USSSA, USFA, ASA, etc...: Help a girl out!

[#10]

Have to give credit to PGF as without it West Coast Softball would be irrelevant.

Irrelevant? D1 recruiters would disagree.

 

[riseball]

Irrelevant? D1 recruiters would disagree.

Due to various factors the trend is over time is downward. PGF has certainly slowed that trend.

 

[MNDad]

PGF: The best of the best. The most difficult to qualify for and by far the most difficult to win. You will certainly face the best teams in the country at PGF Premier. If you win, you have unchallenged bragging rights as the best team in the country at your age division.

I don’t think the distinction between PGF and ASA is so cut and dry. I agree PGF has a stronger field and more top 10 caliber teams. ASA/USA accepts anybody so the talent, or lack thereof, is very diluted. Even so they'll will have 20-30 teams at each age level that are comparable to the PGF field. At 18U most of the ASA Gold and ASSA JO Cup teams team would be competitive at PGF and a few could challenge for the title.

 

[riseball]

.... If you win, the coaches and parents will enjoy unchallenged bragging rights as the best team in the country at your age division.

IMHO more accurately stated.

 

[29dad]

ASA/USA accepts anybody so the talent, or lack thereof, is very diluted. Even so they'll will have 20-30 teams at each age level that are comparable to the PGF field.

To your point, the 16U Tampa Mustangs have always been an ASA team. This year they went to PGF Premier... and won it. My own DD's team has always played ASA. Top 40 at ASA/USA last year. This year we went to PGF Premier and finished T9. Biggest difference I noticed between the two is that PGF has virtually no weak teams, while ASA/USA has dozens. But to my eyes the top 20 at one are very comparable to the top 20 at the other. YMMV.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

I don’t think the distinction between PGF and ASA is so cut and dry. I agree PGF has a stronger field and more top 10 caliber teams. ASA/USA accepts anybody so the talent, or lack thereof, is very diluted. Even so they'll will have 20-30 teams at each age level that are comparable to the PGF field. At 18U most of the ASA Gold and ASSA JO Cup teams team would be competitive at PGF and a few could challenge for the title.

Depends on your definition of competitive. Some people set the bar low as not being run-ruled while I think it requires winning some games. ASA 18G has been in decline and was gutted by ASA's JO Cup - they were short 11 teams and the top finishers without their ringers wouldn't have been competitive at PGF.

The top 2 finishers at JO Cup didn't fare well at Boulder. Wichita Mustangs went 0-3 against top PGF teams (Corona Angels, Batbusters Haning/Stith and Beverly Bandits Conroy). EC Bullets Schnute went 3-4 without facing any top teams. Mustangs would have only contended for a top-10 finish and it's returning berth.

FWIW, on whose website did this appear...
July PGF Nationals Huntington Beach, CA. This is by far the crème-de-la-crème of FastPitch tournaments with the best teams in the U.S. in attendance. We are proud of earning our berth as a result of our top 10 finish last year and look forward to making a run at the Championship this year.

 

[#10]

Due to various factors the trend is over time is downward. PGF has certainly slowed that trend.

What trend is that?

 

[riseball]

Depends on your definition of competitive. Some people set the bar low as not being run-ruled while I think it requires winning some games. ASA 18G has been in decline and was gutted by ASA's JO Cup - they were short 11 teams and the top finishers without their ringers wouldn't have been competitive at PGF.

The top 2 finishers at JO Cup didn't fare well at Boulder. Wichita Mustangs went 0-3 against top PGF teams (Corona Angels, Batbusters Haning/Stith and Beverly Bandits Conroy). EC Bullets Schnute went 3-4 without facing any top teams. Mustangs would have only contended for a top-10 finish and it's returning berth.

FWIW, on whose website did this appear...
July PGF Nationals Huntington Beach, CA. This is by far the crème-de-la-crème of FastPitch tournaments with the best teams in the U.S. in attendance. We are proud of earning our berth as a result of our top 10 finish last year and look forward to making a run at the Championship this year.

Ringers at PGF Nats??? Who would have thought?

 

[riseball]

What trend is that?

The number of players on college rosters from the west coast, specifically from California has seen a gradual decline over time. This is due to a number of factors including directives and policies which "encourage" the recruitment of in state talent. Beyond that a multitude of other influences appear to come into play.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Ringers at PGF Nats??? Who would have thought?

I was talking about the ringers used at 18G Nats, however it goes both ways at various age levels. For example, Ocasio played in PGF with GC Hurricanes in 2014. Her dad has posted about PGF having stronger teams than ASA.