Saturday March 16th, 2024
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2016 ASA ‘A’ National tournament report!

 

 

 

 

 

2016 ASA 'A' National

 

Oklahoma City, OK

 

October 1-2

 

ASP defends T's 13 in the ASA 'A' National Championship game!

 

Link to Softballcenter.com picture album of the 'A'

 

2016 ASA 'A' bracket link

1st Round Action Saturday:
Game #1: All American dominated a listless TG/Reds team 18-8.  Ryan Goodman at third base with a great diving stop and play for All American.  Matt Fox was 4-4 in the game.

Game #2: Armed Forces hit a homer in the top of the 7th to bring the deficit to within 1 on Combat but the next batter came just short of tying the game at the left field fence as Combat won 20-19.  Billy Maggard was 4-4 with 2 HR for Combat and Jedon Matthews was 4-5 with a HR for Armed Forces.

Game #3: Precision and Powerhouse/Racks were tied at 12-12 after two innings.  Precision separated with a 15 run 3rd however and won easily 34-19.  Travis Clark, Greg Connell, and Davis Bilardello all were 5-5 and combined for 6 HR.

Game #4: Seminoles a local 'B' team went up 7-5 after 1 inning against H. Auto and 14-8 after 2.   Then Seminoles went up 20-8 as H. Auto put up zero runs in 3 consecutive innings.  But H. Auto caught fire with 7 runs in the top of the 6th and 7 in the top of the 7th to take a 2 run lead and were led by Curtis Stewart and Pat Ellwanger who were a combined 9-9 in the game.  Seminoles then scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th to tie the game.  In the 8th inning H. Auto scratched across a run and up came Seminoles.  In extra innings both teams apparently get a runner on 2nd base to start the inning.  The runner advanced to third on an infield single, so with no outs Seminoles had runners on the corners with no outs down one run.  This is when the game was halted and it was determined H. Auto had made an illegal substitution at pitcher and their starter Dirk Updike was removed from the game and their shortstop Chris Hansen came in to pitch.  Hansen got a sharp line drive towards the hole and shortstop Brandon Newman dove, knocked it down, threw to 2nd and they completed a doubleplay to first on a nice scoop.  The runner on third did not run.  The next batter struck out on a foul tip and H. Auto won the game!  Seminoles Derrick Roland was 4-6 with 3 HR and 6 runs scored in the tough loss.

Quarterfinal Action Saturday:
Game #5: All American Athletics erased an early deficit against WC Monsta to go up 17-7 after 4 innings scoring 14 runs in the 3rd inning.  But Monsta cut the lead with 6 runs in the top of the 6th but AAA put them away with 5 runs in the bottom of the inning and won 25-23.  Billy Messina pitched for AAA.  Neither team hit more than 6 homers in the game.

Game #6: ASP and Combat were tied at 4-4 after 2 innings.  ASP's Matt Schrage shifted the momentum with an incredible leaping HR robbing grab on Chris Greinert in the bottom of the 3rd in left field and ASP added 4 runs in the 6th and 7th to win 15-8.  Combat put up 3 straight zeros to end the game.  Bubba Mack was 4-4 with 4 runs scored in the win.

Game #7: T's 13 cut a Precision lead to 11-8 on a moonshot homer over the scoreboard on the stadium by Colby Hughes after Hughes had just ended Precisions inning in the bottom of the 5th with a full out diving catch on the hard gravel warning track in left center field.  In the top of the 6th Keith Laski who had struggled some hit a big 2 run homer to give T's 13 a 13-12 lead.  Then T's 13 batted around and Laski hit another 3 run homer to go up 23-12 and T's had themselves a 14 run inning and won 27-19.  Chaun Demars and Shannon Smith were each 5-6 in the game for T's.  Demars had 3 HR.

Game #8: OC was up 3-0 on H Auto after a half inning but it was all H Auto after that as they led 23-3 after 2 innings and won by the run rule 28-11.  Travis Houseman had 2 HR and 5 RBI in the loss.  Wegman was 4-4 with a homer in the win.

Winner's Semifinal Action Saturday:
Game #13: The semifinals began with a much anticipated game between the defending champions ASP and one of the favorites All-American Athletics.  Many thought the winner would go on to win the tournament.  AAA's Ryan Goodman hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 1st inning which led to a 11-4 lead.  "Goody" hit a second grand slam in the bottom of 2nd to give AAA a 15-7 lead.  Then momentum started to shift as ASP's Matt Schrage made an unbelievable diver on David Kessler on the left field line to end the bottom of the 6th with a 1 run lead for ASP.  In the top of the 7th with ASP up 32-31 ASP's Andrew Collins hit a 3 run homer after a walk to Kyle Pearson with two outs for a 35-31 lead and Erik Kanaby hit a 2 run shot after a Brian McBryde double to give ASP a 37-31.  AAA with no homers left in the bottom of the 7th though was only able to muster one run and lost.  Cervantes, McBryde, Kanaby, and Potts all had 5 hits for ASP in the win.  Ryan Goodman was 5-5 with 2 HR and 10 RBI in the loss.

Game #14: T's 13 and H Auto both started the game like nobody wanted to win and go to the winner's finals as the score was just 7-5 H Auto after 3 innings.  But T's 13 scored 10 runs in the top of the 4th and exploded for 12 more in the top of the 5th to win by mercy rule 27-7.  Joey Bulens and Lee Payne were each 3-3 in the game and only 7 HR were hit between the two teams.  The HR limit in 'A' is 10 per team per game.

Winner's bracket championship Saturday:
The winner's final started around midnight or so and ASP scored 10 runs in the first inning.  By the end of 4 innings ASP was up on T's 13 20-16.  The game was back and forth and ASP scored 4 in the top of the 7th grabbing a lead on Chris Potts 3 run homer!  But T's 13 only needing 1 to tie and 2 to win in the bottom of the 7th and got 4 straight singles and a walk off sac fly by Shaun Beutner to win it 28-27.


Loser's bracket play:
In the loser's bracket Precisions Jeff Keske walked off TG/Reds in the bottom of the 8th after Precision tied it in the bottom of the 7th down 7 to start that half of the inning.
OC sent home Armed Forces in a shootout and beat Precision by the run rule and then lost by the run rule to All American to finish tied for 7th.
Powerhouse/Racks Racks beat WC Monsta, Seminoles, and run ruled H. Auto to make it to Sunday where as tired as they were they beat All American to finish 3rd.

ASP crushed a tired Racks team in the loser's bracket finals 44-19 scoring 15 runs in the 4th and 17 runs in the 6th.  Kyle Pearson was 6-6 and Brian McBryde had 9 RBI on 3 big homers.

Championship Sunday

ASP was looking good in the championship as shorstop Marcus Thornton and middle man Brian McBryde showed real good range on grounders and held T's 13 down in the first game.  ASP pitcher Danny Evans hit a big 3 run homer and ASP held an 18-10 lead after 4 innings.  T's 13 got a big lineout DP to end the top of the 5th but only scored 1 in the bottom of the 4th and 5th.  In the top of the 6th ASP's Andrew Collins hit a 2 run homer and they got a 3 run pinch hit homer to seemingly put the game out of reach 26-11.  But T's never gave up and scored 10 in the bottom of the 6th, held ASP scoreless in the top of the 7th and managed 5 more in the bottom of the 7th to make it close 30-26.

In the "if" game ASP jumped out to leads of 18-5 and 33-11.  But T's got ASP to zero in the last 3 innings and got to within 8 runs 33-25 before putting up a zero of their own in the 7th.  And ASP won for the second year in a row.  Collins, McBryde, and Potts all had 4 hits in the final game and Erik Kanaby hit 3 HR.

The tournament was similar to the Super in that the outfield play and home run robbing plays on the fence were spectacular as well as the middle infield play by most teams.  The weather was perfect and the action was good.  The ball was perfect for the 300 foot fields and didn't take many bad hops on the well groomed infields.  Many of the teams felt the tournament would be even better if played later in the year where they could get a break after the Major that was played the week before.

ASP gets a big out at third base against T's 13 in the first championship game

 

And later in the game ASP's Danny Evans gets in ahead of the tag

Team Breakdown:
12 Teams Overall
10 'A' Teams
2 'B' Team

T's 13 takes on Precision in the quarterfinals

ASP takes on All-American Athletics in the semifinals Saturday night

 

Precision taking on Racks in the first round

 


 

Oldscout pollers had H. Auto to win.  Only 4% had ASP,

of course we didn't know ASP's roster when the poll was done…

 


 

Video Highlites brought to you by:

 


 

Long Bombers of the Week

Home Run Champion – Kyle Pearson

 


 

 ASA Super Awards and Final Standings

ASA 'A' National final standings:
1) ASP/KV Weld/BHR 5-1
2) T's 13/DeMarini 3-2
3) POWERHOUSE Sportz/RACKS/Monsta 4-2
4) All-American Athletics/DeMarini 3-2
5) OC 2-2
5) H. Auto/Easton 2-2
7) Seminoles 1-2
7) Precision 2-2
9) WC Monsta 0-2
9) Team Combat 1-2
9) TG/Red's Astros 0-2
9) All Armed Forces 0-2

 

ASA 'A' First Team All-Americans

Batting Champion – Brinn Bell – OC
Home Run Champion – Kyle Pearson – ASP/KV Weld/BHR
Tournament MVP – Cole Campbell – ASP/KV Weld/BHR

Brinn Bell – OC
Mike Brown – All-American Athletics/DeMarini
Trey Gililand – All-American Athletics/DeMarini
Adam Smylie – POWERHOUSE Sportz/RACKS/Monsta
Frank Yeilding – POWERHOUSE Sportz/RACKS/Monsta
Brett Rettenmeier –  POWERHOUSE Sportz/RACKS/Monsta
Reggie Schulte – T's 13/DeMarini
Cole Campbell – ASP/KV Weld/BHR
Chaun DeMars – T's 13/DeMarini
Kyle Pearson – ASP/KV Weld/BHR
Shannon Smith – T's 13/DeMarini
Ronald Mack – ASP/KV Weld/BHR
Josh Taralson – T's 13/DeMarini
Brian McBryde – ASP/KV Weld/BHR
Erik Kanaby – ASP/KV Weld/BHR

Cole Campbell was MVP!

 


 

Team by team notes brought to you by:

 


 

1st Place ASP/KV Weld/BHR

'A' from Texas  5-1 Record

ASP did it again, what a 12 month run for the core of this team.  They added the top Major players (Pearson, Mack, Collins, and Kanaby) to a group that has great chemistry and knows how to win.  Danny Evans pitched great and had some big hits.  The Major players all had huge games.  Ben Dunn made the best catches of a tournament that had a ton of great catches.  Potts had 25 RBI on only 4 HR.  Thornton, Cervantes, McBrydes defense up the middle, the role players played their roles and when it was all said and done it was Cole Campbell who got the MVP!  Wow.  Great job Tim Barnes again!  The trophy shelf is filling up with good ones.

 

Mike Cervantes and Chris Potts

 

Ben Dunn and Marcus Thornton

 

Dan Evans and Andrew Collins

 

Bubba Mack and Erik Kanaby

 


 

2nd Place T's 13/Demarini

'A' from Iowa  3-2 Record

 

T's 13 won the winner's bracket but just couldn't beat ASP who got out to hot starts twice against them.  But T's came from big deficits in both games to make it interesting and a lot of credit should go to those comebacks because it could not have been easy to dig that deep when down by so many runs.  Hughes was making great catches in center field.  Demars and Schulte were powering the offense with .800 averages and home runs.  They had plenty of role players and stars alike contribute and they did all of this after playing the Super the two days prior.

They won that big winner's bracket finals well after midnight on Saturday when Beutner hit a walk off sac fly in the bottom of the 7th.

Demars is an ASA legend and he backed it up .815, 7 HR, 15 RBI while pitching

 

Shannon Smith and Colby Hughes

 


 

3rd Place PowerHouseSportz/Racks/Monsta

'A' from Wyoming  4-2 Record

 

Racks made another nice finish and they did so running on fumes after playing so many games over a 4 day period.  These guys are warriors and probably had to take off work Monday with all the ball they played.  Yeilding .840 with 8 HR and 20 RBI probably could have been offensive MVP.  Rettenmeier plays both sides of the ball as well as any infielder lately.  The veteran Lossen White on the mound and a new face Adam Smylie hitting .850 with 8 HR's.  Guys "playing the game" for 4 days like great teammates do and the result was two good finishes to end the year.

Brett Rettenmeier brought the Monsta power .704, 8 HR, 19 RBI while playing middle infield

 


 

4th Place All-American Athletics/Demarini

'A' from OR  3-2 Record

 

All American was one of the favorites and one of the good fresh teams that didn't have all of their players playing the Super the two days prior to the 'A'.  Billy Messina and Dan Bean did the pitching.  Bazat, Goodman, and Flood made for a great infield.  They added Gillilland late who played well, Fox had some big hits, Brungardt hammered 5 homers.  A great team that ran into a hot eventhough tired Racks team on Sunday morning.

 

Kessler and Brown were striking it well.

Mike Brown actually reminds me of BJ Fulk.  Able to base hit with surgeons precision and power it when needed.

Westy Guill climbs the fence

 


 

Tied 5th Place OC

'B' from IA  2-2 Record

OC is a 'B' team from Iowa that enters a lot of the OKC events and they have learned to compete well in them.  After losing their first game to H. Auto they won a slugfest with Armed Forces on the stadium field and then run ruled a stunned Precision team before losing to All American.  They got 6 HR from Gabe Bower and Brinn Bell won the batting title at .867 getting the necessary at bats to qualify.

 


 

Tied 5th Place H.Auto/Easton

 'A' from Minnesota  2-2 Record

H. Auto won their first two games.  The first game in extra innings vs Seminoles.  H. Auto was the Eurotech players with Brian Wegman, Bryson Baker, and Chris Hansen.  Brett Helmer was on the team but only pinch hit.

They sort of squandered those first two wins by then dropping two games by the run rule only scoring 15 runs in the losses.

 


 

Other top finishing Conference teams

 


 

Hot Links section brought to you by:

I would like to thank all of my sponsors, ASA, and the SoftballCenter and Oldscout advertisers!

Send corrections to dw@softballcenter.com

Link to the SoftballCenter.com Youtube channel

Link to all 2009 to 2016 Tournament Reports and Previews

 


 

Some more pictures for you:

He blends in with the wall but Racks Nick Price brings back a homer on Sunday vs AAA

Ben Dunn with a full speed diver

Hoynowski stole home and if he touched home plate appears safe to tie the game for Precision.

That may be a big "if"

Colby Hughes for T's 13 makes a sell out full sprint diving catch on the hard gravel warning track

I think this is Lee Payne robbing a homer. 

Jason Kreider pinch hitting against Billy Messina.  

I thought this may have been Billy's last pitch of his illustrious career but have since heard rumors he will be back!

 


Seminoles tied for 7th after that extra innings loss to H. Auto to start the tournament

 


 

Precision watched a good start slip away to a 7th place finish

 

 

 


Team Combat went 1-2

 


 

Armed Forces played well but went 0-2.  So close in both games.

 


TG/Reds was an unusual 0-4 on the long weekend


 

WC Monsta dropped two straight after their great run at the Super


OC and the Armed Forces didn't have any trouble using their 10 HR limit

Softball360.com was there

Derrick Roland from Seminoles used to play with Taylormade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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