1994 Pre-season (a good read)
Note: I probably should have posted this before I started posting tournaments for 1994
Pre-Season 1994
The year was 1994 and ASA and USSSA were posting all time record amounts for team registrations in slowpitch softball. The Major level had 12 teams and the 'AA' level had 13 teams and there were 'A' teams in every major city across the United States.
This article shows some of the offseason player moves and mindsets of the sponsors before the 1994 season started. This information was taken from the ASA Balls and Strikes magazine in March and April 1994 and written by the great Jerome Earnest:
Here are some advertisements from 1994
Dan "The Sarge" Schuck, LF for Bell Corp in an Easton Advertisement
Worth had Jim Fuller, Wendell Rickard, and Carl Rose representing their Powercell line of bats
Ritch's/Superior/TPS the pre-season #1 ranked team
The following is a list of the 1994 upper level tournaments and a list of the Major and AA teams that planned on attending them. As you can see the top two divisions had a few more teams than today, however they were usually spread pretty thin across the tournaments throughout the year except for the Smoky Mountain Classic.
Cocoa, FL USSSA Major Qualifier May 6-8
Major Teams (9)
Ritch's/Sup
Bell Corp
Steele's
DJ's
Alfords
Vernons
BackPorch
RSH
Harrison, OH USSSA AA-A Qualifier May 7-8
AA Teams (4)
New
Bunca
Watanabe
Jays/Hague
Maryville, TN Spring Open May 7-8
Major Teams (1)
Reece
AA Teams (2)
Southland
Dryden
Kettering, MD USSSA Major Qualifier May 7-8
Major Teams (3)
Steele's
Converters
Vernons
AA Teams (3)
Bunca
Pace
Dryden
Kent, WA USSSA Major Qualifier May 13-15
Major Teams (1)
Williams
AA Teams (5)
O&S
Spectrum
Dan Smith
Herbs
Rainier
Hendersonville, TN ASA Super Qualifier May 13-15
Major Teams (9)
Ritch's/Sup
Bell Corp
DJ's
Alfords
New
Riverside
Reece
BackPorch
RSH
AA Teams (4)
Southland
Watanabe
Roberts
Jays/Hague
Largo, MD ASA Super Qualifier May 20-22
Major Teams (3)
Ritch's/Sup ?
Converters
Vernons
AA Teams (1)
Dryden
Columbus, OH USSSA AA-A Qualifier May 20-22
AA Teams (3)
Bunca
Watanabe
Jays/Hague
Clemson, SC Death Valley Classic May 20-22
Major Teams (0)
AA Teams (1)
Southland
Pineville, KY Mt Laurel Festival May 20-22
Major Teams (1)
Riverside
AA Teams (2)
New
Reece
St Louis, MO ASA Super Qualifier May 27-30
Major Teams (5)
Ritch's/Sup
Bell Corp
Steele's
Converters
Alfords
AA Teams (1)
Roberts
Alhambra, CA USSSA Major Qualifier May 27-30
Major Teams (0)
AA Teams (5)
Pace
Dan Smith
Herbs
Labtec
Rainier
Lafayette, LA USSSA Major Qualifier May 27-30
Major Teams (4)
Williams
DJ's
Vernons
RSH
AA Teams (1)
Southland
Canton, MI USSSA AA-A Qualifier May 27-30
AA Teams (1)
Jays/Hague
Lexington, KY Thoroughbred Classic May 27-30
Major Teams (2)
Riverside
Reece
AA Teams (2)
New
Watanabe
Hutchinson, KS USSSA Major Qualifier June 3-5
Major Teams (2)
Steele's
DJ's
AA Teams (3)
O&S
Spectrum
Rainier
Springfield, OH USSSA AA-A Qualifier June 3-5
AA Teams (4)
Bunca
Watanabe
Pace
Jays/Hague
Longview, WA USSSA AA-A Qualifier June 3-5
AA Teams (1)
Labtec
Fort Walton Beach, FL Billy Bowlegs Invitational June 3-5
Major Teams (3)
Alfords
BackPorch
RSH
AA Teams (1)
Southland
Cleveland, Ohio USSSA Major Qualifier June 10-12
Major Teams (3)
Bell Corp
Steele's
Vernons
AA Teams (4)
Bunca
Pace
Roberts
Jays/Hague
Portland, OR ASA Super Qualifier June 10-12
Major Teams (3)
Ritch's/Sup
Williams
Alfords
AA Teams (3)
Dan Smith
Labtec
Rainier
Harlingen, TX USSSA AA-A Qualifier June 10-12
AA Teams (0)
Orange County, CA USSSA AA-A Qualifier June 10-12
AA Teams (1)
Herbs
Hampton, VA NSA Qualifier June 10-12
Major Teams (0)
AA Teams (1)
Dryden
Panama City, FL Southeastern Invitational June 10-12
Major Teams (1)
BackPorch
AA Teams (1)
Southland
Monticello, KY Lake Cumberland Classic June 10-12
Major Teams (2)
Riverside
Reece
AA Teams (1)
New
Dudley – Brooklyn Center, MN USSSA Major Qualifier June 17-19
Major Teams (5)
Ritch's/Sup
Bell Corp
Williams
Converters
DJ's
AA Teams (3)
O&S
Spectrum
Rainier
Cincinnati, OH ASA Super Qualifier June 17-19
Major Teams (3)
Steele's
Riverside
Reece
AA Teams (5)
New
Watanabe
Roberts
Jays/Hague
Dryden
Reno, NV ASA Super Qualifier June 17-19
Major Teams (1)
Vernons
AA Teams (3)
Dan Smith
Herbs
Labtec
Indianapolis, IN USSSA AA-A Qualifier June 17-19
Major Teams (0)
AA Teams (0)
Chattanooga, TN Pick of Dixie Invitational June 17-19
Major Teams (2)
Alfords
BackPorch
AA Teams (1)
Southland
Lexington, KY ASA Super Qualifier June 24-26
Major Teams (6)
Ritch's/Sup
Bell Corp
Converters
DJ's
Riverside
Reece
AA Teams (4)
New
Southland
Watanabe
Roberts
Milwaukee, WI USSSA Major Qualifier June 24-26
Major Teams (1)
Williams
AA Teams (5)
Bunca
O&S
Spectrum
Pace
Rainier
Little Rock, AR ASA Super Qualifier July 1-4
Major Teams (4)
Bell Corp
Steele's
Williams
RSH
AA Teams (0)
St Charles, MO USSSA Major Qualifier July 1-4
Major Teams (2)
DJ's
Vernons
AA Teams (3)
New
Spectrum
Roberts
San Diego, CA USSSA AA-A Qualifier July 1-4
AA Teams (3)
Dan Smith
Herbs
Rainier ?
Alburquerque, NM USSSA AA-A Qualifier July 1-4
AA Teams (1)
Rainier ?
Toledo, OH Great Lakes Invitational July 1-4
Major Teams (0)
AA Teams (1)
Watanabe
Niceville, FL Mullet Classic July 1-4
Major Teams (2)
Alfords
BackPorch
AA Teams (1)
Southland
Sherbrooke, Quebec Pif Depatie Invitational July 1-4
Major Teams (2)
Riverside
Reece
AA Teams (1)
Dryden
Smoky – Maryville, TN ASA Super Qualifier July 8-10
Major Teams (11)
Ritch's/Sup
Bell Corp
Steele's
Williams
Converters
DJ's
Alfords
Vernons
Riverside
Reece
BackPorch
AA Teams (9)
New
Bunca
Southland
Watanabe
O&S
Roberts
Jays/Hague
Dryden
Herbs
Fort Worth, TX USSSA AA-A Qualifier July 8-10
Major Teams (0)
AA Teams (0)
Tullahoma, TN USSSA Major Qualifier July 15-17
Major Teams (8)
Ritch's/Sup ?
Williams
DJ's ?
Alfords
Riverside
Reece
BackPorch
RSH
AA Teams (3)
Southland
Roberts
Dryden
Prairie Island, MN ASA Super Qualifier July 15-17
Major Teams (1)
Vernons
AA Teams (2)
O&S
Spectrum
Kalamazoo, MI USSSA AA-A Qualifier July 15-17
AA Teams (3)
Bunca
Pace
Jays/Hague
Salem, VA USSSA Major Qualifier July 22-24
Major Teams (8)
Ritch's/Sup
Bell Corp
Steele's
Williams
Converters
Vernons
Riverside
Reece
AA Teams (1)
Dryden
Salt Lake City, UT USSSA Major Qualifier July 22-24
Major Teams (0)
AA Teams (6)
Spectrum
Pace
Dan Smith
Herbs
Labtec
Rainier
Evansville, IN ASA Super Qualifier July 29-31
Major Teams (6)
Ritch's/Sup ?
Steele's
Williams
DJ's
Vernons
Reece
AA Teams (2)
New
Dryden
Sterling Heights, MI USSSA Major Qualifier Aug 5-7
Major Teams (8)
Ritch's/Sup
Bell Corp
Steele's
Converters
DJ's ?
Alfords
Riverside
Reece
AA Teams (8)
Bunca
Watanabe
Spectrum
Pace
Jays/Hague
Dryden
Dan Smith
Rainier
Anniston, AL ISA World Series Aug 12-14
Major Teams (11)
Ritch's/Sup
Bell Corp
Steele's
Williams
Converters
DJ's
Alfords
Vernons
Reece
BackPorch
RSH
AA Teams (1)
Southland
Maryville, TN ASA Super Nationals Aug 19-21
Major Teams (12)
Ritch's/Sup
Bell Corp
Steele's
Williams
Converters
DJ's
Alfords
Vernons
Riverside
Reece
BackPorch
RSH
AA Teams (4)
Southland
Roberts
Dan Smith
Herbs
Lawton, OK ASA Major Nationals Sept 2-5
Major Teams (6)
Alfords
Vernons
Riverside
Reece
BackPorch
RSH
AA Teams (2)
New
Roberts
Kalamazoo, MI USSSA AA Championship Sept 2-5
AA Teams (11)
Bunca
Southland
O&S
Spectrum
Pace
Jays/Hague
Dryden
Dan Smith
Herbs
Labtec
Rainier
Kalamazoo, MI USSSA A Championship Sept 2-5
Dothan, AL ASA Class A Nationals Sept 2-5
Burlington, NC NSA World Series Sept 9-11
Major Teams (9)
Ritch's/Sup
Bell Corp
Steele's
Williams
Converters
DJ's
Alfords
Vernons
BackPorch
AA Teams (1)
Dryden
Daytona Beach, FL USSSA Major World Series Sept 15-18
Major Teams (13)
Ritch's/Sup
Bell Corp
Steele's
Williams
Converters
DJ's
Alfords
Vernons
Riverside
Reece
BackPorch
RSH
AA Teams (11)
New
Bunca
Southland
O&S
Spectrum
Pace
Roberts
Jays/Hague
Dryden
Dan Smith
Herbs
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Leave a Reply