44th Annual Smoky Mountain Classic tournament preview
Mens Major Slow Pitch Softball
The "44th Annual" Smoky Mountain Classic
30 Teams — Double Elimination
July 13-15
This years Smoky Mountain Classic features 26 Conference USSSA teams and 30 teams overall. There were only 22 Conference teams in 2011 and only 17 Conference teams in 2010 that attended the Smoky. This year there are 4 'Major', 9 'A', 13 'B', 2 'C', 2 'D'. The tournament, as it is every year, will be played at 6 fields spread over 4 different parks in and around the cities of Maryville and Alcoa, Tennessee.
The first two rounds of the Smoky winner's bracket are always played on Friday beginning at 4 PM, and teams that win their first two games on Friday will find themselves playing on the show field Saturday in the Final 8 of the winner's bracket.
The Smoky Mountain Classic also features unlimited homeruns and non-standard 80 foot base lengths. 85 foot bases are used at the High School baseball field, field #5.
On Friday, the biggest crowds are at diamond #3 at Sandy Springs park which is the "show" field but they are not always the best matchups on Friday night.
On Saturday, park your chair in the shade at the show field and watch the top 8 teams in the country battle it out all day long…
With 26 conference teams in the mix, there are big points to be earned and you can bet that the top teams will be there at the end of this one.
The main field (#3 on your bracket) will be broadcast live (weather permitting) online at SoftballCenter.com beginning Friday at 4 PM through the end of the tournament.
The broadcasts are supported by donations from viewers. You can donate by paypal to dw@softballcenter.com or email for an address. Thanks.
2012 Smoky Mountain Classic Bracket
Current Nationwide Conference USSSA points rankings
Sandy Springs Park (Fields 4 to the left & 3 to the right) (Main Complex)
702 Best Street
Maryville, TN 37803
Fences (310-310-270) and main field (305-331-355-334-313)
Show field, Sandy Springs #3 with distances marked
Everett Park (Fields 1 and 2)
702 Burchfield Street
Maryville, TN 37804
Fences (310-297-290) and (284-291-296)
FIELD #5 HAS CHANGED FROM THE ALCOA HIGH SCHOOL TO DENSO MANUFACTURING FIELD!
Denso Manufacturing (Field 5)
1720 Robert C. Jackson Drive
Maryville, TN 37801
Fences (310-310-310)
Springbrook Park (Field 6)
1537 Dalton Street
Alcoa, TN 3770
Fences (274-303-300)
The Teams!
#1 Resmondo-Specialty Tank Worth
|
Rank |
Name |
G |
OB-PA |
R |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
OBA |
|
1 |
44 |
166-212 |
147 |
59 |
172 |
14 |
0.783 |
|
|
2 |
21 |
79-98 |
63 |
24 |
73 |
18 |
0.806 |
|
|
3 |
43 |
147-185 |
116 |
43 |
131 |
34 |
0.795 |
|
|
4 |
41 |
141-188 |
117 |
53 |
162 |
9 |
0.750 |
|
|
5 |
27 |
94-123 |
81 |
22 |
83 |
17 |
0.764 |
|
|
6 |
24 |
62-79 |
53 |
5 |
54 |
17 |
0.785 |
|
|
7 |
35 |
116-155 |
102 |
28 |
89 |
24 |
0.748 |
|
|
8 |
33 |
108-148 |
83 |
23 |
83 |
22 |
0.730 |
|
|
9 |
41 |
126-180 |
102 |
27 |
94 |
17 |
0.700 |
|
|
10 |
26 |
76-109 |
61 |
30 |
84 |
12 |
0.697 |
|
|
11 |
30 |
82-115 |
73 |
16 |
52 |
21 |
0.713 |
|
|
12 |
22 |
57-84 |
49 |
12 |
61 |
11 |
0.679 |
|
|
13 |
41 |
112-161 |
100 |
23 |
79 |
35 |
0.696 |
|
|
14 |
28 |
72-114 |
58 |
18 |
45 |
24 |
0.632 |
|
|
15 |
38 |
109-181 |
97 |
3 |
55 |
32 |
0.602 |
#2 Demarini/Dirty/3N2/ATWLDesigns
|
Rank
|
Name
|
G
|
OB-PA
|
R
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
OBA
|
|
1
|
0
|
73-99
|
59
|
21
|
67
|
6
|
0.737
|
|
|
2
|
0
|
73-99
|
65
|
23
|
67
|
10
|
0.737
|
|
|
3
|
0
|
73-102
|
58
|
9
|
55
|
8
|
0.716
|
|
|
4
|
0
|
41-58
|
29
|
11
|
41
|
4
|
0.707
|
|
|
5
|
0
|
67-96
|
46
|
11
|
51
|
4
|
0.698
|
|
|
6
|
0
|
59-91
|
41
|
11
|
44
|
4
|
0.648
|
|
|
7
|
0
|
27-42
|
13
|
1
|
9
|
2
|
0.643
|
|
|
8
|
0
|
58-93
|
51
|
5
|
26
|
4
|
0.624
|
|
|
9
|
0
|
64-100
|
55
|
23
|
77
|
10
|
0.640
|
|
|
10
|
0
|
53-86
|
38
|
8
|
32
|
4
|
0.616
|
|
|
11
|
0
|
57-94
|
36
|
15
|
45
|
5
|
0.606
|
|
|
12
|
0
|
9-16
|
7
|
1
|
7
|
0
|
0.563
|
|
|
13
|
0
|
28-53
|
21
|
3
|
19
|
4
|
0.528
|
|
|
14
|
0
|
17-37
|
9
|
2
|
8
|
0
|
0.459
|
#3 Nordkap/Desert Falls/Easton
|
Rank
|
Name
|
G
|
OB-PA
|
R
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
OBA
|
|
1
|
2
|
4-5
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0.800
|
|
|
2
|
15
|
57-73
|
46
|
20
|
54
|
8
|
0.781
|
|
|
3
|
48
|
170-227
|
145
|
66
|
175
|
5
|
0.749
|
|
|
4
|
48
|
166-223
|
141
|
48
|
146
|
12
|
0.744
|
|
|
5
|
44
|
164-224
|
139
|
53
|
155
|
29
|
0.732
|
|
|
6
|
48
|
175-240
|
154
|
40
|
124
|
32
|
0.729
|
|
|
7
|
13
|
36-49
|
29
|
11
|
30
|
8
|
0.735
|
|
|
8
|
48
|
156-215
|
121
|
52
|
139
|
34
|
0.726
|
|
|
9
|
42
|
121-173
|
87
|
15
|
80
|
19
|
0.699
|
|
|
10
|
47
|
129-189
|
133
|
21
|
85
|
24
|
0.683
|
|
|
11
|
38
|
80-119
|
62
|
17
|
90
|
18
|
0.672
|
|
|
12
|
48
|
155-226
|
122
|
43
|
113
|
43
|
0.686
|
|
|
13
|
8
|
17-28
|
12
|
3
|
12
|
0
|
0.607
|
|
|
14
|
35
|
90-147
|
56
|
14
|
59
|
14
|
0.612
|
|
|
15
|
44
|
94-161
|
77
|
10
|
64
|
15
|
0.584
|
|
|
16
|
38
|
65-122
|
52
|
13
|
53
|
5
|
0.533
|
|
|
17
|
10
|
4-6
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0.667
|
#4 Laservision/Anni/Supr/D2/Easton
|
Rank
|
Name
|
G
|
OB-PA
|
R
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
OBA
|
|
1
|
10
|
32-40
|
25
|
6
|
17
|
6
|
0.800
|
|
|
2
|
43
|
159-203
|
128
|
24
|
101
|
17
|
0.783
|
|
|
3
|
51
|
172-225
|
137
|
27
|
97
|
19
|
0.764
|
|
|
4
|
34
|
111-149
|
104
|
36
|
97
|
8
|
0.745
|
|
|
5
|
40
|
105-147
|
87
|
28
|
89
|
13
|
0.714
|
|
|
6
|
51
|
169-237
|
147
|
62
|
178
|
23
|
0.713
|
|
|
7
|
49
|
134-194
|
117
|
53
|
147
|
11
|
0.691
|
|
|
8
|
47
|
156-222
|
125
|
29
|
113
|
21
|
0.703
|
|
|
9
|
40
|
98-137
|
89
|
21
|
65
|
21
|
0.715
|
|
|
10
|
51
|
152-222
|
131
|
59
|
164
|
14
|
0.685
|
|
|
11
|
50
|
152-218
|
124
|
45
|
134
|
26
|
0.697
|
|
|
12
|
49
|
154-222
|
118
|
50
|
147
|
33
|
0.694
|
|
|
13
|
51
|
140-224
|
126
|
37
|
110
|
18
|
0.625
|
|
|
14
|
26
|
11-22
|
21
|
2
|
9
|
0
|
0.500
|
|
|
15
|
15
|
5-10
|
8
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
0.500
|
|
|
16
|
20
|
6-15
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0.400
|
|
|
17
|
1
|
0-0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0.000
|
|
Rank
|
Name
|
G
|
OB-PA
|
R
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
OBA
|
|
1
|
45
|
182-233
|
143
|
44
|
124
|
16
|
0.781
|
|
|
2
|
51
|
192-259
|
160
|
86
|
233
|
7
|
0.741
|
|
|
3
|
51
|
190-257
|
139
|
44
|
147
|
12
|
0.739
|
|
|
4
|
51
|
144-212
|
113
|
30
|
127
|
16
|
0.679
|
|
|
5
|
51
|
161-247
|
122
|
34
|
124
|
7
|
0.652
|
|
|
6
|
41
|
128-186
|
96
|
16
|
75
|
26
|
0.688
|
|
|
7
|
51
|
174-260
|
131
|
5
|
72
|
33
|
0.669
|
|
|
8
|
35
|
97-150
|
72
|
31
|
88
|
11
|
0.647
|
|
|
9
|
18
|
37-60
|
30
|
3
|
25
|
1
|
0.617
|
|
|
10
|
43
|
101-160
|
72
|
20
|
73
|
13
|
0.631
|
|
|
11
|
49
|
134-230
|
102
|
25
|
107
|
9
|
0.583
|
|
|
12
|
34
|
76-131
|
60
|
5
|
82
|
8
|
0.580
|
|
|
13
|
22
|
48-86
|
35
|
7
|
26
|
8
|
0.558
|
#6 Sonny's / Louisville Slugger
|
Rank
|
Name
|
G
|
OB-PA
|
R
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
OBA
|
|
1
|
24
|
112-142
|
96
|
50
|
127
|
6
|
0.789
|
|
|
2
|
19
|
59-84
|
41
|
14
|
33
|
6
|
0.702
|
|
|
3
|
22
|
75-109
|
65
|
18
|
45
|
7
|
0.688
|
|
|
4
|
20
|
79-116
|
66
|
23
|
59
|
5
|
0.681
|
|
|
5
|
24
|
101-144
|
86
|
11
|
38
|
16
|
0.701
|
|
|
6
|
28
|
89-128
|
70
|
3
|
37
|
12
|
0.695
|
|
|
7
|
22
|
76-106
|
63
|
8
|
28
|
18
|
0.717
|
|
|
8
|
22
|
83-124
|
65
|
24
|
51
|
5
|
0.669
|
|
|
9
|
24
|
64-93
|
49
|
12
|
34
|
9
|
0.688
|
|
|
10
|
18
|
63-96
|
46
|
12
|
28
|
7
|
0.656
|
|
|
11
|
23
|
58-91
|
41
|
8
|
29
|
7
|
0.637
|
|
|
12
|
4
|
26-40
|
18
|
1
|
16
|
7
|
0.650
|
|
|
13
|
20
|
65-112
|
57
|
13
|
33
|
4
|
0.580
|
|
|
14
|
16
|
48-82
|
38
|
11
|
36
|
6
|
0.585
|
|
|
15
|
7
|
9-23
|
12
|
0
|
8
|
0
|
0.391
|
|
Rank
|
Name
|
G
|
OB-PA
|
R
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
OBA
|
|
1
|
38
|
120-160
|
98
|
51
|
141
|
10
|
0.750
|
|
|
2
|
44
|
140-188
|
116
|
40
|
119
|
14
|
0.745
|
|
|
3
|
15
|
34-48
|
30
|
9
|
35
|
1
|
0.708
|
|
|
4
|
44
|
157-205
|
128
|
29
|
116
|
45
|
0.766
|
|
|
5
|
22
|
60-81
|
44
|
10
|
50
|
15
|
0.741
|
|
|
6
|
44
|
121-172
|
87
|
19
|
83
|
23
|
0.703
|
|
|
7
|
36
|
74-109
|
51
|
6
|
56
|
11
|
0.679
|
|
|
8
|
44
|
125-181
|
92
|
31
|
100
|
28
|
0.691
|
|
|
9
|
34
|
71-105
|
54
|
10
|
50
|
13
|
0.676
|
|
|
10
|
44
|
138-200
|
109
|
33
|
119
|
33
|
0.690
|
|
|
11
|
43
|
124-197
|
103
|
24
|
97
|
7
|
0.629
|
|
|
12
|
30
|
73-118
|
58
|
4
|
44
|
10
|
0.619
|
|
|
13
|
39
|
109-169
|
85
|
4
|
51
|
35
|
0.645
|
|
|
14
|
15
|
33-56
|
28
|
0
|
26
|
6
|
0.589
|
|
|
15
|
12
|
9-18
|
7
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
0.500
|
|
|
16
|
25
|
28-57
|
24
|
0
|
12
|
3
|
0.491
|
|
|
17
|
6
|
3-8
|
4
|
1
|
7
|
0
|
0.375
|
|
|
18
|
5
|
5-12
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
0.417
|
|
Rank
|
Name
|
G
|
OB-PA
|
R
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
OBA
|
|
1
|
28
|
108-129
|
85
|
18
|
75
|
21
|
0.837
|
|
|
2
|
9
|
10-13
|
7
|
1
|
8
|
0
|
0.769
|
|
|
3
|
28
|
94-122
|
76
|
23
|
102
|
10
|
0.770
|
|
|
4
|
6
|
16-21
|
12
|
4
|
8
|
3
|
0.762
|
|
|
5
|
9
|
26-36
|
21
|
5
|
19
|
0
|
0.722
|
|
|
6
|
28
|
79-108
|
55
|
8
|
37
|
16
|
0.731
|
|
|
7
|
28
|
82-121
|
70
|
23
|
76
|
15
|
0.678
|
|
|
8
|
28
|
84-126
|
64
|
10
|
41
|
15
|
0.667
|
|
|
9
|
27
|
73-115
|
56
|
18
|
73
|
4
|
0.635
|
|
|
10
|
19
|
50-78
|
37
|
9
|
26
|
8
|
0.641
|
|
|
11
|
28
|
71-116
|
56
|
25
|
70
|
4
|
0.612
|
|
|
12
|
6
|
13-22
|
6
|
1
|
7
|
2
|
0.591
|
|
|
13
|
28
|
70-123
|
55
|
8
|
54
|
9
|
0.569
|
|
|
14
|
19
|
25-51
|
13
|
0
|
15
|
0
|
0.490
|
|
|
15
|
9
|
11-23
|
7
|
0
|
5
|
1
|
0.478
|
|
|
16
|
13
|
23-42
|
17
|
9
|
19
|
8
|
0.548
|
|
|
17
|
12
|
27-48
|
23
|
7
|
21
|
12
|
0.563
|
|
|
18
|
4
|
1-3
|
11
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0.333
|
|
|
19
|
3
|
0-0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0.000
|
#10 Team Combat/Pacific Headwear
|
Rank
|
Name
|
G
|
OB-PA
|
R
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
OBA
|
|
1
|
37
|
97-121
|
70
|
33
|
80
|
19
|
0.802
|
|
|
2
|
41
|
153-200
|
118
|
51
|
130
|
18
|
0.765
|
|
|
3
|
43
|
150-203
|
120
|
52
|
143
|
13
|
0.739
|
|
|
4
|
33
|
107-147
|
83
|
18
|
64
|
11
|
0.728
|
|
|
5
|
43
|
159-220
|
120
|
19
|
81
|
38
|
0.723
|
|
|
6
|
40
|
123-172
|
90
|
25
|
86
|
26
|
0.715
|
|
|
7
|
43
|
142-207
|
115
|
34
|
112
|
24
|
0.686
|
|
|
8
|
35
|
108-159
|
91
|
30
|
98
|
16
|
0.679
|
|
|
9
|
43
|
123-188
|
98
|
45
|
122
|
8
|
0.654
|
|
|
10
|
15
|
36-57
|
28
|
9
|
31
|
0
|
0.632
|
|
|
11
|
37
|
115-176
|
91
|
23
|
89
|
18
|
0.653
|
|
|
12
|
31
|
60-97
|
48
|
18
|
46
|
9
|
0.619
|
|
|
13
|
31
|
68-113
|
46
|
19
|
49
|
9
|
0.602
|
|
|
14
|
30
|
51-87
|
38
|
4
|
27
|
7
|
0.586
|
|
|
15
|
2
|
3-6
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0.500
|
Lets get to the picks:
To start, there are 3 local teams in this tournament. I do not forsee any locals winning a game.
In the top of the bracket Resmondo should beat Blitz who always seems to have to play one of the top teams early at the Smoky. R&M Metals will cool off the hot Scene team that just won the Arkansas Major last weekend. And Taylormade will get past Team Adiktiv. I will take R&M Metals to beat Taylormade to make the final 8 against Resmondo.
In the second part of the bracket Shoppe should knock off Columbus Pipe. Then in one of the best matchups of the first round I am going to take Magic in the upset over SBS/Combat. I will also take TYJA over B&B and Demarini/Dirty over Wheelhouse. Lets go with Demarini/Dirty and Shoppe to meet in the final 8, again.
In the third part of the bracket I like Nordkap over Sonnys and Team 454 over Baughford to make the final 8. No real surprises, going with the top teams.
In the last part of the bracket the best game of the first round is Team Combat vs Reds Astros and D2E vs the "new" CA Sports might be a good one as well. I'll go with Team Combat to beat Reds and D2E to make it to the final 8 against Laservision who will beat Primetime on Friday.
On Saturday in the final 8 I'll take Resmondo over R&M, Demarini/Dirty over Shoppe, Nordkap over Team 454, and Laservision over Combat. Wow, I'm playing the favorites this week which is a little scary considering the upsets that have occurred in 2012.
My final picks for the Smoky (although I'd really like to see someone knew win this tournament):
1) Resmondo – noone seems to beat them in the big tournaments. Is Salas able to play?
2) Laservision – some of their banged up players should be ready to go, pitching is the question?
3) Demarini/Dirty – loses to Resmondo in the final 4. Team needs to hustle on the long bases.
4) Nordkap/Desert Falls – need to focus on great defense and offense against Purcell.
Tied for 5th – Team 454 – only other team outside the final 4 that could win this tournament.
Tied for 5th – Team Combat – has to wade through a lot of tough games from the beginning.