Thursday March 28th, 2024
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SoftballCenter’s 2017 Nationwide Conference Pre-Season Rankings! Team #1 and #2 revealed

 

2017 Nationwide Conference USSSA

 

Pre-Season Rankings

Teams 1-39 listed below!

 

Rankings are for the most part done by classication groups with a few exceptions.  I will release 1 or 2 new teams per day on the countdown to #1 at the end of the month and start of the season in Las Vegas!

Remember this is for fun and rosters and teams change throughout the season.  I am not all that great at ranking teams I don't know.  In 2017 I had Thunder, Bay Area Legends, and Adiktiv all outside the top 30…lol

2017 Team List

Click here for a look back at the final 2016 Computer Rankings  

Click here for a look back at the 2016 season preview

2017 Conference Make Up (39 teams):
  6 Major Teams
12 'AA' Teams
12 'A' Teams
  9 'B' Teams

Note: most of the pictures in this article are from the past years

 


 

The Rankings are brought to you by:


 

#1 Resmondo/OA Apparel/H.Auto/Specialty Tank/RDD/Easton (FL-Major)


LF Brian Wegman
RF Buddy Wolf
CF Mike Umschied
3B Bubba Mack
SS Kevin Bazat
MI Bryson Baker
2B Greg Connell
1B Kyle Pearson
P Travis Clark
P Dan Sanchez
C BJ Fulk
UT Scott Kirby
UT Brad Reckart
IF Chris Hansen
C Brett Helmer
1B Howie Krause

Sponsor – Travis Resmondo – Resmondo
Sponsor – Jason Wilkins – OA Apparel
Sponsor – H. Auto – Bob Hortenbach
Sponsor – John Riccio – Specialty Tank
Sponsor – RDD – Scott Delorge
Sponsor – Brett Helmer – Easton
Coach – Pete Campbell
Travel – Shirl Webb

2017 Tournament Schedule:
April USSSA Las Vegas
April USSSA Hall of Fame Dual
May USSSA Columbus, IN
June USSSA Chicago
June USSSA Dudley
June USSSA Seattle Dual
July USSSA Smoky Mountain Classic
July USSSA Cincinnati
August USSSA Columbus, Ohio
September USSSA Conference Championships
September USSSA Major World Series
September ASA Super

Sponsor Travis Resmondo really shook things up in the offseason as he merged with Brett Helmer's Easton team that won the 2016 USSSA Major World Series.  Travis brought with him 3 of the top hitters in the game in Conference Triple Crown winner 2nd baseman Greg Connell (.803, 129 HR, 237 RBI), catcher BJ Fulk (.761), and infielder Bubba Mack (.739).  Adding these 3 to longtime offensive standouts MI Bryson Baker (.735), LF Brian Wegman (.685 returning from injury), UT Scott Kirby (.688), all time Disney home run champion Brett Helmer (.744), and 2016 Major MVP 1B Kyle Pearson (.782, 78 HR, 205 RBI) and you have yourself quite possibly one of the best, if not the best, offensive lineups of all time!  The team is rounded out by returning Easton players pitcher Travis Clark (.726), outfielders Mike Umschied (.657) and Buddy Wolf (.767), and shortstop Kevin Bazat (.634).  The team will be managed by Brett Helmer and Howie Krause and their bench with pitcher Dan Sanchez, the versatile Brad Reckart, and Chris Hansen is in good hands.

Outlook: The team should gel pretty well although some hitters who are used to batting towards the top of the lineup will have to hit towards the bottom because they have so many big sticks.  The team is really built to dominate offensively on the stadium fields.  Their defense will come into question at times as it appears the aging but timeless Bryson Baker will return to middle infield, Umschied will move to center field, and Bubba Mack will try his hand at 3rd base.  Also Travis Clark may get a push on the mound from left hander and backup pitcher Dan Sanchez (.765) who had a career year last season.  This team is the preseason favorite to win the Major although they may struggle on the 300 foot fields or if the defense up the middle doesn't hold up and could have trouble getting the #1 seed which is given to the regular Conference points champion.

Players to Watch: Can Greg Connell win another triple crown with a new team?  Can Mike Umschied lock down center field, Bubba Mack lock down third base, and can Dan Sanchez work his way into the lineup?  With Kyle Pearson and Connell, Resmondo has the two best hitters in the game and they should have fun tweaking this lineup for maximum performance!

 

Greg Connell and Kyle Pearson in the same lineup…

 


 

#2  (NY-Major)

7 WORTH PLAYERS
Jason Branch 
Andy Purcell 
Dennis Rulli 
Luis Reyna 
Nic Santana 
Ryan Harvey 
Don DeDonatis

7 MIKEN PLAYERS
Cory Briggs 
Erik Kanaby 
Andrew Collins 
Brandon Dillon 
Kevin Filby 
Lee Payne 
Jeff Graus 

2017 Tentative Tournament Schedule:
April USSSA Las Vegas
April USSSA Hall of Fame Dual
May USSSA either Columbus, IN or Euless,TX
June USSSA Chicago
June USSSA Dudley
June USSSA Seattle Dual
July USSSA Smoky Mountain Classic
July USSSA Cincinnati
August USSSA Columbus, Ohio
September USSSA Conference Championships
September USSSA Major World Series

Albicocco with their Miken/Worth bat sponsorship is where most of the ex-Resmondo players wound up.  Ironically after the "breakup" the 2016 USSSA Major World Series sponsor Smash It Sports joined forces with Albicocco to sponsor this new team.  The team will be managed by long time Resmondo skipper John Rector and the architect of the team is Worth/Miken's Jason Kendrick.  Smash It Sports will have a nucleus of ex-Resmondo players that have quite frankly dominated the game in recent years.  Pitcher Andy Purcell is still the best in the game and had one of the best offensive seasons in Conference history with an on base percentage over .800 while hitting behind triple crown winner Greg Connell last year.  Don Dedonatis at shortstop is still getting it done as long as he is healthy and outfielders Andrew Collins (.754), CF Nic Santana (.718), and Lee Payne (.697) all join the new team from Resmondo as well as middle infielder Luis Reyna (.762).  The rest of the team consists of the #2 hitter in the nation, utility man Jason Branch (.808), veteran infielder Dennis Rulli (.772), Albicocco outfielders Brandon Dillon (.761) and Erik Kanaby (.766), newcomer Cory Briggs (.779), and power hitters Ryan Harvey (.707) and lefty Kevin Filby (.739).  The roster is rounded out by backup pitcher Jeff Graus.

Outlook: The offseason chatter has this team being the best in the country on 300 foot fields but I'm sure this team will have something to say about the baseball fields when they get to those as well.  Most of these players will have a chip on their shoulder with what went down in the offseason and may feel they have something to prove to the softball world and to themselves.

Players to Watch:  Pitcher Andy Purcell can still make good hitters look bad and this team has a "money ball" feel to it with all of the high on base percentages.  They just need all of the players to repeat what they did in 2016 offensively.  There are some young players on this team who are really still in their sophomore year in the Conference like Briggs who played 'A' with Nightmare last year and lefty Erik Kanaby who batted second for Albicocco a year ago and they will need to find their chances to contribute.

 

Andy Purcell, Don Dedonatis Jr, and Jason Branch

 


 

#3 Backman/S&S/Dr. Pepper/Louisville Slugger (IN-Major)

Joseph Bennett
Orlando Castillo
Neil Haglund
Kevin Kennington
Jeff LaHair
Aaron Lewicki
Steven Lloyd
Brian Logan
Lee Powers
Brett Rettenmeir
Reggie Schulte
Ryan Stovall
Andrew Vitcak
Jeremy Yates
Dal Beggs

Sponsors:
Jerry Backman
JJ Backman
Dennis Turner
Scott Sunderland


2017 Tournament Schedule:
3/31-4/2 7th Annual Louisville Slugger Sin City
4/20-23  USSSA Hall of Fame Classic – Dual Event
5/5-7    3rd Annual Choo Choo Classic
6/2-4    Windy City Invitational
6/22-25  The Combat Major – Dual Event
7/7-9    49th Smoky Mountain Classic
7/14-16  18th Cincinnati Men's Major
8/4-6    5th Annual Columbus Bats Major

You could pretty much pick the "Big 3" Major teams in any order for the rankings and Backman did win the points championship and the Conference Championship a year ago and finished 2nd at the Major.  But I am ranking them 3rd based soley on their overall performance in points after the Hall of Fame Classic last year where they were 4th overall after mid May.  Sponsor Jerry Backman, manager Dale Beggs have returned almost their entire team intact except for 1st baseman Terry Baggs, power hitter Ryan Harvey, and backup pitcher Billy Barrett.  Everyone else is back and they picked up middle infielder Brett Rettenmeir (.710) from Racks.  They will move Orlando Castillo (.705) to 3rd base and leadoff man Lee Powers (.766) in to catcher.  With Brian Logan (.690) roaming center field, former Conference gold glover/Co-MVP Jeremy Yates (.771, 90 HR, 223 RBI) in left field, 3rd year shortstop Ryan Stovall (.706), and acrobatic 2nd baseman Steven Lloyd (.709) the defense is set!  The offense will be bolstered by 1st baseman Kevin Kennington (.733) who has become a team leader and right fielder Neil Haglund (.710).  The pitching duties will fall to Andy Vitcak (.655) who seems to get better every year.

Outlook:  Backman can win the points title with a good start at the Hall of Fame dual again.  They have good young players who tend to get better and the team has been in the hunt the last 3 years.  They are by far the youngest and most athletic team in the game and equally strong on the baseball and softball fields.  Lineup creation and depth will be the key to success and with Powers at catcher he should make a run at the batting title.

Players to Watch: The bench of infielder Jeff Lahair, outfielder Reggie Schulte, pitcher Aaron Lewicki, and utility man Joseph Bennett from TM Sports will come into play at some point.  However, the starting lineup is as strong as it gets and the infield defense may be the best in the game.  With Vitcak pitching to his defensive strengths and young players like Stovall, Logan, Lloyd, Rettenmeier, Castillo, Haglund, and Yates (2016 MVP) still able to get better, you never know if this team will finish 1st again in the points or 3rd.  Plenty of reasons to be optimistic with this team.

 

 


 

#4 Newbreed/GTS/Demarini (WA-Major)

Tentative 2017 Schedule:
Kings of the NW Mar 24-27 (WA)
Sin City Mar 31-April 2 (NV)
HOF Dual April 20-23 (FL)
Euless  May 19-21 (TX)
Windy City June 2-4 (IL)
Combat Dual June 22-25 (WA)
Smoky July 7-9 (TN)
Cincinnati July 14-16 (OH)
Columbus August 4-6 (OH)
Conf championships Sept 1-3 (FL)
Major World Series Sept 20-24 (FL)

Newbreed was one of the top 'AA' teams in 2016 and they have made some big changes to try and play Major class ball this year.  Lead sponsor Aaron Poysky turned managers Ryan Lekness and Rob Humphrey loose to pull in some big free agents in the off season and thats what they did.  They grabbed USSSA 'AA' World MVP pitcher Justin Mucciarelli from Precision, OF Davis Bilardello (.693), MI Steve Whaley (.688), SS Chente Granados (.706) and 3B Dale Brungardt (.700) from Albicocco, and OF Chris Terry (.759) and professional hitter Mike Brown (.745) from Bear Hollow.  They retained CF and "softball machine" Jon Gastineau (.746), speedy outfielder DJ Hollingsworth (.710), middle infielder Jeff Flood (.752), 1B Victor Cordova (.717), shortstop Nick Utley (.719), and hitters Adam Rockoff (.760, 73 HR, 203 RBI) and Rolando Rodriguez (.726).

Outlook: Newbreeds goal will be to use their superior team chemistry and energy to crack into the top 3 each weekend that they play against the other 5 Major teams.  The sponsorship group has pieced together a team along the lines of the 2016 Albicocco team that came so close to making it to the finals of the Major World Series last year.  Newbreed is very similar to that team and its possible they could duplicate their success.

Players to Watch:  Mucciarelli was the 'AA' MVP for a reason and he hopes to bring that success to the Major division for the first time in his long and successful career.  Newbreed has Major level defense, pitching and on base percentage but do they have the stadium power to compete at the HOF, Smoky, and at ESPN's Wide World of Sports?  That is the question but they should have some break through weekends on the 300 foot fields in places like Las Vegas, Seattle, and possibly Cincinnati.

 

 


 

#5 Dan Smith/Menosse/Easton (CA-Major)

GM Pat Dalsanders
Manager: Jeff Wallace
Coach/Stats: Hector Pagan

Tommy Bloom – P
Chad Durick – if
Tyler Green – if
Chris Greinert – C
Frank Yeilding – 3b
Colby Hughes – OF
Jeremy Isenhower– UTL
Jason Matusik – OF
Kyle Pearson – IF/OF
Casey Rogowski – 1b
Marcus Thornton – IF
LC Watson – P
Brian Zirkle – OF
Westy Guill – OF
Donnie Hammonds – UTL
Joey Formosa – UTL

Sponsors:
Dan Smith
Steven Smith
Ed Menosse
Easton Sports – Don Cooper
PHD Sports – Scott Brown
Legacy Global Sports

2017 Schedule:
Las Vegas
Kissimmee Hall of Fame
Chattanooga
Euless
Chicago
Seattle Dual
Smoky
Cincinnati
Columbus
USSSA Conference Championship
USSSA Major

One of the great sponsor tandems of all time – Dan Smith/Menossee – returns to the game after 6 years away to partner with Easton Sports and Don Cooper for 2017!  This new Major team has mixed some of the Combat veterans with some up and coming talent.  They brought in former Combat players CF Brian Zirkle (.657), 1B Casey Rogowski (.687), the original Kyle Pearson (.714), power hitter Chris Greinert (.685), 3B Frank Yeilding (.750), and pitcher LC Watson (.640).  They brought back the powerful Joey Formosa who last played with Linedrive in 2014, former 3rd Street outfielder Jason Matusik (.752), and veteran infielder Chad Durick who is coming back from a knee injury.  They also brought in former arena quarterback and Linedrive outfielder Colby Hughes (.720) who has one of the best arms in the game, veteran outfielder Jeremy Isenhower (.655) who is coming off shoulder surgery, and the 2016 Major champion center fielder Westy Guill (.699).  Then they grabbed some young players they hope will make the jump in shortstop Marcus Thornton (BHR), Donnie Hammonds from Florida, and Tyler Green who had a big rookie season with Allout from Texas last year.  They will be managed by hall of famer Jeff Wallace and Pat Dalsanders who is one of Dan Smith's longtime coaches.

Outlook: That is a lot of moving parts and players coming from different directions and players at different points in their respective careers meshing together.  Can all of this be put together into a winning situation?  Absolutely.  They will have to work through a few lineups and defensive setups to find the right combination but this team should compete between 3rd and 6th in the points with a view towards making this team an attractive home for top free agents to come to in 2018.

Players to Watch:  Youngsters Thornton, Hammonds, and Green need play their way into the lineup and push the veterans who will need to stay healthy.

 

Chris Greinert and Joey Formosa hope to give Dan Smith some firepower

 


 

#6 Racks/Sonnys/Athlon/Easton/Cutter (WY-Major)


Tim Howard
Dan Kirkwood
Jon Nelson
Sammy Christensen
Alexis Ramirez
Ryan Mcclanahan
Brian Faria
Keith Laski
Steve Lopez
Tyson Steele
Stuart Snell
Argen Dodds
Adam Smiley
Jordan Spaulding
Orlando Cano
Jason Kreider player/coach
Sonny Pilcher manager/sponsor

2017 Schedule
3/31-4/2   Las Vegas
4/7-4/9    Houston
4/20-4/23  Dual Florida
5/19-5/21  Euless, Texas
6/2-6/4    Chicago
6/22-6/25  Dual Seattle
7/7-7/9    Smoky
ASA Firemans
8/4-8/6    Last Chance Columbus
Conference Championship
USSSA Major World Series
ASA Super

Team Racks moves up to the Major division from 'AA' as they add veteran outfielder Tim Howard from Vivid, utility/pitcher Ryan Mcclanahan from OC Swats, shortstop Keith Laski from Albicocco, middle infielder Brian Faria from Bad Draw, catchers Argen Dodds from Nightmare and Adam Smiley from Classic Glass, and some up and comers like Jordan Spaulding and Orlando Cano.  The team is playing an aggressive schedule including a full slate of top Conference events, the USSSA Major World Series, and the ASA 'A' and Super.  The team returns Dan Kirkwood (.760) in center field, Sammy Christensen (.680) in the infield, the best base hitter in the game Steve Lopez (.780), pitcher Tyson Steele (.644), and power hitters Stuart Snell (.705) and Jon Nelson (.719).  They also have the super sub Alexis Ramirez who can play any position and will be managed by sponsor Sonny Pilcher and Jason Kreider.

Outlook: Racks has always played well in ASA and last year broke through in USSSA with a huge win at the USSSA Conference event in Euless, Texas when they beat #1 Backman and #2 Resmondo to win the tournament.  They will try to duplicate the success they had in Texas again in 2017 and a realistic short term goal would be to finish in the top 5 in points and win 3 games at the Major World Series.

Players to Watch:  There is a lot of young talent on this team and 4 big raw power hitters (Snell, Dodds, Smiley, and Nelson).  Brian Faria returns to the Racks infield after 2 years away and their lineup should be strong from top to bottom as the pitcher Tyson Steele is also a good hitter.

 

Kirkwood and Lopez will set the table for the Racks mashers

 

 


 

#7 Precision/3rd St/G Brand/Easton (IL-AA)

​

Possible Roster:
Brett McCollum
Matt Rear
Tom Paturzo
Jason Hoynowski
Jeff Keske
Kyle Kannenberg
Keith Anderson
Alex Abraham
Travis Houseman
Todd Ankney
Frank Fracek
Bryan Porter
Jeff Baird
Alex Burkel
Dan Bean
David Kessler
Brad Tabler
Devin Reilly
Robert Mahaffrey

Sponsors:
William Wax – Precision
Rob Mahaffey – 3rd Street
Brian Matelic – G Brand
Brett Helmer – Easton

Tentative 2017 Tournament Schedule:
April USSSA Hall of Fame Dual
April USSSA Indianapolis
May USSSA Columbus, IN
June USSSA Chicago
June USSSA Dudley
July USSSA Smoky Mountain Classic
July USSSA Cincinnati
August USSSA Columbus, Ohio
September USSSA Conference Championships
September USSSA 'AA' World
September USSSA Major World Series

Precision fought through a year of injuries in 2016 and ended up with a USSSA 'AA' World tournament championship!  This year they may be even better as manager Todd Ankney will have to figure out who is going to play from their endless roster of talent.  They lost 'AA' MVP pitcher Justin Mucciareli and have replaced him with veteran lefty Dan Bean.  They also added outfielder Dave Kessler (.787) who was 5th in hitting last year and longtime power hitter Brad Tabler (.756) who seems to get better every year.  Robert Mahaffey the 3rd Street sponsor has also joined the team and their depth is their strength.

Outlook:  Precision will be the favorite to repeat at the USSSA 'AA' Worlds and anything less would probably be disappointing for them.  The overall balance between the offense and defense on this team may be the best in the 'AA' division.

Players to Watch:  3rd baseman Matt Rear (.765) returns from a bad leg injury from a year ago and they added professional hitter Tom Paturzo (.755) and outfielder Jason Hoynowski from Above All Landscaping.  Brett McCollum (.730) at 1st base also returns and should be healthy.  Mix in some new players like shortstop Jeff Baird and outfielder Travis Houseman and the defensive minded middle infielder Jeff Keske and center fielder Brian Porter who get better every year.  And remember they have two more bats in Keith Anderson and Frank Fracek and their only problem may be too many good players.  And if none of those guys get it done, then they bring in pinch hitter extraodinaire Devin Reilly to close the deal.

 

David Kessler and Brad Tabler join Precision 

 


 

#8 OA Labs/Broughton/KBI/Easton (IL-AA)

 

OA Labs is a brand new team sponsored by their pitcher Jason Wilkins who has had past success with a team called Compound Athletics in 2015 and he also won the 2016 USSSA Major World Series as a co-sponsor with Smash It Sports.  Wilkins has done his homework and created this new team in the 'AA' division with a pair of players from the 2016 USSSA 'A' World champion Bear Hollow Ranch team in 1B Tim Bowser (.754) and infielder Chris Potts (.687), a couple of Combat players in OF Filip Washington (.756), shortstop Zach Messer (.629), and 3B John Williams (.731), and free agents like OF Bo Andrews (Precision), Justin Barber (Eurotech), OF Evan Jarman (Bad Draw), OF Nick Mangannaro (Newbreed), 3B Mike Powers (Newbreed), and Curtis Stewart (Eurotech).  The pitching will be split between former 3rd Street pitcher Cam Byars and Jason Wilkins himself.

Outlook: This team although new should start right at the top of the 'AA' division and give the major teams a run for their money on any given weekend.

Players to Watch:  Wilkins has really put a bunch of solid offensive and young players together here from all over the country.  This team is built very much like last year's Newbreed team.  There are not many teams with more exciting players than a guy like outfielder Filip Washington, or have the speed of an Evan Jarman, or hit at a big field such as Fortune Road like Tim "Bye Bye" Bowser!

 

OF Filip Washington and 1B/C Tim Bowser should be in the meat of the order for OA

 


 

#9 Worth Astros/K&G/Klutch/Wilson/Troupe/Lowell/Thornton (IN-AA)

Steve Edwards     Astros
Chad Mullins       Astros
Troy Krider         Astros
Rob Roop           Astros
John DeJarnette  Astros
Travis Dale         Astros
Mike Ortiz          LineDrive
Josh Riley           LineDrive
Sid Stephany      LineDrive
Brandon O'Neal  LineDrive
Josh Kirsten       3rd Street
Ricardo Lizcano Detroit Elite
Bill Pinkham      The Scene
Keith Martin      Vivid
Brian Farrar       Astros
Justin Aldora     StreetKids/Astros
Vince Leslie       Astros
Josh Buckner      
Sonny Yamcharern  Astros

Herb Price                  GM / Sponsor
Sonny Yamcharern     Manager/Stats/Utility
Jerry "Snake" Scudder Coach/ Nutrition br /> Jason Kendrick        Sponsor Worth
Karl Knight                Sponsor  K&G
Brandon Patzig          Sponsor KLUTCH
Rob Likens                Coach
Jim Troupe                Sponsor/Coach
Kenny Lowell             Sponsor/Coach
Andy Wilson              Sponsor
Jim Thornton             Sponsor

2017 Tentative Schedule:
MARCH  25-26      GSL:    MOJO Moneyball            Columbus, Ohio
APRIL 20-23          USSSA:  HOF Dual                     Kissimmee, Florida
APRIL  28-30         USSSA:  Circle City Classic         Indianapolis, Indiana
MAY 5-7               USSSA:  Chattanooga Major       Chattanooga, Tennessee
MAY 12-14           USSSA:  Hoosier Classic             Columbus, Indiana
MAY 26-29           USSSA:  Atlanta Major                Atlanta, Georga
JUNE 2-4               USSSA:  Windy City Classic        Carol Stream, Illinois
JUNE 16-19           USSSA:  35th Dudley Major        Brooklyn Center, Minnesota  planning on going
JUNE  24-25          GSL:    King of the Hill               Columbus, Ohio
JULY 7-9               USSSA:  49th Smoky Mt Classic  Maryville, Tennessee
JULY 14-16           USSSA:  18th Cincinnati Major   Cincinnati, Ohio
AUGUST 4-6         USSSA:  5th Columbus BATS      Columbus, Ohio
SEPTEMBER 1-3     USSSA:  Conference                   Kissimmee, Florida
SEPTEMBER 8-10   WSL:    Worlds                           Panama City, Florida        Tentative
SEPTEMBER 16-17   USSSA:  "AA" World Series       ????
SEPTEMBER 20-24   USSSA:  MAJOR WORLD SERIES     ?????
SEPT 28 – OCT 1   ASA:    Super/A Nationals      Oklahoma City, Oklahoma     Tentative

Sponsor/Manager Herb Price went into the USSSA Hall of Fame this past offseason and he returns to the Conference with a new 'AA' team after finishing as the top 'AA' team in points a year ago.  But an offseason split with the "TG" sponsors and players left Herb looking for a number of fresh faces.  His returning players are Steve Edwards, Chad Mullins, Troy Krider, and Rob Roop.  The rest are new to the team but not new to the upper levels.  He grabs OF Mike Ortiz, 3B Josh Riley, infielder Brandon O'Neal, and OF Sid Stephany from Linedrive.  OF Josh Kirsten from 3rd Street, pitcher Bill Pinkham from Albicocco, Keith Martin from Vivid, and filled out the team with shortstop Ricardo Lizcano, backup pitcher Justin Aldora, returning OF Brian Farrar, and utility man Josh Buckner.

Outlook: It would be hard to duplicate the Astros regular season success from 2016 but this team has enough talent to do it.  Herb has had top 'AA' teams for a number of years now and he wants that elusive World title.

Players to Watch:  Bill Pinkham had a big first year pitching for #3 Albicocco in 2016 and brings his defense up the middle to add to Troy Krider who has one of the best double play turns in the game.  Lizcano should get a shot at shortstop and the offensive consistency of Edwards and Mullins should lead this team to another top 10 finish in the Conference points!

 

Pitcher Bill Pinkham and second baseman Steve Edwards

 


 

#10 Smash It Sports/Thunder/Miken (NY-AA)


Artie Barcelo
Mike Cervantes
Chris Costantino
Tyler Driskell
Joe Gordon
Chris Goyette
Jake Kessler
Kyle Olsen
Micah Schnurstein
Mike Snyder
Adam Tennyson
Adam Ussery
Cooper Vittitow
Jason White
Losson White
Matt Zurawel
Brian Mcbryde

2017 Tournament Schedule:
April USSSA Las Vegas
April USSSA Hall of Fame Dual
May USSSA Chattanooga
May USSSA Columbus, IN
June USSSA Chicago
June USSSA Maryland
July USSSA Smoky Mountain Classic
July USSSA Cincinnati
August USSSA Columbus, Ohio
September USSSA Conference Championships
September USSSA 'AA' World
September USSSA Major World Series

SIS/Thunder who is sponsored by Seth Green and Smash It Sports Rick Schiffhauer finished 2nd at the 'C' Worlds in 2015.  Last year they joined the Conference after merging with a 'C' team called Stars out of Colorado and was quickly bumped from 'B' to 'A' based on performance.  At the 2016 USSSA 'A' Worlds they had an amazing run to a 2nd place finish.  This year they have retooled again bringing in 9 top 'AA' players and will play 'AA'.  They also return 8 of their regulars so the early season will be used to decide a rotation I am sure.  The free agents they brought in were infielders Brian McBryde, Adam Ussery, and Adam Tennyson from Linedrive, and IF Cooper Vittitow, OF Jason White, and 3B Tyler Driskell from 'A' champs Bear Hollow.  And they grabbed slugger Chris Costantino from Albicocco, and pitcher Lossen White from Xtreme.

Outlook:  Wow.  The assembly of talent on this team could easily make someone pick them as the top 'AA' team in the nation.  Their 2016 regulars Kyle Olsen, Joe Gordon, Mike Snyder, Micah Schnurstein, and CF Artie Barcelo as well as pitcher Matt Zurawel will fight for playing time with more experienced players.  If they can work the lineup situation out then the sky is the limit for Thunder.  

Players to Watch:  Barcelo in center field is an upcoming talent.  Zurawel at pitcher has a great fighting spirit, and shortstop Mica Schnurstein, outfielder Kyle Olsen, and 3rd baseman Tyler Driskell are all names to watch that are less known.  The more well-known guys like Lossen White who has pitched for Team USA, the glove in the middle Brian McBryde, and the 3rd year slugger recently out of baseball Chris Costantino are all going to continue to rise up the ranks.

 

Pitcher Losson White and the underrated Tyler Driskell

 


 

#11 Classic Glass/Easton (CA-AA)


 Mike Brambilla
 Cameron Cox
 Tyler Espland
 Tommy Formosa Jr.
 Matt Fox
 Trey Gilliland
 Ryan Goodman
 Brandon Jonas
 Chris Larsen
 Brian Lipman
 Nathan Newman
 Chris Smith
 Brandon Traylor
 A.J. Montano
 Sean Boldt /Player / Coach

**Classis Glass / Sponsor
**Tom Formosa Sr./ Manager / Sponsor
**Tommy Formosa Jr. / Sponsor
** Brett Helmer – Easton / Sponsor
***Don Hollingsworth / Stats

2017 Tentative Schedule:
MARCH 31 – APRIL 2  SIN CITY CLASSIC                    LAS VEGAS
APRIL  20 – 23           USSSA HALL OF FAME CLASSIC KISSIMMEE, FL
MAY  5 – 7                CHOO CHOO CLASSIC              CHATTANOOGA, TN
MAY  19 – 21            TEXAS LEGENDS                       EULESS, TX
JUNE  2 – 4                WINDY CITY INVITATIONAL     CAROL STREAM, IL
JUNE  22 – 25            COMBAT MAJOR                      KENT, WA
JULY  7 – 9                SMOKY MOUNTAIN CLASSIC     MARYVILLE, TN
? JULY  14 – 16         CINCINNATI MAJOR                  CINCINNATI, OH
AUGUST  4 – 6         COLUMBUS BATS MAJOR           COLUMBUS, OH
SEPT  1 – 3               CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP   KISSIMMEE, FL
SEPT  15 – 17           USSSA AA WORLD                     KISSIMMEE, FL
SEPT  20 – 23           MAJOR WORLD SERIES              ORLANDO, FL

Classic Glass revamped their roster in the offseason in a big way.  Returning is infielder Cameron Cox and super utility man Brandon Traylor but other than those two the entire roster is new.  They brought in some big hitters in 1B Mike Brambilla from OC Swats, 3B Matt Fox (Vivid), Long Haul Bomber Chris Larsen, OF Trey Gilliland (Vivid), and Brian Lipman (Vivid).  To go with the bats, they also added glove men IF AJ Montano (Racks), MI Ryan Goodman (Newbreed) and shortstop Chris Smith (Vivid).  And they topped it off with one of the top pitchers Brandon Jonas (Reds Astros).  The team is managed and sponsored by the Tom Formosa father and son duo who have been one of California's top sponsors for many years.

Outlook: Classic Glass has their deepest roster ever so the expectations are high.  This team has very good offense, more than enough power, and defense where it matters the most – up the middle.  They have stacked their schedule almost exclusively with tournaments where the 6 major teams are going so they should be fine on the points to make the Major World Series but may suffer some short weekends here and there.

Players to Watch:  Jonas at pitcher is a difference maker and the return of Tyler Espland in center field after a year away from the game will be crucial to their success.  Montano and Goodman are known for their spectacular infield plays and always players to watch.

 

P Brandon Jonas and CF Tyler Espland

 


 

#12 Xtreme/Miken – ASP/Athlon (MN-AA)


Colin Baartman      OF
Patrick Ellwanger   OF
Matt McGowan       OF
Cory Hines             INF
Curtis Cornett        INF
Brandon Newman   INF
Toby Letak             INF
Alex Bremer           INF
Joe Skyles              INF
Shannon Smith      INF
Lyf Nimmo            P
Dirk Updike          P
Dustin Palm          C/EH
Todd Newton       C/EH
Seth Brown           UTILITY

Coaches:
Dave Bremer
Dan Bergeron

Scorekeeper:
Mary Bistodeau

Sponsors:
Mike + Vicki McGowan –  Xtreme Cut and Design
Jason Kendrick  –  Miken Sports
Lyf Nimmo –  ASP
Brandon Roberts – Athlon


2017 Schedule:
March 31-April 2 Sin City Classic
April 20-23         HOF Dual
May 5-7              Chattanooga, Tennessee
May 19-21          Euless, Texas
June 2-4             Chicago, IL
June 16-18         Dudley
July 7-9              Smoky
July 14-16          Cincinnati
August 4-6        Columbus
Sept 1-3            Conference Championships
Sept 15-17        AA Worlds
Sept 20-23        Major World Series

Xtreme returns with a pair of outfield pickups in CF Colin Baartman and RF Patrick Ellwanger who come over from Eurotech.  They did lose pitcher Lossen White and center fielder Ben Dunn but added infielders Toby Letak (Steel), and MI Brandon Newman (Eurotech).  Xtreme is managed by Dave Bremer and Dan Bergeron and sponsored by Mike and Vicki McGowan who always have a solid program.

Outlook:  Xtreme will make the Major World Series and have a shot at a Sunday finish at the USSSA 'AA' World.  Last year they finished tied for 5th after losing their first game.  If the pitching comes through Xtreme should be improved over 2016.

Players to Watch:  Lyf Nimmo and Dirk Updike (Eurotech) will have to get it done at pitcher.  The offense will be bolstered by Ellwanger, Baartman, and Cory Hines who also was picked up from Eurotech.  And of course they have one of the best power hitters in the game in Shannon Smith (.742, 53 HR, 140 RBI).  Alex Bremer has found a home it appears at first base, and they have those veteran lineup extenders like Dustin Palm, Todd Newton, and Joe Skyles.  They round out the team with role players LF Matt McGowan, Mr. Hustle Seth Brown, and 2nd year infielder Curtis Cornett.

 

Xtreme picks up fellow Minnesota infielders Brandon Newman and Cory Hines, and outfielders Colin Baartman and Pat Ellwanger from Eurotech

 

 


 

#13 TG/HDLNS/BHR/EASTON (OH-AA)

Ryan Disbennet OF
Cory Newman OF
Evan Gallmeier OF/INF
Ben Cosgrove OF
Adam Kaminski INF
Brandon Bellamy INF
Rocky Staton INF
Cory Large OF
Ryan Noe INF
Jackie Corn INF/OF
Jon Jamison C/AH
Cory Boothe C/OF
Faron Miller P
Roger Drake P

2017 Schedule:
Mojo Moneyball – Columbus, OH
Dual – Kissimmee
Chop Choo – Chattanooga, TN
Hoosier Classic – Columbus, IN
Windy City – Chicago, IL
Smoky – Marysville, TN
Cincinnati, OH
B.A.T.S. – Columbus, OH
Conference Champ
Men's AA
Men's Major

Sponsors:
TG/HDLNS – Ben Cosgrove 
BHR – Rowdy Mott
Easton – Brett Helmer
Moes SW Grill – Nick Cicchinelli (Pure Romance)

TG split away from Reds Astros in the offseason taking their PRI core of players with them.  Ben Cosgroves team much like Ben's play himself gets better every time we see them and I wonder why I have them all the way down at 13th?  The fact is #7 through #13 in this year's Conference rankings are 'AA' teams that are pretty much interchangeable.  The outfield with Ryan Disbennet (Reds), CF Cory Newman (Albicocco), and Evan Gallmeier? who has won 'AA' Worlds twice is strong.  The infield has Ryan Noe (Reds), Brandon Bellamy (Reds), and the hardnosed Rocky Staton (who can also pitch 🙂 ).   Then they added in Adam Kaminski (Linedrive) and the return of Jackie Corn (PRI/Tmade).  At pitcher they went with the veterans Faron Miller who was a USA Future Star and Roger Drake from Mike Foulks Auto Body fame.  But the real strength of the team is the offensive consistency of their catcher/extra hitters Jon Jamison (.752, 60 HR, 160 RBI) who is a "Jeff Wallace" type hitter, and the always underrated Cory Boothe (.757, 65 HR, 181 RBI).

Outlook:  This team will win and have fun doing it.  They could finish as high as 6th or 7th if they get off to a fast start and they will be at all of the big tournaments as they prepare for that USSSA 'AA' World run.  Think about how much fun a TG/HDLNS vs Worth Astros game would be!

Players to Watch: Cory Newman (.702, 58, 180) is a fantastic center fielder who had a breakout year for Albicocco in 2016.  Miller and Drake can more than handle the pitching duties, and most of the players are young enough to continue to get better even within this season.

 

Softballs favorite superhero are back – The "Dynamic Duo" of Brandon Bellamy (Batman) and Rocky Staton (Robin)! 

Did you know superhero is spelled as one word.  I just learned that.

 


 

#14 OC Swats / Semper / Demarini (CA/USA-AA)


Pilar Amaya
Trenzie Campbell
Michael Dill
JD Genter
Mike Mallory
Bryce Oliveira
Timothy "Craig" Richmond
Dustin Roberts
Chris Stamper
Trenton Simms
Paul "China" Winner
Josh Brown
Chris Wilson

Management:
Henri Nuber
Ike Rivers
Tim Taylor

Sponsor: Demarini – Mike Cornell

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS
11TH ANNUAL SPACE CITY CLASSIC  APR 7-9        HOUSTON, TX
HALL OF FAME CLASSIC (DUEL)         APR 20-23    KISSIMMEE, FL
CHOO CHOO CLASSIC                      MAY 5-7       CHATTANOOGA, TN
PEACH STATE                                   MAY 26-28   ATLANTA, GA
BASH ON THE CHESAPEAKE               JUN 9-11      GLEN BURNIE, MD
SOONER INVITATIONAL                   JUN 22-25    TULSA, OK
SMOKY MOUNTAIN CLASSIC             JUL 7-9         MARYVILLE, TN
CINCINNATI MENS MAJOR                 JUL 14-16    CINCINNATI, OH
DEMARINI CLASSIC                           JUL 28-30    CHARLOTTE, NC
LAST CHANCE MAJOR                      AUG 4-6       COLUMBUS, OH (tentative)

USSSA WORLDS/CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
USSSA AA WORLDS                                      KISSIMMEE, FL
USSSA CONF CHAMPIONSHIPS                     KISSIMMEE, FL
USSSA MENS MAJOR (IF QUALIFY)                KISSIMMEE, FL

OC Swats/Semper is a merging of California sponsor Henri Nuber who won the 2015 USSSA 'B' World and military man Ike Rivers who has run Semper the last couple of years.  Both sponsors brought some great players with them.  From the OC Swats side there is outfielder Chris Stamper who also may do some pitching, infielder Pilar Amaya who gets better every year, and professional hitter Dustin Roberts as well as veteran pitcher Paul Winner.  From Semper comes the hard hitting Trenzie Campbell, outfielder Trent Simms, and one of the Conferences leading hitters Mike Mallory (.764, 43 HR, 87 RBI).  The roster is filled out by veteran Mike Dill (Eurotech), the return of former Major players JD Genter and Bryce Oliveira, outfielder Chris Wilson (Above All), and some younger talent.

Outlook: Swats could have quite a middle of the lineup when you think of JD Genter, Roberts, and Mallory.  We shall see how this experiment goes but if all of the players play up to their capabilities they have a shot at the top 12.

Players to Watch:  Mallory had a monster season in 2016 and it should be great to see him get more at bats in 2017.  The team should have some swagger with Campbell on the field and Roberts backing him up!

 

Mike Mallory and JD Genter!

 


 

#15 Nightmare/Miken (MO-AA)

2017 Nightmare/Miken
Zane Trammell    OF
Eli Aguilar    OF
Travis Hulbert    OF
Ben Dunn    OF
Bryan Daniel    OF
Wesley Newell     P
Charlie Hinojosa III INF
Jesse Solomon   INF
Jason Trammell    INF
Nolan Fogle    INF
Steven Zemanek II INF
Billy Maggard    INF
Andre Magallon    P
Josh Collins    INF
Shawn Wrinkle    UTILITY

Nolan Fogle    Sponsor
Jason Kendrick    Miken
David Trammell    Coach
Bengie Ramos    Coach
Brian Mclain    Coach

Nightmare 2017 tentative schedule:
Houston TX
Kissimmee FL
Chattanooga TN
Columbus IN ?
Atlanta GA
Carol Stream IL 
Brooklyn Center MN 
Little Rock AR 
Marysville TN 
Cincinnati OH
Charlotte  NC 
Columbus, OH ???

Nightmare jumped into the offseason free agent market full force and came up with some good ones.  They added Ben Dunn the CF from Xtreme who has huge range and gets better each year, Billy Maggard from Team Combat to add a big bat, and a pair of skilled position "up and comers" from 3rd Street in shortstop Jesse Solomon and outfielder Bryan Daniel.  They also grabbed an IF/OF Travis Hulbert from Steel, and went west to grab OF Eli Aguilar and Charlie Hinojosa from OC Swats.  They return pitcher Wes Newell, the Trammell brothers Zane and Jason, and Steve Zemanek a first baseman who last played Conference with Cash House.  Also Andre Magallon returns as a second pitcher.  Player/Sponsor Nolan Fogle is making a big push with manager David Trammell to make the Major World Series this year.

Outlook: Nightmare has a HUGE Conference schedule with 16 tournaments on it and they field their best team ever.  The Texas law firm of Maggard and Dunn as well as Eli Aguilar who is a 10-year conference veteran should lead the way offensively.  The youth on this team are all capable of stepping up and pushing this team to new heights.

Players to Watch:  Zane Trammell (.745, 64 HR, 154 RBI) had a huge year offensively in 2016.  His brother Jason has one of the better gloves up the middle.  And Charlie Hinojosa (.713, 44 HR, 115 RBI) is a true young talent ready for a big year.

 

Billy Maggard and Ben Dunn lead the Nightmare free agent signings

 


 

#16 KillBombers / Demarini / GS Sports / Hangrite (TX-AA)


Cody Pack – OF
Steel Lewis – OF
Barry Fentiman – OF
Clif Williamson – 3rd
Adam Barberi – SS/MI
John Sullivan – SS/MI
Isaac Gonzalez – 2nd
Tom Crump – 1st
Allan Ouellette – P
Chad Loudon – P
Jason Magnum – C/EH/1st
Jon Kilburn – C/EH
Taylor Albrecht – Utility
Donovan Pokraka
Stephen Cooper
Manny Madrigal – Pinch Hitter
Dan O'brien – Coach

2017 Schedule
Houston – April 7th
HOF Dual – April 20th
Chattanooga – May 5th
Euless – May 19th
Chicago – June 2nd
Smoky – July 7th
Cincy – July 14th
Charlotte – July 28th
Columbus – August 4th

Killbombers is sponsored by Jon Kilburn who has qualified for the Major World Series out of Texas each of the last two years.  His team returns Isaac Gonzales (.718, 37 HR, 91 RBI), Tom Crump (.708, 47 HR, 102 RBI), Taylor Albrecht, and pitcher Stephen Cooper.  But the rest of the team is made up of free agents.  They grabbed the Canadian star Steel Lewis (.705, 45 HR, 104 RBI) from TM Sports, pitcher Allan Ouellette from Eurotech, and pitcher Chad Loudon from Stars.  They also added the left side of the TM Sports infield in 3B Clif Williamson and the smooth fielding SS John Sullivan.  And they grabbed power hitters Jason Magnum (.702, 51 HR, 110 RBI) from 3rd Street and Donovan Pokraka (.657, 38 HR, 127 RBI) from Newbreed.

Outlook: Kilburn has pieced together another top 16 team who can finish higher if anyone ahead of them stumbles.  They also have an aggressive schedule with 10 regular season tournaments and are good enough to break through and finish in the top 4 on any given weekend.

Players to Watch: They have 3 quality pitchers, which raises the question of who will win the most mound time?  Can infielder John Sullivan have an injury free year so we can see that glove shine?  Will Steel Lewis, the fearless left fielder, continue his meteoric rise to the top levels of the game?

 

Jason Magnum and Isaac Gonzalez

 


 

#17 TDB/TM Sports/Midwest Whitetail Adv/Miken (GA-AA)

 
Kyler Kirkland
Brian Titus
Jason Martel
Scotty Langford
Tyler Wilson
Jablonski Jennings(JB)
Brad Sheffield
Nick Sansone
Eddie Bolden
Jeff Bloomer
Seth Ricketson
Dan Norquist
Kevin Johnson
Terry Baggs
Seth Hines

General Manager–Donnie Munford

Sponsors:
Tim Franks (TDB) Tarheel Drilling and Blasting
Cheyenne Brooks–TM Sports
Midwest Whitetail Adventures–Mark Knight
Miken—Jason Kendrick

Coaches/Stats:
Cheyenne Brooks
Chris Calcutt
Stephanie Burlew

2017 Schedule:
March 31- April 2 – Las Vegas, NV
April 20-23          – Kissimmee, FL
May 5-7               – Chatt, TN
26-28                  – Atl, GA
June 22-25          – Kent, WA
July 7-9               – Maryville, TN
July 14-16           – Cinn, OH
July 28-30           – Char, NC
Aug 4-6              – Col, OH
Sept 1-3             – Kiss, FL
Sept 8-10           – WSL PCB, FL
Sept 15-17         – USSSA 'AA' Kiss, FL
Sept 20-23         – USSSA Major Kiss, FL

TDB which is a drilling and blasting company stepped up to help this team form for 2017.  They started with some of the TM Sports regulars from last year like Martel, Langford, Bolden, Bloomer, Ricketson, and Hines.  Then they added in some free agents like pitcher Brian Titus (Albicocco), OF Nick Sansone (Combat), and big Dan Norquist (Stars).  Then they added infielder Tyler Wilson from Bad Draw, and grabbed a pair of top military players in Jablonski Jennings and Brad Sheffield.  And they capped their roster by adding a big bat in Terry Baggs (Backman).  They also have veteran Kevin Johnson as a second pitcher.

Outlook:  General Manager Donnie Munford has taken his time and pieced together a strong team with some free agents that probably feel they have something to prove this year.  A trip to the Major World Series is expected and they have listed a big schedule to accomplish that goal.

Players to Watch:  Baggs, Titus, and Kyler Kirkland are coming from the Major division, can their experience pay off?  Jennings and Sheffield are capable of having breakout seasons and are fun players to watch play this game because of their athleticism for their size.  Wilson, Langford, and Martel are also players that can have impact years and will need to in order for TDB to be successful.

 


 

#18 JBL/Tailgaters/All In/B&E/Worth/Miken (OH-AA)

INF- Tim Sheeler JBL
INF- Charles Cunningham JBL
INF- Billy Lewis JBL
INF- Clayton Shaw Slayer
INF- Aaron Sandoval JBL
INF- Ryan Roppel JBL
INF- Mike Dzanaj JBL
OF – Chris Miller JBL
OF – Brandon Doughty All In
OF – Brian Mays All In
OF – Greg Hawkins All In
OF – Mike Fiorilli JBL
UTILITY- Chris Hoffer JBL
UTILITY- Jamie Simpson JBL
UTILITY- Adam Weimer All In
P  – Jon Dombrowski JBL
P  – Tim Riley All In

Bill Lewis G.M./ Sponsor –  JBL
Mike Paterak Sponsor- Tailgaters
Jay Elkin  Sponsor- B&E
Tom Bradley Manager/Sponsor- All In
Bill Gottschalk  Coach/ Sponsor
Jason Kendrick  Sponsor- Worth/Miken

2017 Schedule:
March 25-26 GSL Moneyball Madness- Columbus OH
April 20-23   Conference Duals -Orlando FL
May 5-7   Chattanooga Major- Chattanooga TN
May 12-14  Columbus Major- Columbus IN
June 2-4  Windy City Major- Chicago IL
June 10-11  Bash at the Peake Major- Glen Burnie MD
June 24-25  GSL King of the Hill- Columbus OH
July 7-9   Smokey Major- Maryville TN
July 14-16  Cincy Major- Cincinnati OH
July 29-30 Big Ding Classic- Pittsburgh PA
Aug 4-6  Last Chance Major- Columbus OH
Sept 16-17  AA World Series- Orlando FL
Sept 20-23  Major World Series -Orlando FL

JBL qualified for the Major World Series in 2016 and thus will have to start 2017 in the 'AA' division and give it a go.  But they did lose their entire outfield and a key player in middle infielder Jesse Young.  So this team may get a TBD (to be determined) classification tag at some point and could wind up playing 'A'.  But they have merged with the 'B' team All In from Pennsylvania and will give it a go with some young and talented players like Chris Hoffer (.716) who was injured much of last year, infielders Jamie Simpson (.680) and Aaron Sandoval (.660), and an underrated pitcher Jonathan Dombrowski.

Outlook:  Losing Young in the middle infield and at the top of the top of the lineup will be hard to replace.  The outfield is also new and less experienced than 'AA' ball requires.  But they have some veteran bats like Charles Cunningham (.717) and Tim Sheeler (.643) that will have to carry some of the load and player/sponsor Bill Lewis always finds new talent and does more than most anyone with "less".

Players to Watch: Veteran pitcher Tim Riley and Dombrowski are bulldogs on the mound.  A healthy Hoffer has mad power with the bat.  And they signed middle infielder Clayton Shaw from Semper who can do a lot of things and brings some good experience.

  

Clayton Shaw and Chris Hoffer

 


 

#19 Bay Area Legends/Miken (CA-A)

Bay Area Legends returns for their second year in the Conference from California after a whirlwind first year that watched them go from the 'C' division to the 'A' division and then all the way to finishing 3rd at the USSSA 'A' Worlds!  They also had that huge upset over Smash It Sports major team in extra innings at the Hall of Fame Classic last April!  Bay Area Legends are sponsored by one of their players Joel Gonzalez and managed by their reserve pitcher Gary Perez.  These two were quick studies and made the necessary adjustments in 2016 to have a breakout season.

Outlook:  Bay Area brings back most of their same players from 2016 and add outfielder Bradley Carlsen who was the leadoff hitter and MVP for the 2015 ASA 'B' champion C-Town/GTS team.  Bay Area should compete for those last available spots to get into the USSSA Major World Series and they are a fun team to watch that never gives up regardless of the opponent.

Players to Watch:  Can Carlsen become the "bus driver" aka leadoff hitter for Bay Area?  The skilled positions have some young talent and veteran pitcher John Brown knows how to engineer upset wins.  Corey Gilbert and Cal Ford provide a lot of the power and Luis Gonzalez reminds one of a young Andrew Collins with his hustle and hard hitting.

 

Brad Carlsen brings a leadoff hitter to Bay Area and pitcher John Brown and shortstop Carlos Vasquez and MI Dameon Smith are key to the defense

 


 

#20 Steel Sports/Powerhouse Sportz/Miken (TX-A)


Kevin Ballard    Inf.
Reno Malay       OF/Inf.
Everett Williams OF
Rodney Fail      P
Jake Runte       Inf.
Matt Vasquez     Inf.
Justin Beal      OF
Nick Shay        Inf.
Encarnacion Guajardo    Inf.
Troy St. Clair   OF
Bobby Mitchell   OF
Mark Cridland   OF
Michael Echeverria   OF
Casey Brown   OF
Nathan Brock     Inf.

Sponsors/Coach:
Steel Sports – Mark Holsonback
Powerhouse Sportz – Kevin Cooper

2017 Schedule
Space City
HOF Dual
Texas Legends
Busch
Smoky
Cajun
Conference Championship
USSSA AA World
USSSA A World

This year will be Steel's 3rd in the Conference and each year they have moved up a classification and each year they add a few more pieces to a good team.  This year they add longtime Racks 1st baseman Kevin Ballard, outfielder Everett Williams who had a brief stint with OC Swats, Justin Beal an outfielder from Nightmare, and Troy St. Clair from Midwest Hearing among others.  They return key players Mark Cridland, big Nick Shay, infielder Matt Vasquez, and veteran pitcher Rodney Fail.  Manager and sponsor Mark Holsonback has put together another winner.

Outlook:  Steel always performs at the top of whatever division they are in and finished 2nd at the USSSA 'B' World a year ago.  The lineup is a little deeper this year and their schedule has a nice mix of big point events and smaller events they will have a chance of winning while staying fairly close to their Texas home.

Players to Watch:  Vasquez (.649), Shay (.691, 51 HR, 135 RBI), and Cridland (.674) are 3 of the more underrated hitters in the Conference.  SS/MI Reno Malay is a raw talent that could be their key to success on both offense and defense.  The additionof Kevin Ballard who played for years with Sonny's extends the lineup.

 


 

#21 Baugh Ford/Adiktiv Sports/Worth/Miken (GA-A)

Tommie Baugh– Pitcher
Brad Blankenship – OF/EH
Jason Gilfillan – OF
Ryan McCrory – 1st /C
John Zorich – OF
Berk Cook – Pitcher
Allen Ponder – OF/1st
Jonathan Rasberry – SS
Ian Sidebottom – Middle
Matt McCraw – 2nd
Carlton Griffin – 1st/C
Michael Olive – Pitcher/EH
Chad Folsom – 3rd
Adam Suhowolak – Utility
Tyler Burrus – Utility

Sponsors:
Tommie Baugh – Baugh Ford
Mike Westfall – Adiktiv Sports
Jason Kendrick  – Worth/Miken Sports
Wes Livingston
Michael Olive

2017 Schedule:
Hall of Fame Classic
Chattanooga
Atlanta
Smoky
Cajun
Maybe Cincinnati
Columbus, Ohio

Tommie Baugh, Wes Livingston, Mike Olive, Mike Westfall, and Carlton Griffin merge to form this new Baugh Ford 'A' team.  They started with the core of the 2016 USSSA 'B' World champion GPO team of pitcher Berk Cook, SS Jonathan Rasberry, 2B Matt McCraw, RF Jason Gillfillan, power hitter Allen Ponder, and Adam Suhowalak.  Then they grabbed free agents 1B Ryan McCrory and Tyler Burris from Adiktiv, IF Chad Folsom (3rd Street), infielder Ian Sidebottom and OF John Zorich from TM Sports.  They capped off the team with Tommie Baugh (Combat/Adiktiv) at pitcher and the veteran Brad Blankenship (Adiktiv).

This team has some good experience and should compete along the lines of the old D2E team from Georgia and have good chemistry out of the gate.  To be top 20 in the points would be an outstanding year and to make the Major would be a perfect year for this team.

Many of the GPO 2016 'B' Champion team are on the new Baugh Ford

 


 

#22 Money/Miken/ASP/A&A/51210Sports (TX-A)


Joshua Bergeron Inf
Brian Bohanon P/Inf
Joe Brown OF
Michael Cirillo OF
Grant Grimmett Inf
Ethan Guinn Inf
Jeremy Horace utility
Larry Juarez P
Joey Marquez Inf
David Miller Inf
Matt Schrage OF
Clay Smitherman C/OF
Ethan Stuckly  Inf
Peter Hernandez
Mike Williams OF

Sponsors:
Art Gonzalez – A&A utility
Lyf Nimmo – ASP nation
Jason Kendrick – Miken sports
Adrian “train” Sanchez
Louie Martinez

2017 Schedule:
April 7-9 space city – houston, tx
April 20-23 HOF Dual – kissimmee, fl
May 5-7 choo choo classic – chattanooga, tn
May 19-21 Texas Legends – Euless, tx
June 2-4 Windy city invitational – Chicago, il
June 23-25 Sooner invitational – tulsa, ok
July 7-9 smoky mountain classic – maryville, tn
July 21-23 cajun classic – carencro, la
August 4-6 columbus bats major – columbus, oh

August 18-20th  A worlds – kissimmee, Fl

Money/Miken is a new Conference 'A' team put together by Art Gonzalez and Brian Bohanon with a Texas flavor to it.  They have a couple of players that played with the USSSA 'C' World champs in 2015 like Bergeron and Bohanon, and then they grabbed free agents from all of the country to fill out the team.  They grabbed OF Mike Cirillo, IF Grant Grimmitt, and 1B David Miller from Above All.  Peter Hernandez from Steel, CF Mike Williams (Bad Draw), Clay Smitherman (Nightmare), Ethan Stuckly (BHR), Matt Schrage (BHR), and their pitcher is Larry Juarez who was with All Out a year ago.

The Conference this year feels like the NFL.  Every team is new or has a completely different roster (except for Backman).  Money/Miken has a top 20 team on paper with a lot of players that have something to prove but there are so many good teams and someone has to finish outside the top 20.

Schrage is fearless in the outfield and Mike Williams covers a lot of ground.  Big Dave Miller (.673, 40, 100 RBI) has been on the cusp of a break out year for awhile now after 10 years in pro baseball.  Smitherman and Stuckly have had success in Conference and if pitcher Larry Juarez can stay healthy and make all the tournaments then this team will find some successes.

 

Matt Schrage and Mike Williams will be roaming the outfield for Money/Miken behind pitcher Larry Juarez

 


 

#23 Primetime/Easton (GA-A)


Adam Baker
LaMarcus Blake
Ira Brown
Earl Bryant
Justin Castleberry
Chivas Clark
Lee Daniels
Dennis Davison
Donta Frazier
Keith Austin
Jerome Godfrey
Ronald Grace
Kenneth Hare
Aaron Jackson
Detorren Means
David Morrow
Reggie Patterson
Bobby Pratt
Jarvis Riggins
Devin Robinson
Nekeyma Wright

Sponsors/Coaches
Tony Goodson
Randy Whitfield
Joseph Casados
Everette Daniels
Russell Starr
Brett Helmer – Easton

2017 Schedule:
March Las Vegas
April Hall of Fame Dual
May Chattanooga
May Atlanta
July Smoky Mountain Classic
July Cincinnati
July North Carolina
July Columbus, Ohio

Tony Goodson's Primetime/Easton team returns to the Conference after a 2016 season where they had no success in league play during the regular season but turned it on in the post season as they beat Nightmare, JBL, Semper, Team Racks, and Eurotech at the USSSA 'A' and 'AA' Worlds.  This years #23 ranking is based on that end of the year success and idea that it will carry through into 2017.  They return 15 players from last years team including 4 that hit over .700 (Jackson, Brown, Bryant, Grace).  Who can forget Ira Browns walk off homer to beat Eurotech at the 'AA' last fall and the 11-3 lead they had on Line Drive early in the 'AA' semifinals!  Within this team is the ability to win in Conference play and the return of Nekeyma Wright from Bad Draw, the addition of Ken Hare from Vivid, and a full year of left handed bat Chivas Clark should help.  They did lose longtime standout infielder Tony Mack and their middle infielder Jerblonski Jennings that are tough players to replace.

 

Ira Brown hits a walkoff homer at the 'AA' Worlds.  This is the Primetime we want to see every weekend.  The one that almost made the 'AA' Finals!

 


 

#24 Bad Draw/B&B/Broughton Pharm/BAF/Worth (NC-A)

Robert Blackburn
Eric Bunn
Matt Bunn
John Dutch
David Forbes
Cory Franklin
Jaime Hernandez
Chris Isennock
CJ Jacinto
Luke Jones
Jesse Maloney
Tyler Marshburn
Konata Owens
Brent Powers 
Justin Taylor
Sport Williams
Coaches: 
Chris Alphin  
Toby Williams

Sponsors:
Bunn Paint and Remodel (Barry Bunn)
Wesley's Housing Center (Brandon Cashwell)
Broughton Pharmacy (John Dutch)
Worth Sports (Jason Kendrick)
BAF Sports (Cory Boothe)

2017 Tournament Schedule:
April USSSA Hall of Fame Dual
May USSSA Chattanooga, TN
May USSSA Atlanta, GA
June USSSA Maryland
July USSSA Smoky
July USSSA North Carolina
August USSSA 'A' World
September USSSA Conference Championship

Bad Draw sponsors Brandon Cashwell and John Dutch have teamed with B&B's Barry Bunn and Chris Alphin to start a new Conference team.  The big name of course is former Conference Offensive MVP Robert Blackburn but they also have David Forbes, Dutch,  Owens, infielder CJ Jacinto, Tyler Marshburn, and Jaime Hernandez from last years Bad Draw team.  And the Bunn brothers, the big guys Cory Franklin and Jesse Maloney, as well as Brent Powers (Lee's brother), and others have multiple years of Conference experience.  This team could finish anywhere from 18 to 30 much like the rest of the good A/B teams, just depends on whether or not they can pull some upsets and win a Maryland, Atlanta, or NC?  Keep an eye on Forbes who should have a big year.

 

If the Bad Draw offense is successful, expect Robo and Forbes to be in the middle of it.

 


 

#25 All Out/Klutch/Worth/MVP Sports (TX-A)

Jordan Blanchette is also on the roster

All Out enters the Conference for the 2nd year in a row with a core of players from 2016 team that finished 18th in the points standings and won both the Arkansas Major (The Busch) and the Cajun Major.  They were 2-3 vs 'A' teams and 10-4 vs 'B' teams overall last season.  Some of the teams leading hitters Manny Galvan, Landon Wilkinson, and Patrick Rubio return but overall this team can be considered a new team "roster wise" and they have picked up free agents from both within their home state of Texas and have ventured outside the state as well.  They picked up Jonathan Lenz from Texas who last played shortstop for Backman at the Major level before taking a year off.  They grabbed MI/OF Nick Mitschke who spent a year with OC Swats.  They picked up former Adiktiv outfielder Brandon Hooks from Alabama, and a trio of Florida free agents – Kyndrich Doggett (Adiktiv), SS Jeff Roxby (Shirt Doctors), and OF Antonio Sepulveda (Newbreed).  Add to this an underrated pitcher Mark Corey and Ethan Dillon who has played with Steel, Brandon Patzig and some other new names and you could have yourself another top 20 team.  Although with 6 Major teams and as many as 12 AA teams it will be hard for true A teams to crack the top 20 this year, we do know some team will and that someone could be All Out!  Sepulveda, Mitschke, Lenz are particularly interesting softball talents who could flourish in the right situation.  All Out is put together and managed by Curtis Day and Brandon Miller and their schedule is a nice mix of big point tournaments and smaller events they have shown the ability to win.

 

Jonathan Lenz and Antonio Sepulveda look to boost All Out into the top 20!

 


 

#26 Cornerstone/Buffalo Wings & Rings/Reds/Worth/Miken (KY-A)

C/EH Shaun Ballard
OF Adam Shoopman
IF Josh Fryman
IF/OF Wally Maybrier
C/EH/1B Alonzo Feilds 
OF Brian Bradler
IF/OF Travis Redmon
IF/OF Clint Fox
MI Heath Barnes
IF Josh Smith
Kyle Bowers
P Rick Sills
SS Chris Berry
P Anthony Mattix

Coach – Lou Mongelli
Coach – Rodney Falls
Coach – Red Moore 
Coach/Stats – Chuck May
Sponsor – Cornerstone – Jeff Daup
Sponsor – Buffalo Wings & Rings – Craig Tincher
Sponsor – Reds – Red Moore
Sponsor Worth/Miken – Jason Kendrick 

2017 Tournament Schedule:
April USSSA Hall of Fame Dual
May USSSA Chattanooga
May USSSA Columbus, IN
June USSSA Chicago
July USSSA Smoky
July USSSA Cincinnati
August USSSA Columbus, Ohio
August USSSA 'A' World

Cornerstone/Buffalo Wings & Rings returns to the Conference for their 2nd year in a row.  This team is put together by Shaun Ballard and will have managing input from veterans Lou Mongelli, Rodney Falls, and the great Red Moore who spent many years with Red's Astros.  Veteran pitcher Rick Sills who was away from the game for a few years and returned late in 2016 will do the pitching and veterans Ballard, Fryman, Shoopman, and newly acquired Wally Maybrier will try to provide leadership for the youngsters on this team.  The good news for Cornerstone is they can drive to all of the big events except for Florida.  The bad news is that every tournament they will go to except for Columbus, Indiana will have 6 major teams present so there could be some short weekends.  Circle Columbus, Indiana on the schedule in May and lets see if this team has taken a step forward and it will give us a chance to see who some of these young players are.

 

 

 


 

#27 Pure Sports/Honey Badgers (SC-A)

2017 Tournament Schedule:
April USSSA Las Vegas
April USSSA Houston
April USSSA Hall of Fame Dual
May USSSA Chattanooga
May USSSA Columbus, IN
May USSSA Atlanta
June USSSA Chicago
July USSSA Smoky
July USSSA Cincinnati
August USSSA Columbus, Ohio
August USSSA 'A' World

Pure Sports Technologies is a softball uniform and apparel company that has produced a new one piece bat made in the USA.  They have moved their team up from the 'C' division where they won 3 tournaments and finished 5th at USSSA worlds and they have added veteran pitcher Donald "Buckshot" Plaisance, and some players with Conference experience like 1B Chris Carr (Magic), MI Tanai Alston (All In), OF Ryan Czyz (Compound), OF Jared Hunt (Classic Glass), OF/IF Matt Tindell (Bad Draw), and Josh Wright from HGC.  They have a big schedule so should score points to finish higher than 27th in the point standings and have the potential to have good chemistry and even reach the top 18.  I really had no idea where to rank this team but they should be a fun team to follow through their ups and downs this year.

 

Chris Carr and Donald Plaisance

 

 


 

#28 Seminoles/TPS/NACSF.Inc/Miken (OK-A)


Jared Kennemer
Trey Gothard
Derrick Roland
Ray Leyba
Jd Harris
Mark Cochran
Mike Brewster
Brandon Raines
Scott Short
Terrin Thrash
Harley Page
Matt Cochran
Oliver Odle
Cody McCarter
Dusty Brown
Mike Boone

Sponsors:
TPS / NACSF.INC- Tony and Paula Sanchez

Miken- Jason Kendrick

Schedule:
Space City- Houston, TX
Usssa hall of fame dual- Kissimmee FL
Texas Legends- Euless, TX
Dudley- Brooklyn Center, MN
Sooner Invitational- Tulsa, OK
Busch Classic- Little Rock, AR
Columbus- Columbus, OH

Seminoles hail from out their in ASA country and for years they have stepped up and played in the ASA 'A' and ASA 'B' and at times competed well.  Last fall you may recall they took the H. Auto team at the ASA 'A' to extra innings.  There aren't a lot of big names on this team as they venture into the Conference.  Derrick Roland played with Taylormade a few years ago, lefty Trey Gothard was with Nightmare last year playing 1st base and pitcher, and infielder Scott Short and 3rd baseman TD Thrash have played in the conference as well.  It looks like the team will have a regional schedule and travel to the Florida Dual and Columbus, Ohio which should really give this team a feel for what they need to work on in the future.  But plan on these guys pulling a few upsets along the way!

Derrick Roland pounds a homer vs H. Auto at the ASA's

 


 

#29 Fence Brokers Inc/Worth (AR-A/B)


Lane Ballard
Ben Boyette
Jason Bridges
Kevin Bryant
Brian Bryles
Matt Buie
Pat Burton
Justin Holt
John Wayne Hughes
Zach Keene
Jason McCrary
Ben  Nelson
Matt Smith
Matt  Spradlin
Bubba  Tuggle
Chris Walker
Carl  West
Bobby McGhee – COACH
Ronnie Moore – COACH/SPONSOR
Joey Powell – COACH

SPONSORS:
Fence Brokers Inc
Ronnie Moore – J & R Logistics
Jason Kendrick – Worth

2017 Schedule:
Houston
Hall of Fame Dual
Chattanooga
Euless
Tulsa
Little Rock
Smoky
Carencro, Louisiana

Fence Brokers is back in 2017 with a different team than in the past.  After winning the 2015 USSSA 'A' World (now the 'AA') FBI sponsor/player/hall of famer Chris Walker took a year where he coached 3rd base for the Resmondo Major team and also won the 2016 Toys for Tots tournament and some of the senior worlds.  Chris is back this year taking the Mayhem/J&R Logistics/Miken 'B' team from Arkansas that went 70-25 and won 10 area tournaments a year ago and added longtime FBI shortstop Pat Burton, professional hitter Zach Keene (FBI and Vivid), and veteran pitcher Jason Bridges.  Burton played with Linedrive last year but missed half a season with an injury.  Keene had over a .700 onbase percentage for Vivid while keeping it in the park, and Bridges has pitched for FBI and had stints with other top 'AA' and 'A' teams the last couple of years.  What impact can 4 veterans of the Conference wars have on a 'B' team that finished tied for 17th out of 70?  We shall see and this team may end up TBD (to be determined) as far as class before its all said and done.  Depends how the rest of the 'B' division looks.

 

One of FBI's recent senior championships

 


 

#30 Premier/4thWith/Easton (OH-A/B)

Clay Norton-OF
Ryan Uckotter-OF
Brad Bruns-OF
Josh Ashcraft-3B
Jordan Rosenbalm-SS
Pat Foster-MI
Brock Morrison-2B
Drew Smith-1B
Brian Lakes-P
Chuck Lack-C/EH
Mychael Evans- Utility
Dustin Hinken-Utility
Dan Feichtner-OF
Billy Back- OF/INF
Aaron Brewster- Coach
Kevin Forwith- Coach
Bear Alfrey- Coach/Stats
Tony Lack- Coach

SPONSORS:
Kevin Forwith-Premier
Tina Forwith-4thWith Company
Brett Helmer-Easton Sports

Schedule:
April 20-23- USSSA Dual- Kissimmee, FL
April 28-30- Circle City-Indianapolis, IN
May 5-7 – Choo Choo Classic- Chattanooga, TN
May 12-14- Hoosier Classic- Columbus, IN
June 2-4- Windy City- Carol Stream, IL
July 7-9- Smoky Mountain – Maryville, TN
July 14-16 – Cincy Major- Cincinnati, OH
August 4-6 – Columbus Bats- Columbus, OH

Premier joins the Conference after a big year in 2016 in the 'B' division where they finished 3rd at the 72 team USSSA 'B' Worlds.  The team is young and athletic and the offense is led by big second baseman Brock Morrison and the defense is led pitcher Brian Lakes and middle infielders Jordan Rosenbalm and Pat Foster.  This team will be able to drive to everything except the Florida Dual and Worlds.  They are one of those "scrappy" teams that can play against any level of team and they had a penchant for winning some of the bigger non conference open tournaments throughout their region last year and usually play a lot of softball.  Manager Kevin Forwith and his Premier and 4thWith moving companies (Cincinnati area) are the primary sponsors and Kevin and Dan Feichtner run the show.  This is a fun team to watch if you are ever out at a tournament near them. 

 

 


 

#31 Rebel Sports/Game On/Dirty Sports/Hangrite (MI-A/B)

JJ Schimizzi
Corey McMahon
Sean Richardson
Bryan Goins
Brett Melton
Joe Dorton
Danny Evans
Mike Newsted
Shannon Green
Trent Sizemore
Dan Steingraber
Robert Hendren
Kevin Raisor
James Smith
Ryan Galiher
Nate Aldora
David Perez

Coaches: Mike Rosenthal and Craig Riddle


2017 Tentative Schedule:
Houston
Dual (?????)
Indianapolis
Columbus, Indiana
Chicago
Tulsa or King of the Hill (same weekend)
Cincinnati
Columbus, Ohio
A Worlds (?????)
B Worlds

Rebel returns to the Conference after finishing 31st in points last year and 17th at the USSSA 'B' Worlds.  They will be led by veteran hitters Joe Dorton formerly, Shannon Green, Bryan Goins , and Brett Melton.  Pitcher Danny Evans who won 'A' Worlds with Bear Hollow last year is listed, I know he "retired" so how much he plays this year is yet to be seen.  Trent Sizemore and Mike Newsted were two of their leading hitters a year ago and they return but they lost Charlie Lenhard, Tom Luna, Brian Puckett, and Brian Blay among others.  The group that put this team together – Schmizzi, Rosenthal, and Riddle could definitely get this team to rally around Danny Evans at pitcher when he plays and can piece together a solid lineup.
 

 


 

#32 Worsham/BF Cattle/Athlon/Worth/Miken (NC-A/B)

Freddie Bynum

2017 Tentative Schedule:
Houston TX
Florida Dual
Chattanooga Tn
Atlanta Ga
Maryville Tn
Cincinnati Oh
Charlotte NC
Columbus Oh

A or B Worlds

Worsham returns to the conference with a team which is a mix of some of the SFI/Sals players, Worshams, and some Conference Free Agents like infielders Richard Salazar (R&M Metals) and Tony Flores (NW Combat), pitcher Shawn Jones (Dirty Demarini and others), and their big free agent pickup MI/CF Freddie Bynum who came up with Bad Draw.  This team could very well be better than the #32 ranking I am giving them here, time will tell.  It is also a merging of two of the better sponsors from the southeast in Sonny Worsham and Todd Boothe. 

 


 

#33 Wiley's Supreme (FL-B)

2017 Wiley’s Supreme Miken/Worth (FL)
James Curtis
Paul Jackson
Cam Newhouse
Oscar Pajon
Chris Pannullo
Juan Resto
Adam Sherman
Robby Stinton
Nery Tijerino
Joey Tirrell
Adam Yunker
Shawn Zipperer

Coach/Sponsors:
Rick Wiley – Wiley’s Wholesale
Jr Nocera – Supreme Collision

2017 Schedule:
Space City – Houston, TX
Hall of Fame – Kissimmee, FL
Choo Choo – Chattanooga, TN
Peach State – Atlanta , GA
Cajun Classic – Carencro, LA
Conference Championships – Kissimmee, FL
A Worlds – Kissimmee, FL

B Worlds – Kissimmee, FL

The Wiley's sponsors Rick Wiley and J.R. Nocera have been around the conference for many years now but don't normally join.  Remember back about 5 years ago their Wiley's team had that huge upset over GTL at the Atlanta Major and last year a Wiley's team similar to this years team finished 3rd at the Houston Major going 5-2.  Wiley's is a talented team that should be towards the top of the 'B' division and they are from Florida.  We see a number of names on the roster with some conference experience.   James Curtis once ran center field for Suncoast.  Zipperrer, Yunker, Stinton, and Newhouse are names that I recognize.  This will be a solid team playing a southeastern regional schedule that should have a decent record against 'A' teams as well and should compete to get into the "money" in the top 30.

 


 

#34 L & S Glass/GTS/Worth (CA-B)

2017 Tentative Schedule:
Sin City Classic – Vegas
Space City Classic – Houston
All American – Reno
Rose City Major – Portland
Seattle Dual Major – Kent
Golden State Major – Perris
Border Battle – Portland
Cajun Classic MAYBE
A or B Worlds depending on how we end up being ranked.

L & S Glass is a 'B' team from San Jose, California that has flirted with the Conference the past two seasons.  They are known for their upset of Fence Brokers and Magz Premier at the 2015 Houston Major when Glass was just a 'D' team.  It looks like the core of that team is now getting a shot at the Conference and a nice west coast schedule.  They have dusted off veteran hitters Joey Smith who last played for teams like Classic Glass, Northwest Combat, and Combat and took a few years off and Brian Fong who played with SBS and most recently GTS.  This team is sort of the Wiley's of the west and continue to improve every year.  The GTS sponsor Beau Hamilton who has been with Newbreed is also with L & S Glass now.

 

Matt Imwalle hits a walk off homer to beat Magz.  L&S Glass team picture in 2015 at the Houston Major

 


 

Teams 35-39

In no particular order I have teams 35-39 who are 'C' teams moving up to 'B' and have very few players with Conference experience.  As we have seen in recent years this doesn't mean these teams will actually end up at the bottom of the rankings, just more that we don't know much about these teams.  TG Brand is listed in this group because they were a Conference 'B' team last year but have not turned in their roster yet so we will rank them once they turn in a roster.  TG Brand could be an 'A' team as they have some good Conference experience, players with higher level experience, and were one of the top 'B' teams in 2016.

 



Insidious/Berserk Athletics (OK-B)

JC Chaisson
Mac Farris
John Glenn
Chad Helton
Dan Holcomb
Scott Krutel
Eric Moore
Alex Pando
Eric Pando
Chris Robertson
Jordan Ross
Jeremy Guess
Justin Steelmon
Billy Waltrip
Trey Branscum
Ricky Reeves
Logan Wysong

Lance Riggs (Coach)

2017 Schedule:
Space City Classic
Circle City Classic
Texas Legends
Dudley/Budweiser
Sooner Invitational
Busch Classic
Cajun Classic
USSSA 'B' World
USSSA 'AA' World

Insidious from Oklahoma joins the Conference for the first time this year after winning 5 C/D type tournaments in 2016.  This year they have already played 2 offseason tournaments and scored a win over Nightmare in the North Texas Winter Worlds.  Insidious will play a regional schedule and it looks like they will try to play the USSSA AA worlds the weekend before the B Worlds at the end of the season in Florida.  This is a team we cannot properly rank because we don't know much about them but should find out quickly at the Space City Classic in Houston in early April.

 


 

Honey Badgers/Softball Fans/Miken/Evil Sports (MI-B)

Honey Badgers has joined the 2017 Conference from Portage, Michigan.  In 2016 they finished 33rd at the USSSA 'C' World, 13th at the GSL 'C' World, and won 3 Open events during that season.  The team has a jam packed schedule with 21 tournaments listed and open up Conference play at the Hall of Fame Dual where we will be able to better evaluate if this team will make any noise in the Conference.  Whether they do or do not, the grueling schedule they have should prepare them for the 4 post season tournaments they have listed!  Welcome to the show!

 



Maroadi Transfer/SIS/Worth (PA-B)
Eian Banks- OH
Thomas Bilger- PA
Aaron Brown- PA
Erik Curry- MD
Khristian Geraci- PA
Dave Durso Jr.- PA
Aaron Finlay- OH
Josh Fyffe- OH
Don McDuffee- PA
Randy Rankin- PA
Mark Shaffer- PA
Cole Taylor- PA
Clair Traxler- PA
David Traxler- PA
Clayton Farrar- OH
Eric Groff- PA
Mike Hanlon- PA
Ryan Morris- PA
Rudy Nagy- WV

Team Owner and Manager is Joseph Baney
Assistant Manager is Don Nania

2017 Schedule:
April 20-22   Orlando, Florida
May 12-14    Columbus, Indiana
June 9-11     Glen Burnie, Maryland
July 14-16    Cincinnati, Ohio
August 4-6   Columbus, Ohio

Erik Curry who played Conference with CGR in the past will be with Maroadi

Maroadi Transfer based out of Pennsylvania dips their toe back into the Conference after a year off.  The team will play a regional Conference schedule for the most part to see how it goes.  

 



Tradesmen/Elite (UT-A)

Sponsors:
Tradesmen Staffing: Joe Visser 
SavOn Sports: Justin Nakaishi 
Elite Sports: Jose Vega

Tradesmen/Elite joins the Conference out of Utah.  This is another brand new team to the league so we don't know much about them although we know there is a ton of talent in that area of the country that has had great success at the lower level world tournaments over the past 5 years.  So kudos to these guys for stepping up and playing an aggressive west coast schedule with 4 big tournaments listed for the end of the season in the east.  We should know more about this team quickly in Las Vegas at the end of March.

 


 

TG Brand Easton (MI-A/B)

Listing this team down here because they have not turned in a roster for evaluation

 


 

 Here is the fan vote for top Conference A/B teams!


 

2017 Conference Make Up (39 teams):
 6 Major Teams
12 'AA' Teams
12 'A' Teams
  9 'B' Teams

2016 Conference Make Up (40 teams):
 5 Major Teams
11 'AA' Teams
12 'A' Teams
12 'B' Teams

2015 Conference Make Up (46 teams):
 6 Major Teams
12 'A' Teams
20 'B' Teams
 8 'C' Teams

2014 Conference Make Up (53 teams):
 4 Major Teams
 9 'A' Teams
23 'B' Teams
17 'C' Teams

2013 Conference Make Up (47 teams):
 4 Major Teams
 8 'A' Teams
20 'B' Teams
15 'C' Teams

2012 Conference Make Up (41 teams):
 4 Major Teams
 9 'A' Teams
21 'B' Teams
 7 'C' Teams

2011 Conference Make Up (38 teams):
 4 Major Teams
10 'A' Teams
20 'B' Teams
 4 'C' Teams

2010 Conference Make Up (34 teams):
 2 Major Teams
11 'A' Teams
15 'B' Teams
 5 'C' Teams
 1 'D' Team

 

 

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