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2014 USSSA B World tournament report!

 

 

 

 

2014 USSSA 'B' World Tournament

 

Kissimmee, FL

 

September 12-14

 


Precision/Easton is your 2014 'B' World champs!

 

Link to the Softballcenter.com picture album of the B World

 

USSSA B World tournament info and bracket link

 

Xtreme/Miken's Kyle Decker leads things off in the championship vs Precision/Easton

The 2014 USSSA 'B' World Series played out as expected as the #1 seeded Precision/Easton based out of Chicago, Illinois rolled through the field of 31 teams almost without breaking a sweat in the 85 degree heat and humidity.  

The tournament began on Friday afternoon at 3 PM and the games were hotly contested with very few run rules and except for the night games and a few games where the wind was blowing out, the scores were very low.  Some of the Friday games of note were Pure Romance from Ohio knocking off Sonny's 11-4 in the first round matchup between two of the favored teams to win the event.  Pure Romance then turned around and knocked off OC Swats from California 24-14.  H Auto from Minnesota smashed Vivid from Texas by the run rule 30-10 with the wind blowing out on field #1.  A highly talented 'C' team from Georgia called New Era knocked off one of the favorites 3rd Street from Ohio 16-14 and then turned around and knocked off H. Auto 14-13.  In both games the New Era team led most of the way.  Highly seeded TG Brand out of Michigan was impressive in wins over a local C team and then beating New Breed 33-15 to advance to the final 8.  Non-Conference 'B' team T's 13 from Nebraska beat B&B Drywall from Missouri 8-7 and Broughton from Georgia 27-24 with great defense and timely hitting.  On Saturday morning P&P 333 from Michigan shocked Classic Glass to advance to the final 8, Above All Landscape continued to play well in beating a roster depleted B&B Diamond & Ice team, and Xtreme upset #2 seeded OI Livingston 19-8 to advance to the final 8.

The final 8 was played out on Saturday afternoon with the temperature rising and runs hard to come by.  Precision squeaked by Pure Romance 16-14 for what would be their only close game.  TG Brand held on in an ugly win over upstart New Era 15-14.  T's 13 held off P&P 333 21-18, and Xtreme/Miken continued to play well with a big win over Above All Landscape 15-9.

That set up the final 4 which USSSA had livestreaming on ESPN3.com!  At 5 PM the favored #1 seeded Precision/Easton came out with a 12 spot in the first inning on TG Brand and used their pitching and defense the rest of the way to win 14-6.  And in the other semi-final Xtreme/Miken completely shut down T's 13/Demarini 10-3.  Xtreme center fielder Dan Skelly made a couple of incredible diving catches which were sent to ESPN to see if they would make the Top 10 plays of the day.  In the winner's bracket final Precision and Xtreme exchanged 3 run homers early on with Xtreme taking an early lead on big homers by Dustin Palm, Mike Rhines, and left fielder Matt McGowan but Precision pulled away in the 5th when they batted around the order.  Leadoff man Matt Rear, 2 man and power hitter Chris Geron, 3 hitter Keith Laski, and 4 hitter Seth Burgmeier were lacing line drives and home runs all over the park.  And whatever they left on the bases seemed to be cleared off by Denis Fisher.  The defense held steady even when the air started to cool off and the ball started to fly and Precision won the game 29-19.

On Sunday morning Sonnys took on Pure Romance in the loser's bracket semi-final.  The two teams traded great defensive plays in a low scoring start.  Sonny's right fielder Alexis Ramirez made a nice diving catch in the 2nd inning.  Pure Romance 2nd baseman Steve Edwards returned the favor by making a nice diving stop in the 3rd.  And Pure Romance led 7-6 after 5 complete innings.  But in the top of the 7th Sonnys Alexis Ramirez, Kevin Ballard, and Dan Bean hit big homers in a 15 run 6th inning where Sonnys scored 13 runs before the first out to take a 21-7 lead.  Pure Romance third baseman Jason Ferguson sparked a comeback in the bottom of the 6th to cut the lead to 21-14 but Sonnys Ramirez made a nice sliding catch to end the inning.  Sonny's would add a 4 runs in the top of the 7th to advance 25-15.

Sonny's then took on Xtreme/Miken in the loser's bracket championship.  Xtreme jumped on Sonny's early and often with homers by Mike Rhines, Chris Bauer, and Alex Bremer.  They mixed in some great hockey goalie type defense from pitcher Aaron Lewicki, and some more diving catches by center fielder Dan Skelly.  Sonny's tried to hang tough but Xtreme finished them with more home runs from Kyle Decker, Dustin Palm, and Mike Rhines 25-8.

In the championship game a fresh and confident Precision team dominated Xtreme/Miken from start to finish and the game was over as quickly as it began with Precision winning 17-2 by the run rule in 5 innings.

USSSA 'B' World Championship game

Xtreme/Miken vs Precision/Easton

Precision/Easton finishes celebrates their 'B' World Title

 

TG Brand defends against Precision on ESPN3.com in the winner's bracket semi-final

The best game of the tournament was the Pure Romance 26-25 win over Classic Glass on Saturday night

Sonny's takes on Pure Romance in the first round on Friday.

PRI would win but Sonny's would fight all the way back through the loser's bracket

and send PRI home on Sunday morning.

Checking takes on B&B Drywall on Saturday morning

 


 

Video Highlites brought to you by:

 

 


 

USSSA 'B' World Awards and Final Standings

Co-MVP's were Keith Laski and Bryan Porter of Precision/Easton

Defensive MVP was Andy Vitcak of Precision/Easton

I don't see the offensive mvp listed from Xtreme yet

Player Tournament Awards Players Name Plays For
All Tournament Team Jason Kreider Sonny's
All Tournament Team Jonathan Wheeler Sonny's
All Tournament Team Kyle Decker Xtreme/Miken
All Tournament Team Michael Rhines Xtreme/Miken
All Tournament Team Denis Fisher Precision/Easton
All Tournament Team Henry Castor Pure Romance/Chics/Headlines/Easton
All Tournament Team Matt McGowan Xtreme/Miken
All Tournament Team Dan Skelly Xtreme/Miken
All Tournament Team RYAN THIEDE Precision/Easton
All Tournament Team Alex Bremer Xtreme/Miken
All Tournament Team Jeff Keske Precision/Easton
All Tournament Team Jimmy Carter Pure Romance/Chics/Headlines/Easton
All Tournament Team Seth Burgmeier Precision/Easton
All Tournament Team Matthew Rear Precision/Easton
All Tournament Team Samuel Christensen Sonny's
Place State Team Team
Class
Wins Loses Ties Runs
Scored
Runs
Allow
Avg
Runs
Avg
Allow
Avg
Diff
Max
Runs
USSSA
Points
1 IL – Chicago Precision/Easton SPMensB 5 0 0 93 42 18.6 8.4 10.2 29 650
2 MN – Brooklyn Center Xtreme/Miken SPMensB 5 2 0 113 82 16.1 11.7 4.42 25 350
3 WY – Casper Sonny's berth SPMensB 7 2 0 181 122 20.1 13.5 6.55 31 325
4 OHO – Cincinnati pure romance/chics/headlines/easton SPMensB 5 2 0 124 103 17.7 14.7 3 26 250
5 NE – Omaha T's13/DeMarini SPMensB 3 2 0 70 81 14 16.2 -2.2 27 225
5 MI – Flint TG Brand SPMensB 3 2 0 64 63 12.8 12.6 0.20 33 200
7 CAN – San Jose Classic Glass/Easton SPMensB 4 2 0 131 93 21.8 15.5 6.33 31 150
7 NJ – rahway Above All Landscaping/GWS SPMensB 3 2 0 78 65 15.6 13 2.6 19 150
9 MO – Branson nightmare/louisville slugger SPMensB 3 2 0 52 42 10.4 8.4 2 14 110
9 GA – FAYETTEVILLE oi livingston/scott's lawn care/mwa SPMensB 3 2 0 66 64 13.2 12.8 0.39 23 110
9 MI – Lansing p&p333/suburban/clutch/lt/combat SPMensB 2 2 0 61 68 15.2 17 -1.7 18 110
9 GA – Blackshear New Era SPMensC 2 2 0 47 57 11.7 14.2 -2.5 16 110
13 OHS – Huber Heights Cooper/Yuengling/Easton SPMensB 2 2 0 53 45 13.2 11.2 2 22 70
13 OHO – West Chester 3rd street/louisville slugger/mojo SPMensB 2 2 0 51 48 12.7 12 0.75 21 70
13 GA – Macon broughton/nls/turk auto/br/easton SPMensB 2 2 0 72 72 18 18 0 24 70
13 NC – Greenville Bad Draw SPMensB 1 2 0 25 49 8.33 16.3 -8 11 70
17 MN – Le Sueur h. auto llc/easton/hooters moa SPMensB 1 2 0 58 41 19.3 13.6 5.66 30 40
17 OHN – Mentor CashHouse/ Nager Law SPMensB 1 2 0 20 35 6.66 11.6 -5 9 40
17 WA – Bothell West Coast Newbreed/Worth SPMensB 1 2 0 33 51 11 17 -6 15 40
17 CT – New Haven ChecKing/Worth SPMensB 1 2 0 59 61 19.6 20.3 -0.6 30 40
17 CAS – Yorba Linda oc swats/miken/premier athletics SPMensB 1 2 0 42 60 14 20 -6 18 40
17 GA – Macon Primetime/Easton SPMensB 1 2 0 47 49 15.6 16.3 -0.6 32 40
17 WA – Tacoma Team Monarch Qualified SPMensB 0 2 0 16 46 8 23 -15 12 65
17 NC – Clayton B&B/Diamond & Ice/BMW SPMensB 0 2 0 15 30 7.5 15 -7.5 11 40
25 OR – CLACKAMAS all american athletics / demarini Qualified SPMensB 0 2 0 25 41 12.5 20.5 -8 15 45
25 FL – Tampa Doom SPMensC 0 2 0 33 53 16.5 26.5 -10 18 20
25 FL – Melbourne API Plumbing SPMensC 0 2 0 4 21 2 10.5 -8.5 3 20
25 AZ – mesa azm/3n2/easton/classick sports SPMensB 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20
25 MO – Belton B&B DRYWALL/Easton SPMensB 0 2 0 27 38 13.5 19 -5.5 20 20
25 TXN – Frisco Vivid/Worth/Shirt Doctors SPMensB 0 2 0 20 42 10 21 -11 10 20
25 FL – palm city Demarini Headbangers SPMensC 0 2 0 37 53 18.5 26.5 -8 20 20

Precision SS Keith Laski and CF Bryan Porter won the co-MVP


Precision pitcher Andy Vitcak was Defensive MVP

 


 

Team by team notes brought to you by:


 

1st Place – Precision/Easton

Conf 'B' from IL  5-0 Record

Precision came to 'B' Worlds expecting to win and their incredible focus as a team and management staff got the job done in impressive fashion.  The offense took the opposition out early and often with big innings in the 1st and 2nd innings.  Then the defense would take over led by the teams true MVP and leader pitcher Andy Vitcak and the middle of the defense.  A true team effort much like the Buzini 'B' World champs from a year ago.

Congratulations to Precision on playing hard, clean, and great softball!  Manager/Sponsor Bill Wax and manager Todd Ankney pulled all the right strings in this one and really for the entire season!

3B Matt Rear
C Chris Geron
SS Keith Laski
2B Seth Burgmeier
1B Denis Fisher
EH Ryan Thiede
LF Dan Kirkwood
RF Frank Fracek
P Andy Vitcak
CF Bryan Porter
MI Jeff Keske

Bryan Porter

Matt Rear led off lacing hits all over the park and Chris Geron cleaned them off with linedrive homers

 


 

2nd Place – Xtreme/Miken

'B' from MN  5-2 Record

 

Xtreme/Miken came in as a mid seed for the 'B' World and is this years surprise runner up.  They play a solid brand of softball and do so with most of the players from in and around Minneapolis, Minnesota.  As mentioned before the highlite reel catches of center fielder Dan Skelly laying out for divers, and that incredible home run robbing catch in the championship game was awesome to see.  The pitcher Lewicki brings that hockey mentality to the team and then Harvanko who is known for his outfield play did a great job at first base.  Palm, Rhines, and Newton were providing the power (Newton the triples 🙂 ).

This is another team, where the managers were pushing the right buttons and the bench pitched in when called up.  A true team effort and a great accomplishment for a team that struggled most of the year in Conference play.

C Kyle Decker
1B Mark Harvanko
EH Dustin Palm
3B Mike Rhines
LF Matt McGowan
C Todd Newton
SS Chris Bauer
CF Dan Skelly
2B Eric O'Connell
MI Andrew Lehman
RF Alex Bremer
P Aaron Lewicki

Xtreme celebrates a homer by Mike Rhines

CF Dan Skelly was making highlite reel catches all weekend long

Mike Rhines at third and Chris Bauer at shortstop

The managers that pulled all the right strings

 

 


 

3rd Place – Sonny's

Conf 'B' from WY  7-2 Record

 

Sonny's is a national all star team with great talent and very entertaining to watch play softball.  Because they were a non-conference team they didn't earn a lot of points and were seeded very low.  Because of that they drew a tough Pure Romance team in the first round where Sonny's managed just 4 runs and lost?  They then came back on Saturday morning to knock off All American and H Auto in the loser's bracket.  Then at 5 PM they came back again and basically stayed on the field the remainder of the tournament as they sent home Bad Draw, P&P 333, Above All Landscape, TG Brand, and got a revenge win over Pure Romance to finish 3rd.

Sonny's picked up Nick Robertson the 2011 'A' World Offensive MVP to play center field and former Line Drive infielder Richard "Flaco" Salazar for regular middle infielder Brian Faria who is expecting a baby.  Both players contributed immensely to Sonny's success.  They also played without Julio Salazar who is also expecting the birth of his child. 

SS Aaron Martinez
MI Richard Salazar
C Jason Kreider
CF Nick Robertson
2B Chris Terry
LF Nick Price
3B Sammy Christensen
RF Alexis Ramirez
1B Dan Bean
P Jonathan Wheeler / Carl Blank

 

Sonnys picked up Nick Robertson to play center field

 


 

4th Place – Pure Romance/Chics/Headlines/Easton

Conf 'B' from OH  5-2 Record

 

Precision almost dug themselves out of the toughest part of the bracket as they beat Sonny's and OC Swats on Friday night convincingly.  Then on Saturday in their quarterfinal showdown with Precision they let up 12 runs in the first inning but came all the way back to lose just 14-12.  The slow start cost them a chance to be 'B' World Champs.  They made the most of the losers bracket as they knocked off some of the top 'B' teams in the tournament – OI Livingston, a huge double digit deficit comeback against Classic Glass where Jimmy Carter hit the walk off single to win 26-25 with two outs, and a late Saturday win over a very good T's 13 team.  On Sunday morning they were beating Sonny's 7-6 when they let up 15 runs in one inning and lost 25-15.  Edwards, Castor, Jamison, and Carter had the offense humming. 

I have been corrected.  Pure Romance will be back in 2015.  That is good to hear.

2B Steve Edwards
RF Butch Castor
C Jon Jamison
1B Jimmy Carter
3B Jason Ferguson
CF Jason Gardner
SS Brandon Bellamy
P Paul Winnner / Roger Drake
MI Rocky Staton
LF Ben Cosgrove

OF Mike Rogers also played a lot

Steve Edwards was clutch and provided some big homers

Jason Gardner had a quiet but solid season for PRI

Jimmy "The President" Carter was working on an offensive MVP if PRI had advanced

 


 

Tied 5th Place – TG Brand

Conf 'B' from   3-2 Record

TG Brand took advantage of their high seed for the 'B' and beat a local 'C' team on Friday and run ruled impressively West Coast Newbreed on Saturday morning.  In the final 8 they beat the upstart 'C' team from Georgia – New Era in a close game to make the final 4.  The offense then disappeared in two straight losses to Precision and Sonnys where they mustered just 9 runs total. 

 

 

 


 

Tied 5th Place – T's 13/Demarini

'B' from NE  3-2 Record

T's 13 used what I thought was the best defense of any team in the tournament to get past B&B Drywall 9-8, Broughton 27-24, and P&P 333 21-18.  Then like TG Brand their offense went away in losses to Xtreme and PRI.  We had heard about the play of shortstop Brett Rettenmeier and middle infielder Joe Bulens but to see it first hand was impressive.  Bulens played like Laservision's Kevin Bazat with the range and quick strong and accurate release.  Power hitter Chaun Demars was relegated to coaching third base with a muscle pull.  The outfield also impressed with their range on the big field, particularly Ben Vasquez who ran down some great catches.

 

T's 13 Reggie Schulte

T's 13 Shortstop Brett "Breezy" Rettenmeier and middle infielder Joe Bulens?

 


 

 

 

More pictures below


 

Some of the other top finishing teams

 

Classic Glass never seems to tire.  They play hard and fast.

Above All was set for a run at the title but couldn't get past Xtreme.

P&P 333 had one of the best tournaments of the season.

I heard they won't be back in 2015 and would like to thank player/sponsor Josh Onstott for all he has done for softball.

Josh Onstott in his last 'B' World?

Nightmare did not have the weekend they were wanting although they won 3 in the loser's bracket

Swats lost to PRI early

OI Livingston was another victim of the Xtreme success

 


 

Hot Links section brought to you by:

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

USSSA B World tournament link

Link to Softballcenter.com pictures of the B World Tournament

Send corrections to dw@softballcenter.com

Link to the SoftballCenter.com Youtube channel

Link to the 2014 Tournament Reports

Link to the 2013 Tournament Reports

Link to the 2012 Tournament Reports

Nationwide Conference USSSA Points Link

 

 


 

Some more pictures for you:

 

Broughtons Tommie Melton hits a walk off single to beat Primetime

The 'C' team New Era from Georgia had some entertaining talent

Don Cooper and Bernie Guenther commentating on the ESPN broadcast on Saturday night

 

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