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Transcription

FALL
2009
Resmondo/Worth’s
Andy Purcell
avoids tag at the plate from Dan Smith’s
Scott Brown at the Windy City NIT
Conference USSSA Championships
and Major World Series Field Set
Rockford Thunder Wins
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UNITED STATES SPECIALTY
SPORTS ASSOCIATION
Message from Headquarters
The 2009 season is nearly complete
and the USSSA World Tournaments are
set to begin. The Men’s “A” Slowpitch
World Tournament has just wrapped up
this weekend at Disney’s Wide World
of Sports with GTL Cartel/Stucco/Worth
Elite edging out Jean Shoppe/Chaney/
Easton/Sports55 in the if game. It was
an exciting finish to the year in the Men’s Class “A” Division.
Upcoming events here in Florida include the Conference
USSSA Championship – Sept. 4-6, 2009, Black American World,
Men’s B World– Sept. 18-20, 2009, Men’s Major World Series –
Sept. 23-27, 2009, Men’s C & E World – Sept. 24-27, 2009 and
the Women’s A, B, C & D World – Sept. 24-27, 2009.
As always it seems, the season goes by quickly. For the USSSA,
this year has proven to be one of our best ever. Participation in
slowpitch softball is up by 9-12% and the USSSA baseball and
fastpitch programs are both experiencing double digit growth
as well. Despite the economic issues that have caused a significant down turn in many other industries, the sports industry
has remained resilient and USSSA continues to grow.
As many of you now know, USSSA is becoming extremely
proactive in the fastpitch program and we now have a team
in the National Professional Fastpitch league. The USSSA Pride
has made the playoffs and is competing in the Championship
Series this weekend in Akron, Ohio. Beginning next season,
USSSA will be sponsoring approximately 50 teams throughout
the country in various age divisions and they will be known
as the USSSA Pride. These teams will be dress exactly as
the big league squad, use the same type of equipment and
will promote the game of fastpitch softball as they travel
throughout the country. It will be an outstanding way to
develop new opportunities and introduce
new teams to USSSA. There are
a number of new things
6 USSSA TODAY
coming in the fastpitch program that will get everyone excited
about USSSA Fastpitch.
The 2009 baseball program just wrapped up their 2009 season
and there are several items that highlight what a great
year it was for USSSA. The San Diego Stars 10U and the 12U
Norwalk Stingrays won the Elite World Series in their respective age divisions and will move on to play in the National
Youth Baseball Championships (NYBC) on August 27-30, 2009
in Memphis, TN. Both teams games will be featured on the
Major League Baseball Network and MLB.Com. We congratulate both teams on their accomplishment and wish them the
best in the NYBC Championship Series.
The results are in and the final selections have been made.
The 2009 USSSA All-American Team has been selected and the
results are posted at www.amateurbaseballreport.com. You
can find the team roster and other information here in USSSA
Today, located in the baseball section of the magazine. Team
USSSA (16U) will be traveling to Japan in 2010 to compete
internationally. On behalf of myself and the USSSA Board of
Directors, I would like to express our congratulations to each
of these young men on this achievement and would like to
thank everyone who participated in the selection process.
Your hard work and dedication has not gone unnoticed.
One of the highlights of our year is always the USSSA National
Meeting. This year will be no different. The 42nd Annual
National Meeting will be held at the Pechanga Resort and
Casino in Temecula, California on November 15-21, 2009. The
host hotel, Pechanga Resort & Casino is a Four Diamond luxury
resort offering Southern California’s Newest Championship
Golf Course, Pool and cabana services, 8 Full dining restaurants, Full service Spa and many other amenities. Come and be
a part of this outstanding event! You can make reservations by calling 1-888-732-4264 and be sure to
tell them that you are with USSSA.
CONTENTS
M A G A Z I N E
6028 Rayburn Dr. • Fort Worth,TX 76133
(817) 944-7484 • stafford.connor@usssa.com
8 2009 Conference USSSA Concludes
Regular Season Play
Executive Director, CEO USSSA
Don DeDonatis
Publisher, USSSA Today
Stafford Connor
Communications Director, USSSA
29 National Pro Fastpitch
Tom O’Hara
Championship Series
Design / Printing
REEDESIGN
Lebco Graphics
Contributing Writers
Robert Boudreaux
Mike Cisneros
Mike Cuzzone
Stacy Fish
Greg Huchingson
Van Galeon
Brett Helmer
Cheri Kempf
Scott Kuhnen
B.J. Larson
Keri Lounge
Mike Macenko
Dave Owens
David Pedersen
Paul Rose
Katie Snee
Erin Statmore
Kirk Tarabokia
Dale Weiser
Will York
Photographers
Roy Dean
Scott Duffy
Dina T. Kwit
Michael McNutt
Pete Spatula
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.
62 USSSA FASTPITCH World
Series at Disney
9 T&R Stucco/Worth blasts off
at 3rd Annual Space City Classic
14 Resmondo/Worth Makes It Five in
72 Jaque Hall’s Amazing Journey
74 Columbus, IN hosts USSSA Fast
Pitch World Series 16 and under B/
11 and under B
a Row by Claiming the Windy City
Championship
18 Long Haul Beats Top Teams On
76 USSSA 2009 Ocean City Blast at the
Beach
Way to Dudley Title
22 The 41st Annual Smoky Mountain
78 The Monster Bash: Costumes,
Contests, & Softball too.
Classic was Great as Usual
26 Long Haul/ PhoneMasters/ Miken
81 North Texas state champions
crowned in WORTH Lone Star
Shootout Series
in the Winner’s Circle for the
Second Time
32 Slugfest 2009/ Bat Reviews
83 Slapaho slays ‘Goliath’ at STX
State Finals of WORTH Lone Star
Shootout Series
57 GTL Cartel/Stucco/ Worth’s
88Texas champions crowned at
Persistence Pays Off at Class A
58 USSSA Takes the Field Prior to
Astros/Royals MLB Game
‘Battle for the Rings’
89Southwest Ohio Celebrates
Softball “Legends”
59 Brett Helmer - Softball Is My Game
61 Big Cat - What Style Would You
Prefer To Play?
93 New Jersey State Championships
96USSSA and Global SportsWorld
Series
71 The Lear Park Youth Sports
Complex
USSSA TODAY
7
2009 Conference USSSA
Concludes Regular Season Play
FINAL RESULTS
SEED
TEAM
CLASS
POINTS
1
Resmondo-Specialty Tank-Worth
SPMensMajor
1155
2
Dan Smith-Menosse-Benfield-Combat
SPMensMajor
1123
3
Long Haul/Miken/Phonemasters
SPMensMajor
1049
4
JeanShoppe/Chaneys/Easton/Sports55
SPMensA
961
5
T&R Stucco/Worth
SPMensA
909
6
Bud Light/TPS/LineDrive/Sports55
SPMensA
860
7
TaylorMade / Titan / PAS / Mizuno
SPMensA
769
8
GTL Cartel/Stucco/Worth/Elite
SPMensA
760
9
Combat USA/Elite
SPMensA
737
10
Wood Law/Combat
SPMensA
716
11
Johnny Blaze/Combat/Elite
SPMensA
663
12
Northwest Combat / Trojans
SPMensB
660
13
Blitz/Watanabe/Weller/Minges/Easton
SPMensB
632
14
Suncoast/Quick Roofing/Reebok
SPMensA
627
15
Classic Glass/Easton/DSS Bats
SPMensA
614
16
O&S/Povs/Hoffman/combat
SPMensA
612
17
A.J.S./Easton/3N2/Dssbats
SPMensB
608
18
PRI/MFAB/Insanity
SPMensB
607
19
LineDrive/TripleSSS/Pipe/Easton
SPMensB
20
Diamondblade/Angle Inn Easton
21
22
Hank Garris - .818 OBP
Greg Connell - 88 HRS
A special thanks to Dale Weiser
(DW) for his tireless reports at
many of the Conference USSSA
events in 2009.
ON BASE PERCENTAGE
Rank
OB-PA
R
HR
RBI
BB
HRF
OBP
1
Hank Garris
175-214
127
39
134
28
4.77
0.818
2
Chad McLamb
TaylorMade / Titan / PAS / Mizuno
131-162
99
11
66
23
12.64
0.809
3
Seth Stephens
Northwest Combat / Trojans
64-80
53
26
67
4
2.92
0.800
4
Derek Perkins
Showcase/All American Restoration/W
62-79
44
13
37
7
5.54
0.785
605
5
Bryson Baker
232-300
186
61
208
35
4.34
0.773
SPMensB
603
6
Brian Wegman
235-306
206
70
196
42
3.77
0.768
Showcase/All American Restoration/W
SPMensB
597
7
Matt Albert
ATS/Combat/TYJA Sports
69-90
51
23
64
4
3.74
0.767
Fence Brokers/Illustrated Sportswear
SPMensB
587
8
Scott Brown
212-277
169
61
183
39
3.90
0.765
23
Hubs Pub/Elite
SPMensC
584
9
John Dutch
T&R Stucco/Worth
120-157
91
31
79
31
4.06
0.764
24
Logo Express/Bass Gloves
SPMensB
579
10
Eric Thompson
195-256
106
4
69
39
54.25
0.762
25
WCS / LCV
SPMensB
568
26
PIPAC/TPS
SPMensA
564
27
SPMensB
532
28
Eagle Bonding/Easton
SPMensB
509
29
Magic/S&S/Sports55/Easton
SPMensB
484
30
Sports55/Easton/3n2
SPMensC
481
31
WISCONSIN WORTH
SPMensB
422
32
Pole Position/Line Drive Sportz
SPMensB
379
33
TCP/ICE/EASTON
SPMensB
371
34
Rochester Athletic/National Gold
SPMensC
342
35
Darkside/Tyja Sports
SPMensC
257
36
Mobile 1/Royal Roofing/Themshirts.c
SPMensB
251
Team
HOMERUN LEADERS
Rank
OB-PA
R
HR
RBI
BB
HRF
OBP
1
Greg Connell
199-283
178
88
242
10
3.10
0.703
2
Jeff Wallace
217-292
193
82
216
31
3.18
0.743
3
Brian Wegman
235-306
206
70
196
42
3.77
0.768
4
Rusty Bumgardner
190-262
153
68
188
28
3.44
0.725
5
Brian Rainwater
187-253
165
65
194
16
3.65
0.739
6
Bryson Baker
232-300
186
61
208
35
4.34
0.773
7
Scott Brown
212-277
169
61
183
39
3.90
0.765
8
Brett McCollum
135-204
125
60
157
4
3.30
0.662
Dal Beggs
178-257
146
58
172
24
4.02
0.693
Brian Justice
175-248
151
57
166
21
3.98
0.706
37
24/7 Softball
SPMensA
222
9
38
Peak/Capital Mortgage/TLG/PM
SPMensB
185
10
8 USSSA TODAY
Player
Player
Team
Houston-area event largest in Conference USSSA
T&R Stucco/Worth blasts off
at 3rd Annual Space City Classic
By Van Galeon
LEAGUE CITY, TX – The old saying that “Everything is bigger in Texas” proved to be true this year for Conference USSSA. The 3rd
Annual Space City Classic, held June 5-7, attracted 48 teams, making it the largest tournament of the year on USSSA’s Men’s Major
Division circuit.
2009 Conference USSSA Sites
Co-MVP T&R Stucco/ Worth’s Rich Gulash.
The tournament was played at Big League Dreams in League
City, which is a suburb of Houston. The six-field complex
features Fieldturf infields, which provides true hops for
infielders. Each of the fields is a replica of a current or former
Major League venue, such as Yankee Stadium (Bronx), Fenway
Park (Boston), Wrigley Field (Chicago), Sportsmans Park (St.
Louis), Ebbets Field (Brooklyn) and Crosley Field (Cincinnati).
In 2009, a veteran softball reporter called Big League Dreams,
“The finest facility in the Conference, maybe the nation.”
The complex was not without some blemishes this year,
though. The park is located just minutes from the beaches of
Galveston. Less than nine months prior to the tournament,
Big League Dreams stood directly in the path of Hurricane
Ike, the third most destructive hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States. The 40-foot concrete and plywood
walls surrounding each field withstood the barrage from
the Category 4 Hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of
Tournament
Teams
1
League City, Texas (Houston)
Space City Classic
48
2
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati Men’s Major
40
3
Aurora, Colorado (Denver)
Rocky Mountain Shootout
39
4
Brooklyn Center, Minn (Minneapolis)
Dudley/Budweiser Classic
36
4
Marietta, Georgia (Atlanta)
Peach State Shootout
36
6
Joliet, Illinois (Chicago)
Windy City Invitational
35
6
North Branford, Conn (New Haven)
Worth/TYJA NE Shootout
35
8
Gallatin, Tennessee (Nashville)
Music City Major
32
9
Maryville, Tennessee (Knoxville)
Smoky Mountain Classic
30
9
Glen Burnie, Maryland (Baltimore)
Shuckers/Worth Major
30
11
Columbus, Indiana (Indianapolis)
Columbus Major NIT
29
12
Concord, California (Oakland)
Mike Davis Memorial
28
13
Sterling Heights, Michigan (Detroit)
Last Chance
26
14
Euless, Texas (Dallas)
Texas Legends NIT
24
15
Kissimmie, Florida (Orlando)
Hall of Fame Classic (Dual)
22
16
Raleigh, North Carolina
Carolina Shootout
21
17
Bridgeton, Missouri (St. Louis)
Gateway City Classic
18
17
Sherwood, Arkansas (Little Rock)
Pepsi Softball Classic
18
19
Kent, Washington (Seattle)
Combat Men’s Major (Dual)
15
145 mph. But some of the protective nettings, awnings and
graphics weren’t as lucky. Games resumed within a couple of
weeks of the historic storm, but signs of its damage are still
visible both inside Big League Dreams and at neighboring businesses along Interstate 45.
Each of the first two years of the Space City Classic – 2007 and
2008 – the tournament was was won by Resmondo/Specialty
Tank/Worth. Some of the blasts hit those years by players such
as Jeff Wallace, Rusty Bumgardner, Jeff Hall, Greg Connell and
others were probably detectable on the radars at nearby NASA.
But the Sod Boys decided not to return is 2009, which threw
the tournament wide open for all comers. Teams from eight
different states made the trek to the Space City, including 2007
runnerup Fencebrokers/Worth from Conway, Arkansas, 2008
third place finisher T&R Stucco/Worth from Polk City, Florida,
longtime national power The Scene from New York, plus
others from Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Colorado and,
of course, throughout Texas.
USSSA TODAY
9
T&R Stucco/Worth was the pre-tournament favorite, with one
Conference USSSA championship already under their belts
(Peach State Shootout), and they would not disappoint. Team
sponsor Troy Nance, manager Tim “Tiny” Taylor and chaperon/
coach Jackie Hayes showed up ready to play on Friday night.
Their first opponent was the LED Bulldogs, a local D team which
had posted 29 runs in a first round victory before meeting T&R
Stucco. The Bulldog bats weren’t quite a potent against T&R
pitcher Mike Rose, as Stucco impressed the huge crowd with a
25-4 stomping.
2009 Space City Champions- T&R Stucco/ Worth
Space City’s Offensive MVP was Wood Law’s Loyd Watson.
T&R returned Saturday morning to face Meridian, a strong B
team from Houston, which in 2001 previously won the ASA
Class A West National Championship. Meridian was missing
a few of their regular starters for the Space City Classic, and
one of their pickups for the weekend was former Minnesota
Twin and New York Yankee All-Star second-baseman Chuck
Knoblauch. The Meridian lineup also featured former Steele’s
slugger Kenny Scobee. But Knoblauch, Scobee & Company
could not muster so much as a single run as Rose pitched T&R
Stucco to a quick 16-0 blanking.
Next up was Corbell, from nearby Pearland, and T&R kept
rolling with a 21-8 victory to move into the semi-finals of the
winner’s bracket where they met Mafia/House of Pain, a strong
C team from Dallas. Mafia was not expected to be in this position, but they were already 4-0 in the SCC with three wins over
B teams including one over a Conference USSSA B team, Peak/
Capital Mortgage from Colorado. Mafia gave T&R Stucco all
they could handle, before Tiny’s Troops escaped by a narrow
15-12 margin.
That propelled T&R into the King Seat game late Saturday
night, where their bats woke up and produced a 31-15 runrule victory over Fencebrokers/Illustrated Sportswear/Worth.
Fencebrokers dropped to the loser’s bracket Sunday morning,
where teams had been pounding on each other all weekend
in the 95- degree Texas heat compounded by high humidity.
Co-MVP T&R Stucco/ Worth’s Mitch Mabe.
The team to emerge for Fencebrokers to face in the loser’s
bracket finals was one of USSSA’s surprise teams of 2009, Wood
Law from Dallas. The team, which began the year classified as
C, opened some eyes by winning four games in each of the two
season-opening Hall of Fame tournaments in Kissimmee, Fla.
Wood Law then added USSSA Major List player Dennis Shrum,
which forced them to move up to Class B.
Player/sponsor Doug Wood’s bunch really shocked the nation
by finishing third at the Texas Legends NIT near their North
Texas base. Among the high-profile teams finishing behind
Wood Law at that tournament included GTL/Stucco, AJS/
Easton, Fencebrokers/Worth, Showcase/Worth, WCS/LCV and
Combat USA. The only teams finishing ahead of Wood Law
were Major Open titans Resmondo and Dan Smith. Soon after
that stellar showing, Wood Law was moved up to Class A.
Fence Brokers took third place at the Space City NIT.
10 USSSA TODAY
Fencebrokers and Wood Law had met previously in the
winner’s bracket semi-finals of the Space City Classic, with
DATE
TOURNAMENT
COMPLEX
CITY
Sept. 26-27
Wish it Was Worlds Shootout
Big League Dreams
Mansfield
Oct. 3-4
STX October Shootout
Big League Dreams
League City
Oct. 17-18
NTX October Shootout
Big League Dreams
Mansfield
Oct. 31-1
Halloween Shootout
Kennedy Park
San Antonio
Nov. 7-8
STX November Shootout
Big League Dreams
League City
Nov. 14-15
Fall Budweiser Festival (STX)
BRAC/Veterans
Bryan/College Station
Nov. 14-15
Fall Budweiser Festival (NTX)
Big League Dreams
Mansfield
Dec. 5-6
NTX Christmas Bash
Big League Dreams
Mansfield
Dec. 12-13
STX Christmas Bash
Big League Dreams
League City
www.LoneStarSoftball.com
Fencebrokers taking a 19-12 win. There was much more on the
line in the re-match Sunday morning, as the winner advanced
to the championship game against T&R Stucco, while the loser
headed to the house. It was a pitchers dual and defensive
struggle for seven innings, until Wood Law pitcher L.C. Watson
hit a walkoff home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh
inning to give Wood Law a 15-14 win.
T&R Stucco/ Worth’s manager, Tim
“Tiny” Taylor.
Jackie Hayes, T&R Stucco/ Worth’s
team chaperone.
In the championship game, Wood Law – playing without the
absent Shrum on the weeeknd – kept it close for a few innings.
But after going down 1-2-3 in one of the middle innings, T&R
responded with a nine-run frame to blow the game open.
Then, with two out in the bottom of the fifth inning, Dustin
Roberts doubled to the gap in right-centerfield to score a pair
of runs and end the game on the 15-run-rule, 29-14.
T&R Stucco/Worth finished the tournament with a perfect 6-0
record, while Wood Law was runnerup at 6-2, Fencebrokers/
Worth was third at 4-2 and Mafia/House of Pain came in fourth
at 5-2.
The Scene lost their first game of the tournament in an upset,
then reeled off six straight wins before running out of gas
and finishing tied for fifth place with Corbell. Gametime/
Bonecrushers/Worth from Arkansas and FNS/DPS of San
Antonio tied for seventh, while Color Station from Ft. Worth,
Miken Express from Austin, Fighting Cocks from Houston and
the LA Strokers from Lafayette, Louisiana rounded out the top
10 tied for ninth place.
Mitch Mabe and Rich Gulash, both of T&R Stucco/Worth, were
named Co-Most Valuable Players of the tournament. Wood
Law’s L.C. Watson was named the Outstanding Offensive
Player, while T&R’s Randall Poplin was named the Outstanding
Defensive Player.
The rest of the All-Tournament Team included: John Dutch,
Mike Rose, Brad Stillwell and Dustin Roberts, of T&R Stucco;
Brandon Evans, Steve Whaley, Jebbie King and Kevin Ballard,
of Wood Law; Brian McElroy, Robert Stewart, Tim Bowser and
Chad Walker, of Fencebrokers; Keith Perry, Matt McFarlin and
Jason Allen, of Mafia/House of Pain; Ryan Riddle and Keith
Taylor, of Corbell; and Justin Valenti, of The Scene.
USSSA awards paid berths to the World Tournament for the
highest finishing non-Conference teams from each division.
Those awards went to: Men’s B – Corbell; Men’s C – Mafia/House
of Pain (who has since changed its team name to Fleetwood/
Tapout); Men’s D – LA Strokers; and Men’s E – Texas Scorpions.
In addition to the main double-elimination bracket, promoters
of the Space City Classic also provided separate single-elimination brackets for all divisions below Men’s B. The winners
of those consolation brackets were: Men’s C – Elite Softball
from Dickinson over Fidelity Medical from Spring; Men’s D
– The Endzone from Carencro, Louisiana over Xtreme from
Lafayette, Louisiana; Men’s E – Texas Scorpions from Houston
over the Blowholes from Tomball.
One of the attractions in NASA/Space City area.
12 USSSA TODAY
When Greg Huchingson brings LoneStarSoftball.com to Big League Dreams in League City,TX, the Hooter’s girls are always part of the program. Along side the girls
are Chuck Knoblauch, former New York Yankee all-star (in the blue shirt) and LoneStarSoftball’s Greg Huchingson (in the Hooter’s-orange shirt).
SPACE CITY ALL TOURNAMENT SELECTIONS
Player Tournament Awards
Players Name
SPACE CITY ALL TOURNAMENT SELECTIONS
Plays For
Players Name
Plays For
Tournament CO-MVP
Rich Gulash
T&R Stucco/Worth
All Tournament Team
Steve Whaley
Tournament CO-MVP
Mitch Mabe
T&R Stucco/Worth
All Tournament Team
Robert Stewart Fence Brokers/Illustrated Sportswear
Wood Law/Combat
Offensive Tournament MVP
Loyd Watson
Wood Law/Combat
All Tournament Team
Jebbie King
Wood Law/Combat
Defensive Tournament MVP
Randall Poplin
T&R Stucco/Worth
All Tournament Team
Ryan Riddle
CORBELL
All Tournament Team
Keith Perry
Fleetwood/Tap Out
All Tournament Team
Tim Bowser
All Tournament Team
John Dutch
T&R Stucco/Worth
All Tournament Team
Chad Walker
All Tournament Team
Matt Mcfarlin
Fleetwood/Tap Out
All Tournament Team
Michael Rose
T&R Stucco/Worth
All Tournament Team
Jason Allen
Fleetwood/Tap Out
All Tournament Team
Keith Taylor
CORBELL
All Tournament Team
Brandon Evans
Wood Law/Combat
All Tournament Team
Dustin Roberts
T&R Stucco/Worth
All Tournament Team
Brian Mcelroy
All Tournament Team
Kevin Ballard
Wood Law/Combat
All Tournament Team
Brad Stillwell
T&R Stucco/Worth
SPACE CITY ORDER OF FINISH
Place State
Team
Team Class
Wins
Loses
Ties
Runs
Scored
Runs
Allowed
Avg Runs Avg Allow Avg Diff
Max Runs
USSSA
Points
1
FL
T&R Stucco/Worth
SPMensA
6
0
0
137
53
22.8
8.83
14
31
300
2
TXN
Wood Law/Combat
SPMensA
6
2
0
134
107
16.7
13.3
3.37
36
220
3
AR
SPMensB
4
2
0
116
84
19.3
14
5.33
27
280
4
TXN
Fleetwood/Tap Out
SPMensC
5
2
0
107
95
15.2
13.5
1.71
28
160
5
MS
The Scene
SPMensA
6
2
0
176
90
22
11.2
10.7
30
70
5
TXS
CORBELL
SPMensB
4
2
0
124
112
20.6
18.6
2
28
140
USSSA TODAY 13
Resmondo/Worth
Makes It Five in a Row by Claiming
the Windy City Championship
by DW
The Windy City Invitational was the 11th tournament on the Conference schedule and as
the name suggests it was played in a suburb
of Chicago called Joliet at the Inwood Sports
Complex. Resmondo-Specialty Tank-Worth went
6-0 and defeated Dan Smith-Menosse-BenfieldCombat in both the winner’s bracket finals
(34-19) and finals (39-32). This was Resmondo’s
5th consecutive Conference Tournament victory
and they increased their winning streak to 25
straight games!
Resmondo-Specialty Tank-Worth was led by
Tournament MVP Dennis Rulli who was 20-23
.869 with 2 walks, 7 homers, and 20 RBI. They
also had the defensive MVP in Don Dedonatis Jr.
Dan Smith-Menosse-Benfield-Combat finished
2nd and played in the best game of the tournament, a 42-35 win over Bud Light/TPS/Linedrive/
Sports55 out of Michigan. Dan Smith was led
by offensive MVP Scott Brown 23-30 with 7
homers, 16 RBI, and 6 walks.
The third place finisher was GTL Cartel/Stucco/
Worth/Elite who lost an early game to Bud Light
25-23 and rebounded with 4 straight victories
over Conference opponents including sending
Long Haul/Miken/Phonemasters home with a
40-35 victory. GTL was led by Kevin Filby who
had a tournament high 41 RBI.
Fourth Place went to PRI/MFAB/Insanity. PRI
is a “B” team out of Cincinnati and lost their
first game to EWS/Boombah out of Chicago
15-11. PRI then won 6 straight including 5
wins vs Conference teams to finish 4th. PRI
is led by the middle of their defense with
pitcher TJ Thompson, middle infielder
Terry Rosenbalm, and centerfielder and
leadoff man Everett Hibbard.
The Chicago Major is quickly becoming
one of the tournaments that most Conference
teams are putting on their schedule each year.
The tournament drew 18 Conference teams this
year!
Dan Smith’s Scott Brown (featured on this issue’s front cover)
continues to have a solid season and picks up the Windy City
Offensive MVP.
14 USSSA TODAY
Proud Sponsor of the
2009 Windy City NIT
1530 Commerce Ln. • Joliet,IL
heroeswestsportsgrill.com
Windy City Defensive MVP was Donnie DeDonatis.
Resmondo/ Specialty Tank/ Worth’s Dennis Rulli- Windy City MVP with a .869
average for the weekend.
(815) 725-1234
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USSSA TODAY 15
Results from Conference Tournament #11 in Joliet, Illinois:
1
FL 6-0
2
CA 5-2
3
WA 6-2
4
PRI/MFAB/Insanity
OH 6-2
5
Bud Light/TPS/Linedrive/Sports55
MI 3-2
5
MN 3-2
7
EWS/BOOMBAH/SPORT PT/DLB
IL 4-2
7
Blitz/Watanabe/Weller/Minges/Easton
OH 3-2
9
MN 3-2
9
Showcase/All American Restoration
MN 3-2
9
Linedrive/Triplesss/Pipe/Easton
MI 2-2
9
PIPAC/TPS
IA 2-2
13
FL 2-2
13
Combat USA/Elite
WA 2-2
13
Hubs Pub/Elite
MO 2-2
13
FL 2-2
Public bat testing has been prevalent throughout conference events to discourage
bat shaving. USSSA legal counsel, David Evaul, and USSSA CEO Don DeDonatis
test an Easton Synergy TriZone BH. By the way, it passed.
The ladies responsible for making the Windy City one of the best conference events:
Kristen DeBoer,athletic coordinator of the Joliet Park District, and Tournament
Director, Brenda Paulson.
Tournament MVP
Dennis Rulli
Scott Brown
Don Dedonatis III
All Tournament Team
Terry Rosenbalm
PRI/MFAB/Insanity
All Tournament Team
Rick Baker
All Tournament Team
Brett Helmer
All Tournament Team
Rusty Bumgardner
All Tournament Team
Mike Bowlin
All Tournament Team
B J Fulk
All Tournament Team
Scott Nastally
All Tournament Team
Kevin Filby
All Tournament Team
Sam Lopez
All Tournament Team
Brian Rainwater
All Tournament Team
Jeff Wallace
All Tournament Team
Greg Connell
All Tournament Team
Vince Bisbee
All Tournament Team
Trent Thompson
PRI/MFAB/Insanity
16 USSSA TODAY
Long Haul Beats Top Teams
On Way to Dudley Title
By Dave Pedersen
Two prime additions were a definite plus for an Albertvillebased men’s softball team as Long Haul/Miken/Phonemasters
won six straight games to claim the title at the 27th Dudley/
Budweiser Classic Men’s Major National Invitational Softball
Tournament in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
The No. 3-ranked team in Conference USSSA had to beat the
top two squads in dramatic fashion to top the 36-team field
that included 22 squads from the national conference.
Winning the title was nothing new for Long Haul coach Gary
Jost and infielder JD Genter. Last season, both were key parts
for defending Dudley and USSSA Men’s Major World Series
champion Dan Smith-Menosse-Benfield-Combat.
Jost, who lives in Minnesota, was recruited by Long Haul
sponsor John Daniels, who also secured the services of Genter,
last year’s Dudley MVP. The middle infielder was named
tourney MVP again, helping to defeat his former team in the
finals 26-11. For the tourney, Genter batted 20 for 25 with six
walks for a .839 batting average.
Great sponsors and great organizers make for a great event for 27 years. (l to r)
Dudley Sports’ Mike Marrinan, Capitol Beverage Sales’ (Budweiser distributor)
Joel DuFresne, Tournament Director Warren Bellm, Joel Ericksen (City of
Brooklyn Center,MN), USSSA Central Division VP Gerry Turnberg and Easton
Sports’ Brett Helmer.
Long Haul opened with a 37-7 win over Titan Apparel before
defeating WCS 25-8, GTL 30-29, Dan Smith 48-35 and No. 1
Resmondo-Specialty Tank-Worth 34-32. The 26-11 victory
against Dan Smith sealed the tourney sweep.
Resmondo had won five straight conference tourney titles
this season. The team seemed in control against Long Haul in
the winner’s bracket final by taking a 12-run lead into the last
inning.
Long Haul mounted a gallant comeback by scoring 14 runs in
the top of the seventh to lead by two, not enough to create a
comfort zone. In the bottom half, Resmondo went down onetwo-three when Long Haul made two stellar defensive plays,
one leading to a double play.
Robert Blackburn
Dan Smith followed with a loser’s bracket game that ended
at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. The team returned for a 7 a.m. game
Sunday, resulting in a 33-28 win over T&R Stucco, followed by a
34-30 victory over Resmondo in a clash of the nation’s top two
teams. Dan Smith did not have much left in the tank against
Long Haul in the title game.
“We had a couple of great games on Saturday, I can tell you
that,” said Jost about the wins over Dan Smith and Resmondo.
“It was nice to get an extra couple of hours sleep. We were
18 USSSA TODAY
Tournament Director Warren Bellm
has been doing it for 27 years.
Tornament MVP- Long Haul’s JD
Genter.
either fortunate or very good.”
Jost left the team that had won it all because he wanted to
get back with his friends in Minnesota. Daniels helped get Jost
going in big time softball and is one of his best friends. Jost adds,
“When John asked me to do this, it was hard to say no to him.
Plus, I could coach with Teddy Larson, another longtime friend.”
After losing the first game at the World Series last year, Jost
led Dan Smith to the title, the first time it was done that way.
Now coaching against the team, Jost said he knows where the
players like to hit it, but “they are so talented they can hit it
anywhere they want.”
Long Haul entered the Dudley Classic with a few players slowed
by injury. Outfielder Matt King was injured in a car accident on
his way to Minnesota from Michigan.
Joey Gordon from Bud Light.
Other Long Haul players honored as All-Tournament were
Ryan Robbins, Jeff Hall, Brent McCollum, Jeremy Isenhower,
J.C. Phelps, Robert Blackburn and Geno Buck.
Blackburn went 25 for 29 at the plate to average .867. Phelps
led with 13 home runs and 29 RBIs when batting .786. McCollum
drove in 26 runs with 11 homers. Brooklyn Park native Scott
Streibel batted .607.
Jeff McGavin from Dan Smith was named MVP on defense. He
joined teammates Rick Baker, Scott Brown from Minnesota,
Rusty Bumgardner and Brian Wegman as All Tournament.
Resmondo players honored were Dennis Rulli, Don DeDonatis
and Greg Connell, all batting over .800. Jason Branch and
Oscar Shipley from fourth-place T&R Stucco were also named
All-Tournament.
USSSA Central Division VP-Gerry Turnberg was on hand to make sure the taps
flowed smoothly.
Genter, switched from Dan Smith to Long Haul because of his
new bat sponsor, TPS/ Louisville Slugger. He was able to stay
with coach Jost.
“It takes lots of hard work to play at this level,” said Genter,
who is one of the smaller players on the team. “The game is
more about being an athlete now.. It is not about how many
home runs you hit anymore, but about who catches it, especially with the new homerun limits. You got to get on base so
the home runs count.”
Frank Webb from Resmondo said his players hit it hard, which
is the object of the game. “It is not that we played poorly, but
it is difficult to play at the level we had been playing week in
and week out,” adds Webb. “We didn’t play that poorly, but
losing will give us motivation to want to come back and get
back on it.”
Scott Streibel from Long Haul.
20 USSSA TODAY
Pat Deslander from Dan Smith said his team did not answer the
bell against Long Haul and could not keep on the pressure by
using the home runs wisely. The coach was proud and pleased
the way his team battled back to reach the final despite getting
very little sleep.
Long Haul/ PhoneMasters/ Miken wins the 27th Annual Dudley/ Budweiser
Classic by Easton.
DUDLEY/BUDWEISER CLASSIC ALL TOURNAMENT SELECTIONS
Players Name
Plays For
Tournament MVP
JD Genter
Jeff McGavin
All Tournament Team
Dennis Rulli
All Tournament Team
Ryan Robbins
All Tournament Team
Rick Baker
All Tournament Team
Scott Brown
All Tournament Team
Jeff Hall
All Tournament Team
Rusty Bumgardner Dan Smith-Menosse-Benfield-Combat
All Tournament Team
Don DeDonatis III
All Tournament Team
Brian Wegman
All Tournament Team
Jason Branch
T&R Stucco/Worth
All Tournament Team
Brett McCollum
All Tournament Team
Greg Connell
All Tournament Team
Jeremy Isenhower
All Tournament Team
JC Phelps
All Tournament Team
Robert Blackburn
All Tournament Team
Oscar Shipley
T&R Stucco/Worth
All Tournament Team
Geno Buck
Father’s Day at the Dudley
is Special for T&R Players
Troy Nance with his wife, Buffy.
Dustin Roberts and wife, Shea
with daughters Summer (left) and
Madison (right)
DUDLEY/BUDWEISER CLASSIC ORDER OF FINISH
Place State
Team
Team Class
Wins
Loses
Ties
Runs
Scored
Runs
Allowed Avg Runs Avg Allow Avg Diff Max Runs
USSSA
Points
1
MN
SPMensMajor
6
0
0
200
122
33.3
20.3
13
48
150
2
CAN
SPMensMajor
6
2
0
247
196
30.8
24.5
6.37
40
110
3
FL
SPMensMajor
4
2
0
170
81
28.3
13.5
14.8
34
90
4
FL
T&R Stucco/Worth
SPMensA
4
2
0
136
124
22.6
20.6
2
39
160
5
VA
Taylormade / Titan / Pas / Mizuno
SPMensA
4
2
0
148
117
24.6
19.5
5.16
35
140
5
MI
Bud Light/Tps/Linedrive/Sports55
SPMensA
4
2
0
109
94
18.1
15.6
2.5
32
140
7
TN
Jeanshoppe/Chaneys/Easton/Sports55
SPMensA
3
2
0
84
97
16.8
19.4
-2.6
28
120
7
WA
Gtl Cartel/Stucco/Worth/Elite
SPMensA
3
2
0
121
122
24.2
24.4
-0.1
29
120
USSSA TODAY 21
The 41st Annual
Smoky Mountain Classic
was Great as Usual
by DW
The 41st Annual Smoky Mountain Classic
was tournament #17 on the Conference
schedule and was played on July 10-12.
The Smoky is the only unlimited homer
regular season Conference tournament.
The tournament was won by ResmondoSpecialty Tank-Worth who went 5-0 and
beat Long Haul/Miken/Phonemasters
in the finals 30-28. Resmondo is now
34-2 in their last 36 games and the two
games they lost were by 4 runs or less.
This is quite an impressive run.
The Smoky Mountain Classic drew some
nice sized crowds and the general atmosphere of the tournament is the best
in big time softball. Games are played
throughout the city at 4 different locations on 6 fields total.
Resmondo was led by co-MVP’s Greg
Connell 20-26 .769 with 15 homer’s and
34 RBI and Jeff Wallace 18-25 .720 with 9
homers and 18 RBI. Resmondo knocked
off Long Haul 33-23 in the winner’s final
Saturday night and beat them again
30-28 in the championship on Sunday.
Smoky Mountain Classic recognized Long Haul’s Matt King as Offensive MVP with a .864 OBP.
Long Haul/Miken/Phonemasters from
Minnesota finishes 2nd and run ruled
Softball Times, Logo Express, GTL,
Taylormade, and Dan Smith for all 5 of
their wins. Long Haul’s only losses were
the championship round games against
Resmondo. Long Haul was led by
Offensive MVP of the tournament Matt
King who was 16-19 .842 with 5 homers
and 17 RBI.
3rd Place went to Dan Smith-MenosseBenfield-Combat who went 5-2. They
were upset by Taylormade who used a
15 run 2nd inning to beat them 24-19.
4th Place went to T&R Stucco/Worth out
of Florida who exited the tournament
after losing to Dan Smith in a close 30-29
game in the loser’s bracket.
22 USSSA TODAY
Donnie DeDonatis has become a familiar choice at Conference USSSA events for being selected Defensive
MVP...the Smoky Mountain Classic is no different.
The familiar swing of all-tournament Jeff Hall...... .750 OBP.
All tournament selection- Resmondo’s Vince Bisbee.
Long Haul’s All Tournament selection with a .731 OBP- Psycho Robbins.
This year’s classic had co-mvps- Jeff Wallace and Greg Connell.
Accepting the 41st Smoky Mountain Classic Championship plaque is Resmondo/
Specialty Tank/ Worth’s Todd Martin. Also pictured is Joe Huff, Marty Millsaps,
Todd’s son and Chris Clark.
Long Haul’s John Daniels (JD) accepts second place plaque from tournament
directors Chris Clark and Joe Huff, far right is Blount Today’s Marty Millsaps.
USSSA TODAY 23
Results from Conference Tournament #17 in Maryville, TN:
1
FL 5-0
2
MN 5-2
3
CA 5-2
4
T&R Stucco/Worth
FL 5-2
5
TN 3-2
5
Taylormade / Titan / Pas / Mizuno
VA 3-2
7
Major League Softball
GA 3-2
7
WA 3-2
9
Johnny Blaze/Combat/Elite
NV 3-2
9
Player’s Warehouse/Berties/Miken
KY 3-2
9
MN 3-2
9
Knight’s Softball
NC 3-2
FL 2-2
13
Combat USA/Elite
WA 2-2
13
Hubs Pub/Elite
MO 2-2
13
FL 2-2
Thanks to experienced directors and dedicated sponsors the 41st Annual Smoky
Mountain Classic was once again a big hit. (l to r) Tournament Director Joe Huff,
Boombah’s Rick Jackson (RJ), Blount Today’s Publisher Sherri Gardner Howell,
Louisville Slugger/TPS’ Hank Bassett and Tournament Director Chris Clark.
Tournament CO-MVP
Jeff Wallace
Tournament CO-MVP
Greg Connell
Matt King
Don DeDonatis III
All Tournament Team
John Dutch
T&R Stucco/Worth
All Tournament Team
Ryan Robbins
All Tournament Team
Jeff Hall
All Tournament Team
JD Genter
All Tournament Team
B J Fulk
All Tournament Team
Scott Nastally
All Tournament Team
Don DeDonatis III
All Tournament Team
Brian Wegman
All Tournament Team
Bryson Baker
All Tournament Team
Andy Purcell
All Tournament Team
Brian Rainwater
All Tournament Team
Vince Bisbee
All Tournament Team
Scott Kirby
All Tournament Team
JC Phelps
All Tournament Team
Dustin Roberts
T&R Stucco/Worth
24 USSSA TODAY
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Long Haul/ PhoneMasters/ Miken in the
Winner’s Circle for the Second Time
by DW
Conference tournament #21 is known
as “The Last Chance Tournament”. Last
Chance meaning - the last tournament
that teams can score points for berths
in the Conference Championships and
the Major World Series. The tournament
was held in Sterling Hts Michigan at the
Liberty Park of America.
The tournament was won by Long Haul/
Miken/Phonemasters who went 4-0
and defeated Jean Shoppe/Chaneys/
Easton/Sports55 29-14 in the winner’s
bracket finals. This was Long Haul’s 2nd
Conference Tournament Championship.
Long Haul was never really challenged
late in any of their games and the tournament victory validates their big win at
the Dudley earlier in the year.
Resmondo who was sent to the loser’s
bracket by Jean Shoppe Sunday morning
36-35 came back through the loser’s
bracket to meet Shoppe, however
the Resmondo/Shoppe rematch never
happened as both teams left to catch
flights. Jean Shoppe was given 2nd
place, Resmondo 3rd and Bud Light
finished 4th.
Jean Shoppe/ Chaney’s/ Easton’s all-tournament selection- Eric Thompson.
Jean Shoppe’s Dan Bean, all tournament, pulls back into first base.
This tournament also known as the
Michigan Major NIT and was marred
by a line of thunderstorms that poured
water on the fields from 6 AM Saturday
morning until 5 PM Saturday evening.
Many of the teams decided to take flights
home on Sunday instead of finishing
the tournament. For the weekend there
were a total of 10 forfeits.
Due to the rain all loser’s bracket games
were played with a 5 inning or 1 hour
time limit (whichever came first).
Long Haul’s Mike Rhines- 2009 Last Chance MVP
26 USSSA TODAY
Last Chance’s Defensive MVP- Long Haul’s Brett
McCollum.
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Results from Conference Tournament #21 in Sterling Hts, MI:
1
MN 4-0
2
TN 3-1
3
FL 4-1
4
Bud Light/TPS/Linedrive/Sports55
MI 4-2
5
AZ 4-2
5
PRI/MFAB/Insanity
OH 3-2
7
Rochester Athletic/National Gold
RI 4-2
7
Linedrive/Triplesss/Pipe/Easton
MI 4-2
9
Mobile 1/Royal Roofing/Themshirts
MI 3-2
9
FL 2-2
9
Gtl Cartel/Stucco/Worth/Elite
WA 1-2
9
CA 1-2
FL 2-2
13
Combat USA/Elite
WA 2-2
13
Hubs Pub/Elite
MO 2-2
13
FL 2-2
Dago had to rework the umpires with the rain delay.
Last Chance tournament director Tony DeDonatis says “what rain?”
Tournament MVP
Mike Rhines
Marty Malloy
Brett McCollum
All Tournament Team
Brad Reckart
All Tournament Team
Jeff Graus
All Tournament Team
Ryan Robbins
All Tournament Team
Hank Garris
All Tournament Team
Jeff Hall
All Tournament Team
Don DeDonatis III
All Tournament Team
Billy Messina
All Tournament Team
Bryson Baker
All Tournament Team
Jeff Wallace
All Tournament Team
Brian Puckett
All Tournament Team
Matt King
All Tournament Team
Jeremy Isenhower
All Tournament Team
Eric Thompson
All Tournament Team
Ryan Thiede
All Tournament Team
Dan Bean
All Tournament Team
Dustin Roberts
T&R Stucco/Worth
28 USSSA TODAY
National Pro Fastpitch
Championship Series
by Erin Statmore
Photos by Dina Kwit
Osterman and the Thunder Take it All
Round One of the Championship Series:
Akron, Ohio – The National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Championship
Series was hosted by the Akron Racers organization on August
19th – 23rd. The top four teams in league standings get the
opportunity to compete for the prestigious Cowles Cup. For
the second consecutive season, the Chicago Bandits finished
the year as regular season champions and clinched the #1 seed
heading into playoffs with a league-best 27-12 record. The
Akron Racers awaited the conclusion of the regular season
and finished in second place with a 26-14 mark after taking
four out of five games against the league-leading Chicago
Bandits in Elgin, Ill. Cat Osterman, arguably the biggest roadblock for Chicago en route to their first place finish, suffered
her first loss on the year, dropping to 11-1 as the Rockford
Thunder solidified the #3 playoff slot with a 19-21 record. The
USSSA Pride dashed the Philadelphia Force’s playoff hopes in
Allentown, Pa. with a 3-2 series to clinch the final slot to Akron
with a 15-24 record.
#1 Chicago Bandits vs #4 USSSA Pride
(Best of 3 series)
President and Commissioner, Cheri Kempf states, “The NPF
Championship Series positions the most talented athletes in
the sport of women’s Fastpitch softball on opposite sides of the
field. Whenever you have the greatest opposing the greatest
you are bound to be entertained.”
On what was supposed to be the beginning of the tournament, on Thursday. August 20, 2009, turned into be a complete
rain-out with games beginning on Friday August 21st. USSSA
Pride took on the Chicago Bandits in Game 1 of a best out of
three format. The Bandits came out on top with a 1-0 win on
a Stacy May walk-off double. Jennie Finch worked tirelessly in
the circle, earning the win for the Bandits with seven strong
innings. In a game which saw just three hits surrendered, Finch
allowed one base knock and struck out five on the day. Pride
starter Monica Abbott took the loss in 6.1 innings of work
despite holding the Bandits to just a pair of hits and registering
eight strikeouts. The Pride manufactured their first threat of
the day when Amber Jackson crushed a would-be homer to
right field but was robbed by Nicole Trimboli, who made the
diving catch through the breakaway outfield fence to end the
threat and inning.
Game 2 showed that the USSSA Pride were out to prove themselves as the underdog of the tournament. After falling 1-0 to
the top seeded Chicago Bandits in the first game of a double
USSSA TODAY 29
header, the USSSA Pride needed to win the night cap
to keep their championship hopes alive. Pitcher Sarah
Pauly and some timely power carried the Pride to that
victory 2-1.
The USSSA Pride upset the Chicago Bandits 2-0 Saturday
afternoon at Firestone Stadium to move one step closer
to an NPF title. The Pride relied on a great performance
in the circle by Monica Abbott and some early offense to
gain the victory. The Pride advanced to the Championship
Series to face the winner of the Thunder/Racers game
later that day. On the opposite side of Abbott was Jennie
Finch, who threw a strong game of her own, struck out
an amazing 14 hitters while surrendering two runs on
five hits and three walks. The Pride finished the scoring
for the game in the top of the third inning when Kelly
Kretschman led off with a home run down the right field
line. Pride would be the eventual winner and move onto
the Finals of the Championship Series.
#2 Akron Racers vs #3 Rockford Thunder (Best of 3 series)
In Game 1 of this match-up, the Akron Racers capitalized
on a pair of Thunder errors, relied on solid defense, and
had impressive pitching to defeat the Rockford Thunder,
1-0 at Firestone Stadium. Racers rookie Lisa Norris picked
up the win for Akron, throwing all seven innings and
allowing just two hits while recording eight strikeouts
in her first NPF playoff outing. Cat Osterman took the
tough luck loss after surrendering three hits, four walks
and notching 11 strikeouts.
With the Akron Racers holding a 1-0 lead in the first
round of the NPF Championships, Cat Osterman and
Angela Tincher faced off in what started as a great
pitching match-up in Game 4. Tincher carried a perfect
game through the first three innings, while Osterman
surrendered only one walk in the same time frame. That
would be where the duel would ultimately end. In the
top of the fourth inning, Tincher walked Shanel Scott.
After a stolen base by Scott, Chelsea Spencer knocked a
double to the left-center field gap to score the Thunder
base runner. Spencer came home when Amanda Williams
lined a single back up the middle to make the score 2-0
in favor of the Thunder forcing the if-game.
The Rockford Thunder and Akron Racers met for game
3 of the first round of the NPF playoffs and the Thunder
took control early and never looked back defeating
Akron 7-2. Osterman controlled the Racers’ bats all
afternoon in the circle and the Thunder bats came
alive against Akron’s pitching staff en route to the
victory that placed Rockford in the championship round
against the USSSA Pride. The Thunder showed their
offensive prowess early. In the top of the second, Lisa
Norris walked both Megan Willis and Shanna Diller back
to back. Later in the inning, Chelsie Mesa hit a single
down the left field line to drive in the first run and give
Rockford a 1-0 lead.
30 USSSA TODAY
Finals of the NPF Championship Series
The Finals of the Championship Series would be the
eventual winner Rockford Thunder versus the USSSA
Pride. The USSSA Pride and Rockford Thunder met in
Game 1 of the NPF Championship Finals at Firestone
Stadium on Saturday night, and the Pride grabbed the
game one victory 4-0 behind a strong pitching performance by Sarah Pauly and timely hitting throughout the
Pride lineup. The Pride got the scoring going right away
as Kristin Schnake singled with one out to right field.
Two batters later Amber Jackson drove the ball back up
the middle to score Schnake. That would be how the
score would stay for the next three innings as Pauly and
Thunder starter Allison Kime engaged in a pitcher’s duel
for the first half of the game. Then in the top of the
fourth the Pride broke through for a big inning, scoring
three runs.
For Game 2 of the Championship Series Finals, the
Rockford Thunder, facing elimination, turned to
their ace Cat Osterman who delivered the type of big
performance that her team needed. Osterman led the
Thunder with a complete game shutout performance
outdueling Pride ace Monica Abbott 2-0. Osterman
struck out 13 Pride hitters while only allowing five hits
in seven innings of pitching. The win gave Osterman her
third victory of the playoffs as she has earned all of her
team’s wins. She gave up only two runs in four starts for
Rockford.
The Rockford Thunder captured their first Cowles Cup at
Firestone Stadium on Sunday afternoon crowning them
the 2009 NPF Champions as they defeated the USSSA
Pride 2-0 in the final game of the season. Rockford
climbed back from a 1-0 deficit and near elimination to
win both of their series on the weekend and become
champions. Cat Osterman led the way with her second
complete game shut out of the day only allowing
the Pride to have one single and a walk on the day.
Between the two games on Sunday, Osterman struck
out an amazing 26 batters and only gave up four hits.
For the tournament, Osterman struck out 50 batters in
31 innings in five starts, pitching 31 of her team’s 41
innings. The only player to get on for the Pride in game
three was Oli Keohohou who drew a walk and hit an
infield single that bounced off Osterman’s glove in the
fifth inning. Osterman was named Tournament MVP
going 4-1 with 50 strikeouts.
After playing every single game possible (9) during the
Championship Series, Kempf had this to say “I am sorry
for any true fastpitch fan that missed the action in this
Series. The competition and quality of play was second
to no other sports championship that exists. In the
future, the challenge for the NPF is to share this experience with many more sports enthusiasts.”
USSSA TODAY 31
Balls
Furnished By
32 USSSA TODAY
Cisneros Heads Up A Team Of Bat Testers
Michael Cisneros began his professional life
as a sports writer for various newspapers in
Texas and California 26 years ago, covering
everything from Texas high school football
and Mexican League baseball to the PGA
Pebble Beach Pro Am and the professional
boxing beat. Since 1998, he has been
writing about the slow pitch softball scene,
specializing in the game’s technologies,
hitting the newest bats on the market and
reviewing them for national softball magazines. He can usually be found sitting in
front of his keyboard when he’s not busy playing
ball somewhere.
He started playing league ball in 1988
and made the jump to tournament
play as soon as he discovered such a
thing existed. Especially enamored
of the Mixed game, he has been
a part of two World Champion
teams and was named USSSA
C Manager of the Year in
’98 and NSA C World Series
MVP in ’01. He has lost his
hair, gained some weight
and worn out his knees,
but still prefers to play
– and write about –
the game of slow
pitch softball.
He lives in Austin, Texas with Joanne, his wife of 23 years, and daughters Brianne and Mikayla. And Lopez, the dog (will somebody get him
out of my chair and feed him).
There was a time when I could – and would – hit all these bats
hundreds of times each on my own as research for my reviews, but
as I got older (and wiser) I found I could get as much and sometimes
more information by watching others hit as well, seeing how they
responded, asking them questions, comparing them to what I felt
when I hit them. So I have a number of players – all tournament
players of some level or another – to thank for their help and insight
in gathering information for these reviews:
The hitters (and their average swing speed): Michael Cisneros (75
mph); Kendall Clements (84 mph); Ken Domel (82 mph); Jerry Garcia
(76 mph); Kara Garrett (55 mph); Crispin Harmel (84 mph); Stacy
Harmel (58 mph); Omar Harris (83 mph); Clint Henderson (84 mph);
David Juarez (75 mph); Aaron Kingsriter (77 mph); Debra Kingsriter
(61 mph); Jonathon Malek (83 mph); Gabe Orozco (74 mph); Frank
Ramirez Jr. (95 mph); Bobby Ray (93 mph); Sarah Ray (65 mph);
Lonnie Reed (90 mph); Aaron Schelle (82 mph); Ashley Self (66 mph);
Danny Teller (81 mph); and Shea Wertz (96 mph).
The ball we hit was the Dudley Thunder Advance MLT12SPY,
featuring Multi-Layer Technology. Each ball has a hard multi-poly core
designed for distance and durability surrounded by a soft, thin mantle
designed to absorb unwanted vibration and eliminate bat damage.
The cover is synthetic and long-wearing. The USSSA Distance model
is a .44 Coefficient of Restitution ball with a compression of not more
than 500 lbs.
USSSA TODAY 33
Combat Virus Plague BL Johnny McCraw
Dan Smith/Combat’s
Scott Brown
Technology:
The Virus Plague Balanced takes Combat’s first highperformance triple-wall composite bat and weights it for
the non-power hitter; whereas the original Plague put
extra weight at the end, the Balanced spreads it through
the barrel, allowing batters with slow hands to get
around quicker or batters with really slow hands to go
to a heavier bat for more mass through the hitting zone.
The Plague Balanced shares all of the features of the original Plague: Precision Molding Technology for extremely
tight tooling tolerances of +/- .0005-inch allowing for
consistent wall thickness that maximizes trampoline
(hoop) flex; a Triple Wall design with three distinct walls
in the barrel: multi-walled bats come out of the wrapper
much hotter; Anisotropic Composite Technology for ultra
soft feel; Variable Stiffness Technology to reduce stiffness
on both sides of the sweet spot allowing for enhanced
sweet spot size; Nanocomp Technology enhancing the
carbon fiber/resin combination making it more durable
than standard composites; and Maximum Performance
technology engineered to perform at the upper limit
of the USSSA bat standard. It also has a new 13.5-inch
barrel length – a full 2.5-inches longer than any previous
Virus model. New Blended Fiber technology uses the best
bits of various composites. And the Balanced weighting
helps finesse hitters control the swing throughout the
hitting zone.
Company line:
“With its 13.5” barrel, the Johnny McCraw Virus Plague
is pushing the boundaries of performance. It is Hot Out
of the Wrapper and with an Ultra Soft Feel and a Triple
Wall Construction, the durability and performance is
unbelievable!” – combatbaseball.com
Review:
Combat’s Virus line has always been built with the power
hitter in mind: short barrels, end weighting and thin
handles are among the items atop any home run hitter’s
wish list. The Virus Plague Balanced (BL) flies in the face of
all of that. The result is another winner for Combat.
The balanced Plague is built the same way as the Plague
Fully Loaded, minus the end load: the barrel is 13.5 inches,
the longest barrel in company history; it has a triplewall construction with three separate walls in the barrel
that work independently or together depending on how
many of the walls you flex with your swing; Nanocomp
Technology Inside means a strengthened and consistent
resin system; Anistropic Composite Technology means topgrade carbon fibers for performance and strength; Variable
Stiffness Technology means the barrel gets easier to flex
away from the center of the barrel so balls hit away from
the traditional sweet spot can still be put in play;
and the thin handle is the style preferred by most
tournament players.
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By removing the weight from
the end and choosing to
make the barrel in multi
walls instead of multi layers,
Combat seems to have given the Plague BL a remarkably
soft feel. When you hit the ball, the feedback to the hands
is such that you know immediately what you did, how well
you did it and where that ball is off to. Maybe that is a
by-product of educated hands that have spent 20 years in
the game, but after the first dozen hits or so, it seemed real
obvious that the Plague had extraordinary feel.
As such it is an easy bat to spray the ball around with: loop
the low pitch over the pitcher’s head, push the high pitch
through the 3-4 hole, drop a soft swing into the short
outfield, or pull a hard liner into the 5-6 hole. You don’t
need to guess with this bat because you can handle whatever pitch you are required to hit.
Doesn’t sound like I’m describing a Combat, with all the
talk about placement and feel; it does have the pop of a
top-of-the-line bat and you can take the ball out of the park
if you don’t mind supplying a bit more effort than with a
traditional end load. But it seems expressly designed for the
non-power hitter.
Being a triple wall, the Plague does seem to require little to
no break-in time. It also seems more durable than previous
multi-layered Viruses. If you tried a Combat in the past and
just didn’t make consistent contact with it, it’s time to give
it another try. As long as you swing with your eyes open you
have a chance to hit with this one.
Selected Tester’s Quote:
“This thing was hot right away, but the thing I like about it
is it really feels great. I could really feel the ball coming off
the barrel and knew what I was going to do when I made
contact, no matter what kind of contact I made.” – Crispin
Harmel (81 mph swing speed average)
Other views:
“The three-walled barrel flexes easily. If you swing hard
enough to flex all three walls you will get great distance; if
you don’t and only flex one or two walls, you still get decent
performance if not a lot of distance.” – Southwest Softball
Magazine
Description:
•13.5 Inch Barrel Length
• Triple-Wall Construction
• Anistropic Composite
Technology
• Blended Fiber Technology
9
• Nanocomp Technology Inside
• Variable Stiffness Technology
• Balanced load
• Available in 26-28 and 30 ounce
• 1.20 BPF Rating
• Approved by USSSA, NSA, ISA
and ISF
• MSRP $299.99
Combat Virus Plague FL Johnny McCraw
Dan Smith/Combat’s
Johnny McCraw
Technology:
The Virus Plague is Combat’s first high-performance
triple-wall composite bat; whereas the original Virus
was a multi-layered single wall, the Plague features
three distinct walls in the barrel. One of the main differences between multi-layered and multi-walled bats
is the amount of break-in time required: multi-walls
come out of the wrapper much hotter. The Plague
shares many of the features of the original Virus:
Precision Molding Technology for extremely tight tooling
tolerances of +/- .0005-inch allowing for consistent
wall thickness that maximizes trampoline (hoop) flex;
Anisotropic Composite Technology for ultra soft feel;
Variable Stiffness Technology to reduce stiffness on
both sides of the sweet spot allowing for enhanced
sweet spot size; Nanocomp Technology enhancing the
carbon fiber/resin combination making it more durable
than standard composites; and Maximum Performance
technology engineered to perform at the upper limit of
the USSSA bat standard. What makes it different is the
new 13.5-inch barrel length – a full 2.5-inches longer
than any previous Virus model. New Blended Fiber technology uses the best bits of various composites. And
Fully Loaded extreme end load weighting helps get the
barrel through the hitting zone quicker, adding distance
for power hitters.
Company line:
“15 of the 30 players in the Inaugural Border Battle (July
18) between the USA and Canadian slowpitch softball
teams swung Combat including Rusty Baumgardner,
Johnny McCraw and Jason Kendrick of team USA.” –
combatbaseball.com
Review:
The Plague doesn’t look much like a Combat. It has a
different shape and color.
But despite those two obvious differences, there is no
denying this Virus’ parentage – it is all Combat.
Combat designs slow pitch bats to hit the ball a long
way. The Plague lives up to that legacy; it won’t suddenly
make you a home run hitter, but if you like to hit home
runs it certainly will make things easy for you.
It has a wonderful feel; we were able to unwrap the bat
and put it directly in a game and hit it like it was an old
friend. Since everyone was curious to try it, we passed
the bat down through the lineup. The performance was
so consistently good we got accused of using a doctored
bat – by a team that watched us unwrap it.
The three-walled barrel flexes easily. If you swing hard
enough to flex all three walls you will get great distance;
if you don’t and only flex one or two walls, you still get
decent performance if not a lot of distance.
The Plague is the first Virus with a barrel more than 11-inches
long. The new length means Combat has finally
made a high-performance bat for everyone;
36 USSSA TODAY
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their 11-inch models meant
considerably less hitting
surface than other top-ofthe-line composites and
a smaller sweet spot too.
With a 13.5-inch barrel,
there is 2.5-inches more
hitting surface and with Combat’s combination of Precision
Molding Technology for maximum allowable performance,
Separation Barrier Technology allowing each wall to work
independently and respond to individual hitter’s swings,
and Anisotropic Composite Technology for soft, responsive
feel, that extra surface is going to be sweet.
What this all means is hitters are going to get consistent
performance with the Plague even if they don’t necessarily
make good and consistent contact like is needed to get the
most out of the other Virus models.
This is Combat’s first signature bat, carrying the name
of Johnny McCraw, a 16-time All-World selection and
former WSL Long Haul Bombers Stadium Tour Home Run
Champion.
McCraw’s philosophy of hitting is simple – “If your shoes
are still on after you swing, then you didn’t swing hard
enough. Incorporate your legs and hips into your swing
as much as possible because that is where you get your
power.”
McCraw and the Plague sound perfectly suited for Combat.
“What I like about the bat is the thin handle that gives it an
old school feeling, like when we used to play in the back
yard with broomstick handles. The Plague definitely has a
large sweet spot and is end-loaded. The bat was hotter
than fish grease when it came out of the wrapper: it did
not take but 25 to 50 cuts and it was ready to go. I would
recommend this bat to anyone that is looking for power
and distance. Another thing I love about that bat is that
it is easy to control when needing base hits. You will get
base hit with power through the gaps and alleys.” – Frank
Ramirez (95 mph swing speed average)
Other views:
“No doubt the hottest bat I’ve seen out of the wrapper, this
bat is no joke … large sweet spot … the ball jumps off of it;
paint chips easily … seems people with slower swing speeds
aren’t as successful with this bat” – softballbats.com
Description:
• 13.5 Inch Barrel Length
• Triple-Wall Construction
• Anistropic Composite
Technology
• Blended Fiber Technology
9
• Nanocomp Technology Inside
• Variable Stiffness Technology
• Fully Loaded extreme end load
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $299.99
DeMarini One
Technology:
It uses the same materials as the Juggernaut, J2, RD28 and
Geezer along with much of the same technology – a trademark Stacked (multi-wall) barrel, Voodoo composite handle
and Clutch end-cap holding it all together. The difference is
the elevated stiffness of the composite; The One measures
4.1 on DeMarini’s stiffness scale of 1-5 (hence the 4.ONE
composite label on the barrel), the stiffest composite the
company has ever made. Add to that an adjusted handle
and end cap and you’ve got a bat like nothing else DeMarini
has ever made.
The DeMarini One for USSSA is a newer version of the
well-reviewed One for ASA, only longer, stiffer and hotter
than the original. And like the original, it is a two-piece
bat designed with the feel of a one-piece. It is made of
4.ONE composite, a proprietary design that uses narrow,
multiple lay-ups to create one of the stiffest composites
found in softball. The 13.5-inch barrel is Stacked – the
latest generation of Demarini’s Doublewall technology –
with multiple walls separated by Power Ply to allow the
walls to flex independently for performance whether one
wall or all walls flex on a given hit. The handle is also
made of stiff carbon fiber and is bonded to the barrel
through Half & Half technology. The stiffness of both
pieces results in a feel like a one-piece with more feel
than is normal in a two-piece. The One is balanced for
control through the hitting zone.
There is not drop off in performance between The One and
past models, but the feel is radically different. Call it an
enhancing or and awakening: like adding a new spice to
a favorite dish. It’s not for everybody, but those who like a
little more flavor are going to love it.
“I can say from experience that we’ve never made better
bats,” said Garnett, who helped test Ray DeMarini’s original
designs. “From 1993 to 1997, a lot of people think that was
the heyday for DeMarini and that those bats are the best we
ever made. But we have many of those bats here to cross
check our current bats with and the new ones are better.”
Company line:
“In tournament softball there are a lot of people who
want a bat that provides feedback to the hands and lets
them know if they are hitting the center of percussion
or missing it. Not so in recreation ball, where players
are just fine with the bat covering up their mistakes. But
tournament players are a big enough driver of the slow
pitch game that we thought it was a good idea to make
this bat for them.” – Jerry Garnett, DeMarini Marketing
Manager
“Maybe I’m getting to be a grumpy old man in this game,
but I love the idea of a bat that rewards good contact
instead of simply covering up the mistakes of a poor swing.
It’s a two-piece bat for the one-piece snob, an option for
the player who can hit with a wooden bat but wants the
benefit of two-piece technology” – Michael Cisneros (75
mph swing speed average)
Review:
In the decade that DeMarini has made Half & Half
composite bats, they have established what could be
called the “DeMarini Feel” – a bat soft through the barrel,
stiffer through the handle, and with the two-piece design
muffling the vibration between the two pieces. And it has
been a successful formula. But it has also ignored a specific
segment of the softball population.
“Our niche was always to create the Cadillac of sweet
spots,” explains Garnett. “Then we ran into a group that
didn’t want that. They wanted the feedback when they
didn’t hit it square, to feel it so that they could make adjustments and make a better swing, become a better hitter.”
Other views:
“You will get so much use out of this bat whether you use
it for practice to refine your swing and understand how you
are interacting with the ball or whether you save it for the
‘big time.’ This softball bat pops right out of the wrapper and,
I’ve got to say, it makes a nice sound as it sends the ball flying.
Furthermore, the unique graphics add some serious visual
intimidation to the overall package.” – batsonfire.com
Description:
It is for that group of tournament level players that DeMarini
created The One. It is a two-piece, Half & Half bat that looks
like the company’s previous models, but feels strangely like a
one-piece composite bat. This is done by changing the stiffness of the composite and the amount of vibration that passes
through the Half & Half construction.
SLUGFEST
• 13.5 Inch Barrel
• 4.ONE composite barrel and
handle
• Stacked barrel technology
• Half & Half technology
• Clutch end cap
9
• Bat Rotation Index
• Balanced Loaded
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $299.99
USSSA TODAY 37
Easton Synergy Tri-Zone Helmer
Easton’s Brett Helmer
Technology:
The one-piece Synergy Tri-Zone Brett Helmer employs
the same technology and design as the regular Synergy,
but with a power hitter-preferred short 12-inch barrel.
The Tri-Zone Helmer is laid up in such a way as the three
zones of the barrel – end, center and taper – are designed
to perform to their highest potential. The Synergy
Tri-Zone Helmer is made from IMX Composite, which
provides the utmost in performance and durability. The
fiber uses Carbon Nanotube Technology to enhance the
resin system for durability. The Handle Flex Rating of 90
provides increased handle flex, which provides optimal
flex for both distance and feel. With a VRS (Virbration
Reduction System) rating of 85 the Synergy Tri-Zone has
a comfortable feel which gives more bat control to the
hitter. Easton`s patented Opti-Flex CNT composite handle
technology provides distinctive handle flex for each
Comp CNT model.
Company line:
“The Synergy Tri-Zone offers the same game-changing
performance as the Stealth, but uses a one-piece design
and Easton’s Single System Technology - Single System
Technology provides the benefits of high performance
barrels with a one piece design for increased bat control
and balance. SST provides players with solid feedback
while maintaining an expansive hitting area.” – eastonsports.com
technology to stretch the barrel to 13.5 inches, the Helmer
retains the 12-inch barrel length of the original Synergy.
And the end load is more extreme in the Helmer than the
regular Synergy.
Power hitters have always preferred the shorter barrel and
the end load; the design moves the sweet spot out toward
the end of the bat where bat speed is the greatest. The
drawback is a smaller hitting area but the advantage is the
most distance you can wring out of your swing. Of course,
you have to make consistent contact with the smaller
sweet spot to get the benefit of the design, so poor hitters
will not find this bat as user-friendly as the regular model.
The bat starts out very stiff but warms up quickly. The
sound is distinctive, loud, almost jarring, though there is no
noticeable sting. The feel is excellent and the hitter gets his
feedback on contact – yet another feature the more experience hitter can use to strengthen his game.
The pearl-white paint, translucent red handle and holographic E logo make this the best looking bat on the
market.
Review:
“The Helmer feels stiffer than past versions of the Synergy.
Contact is crisp and noisy and the ball jumps of the sweet
spot: not every hitter will be able to find it, but good hitters
will have no trouble making this their primary bat. The end
load does swing heavier than the Synergy Extended.” –
Michael Cisneros (75 mph swing speed average)
Since the dawn of high-performance softball bats (’94
Easton Reflex Bell Corp, anyone?), Easton has usually
made a player signature bat – one designed for the
serious, slightly more skilled player. For the past few
seasons, that has been the Brett Helmer model.
“Good exit speed off the bat out of the wrapper and plenty
of pop. Distance has gotten better with more hits put on
it.” – softballfans.com
Helmer is a member of the USSSA Hall of Fame Class of
2007, a past Long Haul Bomber Stadium Tour home run
champion, a four-time national batting champion, and a
28-time All-World selection. His signature bat is everything
a power hitter would want.
The Synergy Tri-Zone Helmer shares most of the technology
of the regular Synergy Tri-Zone – Tri-Zone fiber layup in the
barrel, IMX composite construction with CNT enhanced
resin, a Handle Flex Rating of 90 (stiff), a VRS vibration
control rating of 85, and a 29/32” tapered handle.
Where it differs is in two obvious places: the barrel length
and the end load. Where the Synergy Tri-Zone uses Extended
38 USSSA TODAY
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Other views:
Description:
• 12 Inch Extended Barrel
Design
• Patented IMX - Integrated
MatriX technology
• CNT Carbon Nanotube
Technology
• Flex Rated 90 Handle with
Opti-Flex CNT Composite
Handle
9
• Pro-Tack cushioned grip with
VRS 85 Rating
• Slightly End Loaded
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $349.99
Photo credit: Tom Smedes
Easton Synergy Tri-Zone
Jean Shoppe/Easton’s
Todd Joerling
Technology:
new more flexible barrel.
The one-piece Easton Synergy Tri-Zone uses a new barrel
design to extend the sweet spot and make the bat hotter
away from the center of the barrel. Composite fibers
have high strength and stiffness in the direction of the
fibers but much lower strength and stiffness across those
fibers. Easton`s R&D team has customized the bat barrel
flex using exclusive patented design technologies. The
Tri-Zone is laid up in such a way as the three zones of
the barrel – end, center and taper – are each designed to
perform to their highest potential. The Stealth Tri-Zone is
made from IMX Composite, which provides the utmost
in performance and durability. The fiber uses Carbon
Nanotube Technology to enhance the resin system
for durability. The Handle Flex Rating of 90 provides
increased handle stiffness, which provides optimal flex for
both distance and feel. With a VRS (Virbration Reduction
System) rating of 85 the Stealth Tri-Zone has a comfortable feel which gives more bat control to the hitter.
Easton`s patented Opti-Flex CNT composite handle technology provides distinctive handle flex for each Comp
CNT model.
Paired with Easton’s existing
technology, like Integrated MatriX composite which takes
each part of the process – material, design, production
– into consideration as a single unit for maximum performance, feel and durability; Carbon Nanotube Technology
which enhances the resin system for consistency from bat
to bat; and Extended design for a 13.5-inch barrel and extra
hitting surface. The Tri-Zone may be the best performing
Synergy since performance limits were introduced as a
response to the original version.
Company line:
“By manipulating the design along the length of the
barrel and segmenting the bat inch by inch, Easton’s
Tri-Zone Segmented Barrel Technology localizes the
design of the bat from the taper to the end cap to
increase flexibility and greatly enhance the hitting area of
the bat.” – eastonsports.com
Review:
No bat in slow pitch has inspired the loyalty that Easton’s
Synergy has; quite literally I have met players who will
swing no other model. Since ascending as the company’s
– and arguably the country’s – top bat in 2003, the
Synergy is the only top-of-the-line bat that has existed
as its company’s flagship for six consecutive years … and
counting.
Players seem to like the Synergy’s shape – the traditional
Easton Power Contour design is attractive and comfortable
for former baseball players now playing softball; the unique
29/32 inch handle is long and lends itself to custom taping
for an even thinner feel; the slight end weighting is there
without being obvious.
That’s not to say the 2010 Synergy Tri-Zone is more of the
same old thing. Easton introduces new technology into the
series every year and this year’s tech is a doozy. Tri-Zone refers
to a new design where the carbon fiber is laid in three distinct
patterns, each to optimize the particular part of the barrel in
which the specific pattern occurs. It makes for
a more responsive barrel than even last year’s
model. The Flex 90 handle is stiffer to match the
40 USSSA TODAY
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We found the easier the swing, the farther the ball seemed
to go; you could load up on the swing if you want, but
it doesn’t increase performance. The slight end load is a
breeze to bring around.
The Tri-Zone has a distinctive sound – it is very loud and full
of danger – but there is little to no vibration, even when
hitting the ball a little too close to the hands. Must be the
VRS working.
The Synergy Tri-Zone is among the most expensive bats on
the market and it has a paint job to match. The pearl white
barrel is deep and rich and similar to the most popular color
of Lexus’ luxury cars. Many of our testers found it the most
attractive bat of the 2010 class.
“It has a slight end load and I prefer a balanced bat. But
this was really easy for me to bring around … I was truly
amazed that I could unwrap this bat and within 15 swings
be hitting the ball 320 feet.” – Lonnie Reed (90 mph swing
speed average)
Other views:
“I picked up the Easton Synergy Tri-Zone just recently and
it was love at first sight. I couldn’t believe how great this
bat felt in my hands. Besides being durable, it also has a
really cool design on the front of it. It is the envy of all of
my friends. They want to improve their batting average and
reduce vibrations. A few of my friends have stopped using
their bats so they can have a chance to play with mine.” –
batsonfire.com
Description:
• 13.5 Inch Extended Barrel
Design
MatriX technology
Technology
9
• Flex Rated 90 Handle with OptiFlex CNT Composite Handle
VRS 85 Rating
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $349.99
Easton Stealth Tri-Zone Helmer
Easton’s Brian Wegman
Technology:
The Easton Stealth Tri-Zone Brett Helmer employs the
same technology and design as the regular Stealth,
but with a power hitter-preferred short 12-inch barrel.
The Tri-Zone Helmer is laid up in such a way as the
three zones of the barrel – end, center and taper – are
designed to perform to their highest potential. The
Stealth Tri-Zone Helmer is made from IMX Composite,
which provides the utmost in performance and durability.
The fiber uses Carbon Nanotube Technology to enhance
the resin system for durability. The Handle Flex Rating
of 75 provides increased handle flex, which provides
optimal flex for both distance and feel. With a VRS
(Virbration Reduction System) rating of 95 the Stealth
Tri-Zone has a comfortable feel which gives more bat
control to the hitter. The Stealth also offers maximum
bat head speed with the patented two-piece ConneXion
construction: acting like a hinge, the ConneXion provides
the most efficient energy transfer from handle to barrel
for a quicker bat and more power through the hitting
zone. Easton`s patented Opti-Flex CNT composite handle
technology provides distinctive handle flex for each
Comp CNT model.
Company line:
“The Tri-Zone was designed specifically with the slowpitch softballer in mind. You’re not going to find a higher
performing 100-plus mile-per-hour bat on the market,
especially one tailored so specifically to the slow-pitch
game.” - Matt Arndt, Senior Vice President, Easton
Baseball/Softball
Review:
The Stealth Tri-Zone Helmer is an anomaly (they bet me
I couldn’t get that word into a softball magazine). The
Stealth is a high-performance bat designed to aid the
average player to become above average. The Helmer is a
barrel size and weighting system that is designed to help
the above average player to become elite. So who is the
Stealth Helmer for? Truth is it can be used by just about
any type of hitter.
The Helmer barrel is a short 12 inches, but thanks to new
Tri-Zone technology it has a large and responsive sweet
spot. You don’t have to make as precise contact with the
Stealth Helmer as you do with the Synergy Helmer to get
the most performance; the combination of Tri-Zone barrel,
Opti-Flex CNT handle and ConneXion two-piece technology
make this bat much more forgiving and easier to hit than the
typical 12-inch barrel bat.
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On the other hand, the short barrel and extra end load are
designed to pull the ball great distances, with the sweet
spot closer to the end where bat speed can be maximized.
So hitters who do make consistent contact with a short
barrel and have hand speed to spare can make the Stealth
work for them as well.
Except for the barrel size and weighting, the Stealth
Tri-Zone Helmer and Stealth Tri-Zone are made the same
way. It features Tri-Zone barrel design where the composite
fibers are laid up in different patterns through different
zones for increased performance, IMX composite construction for quality control from material to design to construction, CNT technology in the resin for strength, along with
the two-piece CXN construction and Opti-Flex handle.
The Stealth Helmer is a great home run bat. Picture hitting
a golf ball with a driver and you get the idea behind the
Stealth’s design. And like a driver, a smooth, technically
sound swing is going to produce the best results.
There is no penalty for power however, and big guys
shouldn’t be afraid to hit this. After all, Brett Helmer
himself has no trouble hitting bombs with his signature
Stealth – as can be seen on YouTube.
“Remember, this is coming from a weak hitter … if you
hit this thing on the sweet spot, it really goes. The barrel is
only 12 inches but I’d say at least 6 of that is sweet spot”
– David Juarez (75 mph swing speed average)
Other views:
“This bat feels great and does not feel like the Easton bats
of the past couple of years. This bat is a must-have. It is the
cure-all for your warning track power. The only drawback is
it costs too much.” – justbats.com
Description:
• 12 Inch Extended Barrel
Design
MatriX technology
Technology
• CXN ConneXion two-piece
design
9
VRS 95 Rating
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $349.99
USSSA TODAY 41
Easton Stealth Tri-Zone
Jean Shoppe/Easton’s
Travis Lane
Technology:
The Easton Stealth Tri-Zone uses a new barrel design to
extend the sweet spot and make the bat hotter away
from the center of the barrel. Composite fibers have
very high strength and stiffness in the direction of the
fibers but much lower strength and stiffness across the
fibers. Easton`s R&D team has customized the bat barrel
flex using exclusive patented design technologies. The
Tri-Zone is laid up in such a way as the three zones of
the barrel – end, center and taper – are designed to
perform to their highest potential. The Stealth Tri-Zone is
made from IMX Composite, which provides the utmost
in performance and durability. The fiber uses Carbon
Nanotube Technology to enhance the resin system for
durability. The Handle Flex Rating of 75 provides increased
handle flex, which provides optimal flex for both distance
and feel. With a VRS (Virbration Reduction System) rating
of 95 the Stealth Tri-Zone has a comfortable feel which
gives more bat control to the hitter. The Stealth also
offers maximum bat head speed with the patented twopiece ConneXion construction: acting like a hinge, the
ConneXion provides the most efficient energy transfer
from handle to barrel for a quicker bat and more power
through the hitting zone. Easton`s patented Opti-Flex
CNT composite handle technology provides distinctive
handle flex for each Comp CNT model.
Company line:
“The Stealth Tri-Zone includes Easton’s patented
ConneXion Design System (CXN), which creates a true
two-piece design by isolating the handle from the barrel
to eliminate vibration with an elastomeric rubber cushion
between the two.” – eastonsports.com
Review:
From the neck up, there is really no difference between
the Easton Stealth and the Easton Synergy. Both have
the same intelligent design: 13.5-inch barrel, the same
Tri-Zone design where the composite fibers are laid up in
different patterns through different zones for increased
performance, the same IMX construction for quality and
consistency, the same CNT technology for strength.
Where the difference lies is in the handle. The Stealth is a
two-piece bat where the barrel and handle are made separately and put together via Easton’s ConneXion Technology
– a rubber connector that allows the different materials to
work together using a “hinge” like technology for exaggerated energy transfer while eliminating sting.
The handle has a Handle Flex rating of 75, much less stiff
than the Synergy’s 90. The barrel is slightly end
loaded. Combined with the two-piece construction where the majority of the bat’s weight is in
42 USSSA TODAY
SLUGFEST
the barrel, the Stealth is designed to get through the hitting
zone fast. This design makes it more suited for slower swing
speeds without sacrificing power.
It is not, strictly speaking, a power-hitter’s bat. Big, strong
hitters get more distance from a stiff one-piece bat. What
the Stealth does is help smaller hitters go deeper. The
weighting improves the hitter’s swing speed regardless of
what it is, the flexible handle launches the barrel through the
ball and the responsive barrel kicks like a mule.
It’s an easy, easy bat to hit. And it actually works better the
easier you swing. A good way to put it is like this: a big swing
may get you the result you expect, but a smooth swing will
get you a much bigger result than you were expecting.
This is a good bat for a great player, a great bat for a good
player and is going to make even a novice dangerous at the
plate.
The Stealth comes in classic black – actually a deep charcoal
like you might find on an Infiniti coupe - with white and blue
trim. So regardless of what type of hitter you are, you are
going to look good using it.
“This feels very … even. It has nice pop, even if you don’t hit
it squarely. I think it’s a great bat for a girl to swing. I liked
that I didn’t have to grip it and rip it, I could let the bat do
the work. I had quite a few line drives into the green with this
bat.” – Stacy Harmel (59 mph swing speed average)
Other views:
“Easton is a solid brand that anyone can trust. I’ve played
with Easton bats for years now and have had very few
complaints. The Stealth Tri-Zone, however, exceeded my
expectations and gave me an even greater respect for the
brand. I simply have play with the Stealth Tri-Zone this year!”
– batsonfire.com
Description:
• 13.5 Inch Extended Barrel
Design
MatriX technology
Technology
• CXN ConneXion two-piece
design
9
VRS 95 Rating
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $349.99
Louisville Slugger Triton Balanced
Louisville Slugger/TPS’
Rick Baker
Technology:
to the days of high performance aluminum bats, when
thinning the walls was the best way to improve the bat’s
performance. But that is just a small part of improving the
composite for the Triton. Six years of learning about composites by working with them, the fibers, the resins, the angling
or layers, has evolved into this current technology.
The TPS Triton features a three-piece/one-piece design
using the 3X Composite: the unique three-piece design
allows the barrel and the handle to be designed and built
as individual units. The Bubble Transition Zone bonds
those parts together to function as a more advanced onepiece bat. The Bubble Transition Zone optimizes the relationship between the barrel and handle, making a stiffer
and stronger bat. It is balanced for hitters who need a bat
that lets them use the whole field. Louisville Slugger uses
only exclusive computer-designed patterns that precisely
position the angles of graphite layers, resulting in a large
sweet spot for outstanding performance. Everything
from the bat design to the equipment used to manufacture the Triton was developed by the Louisville Slugger
Composites R&D Lab. Controlling every aspect of design
and manufacturing ensures that every bat is consistently
produced to Louisville Slugger’s high quality standards.
The result is interesting. It swings like a one-piece with
exceptional feel; you can tell the quality of contact through
the feedback to your hands and you quickly learn how to get
the most out of the contact you make. It also swings like a
two-piece with exceptional forgiveness; you don’t need fast
hands or lots of strength or even consistent contact to get
desirable results with this bat. The result is an easy-to-swing,
easy-to-use, hard-to-explain high-performance bat.
It breaks in pretty quickly. The sound of the barrel is very
unique - it’s more of a ring than a crack - but the pop more
than makes up for it. It’s not a sound that will strike fear in
your opponents but after a couple of at bats they will learn
to respect it.
Company line:
“From the earliest days of the game, Louisville Slugger
has always employed the most powerful technology available in the bat business. In the days of Ty Cobb and Babe
Ruth, that meant having the most skilled craftsmen at the
lathe, handcrafting bats to the most demanding specifications of the world’s most demanding players. Today, it
means applying the latest aerospace technology to bat
making, delivering composite bats that give new meaning
to the word ‘performance.’” – slugger.com
“This bat is just plain comfortable to swing: its balanced
swing weight and subtle flex makes it easy and natural to
swing. The distance and consistency you get out of this bat
is unreal. The bat comes around with such ease you almost
feel guilty for the amount of pop you get. It seems like you
should be trying harder to get that kind of performance
from the bat. The barrel is very soft and gives you a lot of
feedback. You can definitely feel it putting a charge on the
ball as you drive through. This is one of the few bats that I
tested that I didn’t want to put down (I have the blisters to
prove it).” – Clint Henderson (84 mph swing speed average)
Review:
Any time an established manufacturer unveils and new
bat line, there are questions. Usually they are of the
“what’s new?” or “what’s it look like?” variety, but with
the new Louisville Slugger TPS Triton Balanced, the big
question has been more along the lines of “what is it!?”
There’s been talk that it is a three-piece bat, with a separate barrel and handle held together by some bonding
agent and designed to help a batter with slow hands.
There’s also been talk that it’s a one-piece bat with a stiff
handle designed to help a batter with fast hands. The truth
is the Triton is somewhere in the middle.
Technically it is a one-piece bat – made of three separate
parts. The 12-inch barrel has a computer designed lay-up
of fibers to maximize the sweet spot and performance; the
standard 7/8-inch handle is made extra stiff; and the new
Bubble Zone is a unique transition area between the flexible
barrel and stiff handle that makes it all work at peak efficiency. The three pieces are made separately, but instead of
slipping one part inside the other or putting them on a frame
as with other two- and three-piece bats, the Triton’s pieces are
molded together in a single, continuous shell.
Other views:
“If you are not a big homerun hitter, but you can pretty
consistently swing and hit where the ball is pitched, then the
Louisville Slugger Triton is for you. Whereas this may not be
how you like to think of yourself, if you are a solid player that
just does not hit it out of the park all that often, then this bat
may be your dream-come-true. It is a big hitter, and it provides
serious leverage toward getting your ball out into the field and
headed toward your goal.” – batsonfire.com
Description:
•12 Inch Barrel Length
• 3X Composite Technology (3 zone
design in a 1 piece construction)
• Bubble Transition Zone optimizes
relationship between the barrel
and handle
• Balanced load
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $299.99
The aerospace graphite is strong, so the walls
can be made thin. There are some parallels there
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9
USSSA TODAY 43
Louisville Slugger Triton End Load
Louisville Slugger/TPS’
JD Genter
Technology:
spot so it feels good along most of the length of the barrel.
Still, it gives the hitter a good amount of feedback – you’ll
know when you hit it right both by feel and result. The
end weighting and stiff handle allow you to bring the bat
through the zone quickly and pull most pitches hard down
the line.
The TPS Triton features a three-piece design using the
3X Composite: the unique three-piece design allows
the barrel and the handle to be designed and built as
individual units. The Bubble Transition Zone bonds those
parts together to function as a more advanced one-piece
bat. The Bubble Transition Zone optimizes the relationship between the barrel and handle, making a stiffer
and stronger bat. It is end weighted to help bring the
barrel through the hitting zone quicker for more power.
Louisville Slugger uses only exclusive computer-designed
patterns that precisely position the angles of graphite
layers, resulting in a large sweet spot for outstanding
performance. Everything from the bat design to the
equipment used to manufacture the Triton was developed by the Louisville Slugger Composites R&D Lab.
Controlling every aspect of design and manufacturing
ensures that every bat is consistently produced to
Louisville Slugger’s high quality standards.
The faster your swing speed, the more effective this bat
is; you can spray the ball around the outfield with it, but
what it does best is hit the ball hard. The BL version of the
bat is really better for someone with an inside-out swing,
someone who swings all arms instead of using the legs, or
someone who likes to chop at high pitches. The two are
similar in that more you hit them, the farther and faster the
ball begins to travel.
After being on the fringes of the top-of-the-line slow pitch
bat market for a few seasons, Louisville Slugger is back in the
middle of the race with the Triton.
Company line:
“I noticed a big difference between the End Loaded and
Balanced versions; once I picked up the EL, I only wanted to
take full swings and the resulting line drives and home runs
kept me swinging it without even wondering what it would
be like to knock a pitch to right field (the swing I usually use
in important games). The sound is different – when you hit
it right it almost rings; when that happens it sounds about
as happy as it makes you feel.” – Michael Cisneros (75 mph
swing speed average)
“The Triton is really an evolution. We have more experience with composites and how to work with them. Six
years of learning about composites has evolved into this
technology.” – James Sass, Louisville Slugger Director of
Marketing
Review:
The only real difference between the Louisville Slugger
TPS Triton End Load and the Triton Balanced is the
weighting, but they act like two very different bats. The
feel between the two models we swung was different
enough to throw people solidly behind one bat or the
other, divided almost precisely along power hitter/punch
hitter lines.
The End Load, as you may suspect, was much preferred
by the bigger hitters. It isn’t just heavier; it is much heavier
than the Balanced – even if they have the same static
weight. It’s because the shell is so light that the concentration of the load in the Triton makes swinging the two
versions two unique experiences.
The EL is a one-piece bat composed of three separate
pieces – the 12-inch barrel has a computer designed lay-up
of fibers to maximize the sweet spot and performance; the
standard 7/8-inch handle is made extra stiff; and the new
Bubble Zone is a unique transition area between the flexible barrel and stiff handle that makes it all work at peak
efficiency. The three pieces are made separately then molded
together in a single, continuous shell. It looks more like a
two-piece bat, but it really swings like a one-piece. The 3X
composite barrel is angled to expand the sweet
44 USSSA TODAY
Other views:
“This bat is like playing with white lightning! I can’t believe
how fast I can whip it around! Strong and reinforced,
composite bats like this deserve the utmost respect … I
thought it was going to take a long time to break it in but I
was wrong. After a few games, the Triton was swinging like
a champ! It amazes me how lightweight yet sturdy this bat
really is. The 12-inch barrel takes some getting used to … I
feel like I am in complete control when swinging the Triton.”
– batsonfire.com
Description:
SLUGFEST
• 12 Inch Barrel Length
• 3X Composite Technology
(3 zone design in a 1 piece
construction)
• Bubble Transition Zone optimizes
relationship between the barrel
and handle
9
• End load
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $299.99
ved
Non ASA approved
Non AS
A appro
Extreme performance comes from extreme technology. And no bat takes
technology to the extreme like the all-new Triton.
TM
The Triton utilizes aerospace-grade graphite and 3X composite technology, the
most advanced bat technology in the game today. The unique 3-zone design of
Triton allows the barrel and handle to be designed and built as individual units,
while the innovative Bubble Transition (BT) Zone brings everything together to
function as an advanced 1-piece bat.
The ultra-stiff handle maximizes barrel flex for unmatched performance.
The end result is a bat that combines thin-wall performance with lasting durability.
So take your game to the extreme. Get your hands on the extreme technology
of Triton today.
gf
BT Zone completes
a 1-piece bond,
providing a stiffer
handle and transition.
gf
Bubble Transition (BT) Zone
optimizes the relationship
between the barrel and
handle, making a stiffer
and stronger bat.
www.slugger.com
© 2009 Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Louisville, KY. All rights reserved.
Miken Maximum Velocity-1 Supermax
Long Haul/Miken’s
Brett McCollum
Technology:
The MV-1 Supermax is constructed of 100% R900 Carbon
Fiber. R900 provides 38.8% higher tensile strength and
40% higher elongation than industry standard carbon
fiber. R900 Carbon Fiber is proven to endure grueling
play. The Multi-Layer Biaxial Technology precisely aligns
and bonds filaments of premium aerospace grade carbon
fiber to produce maximum allowable performance and
unrivaled durability. The new MPa7 resin system is a much
more detailed system than past formulas and is exclusively
calibrated to optimize the performance and resilience
of Miken’s premium carbon fiber materials. InnerFlex
Technology is triggered on impact, optimizing energy
transfer from handle to barrel for maximum batted ball
speed and distance. The X-Grip provides tackified knob
grip for better bat control. The MV-1 Supermax has an
end load more extreme than any previous Maxload model
made by Miken for maximum power through the hitting
zone.
Company line:
“R900 is the industry’s highest grade fiber ... what this
means to you – the strength to endure whatever you
can give it. If this material can withstand anything the
aerospace industry can put it through, how do you think
it will perform for you on the field?” – Matt Vacek, VP
Engineering for Miken Sports.
Review:
The Maximum Velocity-1 Supermax is Miken’s new
flagship bat and while the name is supposed to invoke
the ghosts of the past - Miken’s first 100% composite
bat was the popular Velocit-E - this stick is completely
different from that model or even last year’s Recoil model
from top to toe.
Every bit of technology in the MV-1 Supermax is new.
Standard formula composite has been replaced by
stronger R900; the old BCS fiber layup has been replaced
by Multilayer Biaxial Technology; the usual resin system
has been replaced by the richer MPa7; even the old X-Tack
knob grip has been replaced by a new X-Tack Plus formula.
New too is the Supermax end load, an even more severe
end weighting than in Miken’s popular Maxload.
The result of all this new technology is a new favorite bat
for Miken users. It looks great, feels wonderful and performs
better than it looks or feels.
The MV-1 Supermax is built for distance and it has pop to
spare. We’re not just speaking home run pop here, though
that is certainly its forte. Ground balls sizzle through the
46 USSSA TODAY
SLUGFEST
infield. Line drives hiss into the gaps. It’s like the bat is actually trying to say something out loud.
This is the part of the review where we’re supposed to talk
about hitting 400-foot shots with ease (in fact, we did hit
a few past the 353-foot marker), but everybody’s heard
similar fish stories and they are always rightfully taken with
a grain of salt. So what we will say is this bat gives a hitter
an as good or better chance to go truly, consistently deep
than any other bat on the market.
It does take some time to break in – performance increases
as the fibers loosen up and as the batter learns how to
swing the new weighting and finds the new sweet spot.
The big upside is the more the bat is swung and the more
the player gets used to swinging it, the better if performs.
It’s not the bat for everybody. The Supermax load is
designed for bigger, stronger players. But Miken does make
a balanced version for lighter hitters and a Maxload version
(under the name Long Haul Bomber) for the majority of
hitters.
The MV-1 is attractive; the white barrel and black handle
give the appearance of a two-piece but it’s just the paint.
The graphics are simple and rather tekkie – letters, lines
and logos – that make it look like the high-tech piece of
equipment it is.
“The MV-1 puts Miken back on top … If you are looking
for a reason to buy a Miken, this is it; if you are going to be
limited to one bat in your bag, this should be the one.” –
Kendall Clements (83 mph swing speed average)
Other views:
“WOW! This bat has serious pop! Makes the field look like
a Little League field. Definitely the #1 bat out this year, it
hits about 15 feet longer then my Miken Super Freak.” –
softballfans.com
Description:
• Super Max extreme end load
• R900 Carbon Fiber
• MPa7 Resin system
• Multilayer Biaxial Technology
• X-Tack Coating for superior
knob grip
9
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $299.99
Miken Maximum Velocity-1
Long Haul/Miken’s
Geno Buck
Technology:
The MV-1 is constructed of 100% R900 Carbon Fiber.
R900 provides 38.8% higher tensile strength and 40%
higher elongation than industry standard carbon fiber.
The Multi-Layer Biaxial Technology precisely aligns and
bonds filaments of premium aerospace grade carbon
fiber to produce maximum allowable performance and
unrivaled durability. The new MPa7 resin system is a
much more detailed system than past formulas and is
exclusively calibrated to optimize the performance and
resilience of Miken’s premium carbon fiber materials.
InnerFlex Technology is triggered on impact, optimizing
energy transfer from handle to barrel for maximum
batted ball speed and distance. The X-Grip provides
tackified knob grip for better bat control. The MV-1 has
a balanced swing weight for maximum swing speed and
control through the hitting zone.
Company line:
“The New MV-1 has surpassed all expectations. From
the first swing in BP to the last in the tournament, every
ball jumps. This is the first bat I have swung that I can
tell a significant difference going through the infield …
The MV-1 is not only the best looking bat, but the best
performing bat I have swung.” – Greg Hartwig, #17 Long
Haul/Phonemasters/Miken
Review:
The Miken Maximum Velocity-1 is the same bat as the
MV-1 Supermax but without the extra end load. With
that one difference, the bat is something of a paradox: it
is the same bat and yet it is a significantly different bat.
Here’s what we mean…
First, it is made exactly the same way as the end-loaded
version: the shell is R900 fiber, Miken’s strongest and
most durable composite; Multi-layer Biaxial Technology
is a new way to position the composite to maximize the
performance of the fiber; the MPa7 resin system works
to allow the fiber to flex more without failing; and the
synthetic grip and X-Tack Plus knob grip helps control the
bat through the swing.
But the weight is not concentrated on the end; it is distributed through the entire barrel, making the bat swing even
lighter than its posted weight. So while the sound is the
same, the feel at contact is eerily similar and the performance
is outstanding, the way you hit is pretty different with this
bat.
The Supermax is built for distance – swing it hard and watch
it fly. This balanced version is easier to control. Swing it quick
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and the ball jumps off the barrel and screams through the
infield or into the outfield gaps. Swing it slow and the
ball pops over the infield and dies into the outfield. Pull it
down the line and watch the ball beat the left fielder to the
corner. Push it to right and score two baserunners with a
soft, two-out single. If you can think it – and execute it –
this bat can make it happen just as you see it in your head.
That doesn’t mean it can’t be used for distance. If you are
willing to supply all the power, the bat will respond with
home run distance. It’s got great jump, there is just so many
other things you can do with it that homers are just a small
part of what this bat has to offer.
It is one-piece stiff, meaning you can swing it like a golf
club with a lot of snap in the wrists or like a caveman’s club
with an emphasis on strength instead of speed. Either way
you will get desirable results.
It looks just like the Supermax version except it does not
have the word “Supermax” around the top of the barrel.
Unless you are the guy on the team that everyone looks to
for home runs three times a game, this bat may actually
make you a better hitter … if you can imagine that.
“I was very impressed for it being a balanced bat. I’ve
always swung 26-ounce end-loaded bats – Recoil, Bomber
and Psycho – but I really enjoyed this bat. It starts off a little
stiff ... I actually had a great deal of success hitting deep
with it and I was able to spray the ball all over the field
with great control … I can tell you it knocked the crap out
of the womens’ ball (11-inch). My wife got MVP at (Texas)
USSSA State hitting it.” – Bobby Ray (93 mph average
swing speed)
Other views:
“Hot out of the wrapper. It has great pop … Better than the
Miken Recoil or original Freak.” – justbats.com
Description:
• Balanced load
• X-Tack Coating for superior
knob grip
9
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $299.99
USSSA TODAY 47
Miken Pyscho Supermax
Long Haul/Miken’s
Ryan “Psycho” Robbins
Technology:
The Psycho Supermax takes the design of Miken’s
successful Recoil Maxload bat and applies the newest
generation of material to it: R900 Carbon Fiber provides
38.8% higher tensile strength and 40% higher elongation
than industry standard carbon fiber. The Psycho features
Miken’s ESD Technology (Extended Sweetspot Design),
providing an extra long barrel construction which gives
you the most usable hitting surface in the industry; the
Ballistic Crosslinked System of fiber lay up provides 300%
higher elongation for increased resilience at impact,
unmatched barrel rebound and superior durability; and
the Dynamic Flex Ratio 250 in the taper and handle
provides greater stability for the power hitter, maximizing
consistency and distance. The Psycho Supermax has an
end load more extreme than any previous Maxload model
for maximum bat speed and power through the hitting
zone.
Company line:
“R900 is a new fiber that we started to use with the
Psycho series. It is one of the highest grade fibers you can
use. Standard fiber is very good, R900 is better. Common
language: consistent performance and better durability.”
- Jim Hoscheit, Miken Sports Business Manager
Review:
I’ve been swinging the orange USSSA Miken Recoil for
two years now, so when I heard that the new Psycho
was essentially the same bat, I was pretty excited. Sure
enough, when I got it in my hands I noticed that the
Psycho shares quite a few characteristics with my beloved
weapon of choice – a 100% composite one-piece shell,
ESD – Extended Sweetspot Design – with its 14.5-inch
barrel, BCS - Ballistic Crosslink System – with its unique
fiber lay-up, and DFS– Dynamic Flex Ratio – 250 for the
best handle flex for power hitting.
Of course there are differences too, and pretty important
ones. The first is the new material: R900 carbon fiber, which
is the strongest composite Miken has ever used. The new
fiber is supposed to be more durable, which it may be. It is
also supposed to be higher performing, which it pretty obviously is. R900 is stronger so it can be thinner and therefore
the bat performs pretty much right away. Balls hit within the
first three dozen swings with the Pyscho went as far as those
hit with the two-year-old Recoil and they got out there just as
frequently. The sound is not as jarring as you might expect with
a thinner fiber; it sounds like a Miken.
new Supermax end load. It adds weight to the popular
Maxload end load and makes the Psycho even easier to get
through the hitting zone quickly; you really only have to
think home run and the bat delivers.
The tried-and-true features perform as you expect they
would, too. E-Flex and ESD, which have been part of the
Miken bat design since the days of the Ultra, means a good
portion of the 14.5-inch barrel is usable hitting surface. You
don’t have to hit the ball in the center of the sweet spot
to get something out of it. The DFR 250 provides the right
amount of flex for a full-grown male tournament player;
the balanced Psycho Flex DFR 180 is designed for women
and smaller players.
It’s an attractive bat. The lightning and ash decal behind
the block-lettered “Psycho” is a bit much for my taste, but
the charcoal black and smoky gray paint job is classic and
classy – it will still look good years down the road.
“The Psycho feels great, but the Supermax end weighting
really changes the way I swing. It’s as if I can hit the ball out
of the park anytime I want, which is something I haven’t
been able to do for some time. Even with hands as slow
as mine, this bat makes me a deep threat once again.” –
Michael Cisneros (75 mph average swing speed)
Other views:
“By far one of the best bats I have owned. It has great pop
as well as distance. I highly recommend it to any serious
softball player looking for a good bat. It is very stiff at first,
but be patient.” – justbats.com
Description:
• Supermax extreme end load
• ESD Technology
• Ballistic Crosslink System
• Dynamic Flex Ratio 250
• X-Tack Plus Coating for superior
knob grip
• Available in 26-30 ounce
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• $299.99 MSRP
The second, and perhaps more noticeable difference, is the
SLUGFEST
9
USSSA TODAY 49
Miken Long Haul Bomber Maxload
Long Haul/Miken’s
Matt King
Technology:
The Long Haul Bomber Maxload is Miken’s top-of-theline bat named for the WSL Stadium Power Tour – the
annual tour of Major and Minor league stadiums by
softball’s home run hitting elite. It is similar to the new
MV-1 but with unique end weighting. It is constructed of
100% R900 Carbon Fiber which provides 38.8% higher
tensile strength and 40% higher elongation than industry
standard carbon fiber. The Multi-Layer Biaxial Technology
precisely aligns and bonds filaments of premium aerospace grade carbon fiber to produce maximum allowable
performance and unrivaled durability. The new MPa7 resin
system is a much more detailed system than past formulas
and is exclusively calibrated to optimize the performance
and resilience of Miken’s premium carbon fiber materials.
InnerFlex Technology is triggered on impact, optimizing
energy transfer from handle to barrel for maximum batted
ball speed and distance. The X-Grip provides tackified knob
grip for better bat control. The Long Haul Bomber Maxload
has an end-loaded swing weight for extra distance.
It is designed to hit the ball a long way and it does, though
it doesn’t happen on the very first swing. The combination
of stronger fiber and stiffer resin means there is a short
break-in period. You will notice a muffled sound out of the
wrapper; don’t worry, the bat is not broken nor a dud – you
just need to hit it. We put somewhere in the neighborhood
of 140 swings on the bat before we noticed the sound
getting sharper and the ball flying farther.
Company line:
We noticed that everyone seemed comfortable using the
Bomber – power hitters, slap hitters and women – but the
power hitters seemed to like it best.
“The Bomber and MV-1 have the same specs, what separates them is the weighting … more end loaded than the
MV-1 and less end loaded than the MV-1 Supermax.” –
Jim Hoscheit, Miken Business Manager
Review:
Miken has produced three versions of its new top-of-theline slowpitch bat for 2010. Two of them bear the name
Maximum Velocity-1. Only one of them goes by the name
Long Haul Bomber (Stadium Power Tour Edition). The
name is taken from the home run-hitting competition
between Major League Softball players that takes place at
baseball stadiums around the country.
The Long Haul Bomber features all new technology: the
R900 fiber is Miken’s strongest composite; Multi-layer
Biaxial Technology is a new way to position the composite
to maximize the performance of the fiber; the MPa7 resin
system works to allow the fiber to flex without failing; and
synthetic grip and X-Tack Plus knob grip helps control the
bat through the swing.
But perhaps the reason this bat was singled out to wear the
Long Haul Bomber name is that it is the most familiar feeling
of the new sticks. The MV-1 Balanced has a weighting that
hasn’t been prevalent since the days of the Ultra II; the MV-1
Supermax has a weighting that hasn’t been used until this year.
The Maxload end load has been the preferred weighting in
Miken’s highest end bats since the days of the Velocit-E.
50 USSSA TODAY
SLUGFEST
Once that happens, the bat goes from being a line-drive
bat to being a long drive bat. The feel of the sweet spot is
pleasant – it seems rather large and you can feel the flex
when you hit it.
It’s easy to swing, easy to hit and easy on the senses: it
sounds like any other composite, but it doesn’t hit like one;
there is no sting in the hands and the graphics are quite
attractive, with striking black and gold paint along with
graphics that fall somewhere between gothic and mixed
martial arts tattoos.
“I found this bat to be more consistent than any of the
others I tried. I didn’t hit the ball the farthest with this one,
but I hit more balls far with this one than with the others,
hitting them consistently to the same spot over and over.
And I really like the control; it is easy to take the ball to left,
right, center, hit it hard or hit it easy.” – Bobby Ray (93 mph
average swing speed)
Other views:
“I personally like the look of this bat - the yellow and
black looks hot. The sweet spot feels huge. The end load is
perfect. It just feels good in my hands. Overall, it’s the best
bat I have used. Takes a little bit of a break-in time, but not
bad compared to other bats I’ve owned.” – justbats.com
Description:
• Maxload end load
• X-Tack Plus Coating for
superior knob grip
9
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• $299.99 MSRP
Mizuno Frenzy 2 Xtreme
Wood Law’s Kevin Ballard
Technology:
The Frenzy 2 Xtreme is an upgraded version of Mizuno’s
highly successful Frenzy, and offers an increased sweet
spot and more durability than any previous Mizuno slow
pitch bat. The Frenzy 2 bats are uniquely made with
100% Black Onyx Carbon, a state-of-the-art carbon fiber
from Japan. Black Onyx Carbon is the same material
used in the Boeing 787 ‘Dreamliner’ jets and provides
maximum distance, ultimate control and superior durability. It features AX4 Technology, a unique composite
construction that fuses four layers of materials - an outer
carbon wall, two middle layers of carbon piping, and an
inner carbon wall. Mizuno is the first bat manufacturer to
use double pipe construction on the inside of the bat. The
AX4 Technology increases the performance by stretching
the sweet spot area of the bat, producing better results.
Company line:
“It’s a unique composite construction. The two layers
of piping between the inner and outer walls increases
the sweet spot for more desired results. The Black Onyx
carbon is very strong and allows us to produce a bat with
consistent wall thickness. And we x-ray the walls of each
bat to insure there are no flaws in the fiber.” – Eric Hills,
Mizuno USA Marketing Communication Specialist
Black Onyx. This change in the composite formula means
the walls can be made to a consistent thickness while maintaining durability.
The more obvious improvement is in the weighting. While
most companies are trending toward extreme end loads,
the new Frenzy 2 Xtreme has a 14-inch balanced barrel.
It also features a lighter swing weight than the original;
even though the static weights are the same – 26, 27, 28
– the change in material and load plus the addition of a
coiled end cap that acts like a scooped topped wooden bat
combines for a 10% decrease in swing weight.
The design is AX4 Technology – an inner wall and outer wall
with two layers of composite piping wound between them.
The piping helps return energy to the point of impact for
increased performance regardless of where it is hit along
the barrel. The 14-inch barrel provides plenty of hitting
surface and coupled with the new weighting allows hitters
to swing a heavier bat with no loss of bat speed or control
(the Frenzy 2 Xtreme is also available in a 12.5-inch, end
loaded barrel).
Among our testers, more women preferred the balanced
feel than men did, but everyone was able to hit the ball
easily, sharply and far.
Review:
Let’s be honest: between the release of the Techfire Crush
in 2004 and the original Frenzy in 2008, Mizuno’s slowpitch bats were not particularly exciting. The bats were
good, the technology was sound, but none of those
models were considered to be among the top bats in
the industry. That changed with the introduction of the
completely redesigned Frenzy.
Mizuno has taken another step toward the front of the
class with the improved Frenzy 2 Xtreme. It is similar
to the original in concept and design, but has made
improvements in materials and weighting.
The biggest improvement has been in the composite.
The original Frenzy introduced the softball world to
Black Onyx, a Japanese-made carbon fiber known for its
strength and used to build the Boeing 787 Dreamliner
aircraft. The Frenzy 2 becomes the first bat made of 100%
SLUGFEST
“I really think the balanced weight is a good fit for someone
with a slower swing who is looking for base hits to all parts
of the field...the barrel seems like its 18 inches, not 14…I
really like the green color.” Bobby Ray (93 mph average
swing speed)
Other views:
“Big sweet spot and a solid feel for the base hitter. For
solid ball placement, this bat is excellent. I have also found
that when I need to hit the long ball, the pop is there.”batgalaxy.com
Description:
• 14 Inch Barrel Length
• AX4 technology
• Black Onyx Carbon
• Coiled end cap for lower
swing weight
• Digi-Grip wrap for improved
durability
9
• Redesigned smaller knob for
better feel
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $249.99
USSSA TODAY 51
MIZUNO FRENZY 2 SLOW PITCH BAT // FEATURING MIZUNO’S TECHFIRE TECHNOLOGY ®, A UNIQUE
THREE-TIERED LAYER OF MATERIALS THAT MAXIMIZES PERFORMANCE THROUGH AN ENLARGED
SWEET SPOT AREA, AND MADE OF BLACK ONYX CARBON TM FOR IMPROVED DURABILITY AND FEEL.
THE FRENZY 2 PROVIDES THE EXPLOSIVE DISTANCE DESIRED BY ALL SLOW PITCH PLAYERS.
TIRED OF WARNING TRACK POWER? GET READY TO TOUCH ’EM ALL. // WWW.MIZUNOUSA.COM
DIGGING IN
B
©2009 Mizuno USA, Inc.,
TH
, and Mizuno are registered trademarks of Mizuno Corporation. Never Settle is a registered trademark of Mizuno USA. All rights reserved.
INTIMIDATOR.
Worth Mutant Resmondo 120
Resmondo/Worth’s
Donnie DeDonatis
Technology:
The Worth Mutant Resmondo 120 slow pitch bat is the
highest performing Hybrid Composite bat in the industry.
Hybrid composite three-piece technology provides the
best in durability, consistency, and performance. The
Heavy Duty Hybrid Composite handle allows for more flex
than a one piece composite bat: the HD design has been
refined with the addition of aluminized fiberglass, which
improves strength and increases stiffness. The barrel is
designed with patented 5.4L Composite Technology - a
multi-layer design that extends the normal sweet spot
two inches farther towards the end cap so the sweet
spot runs the entire length of the composite barrel. It is
bonded together by a lightweight Vibration Reduction
Collar. Also assisting in sting reduction is the Worth
Hybrid cushion grip. It is end loaded for maximum bat
speed through the hitting zone.
Company line:
“Last year we introduced 5.4L technology in the Titan
only. This year we’ve expanded it to the Mutant line so
all of our top-of-the-line, high-end bats are using that
same technology.” - Curtis Cruz, Worth/Rawlings Product
Director for Bats.
Review:
Somewhere between unveiling the original 2008 Mutant
and the new 2010 Mutant Resmondo, Worth has gone
from making a pretty good bat for a particular portion of
the softball public to making an undeniably great bat for
the masses. Let the gushing about it begin.
We’ll start with what makes this two-piece bat (technically
three-piece counting the Vibration Reduction Collar) better
than its predecessors – new material in the barrel and an
all-new handle design. Its not that Worth is reinventing the
wheel here; the Mutant Resmondo is essentially the same
bat with same Hybrid design as it has always been. But
these two changes – seemingly minor – have had a major
effect.
The barrel is now made of 5.4L composite, a material developed for the Titan series that is lighter and stronger than
last year’s Mutated Composite. This change allows Worth to
extend the sweet spot farther away from the center of the
barrel, making the bat not just easier to hit, but easier to hit
well.
The new Heavy Duty handle has an added layer of material to
SLUGFEST
Resmondo/Worth’s
Jeff Wallace
make it stiffer than the original. It is still not as stiff as the
one-piece Titan, but noticeably stiffer than last year. And a
stiffer handle means more types of hitters can effectively
swing it.
The result of these changes is easy contact and extra
distance. The testers who had used the Mutant in the past
were predictably happy with it, but more impressive were
those who had found the old versions too flexy to use –
they all loved the Resmondo.
It has a Max End Load, but with the combination of long
barrel and stiff handle (and with the Mutant Jeff Hall Reload
to compare it to), it didn’t feel overly end weighted. In fact,
some hitters thought the bat swung lighter than its 27-oz
posted weight.
Throughout testing, there was no downside to this bat. It
performed early, it performed consistently, it performed for
men and women and players of all levels. And it was also
voted best looking in its class – let’s face it, the blue and
orange letters over mixed martial arts-style tribal tattoos is
just cool.
“I never felt comfortable with any two-piece bat before. It
just never felt like the head ever caught up with my swing.
The Mutant Resmondo was the hottest bat we tried. It had
good pop even when it wasn’t hit right on the button.” –
Shea Wertz (96 mph swing speed average)
Other views:
“This is the sexiest looking bat and it has killer pop - right
out of the wrapper. The paint job is soooo sick. Love the bat
and has a very big sweet spot.” – beapro.com
Description:
• 14 Inch Barrel
• Don DeDonatis/Jeff Wallace
signature model
• Hybrid Composite 3-piece
technology
• 5.4L Technology - Multi-Layer
Design
• Heavy Duty Composite Handle
design
• Hybrid Cushion Grip
9
• End Load weighting
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $299.99
USSSA TODAY 53
Worth Mutant Jeff Hall Reload 120
Worth’s Jeff Hall
Technology:
The Worth 5.4L Jeff Hall Mutant Reload softball bat has
a large sweet spot and features a three-piece, 100%
composite design. It introduces a new Heavy Duty Hybrid
Composite Handle: the HD design has been refined with
the addition of aluminized fiberglass, which improves
strength and increases stiffness. The barrel is designed
with patented 5.4L Composite Technology - a multi-layer
design that extends the normal sweet spot two inches
farther towards the end cap so the sweet spot runs the
entire length of the barrel. It is bonded together by a
lightweight Vibration Reduction Collar. The Mutant 5.4L
has gone through Worth’s Rapid Air Vacuum Process,
which eliminates air bubbles and impurities in the bat
during manufacturing. It has also gone through the
Epoxy Induction Process, which is a proprietary twopart epoxy that is injected under heat and pressure to
enhance strength. This bat also includes their new pro
pebble composite grip for a max grip and feel. All Jeff
Hall Reload models include an extra half-ounce weight in
the end to go along with its Max End load.
Company line:
“The HD handle is stiffer than in the original Mutants,
though not as stiff as the Titan. In this new design is an
added layer of material that makes the handle about
5% stiffer, perhaps not much, but it enhances the feel.”
- Curtis Cruz, Worth/Rawlings Product Director for Bats.
Review:
The point of the Jeff Hall line of Worth bats is to create
an advantage for the elite hitter; that level of play where
minute changes in weighting mean incremental increases
in performance and where the player has the skill to use
those changes to his advantage.
That’s a fancy way to say the Mutant Hall is the same as
the Mutant Resmondo but with an extra half-ounce added
to the static weight and end load. Yet the difference is
noticeable.
It takes a touch more energy to swing – not a problem
for a solid tournament player – and once you get it going,
it comes through the hitting zone slightly faster, which
creates more distance than another bat without this kind
of weighting. The difference is, like we said, incremental –
maybe 3% more swing speed – but that translates to and
extra 9 feet on a fly ball hit with average swing speed, more
when hit with above-average swing speed.
54 USSSA TODAY
SLUGFEST
Of course, don’t overlook the obvious. This bat is in most
ways similar to the Mutant Resmondo. It uses the same
5.4L composite in the barrel and has a similar sweet spot;
there may be some argument whether the sweet spot is
closer to the end than in the Resmondo, theory dictates it’s
so though we couldn’t tell for sure. It uses the same Heavy
Duty composite handle and the stiffer construction makes
it an effective power-hitter’s bat.
The half-ounce really does play tricks on the mind though.
A scant half-ounce of extra weight, a number of testers
were reluctant to try it, decrying it as “too-heavy.” It isn’t.
Don’t make up your mind until you’ve actually picked it up
and swung it. You may find a couple of extra feet on your
fly ball that you would be missing out on with another bat.
“I hit the original Mutant 98 Jeff Hall Reload and never had
any complaints with it. I assumed the USSSA version would
be a bit hotter, but this thing makes me a different hitter.
Balls that I’m used to seeing land in front of the fence are
finding their way over. … feel is close to the Resmondo
version, but I think a bit more distance.” – Michael Cisneros
(75 mph swing speed average)
Other views:
“This bat is awesome … I am hitting the ball harder and
farther than ever before and I attribute it all to this bat. I like
the weight, but I have heard some players say they would
prefer going down to 26.5 instead of going up (to 27.5) as
I did.” – justbats.com
Description:
• 14 Inch Barrel
• Jeff Hall signature model
• Hybrid Composite 3-piece
technology
Design
• Heavy Duty Composite Handle
design
• Hybrid Cushion Grip
9
• End Load plus 0.5 ounce Reload
weighting
• Available in 26.5-28.5 and 30.5
ounce
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $299.99
Worth Titan Resmondo 120
Resmondo/Worth’s
Greg Connell
Technology:
The one-piece Worth Resmondo Titan 120 is designed
to have the largest sweet spot of all 100% composite
designs. It’s designed with patented 5.4L Composite
Technology - a multi-layer design that extends the normal
sweet spot two inches farther towards the end cap so
the sweet spot runs the entire length of the composite
barrel. Optimum Handle Flex Stiffness is married to the
barrel flex to provide maximum batted ball speed. This
bat combines strength, flexibility and delivers to hitters
both a massive sweet spot and remarkable durability. It
includes Worth’s new pro pebble composite grip for a
max grip and feel. The Resmondo Titan features a Max
End Load, for increased strength and power for home
run hitters.
Company line:
“5.4L technology was introduced in the Titan and was a
departure from the first Mayhems, it extends the sweet
spot more towards the end cap instead of just having it in
the middle of the barrel.” – Curtis Cruz, Worth/Rawlings
Product Director for Bats.
Review:
Worth makes a Titan for all types of hitters – there’s
the ASA-approved Titan with its Lithium Inner Core and
balanced weight; the USSSA-approved 100% composite
Titan with its slight end load; the Jeff Hall Titan with its
unique half-ounce weighting; and the top-of-the-line
Titan Resmondo.
Named for Worth’s Super Major team, the Resmondo
features a Max End Load to allow for the most potential
distance from a Titan. Combine that weighting with the
5.4L composite, developed for the Titan series, which
extends the sweet spot two more inches toward the end
of the barrel, and the stiff one-piece construction and this
is Worth’s top power-hitting product.
The Titan Resmondo has an exciting new paint job for
2010 – orange and white with navy trim. Like the Mutant
Resmondo, it features the signatures of a couple of the
team’s players including two-time Conference USSSA MVP
Bryson Baker, as well as the names of all the players on the
championship team.
SLUGFEST
It swings like you’d expect. It is a heavy club of a bat and it
takes a bit of strength and/or swing speed to get it around.
But it doesn’t require a lot of strength or speed to work effectively. To that end, the biggest raves for this bat from among
our hitters was from a female singles hitter; she embraced
the extra weight and immediately started adding distance
to her hits.
The bat is very stiff and the barrel does take a little time to
break in. We hit it about 200 times before the “clunk” sound
was replace by a more intimidating “crack” sound. The
distance seems to heat up along with the sound.
It doesn’t have the feel of many other bats; you feel almost
nothing when you make contact. But the hitting surface is
large and responsive and the proof is in the result – you don’t
need to feel it to see where it goes.
“I liked it. It was a bit heavier feeling than I am used to, but
I felt really solid for being that new (out of the wrapper).
The end load was much more noticeable than in many of
the other bats I tried. The most solid hits I had with any new
bat were with this.” – Kara Garrett (55 mph swing speed
average)
Other views:
“My 2010 Titan is hot as anything. But it also swings heavier
than its 27 oz. tagged weight. It’s heavier than my 28 oz.”
– softballfans.com
Description:
• 14 Inch Barrel
• Team Resmondo Signature
model
Design
• Optimum Handle Flex
• Pro Pebble Grip
9
• Maximum End Load
• 1.20 BPF Rating
and ISF
• MSRP $299.99
USSSA TODAY 55
Jean Shoppe/ Easton’s Run for 3-peat Falls Short
GTL Cartel/Stucco/ Worth’s
Persistence Pays Off at Class A
GTL and Worth Sports have been a winning combination over the years.
GTL was all smiles after winning the “if” game over Jean Shoppe 21-2.
Order of Finish
1.
GTL Cartel/ Stucco/ Worth
5-1
2.
Jean Shoppe/ Chaney’s/ Easton
7-2
3.
T&R Stucco/ Worth
3-2
4.
Combat USA/ Elite
3-2
5.
Blitz/ Watanabe
2-2
5.
Taylormade/ Titan/ Mizuno
3-2
GTL’s manager, Jose Sanchez, entered his team in nine conference events in
preparation for this championship.
Tournament MVP
Chad Munger
Brad Reckart
Brian Blount
All Tournament Team
Hank Garris
All Tournament Team
Brian Arnold
T&R Stucco/Worth
All Tournament Team
Victor Cordova
All Tournament Team
Robert Sena
Combat USA/Elite
All Tournament Team
Donovan Pokraka
All Tournament Team
Kevin Filby
All Tournament Team
Sam Lopez
All Tournament Team
Todd Joerling
All Tournament Team
Travis Lane
All Tournament Team
Eliseo Aguilar
Combat USA/Elite
All Tournament Team
Don Wilson
All Tournament Team
Anthony Dress
All Tournament Team
Shane Spicer
All Tournament Team
Randall Poplin
T&R Stucco/Worth
All Tournament Team
Timothy Mattox
T&R Stucco/Worth
USSSA TODAY 57
USSSA Takes the Field Prior to Astros/Royals MLB Game
A Day At The Park
USSSA Style
Always promoting the game of softball, USSSA players stop to sign and
talk to young players on the MinuteMaid concourse.
58 USSSA TODAY
Representing USSSA at MinuteMaid (l to r) Andy Purcell, Vince Bisbee,
Bryson Baker, Donnie DeDonatis and Greg Connell.
SOFTBALL IS MY GAME
Hey Softballers,
It’s that
time of year again. You start noticing
the leaves changing color, the days
getting shorter, and that temperature
dropping just enough to bring on the
chills. The one thing that doesn’t change
from summer to fall, though, is softball.
We love swinging the bats for as long
as we can and even as softball leagues
finish up their season, there’s still plenty
of moments to look back at and plenty
more to look forward to. After all, who
ever let a little cold weather stop them
from getting out to the diamond and
swinging those Easton bats?
First off, we’d like to congratulate all of
the Easton sponsored teams on a great
regular season. It seems like every year
the competition gets better and better
and Easton teams continue to rise to the
challenge. I’d personally like to congratulate Hank Garris from the Easton sponsored Jean Shoppe team for leading the
conference in hitting during the regular
season. Garris is your classic old-school
veteran. This guy’s been on the softball
diamond forever, 45-years-old and he
still swings the bat like a pro. We hope to
see him out on the field again next year,
tearing it up against kids half his age.
Also a tip of the cap to Greg Connell,
from Resmondo in Florida, who led the
conference in home runs. What a show
he puts on every time he steps up to
the plate. His Resmondo team won the
conference during the regular season
so it looks like they’ve got some great
things going for them down in Florida.
His team really took care of business and
I’m sure teams are already preparing for
them next year.
Moving away from the softball diamond
towards the big-league variety, who
doesn’t like Major League Baseball
during the fall? After a long regular
season, the postseason picture is really
starting to take shape as teams battle for their division titles and the all-important
Wild-Card berth. I love watching these games as the athletes perform at the highest
level when it matters most to see who gets to have the chance to play in October. I
think I speak for every MLB fan when I say that it doesn’t get much better than this.
While I myself am a diehard Yankees fan, I have to give credit to two particular clubs
that are chalk-full of Easton athletes. It pains me to say it, but the
Red Sox are once again looking strong and are on the
way to another playoff berth. Easton players Jason Bay,
David Ortiz and the reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia
could make things hard on any team that faces Boston
in the playoffs.
Over on the West Coast, the Dodgers have been in front
all season. With Easton guys Matt Kemp and Andre
Ethier leading the way, they look to be
the favorites in the NL. Who can blame
them? Ethier has been clutch all season
and there’s no way I’d want to be a
pitcher facing him in tight games
around the eighth or ninth inning.
We wish all of our Easton guys the
best and stay healthy throughout
the postseason.
Just because summer is over doesn’t
mean you can’t look forward to
some of the latest Easton gear hitting
the shelves at your local retailers.
We’re happy to announce the
re-release of the original CNT
Plus bat. For those of you who
love the the Synergy CNT
Plus, we’ve made a limited
amount of those for you to
get your hands on. Check
your favorite retailers and
online stores as soon as you
can. They’re going to sell like
crazy and we’re very excited to
make the popular bat available
again. We know you’ll enjoy
them.
Happy Hitting,
Brett Helmer
USSSA TODAY 59
*EDITORS NOTE:
These two editorial reports come to USSSA Today independently. It is obviously
an important topic across the US and we think it justifies a self-introspection.
Team Commitment
by Robert Boudreaux
During the recent round of state
championships, I became involved
in reviewing the activity of rosters
of Men’s “D” and “E” teams, and a
disturbing trend raised its ugly head.
Players have NO COMMITMENT
….. No loyalty to any team! They
migrate from team, to team, with
no loyalty to any one team, as their
efforts are all centered around their
personal goals, with no regard for
the team concept.
Gone are the days where a player
committed to a team in January,
and anxiously anticipated the team
playing through, state, national, and
hopefully a world championship. And
on the completion of the season, and
only then, would a player ponder the
idea of moving to another team.
In my review, I discovered a team
that utilized in excess of 50 players
to participate in 12 USSSA events,
including the State Championship.
When you consider this wonderful
game only requires 10 players to
participate, that means some 40+
players moved to other teams, or
worse, stopped playing the game of
slow pitch softball.
Gone are the days when twelve
buddies would get together and
play softball for seven months and
then socialize for the remaining
five months of fall, winter and early
spring.
Gone are the days where team
mates vacationed together in the off
season.
The Essence of Sport
by Scott Kuhnen
In the last two issues of USSSA
Today, we have proposed that the
essence of sport is sportsmanship.
We discussed respecting the game
and your opponents by not using
altered or illegal equipment. Most
especially this involves so-called
“juiced” bats. We then discussed
respecting the game by assuring that
players are on one roster (and one
roster only!) and that USSSA’s roster
management feature can be used to
help the game or abuse the game
(and your opponents) by “gaming”
the system in small ways.
Another way players can respect
the game is by being a good teammate. As I write this piece, it is late
July and teams are preparing to
advance into championship play. This
is also the time during the season
when lots of players are being
dropped and/or added to rosters and,
in some cases, such movement may
not be for reasons which help the
game in the long run.
While USSSA has made allowances for teams to both add players
and drop players from qualified
rosters, and it can surely be argued
that this flexibility is necessary for
lots of legitimate reasons, it might
also be argued that this flexibility
creates a certain level of chaos on
team rosters and is harmful to team
commitment.
One school of thought regarding
the ability to flexibly manage
rosters is tied to player injuries or
players needing to relocate from
one geographic location to another.
60 USSSA TODAY
Certainly military deployments are
a stress on military teams and these
team managers must be given the
flexibility to make adjustments to
their rosters under such circumstances.
But all teams are subject to
players moving out of town for a
job change and it is also a fact of
life that injuries, sometimes very
serious and season-long injuries,
can take a player out of action and
seriously cripple an entire team’s
ability advance in championship play.
USSSA roster rules allow for these
situations pretty nicely. We obviously
want the teams to advance!
We also recognize that team
managers must cope with multiple
players and multiple personalities. To
be successful in a team sport requires
that all the members of the team
recognize their roles on the team
and meet their responsibilities to the
team.
Team managers will surely tell
you that it is one thing to put a team
together in the dead of winter or
on the front end of the season and
another thing for that team to come
together nicely as a group to accomplish team goals. Everyone who
understands the concept of team
sports appreciates the goal of a team
which “gels.”
Teams that are well constructed,
including with a commitment from
all the players to work together
and stay the course thru one of the
longest season in all of sports, are
more likely to “gel” and do well
on the field. Those that are poorly
Gone are the days where
husbands and wives got together on
weekends and threw some meat on
the pit, and played a friendly game
of “bouree” (boo-ray…Cajun card
game).
Gone are the days where the
College Basketball Championship
marked the beginning of softball
season, as now, players play competitively as early as January, and by
June they are done with competitive
ball, before the core of the season
evolves.
Gone are the days where 2 & Q
was not the end of the world!
The Game has changed. Balls.
Bats. Gloves. All changed for the
better.
Attitudes. Changed as well, but in
most cases, not for the better. And
we can’t understand why we can’t
find sponsors for our teams. What
business person would want to put
his business moniker across the chest
of a bunch of winey, no commitment,
ball players?
We can’t understand why a local
businessman does not want to spend
his hard earned $$$ on a bunch of
non-committal nomads.
The answer is simple. Until softball
players step up and take responsibility
for their actions, on and off the field,
the game we all love so deeply, will
continue to spiral in the wrong direction. Until players challenge their own
game in regard to illegal bats, we are
headed for sure oblivion. Until players
show a commitment to playing
with one team from March through
September, we cannot guarantee the
Game of Slow Pitch will survive the
siege it currently experiences.
constructed, either due to talent
disparities, player misuse, or personality conflicts will not “gel” and
clearly not do as well on the field.
Even in these cases, where players
don’t get along and are not a good
fit for that team, USSSA roster
management rules allow for flexibility.
However, some of us have also
noticed a disturbing trend in players
moving from roster to roster for other
reasons; reasons which could be
considered harmful to the game and
the concept of sportsmanship. That
reason could be described simply as
selfishness.
Some Directors have noticed a
serious increase in players wanting
to jump from one team to another
based on whether or not their team
intends to advance in championship
play, most especially to one of our
World Tournaments.
These players may have gone to a
team-organizing meeting agreeing
to commit to a team manager for the
entire season, but once things start
to turn bleak in terms of advancing
- maybe for competitive reasons or
maybe for economic reasons - they
soon look to abandon ship and join
another team. In the process, they
abandon their commitment to not
just that team manager but all their
sponsor and their teammates, too.
When players abandon their teammates for purely selfish reasons,
they destroy many of the concepts
of team sports. Concepts such as
teamwork to earn a common goal,
dependability and reliance upon one
another to achieve goals, and the
sense of camaraderie (which is one
of its own rewards in team sports)
are abandoned in favor of personal
(and selfish) goals. I would argue
that it’s a lack of sportsmanship.
Being a part of a team is as much
“journey” as it is “ends.” The journey
of a team that shares ups and downs
together, copes with those ups and
downs together, and takes those
results as a group is one of the best
lessons of sport. The point being that
players are members of a committed
team…committed to one another as
much as anything else. Rather than
blame the other person for team
failure, a teammate also asks how
they themselves may have contributed to the team’s successes and/or
failures.
And, rather than abandon one’s
teammates if things are not going
well, and especially if it looks like
they aren’t going to advance to some
glamour site or event, a player’s
word on the tail end of the season
should be as good as it is on the
front end of the season when they…
committed to that team and those
other players.
Sportsmanship is everyone’s
responsibility and all our players
and team managers can help the
game by assuring that all the team’s
members are committed (and
capable) of going after those goals
together. Jumping ship because your
team cannot afford to advance, or
team managers shedding players
who cannot afford to advance in
favor of someone who can afford
to travel, is destructive to the ideals
of team sports. Committing to each
other as a team is a matter of…
Sportsmanship.
What Style Would
You Prefer To Play?
BIG CAT
STILL PROWLING THE SOFTBALL FIELDS
by Mike Macenko,
National Sales Mgr., Anaconda Sports
In this next issue of USSSA Today I
want to try and compare the two styles
of slo-pitch softball. The way the game
is played now and how it was played 20
years ago. I have had countless conversations with players of today, players of
20 years ago as well as with tournament
directors, managers, coaches, etc, etc,
etc. Anybody that has had something to
say about today’s slo-pitch softball game.
The most important thing to
remember when playing softball today
is to play within the rules of the game.
The one thing that has always puzzled
me was why when the equipment is at its
highest level of performance do we put
so many new rules into the game. You
would think that with the equipment as
hot as it is that there would not be any
home run restriction but it is just the
opposite. They have created a number
of levels of play to accommodate the
players.
One of the key reasons the game has
changed is the sweet spots on the bats.
They are just that much bigger today
then 20 years ago. Once again it goes
back to the manufacturers’ always are
trying to improve on their own product.
It really comes down to always looking
for the latest technology. 20 years ago
we used aluminum and today it is high
tech composite. So when I ask the question what style of softball you would
prefer to play, I mean would like to have
it where it was unlimited home runs or
limited like it is today.
I have come to the conclusion that it
takes a great athlete today to be able to
hit the ball all over the field and then hit
home runs at will especially in key situations. To be able to get one or two guys
on base and then try and hit a home run
is playing with in the rules of the game. It
just seems like 3 and 4 run home runs are
the way to go. That will definitely win
championships by doing that. I think we
can all agree that wining softball games
is really what it is all about.
From talking with players it seems that
some of the rules are in the right place,
but the teams are not playing in the
right place. This has created a problem of
some sorts in teams playing on the same
level. I know the USSSA is trying to keep
the fields equal. Don DeDonatis and the
USSSA staff have the USSSA Conference
where teams can actually get a chance
to play against the best slo-pitch talent
out there. That is one thing you want to
do once in your life whether you win or
lose. Is play against the best team in the
country? Believe me you won’t regret
doing it.
If you have had a chance to see some
games from the late 1970’s and early
1980’s you can remember that there was
no home run limits. Craig Elliott used to
tell Don Arndt you get yours when you
bat because we plan on getting ours
when we bat. The wild thing was that
Don Arndt pitched for Howard’s
when they were in their hey
day and Craig Elliott pitched
for Ken Sanders during their
reign. On 300 foot fences
you knew the scores were
going to be high because
the teams were made up of
that many good hitters.
The majority of the
hitters back then geared
their swings at not
making
any
outs.
They would take their
normal cuts and if the
ball went out then so
be it. Next batter please. The game was
different back then because we actually hit 10 home runs in a row as a team
more than once. If you didn’t hit a home
run and hit a single then you would not
kill yourself trying to stretch the hit into
a double. Why kill yourself trying to do
that when it is a pretty good chance that
the next hitter is going to go yard. So a
lot of the players back then took it one
base at a time.
It was in the late 1990’s and early
2000’s when they started using the 3 man
outfield. Once they started using this
move on the defensive side of the ball you
could see the softball player changing as
well. In the early 2000’s you could see
that the teams were being made up of
more defensive style players (who can hit)
than in the past. You could see where the
game changed as the softball bats themselves changed. The outcome of the ball
depends on the style of bat that you are
playing with. The manufacturers’ have
realized that the harder the compression
the faster and farther the ball will play
off of the composite bats.
You had your exceptional players in
the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s like you have today
in the 2000’s. I myself know that it would
take a whole lot more batting practice
to perfect your swing like some of the
players do today. The game has
definitely changed and you
need to play by the rules and
you will become a winner. I
myself would still want to have
played when I played. I
think softball was a great
game back then and
I still think it is today.
It is something to talk
about at the ball park
next time you play.
So I leave you with
that thought. Would
you have liked to be
able to free swing
and play ball in the
80’s and 90’s or have
to play by all the
rules? You won’t
lose either way.
USSSA TODAY 61
USSSA FASTPITCH SOFTBALL
USSSA World Series Offers a
Little of the Past, Present, & Future
of Fastpitch Softball
by B.J. Larson
The first week of August has traditionally been when the USSSA
Softball program descends on Disney’s Wide World of Sports.
The pageantry that only Disney’s Wide World of Sports can
provide was on full display not only on Sunday, but throughout
the week.
62 USSSA TODAY
But Sunday was where the softball world took center stage
as the USSSA Fastpitch World Series took over the 8000 seat
Champions Stadium at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. Not only
was the house rocking with all of the family, friends, and players,
but USSSA brought some of the biggest heavy hitters of the softball community.
Trailblazers of the Game
A few of the most touted players in the history of softball
were on hand for the Opening Ceremonies. Cheri Kempf,
Lisa Fernandez, and Stacey Nuveman were there to greet the
1800+ athletes and welcome them to the USSSA World Series.
Stacey Nuveman is coming off of her third Olympic team
appearance, winning two Gold Medals (2000, 2004) and a
Silver Medal (2008). She has also been a part of two World
Championship teams, a World Cup Championship team, and
one NCAA National Championship team. She is still the NCAA
career leader in Home Runs (90) and Slugging Percentage (.945).
Stacey is currently an assistant coach at San Diego State
University, and has been a commentator for ESPN and CBS
College Sports, and continues to be an advocate for fastpitch
softball.
Stacey Nuveman
Lisa Fernandez has been the name and the face of USA
Softball for more than a decade. She is a three-time Olympic
Gold Medalist (1996, 2000, 2004) and is even credited with
an Olympic Record of 25 strikeouts in one game. She was a
member of two NCAA Championship teams (1990 & 1992). She
has pitched multiple no-hitters at the College World Series,
and in 1993, posted a record of 29-0 for UCLA.
Lisa is currently an assistant coach at UCLA, and has been active
in many other avenues of youth softball, including participating in the PFX tour.
Cheri Kempf was one of the original fireball pitchers of softball. She was a 3-time All-American and was an NAIA National
Champion at Missouri Western State University (then Western
State College). Cheri was a member of the 1992 USA National
team that won the Gold Medal at the World Cup in Beijing,
China.
Lisa Fernandez
Some of her most important contributions to softball have
come after the conclusion of her playing days. Cheri is currently
the President and Commissioner of the National Professional
Fastpitch league. She has been with the league for this season
and is working as an ambassador to the game to help extend
the exposure and opportunities for girls and women that are
involved in the game of fastpitch.
Though these three have had a great influence on the past of
fastpitch softball, it is easy to see their dedication and commitment to the present and future. Their investment as an ambassador of the game of softball should be a demonstration and
path to follow for all of the greats that will continue in their
footsteps.
Present: The newest crop of Superstars
Fresh off of their World Cup Championship (and in the midst
of their NPF season), some of the biggest names of the USA
National team were here to welcome in the USSSA World
Series. It also happens that most of those same players are
members of the USSSA Pride National Professional Fastpitch
team.
Aly and Cheri Kempf
USSSA TODAY 63
Monica Abbott, Caitlyn Lowe, and Kelly Kretschman and their
USSSA Pride teammates joined in the festivities and were
on-hand to greet the players and show their support for the
USSSA program.
Monica was coming of being one of the pitchers to guide the
USA to the World Cup gold medal in Venezuela, and was the
winning pitcher in the Gold Medal game. After a standout
career at Tennessee, she has gone on to a starring role with
the USA National team, pitching in numerous international
contests, including the 2008 Olympic Games.
Caitlyn Lowe and Kelly Kretschman have been fixtures on
the USA National Team since 2000. Caitlyn possesses amazing
speed and has been considered a sparkplug of the offense.
Kelly has been a member of the last three Olympic teams, and
is currently a member of the USSSA Pride team.
Considered by many as the highlight of the day, the most
recognizable face in fastpitch softball was on hand in Jennie
Finch. After finishing her stellar career at the University of
Arizona, she has assumed a leading role on the USA National
Team. She is currently the star pitcher for the Rockford team in
the National Professional Fastpitch league.
Jennie Finch
Jennie has also become a fixture on television as the leading
ambassador of girls fastpitch. She has broadcast with ESPN
from the Women’s College World Series in recent years, and
continues to be the face of softball today and into the future.
Future: USSSA Champions of today and the
Stars of Tomorrow
After the festivities of Sunday were complete, everyone settled
into their goal of the week, a USSSA World Series Championship.
There were 130+ teams competing from 24 states. The USSSA
World Series was contested over eight days in the Florida sun
(and occasional rain) in five different divisions, including 10 &
Under, 12 & Under A & B, 14 & Under A & B.
One of the new features to the USSSA World Series was the
use of Champions Stadium. This stadium is the Spring Training
home to the Atlanta Braves, and is the home of their AAA
minor league team. Opening Ceremonies were held in the
Stadium, and were then followed up with a NPF game between
the USSSA Pride and the Philadelphia Force.
Monica Abbott
With the use of Champions Stadium, USSSA also introduced
live webcasts of ballgames. Select games in the stadium were
broadcast over the web via the USSSA Webcast. Fans and
family at home could log on to www.usssa.com and see their
daughters and loved ones battling it out at the USSSA World
Series. In addition, teams were given an option to purchase
DVD copies of these games as keepsakes of their experience at
the USSSA World Series.
In the 10 & Under Division, Ultimate Fastpitch (OK) lost their
third round match-up with Miami Wildcats and then rattled
off seven consecutive wins, including back-to-back two run
victories (4-2 and 5-3) over Xtreme Fastpitch (FL).
Caitlyn Lowe
64 USSSA TODAY
bracket by the EMR Softball Club, Pitt County battled back
through three teams to reach the Championship game. In the
Championship game, Pitt County was able to dole out some
revenge and put a blemish on the EMR Softball record with
a 3-0 win to force the If Necessary game. In that game, EMR
gained control of the game and the Championship with a 5-2
win.
In the 12 & Under A division, Ozone Gold established their
dominance early and often by going 7-0 on the week. After
an undefeated pool play round, they rolled to Championship
with victories over Indiana Rebels, Jupiter Seahawks (FL), and
Wellington Wild Blue (FL). The Championship Game was a
9-2 victory over the same Wellington Wild Blue (FL) that had
defeated the Homer Hawks (IL) in the 3rd place game.
The 12 & Under B Division was claimed by EMR Softball Club
(IN). After rolling through the Winner’s Bracket undefeated
with a record of 4-0, they faced the Pitt County Rockets (NC) in
the Championship game. After being dropped into the Loser’s
The Glen Ellyn Phillies (IL) battled through 3 days of Loser’s
Bracket games to capture the 14 & Under A division crown.
After an undefeated pool play, they were sent down in the
second round by Oviedo Blaze (FL) 7-2. The 5-run defeat only
stoked the fire as Glen Ellyn rolled off four consecutive victories (two shutouts) to set-up a rematch with Oviedo. A decisive 5-1 victory sent the Phillies on to the Championship game
where they would need two victories to complete their run.
With two wins (both at 4-2) over Palm Beach Wicked (FL), Glen
Ellyn completed the unlikely run to end up 12-1 on the week
and USSSA Champions.
For the 14 & Under B division, twelve total victories were
needed for the Arkansas Livewires. After and undefeated
pool play schedule, and two eight-run victories in the Winner’s
Bracket, the Livewires went down to Xplosion (IL) 5-1. With
44 teams in the division, this would still prove to be a long
road back for the Livewires. On Saturday alone, the Livewires
battled through five rounds of the Loser’s Bracket to earn a
place in the Championship Game with wins over Newburgh
USSSA TODAY 65
Orlando Order of Finish
10 & Under Division
Wins
Loses
USSSA
Points
Ultimate Fast Pitch
12
1
650
FL
XTREME FASTPITCH 98
7
2
350
3
CA
Tri County Smash
7
2
300
4
OK
WCC Angels
7
4
250
5
FL
miami wildcats
6
2
200
5
FL
Pembroke Lakes Bandits
6
2
200
Wins
Loses
USSSA
Points
Place
State
1
OK
2
Team
12 & Under “A” Division
Place
State
Team
1
CA
12U Ozone Gold frozen
7
0
650
2
FL
Wellington Wild Blue 12U
5
3
350
3
IL
Homer Hawks 12U Black
7
3
300
4
FL
Jacksonville Storm 96
5
2
250
5
IN
Indiana Rebels 12U
5
3
200
5
FL
jupiter seahawks 12u- stone
4
2
200
Place
State
Wins
Loses
USSSA
Points
1
IN
EMR Softball Club 12U
8
1
650
2
NC
pitt county rockets enc “red”
9
2
350
3
AR
Bombers frozen
6
3
300
4
PA
PA Poison (12U)
8
2
250
5
FL
Orlando Aftershock ‘97
7
3
200
5
IL
Southern Express 97
4
4
200
Wins
Loses
USSSA
Points
12 & Under “B” Division
Team
14 & Under “A” Division
Place
State
Team
1
IL
Glen Ellyn Phillies
12
1
650
2
FL
Palm Beach Wicked
6
3
350
3
FL
Oviedo Blaze
5
3
300
4
IL
Illinois Statik
6
3
250
5
FL
rcsa thunderbolts - bristow
5
3
200
5
GA
alpharetta attack (walters )
4
2
200
Wins
Loses
USSSA
Points
14 & Under “B” Division
Place
State
Team
1
AR
ARKANSAS LIVEWIRES
12
1
650
2
IN
Brats With Bats
8
2
350
3
FL
suncoast storm 14u - steve
7
2
300
4
IL
Xplosion
7
3
250
5
MI
Gold Fast Pitch Kennedy
7
3
200
5
PA
DuBois XTREME
5
3
200
66 USSSA TODAY
Knights (IN), Windsor Wildcats (Canada), Dubois Xtreme (PA),
a revenge game over Xplosion, and Suncoast Storm 14U (FL).
In those five games, four victories were shutouts. With two
victories over Brats with Bats (IN), another shutout 1-0 and a
7-2 win, the Arkansas Livewires completed their amazing day
with 7 victories (five by shutout).
After eight great days of softball, that were brought in by
the biggest names in fastpitch past and present, there were
some amazing performances by the future of softball. These
teams should relish the opportunities that they had and their
ability to capture the Championship. As we roll into August,
a new season begins, and a fresh crop of fastpitch players are
working hard across the country for the chance to call themselves USSSA World Series Champions. We’ll see you in 2010, at
Disney’s Wide World of Sports.
16U B & 18U B West
August 3-9, 2009 • Big League Dreams West Covina
18 teams in 16U -16 teams in 18U
Contributing Editor- Stacy Fish , Photos by dPhoto.
Monday started of the week with Opening Day activities at BLD. Teams participated in the Opening Ceremonies followed by a
team meal, skills competition, and karaoke. Teams from Northern Cal, Southern Cal, and Arizona were in attendance. Umpire
crews from So Cal, Nor Cal, Arizona, Illinois, and NV officiated the games lead by Bob Cheney serving as Umpire in Chief.
So Cal Storm at OC
Eliminators Karaoke At OC
Jus Ballplayers at team meal. Sportsmanship winners also.
PHX Heat at OC.
Storm at team meal.
National Anthem singer - Sarah Begey.
USSSA TODAY 67
68 USSSA TODAY
18U Champions So Cal Blast
WORLD SERIES 18 AND UNDER ALL TOURNAMENT SELECTIONS
Players Name
Plays For
Tournament MVP
Emily Seidel
So Cal Blast
Janai Shaw
So Cal Blast
Alyson Kulp
OC Nighthawks
Outstanding Pitcher
Tiffany Coppens
OC Nighthawks
All Tournament Team
Janai Shaw
So Cal Blast
All Tournament Team
Emily Seidel
So Cal Blast
All Tournament Team
Taylor Kane
So Cal Blast
All Tournament Team
Brittney Marks
So Cal Blast
All Tournament Team
Karol Pereira
So Cal Cyclones
All Tournament Team
Tiffany Coppens
OC Nighthawks
All Tournament Team
Michelle Contreras
So Cal Rampage
All Tournament Team
Nicole Soltis
OC Nighthawks
All Tournament Team
Alyson Kulp
OC Nighthawks
All Tournament Team
Monica Flores
So Cal Rampage
All Tournament Team
Britney Balderama
So Cal Rampage
All Tournament Team
Sonia Florido
OC Ladycats
All Tournament Team
Ronnie Pettis
OC Nighthawks
All Tournament Team
Kassandra Browning
So Cal Blast
All Tournament Team
Hillery Guerra
So Cal Mirage
18 under Runner-Up Nighthawks
WORLD SERIES 18 AND UNDER ORDER OF FINISH
Place State
Team
Team Class
Wins
Loses
Ties
Runs
Scored
Runs
Allowed
Avg Runs
Avg Allow
Avg Diff
Max Runs
USSSA
Points
1
CAS
So Cal Blast
FPGirls18&UB
8
0
0
41
15
5.12
1.87
3.25
8
650
2
CAS
OC Nighthawks
FPGirls18&UB
7
3
0
53
14
5.3
1.4
3.9
13
350
3
CAS
So Cal Rampage
FPGirls18&UB
4
4
0
44
33
5.5
4.12
1.37
11
300
4
CAS
OC Ladycats
FPGirls18&UB
6
3
0
45
19
5
2.11
2.88
13
250
5
CAS
So Cal Mirage
FPGirls18&UB
5
2
0
38
19
5.42
2.71
2.71
14
200
5
CAS
So Cal Cyclones
FPGirls18&UB
4
4
0
30
28
3.75
3.5
0.25
10
200
7
CAS
Primetime Elite
(black)
FPGirls18&UB
4
3
0
27
18
3.85
2.57
1.28
10
150
7
CAS
Ozone Gold
FPGirls18&UB
3
4
0
32
30
4.57
4.28
0.28
12
150
USSSA TODAY 69
Players Name
Plays For
Tournament MVP
Julia Lombardi
So Cal Stingers
Ashlyn Campbell
San Bernardino Stars
Monique Landini
So Cal Stingers
Outstanding Pitcher
Ashlyn Campbell
All Tournament Team
Alyssa Ayala
So Cal Blast U 16
All Tournament Team
Diauna Nelson
Corona Eliminators 14U (95)
All Tournament Team
Kelsey Townsend
Tsunami
All Tournament Team
Ashley Watts
So Cal Storm
All Tournament Team
Savanah Guzman
All Tournament Team
Rachael Duncan
So Cal Stingers
All Tournament Team
Amaris Rodriguez
All Tournament Team
Joanna Asenjo
Tsunami
All Tournament Team
Hali Coffin
Tsunami
All Tournament Team
Alyssa Rodriguez
So Cal Stingers
All Tournament Team
Monique Landini
So Cal Stingers
All Tournament Team
Lauren Lombardi
So Cal Stingers
All Tournament Team
Julia Lombardi
So Cal Stingers
All Tournament Team
Melanie Vidaurri
All Tournament Team
Ashlyn Campbell
16U Champions So Cal Stingers
16U Runner Up San Bernardino Stars
Place State
Team
Team Class
Wins
Loses
Ties
Runs
Scored
Runs
Allowed
Avg Runs Avg Allow Avg Diff
Max Runs
USSSA
Points
1
CAS
So Cal Stingers
FPGirls14&UA
8
0
0
59
12
7.37
1.5
5.87
11
650
2
CAS
FPGirls16&UB
7
2
0
53
20
5.88
2.22
3.66
9
350
3
CAS
Tsunami
FPGirls16&UB
7
3
0
50
33
5
3.3
1.7
12
300
4
CAS
Corona Eliminators 14u (95)
FPGirls14&UA
5
3
0
40
26
5
3.25
1.75
11
250
5
CAS
So Cal Storm
FPGirls16&UB
5
3
0
35
17
4.37
2.12
2.25
12
200
5
CAS
So Cal Blast U 16
FPGirls16&UB
5
2
0
26
25
3.71
3.57
0.14
8
200
70 USSSA TODAY
The Lear Park Youth Sports Complex
“Diamonds Among the Pines”
by Dave Owens
Over the past decade, the City of Longview has grown in population as new citizens moved to the area. Naturally their children and grandchildren became involved in different athletic
activities, especially baseball, girls’ softball, and soccer. In the
past, the City of Longview has always managed to find a place
for these sports. Baseball and softball were played on older
fields throughout the city, while soccer was played on a plot
of land owned and leased to the city by the Stroh’s Brewery.
The City of Longview owned a piece of property near the
Stroh’s Brewery known as the Quail Farm. Although this plot
of land was relatively small compared to other area parks, it
was large enough for a few much needed softball fields. As a
master plan for the new softball fields at the Quail Farm began
to take shape, the Stroh’s Brewery shut down and the property
was sold to a group of private investors. This unforeseen event
forced the soccer community to realize that soccer participants
could soon lose the facilities they had utilized for years.
About this time, a long-time citizen of Longview, W.G. “Bill
Lear” also realized the need in his community. Years ago, Mr.
and Mrs. Lear’s daughter had played softball, and they now
had three grandchildren who were active participants in
Longview Sports. Mr. and Mrs. Lear, able to see first- hand the
need to improve the youth facilities in Longview, “stepped to
the plate” to help out. They donated 88 acres of their land
to be used in the development of a youth sports complex.
Since the city already owned the Quail Farm next to the newly
donated property, the additional land would now allow for a
larger facility to include baseball fields as well. Mr. and Mrs.
Lear once again rose to the occasion in April 2005, when they
donated an additional 23.52 acres, which provided enough
space for not only four baseball fields, but eight.
The Lear Youth Sports Complex now has 185.1023 acres with
the Lears donating 124.0743 acres to the complex. The City of
Longview now has 8 softball fields, 15 soccer fields and 4 base-
ball fields in operation at the Lear Sports Complex complex.
There are two four-field softball fields, all eight fields are lit
and have their own concession buildings, and 200 foot fences.
The four baseball fields (all lit) also has their own concession
with two 300 foot fences and two 250 foot fences. The 15
soccer fields (two lit) are various age sizes to accommodate
different age groups and have two concessions. There is paved
parking with striping and it is lit with islands dividing sections
and handicap parking. There is also a very nice kid’s playground (Kidsview) with amenities. The Park is maintained by
the City of Longview daily.
In 2008 6,982 participants and 554 teams played on the fields
at Lear Park in various sports’ tournaments. The number of
people attending Lear Park was estimated to be 29,428.
The year was high-lighted with two City of Longview Sports
Tourism High School/College Girls Softball Tournaments over
a two week period. College teams from Alabama, New York,
South Dakota and Texas were among those attending. Two
USSSA girls fast pitch World Series Tournaments were held with
two New Mexico teams and two California teams competing.
ASA and USSSA State Tournaments were also held.
In 2009 it is estimated 8,933 participants from 701 teams will
play at the Lear Park facility with an estimated 36,272 fans
attending to cheer their favorite soccer, baseball and softball teams. The Sports Tourism Fast Pitch Tournament has
again high-lighted the softball season as it grew to 80 high
school and college, teams with college teams from Nebraska,
Arkansas and Texas attending. The soccer spring and fall tournaments attracted 226 teams and the baseball fields opened
in the spring and the baseball tournaments will bring an estimated 118 teams to the facility.
The future plans for Lear Park are to build a four field Coach
Pitch/T-Ball Complex for boys and girls and to add a second
four field baseball complex.
USSSA TODAY 71
Jaque Hall’s
Amazing Journey
byAndy Johnson
USSSA Fastpitch has allowed so many
of the girls from our area to travel on
wonderful journeys; not just traveling
for State and World tournaments, but
also the journey of growth in relationships formed within our softball “families”. As wonderful as these journeys are,
none stands out as much as the amazing
journey that young pitcher, Jaque Hall
has embarked on.
Jaque is from McCurtain County, Oklahoma.
The first time I had the honor of meeting
Jaque, she was a pitcher for the McCurtain
County Storm. The Storm had traveled from
Oklahoma to Texarkana to play in one of
the many USSSA tournaments held at Karrh
Park. Boy, did my 14U team dread facing
that little pitcher! Even at that age, she had
a wicked curve ball that took batters by
surprise. Her ability was not her only prominent attribute; her personality was such that
EVERYBODY loved her – umpires, coaches,
teammates, and opponents. In 2005, both
our teams traveled to Ft. Collins, Colorado
to the USSSA World Series. Both teams were
horribly disappointed to find that we had
traveled such a long distance, just to end
up facing each other for the first bracket
game. Though Jaque did not make it easy
for us, our team, the Texarkana Vipers,
were lucky enough to win that game and
force the McCurtain County Storm into the
Loser’s Bracket. They fought valiantly with
Jaque at the helm for several more games
until finally they lost out. When most girls
would have said, “OK, we’ve done our best,
let’s go back home.”, Jaque said “Can we
please stay to cheer on the Vipers.” That is
just one example of the kind of good sport
that Jaque always has been.
Not blind to her efforts and her abilities,
the next year, we asked that she join us on
the Texarkana Vipers, which (luckily for us)
she accepted. She aided us in our “Backto-Back” First Place State Championship
and then in the World Series in McKinney,
Texas she was selected to the 16UB World
Series All Tournament Team.
72 USSSA TODAY
Jaque also played with her high school
team and lead them in so many ways.
Today she holds many school records. She
loves the game of softball and it shows.
In a tragic car accident in January 2008,
Jaque sustained an injury in which
her back was literally broken in half.
Specialists actually commented they
had never seen anyone survive the back
injury she sustained. True to Jaque form
though, she has never “given up”. She
has endured multiple surgeries, has spent
months in hospitals and specialty clinics.
Currently, she relies on a wheelchair for
transportation, but that has not stopped
her from living life to its fullest. She is
still active with water sports and ATVing.
You can follow her miraculous journey
by regularly visiting her website: http://
jaqueshomeplate.blogspot.com.
She and her family have overcome so
many obstacles already; yet they have
further to go. For that reason, the Board
of Texarkana Fastpitch Softball chose
to honor Jaque with a benefit tournament last summer and to make it an
annual event. Jaque starts off the tournament by throwing out the first pitch.
All proceeds from the tournament are
presented to Jaque and her family in
an effort to offset some of the expenses
that they surely have incurred. This year,
the event was held on July 11th at Karrh
Park in Texarkana. The tournament had
grown from last year’s first benefit tournament which was only one age group
to this year’s three age group tournament (14U, 18U, and 18&Over) for a
total of 19 teams. Texarkana Fastptich
Softball was able to present Jaque with
a check for a little over $2,800.00. This
amount seems so insignificant when
compared to the many gifts she has
given us throughout the years. Jaque is
a one-of-a-kind athlete whose faith in
God, love of softball, and outstanding
heroism has encouraged each of us to
be persistent in whatever we endeavor
to achieve. It is with great pride that
Texarkana Fastpitch Softball holds this
tournament annually and happily invites
you to join us next year to help support
this wonderful young athlete!
USSSA TODAY 73
Columbus, IN hosts
USSSA Fast Pitch World Series
16 and under B/ 11 and under B
photos by Mike McNutt
Players Name
Plays For
Tournament MVP
Lexi Jones
Edgewood Elite Brigade
Kayrn Buckel
Jessie Little
Lady Charmers
Outstanding Pitcher
Allison Foster
Louisville Magic
All Tournament Team
Kelsi Allen
All Tournament Team
Allison Foster
Louisville Magic
All Tournament Team
Nichole Frazier
All Tournament Team
Danielle Payson
All Tournament Team
Jordan Baker
Miamisburg sting
All Tournament Team
Shelby Kerwin
Miamisburg sting
All Tournament Team
Sarah Eodice
Lady Charmers
All Tournament Team
Kaley Bell
Miamisburg sting
All Tournament Team
Meghan Mccreery
Louisville Magic
All Tournament Team
Brittany Kaiser
Louisville Magic
All Tournament Team
Jessie Little
Lady Charmers
All Tournament Team
Leanna Pittsenbarger
Lady Charmers
All Tournament Team
Anna Fanelli
All Tournament Team
Lexi Jones
All Tournament Team
Kim Jamros
Louisville Magic
Place State
Team
Team Class
Wins
Loses
Ties
Runs
Scored
Runs
Allowed
Avg Runs Avg Allow Avg Diff Max Runs
USSSA
Points
1
IN
FPGirls16&UB
8
2
0
49
23
4.9
2.3
2.6
10
650
2
KY
Louisville Magic
FPGirls16&UB
9
2
0
69
28
6.27
2.54
3.72
15
350
3
OHS
Lady Charmers
FPGirls16&UB
10
3
0
44
18
3.38
1.38
2
8
300
4
OHS
Miamisburg Sting
FPGirls16&UB
6
4
0
31
24
3.1
2.4
0.7
9
250
5
OK
Oklahoma Storm
FPGirls16&UB
8
2
0
49
27
4.9
2.7
2.2
9
200
5
OHN
Central Park Crushers 15U
FPGirls15UOpen
5
3
0
32
23
4
2.87
1.12
10
0
7
IL
Vernon Hills Stingers
FPGirls16&UB
5
4
0
33
19
3.66
2.11
1.55
8
150
7
IL
Tinley Park Rockers Platinum
FPGirls16&UB
4
5
0
32
34
3.55
3.77
-0.2
6
150
74 USSSA TODAY
Players Name
Plays For
Tournament MVP
Chase Nelson
Arkansas Heat
Braxton Burnside
Arkansas Heat
Morgan Crawford
Pittsburgh Lady Roadrunners Blue
Outstanding Pitcher
Chase Nelson
Arkansas Heat
All Tournament Team
Chase Nelson
Arkansas Heat
All Tournament Team
Savanna Mayo
Arkansas Heat
All Tournament Team
Samantha Scott
Arkansas Heat
All Tournament Team
Claire Brown
Arkansas Heat
All Tournament Team
Madison Manley
Arkansas Heat
All Tournament Team
Janelle Brown
Mississauga North Tigers 1997
All Tournament Team
Taylor Kangas
All Tournament Team
Natalie David
Southern Indiana Crush-Orange
All Tournament Team
Kate Webster
All Tournament Team
Haley Winiger
All Tournament Team
Mackenzie Mangum
All Tournament Team
Linda Rush
All Tournament Team
Allie Taylor
All Tournament Team
Madeline Wensel
All Tournament Team
Alicia Bassila
Team Class
Wins
Loses
Ties
Runs
Scored
Arkansas Heat
FPGirls11UOpen
8
0
0
60
9
7.5
1.12
6.37
10
650
Place State
Team
Runs
Allowed Avg Runs Avg Allow Avg Diff Max Runs
USSSA
Points
1
AR
2
PAW
FPGirls11UOpen
8
2
0
84
27
8.4
2.7
5.7
15
350
3
ON
FPGirls11UOpen
7
2
0
52
29
5.77
3.22
2.55
10
300
4
IN
FPGirls11UOpen
4
3
0
37
25
5.28
3.57
1.71
14
250
5
MO
Esprit
FPGirls11UOpen
4
3
0
43
31
6.14
4.42
1.71
14
200
5
IN
Indy Blast ‘97
FPGirls11UOpen
2
3
0
20
26
4
5.2
-1.2
6
200
7
IL
St. Charles Comets 0
FPGirls11UOpen
6
4
0
34
25
3.4
2.5
0.9
7
150
7
MI
Compuware 11S
FPGirls11UOpen
5
6
0
34
67
3.09
6.09
-3
8
150
USSSA TODAY 75
USSSA 2009
Ocean City Blast at the Beach
by Keri Lounge
14U Diamond State Swoop Blue
Softball is not just a sport of physical aptitude but a sport that
tests the ability to overcome uncontrollable situations and
mental obstacles. A true test of an athlete’s ability is to play
through unpredictable conditions such as the weather. It is just
the nature of this sport that we love. We do not have the luxury
of playing in an air conditioned court or on an indoor turf
arena. We are at the mercy of Mother Nature who may sometimes not be in such a good mood. The 2009 youth fastpitch
season was a definite test of everyone’s ability to overcome this
beast but, regardless of weather, pitches were still pitched and
runs still crossed the plate.
The 12th Annual 2009 USSSA Ocean City Blast at the Beach in
Ocean City, Maryland was no exception to overcoming obstacles. This year was the largest tournament to date throughout
the Mid Atlantic area with 151 teams from seven states Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, West
Virginia, and New York. Teams played through a flawless Friday
worth of pool play games. Saturday was a different outcome
when Mother Nature threw a curve ball. Teams and field crews
fought the rain at all nine complexes until finally the fields had
to be shut down. The tournament director and site directors
gathered and after hours of evaluation, to be fair to all teams,
76 USSSA TODAY
the decision was finally made to finish out pool play on Sunday
and the results of the tournament would be determined from
each team’s record throughout the tournament. This is a
perfect example of pushing through the uncontrollable situations that are inevitable of this sport. No matter if it is hot,
raining, snowing we will always find a way to play softball.
Sunday morning, the Ocean City sun came out, all fields were
up and running and the games went off without any problems. The 10U age bracket had a new face in the winner’s circle
as the West Jersey Witches from New Jersey took home the
championship trophy. They only gave up two runs throughout
the tournament while scoring 34 runs. The second place 10U
Chester County Stars from Pennsylvania were not far behind by
scoring 32 runs and only allowing three runs the entire tournament. Coach Louis Ercolani of the Chester County Stars complimented his players and highlighted Sammie Staudt’s .750 and
Nikki Ray’s .571 batting averages for the tournament. In 2006
the Chester County Stars placed in the top two at the Blast at
the Beach so they are not unfamiliar to taking home a trophy
at this tournament.
After finishing second in last year’s Blast at the Beach tourna-
10U Chester County Stars after finishing second in the 2009 USSSA Blast at the Beach.
ment the Lake Shore Lightning 12U had something to prove.
Outscoring their opponents 33-2 Lake Shore Lightning will post
as this year’s champion. Their outstanding performance in this
tournament may have been a premonition to their season.
They finished the 2009 season with a USSSA overall record of
31-6-0 and finished first place at the USSSA Maryland State
Tournament. There was excellent competition throughout the
tournament but it is always great to have a newcomer in the
top two. The 12U PA Shooting Stars finished second making
this their first top two finish at the Blast at the Beach.
Maryland Chill took home first with an undefeated record,
allowing zero runs, and scoring 19. Not far behind was the
second place 16U North Carroll Hotshots White who also went
undefeated allowing only one run and scoring 11. The 18U
Delaware State Champions, East Coast X-plosion Gold, finished
first with an undefeated record and only allowing two runs.
The second place 18U Allentown Patriettes from Pennsylvania
scored an average of six runs per game and only allowed six
runs the entire tournament. Phenomenal competition from
both age groups.
With few runs allowed and many scored the 14U age bracket
came down to defense which proved to be highly competitive this year. The champions 14U WHC Fever coached by Chris
O’Connor went undefeated scoring 30 runs and allowing zero.
Another newcomer to the top two was the 14U Diamond State
Swoop Blue from Laurel, Delaware. Finishing in second place,
Coach Jay Covey, complimented his players for not giving up
any runs and only allowing 6 hits throughout the tournament.
Catcher Kennedy Wright led the tournament with an accomplished .500 batting average. This achievement added to the
Swoop’s Delaware State Championship title for the 2009 season.
As always, a great showing for the entire 14U age bracket.
The Blast at the Beach is a time for teams to show off their
ability while taking in some good team bonding on the beaches
of Ocean City. Whether rain or shine the game must go on and
Tournament Director Bill Dowell said, “Although we had some
weather issues we were still able to show off the great competition that exists in the Mid Atlantic East Coast region. After 12
years of hosting this tournament I can say that each year this
tournament grows and the caliber of teams just keeps getting
better. On behalf of USSSA we thank all of our participating
teams and the town of Ocean City, Maryland and Wicomico
County for providing such a unique atmosphere for our young
girls to enjoy a weekend of fun and competition.” The results
for the 2009 Ocean City Blast at the Beach can be viewed on the
national USSSA website www.usssa.com.
Maryland took home the top two positions in the 16U age
bracket while the 18U bracket placed out of state. The 16U
USSSA TODAY 77
October 2-4, 9-11, and 16-18; Shawnee, KS
The Monster Bash:
Costumes, Contests, & Softball too.
by BJ Larson
by BJ Larson
The ringleader/tournament director.
As summer turns to fall, many begin to look back to the beginning of school, football, and the leaves changing color as
winter approaches. But in the Midwest, softball and baseball
players begin looking for that next great costume that will also
allow them to steal a base, hit a ball, and make that diving
catch, all while they fit in with the team’s costume design.
History
In Kansas City and the surrounding states, October means THE
MONSTER BASH. In the fall of 2003, a tournament director
(Jeremy McDowell) wanted to inject a little fun back into
the game that he and so many young ladies have dedicated
themselves to. To do this, he convinced an entire group of
umpires and tournament staff to show up for the weekend in
Halloween costumes and challenge the players and coaches to
enjoy themselves and the camaraderie or being at a softball
tournament. That first tournament had 22 teams participating.
Even the parents can get into the act. Poor umpires...
The event steadily grew to 56 teams in 2006, and had reached
its capacity at the Field of Dreams. In the fall of 2007, the event
was moved to the newly opened Blue Valley Rec Complex
in Overland Park, KS with 22 fields available. That year, the
MONSTER BASH grew to 135 teams. The 2008 MONSTER BASH
saw 128 teams compete in the “A”/”B” divisions.
Warden Mike McGinley and his
inmate.
78 USSSA TODAY
Work-release program for the umpires
Taking it to a New Level
For the first time in 2008, a “C” division was added. With
an emphasis on development and fun for the players, the
“C” division seemed to be a natural fit for an event like the
Monster Bash. At a time when most of the teams in that
division are shutting down for the year, 62 teams came
out in true MONSTER BASH fashion. The 2009 edition of
the “C” MONSTER BASH looks grow even bigger as teams,
players, parents, and fans get behind the fun and fanfare.
Getting the Boys into the Act
The first baseball MONSTER BASH was small start, and a
novel idea to the Kansas City baseball market. In 2005 &
2006, 25 teams found their way to Basehor Field of Dreams
for the MONSTER BASH. In the fall of 2007, the secret was
out, and the MONSTER BASH jumped to 92 teams. There
were some dedicated teams to the activities as the boys
jumped in whole-heartedly to the activities and costumes.
With another explosion in 2008 to 139 teams, the 2009
edition looks to be one of the premiere events in the
Midwest for the fall.
Dalmations, Cruele DeVille, and one scared Fire-Hydrant
Fun Beyond the Games
What makes this event so special is the dedication that
not only the staff of MSP, but the players, coaches, and
fans have to the event. There are several activities that
the teams can compete in. Many of these contests revolve
around a design theme. This theme dictates the costumes,
dugout decoration theme, pumpkin, and can be included
into their Dance-Off. The Dugout Decorating Contest was
designed as a way to incorporate the theme into the team
aspect. It gave the players a way to express their creativity.
Quickly this contest has become to engulf the team and has
become a very involved project that includes the parents
and coaches. The Pumpkin Carving contest is just that. Each
year, MSP purchases hundreds of pumpkins to decorate
the parks, and each team gets an opportunity to carve one
for the judges. Added in 2008, the Dance-Off competition
was a great success and a very eventful opportunity for the
coaches to “cut a rug.” Each team was allowed to select
their own music, choreograph their dance, and perform in
the main concourse of the park with a full audience. Teams
were given bonus points for Coach involvement. The final
contest is the Spirit Contest. This contest involves every
aspect of the team including the Dugout, Pumpkin, Player/
Coach Costumes, Dance-off, and Parent involvement.
Team Dance Competition
Fall Begins Anew
With the close of World Series play and the beginning of
the 2010 season, it is again time to think about what the
teams, umpires, and staff will be for the 2009 MONSTER
BASH. We’ve had entire teams of Oompa Loompas, clubs
dressed as 101 Dalmations (with 5 teams of players), and
many other creative and fun ideas.
We hope that your team will join us in Kansas City to experience this event this year or in the future.
Dugout decorated by players, parents, and coaches.
USSSA TODAY 79
USSSA SLOWPITCH SOFTBALL
North Texas state champions crowned in
WORTH Lone Star Shootout Series
By Greg Huchingson
KG’s Sports Grill- Lone Star North Texas Men Class D State Champs
MANSFIELD, TX – North Texas state champions were crowned
in four divisions at the WORTH Lone Star Shootout Series NTX
Finals, held June 27-28 at Big League Dreams in Mansfield.
while runnerup SA Hitmen was 4-2.. SaveSecond.com came in
third, followed by West Coastal in fourth, and LTB/ASM from
Arkansas and Vivid from Dallas tied for fifth.
The WORTH Lone Star Shootout State Championship Series is
the most popular adult slowpitch event in Texas. Qualifiers are
held throughout the Lone Star State, leading up to the State
Finals. This year, for the first time ever, two State Finals were
held – one in North Texas and one in South Texas. The first
place teams in each division at those events will meet Aug. 22
to determine the winner of the coveted Super Bowl-style state
champion rings.
Johnny Reyes of Color Station was named Most Valuable Player
of the division, while Chris Riley of the SA Hitmen was tabbed
the Gold Glove winner. Other members of the All-State team
were: Jeremy Craft, Stuart Therrien, Loy Rodriguez and Angel
Castillo, of Color Station; Josepth Farias, Sammy Paez and
Ralph Perez, of the SA Hitmen; Dave Jiminez, Brad Eubank and
Brandon Goodwin, of SaveSecond.com; and Scott Marquardt
and Mike Jacquet, of West Coastal.
North Texas champions were determined at the NTX State
Finals, although any qualified team was allowed to enter
regardless of their hometown.
In the Men’s D Division, KG’s Sports Grill/Natty D’s from Ft. Worth
took an unconventional path to the championship. Manager
Paul Wheat’s crew won their opening game over rival Norman
Radiator (14-8), before losing their second game to West Texas
powerhouse F.T.P. from Odessa in a thriller (14-13). That sent
KG’s to the loser’s bracket where they reeled off nine consecutive wins in mostly 100-degree heat to capture the crown.
KG’s Sports Grill/Natty D’s defeated Powerhouse/H&W Logging
from Arkansas (11-7), Pyramid Softball from Midland (14-10);
North Texas Hype from Grand Prairie (16-5); Lethal Assault
from Ft. Worth (14-10); Outlawz from Dallas (16-6); Prodigy
Softball from Odessa (10-9); and Louisiana’s Finest from Bossier
City, La. (12-11) to reach the championship game. Then, KG’s
Sports Grill/Natty D’s proceeded to double-dip Famous Softball
from Ft. Worth in a pair of close games (11-8) and (9-7) to win
first place with an amazing 10-1 record.
In the Men’s C Division, an Arkansas team and a couple from
South Texas joined the best teams from North Texas for a smallbut-competitive 12-team bracket. Color Station from Ft. Worth
rolled to the championship game undefeated by knocking of
the SRS/Broncos from Dallas (17-2), West Coastal from Houston
(12-8) and SA Hitmen/DPS/Worth from San Antonio (17-12).
After losing in the King Seat game, the SA Hitmen dropped
to the loser’s bracket and narrowly defeated SaveSecond.com
from Pantego (15-14) to get another shot at Color Station. The
SA Hitmen then beat Color Station (24-18) to set up a winnertake-all “if” game, and threatened to take the North Texas
title back to the Alamo City. But it was not to be, as Color
Station rode the crafty pitching of veteran Rene Basaldu to a
13-1 victory to capture the crown.
Color Station finished the tournament with a 4-1 record,
It had to be a disappointing turn of events for Famous Softball,
who was bidding to win improbable back-to-back Lone Star
USSSA TODAY 81
Texas Turbulence- Lone Star North Texas Men Class E State Champs
Shootout championships. In 2008, Famous was the Men’s E
state champion before getting moved up to Class D for 2009.
Instead, they settled for second place in the higher division
with a 4-2 record. Louisiana’s Finest represented their home
state well by placing third in the 28-team bracket. Prodigy
Softball took the fourth place trophy back to West Texas, while
the Outlaws from Dallas and Woodpeckers from Galveston
tied for fifth place. The rest of the top 10 consisted of Lethal
Assault and Jokers/GKI Travel/Solis, both from Ft. Worth, tied
for seventh place; and CSI from Plano, North Texas Hype from
Grand Prairie, Five Star from Tyler and F.T.P. from Odessa tied
for ninth place.
Toby Bradshaw of KG’s Sports Grill/Natty D’s was named
Most Valuable Player of the division, and he was joined on
the All-State team by teammates Michael Borah, Clint Felts,
Jerad Gabbert and Benjamin Powell. Other members of the
All-State team included Andrew Hogan, Luis Hernandez and
Pedro Tagle, of Famous Softball; Brandon Belcher and Brady
Bascle, of Louisiana’s Finest; and Maurice Martinez and Chad
Windham, of Prodigy Softball.
In the Men’s E Division, Texas Turbulence of Greenville
continued their dominance of the WORTH Lone Star Shootout
Series by capturing the North Texas State Finals. It marked
their eighth first-place finish of the season and four of those
were Lone Star events – North Texas Shootout, Mansfield NIT,
Budweiser Festival and NTX State Finals.
Texas Turbulence posted consecutive wins over Express from
Texarkana (17-3); Southern Attitude of Magnolia, Ark. (13-6);
Goodfellas of Dallas (11-3), Batesville Bandits from South Texas
(11-7); and Hostility from Ft. Worth (20-2) to reach the championship game undefeated.
Hostility dropped to the loser’s bracket, where they faced the
red-hot Texas Sawx from Mansfield. Texas Sawx had gone
undefeated to win first place at the Last Chance Shootout just
two weeks prior to the State Finals. Texas Sawx posted a 14-4
victory over Hostility to advance to the championship, where
they beat Texas Turbulence (12-9) to force an “if” game. It
looked like the hometown favorite might pull of the upset.
But both teams appeared to be gassed by the late Sunday
82 USSSA TODAY
afternoon finale and it resulted in a low-scoring affair that was
won by Texas Turbulence (5-2).
Texas Turbulence topped the 36-team bracket with a 6-1 record,
while Texas Sawx settled for second place at 7-2. Hostility was
the third place team at 4-2 and the Batesville Bandits were
fourth, also at 4-2. Goodfellas and Southern Attitude tied
for fifth place with identical 5-2 record, while Relentless and
Disruption, both from Euless, tied for seventh place. The rest
of the top 10 consisted of M.R.T. Consulting from Monroe, La.,
Texas Smoke from Dallas, Rehab from Seguin in South Texas,
and High Ridge Church from Ft. Worth, all tied for ninth place.
Kyle Dykes of Texas Turbulence was named Most Valuable Player
of the division, while Marvin Hazen of Texas Sawx was picked
as Gold Glove winner. The rest of the All-State team consisted
of Colt Trammell, Robert Nail, James Long and Jason Trammell,
of Texas Turbulence; Will Smith, Tim Wallis and William Long,
of Texas Sawx; Kevin Schilling, Matthew Sandoval and Chad
Caldwell, of Hostility; and Guillermo Campos and Anthony
Maldonado, of the Batesville Bandits.
The Co-ed Division was the only one of the four divisions to not
go to an “if” game – but it never had a chance. After playing
four games in a span of six hours in scorching heat on Sunday,
Powerhouse from Euless declined to play the championship
game which gave the crown to Driven from Dallas.
Driven finished the tournament with a perfect 4-0 record,
while Powerhouse settled for second at 3-2. Escobar/Ronoco
from DeSoto came in third place with a 3-2 record, followed
by SaveSecond.com from Pantego in fourth place, and Chaos II
from Wichita Falls and The Tribe from Ft. Worth tied for fifth
place.
Ami Gresham and Cody Lacy, both from Driven, were named
Co-MVP’s of the division, while Harvey Bass of Powerhouse was
named Gold Glove winner. Other members of the All-State
team included Stuart Therrien, Joshua Trimm, Monica Garza
and Joseph Urbanek, of Driven; Rachael Leviner, Dwane Tockey
and Erik Buxton, of Powerhouse; Kyle Wagner, Chad Stewart
and Gregory Jones, of Escobar/Ronoco; and Jared Ridge and
Candace Felts, of SaveSecond.com.
Slapaho slays ‘Goliath’ at STX State Finals of
WORTH Lone Star Shootout Series
by Greg Huchingson
SLAPAHO- Lone Star Men Class C Champs
LEAGUE CITY – David would have been considered a heavy
favorite over Goliath in their Biblical battle, compared to the
odds Slapaho was facing in the Men’s C Division of the WORTH
Lone Star Shootout State Championship Series South Texas
State Finals.
But the results were just the same.
The WORTH Lone Star Shootout State Championship Series is
the most popular adult slowpitch event in Texas. Qualifiers are
held throughout the Lone Star State, leading up to the State
Finals. This year, for the first time ever, two separate State
Finals were held – one in North Texas and one in South Texas.
The first place teams in each division at those events will meet
Aug. 22 to determine the winner of the coveted Super Bowlstyle state champion rings.
South Texas champions were determined at the STX State
Finals, held July 4-5 and July 11-12 at Big League Dreams in
League City, although any qualified team was allowed to enter
regardless of their hometown.
Twenty-two teams were entered in the Men’s C Division, which
included all the top teams from South Texas plus a couple of
good ones from Louisiana. Slapaho, from nearby Dickinson,
could hardly have been considered one of those top teams.
Heading into the State Finals, the scrappy bunch had a sub-par
11-17 record on the season. If anything, manager Jonathan
Rodriguez probably deserved a medal for keeping the team
together as long as he had. Losing was taking its toll, and with
no solid sponsorship behind the team, players were beginning to defect to other teams. Rodriguez tried combining his
remaining troops with another upstart C team, but was turned
down due to lack of interest. Nobody, it seemed, wanted to
be a part of Slapaho anymore. On the day prior to the State
Finals, Rodriguez had to add three players from D teams just to
have enough to fill out a lineup card.
If those factors weren’t enough, Slapaho had a tough draw
as their first opponent was the SA Hitmen/DPS/Worth from
San Antonio, who had finished runnerup to Color Station at
the North Texas Shootout State Finals just two weeks earlier.
But Slapaho set the tone for the weekend by posting a 13-1
spanking on the SA Hitmen. Next, Slapaho snuck by Fidelity
Medical from Spring (13-12), before scoring another huge
upset by defeating their hometown rivals Bud Crew from
Dickinson (16-7).
That win put Slapaho in the King Seat game against the LA
Strokers from Lafayette, La., who had already defeated Slapaho
earlier in the 2009 season. But the team with the politically
incorrect name continued surprising everyone by scoring a
12-1 win over the LA Strokers to advance to the championship.
USSSA TODAY 83
Texas Miken- Lone Star Men Class B State Champs
The LA Strokers dropped to the loser’s bracket and knocked off
Texas Rampage (8-7) to get another shot at Slapaho. Despite
Slapaho’s success on the weekend, a double-dipping by the LA
Strokers did not seem too far-fetched. The championship game
was close throughout, but Slapaho held on for a 12-10 win to
capture the crown with a perfect 5-0 record.
The LA Strokers, who are somehow classified as a Men’s D
team in their home state of Louisiana, settled for the STX State
Runnerup trophy in the Men’s C Division. Texas Rampage from
Houston was almost as much of a Cinderella story as Slapaho,
before the clock finally struck midnight on them and they
finished third with a 5-2 record. Bud Crew came in fourth place,
while Elite Softball from Dickinson and Olmito Heat from the
Rio Grande Valley tied for fifth, and Straight Shot from Conroe
and AYS from Houston tied for seventh. The rest of the top 10
consisted of Fidelity Medical from Spring, Lackland Warhawks
from San Antonio, West Coastal from Houston, and SA Hitmen
from San Antonio all tied for ninth place.
Pitcher Mike Christianson, who has been with Slapaho since
the team was founded in 2007 and stuck with Rodriguez
through the good times and bad, was named Most Valuable
Player of the Men’s C Division. His pitching made a huge difference for Slapaho during the tournament. Eloy Cornejo of the
LA Strokers was named the Gold Glove winner. The rest of
the All-State team consisted of Ryan Vanlandingham, Albert
Trevino, Jr., Jared Rodriguez and Jonathan Rodriguez, of
Slapaho; Jonathan Doucet, Kyle Broussard and Woody Goodly,
of the LA Strokers; Terald Robinson, Carl Randle and Lewis
84 USSSA TODAY
Manning, of Texas Rampage; and Steven Diaz and Gilbert
Villarreal, of Bud Crew.
The highest division at the South Texas State Finals was Men’s
B. Texas Miken from Houston went undefeated through four
games to win the crown and, since there were no B teams in
North Texas this year, sponsor Brian Lawson’s team automatically captured the state championship.
Texas Miken posted consecutive wins over Meridian from
Houston (10-6), Team Crush from Spring (15-3) and FNS/DPS
from San Antonio (14-14) to advance to the championship
game, where they beat FNS/DPS in another close one (14-12)
to claim the crown.
Manager Felix Santos of FNS/DPS has worked hard all season
to find the right chemistry on his club, and seemed to come
up with the right formula in the runnerup finish at the State
Finals. Meridian from Houston, winner of the League City B/C
N.I.T., came in third place, while Team Crush finished fourth.
Corbell from Pearland and the Fighting Cocks from Houston
were among the pre-tourney favorites, but both struggled and
finished tied for fifth.
Pitcher Rodney Fail of Texas Miken was named Most Valuable
Player of the division, while Richard “Flaco” Salazar, Jr. of
FNS/DPS was the Gold Glove winner. Other members of the
All-State team were Steve Hall, George Escobar, Chris Potts and
Mark Dennis, of Texas Miken; Will O’Neal, Tuck Hinton and
Cornelius Williams, of FNS/DPS; Mark Cerny, Vic Broussard and
Jeff Januse, of Meridian; and Steve Neal and Cesar Barrera, of
Team Crush.
Texas Threat- Lone Star South Texas Men Class D State Champs
Texas Threat from Houston has been one of the most consistent D teams of the season in South Texas. Eight times the
team has won at least four games in a tournament. Among
the highlights were a first place finish in the Astros In Action
Tournament and runnerup finishes at both the Budweiser
Softball Festival and Crawfish Classic.
Texas Threat proved that consistency again at the Lone Star
Shootout South Texas State Finals by going 6-0 to win the
championship. Manager Jessie Gonzales’ team defeated
H-Town Boyz from Houston (9-0), Tejas Softball Club from
San Marcos (15-10), Craftmasters from Katy (16-1), La Fuerza
from Garciasville in the Valley (16-12) and Texas Drillers from
Channelview (14-12) to advance to the championship game.
Following the loss, Texas Drillers dropped to the loser’s bracket
and snuck past Just Enuff from LaGrange (14-13) to get another
shot at Texas Threat. In an exciting title bout, Texas Threat
came up with clutch hits at the end and walked away with a
10-9 championship win to cap a perfect 6-0 weekend.
Javier Rodriguez, Jason Juarez and Chris Lopez, of Texas
Threat; Charles Hagan, Chad Whitacre, Donald Davis and
Bryan Statum, of Texas Drillers; Cesar Pena, of La Fuerza; and
Chris Goodman and Zach Berry, of Just Enuff.
In the Men’s E Division, Los Clavos from Uvalde finished the
year the same way it started – on top. Way back in January, Los
Clavos won first place at the South Texas Winter World, which
was also held at Big League Dreams in League City. The team
had a solid regular season and came full circle by winning first
place at the Lone Star Shootout South Texas State Finals.
Los Clavos opened the tournament with an 11-1 victory over
Manny’s Electric from Harlingen, and followed that with wins
over Texas Scorpions from Houston (12-2), Texas Trouble from
Dallas (16-3), Rehab from Seguin (13-2) and So Tex Mulisha
from Alice (12-0) to advance to the championship game, where
they beat snuck past Texas Scorpions in a re-match (13-12) to
win the crown with a perfect 6-0 record.
Manager Kenneth Hamilton’s Texas Drillers team, who came
on strong late in the season after a slow start, settled for
second place with a 6-2 record. Just Enuff was a late assembling
team, playing just one tournament before the State Finals, but
showed up when it counted and came in third with a 6-2 slate.
La Fuerza has been the best D team in the Valley all year and
represented at the State Finals to finish fourth with a 5-2 mark.
LED Bulldogs from Spring and Craftmasters tied for fifth place;
Low Lifes II from Spring and Third Coast from Texas City tied
for seventh place; and Cobra Kai from Tomball, TKO from San
Antonio, Dirt Monkeys from Houston and Injured Reserve from
San Antonio all tied for ninth place in the 48-team bracket.
After their second round loss to Los Clavos, the Texas Scorpions
rallied for seven wins in the loser’s bracket before losing to
Los Clavos again and took home the runnerup trophy with
an 8-2 record. So Tex Mulisha made it all the way to the
winner’s bracket finals undefeated before running out of
gas and settling for third place with a 4-2 record. Buckwild
from Houston finished fourth in the 34-team bracket, while
Texas Trouble and Rehab tied for fifth, and Texas Gunline
from Nacogdoches and the Blowholes from Tomball tied for
seventh.. The rest of the top 10 incuded Slaughterhouse from
Corpus Christi, El Barrio from Harlingen, Buc’s from Houston
and Texas Jam/Striaght Up from San Antonio all tied for ninth
place.
Jose Molina of Texas Threat was named Most Valuable Player
of the division. The All-State team consisted of Pete Chavez,
Rick Hernandez of Los Clavos was named the Most Valuable
Player of the division, while James Zaruba of Texas Scorpions
USSSA TODAY 85
was the Gold Glove winner. The rest of the All-State team
included Rick Banda, Frank Lozoya and Felix Tamez, of Los
Clavos; Mark Zaruba, Rene Rosete and Alex Zozaya, of Texas
Scorpions; David Escobar, Eric Kubala and Jason Chapa, of
So Tex Mulisha; and Jamie Sanchez and Trent Llewellyn, of
Buckwild.
The Women’s Division featured 19 teams in a combined C/D
bracket. To account for the discrepancy, C teams had to spot D
teams three runs per game when they met – a fact that would
eventually factor into the outcome of the tournament.
LOS CLAVOS- Lone Star South Texas Men E Champs
GCP2 from LaPorte went undefeated through five games
to win first place. GCP2 defeated J.F.F. from Houston (11-9),
Lookouts from Deer Park (19-12), Reloaded from Spring (13-3)
and Don’t Hate from Houston (12-0) to advance to the championship game. Lookouts, a C team that GCP2 beat by seven
runs – four without the three-run spot – returned to face GCP2
in the championship game. GCP2 came away with a 9-6 victory,
which indicates the teams were about even without the threerun spot.
Lookouts came in second place with a 6-2 record, followed by
Don’t Hate in third at 4-2, and Lady Top Dog from Beaumont
in fourth, also at 4-2. Reloaded from Spring and Lady Blue
Jays from San Antonio tied for fifth place; Crush from Austin
and J.F.F. from Houston tied for seventh; and Lackland Lady
Warhawks from San Antonio, Lady Cardinals from Houston;
Steel Unknowns from San Antonio; and High Frequency from
Houston all tied for ninth place.
Heather Miller, the player/coach of GCP2, was named the
Most Valuable Player of the division, while Jamie Ross of the
Lookouts was the Gold Glove winner. The rest of the All-State
team consisted of Emmylou Cabrera, Jamie Jensen, Tammy
Bush and Angel Turney, of GCP2; Mya McRae, Becky Zalesnik
and Gina Perez, of the Lookouts; Heather Kicklighter, Ashley
Scroggins and Tabatha Elliott, of Don’t Hate; and Gwen Scott
and Gaby Rivera, of Lady Top Dog.
GCP2 Lone Star Women Sate Champs
In the Co-ed Division, the Sluggers from Houston emerged
victorious from the nine-team bracket. The Sluggers opened
the tournament by defeating the Hacks from San Antonio
(13-11) and Rejects from Texas City (10-8) in a pair of close,
two-run wins. In the finals of the winner’s bracket, the
Sluggers were trounced by Half-Cocked from Tyler (22-11). The
Sluggers dropped to the loser’s bracket and snuck past the Big
Nasties from Houston (16-15) to advance to the championship.
Needing two wins over Half-Cocked, the Sluggers won the first
game, 13-5, then completed the sweep with a 10-8 win in a
time-shortened second game.
Half-Cocked settled for second place, while the Big Nasties
came in third, and TNS from San Antonio finished fourth. The
Rejects from Texas City and Voodoo Softball from San Antonio
tied for fifth.
Sluggers- Lone Star Mixed State Champs
86 USSSA TODAY
Zach Galliher of the Sluggers was named Most Valuable Player
of the division, while Damon Scoggin of Half-Cocked was the
Gold Glove winner. The rest of the All-State team consisted
of Charles Rodriguez, Manuel Galvan and Heather Kicklighter,
of the Sluggers; Ricky Brown, Tyrone Fields, Chris Brown and
Courtney Phillips, of Half-Cocked; Doug Waindel, Laura Jolley
and Thomas Melvin, of the Big Nasties; and Richard Burley and
Michael Jenkins, of TNS.
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Texas champions crowned at
‘Battle for the Rings’
BRYAN, TEXAS – A trio of teams were crowned as the best in Texas at
the “Battle for the Rings” on Aug. 22 at the Bryan Regional Athletic
Complex.
The WORTH Lone Star Shootout State Championship Series is the premier
adult slow-pitch softball event in the Lone Star State. Qualifiers begin in
January and continue through June. Teams which qualify are invited to
the prestigious Shootout State Finals. This year, for the first time ever,
there were two State Finals – the North Texas State Finals were held at
Big League Dreams in Mansfield, Texas (near Fort Worth) and the South
Texas State Finals were held at Big League Dreams in League City, Texas
(near Houston).
The first place teams from each division at those two State Finals were
invited to Bryan for the “Battle for the Rings” to see which teams would
win the coveted Lone Star Shootout State Champion Rings. The format
was a best two-out-of-three game series in each division. Bryan was
selected as the site, as it is almost exactly halfway between Mansfield
and League City.
On paper, the best matchup of the three appeared to be in the Men’s
D division. KG’s Sports Grill/Natty D’s from Ft. Worth represented North
Texas, while Texas Threat repped the South. Not only did each team win
their respective Lone Star Shootout State Finals, each also won their own
respective USSSA State Tournament as well. Their ballyhooed “Battle for
the Rings” matchup did not disappoint.
The opening game featured crafty pitching and great defense on both
sides. There was no score through the first four innings, before Ronnie
Borah singled with two outs and eventually scored the game’s first run
for KG’s in the fifth inning. KG’s added another run in the sixth and held
on for a 2-1 victory in the opening game.
KG’s looked like they might complete the two-game sweep, as they led
7-6 after four innings in Game 2. But KG’s did not score in the top of the
fifth and Texas Threat responded with three runs to take a 9-7 lead. KG’s
went scoreless again in the top of the sixth, and Texas Threat tacked
on three more runs to open a 12-7 lead. KG’s managed two runs in the
seventh, as Texas Threat evened the series with a 12-9 victory.
The third and final game went all Texas Threat’s way. The Houston team
exploded for five runs in the top of the first inning and that was all they
needed. KG’s appeared worn out in the 100-plus-degree Texas heat and
they managed just one run the entire game, as Texas Threat claimed the
rings with a 9-1 rubber match win.
“I’ve been playing softball a long time, and this day is what I have always
dreamed of,” said Texas Threat manager Jesse Gonzalez. “It has been a
great season for us and this championship caps it all off.”
Cleanup hitter Lalo Lerma and 11-hole hitter Blake Vallet each went a
combined 6-for-8 in the three games to lead Texas Threat. Shortstop Jose
Molina and leftfielder Joseph Reed were the leaders of the Texas Threat
defense. Other players for Texas Threat were David Delgado, Javier
Rodriguez, Pete Chavez, Mike Barrera, Jason Juarez, Adrian Sanchez,
Robert Rodriguez, Chris Lopez, Mike Mendez, Danny Hernandez, Daniel
Rodriguez and Gustavo Curiel.
It was a disappointing loss for KG’s Sports Grill/Natty D’s manager Paul
Wheat. “This is the worst hitting performance we’ve had all year and we
picked the worst possible time to do it,” Wheat said. But Wheat has to
be extremely proud of the achievements his team has accomplished this
season.
The Men’s C matchup featured Color Station from Ft. Worth representing
North Texas and Slapaho from Dickinson repping the South. Color Station
88 USSSA TODAY
appeared to be the much stronger of the two teams on paper, coming
in ranked 17th in the nation in USSSA Points. In addition to winning the
LSSO North Texas State Finals, Color Station also won first place at the
Jeff Hall Shootout, a SBW Cup Qualifier and the SBW Cup Finals.
Meanwhile, Slapaho had an average year at best. Their record before the
LSSO STX State Finals was 11-17 with third place being their highest finish
on the year. But Slapaho pulled it all together for one great weekend
and beat all the higher-ranked teams at the LSSO STX State Finals to win
first place, and were looking for the same kind of performance against
Color Station.
In Game 1, Color Station held an 8-4 lead after five innings, before
exploding for eight runs in the top of the sixth to open a commanding
16-4 lead. When Slapaho could respond in the bottom of the sixth, then
game ended on a run-rule.
After taking an hour break, Slapaho came out like a team on a mission
by scoring four runs in the top of the first inning of Game 2. But that big
punch was all that manager Jonathan Rodriguez’s team could muster, as
Slapaho scored just two runs the rest of the way. Color Station had two
big frames – scoring five runs in the second and seven more in the sixth
– as they cruised to a 14-6 win to complete the sweep.
Color Station sponsor George Sauceda had his team focused for the
matchup. Even though the first game did not begin until noon Saturday,
he brought the team to Bryan-College Station on Friday so they could get
a good night of sleep and focus on the goal at hand. Manager Ronnie
Cardenas and coach Michael Wilson are both experienced at leading
championship teams. Cardenas has guided North Texas powerhouses
such as La Casa and Diesel in year’s past, while Wilson’s coaching resume
includes stints at the helm of Conference USSSA teams.
Loy Rodriguez and Churon Thomas, the 1-2 hitters for Color Station, each
went 5-for-8 in the series. Meanwhile, Josh Trimm, Color Station’s new
pitcher, did a masterful job of keeping Slapaho hitters off balance in
both games. Other players for Color Station were Jeremy Craft, Greg
Collette, Stuart Therrian, Dwane Tockey, Brandon Young, Angel Castillo,
Johnny Reyes, Tony Lopez, Raul Cardenas, jr., Tommy Jones, Jr. and Todd
Rowe.
The Men’s E matchup featured Texas Turbulence from Greenville representing North Texas and Los Clavos/Team SAS repping the South. Texas
Turbulence had the more decorated resume of the two, having won first
place at nine tournaments on the season including the most prestigious
tournament in Texas – the 24th Annual Budweiser Softball Festival played
earlier in the year on the same BRAC fields as the “Battle for the Rings.”
But that didn’t deter Los Clavos. Manager David Pineda’s crew scratched
in every inning except one in Game 1, as they clawed their way to a 10-6
victory.
Then, Los Clavos posted a five spot in the top of the first inning of Game
2 and Texas Turbulence could never recover. After scoring one run in
the second inning to cut the Los Clavos lead to 5-1, Texas Turbulence
went three-up/three-down in the third, fourth and fifth innings, which
allowed Los Clavos to open up a commanding 8-1 lead. Texas Turbulence
added a single run in both the sixth and seventh frames to make the
final score 8-3.
Shortstop P.J. Birones was the leading hitter for Los Clavos, as he went
4-for-6 in the two games, while pitcher Ram Aleman and outfielders
Santos Gomez, Jr. and Angel Aleman led the defense. Other players
for Los Clavos were Ricardo Banda, Roland resendez, Jesse Zavala, Felix
Tamez, Albert Torres, Randy Cuellar, Frankie Lozoya, Gabriel Borrego and
Rick Hernandez.
Southwest Ohio Celebrates
Softball “Legends”
by Scott Kuhnen
USSSA Slow Pitch State Director for Southern and Central Ohio,
Scott Kuhnen, believes that the game does not say “Thank
You” enough.
Thus, anyone familiar with slow-pitch in the general area of
Southwest Ohio is familiar with that area’s marquee event the
Worth/USSSA “Memorial” Tournament. Almost in it’s thirtieth
year, and featured in the Summer 2009 issue of USSSA Today,
“The Memorial” remembers and honors softball people who
passed away, often prematurely.
“We believe it is one of the best ways we can say “Thank You”
to the softball community,” says Kuhnen. “We invite the families and friends of these former softball people to join us for
a brief recap ceremony of their loved one’s softball career,
whether as a player, umpire, sponsor, or just friend-of-thegame. It’s always very touching and is a great way to sign positive light on our game.”
Men’s Competitive Division Champions: Young Dimension/Slugging Vets,
Dayton, Ohio
However, according to Kuhnen, he was approached some years
ago by one of his fellow Ohio Area Directors, Mike Bartee from
Springfield, to pay respects via The Memorial Tournament to
long-time softball advocate Flip Lucas, also from Springfield.
Only one problem with this worthy plan – Lucas was still very
much alive and still contributing the game. To that, Bartee is
said to have exclaimed, “It’s a shame a person has to die for us
to honor them!”
“Thus was born a new concept in the area which honors and
“thanks” softball people who are still with us today, and which
we call Softball Legends,” says Kuhnen.
Men’s Competitive Division Runner-up: Down-N-Dirty, Middletown, Ohio
The 4th Annual Spitz/Player’s Warehouse/USSSA “Legends of
the Game” Softball Weekend for Dayton, Ohio was played on
Jun 27-28 at Kettering Field Softball Complex., in Dayton, Ohio.
With play for men’s competitive, men’s recreational, women’s
and mixed couples teams. The tournament featured a large
prize package from Player’s Warehouse and honored six Miami
Valley Softball Legends.
This event has been generously sponsored by Spitz Seeds and
National Sales Representative, Chris Tamillo, of Dayton, Ohio.
Chris is also owner of Player’s Warehouse.
The event itself is administered by Ohio State Church Director,
Terry Folino, of Beavercreek, Ohio.
Men’s Recreational Division Champion: HPS, Dayton, Ohio
(In a future issue of USSSA Today, the Columbus, Ohio “Legends
of the Game” will be featured.)
Remarks made at Legends Ceremonies:
Our first Legend of the Game is a man who put his whole
“heart” into the game. He was a player for 20 years, a manager
and sponsor for 15 years, and has numerous league championships to his credit in men’s, women’s, and co-ed play. He may be
best known to many in the Greater Dayton area as one of the
faces of Tuffy Brooks Sporting Goods of Dayton, where he was
known as “The Glove Doctor” for re-lacing softball and base-
Men’s Recreational Division, Runner-up: Blacked Out, Delaware, Ohio
USSSA TODAY 89
ball gloves for more than 20 years. This Legend is also reputed
to be the longest surviving heart transplant recipient in the
country and he ran a very successful 10-year long series of
fund-raising tournaments for the American Heart Association.
When he mailed me his information, it came with two business
cards: one for Tuffy Brooks Sporting Goods; the other from The
Huesman Heart Foundation.
Ladies and gentlemen, please help me welcome a true
gentleman and the newest inductee to the Greater Dayton
Softball Legends: Dayton’s Tony Huesman.
Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, Tony Huesman passed away on
Sunday, August 9, 2009 after a long battle with cancer.
Mixed Couple Division Champions: T&A Softball, Charleston, WV
Our next Legend of the Game is well known in City of Dayton
softball circles and…much beyond. This Softball Legend started
playing competitive softball in the late 1960’s and, except for a
short time off due to injury, is still playing competitive softball
even today. She has contributed to City Championship teams
on too many occasions to count and has won State, National,
and World titles for teams that play the most competitive level
of women’s play. Best known of the teams she starred with in
this town would be the 1970’s powerhouse Progressive Printers
and the famed Beau Townsend Ford. Most recently she has
won both gold and silver medals in Senior Olympics playing
with the well-known Ohio Cardinals. She was inducted into
the Dayton Softball Hall of Fame way back in 1986, but she is
still performing at the highest level in the game she loves.
Ladies and gentlemen, please help me welcome the newest
inductee to the Greater Dayton Softball Legends: Miamisburg’s
Judy Peele.
Mixed Couple Division: Runner-up: Dented Bats/Stealth Comm. Mooresville, IN
Our next Softball Legend hails from Eaton, Ohio, and has an
accumulated 45 years of softball under his belt. Most notably,
he was the Director of all adult and youth softball league
play for almost 30 years. The extensive involvement of his
own family in softball (and many other sports) was likely the
moving force behind Eaton’s reputation as a hot-bed of co-ed
softball, sending more teams per capita than any other area
in the Miami Valley to Ohio USSSA mixed couples championship play. He was a player and team manager for many years
and took championship caliber teams to National and World
tournaments for 15 years. He is an umpire for both high school
and USSSA fast pitch and slow pitch softball all around the
Miami Valley. He was recognized as the Ohio USSSA Director
of the Year in 1998 and, even though we couldn’t produce a
picture of him with a smile on his face, he is a good friend to
the game.
inductee to the Greater Dayton Softball Legends: Eaton’s Earl
Smith.
Softball Legends, Class of 2009 (l to r, front row): Tony Huesman, Judy Peele,
Mike Bartee; (l to r, back row): Dave Melampy, Earl Smith, Abner Orick.
90 USSSA TODAY
Our next Softball Legend hails from Clark County and has
a softball career that spans more than four decades. From
player, to umpire, to tournament director, to USSSA Director,
this Softball Legend has been involved in all aspects of the
game. Like many of our Softball Legends from Springfield, this
Legend has a long and storied connection to the country’s first
NIT, the famous Stroh’s Tournament. This Legend played in
that event, fondly remembers putting together a pick-up team
to compete in the event…and with that team had a 4th place
finish, and eventually came to be one of the tournament directors for that prestigious event. He still serves today as Director
of USSSA’s Ohio District III, a job he was appointed to in 1986
and Secretary/Treasurer of the Ohio USSSA Association, a job
he assumed in 1987. He has served as USSSA’s Central Ohio
State Director. And, he is the inspiration for this very event…
short story.
inductee to the Greater Dayton Softball Legends: Springfield’s
Mike Bartee.
Legends Presentation (l to r): Chris Tamillo, Dave Melampy, Terry Folino
Dayton’s Tony Huesman
Miamisburg’s Judy Peele
Our next Softball Legend is recognized for a lifetime of involvement in area softball. He started back in 1963 with the Belmont
Merchants. But Abner really made his mark by sponsoring the
1970’s era A-1 Trophy team which, by the way, was coached
by current ASA Metro Dayton Commissioner, Clyde “Shorty”
Brewer. Thus, the name A-1 Trophy has been associated with
competitive team softball for more than 40 years now. That
original team played in all the major events, including the
Smokey Mountain Classic. They were Men’s A State Champions
in 1977and one of the first integrated teams in the Dayton
area.
Maybe more importantly, however, Abner Orick, as a Dayton
City Councilman, was always a strong advocate for recreation
in the City. He was a key catalyst to the City of Dayton’s willingness in the early 1990’s to the construct the area’s premier
softball complex, the Kettering Field Softball Complex, which
was dedicated in 1991, and in which we are currently standing.
As such, we were tremendously honored to have Abner Orick
welcome our USSSA Boy’s World Tournament teams to Dayton
in 1997 where he threw out one of the first pitches and
welcomed 70 teams from around the country to Dayton, Ohio.
inductee to the Greater Dayton Softball Legends: Dayton’s
Abner Orick.
Eaton’s Earl Smith
Dayton’s Abner Orick
92 USSSA TODAY
Springfield’s Mike Bartee
Dayton’s Dave Melampy
Last, but surely not least, our final Softball Legend of 2009 is a
very recognizable feature on the Dayton skyline, in ball parks
all over the State of Ohio, and beyond… This Legend was a
striking figure on the mound for such notable teams as C&L
Carpet, McGuffy’s, McDonald’s, Ram West, Booher Blacktop,
Troy Fish & Game, and Orthopedic Associates (OA Softball).
He has thrown a no-hitter, but maybe more impressive was
his two-hitter against the then-defending USSSA A State
Champions in the legendary Stroh’s Tournament in Springfield.
Among his many awards, he has been an All-Tournament selection in State Tournaments, National Tournaments, and World
Tournaments in multiple associations… sometimes recognized
as much for his defense as well as for his offense. When asked
about his most special moments in the game, he mentions the
opportunity to play with his son Sean, a talented player in his
own right, on the OA Softball team. Upon completion of a very
successful competitive playing career, and after my bugging
him for at least ten of those years, he continues to serve the
game by “wearing the red.” He was just voted into the Dayton
Softball Hall of Fame this very month.
Ladies and gentlemen, please help me welcome the final 2009
inductee to the Greater Dayton Softball Legends, a class act for
his entire career: Dayton’s Dave Melampy.
New Jersey State Championships
Photos by Kirk Tarabokia
Men Class C Champions
Deluxe Bakery
Mixed High Roller Champions
ACS
USSSA TODAY 93
Men Class D Champions
MCC
MVP
Class D arcia
G
Chris
Men Class D Runner Up
Dillon Steel
94 USSSA TODAY
Men Class E Champions
Bergen Dragons
Men Class E Runner Up
B&F Tire
USSSA TODAY 95
USSSA BASEBALL
Cypress Mounds
USSSA and Global
SportsWorld Series
Storm - USSSA 9U Champions
Cenla Sluggers - USSSA 14AA Champions
Big League Dodgers - USSSA 9U Runner-Up
Texas Dragons - USSSA 14AA Runner-Up
Cypress Mounds hosted the USSSA 9U & 14AA World Series
beginning July 12, 2009 with Opening Ceremonies. The players
were treated to an appearance by LSU’s Head Baseball Coach,
Paul Mainieri who provided opening remarks as well as
throwing out the first pitch.
and 4th seeded teams after pool play (both finished with 3-1
pool records) with the Cenla Sluggers (Pineville, Louisiana)
beating the Texas Dragons (Conroe, Texas) by a score of 2 – 0
in what may have been one of the best games of the entire
tournament. The Sluggers finished the tournament with an 8
– 1 record while the Dragons wrapped up a 7 – 3 tally. The
Sluggers’ Mitchell Guidry was named the Tournament MVP.
During the week long tournament in the 9U division the eventual runner-up Big League Dodgers (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
went 6-0 in pool play only to be bested in bracket play by the
Storm (Gulfport, Mississippi) who won the championship game
by a score of 15 – 10. The Storm’s Kasey Donaldson was named
the Tournament MVP.
The 14AA division came down to a final between the 3rd
96 USSSA TODAY
On July 22nd, Cypress Mounds welcomed the Global Sports 11
Open World Series. This time the players were greeted at the
Opening Ceremonies by LSU two-time All-American and twotime National Champion – Brad Cresse.
The Global Sports format offers three championship brackets.
Carrollton - Global Sports Red Champion
Sulphur Crush - Global Sports Red Runner-Up
Jackhammers - Global Sports White Champion
Alabama Yellowhammers - Global Sports Red Runner-Up
Baton Rouge Royals - Global Sports Blue Champion
Texas Express - Global Sports Blue Runner-Up
The Red Championship was won by the Carrollton 11’s (New
Orleans, Louisiana) over the Sulphur Crush (Sulphur, Louisiana)
by a score of 8 – 4. The Carrollton teams posted a perfect 8
– 0 record in the tournament. Daniel Cabrera of Carrollton
was named the Tournament MVP. Coach Dave Maginnis of
Carrollton said, “Park, service, and staff were first class from day
one that we stepped into the facility. Even with the weather
and rain, the staff went above and beyond to get the fields
into playing condition.” The White Championship was won by
the Jackhammers (Central, Louisiana) over the Alabama Yellow
Hammers (Baldwin County, Alabama). The Blue Championship
was won by the Baton Rouge Royals (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
over the Texas Express (Joaquin, Texas). Coach Tim Tullier of
the Central Shockers (Central, Louisiana) said, “Facilities are
exceptionally good. We played in another World Series and
there is no comparison to Cypress Mounds. Great place for
baseball!! From the coaches meeting to the Umpires it was a
great experience. I look forward to playing a lot of baseball at
Cypress Mounds in 2010.”
2009 Fall Tournament Schedule
September 26 – 27
September to Remember Classic – USSSA Sanction (NIT) – 7-14 Open
October 17 – 18
Cypress Spooktacular – USSSA Sanction (NIT) – 7-14 Open
November 7-8
Veterans Day Salute – USSSA Sanction (NIT) – 7-14 Open
USSSA TODAY 97
Osceola County Sports Complex Hosts
16U and 18U World Championships
by Mike Cuzzone
by Mike Cuzzone
The USSSA 16u & 18u World Championships were held on
July 26-August 1 at the Osceola County Sports Complex in
Kissimmee, Florida. The first year event featured 52 teams
from all over the country, as well as Canada, Puerto Rico, and
the Dominican Republic.
The event started with the Amateur Baseball Report Scout
Day. 550 players came out and showcased their skills in front
of a number of scouts. All position players took reps in the
field, ran the 60’, and took batting practice. Throughout the
day all pitchers took their turn at throwing a bullpen session.
The “Top Performers” from scout day can be seen at www.
AmateurBaseballReport.com.
The 18u tournament had a number of quality teams, but in
the end Team Mizuno (FL) topped Sandlot Baseball (OK) in
the Championship. After going undefeated in pool play, Team
Mizuno edged the Satchel Paige All-Stars (IL), in the first round
of bracket play, 1-0 in a true pitcher’s duel. That was the closest
the field would get to Team Mizuno as they handled everything that was thrown their way, going 8-0 throughout the
week, and outscoring their opponents 61 – 16.
1st Place: Team Mizuno
2nd Place: Sandlot Baseball
3rd Place: Triple Threat (FL)
4th Place: Alabama Rawdogs (AL)
5th Place: Team Xtreme (FL)
98 USSSA TODAY
The 16u tournament ended with the excitement teams were
hoping for in a USSSA World Championships event. The Upper
Deck Cougars (IL) were able to come back and beat the Dallas
Yankees (TX) and then held off Team Mizuno (FL) to take home
the Championship. Down 11-4 in the 5th inning of the semifinal game, the Cougars stormed back to tie the score before
winning 12-11 in the bottom of the seventh. They momentum
carried over to the finals as the quickly went up 7-1. However,
an 8 run inning put Team Mizuno in the lead. The Cougars
stormed back, led by Tournament MVP, Joseph Filomeno. After
tying the score at 9, Filomeno shut down Team Mizuno before
Justin Gonzalez clinched the game with bases clearing double
in the 10th inning.
1st Place: Upper Deck Cougars
2nd Place: Team Mizuno
3rd Place: Dallas Yankees
4th Place: Oklahoma Drillers
5th Place: Cyclones Baseball (FL)
The Inaugural USSSA 16u & 18u World Championships attracted
a number of college coaches and Major League Baseball scouts.
The University of Miami, Auburn, Central Florida, Eastern
Michigan, and South Dakota State were among the colleges
that were in attendance.

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Transcription

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