2013 USSSA Michigan Major Tournament Report!
2013 Nationwide Conference USSSA
"Miken Last Chance"
Michigan Major
Sterling Hts, MI
Aug 9-11
Resmondo takes on Linedrive in the winner's semi-finals Saturday night
Link to the Softballcenter.com picture album of the Michigan Major
USSSA Michigan tournament info and bracket link
Resmondo-Specialty Tank/Worth went undefeated in Detroit to win the tournament and knocked off surprise runner up Red’s Astros/Slugger/Stucco/Dirty 34-14 in the winner’s bracket finals after trailing 11-0, and again in the championship game 31-28 after trailing 17-3. Resmondo cruised through their other games and went 6-0 to win their 8th Nationwide Conference event of the season.
The tournament was full of long 7 inning games where most every team used all of their allotted home runs. The weather was perfect and the air was cool for the most part which led to some high scoring games. The local non-conference teams went a combined 3-24 with no wins against the 21 Nationwide Conference teams in attendance.
The tournament began on Friday night with most of the conference teams playing local teams at 6 and 7 PM. Then they held their traditional home run derby with 70 hitters entered. This year they eliminated hitters by round instead of head to head until they got down to the final 12. Robert “Robo” Blackburn from Shoppe won the event. Kevin “Long Ball” Kennington from Laservision was second, Mike Dill from Line Drive was third, and Steve Allen from Albicocco was fourth.
The tournament resumed on Saturday morning and the second round contained only Nationwide Conference teams (16). There were no major upsets in the “sweet 16” as the top 8 teams moved on. But then in the quarter finals there were as Red’s Astros used better home run management to beat Laservision, Albicocco knocked off Shoppe, and Line Drive beat Nordkap. Even Team Combat was leading Resmondo by 6 runs in the third inning before losing by the run rule.
In the semi-finals Red’s Astros beat Albicocco on a walk off homer by Travis Dale after Albicocco decided to pitch to Travis with a base open and leading by 2 runs with 2 outs in the bottom of the 7th. It was probably the right decision considering the on deck batter was Cody Gilbert who had walk off winning hits in Michigan and recently in Cincinnati. Resmondo also moved on to the winners final by beating Line Drive by the run rule.
Reds finished 2nd, Line Drive 3rd, and Albicocco 4th. The best outfield home run rob was turned in by Ryan Parfitt who timed a backward jump into the fence just right against Red’s Astros on Sunday morning. I also heard Yates made a home run rob for Resmondo in the finals. There were a bunch of great diving catches by Cory Large, Sal Formosa, Brian Blay and many other players throughout the weekend. There was also some great infield play from Luis Reyna, Matt Crawford, Travis Clark, Travis Dale, Don Dedonatis Jr, Jimmy Salas, and Joel Ramos to name a few.
The Conference Dudley ZN Classic M was used and there were 4 or 5 Conference umpires in attendance.
Red's Astros upsets Laservision 38-27 in the quarterfinals
Shoppes Robert Blackburn wrapped up his first Nationwide Conference batting title
Line Drive's Faron Miller, Steve Whaley, Jared Krasselt play defense against Resmondo
Pure Romance tries to turn 2 in a tight game against Reds Astros
3rd Street pitcher Bobby Noeth pitches to Nordkap pitcher Brian Higginbotham
It was a beautiful weekend for softball in Detroit
Final Regular Season 2013 Nationwide Conference USSSA Points!
Team Name | Total Pts | Class Power Rating | NV | TXS | FL | FL | MD | AZ | TXN | MN | KS | IN | TN | AZ | GA | WA | WA | OHC | IL | OHN | WA | MN | GA | CAS | AR | UT | TN | OHC | OR | MS | MI | |
1 | Resmondo – Specialty Tank / Worth | 1544 | M-1124 | 302 | 302 | 183 | 186 | 170 | 138 | 190 | 178 | 254 | 262 | 234 | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | LaserVision/DesertFalls/Boombah/Eas | 1328 | M-945 | 177 | 242 | 202 | 146 | 170 | 218 | 230 | 138 | 214 | 222 | 154 | ||||||||||||||||||
3 | SHOPPE / TYJA / LOUISVILLE SLUGGER | 1188 | M-670 | 232 | 232 | 170 | 178 | 170 | 118 | 194 | 182 | 144 | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Nordkap/Suncoast Reebok | 1174 | A-996 | 137 | 262 | 242 | 170 | 128 | 130 | 174 | 182 | 144 | ||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Demarini/Dirty/XtremeAthletics | 1121 | A-904 | 222 | 212 | 123 | 170 | 128 | 171 | 154 | 192 | |||||||||||||||||||||
6 | GTL Doerflinger R&M/EASTON | 1118 | A-1069 | 212 | 262 | 143 | 170 | 148 | 130 | 174 | 152 | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Line Drive Sportz/sSs/Miken | 1101 | A-1025 | 117 | 202 | 192 | 170 | 158 | 160 | 177 | 184 | 172 | 174 | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | Red's Astros/Slugger/Stucco/Dirty | 1064 | A-748 | 212 | 192 | 100 | 170 | 108 | 140 | 117 | 154 | 142 | 194 | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | Albicocco/The scene/Easton | 1042 | A-840 | 152 | 192 | 162 | 170 | 138 | 137 | 134 | 202 | 164 | ||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Sonny's | 1036 | A-675 | 202 | 192 | 95 | 170 | 140 | 100 | 164 | 168 | |||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Fence Brokers/Hubs Pub/GTS/Worth | 1031 | B-962 | 91 | 182 | 212 | 83 | 116 | 170 | 120 | 171 | 154 | 142 | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | Team Combat/LBG/Derby Boys | 1010 | M-153 | 182 | 152 | 126 | 170 | 110 | 180 | 131 | 134 | 172 | 88 | 154 | ||||||||||||||||||
13 | TaylorMade/TM Sports/Mizuno | 1002 | A-151 | 202 | 222 | 122 | 170 | 111 | 134 | 152 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Baugh Ford/Mojo/Louisville Slugger | 989 | A-832 | 131 | 202 | 152 | 93 | 170 | 171 | 150 | 144 | 112 | 124 | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | Pure Romance/Chic's/Insanity/Easton | 980 | B-857 | 152 | 202 | 170 | 108 | 150 | 97 | 144 | 162 | 134 | ||||||||||||||||||||
16 | Chaps/Buzini/BWW/Worth | 965 | B-1205 | 111 | 222 | 152 | 103 | 101 | 154 | 152 | 171 | 114 | ||||||||||||||||||||
17 | Precision/Hang Rite Athletics | 960 | B-789 | 192 | 202 | 170 | 108 | 130 | 107 | 142 | 124 | |||||||||||||||||||||
18 | Team Adiktiv/Dynasty/D2E/LS/YTJA | 942 | B-1152 | 192 | 182 | 103 | 170 | 131 | 101 | 164 | 91 | |||||||||||||||||||||
19 | 4 The Fallen/ Miken | 936 | A-881 | 97 | 152 | 152 | 75 | 170 | 180 | 140 | 88 | 142 | ||||||||||||||||||||
20 | 3rd Street/Louisville Slugger | 934 | B-952 | 182 | 152 | 170 | 118 | 110 | 134 | 162 | 134 | |||||||||||||||||||||
21 | Head Hunters / OI Livingston / MWA | 931 | B-812 | 182 | 182 | 170 | 111 | 91 | 144 | 142 | 111 | |||||||||||||||||||||
22 | DEI/S&S/Scott's/Easton | 930 | B-1017 | 192 | 152 | 82 | 170 | 130 | 144 | 142 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | ASPNation.com/Easton | 922 | B-1006 | 171 | 182 | 152 | 113 | 170 | 91 | 134 | 81 | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | Famous/Premier/Easton | 882 | B-1147 | 87 | 152 | 222 | 85 | 120 | 80 | 168 | 112 | 108 | ||||||||||||||||||||
25 | P&P333/Suburban/Larry/Mojo/Easton | 876 | B-494 | 152 | 182 | 170 | 118 | 120 | 87 | 134 | 112 | 114 | ||||||||||||||||||||
26 | OC SWATS/EASTON | 859 | B-1220 | 107 | 192 | 152 | 125 | 80 | 120 | 108 | 162 | |||||||||||||||||||||
27 | XTREME/Miken | 856 | B-802 | 152 | 182 | 100 | 86 | 170 | 80 | 110 | 118 | 124 | ||||||||||||||||||||
28 | TRUST/ DETROIT ELITE/ EASTON/ MOJO | 838 | C-1119 | 152 | 152 | 118 | 120 | 87 | 162 | 134 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
29 | TG Brand.MOJO.Easton | 828 | C-1039 | 152 | 182 | 98 | 140 | 77 | 142 | 114 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
30 | S&S Pools/TPE/Sportsco/Easton | 814 | C-462 | 152 | 152 | 170 | 68 | 104 | 112 | 124 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
31 | Primetime/Easton/Elite/Broughton Rx | 800 | B-713 | 182 | 152 | 170 | 81 | 71 | 134 | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
32 | South Texas Posse | 789 | B-666 | 71 | 152 | 152 | 170 | 110 | 91 | 91 | 114 | |||||||||||||||||||||
33 | B&B/Sears/BMW Insulation/Easton | 779 | B-148 | 152 | 152 | 170 | 91 | 110 | 104 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
34 | WSC/Cazzi/Miken | 738 | C-168 | 152 | 152 | 110 | 108 | 104 | 112 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
35 | Nightmare/Louisville Slugger | 725 | C-1083 | 182 | 182 | 73 | 86 | 71 | 131 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
36 | Classic Glass/ Easton/DSSBATS | 718 | C-1242 | 97 | 165 | 100 | 100 | 128 | 128 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
37 | Vivid / Softballmix.com / Tyja | 693 | B-595 | 71 | 182 | 182 | 93 | 51 | 114 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
38 | Cash House ATM / Louisville Slugger | 683 | C-1150 | 102 | 108 | 110 | 77 | 152 | 134 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
39 | H. Auto/Easton/Hooters MOA | 658 | C-1399 | 152 | 202 | 90 | 106 | 108 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 | Combat/ Rockstar/ Aflac | 640 | B-830 | 152 | 182 | 70 | 30 | 90 | 68 | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
41 | CSC/SG3/Desert Falls/Easton | 558 | C-968 | 67 | 90 | 80 | 80 | 88 | 153 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
42 | Sportscenter/MS Storm/Worth | 483 | C-1111 | 101 | 170 | 111 | 101 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
43 | Ryno Ent/Monster/DT Sports.net | 467 | C-1028 | 77 | 83 | 86 | 170 | 51 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
44 | WSC/Team Combat/Sniper | 298 | C-986 | 30 | 80 | 100 | 88 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
45 | TEAM STOOP/ALT ANALYSIS/MIKEN | 254 | C-896 | 70 | 76 | 108 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
46 | Son's of the Legion | 71 | C-968 | 71 |
Video clips brought to you by:
Rather small crowds on Saturday night
Michigan Major Final Standings & Awards
Player Tournament Awards | Players Name | Plays For |
Tournament MVP | Dennis Rulli | Resmondo – Specialty Tank / Worth |
Offensive Tournament CO-MVP | Roy Steve Kingsolver | Red's Astros/Slugger/Stucco/Dirty |
Offensive Tournament CO-MVP | Chad E. Mullins | Red's Astros/Slugger/Stucco/Dirty |
Defensive Tournament MVP | Don DeDonatis III | Resmondo – Specialty Tank / Worth |
All Tournament Team | Dal Beggs | Albicocco/The scene/Easton |
All Tournament Team | Don DeDonatis III | Resmondo – Specialty Tank / Worth |
All Tournament Team | Greg Connell | Resmondo – Specialty Tank / Worth |
All Tournament Team | JEREMY YATES | Resmondo – Specialty Tank / Worth |
All Tournament Team | Evan Gallmeier | Albicocco/The scene/Easton |
All Tournament Team | Fred Lawson | Red's Astros/Slugger/Stucco/Dirty |
All Tournament Team | Ronald Bubba Mack | Resmondo – Specialty Tank / Worth |
All Tournament Team | Troy Jacob Krider | Red's Astros/Slugger/Stucco/Dirty |
All Tournament Team | Travis A. Dale | Red's Astros/Slugger/Stucco/Dirty |
All Tournament Team | Cody Ray Gilbert | Red's Astros/Slugger/Stucco/Dirty |
All Tournament Team | Nicloas Santana | Resmondo – Specialty Tank / Worth |
All Tournament Team | Andy Purcell | Resmondo – Specialty Tank / Worth |
Mullins .829 onbase percentage and Kingsolver .800
Place | State | Team | Team Class | Wins | Loses | Ties | Runs Scored | Runs Allow | Avg Runs | Avg Allow | Avg Diff | Max Runs | USSSA Points |
1 | FL – Winter Haven | resmondo – specialty tank / worth | SPMensMajor | 6 | 0 | 0 | 191 | 85 | 31.8 | 14.1 | 17.6 | 39 | 300 |
2 | IN – Indianapolis | red's astros/slugger/stucco/dirty | SPMensA | 5 | 2 | 0 | 202 | 172 | 28.8 | 24.5 | 4.28 | 38 | 225 |
3 | MI – Warren | line drive sportz/sss/miken | SPMensA | 5 | 2 | 0 | 198 | 159 | 28.2 | 22.7 | 5.57 | 45 | 200 |
4 | NYU – Commack | albicocco/the scene/easton | SPMensA | 4 | 2 | 0 | 165 | 131 | 27.5 | 21.8 | 5.66 | 34 | 175 |
5 | NYU – Cicero | laservision/desertfalls/boombah/eas | SPMensMajor | 4 | 2 | 0 | 192 | 140 | 32 | 23.3 | 8.66 | 47 | 155 |
5 | WA – kent | team combat/lbg/derby boys | SPMensMajor | 4 | 2 | 0 | 174 | 172 | 29 | 28.6 | 0.33 | 38 | 155 |
7 | TN – McKENZIE | shoppe / tyja / louisville slugger | SPMensMajor | 3 | 2 | 0 | 133 | 114 | 26.6 | 22.8 | 3.8 | 36 | 130 |
7 | MN – Andover | Nordkap/Suncoast Reebok | SPMensA | 3 | 2 | 0 | 153 | 91 | 30.6 | 18.2 | 12.4 | 36 | 130 |
9 | OHO – West Chester | 3rd street/louisville slugger | SPMensB | 3 | 2 | 0 | 102 | 102 | 20.4 | 20.4 | 0 | 28 | 110 |
9 | OHO – Cincinnati | pure romance/chic's/insanity/easton | SPMensB | 3 | 2 | 0 | 162 | 123 | 32.4 | 24.6 | 7.8 | 42 | 110 |
9 | MI – WEST BLOOMFIELD | trust/ detroit elite/ easton/ mojo | SPMensC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 100 | 138 | 20 | 27.6 | -7.6 | 36 | 110 |
9 | OHN – Mentor | cash house atm / louisville slugger | SPMensC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 87 | 94 | 17.4 | 18.8 | -1.4 | 24 | 110 |
13 | AL – Clanton | baugh ford/mojo/louisville slugger | SPMensA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 129 | 117 | 32.2 | 29.2 | 3 | 35 | 70 |
13 | OHO – Cincinnati | s&s pools/tpe/sportsco/easton | SPMensC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 64 | 75 | 16 | 18.7 | -2.7 | 25 | 70 |
13 | IL – Chicago | precision/hang rite athletics | SPMensB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 82 | 64 | 20.5 | 16 | 4.5 | 33 | 70 |
13 | MN – Brooklyn Park | XTREME/Miken | SPMensB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 103 | 106 | 25.7 | 26.5 | -0.7 | 31 | 70 |
17 | MI – Dearborn | Great Lakes Express Qualified | SPMensC | 1 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 67 | 13.3 | 22.3 | -9 | 20 | 40 |
17 | MI – Clinton Twp. | Nail Driver/Pole Position Qualified | SPMensC | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 58 | 11 | 19.3 | -8.3 | 19 | 40 |
17 | MI – Flint | TG Brand.MOJO.Easton | SPMensC | 1 | 2 | 0 | 64 | 48 | 21.3 | 16 | 5.33 | 27 | 40 |
17 | TXN – Frisco | vivid / softballmix.com / tyja | SPMensB | 1 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 49 | 9 | 16.3 | -7.3 | 14 | 40 |
17 | MI – Lansing | p&p333/suburban/larry/mojo/easton | SPMensB | 1 | 2 | 0 | 68 | 51 | 22.6 | 17 | 5.66 | 29 | 40 |
17 | MS – Jackson | Chaps/Buzini/BWW/Worth | SPMensB | 1 | 2 | 0 | 54 | 72 | 18 | 24 | -6 | 23 | 40 |
17 | MI – Rochester Hills | TCS Chopped & Screwed | SPMensD | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 66 | 5.33 | 22 | -16. | 9 | 40 |
17 | TXS – Pearland | South Texas Posse | SPMensB | 1 | 2 | 0 | 59 | 62 | 19.6 | 20.6 | -1 | 22 | 40 |
25 | MI – clinton township | mushtube reloaded/untouchable films Qualified | SPMensE | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 51 | 4.5 | 25.5 | -21 | 8 | 40 |
25 | MI – Center Line | Sand Baggers Qualified | SPMensD | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 50 | 6 | 25 | -19 | 8 | 40 |
25 | MI – Warren | michigan mush/team rehab/kof c | SPMensD | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 52 | 5.5 | 26 | -20. | 7 | 40 |
25 | MI – Dearborn | Detroits Own Qualified | SPMensD | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 51 | 6 | 25.5 | -19. | 9 | 40 |
25 | MI – Waterford | perkins/trillium/koval properties Qualified | SPMensC | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 39 | 18.5 | 19.5 | -1 | 24 | 40 |
25 | MI – Sterling Hgts. | Bright Horizon Qualified | SPMensE | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 45 | 3 | 22.5 | -19. | 5 | 40 |
25 | MI – Flint | National Pawn | SPMensC | 0 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 27 | 11.5 | 13.5 | -2 | 15 | 40 |
25 | MI – Sterling Heights | Kings | SPMensD | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 18.5 | -18. | 0 | 0 |
Nordkaps Matt Crawford and Luis Reyna could have been a good choice for defensive MVP had they finished high enough.
They made some spectacular plays!
Team by team notes brought to you by:
1st Place – Resmondo-Specialty Tank/Worth
Conf 'M' from FL 6-0 Record
Resmondo won their 15th consecutive game dating back to the Smoky Mountain Classic. They also won their 4th Nationwide Conference tournament in a row and 8th of the year. They have pushed their record to 48-5. Resmondo rattled off 6 wins in a row to take the Last Chance tournament and did so by knocking off Team Combat, Line Drive, and Red's Astros by the run rule on Saturday and then beat Red's in the finals 31-28 after trailing 17-3 in the 2nd inning. Resmondo's defense was stellar and their offense put up timely huge innings.
In the winner's bracket finals late on Saturday night they answered Red's 11 run first inning with a marathon 21 run inning of their own. Andy Purcell played MVP defense getting hitters off balance in key situations and stabbing a multitude of line drives back up the middle.
Resmondo played without Bobby Hughes but appear to be healthy for the stretch run and will be the number one seed for both the Nationwide Conference Championships coming up in 3 weeks and the USSSA Major World Series in September. Resmondo has now won the Nationwide Conference USSSA regular season points standings for the 8th year in a row which is also every year the Conference has been in existence! Resmondo trending up…
Bubba Mack has a brand new signature bat called the "Bubba Load" is out at ResmondoSports.com
BJ Fulk and Dennis Rulli
Don Dedonatis Jr and Jimmy Salas
John Rector – Resmondo manager and Nick Santana CF
2nd Place – Red's Astros/Slugger/Stucco/Dirty
Conf 'A' from OH 5-2 Record
Red’s Astros saved their best for last as they make another incredible run at the Michigan Major and jump 3 spots to #8 in the regular season point’s standings. Red’s looked like the 2012 team that pulled off a bunch of upsets as they knocked off Pure Romance in the 2nd round by one run on a Cody Gilbert two out base hit. Then they used superior home run management to beat Laservision 38-27 in the quarterfinals. In the semi’s Red’s beat ‘A’ rival Albicocco 29-27 on a clutch walk off homer by leadoff hitter Travis Dale! In the winner’s bracket championship after midnight on Saturday night they jumped out to an 11-0 lead on Resmondo but could not weather the storm of a 21 run Resmondo inning and lost 34-14.
On Sunday the Red’s scored a solid victory over the hot hitting Line Drive Sportz team 38-29 to make it to the championship even though pitcher Ryan Joiner was knocked out by a line drive that deeply bruised the thumb on his throwing hand.
This was a gutty performance by Red’s Astros as shortstop Travis Dale and middle infielder Tory Krider who made some huge plays and right fielder Wally Maybrier returned for the first time from a broken ankle to hit two grand slam homer’s against Line Drive. The entire lineup showed some real bat control as they beat opponent after opponent with superior home run management. Last year Red’s played great all during the regular season and had a semi-disappointing post season. This year they may be peaking at the right time after a sluggish regular season. Red’s played without hot hitting outfielder Doug Martin who is nursing a leg injury.
Red’s trending up… Now 4-9 against the ‘A’ division and 13-1 vs ‘B’.
Potter, Kingsolver, and Aldora
Chad Mullins
Wally Maybrier
Fred Lawson and Ryan Joiner
Rob Roop
Cody Gilbert wins the game against Pure Romance with a base hit
SS Travis Dale
LF Cody Gilbert
EH Chad Mullins
C Steve Kingsolver
RF Wally Maybrier
2B Fred Lawson
1B Ricky Potter
3B Rob Roop
P Ryan Joiner/Justin Aldora
CF Joe Riesing
MI Troy Krider
Joe Riesing and Josh Bowen
Justin Aldora
3rd Place – Line Drive Sportz/SSS/Miken
Conf 'A' from MI 5-2 Record
Line Drive continues to be the story of the 2013 season as they move into 4th in the computer rankings. This week I’d like to give props to the team management from the sponsor David Tarz Lanzon, to the manager and team architect Fred Budnarowski, to the assistant coaches Bill Reardon and Don Sikora, they all contribute and know the game of softball. Many questioned their offseason player moves but every one of them has worked out perfectly and this is a finely tuned offensive and defensive juggernaut in the ‘A’ division and a pleasure to follow on a weekly basis.
It is tough to single out players on this team as they all contribute on both sides of the ball and know their role and when asked to go outside of their roles they always step up. I will say the consistent glove of Joel Ramos at 2nd base could easily have given him the defensive MVP in this tournament. There aren’t many better at positioning, timing, and fielding the hard shots.
Line Drive knocked off Precision by the run rule, then had Nordkap run ruled twice before allowing them back in the game and LD held on to win 28-25. Then in the semi-finals they were spanked by Resmondo 29-9. In the loser’s bracket they sent home Laservision in a slugfest 45-27 (I believe that was the highest score of the tournament). Then Sunday morning they managed their homer’s much better than Albicocco in a 28-21 come from behind win. Then they got out singled by Red’s Astros in a 38-29 loss. Incidentally the loss to Red’s dropped the Line Drive team’s record against the ‘A’ division to 13-7 which means they do not have twice as many wins against the ‘A’ division as they do losses. Incredibly this is a statistic that the last 12 ‘A’ World Champions have shared.
Line Drive has picked up Geno Burdick and released Mark Holstein who went back to play for Precision.
Line Drive trending up…
Billy Barrett is back
Matt Rear and Jared Krasselt on the left side. Whaley and Ramos middle and 2B
LF Cory Large
CF Ryan Parfitt
C Mike Dill
1B Keith Anderson
EH Jason Ferguson
MI Steve Whaley
RF Sal Formosa
3B Matt Rear
SS Jared Krasselt
2B Joel Ramos
P Faron Miller
4th Place – Albicocco/The Scene/Easton
Conf 'A' from 4-2 Record
Albicocco won their first three games including a 25-24 win over Shoppe in the quarterfinals when Shoppe had the bats in their hands in the bottom of the 7th. Albicocco then used poor home run management the rest of the way in a 29-27 loss to Red’s Astros on a walk off homer, a 34-33 win over Team Combat late on Saturday night, and a 28-21 loss to Line Drive on Sunday morning when they had a lead on homers early in the game.
Albicocco gets a great 4th place finish but it could have been so much more with a little bat control. They do seem to play better when sponsor Toni Albicocco is there and he was in Michigan. The team has a lot of interchangeable parts and they are a legitimate threat for the ‘A’ World title where they think their home run management won’t be an issue on the bigger fields. We’ll see.
Albicocco still doesn’t have a second pitcher and they are rumored to have released outfielder Chris Wilson to go and play for Baugh Ford.
Albicocco trending up…
Phil White and Dal Beggs on the right side. TMack up the middle, Steve Allen in LF
Gallmeier in CF and Knoblach mashing
Riley and Sanchez
Rockoff and Moon
Tied 5th Place – Laservision/DesertFalls/Boombah/Easton
Conf 'M' from NY 4-2 Record
Laservision played without center fielder Brian Rainwater, and shortstop Bryson Baker pulled a hamstring and sat out most of the tournament. Utility man Travis Clark did a nice job at SS in a backup role and they moved Chad Durick to center field where I think he is one of the best outfielders in the game. Laservision lost to Red’s Astros when they just could not keep it in the park or base hit after the homers were gone. Then they sent Cash House and Shoppe home before losing a late night game with Line Drive 45-27.
I don’t want to make a big deal out of Laservisions second half performance as they tend to pick it up in the big tournaments. They are trying to get healthy and turn the switch to "on" again at the end of the season. It will be fun to see as long as there isn’t a power outage when the switch gets flipped… Laservision trending down…
Chad Durick came up 2nd in the Home Run totals for the season
Jason Kendrick played RF the whole weekend
Travis Clark played some nice SS. He can play any position on the field.
Helmer using the new D2E Easton exclusive. There were only 1,000 made.
Tied 5th Place – Team Combat/LBG/Derby Boys
Conf 'M' from WA 4-2 Record
Team Combat had outfielder Joey Smith at the leadoff spot, were missing Scott Brown on maternity leave (congratulations), and were playing without outfielder Sid Stephany (ankle). They won some games, showed some heart, and Chad Munger did some relief pitching which was good to see. Team Combat outlasted Baugh Ford in the 11 AM winner’s bracket game 37-35. Then in the loser’s bracket they beat 3rd Street 29-28, Nordkap 38-36 and lost to Albicocco 34-33. A lot of very very LONG close games for Combat which is good for them and shows them they can compete with anyone. At one point in their loss to Resmondo they were winning by 6 runs. If you can call this a peak, then Combat is peaking at the right time. Team Combat trending up…
Joe Smith the new Combat pickup at leadoff and corner outfield
Combat left side Yeilding, McGavin, and Cameron Cox
Combat outfielder Sid Stephany hopes to be back for the Conference Championships
The Rest of the Nationwide Conference Teams brought to you by:
The Down2EarthSports.com Easton Exclusive (only 1,000 made)
7th – Nordkap/Suncoast Reebok – Nordkap lost an early showdown of top ‘A’ teams when Line Drive beat them 28-25. Then they lost to Team Combat 38-36. In the Line Drive game they had to use their homers to avoid two run rules and ran out of bumps. The Combat game I believe they will tell you they gave it away.
Kap released Matt Pesso to Sonny’s and picked up pitcher Brian Higginbotham who looked pretty good shaking some rust off. But no quality wins going into the ‘A’ Worlds is a head scratcher. A very good Nordkap team is suddenly trending down…
Crawford in the middle, Gallegos at 2B, and Greinert at first
7th – Shoppe / tyja / louisville slugger – Shoppe had two very easy games to start the tournament that they won by a combined score of 46-7. Then Albicocco beat them 25-24 in the quarterfinals with Shoppe having the bats in their hands at the end. In the loser’s bracket they barely survived Pure Romance 36-35 before exiting the tournament when Laservision hammered them 47-27.
Another year without a regular season tournament win is hard to believe. But they still have a great team and a healthy one and are a threat in all 3 of their remaining tournaments.
Danny Lopez did some pitching for Shoppe and adds even more depth there and Robo won the batting title and the home run derby. Shoppe is not trending in either direction….floundering some.
9th – 3rd street/louisville slugger – Solid wins against ‘B’ peers P&P 333 and Precision then they almost upset Combat in a 29-28 loss. 3rd Street was fairly close to making a play for the 17th seed which could have gotten them in the show but came up just short. 3rd Street trending up…
9th – Pure romance/chic's/insanity/Easton – PRI beat Xtreme with the help of some good calls, and gave games away against Red’s and Shoppe which could have given them their best tournament of the year. Roger “Bear” Bias did the pitching, PRI played a little short handed but played some good ball overall. PRI trending up…
9th – Trust/ detroit elite/ easton/ mojo – Trust got some revenge against TG Brand with a 20-17 win in front of a large crowd on Friday night. Then they got sent to the loser’s bracket by Resmondo where they won some great games against South Texas Posse 23-22 and upset Baugh Ford 36-34 before Kap sent them home 32-12. Pitcher Mychal Evans was hurt by a liner, should be ok. SS Zach Hartle continues to impress.
Trust trending up with a legit shot at a ‘C’ World title.
9th Cash House atm / louisville slugger – Cash House opened with a Friday loss to Precision 15-8. Then they upset Chaps/Buzini 24-23 and sent home S&S Pools. Cash House was missing Porcello and Dina and they can’t afford to miss anyone. Cash House is trending "even" and are a year away from either a ‘C’ or ‘B’ run and will be a tough out at the ‘C’.
13th – Baugh ford/mojo/louisville slugger – BaughFord.com barely escaped with a win on Friday night after winning by the run rule at one point and ended up winning 25-24 over a local ‘C’ team called Perkins. Then on Saturday they battled Team Combat to a 37-35 loss and later lost to a very good Trust team 36-34. Matt Bunn broke a finger and SS Shawn Bridger hurt his back but played on and infielder "Dirty Bob" Hendren had to leave unexpectedly when his wife went into early labor back home. Congratulations on the family addition Bob! Baugh is picking up outfielder Chris Wilson and may make some other roster moves today (the last day to pick players up). Baugh is trending down…
13th – S&S pools/tpe/sportsco/Easton – S&S Pools beat P&P 333 and Vivid for their first two Conference wins of the season catapulting them into the top 32 in Conference points? The team has a lot of talent but is not trending in either direction…
13th – Precision/hang rite athletics – Precision beat Cash House on Friday night then lost to Line Drive by the run rule and was sent home by 3rd Street 21-19. The team managed to finish 17th in points and if Sonnys doesn’t go to the Major then Precision may scramble to try and get enough players to play the show.
13th – XTREME/MikenXtreme beat South Texas Posse and TG Brand. They lost to Laservision in 7 innings 28-21 and could have beat PRI in a tough 42-30 loss. In the PRI game they were leading but a close call at third base didn’t go their way and then a line drive to their pitcher was knocked down and turned into a triple play but was somehow ruled an intentional drop and they only got credit for one out? This was a very controversial call and changed the game. Xtreme is trending up but still a year away from a ‘B’ world run.
17th – TG Brand.MOJO.Easton – TG lost the Michigan State finals re-match with Trust 20-17 on Friday night and lost to Xtreme by 1 run. TG is trending down with an eye to the USSSA ‘C’ Worlds and 2014.
17th – P&P333/suburban/larry/mojo/Easton – P&P 333 has had a tough year and lost to S&S Pools and 3rd Street by 2 and 1 runs respectively in Michigan. This team will pack it in except for ‘B’ Worlds and underperformed all season. They aren’t that bad though and capable of one or two upsets at Worlds. P&P 333 is trending down.
17th – Chaps/Buzini/BWW/Worth – Buzini lost to Albicocco and Cash House. They were missing their coaching staff and didn’t get much out of the trip. Buzini is trending down slightly after their tournament win in Mississippi but good enough to be a Sunday finisher at the ‘B’. Their new pitching pick up Chad Loudon did not attend Michigan.
17th – South Texas Posse – A tough year for STP continued with losses to Xtreme and Trust. Most of their players are from Florida so maybe they can pull an upset or two at the ‘A’ and ‘B’ Worlds or the Conference qualifying tournament. Trending down.
More pictures below
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A special thanks to tournament director Tony Dedonatis for his hospitatlity!
USSSA Michigan tournament link
Link to Softballcenter.com pictures of the Michigan Major
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Link to the SoftballCenter.com Youtube channel
Link to the 2013 Tournament Reports
Link to the 2012 Tournament Reports
Nationwide Conference USSSA Points Link
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You make the call!
I think "out" was the correct call in the Trust vs South Texas Posse game!
Some more pictures for you:
You can go ahead and fill in the caption____!
Trust center fielder Brian Blay recovers to make a great diving catch
Mychal Evans got carted off, should be alright
P&P Manager Tracey Flack gets a rare hit (2-3 on the season)
Geno is with Linedrive now
These two fight like brothers but then go and take BP together
Best third base coach in the game
A picture of the sky on my ride to Michigan Saturday morning
One response to “2013 USSSA Michigan Major Tournament Report!”
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I enjoyed reading the softball news and the photo’s are excellent!