Monday brag 6-5-17

[grcsftbll]

We played USSSA B State this weekend, came in 4th out of 21 teams. They played 8 games, and our last game (the bracket game that sent us packing) was the last completed game. Storms rolled in and the winners were by default. The #1 team is another that sandbags and should really be playing A. Their record is something like 27-3 against B teams. They're playing in ASA state in 2 weeks and so are we. Hopefully we can hold up against them if we play them.

In one game we were down 6-1. We were in the final inning, out of time. This team beat us last time we played them. All of a sudden the bats woke up and we ended up winning 8-6. In the last bracket game we were playing a really solid big name first year 10U team. We *almost* pulled off another comeback. DD hit a bomb into center but they'd been paying attention and had the outfielders move way back when she came up. Caught it. That one catch probably saved the game for them. They are a really scrappy team, have an 07 pitcher throwing 47 mph. I clocked her on my pocket radar several times. What's really cool is that even 2 tournaments ago most of our girls were really intimidated by fast pitching. This girl, they didn't even notice she was fast. They were hitting her so well they switched her out.

2 of the 8 games DD batted 1000. Her bat is on fire lately. Hope it keeps up next weekend when we play A state. It'll be our first A level tournament. We have faced several A level teams over the year but never played an A tournament as a team before. We've only beat one (an 07 team; we're 06) but we hold our own.

How did everyone else do?

 

[Lightning]

DD's rec all-star team got second place in their tournament this weekend. Before the tournament the girls had really been struggling with both hitting and defense, but this weekend had some scrappy wins to get them to the championship game.

The team that won it all was made up of girls who play travel ball but drop down to rec on March 31 so they can do all-stars and beat up on other rec leagues. Our girls fought to the end and did themselves proud in the loss.

 

[mudrunner]

Just an OK weekend for us. Top 6 teams made bracket play on Sunday, and we ended up seventh so got sent packing. DD had one game that she struggled in going 0 for 2 with a strikeout and making two errors. Totally out of character for her so not sure what the deal was. The whole team seemed a little off on that game, and we lost to a team that we should beat. Two of our losses were against second year teams that eventually finished first & second, and could very easily be "A" teams. Oddly enough those games were pretty tight. We actually played the eventual tournament winner for our last game, and kept it fairly close till the end. Come to find out we were the first team to score on that team all weekend. We lost the game, but the effort that the girls put in after the bad loss was amazing.

 

[chewbaluba]

DD played up at 14U for a bracket game after 14U catcher was injured Sat. (DD just turned 13). Caught the entire game, 2 caught stealing (1 successful steal, unofficially, by my count), couple of passed balls (not bad for not having caught a drop or curve before). Reached twice on a BB and bunt single, almost reached on another bunt. She was super anxious about playing up. Wouldn't have done it for the organization or her Dad, but she did it for her teammates. I'm really proud of her.

 

[So Cal Seth]

DD's rec all-star team got second place in their tournament this weekend. Before the tournament the girls had really been struggling with both hitting and defense, but this weekend had some scrappy wins to get them to the championship game.

The team that won it all was made up of girls who play travel ball but drop down to rec on March 31 so they can do all-stars and beat up on other rec leagues. Our girls fought to the end and did themselves proud in the loss.

Lightning - What part of So Cal?

 

[Lightning]

Lightning - What part of So Cal?

This team was from the Ventura/Santa Barbara area, I believe.

 

[Rocketech1]

This team was from the Ventura/Santa Barbara area, I believe.

Curious if these are just select teams formed from rec leagues (which has been popular and sanctioned by ASA the last couple of years) or true travel ball teams like SoCal Raiders (Ventura County)?

As a side note: I know one rec league, Thousand Oaks (TOGSA), who a few years ago created a "super" all-star team of girls from all over Ventura County (Fillmore, Santa Paula, Newbury Park, Camarillo, and Thousand Oaks) who only played one spring rec season in that league to form the "gold" all-star team for the summer. That team went undefeated at Districts, State, and Western Nationals. Needless to say, the girls and families that had played in that league for years and were not selected to the top all-star team were not happy.

 

[Lightning]

Curious if these are just select teams formed from rec leagues (which has been popular and sanctioned by ASA the last couple of years) or true travel ball teams like SoCal Raiders (Ventura County)?

As a side note: I know one rec league, Thousand Oaks (TOGSA), who a few years ago created a "super" all-star team of girls from all over Ventura County (Fillmore, Santa Paula, Newbury Park, Camarillo, and Thousand Oaks) who only played one spring rec season in that league to form the "gold" all-star team for the summer. That team went undefeated at Districts, State, and Western Nationals. Needless to say, the girls and families that had played in that league for years and were not selected to the top all-star team were not happy.

I don't think they're a select team, but I could be wrong.

The TOGSA situation is terrible. So they alienate a bunch of families who have supported the league (including promising young players who would have made the gold team without the ringers) just to hang a championship banner? I don't get that.

 

[grcsftbll]

Got the #s in and DD hit 737 this weekend. I don't know what's up with her bat but i hope it keeps going the way it has been!

 

[FP26]

Team played in a showcase outside of Pittsburgh and finished 6-1 on the weekend. We were playing well on Sunday but then the skies opened and cancelled the rest of the day. We are still waiting for the final results to be posted. But regardless of finish, I am very proud of DD and her team for battling against some very tough competition. This was the first time we played in the Pittsburgh area and I was very impressed with some of the teams we played against.