Softball Today • June 2011
By Dave Utnik
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There is no other sound quite like it. One swing of a Louisville Slugger bat is all it takes to recognize that there is something unique at play on softball diamonds worldwide. The traditional ping that players have been so accustomed to hearing upon contact has been transformed by S1iD technology. And it’s becoming quite a hit throughout the industry. By inserting discs into the barrels of their ASA-approved Z1000 slow pitch and Xeno fastpitch models, Louisville Slugger has altered the perception of what the sweet spot sounds like and reestablished itself as a leader among the world’s top bat manufacturers. "What you're hearing are the discs inside the barrel interacting with the walls as they flex and make contact upon bat/ball impact," Louisville Slugger Director of Marketing
Softball Today • June 2011
James Sass said. "While less than traditional, it proves the S1iD is working and the player is getting maximum performance. That sound has turned into a positive among players because they realize the technology is helping them." The best-kept secret in softball is out. And it’s winning over new users on the first swing. Unlike traditional composite bats that typically need to be broken in to generate peak performance, Louisville Slugger’s S1iD bats -- SB12ZAB and SB12ZAE within the slow pitch Z-1000 line along with the FP12X, FP12X9, and FP12X8 Fastpitch Xeno models -- are expertly tuned to instantly deliver line drives and game winning home runs. "Bat break in time was one of the items we learned was most frustrating to players," Sass said. "Many players struggled to know if and when their bat was going to break in and each model in the marketplace seemed to have a different time period or number of contacts. These statements had a very strong voice with our design team and break in time was at the forefront of the design process from the beginning." "While doing our market research, players unanimously stated they wanted a composite bat that was game ready as early as possible and we're proud to be able to achieve that,” Sass said. “S1iD has been received very, very well by players at all ages and levels of play. S1iD technology allows for maximum barrel flex from the get go - literally swing one - and eliminate any frustrating break in period.” The bats all feature the same materials and technologies, but vary in weight drop. For example, the Xeno FP12X, FP12X9 have balanced weight distribution, while the FP12X8 features an end-loaded barrel for the stronger, more advanced players. There are other exclusive development advances as well, even on bats that aren’t used at the ASA level, such as the SB12ZB and SB12ZE. Louisville Slugger has also introduced iST technology, which eliminates vibration, and LS2X composite technology, which is designed to create a wider sweet spot. “In most cases, the first comments are about how good the bat feels to hit - a clear indicator IST is working for them," Sass said. “IST essentially takes any negative vibration away, but still allows for players to positively feel the ball meet the bat at contact so they know how well they hit it.” The strength of iST technology in the Xeno and Z-1000 models lies in the smooth transition from the handle to the barrel. The two are essential entwined to give batters more control of their swing -- a perk that allows for huge sweet spots, thinner walls for increased performance and a reduction in negative vibration. Even when contact isn’t made on the sweet spot, vibrations are absorbed before they reach a player’s hands, reducing potential sting and allowing the ball to travel farther. With the Xeno and Z-1000 models, players have complete control of their swing. It’s no wonder that stars like Jessica Mendoza and some of the nation’s elite college programs, such as Stanford, Texas A&M and Long Beach State, use Louisville Slugger. "The bat business continues to get more and more competitive each year," Sass Said. "Our 125 + years of bat making experience along with innovative technologies like iST, S1iD, and LS-2X composite allow us to continue to make performance bats that the best players demand."
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Softball Today • June 2011
By Mark Andrews
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The best team in college softball swings only one bat -DeMarini. And the Arizona State Sun Devils have collected enough hits over the past four seasons to capture a pair of Women's College World Series championships. With a lineup designed to fit the varying needs of slappers and sluggers, DeMarini enabled the Sun Devils to achieve success by providing bats and equipment that suit every type of hitter. "Our partnership with Clint Myers and ASU is one we’re extremely proud of," said Sara Bandauski, who serves as the head of DeMarini/Wilson Fastpitch Promotions. "Most importantly we’re thrilled for those athletes. It takes a team effort to win a championship and for us to continue to come out with the best bats possible for our athletes, it’s a team effort on our end as well." The results pretty much speak for themselves. But DeMarini takes great pride in providing softball players with a style of bat that fits their specific skill set, whether it's the light but powerful CF5 -10 or the Featherweight CF5 -11.
Softball Today • June 2011
"Our series is designed with weight drops, sizes and balances to meet the needs of hitters 1-9 in the lineup - from power hitters to slappers. This comes from working daily with not only top Olympians, but also youth players. Their feedback is critical in helping us build the best bats possible. The CF5 series is a great series of fastpitch bats designed to give an option with an optimal weight distribution for each type of hitter. The CF5 -10 is our most popular bat because it meets the needs of the largest number of hitters," Bandauski said. The Featherweight CF5 -11 bat, for example, is most suitable for a young player who is becoming serious about softball and envisions playing at the 18-Gold level one day. But there are options for the established fastpitch star as well -- like the end-loaded CF5 -10 Insane, the weight-balanced CF5 -9 or the CF5 -8 which is preferred by many elite travel ball and Division I college players who like a heavier bat. "This goes back to the individual player and their preferences," Bandauski said. "Players typically know which one suits their swing needs best after they try them." Just ask the national champion Sun Devils. "We’ve gotten fantastic feedback on our CF5 Series. Our college players were exposed to this bat earlier in the year and loved the pop," Bandauski said. "Recently we attended the Sparkler and Fireworks tournaments in Colorado and got similar feedback from top travel ball players. Yet, despite the fantastic feedback, we’re never satisfied and we’re already back in the lab working on next year’s models." The bat designers at DeMarini live by one slogan: "Insane Dedication to Performance." And they essentially stop at nothing in their endeavor to combine technology and science to create a high performance bat. "It’s what keeps us in the labs and on the fields designing the best bats for our players," Bandauski said. That is true in fastpitch as well as the slow pitch division, where DeMarini is at the forefront of the two-piece bat that has a one-piece feel. "Our 4.ONE technology allows for our bat models to feel much stiffer than our traditional two-piece models," said Jerry Garnett, National Slowpitch Marketing Manager. "This stiffer design allows for a more responsive feel when striking the ball. A stiffer "crisper" feel under the ball at contact is what players have been asking for from us and this is what we are featuring in the 4.ONE line of bats." The innovations at DeMarini also include handles made of SC4 Alloy -- a popular feature that is a signature element of the USSSA approved GTL Cartel and ASA performance standard Sunday Swagger models. The ONE Senior model features the 4.ONE composite technology in the handle and barrel. "All three models perform at the highest level for their perspective associations," Garnett said. And performance is what matters most to DeMarini, which designs bats with every talent level in mind.
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Arizona State Sun Devils pitcher Dallas Escobedo throws a perfect strike in the Championship game of the Women's College World Series at the ASA Softball Hall of Fame stadium in Oklahoma City, OK. Courtesy of JP Wilson
Softball Today • June 2011
By Jim McCurdy
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK., --- All week long, the faithful from Tempe had been chanting that same phrase. “Fear the fork ... Fear the fork.” Meanwhile, fans who made the trek from Gainesville, Florida were busy clasping their armsextended hands together to signify a large-mouth bite. Yet when Arizona State and Florida met for the Women’s College World Series championship, the Sun Devils didn’t take the Gator bait. In fact, ASU was chomping at the bit to stick a fork in alligator meat. It was Florida’s offense that wooed the record 67,631 fans who made their way through the gates
at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium June 2-7. But when the two powerhouses met in the championship series, the Sun Devils’ pitchfork took the bite out of the Gators. Arizona State swept the best-of-three championship series in dominating fashion to claim its second national title in four years. ASU won the opener, 14-4, before laying its hands on the trophy following a 7-2 title clincher. “They played the best softball of the year here at the Women's College World Series,” Sun Devils coach Clint Myers said. “They beat a very talented Florida Gators team.” Arizona State pitcher Dallas Escobedo became the first freshman since 1990 to win a championship. She
held the Gators to five hits in the first game of the championship series and four hits in the finale. ASU scored 10 of its 14 runs in the first game with two outs. Escobedo lamented all week how she had been on teams in the past that never gave her enough run support. That wasn’t the case in Oklahoma City. “I feel lucky I guess,” said Escobedo, who was named World Series co-Most Outstanding Player with Florida’s Michelle Moultrie. Escobedo struck out 12 Gators during the championship series. In three wins over Florida at the WCWS, she struck out 24 batters. “There’s a reason why it takes 20 years for a freshman to lead a club to a national championship because it’s such a rarity,” Myers said. “It just doesn’t happen. Only
a unique, special person can have that.” The Sun Devils (60-6) didn’t commit an error during their five-game run in OKC. They hit four home runs in the championship series opener, tying a WCWS single-game record by a team. Third baseman Krista Donnenwirth, whom Myers called the best third baseman, male or female, he’s ever coached in 35 years, lit up the Gators (56-13) for two home runs in the 14-4 rout. Her two homers tied a World Series single-game record. “We knew that Florida had a great offense, but we wanted to come out and prove a point that we have a great offense,” Donnenwirth said. “I think every single player was locked in at the plate. We never took one ball or one strike for granted.” ASU won the 2008 national title with an 11-run verdict over Texas A&M. The Sun Devils’ 10-run win over the Gators was the second largest margin of victory in a championship series. “Winning one is hard enough,” said Sun Devils center fielder Lesley Rogers, who was part of the first national championship team. “Winning two, that’s just nuts. I feel so blessed to be part of the program. I don’t think anyone understands what kind of a team that was. My freshman year, we were talented, no doubt. This year, if you want to think of a perfect team, a cohesive team that has every
piece of what you need to win a championship, that’s what this was.” Florida eliminated Arizona State a year earlier in the Super Regionals, but this year Gators coach Tim Walton said the Sun Devils were more complete. He went so far as to say ASU might have been the best team to ever come through OKC. It would be hard to argue. Each player in the Sun Devils’ starting lineup was batting over .300, with a 10th regular also putting up those offensive numbers. ASU’s pitching staff had two others with starting experience who could’ve easily been the ace on many other teams across the country. With two trips to the championship series in three years, Florida positioned itself in the eyes of college softball’s best. The Gators won all but 33 games over a four-year period, making four straight trips to the World Series. They themselves had built a legacy of their own. One which Gator gushers believe is on the brink of something spectacular. “I’m sad my career is over, but this program’s gonna do big things,” said Gators pitcher Stephanie Brombacher, who suffered the loss in the title game. “Next time we’re gonna get it.” Florida needed to beat Alabama twice to advance to the championship series. That the Gators did, thumping the Crimson Tide, 16-2 and 9-2. Florida had
Women's College World Series action Arizona Sun Devils outfielder Alix Johnson slides hard against the Florida Gators at the ASA Softball Hall of Fame stadium in Oklahoma City, OK. Courtesy of JP Wilson
scored 41 runs in five games at the WCWS after beating Alabama for the second time. The Gators scored 11 runs in the first inning of the blowout win over the Tide. “We just wanted to come out strong and get on top,” Florida’s Brittany Schutte said after hitting a grand slam in the lopsided win. “We did that, and it was a great feeling to come out and score 11 runs right away.” Arizona State followed up a 6-5 dramatic win over Florida on the second day of the World Series when Annie Lockwood hit a game winning smash down the third base line with a 4-0 shutout over an extra-inning wearied Baylor. The Bears needed 13 innings the night before to decide a 1-0 game over Missouri. ASU catcher Kaylyn Castillo, the spunky, outspoken leader in search of her first title, went 2 for 4 to break out of a WCWS hitless slump for the second time against Baylor. “Me and coach (Robert) Wagner were joking I broke the curse. I hadn’t gotten a hit in the World Series before Baylor, both years,” said Castillo, who also played in the 2009 WCWS. “I guess the curse is broken.” What most of college softball is trying to figure out is how to break the curse of the Pac-10, which next year becomes the Pac-12. It’s a conference which has won 23 national titles, including the past six and 10 of the last 11. When it was over, Lockwood, who hit three home runs in the World Series, revealed how she and roommate Alix Johnson had been sharing constant stories of this fairy tale the Sun Devils were living. “We actually sit and say to each other almost every night that this is a dream, and we’re going to wake up in an hour and we’ll look at each other and say, ‘Well, that was fun,’” Lockwood said. “I think we’re all still waiting to be pinched and woken up because it’s so dream-like.” Make no mistake, this was no fairy tale. But it sure was one heck of a magic carpet ride for the Sun Devils.
Softball Today • June 2011
Arizona State Sun Devils swept the best-of-three championship series in dominating fashion to claim their second national title in four years.
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2012 DeMarini CF5 -10 Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime Designed for the competitive player looking for the perfect weight drop and performance to match…this is the bat every hitter loves. Tri-Strut TR3 composite handle and barrel come together to create our most popular Fastpitch model. The CF series FIVE is one of the lightest and strongest bats available.
CFP 2030-12 CFP 2131-12 CFP 2232-12 CFP 2333-12 CFP 24
Ounces/Length 20 / 30 21 / 31 22 / 32 23 / 33 34 / 12
Technologies: • Tri-Strut TR3 • Stacked Barrel • Clutch 2 Endcap • Hybrid Comfort Grip • Rotation Index
Review: 2012 DeMarini CF5 -10 Our group of Travel ball and upper Rec. ball girls absolutely fell in love with this 2012 DeMarini CF5 10 bat. Even before we started to beat up this bat the positive Comments were flying about the bats graphics and overall appearance. "This is the coolest looking bat out there," Said Gabriel Montoya. "Performance wise this bat is unbeatable, the sweet spot is very generous and the liners and deep shots to the outfield came flying off the barrel on a consistent basis. This is my new bat of choice."
Softball Today • June 2011
"When the game is on the line this is the bat I want in my hands. Even without a batting glove I had no vibration issues, even on a few "miss-hits. Durability wise we beat this bat up and had no durability problems at all, this bat is fantastic." Said Alisa Coffery.
Line Drives 95 Distance 95 Feel/Sting 94 Sweet Spot 95 Sound 93 Durability 100 Graphics 94
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Approved Associations: ASA, USSSA, NSA, ISA.
By Jim McCurdy
Softball Today • June 2011
Tempe, AZ. --- Kaylyn Castillo has really bought into this new logo ad campaign.“With these teams, you really do have to stick a fork in ’em,” Arizona State’s bubbly catcher said. ASU recently changed its athletic logo to more of a pitchfork premise, and the Sun Devils softball team certainly stuck a fork in another trip to the Women’s College World Series after sweeping Texas A&M in the Super Regionals May 26-27. A&M (44-15) had a chance to extend the best-ofthree series to a third game after Megan May hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning of Game 2 off ASU’s Dallas Escobedo to cut ASU’s lead in half. Brittany Walker singled in the seventh to bring Rhiannon Kliesing to the plate. “I just wanted to do something for my team to show we could beat this girl,” said May, who returned from a serious head injury following a car accident. “She’s not the almighty. We could hit her.” Her home run ignited the Aggies, who lost to ASU 3-2 on a controversial play in Game 1 before falling, 4-2, in Game 2. “We were just crazy enough to believe we can win at this place,” Aggies coach Jo Evans said. “In the seventh inning, we got Rhi Money up. It’s exactly the scenario we wanted.” Escobedo had other plans as she finally struck out A&M’s best hitter to send the Sun Devils (55-6) to Oklahoma City. “The whole inning I was just determined,” Escobedo said. “I got excited and had to calm down. I had to go right at her.” It sent the Sun Devils to the World Series for the fifth time in six years under coach Clint Myers.“Yeah,” Castillo said. “See ya in Oklahoma.”
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Oklahoma 2, Arizona 0 Tucson, Ariz. --- Oklahoma pitcher Keilani Ricketts stole the show to send the Sooners to their first World Series since 2004. Ricketts homered to put the Sooners (43-17) on the board first in the second game on the Wildcats home field. She also tossed a complete game, not allowing a run in the super regional until the final inning of the two-day series. Ricketts threw two complete games in the regional, shutting out the Wildcats, 6-0, in Game 1 before she finally surrendered a couple runs in her 14th inning of work. She struck out 20 in the series, giving her 443 this year. OU’s Brianna Turang went 3 for 4 and drove in two runs in the first game. Chana’e Jones was 4 for 5 in the series. Arizona’s Lini Koria hit a two-run homer and Kristen Arriola was 2 for 4 for the Wildcats in Game 2.
Arizona, which advanced to 21 straight World Series under Mike Candrea-coached teams, stranded 22 runners in the series. Oklahoma St. 2, Houston 1 Stillwater, Okla. --- Oklahoma State endured maybe the toughest test of all the super regional's as Houston pushed the series to three games before falling by a run in the decisive third game. Oklahoma State held on to beat the Cougars, 6-5, in Game 3, sending OSU to its first WCWS since 1998.
Houston (44-18) took a 4-3 lead in the third game on Jennifer Klinkert’s home run. OSU responded with two runs in the fifth and an RBI double by Tamara Brown in the sixth to make it 6-4. Houston’s Bailie Lott had a pinch-hit home run in the seventh as the Cougars drew within a run. But OSU pitcher Kat Espinoza got the next three outs to send the Cowgirls (42-18) to the World Series. It marked the first time two teams from Oklahoma advanced to the WCWS in the same year. Baylor 2, Georgia 1 Athens, Ga. --- Baylor responded from a mercy-rule loss in Game 2 in a big way to steal the series on enemy soil. After losing the second game 142 in a five-inning shortened contest, the Bears (45-13) busted loose for five runs in the first inning of the decisive game to book their second trip the World Series in school history. Whitney Canion, Megan Turk and Sydney Wilson each homered for Baylor. Holly Holl, Kathy Shelton, Kelsi Kettler and Turk each had two hits for the Bears. Georgia (51-14) blew Game 2 open with 10
Missouri 2, Washington 0 Columbia, Mo. --- Mizzou advanced to the World Series for the third straight year. A team that made headlines during the Big 12 season took the bite out of Washington early with a fiverun first inning en route to a series sweep in front of a record-crowd 2,604 fans. The Tigers won the clinching game, 6-3. Lisa Simmons hit a home run in the opening inning to build a five-run lead for the Tigers (52-8). Mizzou pitcher Chelsea Thomas (31-6) allowed three runs, two earned, to move within a win of tying the school record for most victories in a season. Washington (37-15) scored three runs in the fifth, triggered by Kaitlin Inglesby’s two-run double. But Thomas, one of three finalists for National Player of the Year, struck out two batters to get out of the jam. Missouri, which has advanced to six WCWS, shut out Washington, 4-0 to win the Game. Florida 2, Oregon 0 Gainesville, Fla. --- The Gators became the first Southeastern Conference team to advance to the World Series four straight years after sweeping the Ducks.
Florida blanked Oregon, 7-0, to clinch a trip back to OKC. The Gators (52-10) beat the Ducks, 9-1, in a mercyrule Game 1 to set the stage for a dominating series. Brittany Schutte crushed two home runs and busted a black SUV’s mirror on a foul ball that made Sports Center highlights in the Gators’ opening-series win. Schutte cranked another homer in the second game, giving her a school-record 20 this year. Hannah Rogers pitched her 10th shutout of the season, holding the Ducks (42-16) to four hits. Oregon’s Samantha Pappas went 2 for 2 with an RBI in Game 1. California 2, Kentucky 1 Lexington, Ky. -- The Bears decided this series in dominating fashion by winning the third game, 9-0. It marked the Golden Bears’ first trip to the World Series in six years. Cal has advanced to 11 championship events, winning it all in 2002. The Bears (44-11) have enjoyed 38 straight winning seasons, dating back to 1973. Cal’s Jordan Wallace drove in three runs in the series clincher, Victoria Jones knocked in two runs, and Jolene Henderson bounced back from the Game 2 loss to blank the host Wildcats with a trip to OKC on the line. Kentucky (40-16) bounced back from Henderson’s masterful one-hitter in Game 1 to blank
the Bears, 8-0, in a mercy rule Game 2. Kentucky’s Meagan Aull drove in three runs, Samantha DeMartine was 1 for 2 with two RBI, and Kara Dill went 2 for 3 with an RBI. Rachel Riley allowed just five hits in the shutout. Frani Echavarria’s solo homer in Game 1 was all the Bears needed. Alabama 2, Stanford 1 Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- The Crimson Tide overcame a first-game loss and the ominous task of taming the nation’s leading hitter by shutting out Stanford in the final two games of the series. Following Stanford’s 5-2 Game 1 win in which Sarah Hassman went 2 for 4 with two RBI and Ashley Hansen, the NCAA’s leading hitter, was 2 for 3, the Tide rolled in Games 2 and 3. Jennifer Fenton went 4 for 4 with a home run and six RBI as Alabama (51-9) knotted the series at a game apiece by scoring in every inning. Kayla Braud had three hits for the Crimson Tide, and pitcher Kelsi Dunne allowed just one hit to Hansen and Hassman. Cassie Reilly-Boccia tripled in the game winning run in the series-clinching win in the sixth, and reliever Jackie Traina shut out the Cardinal (42-17) to send the Crimson Tide on to their seventh World Series in the program’s 15-year history.
Softball Today • June 2011
runs in the fourth inning. Megan Wiggins, Taylor Schlopy, Ashley Razey and Kristyn Sandberg each hit home runs for the Bulldogs.
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Softball Today • June 2011
University of California San Diego Tritons infielder Mya Romero turns a crucial double play at the NCAA Division II National Championships in Salem, VA. Courtesy of UCSD
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Salem, VA, --- Breathing exercises taught everyone to relax. Patti Gerckens thought that would come in handy one day. Out of all the softball knowledge she has accumulated in 19 seasons as the head coach at the University of California San Diego, it might have been a master's degree in sports psychology that enabled her team to make history on May 30. The Tritons took the field that day against the top ranked team in the country without a care in the world. Calm, cool and confident. They had it all under control throughout the NCAA Division II National Championships. Gerckens had her players prepared for anything so when it came time to stare down mighty Alabama-Huntsville in the finals, the Tritons were unfazed by the atmosphere or the opposition. "We did a lot of visualization and relaxation drills. I'm really big on that," Gerckens said. "When you get to the end, teams are pretty even. It all comes down to mental focus, mental toughness and being relaxed." UC San Diego had all those bases covered. The players vowed back in the fall that this season would be something special, yet they might have surpassed even their own expectations with a 10-3 victory over Alabama-Huntsville at the James Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va., where the Tritons celebrated the program's first national championship by winning four games in five days. "I still shake my head in amazement at what we did," Gerckens said. "It gives a sense of pride to everyone who has played on this team." And that means as much to Gerckens as a first-place trophy or all the well-deserved accolades that have been bestowed on the Tritons since they completed a record-setting campaign with their 45th victory. With 10 freshmen on the roster and not a single player earning more than $500 in scholarship money, UC San Diego relied on the sensational pitching of junior All-American Camille Gaito, slick fielding and an abundance of mental fortitude to rise to the top of the softball world. Gerckens and her talented assistants -- Jessica
Millsap, Allison May, Nichole Willis, Sara Robinson -- were honored as the NCAA Division II coaching staff of the year and Gaito, who went 4-0 in Salem and won 35 games overall, was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Female Athlete of the Year after the Tritons won nine consecutive NCAA Tournament games. "We didn't go to the postseason last year and our seniors were really mad about that," Gerckens said. "As soon as the freshmen came in they let them know we were going to the playoffs." Gaito made sure of that. She established single-season UC San Diego relied on the sensational pitching of junior Allschool records for wins (35), American Camille Gaito, as she went 4-0 at the NCAA Division II innings (262.1), strikeouts National Championships in Salem, VA. Courtesy of UCSD (208), complete games (32) and saves (4) and wound up pitching every inning And in the finale, the offense paid Gaito back by during the postseason. scoring a season-high 10 runs. Senior third Gerckens used one word to describe the amazing baseman Sarah Woofter went 3 for 3 and scored right-hander: "Stellar." three runs, while senior second baseman Jennifer "She owned those teams. She owned them," De Fazio had two hits, drove in a run and scored Gerkens said. "She's a really smart pitcher. Her once. Junior designated player Tess Granath movement is crazy, she mixes up her pitches and she delivered a two-run single and Esther Strom drove is so good with her control." in three more. Gaito (35-4) ranked second in the nation in wins and Leadoff batter Kris Lesovsky scored two runs ERA (0.75) but it was her playoff dominance that truly and Katrin Gabriel went 2 for 3 with two RBI. stood out. She threw nine complete games and struck "It was remarkable. They were so zoned in," out 62 batters in 67 innings. Once the Tritons got to Gerckens said. "We were finding holes, Salem, she defeated No. 9-ranked C.W. Post, No. 5 capitalizing on mistakes and using our speed. Minnesota-Mankato, No. 6 Saginaw Valley and No. 1 "We didn't hit like that all year. Before we got to Alabama-Huntsville. Not surprisingly, she was the nationals our last four or five games we won in our championship game's Most Outstanding Player. last at-bat. I take nothing away from [Alabama"Our pitching and defense got us there," Huntsville]. They were a good team. We knew we'd Gerckens said. have to score some runs to win and the players really took that to heart. Playing for a Division II title was inspiration enough. Gerckens transformed the program into a powerhouse over the course of two decades - overseeing a move from Division III and the construction of a new stadium complex along the way. And the players took that to heart, too. They were mostly toddlers when UC San Diego went 6-28 in Gercken's rookie season. But they all realize what winning a national title means to her and the program. "They know it's big. It was a long journey. Most programs have to go through a process," Gerckens said. "As a coach I had to learn so much. It's constant learning and keeping up with the skills. It was a great opportunity I was given. You need to have athletes and a bunch of variables that come together. It's a culmination of so many years of good athletes and good people."
Softball Today • June 2011
By Dave Utnik
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By Dave Utnik
Softball Today • June 2011
Seniors don’t intimidate her anymore. It’s sort of the other way around now. Ashley Wark isn’t sure exactly when that happened. But at one point or another during the first month of her initial varsity softball season, Brentsville’s freshman pitcher discovered just how good she is. “I’m still getting used to everything, but I’m starting to have more confidence,” she said. “Now I’m not scared because I know I can play with them. I can face batters who are going to college and I can get them to strikeout or ground out. They aren’t going to tee off on me every time.” Strikeouts are far more common when Wark is in the circle. The Tigers were off to a 13-2 start and in first place in Virginia's Group AA Evergreen District largely because the 15-year-old ace can throw her 58 miles-per-hour fastball past anyone. She won her first six starts — beating Loudoun Valley, Osbourn Park and Chancellor on consecutive days — and has enabled Brentsville to remain contenders in Region II following the graduation of Grace Nordan last spring. “I’m glad that I got the chance to pitch,” said Wark, who had 91
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strikeouts and a 2.07 ERA through mid May. “It’s given me a lot of confidence in myself, even going up against seniors knowing I can strike them out. I feel like I’m a better player than I thought I was.” Wark arrived in Nokesville, following three seasons at Marsteller Middle School, with the potential to become a high school star. She’d already established herself as a power hitter on the travel ball circuit with the SYA Xplosion. And she could throw four pitches — a fastball, changeup, curve and riseball — for strikes. But competing against older players is a new experience. “It’s a process,” said Wark, who is batting .352. “I just hope that I can make an impact. I’m thankful to have that opportunity. “I just want to keep getting better and be able to be more powerful and more successful by the time I’m a senior.” Wark is off to a good start. She struck out nine against Osbourn Park, allowed only four hits in a comeback win over Loudoun Valley and even had the game-winning hit against Skyline in her varsity debut. “That was my first high school game and it made me feel pretty good,” she said. “It made me feel good that I could help my team win in my first game.” What’s happened since then has been equally exciting as the Tigers emerged as the front-runner in the Evergreen Distict. “I’ve worked on my form and gotten a lot better and I’ve gotten more mental toughness to help me with harder situations,” she said. Some of the credit for that belongs to Wark’s private tutor Lauren Yates, a former Tigers’ ace who threw a perfect game in the 1998 Group A state finals. “I really like her,” Wark said. “She’s helped me develop all my pitches.” Wark has made tremendous progress since she played her first travel ball game with the U11 Gainesville Gladiators. For one thing, she’s 5-foot-9 now and she throws harder than ever before. “I didn’t always throw hard. I just thought pitching seemed fun so I thought I’d try it,” Wark said. “I was just trying to find a sport that I liked. I tried other sports but I started softball at about eight and I liked it.” This summer, Wark will face her biggest challenge yet as she makes her U18 ASA Gold debut with the SYA Xplosion. But the Tigers have helped her prepare. And every senior Wark strikes out between now and then will reinforce the fact that she is capable of leading the Tigers back to the Group AA state tournament for the second time in four seasons. “It’s not just me who is going to get us there,” Wark said. “It’s a whole a team effort. I like having this defense behind me and I feel like we have some really good hitters. With hard practice I think we can get to regional's and do really well in that tournament.”
By Dave Utnik
determined to come through. “I really didn’t want to go into extra innings,” she said. “I just tried to relax and focus on getting a base hit, It was actually a really low pitch and I’m really bad at those, but I just stayed calm.” And somehow, Dost lifted the ball into the air and sent it spiraling over South and the chain-link fence that connects the foul poles on the Tigers’ home field – giving Brentsville a 13-11 victory over the reigning Cardinal District champions. “I was the second out in the inning and I definitely didn’t want to make two outs in one inning,” Dost said. “I really wanted to come through for my team because I didn’t feel like I contributed a lot in that game. So the last at-bat really meant a lot to me.” Dost’s game-winning home run was the final hit of a remarkable comeback that began with two outs and the Tigers trailing by seven runs. “I really wanted to help us get a win,” she said. “It was definitely my number one hit for school ball.” And that’s saying something. Since making the varsity squad as a freshman, Dost has become one of the best Group AA hitters in the state. She batted .415 last spring, with eight home runs, as Brentsville won the Evergreen District championship and she is now positioned in the run-producing spot of the batting order in front of Siena College-bound cleanup hitter Abby Carpenter. “When I get out there I just try to show what I can do,” Dost said. The Tigers are seeking their berth in the Group AA state tournament and Dost, who has been christened “Special K” by sophomore teammate Jessica Murphy, will be right in the middle of it. “I don’t know how she came up with that. She was like, ‘I’m going to call you that because you’re special to me.’ I usually get called by my last name,” Dost said. “I like ‘Special K’ more.” The nickname might catch on given Dost’s penchant for making big plays. In addition to her talent at the plate, she has one of the best throwing arms in the area as well. “I think it is known around the district and region that she has a very strong arm and, as a result, has very few runners test her,” Tigers’ assistant coach Pat Finnegan said. Nobody really tried to take an extra base when Dost was in center field the past two seasons and she’s probably going to take away quite a few infield hits playing at third base in 2011. That is a position she is more familiar with. Dost has spent most of her travel ball career – with the Vienna Stars, Baseliners and, now, the Ashburn Shooting Stars -- as a utility infielder, alternating primarily between catcher and third. But the 16-year-old really doesn’t care which position she plays, as long as she’s on the field helping the Tigers pursue the program’s first Group AA state championship since 1998. “We have a lot of younger girls but we’ve so far shown that we’re willing to push through every inning,” Dost said. “I think we can make it as far as we want to go.”
Softball Today • June 2011
Even as she sprinted around the bases, Brentsville’s Kayla Dost wasn’t sure if she’d hit the ball far enough. It takes some decent contact to get anything over the head of Osbourn Park center fielder Jessica South. And that was Dost’s biggest concern. “She’s a really good outfielder,” the Tigers’ junior said. “I thought she was going to catch it.” And South probably would have, too, had a fence not stood in her way. Dost chased after a pitch low in the strike zone with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning that she might have ignored under different circumstances. But with the score tied and the Tigers in the midst of perhaps their biggest rally ever, Dost was
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Softball Today • June 2011
The following is an excerpt from Softball Skills & Drills, Second Edition (Human Kinetics, 2011), written by Judi Garman, one of the most successful coaches in college softball history and the winner of 7 national championships as a player and coach; and Michelle Gromacki, the head coach of Cal State Fullerton softball, one of the most prestigious programs in the nation.
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Stride The stride is a step toward the pitcher with the front foot as the pitch is delivered (see attached figure). It serves as a timing mechanism for the swing and brings the body to a balanced foundation to hit from. During the stride, the batter must maintain balance. Therefore, the step is short—only 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm)! The hitter does not want her center of gravity or head to move. The stride should be a glide or slide forward toward the pitcher. Key words for the stride are stay centered, short, soft, and eyebrows level. The front toe stays closed, with soft pressure on the inside ball of the foot, and the head moves little or not at all. During the stride, the hips are cocked slightly; the front shoulder, hip, and knee are turned slightly toward the catcher. The player can think of her belly button
as the lens of a camera that is pointed at the catcher. Weight remains on the inside of the back foot. Have batters hold the bat on their belly button to check their turn back. On the stride, the weight stays on the back leg. The knee is over the back foot and does not turn. The player can practice the correct form by placing a chair against the back side of the back knee. She strides while making sure that the back leg stays in contact with the chair. The batter must focus on the release point during the stride. The stride must be consistent and to the same spot on every pitch, regardless of pitch location, because the player starts the stride before she can identify what pitch is coming. Timing determines when the batter steps. The step should be initiated early enough to be slow and deliberate, not jerky. As the pitcher goes forward (or the front knee goes up), the hitter lifts the front heel, the front knee turns in, and the weight and hands go back. The stepping foot should be down right before the pitch is released, allowing enough time for the batter to feel balanced and to complete the swing. The front heel must be down before the ball is within 10 feet (3 m) of the batter. The batter can still hit the ball if she steps too early, but she cannot hit it if she steps too late. Beginners often commit during the windup. As players practice and develop quicker hands, they learn to delay their commitment to the stride until they can clearly see the ball. Remember that once the batter strides forward and plants the front toe, the toe will start to open up on its own when the batter starts her swing. It is natural then for the hips, knees, and toe to follow each other. Coaches should videotape their players and show them the timing element and what it means to be late or early. The coach may ask a batter, “Where are you getting late?” and “How can you get on time?” On the stride, the hands go back to the launch position so that the bat is behind the back leg. As when using a hammer, golf club, or tennis racket, the player must first go back in order to generate the stretch (referred to as loading) and power needed to go forward (think of winding a rubber band to create torque). The torso, hands, and arms go back as one unit. In softball, the hands go back only 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm). The farther the hands go from center, the longer and slower the swing. The batter cannot hit a ball above the hands, so the hands stay at the top of the strike zone. (If hitters drop their hands, they can never hit a rise ball.) As the hands go back, they cock as if preparing to hammer a nail with the top hand. Cocking is not a hitch (i.e., a drop of the hands). The end of the bat will come close to the head, but the player must be careful not to wrap the bat around behind her. If the hitter takes the bat back too far, her body will twist, and her shoulders will come off line. The arms are bent in a 90-degree position with both elbows pointed down. The head does not move, and the shoulders remain level. The hands stay close to the body. The closer the hands are to the body (and the center of gravity), the faster the body can rotate, producing faster bat speed. Think of a figure skater making a fast, tight spin. Some hitters perform better with the no-stride method of hitting. This method is simple, and it eliminates the problems created by poor striding mechanics. With this method, the batter begins in a balanced position with the feet about bat-length apart and the front toe closed. The batter rotates her torso slightly rearward (belly button to catcher) as she stretches the rubber band. As the batter brings her front knee inward, the front foot stays at the same angle and does not move from the starting position. This rotation will cause the front heel to rise up, putting the hitter in the same position as the batter who strides. The heel is then dropped to trigger the swing. (The batter should not just lift her foot up and put it down in one motion.) The rest of the swing is identical to the stride method. The no-stride method makes it easy for the hitter to maintain good balance, to keep the heels in line, and to achieve optimum stride length. Because there is little head movement and because good balance is maintained, hitters who use the no-stride method are not easily fooled by an off-speed pitch.
Hip Rotation and Pivot
The batter must stay connected and flow into the ball as she sequentially unlocks her body parts. The back hip moves into the firm front side, then the hands follow and the bat lags behind. Note that the hands do not come forward first to drive into the ball. The stronger leg muscles yank the smaller muscles (hands and arms) through the strike zone. The chest is on the ball. The goal is to go from slow loading to quick explosion. The hitter must be in a balanced position (50 percent of weight on each foot) to exert maximum force at contact. A straight line running down from the back ear to the pivot foot should pass through the shoulder, hip, and knee. If a hitter does not rotate around this stationary axis, she is lunging.
Called “a must-have for every player” by Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup champion Jenny Topping, Softball Skills & Drills, Second Edition is now available in bookstores everywhere, as well as online at www.HumanKinetics.com. The book is packed with new content, including more than 200 full-color photos and illustrations.
Softball Today • June 2011
The batter strides first and then rotates the hips. Dropping the front heel triggers the swing. These are two movements—a stride and then a pivot. The batter pushes hard against the inside of the back foot, then pivots hard on the ball of the back foot and drives (pops) the back hip into and against a rigid front side. As the front foot starts to receive the weight transfer, the front leg stiffens. This phase is a ballistic and aggressive rotational push forward with movement slightly up and out. The back heel comes up, the foot releases, and the weight goes forward off the back leg. The lower the back heel is, the more weight stays back; coaches must emphasize getting the back heel up (while guarding against overrotation)! The back foot and back knee pivot toward the pitcher with the back leg in an L position. The hands do not move. The body rotates around an imaginary pole running through the middle of the body. The belly button rotates from looking at the catcher to looking directly at the contact spot and no farther. Contrary to what many a young player has been told, the batter does not squish a bug with the back foot; doing so does not allow the back foot to transfer the weight to the front foot.
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Resmondo-Specialty Tank/Worth hitter Greg Connell played outstanding both offensively and on defense at the “28th Annual Dudley/Budweiser/Easton Classic”, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Photo by Dale Weiser
“28th Annual Dudley/Budweiser/Easton Classic”, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota - June 17 - 19 Softball Today • June 2011
By Dale Weiser
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There something about the most prestigious tournaments in the nation that always attract the best of the best in the nation to compete for the tournament title and this year's 28th Annual Dudley Budweiser Easton Classic was no exception as it attracted the The 4 Major classified teams to compete for top honors. Neither rain storms nor fog could stop the mighty "28th Annual Dudley Budweiser Easton Classic" in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Much like the weather the 4 Major teams on hand were equally unpredictable as they ran hot
one game and cold the next. When the rain finally stopped and the fog had lifted on Sunday morning it was the 4 Major teams out of the 30 team field that were still standing and the heavy weights of softball would take turns run ruling each other until the end of the tournament. When the dust had cleared it was ResmondoSpecialty Tank/Worth defeating GTL Cartel/DeMarini 52-34 in the second game (the "if" game) of the championship Sunday afternoon to take home the coveted tournament simply known as "The Dudley" The Dudley tournament action kicked off Friday night in front of a packed crowd of softball die
hards with some of the local teams getting a shot at the big boys from Conference USSSA. Upsets were few and far between as the Dudley quickly became a Conference dominated event. On Saturday, the winner's bracket resumed at 8 am under mostly cloudy skies and cooler than normal temperatures. With all of the favorite high powered teams advancing on to the third round fairly easily. On Saturday around noon GTL and Resmondo advanced easily but the Combat matchup between Combat/Laser Vision and Combat/Pharmapar was a war. This was easily the game of the tournament as Laser Vision jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the top of the first. Pharmapar answered with a 15 run
inning of their own. The game had some huge innings and wound up with Pharmapar giving up a big lead. However in the bottom of the 7th with 2 outs and runners on, Luc "The Canadian Bull" Chauvette smacked a walk off single to win the marathon contest 48-47 victory in front of a nice crowd. In the quarter finals GTL's offense was on fire as they quickly beat Pharmapar. Resmondo meanwhile jumped out to a huge lead on EWS early on, nearly run ruling them. In order to comeback, EWS hit a bunch of 2 run homers and slowly climbed back into the game before dropping to Resmondo 38-34
when they put up a zero in the bottom of the 7th with no homer's left. As the drizzling rain and loser's bracket played out late into Saturday night, the fog rolled in and just before the much anticipated showdown between GTL and Resmondo was about to begin, the fog became too thick to continue. Games were postponed until 8 AM Sunday morning. In the morning GTL came out with great defense, much like they did at the Chicago Windy City tournament, and then they put up a couple of big innings and put Resmondo away quickly by the score of 30-10 in 4 innings. In the loser's bracket
Laser Vision put up a big first inning on Pharmapar but Pharmapar answered again and had the lead early on. Laser Vision went on a huge run and ended up run ruling Pharmapar to slip into the loser's bracket championship where they were soundly defeated against Resmondo who batted around almost 4 times in the 25 run first inning and Resmondo won by the run rule 47-17. In the first game of the Championship showdown, Resmondo used a double figure first inning to put GTL back on their heels as nthey won 45-20. In the second game GTL jumped out to an early lead before Resmondo stormed back and grabbed the championship by an score of 52-34. In the last 6 meetings between the two, they are 3-3. For the season they are 6-6. The last 8 games between the two super powers have been won by the run rule. What is happening here is one of these teams or the other gets on a tremendous offensive roll and the momentum swings so hard one way that the other team just doesn't have a chance to come back even if they play well. It is quite incredible to watch these great hitter's from both teams when they put up one of those 15 run innings against the best pitchers and defenders in the game. Resmondo's wins their 5th tournament of the season and outscored their last 3 opponents by an amazing 146-61.
Softball Today • June 2011
Resmondo-Specialty Tank/Worth compiled a 6-1 record at the “28th Annual Dudley/Budweiser/Easton Classic”, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Photo by Dale Weiser
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Resmondo-Specialty Tank/Worth went 7-0 to capture top honors at the 5TH Annual Space City Classic. Photo by Dale Weiser
Softball Today • June 2011
By Dale Weiser
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Resmondo-Specialy Tank/Worth based out of Winter Haven, Florida compiled a perfect 7-0 record at the "Space City Classic" in League City, Texas. Without a doubt the big boys of Florida were the most talented and consistent group in this tournaments 64 team field. Resmondo knocked off their biggest threat Darkside/TYJA/Easton from New Britain Connecticut, the only 'A' team in the tournament, in the winner's bracket championship game as Resmondo's lit up the scoreboard for 20 runs in the top of the first inning. Darkside, would not go done without a fight, as they answered back with 15 runs in the bottom half of the inning and it looked like the challenge was on. Resmondo, however shut down Darkside in the 4th
inning and never looked back en-route to a 45-23 victory. Resmondo's went on to defeat Gold's Gym out of Dallas, Texas on Sunday in the Championship game 54-15. Resmondo's offensive machine was clicking on all cylinders and was led by tournament MVP Greg Connell who went 38-40 with 14 HR's and 48 RBI. Connell made the beautiful Big League Dreams Yankee Stadium replica field with its 30 foot high walls look like a little league park with crowd pleasing line drive homers that would curve 50 feet one way or the other. Resmondo had 4 players with an on base percentage over .900! The “Space City” tournament went the better part of 4 rounds into the winner’s bracket before there were any big matchups between Conference USSSA teams and upsets were few and far between.
The weather cooperated as the tournament started on a very nice Friday night with Resmondo drawing a large crowd of local fans. However, Saturday brought extremely hot tempatures in the upper 90's but gradually turned into a beautiful evening it was all Conference teams left standing in the final 6 with Gold's Gym beating The Scene, and BWW beating FBI well after midnight. On Sunday morning Gold's Gym turned a 12-6 deficit into a 15-12 win over BWW and then smashed Darkside before Darkside before Darkside suffered their loss from Resmondo in the Championship game. With the impressive turnout of 64 teams, the “Space City” was again the biggest tournament quantity wise on the Conference schedule.
Player Tournament Awards
Players Name
Plays For
Tournament MVP Offensive Tournament MVP Defensive Tournament MVP
Greg Connell Kelly Hartman Don DeDonatis III
Resmondo-Specialty Tank / Worth Gold's Gym Resmondo-Specialty Tank / Worth
GTL/Cartel/DeMarini slugger Victor Cordova won All Tournament Team honors at the Windy City Bud Light NIT. Photo by Dale Weiser
“Windy City Bud Light NIT”, Joliet, Illinois - June 10 - 11
Softball Today • June 2011
By Dale Weiser
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GTL Cartel/DeMarini based out of the Seattle, Washington compiled a 5-1 record which was highlighted with 2 out of 3 wins against Resmondo-Specialty Tank/Worth in the winner's bracket finals and championship games. GTL Cartel/DeMarini dominated the Conference USSSA tournament as five of their victories were by the run rule and it wasn't until they played Resmondo that they let up more than 8 runs in a game. The tournament action started Friday night (June 10) with a couple of upsets when Precision, a local 'C' team, knocked off RFC/Hubs Pub a strong B div. team out of Derby, Kansas 29-9, and P&P a 'C' team out of Michigan dropped T's 13 a powerful B div. team out of Omaha, Nebraska by a score of 22-21. Cool temperatures prevailed throughout the weekend and there wasn't any sunshine until Sunday. Saturday's action started up at 11 AM as the winner's bracket resumed with some of the best matchups of the weekend. Concurrently Suncoast found themselves in a 9 inning victory over Midwest Swing while Blitz came from a 14-0 deficit in the first inning to beat EWS 27-26 in a 8 inning nailbitter. And Sinister came from behind to knock off R&M Metals 31-30. All of these crucial matchups were dramatic from stat to finish with some clutch game winning rallies. In round action the 4 top teams in the nation (Resmondo, GTL, Team 454 and Team Combat) all advanced to the semi-finals. In the semifinals Resmondo jumped ahead of Team
Combat to score a 27-19 victory and GTL "20 run ruled" Team 454/Worth 35-5 in 4 innings. In the winner's championship GTL used a Sean McDonald base hit to run rule Resmondo by the score of 39-24. Sundays early tournament action started off, as Team Combat/Laser Vision matched Team 454's 16 run third inning with a 16 run 4th inning of their own in a game which lasted all of 2 hours and 42 minutes. Laser Vision finally put Team 454 away by the highest run total of the season with a 54-48 victory. The battles continued as Team Combat managed just 4 runs on 1 homer against Resmondo and went quietly home 28-4 in 4 innings in the loser's bracket championship. In this game Resmondo batted around and the top of the order hit 3 times in the first inning alone.
Greg Connell had a stellar performance as he sparked his team to victory with 2 homers and 7 RBI in the inning. This win advanced #1 ranked Resmondo to the Championship against #2 ranked GTL. In the first game Resmondo came out and used all 16 of their homers to put GTL away 35-18. In the second game of the championship, the "if" game, GTL would not be denied as they used a 2nd inning grand slam by leadoff hitter Mike Bowlin to put up a 12 spot and GTL ran away with a 40-25 run rule in 6 innings. GTL was led by MVP Matt Pesso and his incredible defense. On offense they were led by outfielder Donovan Pokraka who was 24-29 with 9 homers and 25 RBI. This Windy City Bud Light victory marked GTL's 4th tournament win of the season.
GTL/Cartel/DeMarini huddled before the championship game at the Windy City Bud Light NIT. Photo by Dale Weiser
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Review: 2012 DeMarini GTL Cartel (WTDXGTL-12) "This bat is absolutely outrageous this GTL is the "BombMaster." If you are usually a warning track hitter, don't worry about it, this bat will drive the ball well over the fence. Said Arthur Burroughs. "This bat meets my triple D threat meaning Distance, Durability and Defensive nightmare. I have no problem shelling out a "3 spot" to buy this bat."
Line Drives 94 Distance 96 Feel/Sting 93 Sweet Spot 95 Sound 94 Durability 100
Softball Today • June 2011
"With a stiff handle and a noticeable end load this bat is outstanding for mean line drives and consistent unbelievable distance," Said JR. Montoya. "Usually when a bat is this lively you worry about it breaking down within a hundred or so hits on it, but we hit this bat a few hundred times and it is still good to go."
Graphics 93 Approved for USSSA, NSA & ISA (not approved for ASA play).
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Crossroads/Hobbs Consulting MVP Gerald Crawford Slams a double to right centerfield
Softball Today • June 2011
By Dale Weiser
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Their hopes of winning the Shen Valley Best of the West NIT were nearly dashed after one pitch. The Crossroads/Hobb's Consulting men's slow pitch squad had barely taken the field on May 27 when a line drive struck pitcher Ray Davenport on the shin and knocked him out of the tournament. It wasn't exactly the start anybody had anticipated. Davenport is among the significant reasons that Crossroads/Hobbs Consulting is the top-ranked Class D team in North Carolina. Replacing him is no simple task. "It was a loss in more ways than one," player/coach Jonathan Hobbs said. And Earl Orme understood that as well as anyone. After Davenport was unable to return to the field, the entire tournament pretty much belonged to Orme, a reliable, veteran backup who embraced the challenge and the pressure by delivering perhaps the most memorable performance of the summer by leading Crossroads/Hobbs Consulting to an 8-2 record and the championship.
"He was the difference maker for us," Hobbs said. "His veteran leadership pulled us through." The pair of double play grounders that he induced during the 33-26 extra-innings win over Virginia's No. 1-ranked team, Shenandoah Valley, in the final were enough to warrant Defensive MVP honors. But Orme accomplished much more than that by taking the ball under extraordinary conditions. With Shenandoah Valley in the 15-team field, there was little margin for error and Orme was nearly perfect. His teammates were, too. Third baseman and cleanup hitter Gerald Crawford, who went 37 for 45 with five home runs, was recognized as the tournament MVP, and seven other players were chosen to the all-tournament team. Hobbs and No. 3 hitter Ryan Jones each batted .818, while utility man Brian Neal hit .732 with four homers. Designated hitter Goober Gammon batted .703 while No. 2 hitter Kevin Cox, center fielder Chris Tenney and 19-year-old shortstop Merle Tipton each eclipsed .600. "The Best of the West was a big win especially since for most of us it's about a six hour drive," Hobbs said. The travel, though, is one reason that the team began competing in USSSA events. When Hobbs put the team together in 2007, they preferred Softball Nation competition. But the aspirations are far bigger now. "We went to USSSA because it offered a wider range of tournaments and our team has always liked traveling out of town to play big tourneys," said Hobbs, whose team finished second in the 2008 Virginia state tournament, second in the 2009 Virginia state tournament, second in the 2009 Atlantic Coast National, third in the 2010 NC state tourney and 3rd in the 2010 Atlantic Coast national. Having already secured a berth to nationals and worlds, the goal this summer, according to Hobbs, is to, "win what we consider the 'Big 3' -- the NC state tourney in Raleigh, NC, the Atlantic Coast National in Glen Burnie, MD and the World tournament in Orlando, Florida." To accomplish those feats, Hobbs insisted on improving one thing: defense. "To win a USSSA world tourney, you have to have a good defensive squad," he said. The same is true at the Best of the West NIT. Crossroads/Hobbs Consulting scored 208 runs in 10 games over two days, but it was pitching and defense that ultimately meant the difference between first and second. After losing to Shenandoah Valley 19-13 to set up a one-game rematch for the championship trophy, Crossroadsd/Hobbs Consulting rallied from an earlyeight-run deficit with the help of two game-saving
double plays -- one in the seventh inning and another in the eighth. That allowed Dave White, who Hobb's describes as the "one of the best leadoff guys in the area" to drive in the tie-breaking run in a nine-run ninth inning rally. "We knew we had gotten lucky the prior two innings and needed to put something together in the ninth," Hobbs said. "Honestly we felt going in to the tourney it would come down between us and Shen Valley. They have a great team and it's always a battle when we play each other. "We knew, as always, with Shen Valley it was going to be a dog fight." And it was. Led by all-tournament selections Kevin Rush, Jeff Blalock, Brad Curry and Jon Wilson, Shenandoah Valley reached the finals for the fifth time this summer. With a huge assist from Earl Orme, Crossroads/Hobbs Consulting is having similar success on the diamond. They captured the USSSA Neptune in Virginia Beach shortly after winning Best of the West and went into mid-June with a 326-126 record over the past five seasons. "This is by far the best team we've had since we were established in 2007," Hobbs said.
Crossroads/Hobbs Consulting lead-off hitter David White scored on another base hit to spark his team to victory.
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Review: FREAK® FX 700™ BALANCED USSSA MODEL: SPFXBU "I have always loved hitting Miken bats and this Freak Balanced USSSA bat is awesome," Said Bobby Guerra. "This is hands down the best USSSA bat out there. whether you live by the long ball or you are a line drive hitter this bat is lethal. From the grip all the way to the cap this bat is very comfortable with a great balance."
Line Drives 94 Distance 95 Feel/Sting 93 Sweet Spot 94 Sound 92 Durability 100
Softball Today • June 2011
"Just when you think there is no way Miken can come out with a better bat then last year's model they come out with an Awesome bat like this," Said Mark Dunning. "Sweet Graphics, great overall bat."
Graphics 93 Approved by USSSA 1.20 Certified, NSA and ISA.
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Rusty Bumgardner 98 Anti Virus Reloaded VIRSP5-RB The Anti Virus was one of the best bats that Combat ever produced, and now its back! It's big and aggressive, just like Rusty Bumgardner - so if your not ready for action you better step aside. Don't be afraid though, just like Rusty, this bat has a real sweet side as well - the incredible feel of the original Anti Virus is back, with a vengeance, and soon ball players everyhere are going to be reminded why Combat has grown so quickly into a leader in Diamond Sports! Features: • Maximum Allowable Performance (MAP) • Super Sweetspot Size (SSS) • Hot out of the Wrapper (HOT) • Blended Fiber Technology (BFT) • Multi-Wall Construction • Meets 1.20 BPF Standard
BALANCED - 34" BALANCED - 34" BALANCED - 34" BALANCED - 34"
Length/Weight 34" / 26 oz. 34" / 27 oz. 34" / 28 oz. 34" / 30 oz.
FULLY LOADED - 34" FULLY LOADED - 34" FULLY LOADED - 34" FULLY LOADED - 34"
Length/Weight 34" / 26 oz. 34" / 27 oz. 34" / 28 oz. 34" / 30 oz.
Review: Rusty Bumgardner 98 Anti Virus Reloaded VIRSP5-RB Our group of bat reviewers were fired up and ready to try out the new Combat Rusty Bumgardner ASA Approved bat. We noted that this bat was extremely productive throughout our first round of hitting. However, the bat definitely improved by our second round of batting. "Throughout the morning and early afternoon hitting sessions this bat hit very well but I noticed the bat improved significantly by our later rounds of hitting," Said Kevin Riley. "By our second and third round this bat was flat out launching Bombs consistently."
Softball Today • June 2011
"The grip and overall feel of this bat were very comfortable," Said Renee Salinas. "Even when I launched several shots deep into center and left center field I felt no sting or vibrations."
Line Drives 93 Distance 94 Feel/Sting 94 Sweet Spot 93 Sound 93 Durability 100 Graphics 95
28
Approved By: ISA, ISF, ASA, NSA, USSSA 1.20 BPF.
Softball Today • June 2011
By Maria Garcia
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Haysville, KS. --- ABF from Wichita, Kansas went undefeated to capture the Haysville "Fiery Inferno" Tournament held June 18 at the Plagen's-Carpenter Sports Complex. ABF got some outstanding offense throughout their line-up and some exceptional pitching to compile a perfect 5-0 record on their way to winning the "Fiery Inferno" USSSA qualifying tournament. With a convincing 16-6 victory over THC of Wichita ABF was firing on all cylinders both offensively and defensively. They used their momentum and confidence to continue their winning ways as they defeated McConnell another tough Wichita ball club. ABF used some stellar pitching and some consistent hitting to double their opponents output for a convincing 20-10 victory. Game three was a great match-up against Boosters of Andover, KS. The two teams battled back and forth until ABF was able to pull ahead with rallies in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the lead and the victory with a 17-9 win. For ABF to win the tournament they knew they would have to face a tough Southrock Billiards ball club out of Wichita. The two teams locked horns in their first match-up of the tournament. The lead went back and forth in the early and mid innings however with the game on the line in the bottom of the seventh ABF was able to mount a game winning rally to push forward for a 14-13 victory. While briefly down in the loser's bracket Southrock Billiards narrowly defeated the Titans 15-14 to earn a rematch with ABF in the final game of the tournament. By the fourth inning ABF found themselves down but not out as they were looking at a 3 run deficit. But once again their offense came through when they needed to score the most as they rallied in the later innings for a 11-10 victory to win the Haysville "Fiery Inferno" Tournament.
Place 1 2 3 4 5
State
KS KS KS KS KS
Team
ABF Southrock Billiards Shocks Boosters Fastenal
Division
Men's D Men's D Men's D Men's E Men's E
Wins Loses
5 4 4 33 -
0 2 2 2 2