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Michigan "Last Chance" Major tournament preview!

Michigan "Last Chance" Major

August 3-5, 2012

Tournament Preview

All of the main fields are 300 foot with 6 foot high fences

The Michigan "Last Chance" Major will be played this Friday-Sunday, August 3-5 in Sterling Hts just outside of Detroit at the Liberty Park of America.  The tournament was named the "Last Chance" because in the old days of softball you had to be the highest finishing team that did not have a berth to get to the Major World Series.  Today, the "Last Chance" moniker still fits because it is the last chance for Nationwide Conference USSSA teams to score points and finish in the top 16 to be awarded a Major World Series berth.

Teams that finish in the top 16 also get to play in the Conference Championships which are used as a 7th tournament for points which could further affect a team's seeding for the World Series.

There are 19 conference teams and 32 teams overall in the tournament including all 4 Major teams.  There are also 11 teams still fighting for the last 4 spots in the Major World Series points standings.

In other words a huge weekend for a lot of teams.

The tournament weekend kicks off on Friday night with first round games at 6:30 PM and 7:45 PM followed by the traditional home run derby.  Play resumes on Saturday morning at 8 AM with a big round of winners bracket games at 11 AM.

The main fields with some HR distances posted

The home run derby, semi-finals, and finals will be broadcast on http://www.linedrivesportz.com/buzz/

I will have my camera with me, but we'll have to play it by ear on what if anything I can broadcast.  Depends on power and internet.  The chat room will be up at SoftballCenter.com all weekend to keep you informed.  I won't be at the tournament until Saturday morning.

Let's take a look at the bracket:

In the top quarter of the bracket should be a Demarini/Dirty vs Shoppe rematch to go to the final 4.  Stevie Allen who played with Dirty all year is now replacing the injured Robert Blackburn in the Shoppe outfield.  However this part of the bracket like most others has 3 teams fighting to get into the World Series.  PRI takes on Reds Astros on Saturday morning in a big point's battle.  Headhunters should get by their opener on Friday night and meet Shoppe on Saturday morning.  I'll take Reds to beat PRI and Dirty to beat Shoppe to go to the final 4.

With 8 of the top 10 teams in the nation in this bracket, it will be tough for the lower ranked teams that are in desperate need of points to earn them with more than 1 or 2 wins in the winner's bracket.  I think the teams in need of points are going to have to do it in the loser's bracket unless they can string more than one major upset together early in the tournament.

In the second quarter of the bracket Buzini, Sonny's, and TG United fight for points and try to get by major teams Team Combat and Laservision.  I'll take Team Combat over Buzini (should be a great game) and Laservision over Sonny's but let's face it, once again Buzini and Sonny's are playing for a whole lot more than Combat and LV are.  I'll take Laservision over Combat to make the final 4.

In the third part of the bracket Nordkap/Desert Falls should handle P&P and Team 454 to make the final 4.  B&B and P&P fighting desperately for points will try to pull the upsets.

I don't see the local non-conference teams winning any games against Conference opponents.

In the final part of the bracket Resmondo should beat Westshore and Line Drive to make the final 4.

My final picks:
1) Resmondo-specialty tank worth – they don't have much to play for but they don't give in
2) Demarini/dirty/3n2/atwldesigns – Chris Larsen joins the team and the heat and late winners games play into their favor
3) Team 454/Emerald/Worth – 454 turns it up a notch in the big tournaments
4) Laservision/anni/supr/d2/easton
Tied for 5th) Nordkap/desert falls/easton
Tied for 5th) SHOPPE / TEAM TPS / ELITE

I will re-post the point standings article later today.  It will show what teams need to do to get into the Major World Series!

Link to the 2011 Michigan Major report

The weather will be hot and rainy (which could mean fog)



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