel Martinez, Jose Flores,
Jesus Sanchez and Tyler Curran, of
Carrier; Eric Gonzalez, Patrick Guajardo
and Mario Garza, of Dirty Habits; Rene
Salinas, Nate Brock and Eric Canas, of
Dirty Dozen; Justin Gutierrez, Jesus
Garcia and Guadalupe Cervantes, of
Stand Alone; Arturo Galvan of Dirty Sox;
and Kaleb Henry of C.P.S.
The other division held on the first
weekend was Mixed. Sixteen teams
battled it out, including 2013 Ring
champion Co-ed Connection from San
Antonio. But it was The B Team from
nearby Arlington who went undefeated through five games to win the
championship. The B Team defeated
LST/SuncoastSportz from Corpus Christi
(12-10), Boom Stix from Waco (14-2),
Sluggers from Pearland (22-8), Loaded
from Dallas (7-4), and Play Dirty from
Temple (10-9) in the championship game.
Play Dirty settled for second place with
a 5-2 record; Loaded came in third at
3-2; DGKoed from Houston finished
76 USSSA TODAY
fourth at 4-2; and Co-ed Connection and
Sluggers tied for fifth at 3-2.
Coach/sponsor/player David Taborsky of
The B Team was named Most Valuable
Player, while Kristen Zaleski of Play
Dirty was the Gold Glove winner.
Others named to the All-Tournament
team were Anna Barren, Brian Elliott,
Courtney Walters and Jordan Walters,
of The B Team; Carly Bridgers, Joseph
Waneck and Andrew Rayas, of Play
Dirty; Lacie Finley, Jeff Meadows and
Kayla Mitchell, of Loaded; Rudi Ann
Cantu, Manuel Galvan and Stephanie
Estrada, of DGKoed; Dante Lapointe of
Co-ed Connection; and Argen Dodds of
Sluggers.
The second weekend of play featured
the largest division of the tournament,
the 64-team Men’s E bracket. Top E
teams from across Texas were entered,
including Chop City from Houston who
won first place at both the League
City N.I.T. and South Texas State Finals,
and JM Insurance/Miller Lite from San
Antonio who won first at both the
North Texas State Finals and Southwest
State Finals.
But it was an unheralded team from Lake
Jackson, who didn’t win a single tournament during the entire regular season,
that went 7-0 to win the championship
and claim the bling-bling. On Saturday,
Texas Terror defeated 3CS from Ft. Worth
(13-11), Slik Stix from San Antonio (19-13)
and Clutch/FTP Empire from Midland
(12-9). Then on Sunday morning, Texas
Terror won an amazing three straight
one-run games – over JM Insurance/
Miller Lite from San Antonio (18-17),
Young Bucks from San Antonio (11-10)
and Hardfeathers from Houston (11-10)
– to advance to the championship game.
After losing to Texas Terror, the Young
Bucks dropped to the loser’s bracket
and defeated Crooks-Reloaded (11-2),
Texas Strokers from Temple (12-2) and
Hardfeathers (20-7) to get another crack
at Texas Terror in the championship
game. But the Young Bucks ran out of
gas, and Texas Terror post as 12-7 win to
capture the rings.
Following Texas Terror at 7-0 and runnerup Young Bucks at 7-2, Hardfeathers
came in third at 5-2; Texas Strokers took
fourth at 5-2; and Crooks-Reloaded at
The B Team - Arlington, TX
Battle For Rings Mixed Champions
Finally, the 27 teams entered in the
Women’s bracket included a pair of
former champions at the “Battle For
The Rings” – Straight Shot/Mizuno from
Spring who won their rings in 2013 and
Cajun Chaos who won the inaugural
“Battle For The Rings” in 2011 playing
as Louisiana’s Finest.
Bryant Express from Bryant, Arkansas –
who tied for fifth place last year – began
this year’s tournaments with wins over
Lady Oops from Houston (7-2), Whiskey
Bent from Bartlesville, Oklahoma (16-4),
Too Live Crew from Houston (12-2)
and Lady Top Dog from Beaumont
(6-3) to advance to the finals of the
winner’s bracket. There they would
face defending champion Straight
Shot/Mizuno, who had defeated Bomb
Squad from North Little Rock, Arkansas
(14-13), Southern Sass (15-3) and Cajun
Chaos (9-8).
Bryant Express beat Straight Shot/
Mizuno (14-7) to advance to the championship game. Straight Shot/Mizuno
dropped to the loser’s bracket and lost
to Cajun Chaos (12-7) which set up an
Arkansas versus Louisiana championship. Cajun Chaos won the first game
(6-4) to set up a winner-take-all “If”
game, which Bryant Express pulled out
(14-13) to capture the rings.
Bryant Express - Bryant, AR
Battle For Rings Women’s Champions
Bryant Express finished the tournament
at 6-1, while runnerup Cajun Chaos was
7-2. Straight Shot/Mizuno came in third
place at 3-2; Southern Sass from Corinth
finished fourth at 4-2; and ETS from
Stafford at 5-2 and Lady Top Dog from
Beaumont at 3-2 tied for fifth. Whiskey
Bent and Bomb Squad tied for seventh,
and Unknowns from San Antonio, Texas
Pride Women from Arlington, Famous
Freaks/X-R5 from Sanger and Too Live
Crew from Houston all tied for ninth.
Meredith
LaRue
of
Bryant
Express
was named Most Valuable Player, and
Jennifer Hickman of Cajun Chaos was
the Gold Glove winner. Others named
to the All-Tournament team were Dara
Tyler, Teresa Jackson, Carrie Kaberline
and Brandi Clifton, of Bryant Express;
Diane Cervantes, Barbara Zernick and
Tisha Thompson, of Cajun Chaos; Shelbi
Tucker, Karla Rodriguez and Terra
Gonzales, of Straight Shot/Mizuno;
Brieanne Wojtowicz and Raygan Barron,
of Southern Sass; and Kristen Zaleski of
ETS.
USSSA TODAY 77
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