Wednesday March 27th, 2024
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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


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