2017 USSSA ‘A’ World tournament preview!

USSSA 'A' World Tournament

August 18-20

Tournament Preview

2017 USSSA 'A' World Bracket Link

The 2017 USSSA 'A' Division World Tournament will be played this coming weekend in Florida at the Fortune Road Softball Complex. The tournament features 21 teams over all with 15 being Nationwide Conference teams, and there are 12 'A' teams and 9 'B' teams.  Half of the teams have a chance to win this event and probably 16 of them have some chance of making it to the final 4.  The favored teams are #1 seeded Baugh Ford from Georgia, #2 seeded Bay Area Legends from California, #3 seeded Bad Draw from North Carolina, and #4 seeded Steel Sports from Texas.  I have the team by team stats and notes further down the page in this article.

Remember the 'A' division is equivalent to the 'B' division in USSSA of 2015 and prior.  They will hit 8 Home Runs on the big fields at Fortune Road and this tournament will use what we call the "bad batch" Dudley Stadium ZN's.  These balls have a higher compression rating than the Conference Classic M ZN ball but lower compression ratings than a true Stadium ZN.  

Note: I will have the chat room running here on SoftballCenter.com from 5 PM eastern time Friday through the championship game on Sunday!

The USSSALive.com livestream of all fields will be here.

Any team that wants their team photo taken, just let me know and we will do the final 4 automatically.

2017 'A' World picks brought to you by ASPNation.com!

DW's Picks: Teams get pretty upset when I pick them in the preview for a World tournament so I won't pick.  You can check out my pickem picks next week to see who I went with.  I believe the winner will come from the "Big 4".  Baugh Ford, Bay Area, Bad Draw, or Steel Sports.  I also believe any of those 4 could lose on Friday night as well.

Shea Nations Picks:
This weekend the A World Tournament will take place in Kissimmee, FL while 21 teams will be in attendance with 12 A and 9 B teams looking to win.  The #1 overall seed Baugh Ford/Adiktiv/Worth/Miken will look for the win and build momentum for next month.  The other teams looking to upset the favorite are: newly assembled All out/Klutch/Worth; Seminoles/TPS/NACSF; Steel Sports/Powerhousesportz/Miken; Bay Area Legends/Miken and Bad Draw/B&B/Broughton/BAF/Worth.
Predictions:  The final 4 undefeated should be: Bay Area Legends versus Bad Draw and Baugh Ford versus Steel Sports.  I predict Baugh Ford to beat Steel Sports and Bad Draw in the undefeated game.  It will be exciting tournament to watch in anticipation of which teams will get upset.

Shea Nations Final Picks for the A World Tournament are:
1. Baugh Ford/Adiktiv/Worth/Miken
2. Bad Draw/B&B/Broughton/BAF/Worth
3. Bay Area Legends/Miken
4. Steel Sports/Powerhousesportz/Miken
5. All Out/Klutch/Worth
    Premier/Easton
 

2017 'A' World Poll Results:

Bad Draw getting the nod from the oldscout voters to win 'A' Worlds

Fortune Road Field Dimensions
310-325-325-325-310

– Fortune Road Softball Complex features 4 fields with 310-325-325-325-310 foot homerun fences.
– Infields are slightly small in size forcing infielders that play deep to have to contend with the lip of the grass/dirt on grounders.
– The Stadium ZN balls with the lower compression readings will be used.  This ball has less compression than a Stadium but more than the Conference Classic M
– The USSSA 'A' division plays with a 8 HR limit

Weekend Weather

The 2017 Teams

Baugh Ford is the favorite to win the tournament.  Veteran pitcher Tommie Baugh is underrated.  3rd Baseman Chad Folsom looks to cap a monster season.  Big Allen Ponder will provide some of the needed power.  And the team has some veteran hitters like John Zorich, Brad Blankenship, and Adam Tennyson in the lineup and a capable defense for this level of play.  Also Jason Gillfillan, Carlton Griffin, and Mikie Olive look to add to their ring collection.  7-2 vs 'A' teams and only one stumble against 'B' teams all year makes them the favorites.

Bay Area Legends was put together by sponsor Joel Gonzalez and manager Gary Perez and led on the field by the Nationwide Conference USSSA batting title winner Bradley Carlsen.  Veteran pitcher John Brown has had good success in Florida at Worlds, and mid season they added Marcus Thornton at shortstop who won 'A' Worlds with BHR last year.  The team was in search of a power hitter most of the year and that could be an issue at worlds but they can get to Sunday through the loser's bracket if necessary like they did a year ago.  5-2 vs 'A' and 4-3 vs 'AA' means they can get it done but 5 losses to 'B' teams means they are prone to upset.

Bad Draw finished 4th a year ago at the 'A' World and sponsor Brandon Cashwell looks to take the next step.  This team has Paul Winner at pitcher who won with OC Swats and probably the deepest lineup of any 'A' team.  They can win enough games in a row against top teams to get the job done.  3-1 vs 'A' teams and lots of wins vs 'AA' and Major teams make Bad Draw a tough out.

5-4 vs 'A' and 4-4 vs 'AA' and a history of playing well in Florida make Steel one of the top teams this weekend.  Dustin Roberts is the best hitter in the 'A' division and young players like Everett Williams and Steven Malay will be joined by the veteran lefties Mark Cridland and Kevin Ballard in a deep lineup.  Perry Hensley has won in Florida before and should bring a stabilizing presence to the defense.

Premier is the top rated 'B' team in the tournament.  They are missing their center fielder but will be looking for some upsets as they prepare for 'B' Worlds next month.  4-2 vs 'A' teams on the year, a couple wins against 'AA' teams, and a nice recent run at the Cincinnati Major should have this teams confidence rising.

Seminoles won the Busch and played the 'A', 'AA', and 'B' divisions about even all year.  Not sure they can string enough big wins together unless some of the teams ahead of them get upset.

Pure Sports has a bit of a different roster now since the picture above was taken back in April.  Lots of players have come and gone but this team is still a threat in the early rounds.  They did finish 5-3 vs 'A' and beat 3 'AA' teams.  I don't believe pitcher Brandon Jonas is playing.

TG Brand was 5-2 vs 'A' teams on the season and is probably the biggest threat to finish in the top 4 of any of the 9 'B' teams in the tournament.  A relatively unknown team as far as roster name recognition but plenty of experience playing great competition to make a legitimate run.  Probably the most anticipated 'B' team to play this tournament since Precision.

JBL had a tough year and hope to salvage the season with a run at the 'A' but they struggles a lot with 'B' and 'C' teams much of the season so the expectations aren't real high.  Brian Mays and Chris Hoffer will try to lead offensively and underrated pitcher John Dombrowski will try to hold down opposing offenses.

Cornerstone had a few glimpses of success in Atlanta and the big win over Dan Smith in Cincinnati but not consistent enough to pull off a miracle in Florida.

Allout is now under the control of Tim Barnes who won last years 'A' World with BHR.  Some old faces and some new but a tough puzzle to put together so late in the year.

Primetime finished 5th at the 'A' last year and made a nice little run at the 'AA' as well in 2016.  But 2017 hasn't had many positive moments.  Can they turn it on again in the postseason?

Rebel has a Florida flavor to its roster and that is probably the reason they are getting in this one.

Wiley's looking for any kind of momentum they can get going into 'B' Worlds next month.

Another Florida team.

Tradesmen still learning 'A' and Conference play.

Chanticlear is the top non conference team in this tournament.

One Payment won the USSSA 'C' World in 2016 and is from Florida.  Very capable of winning 2 games on Friday.

Smash It RAC is a top 5 'B' team in the country.  Another capable of winning two on Friday.

Beetech is known for their near upsets of Backman and Classic Glass at the Hall of Fame Classic.  Two wins would be a great weekend this week.

South Shore throws their hat in the 'A' ring.  Watch Mike McGoogan if he is there and pitching, great player and hitter.

CTC is known for beating 3 straight 'A' teams at the 2017 Atlanta Major.  If they could do it there, they could do it here.

Past USSSA new 'A' or old 'B' World Champs

(Note: this tournament changed to 'A' Worlds in 2016)

2016 USSSA 'A' World tournament report link

2015 USSSA 'B' World tournament report link

2014 USSSA 'B' World tournament report link

2013 USSSA 'B' World tournament report link

2012 USSSA 'B' World tournament report link

2011 USSSA 'B' World tournament report link

2010 USSSA 'B' World tournament report link

2016 USSSA 'B' World Tournament Champions – 

2015 USSSA 'B' World Tournament Champions – OC Swats Doerflinger/Miken/LCP

2014 USSSA 'B' World Tournament Champions – Precision/Easton

2013 USSSA 'B' World Tournament Champions – Chaps/BWW/Buzini from Mississippi

2012 USSSA 'B' World Tournament Champions – Down2EarthSports.com/SBC/Worth out of Baxley, Georgia

2011 USSSA 'B' World Tournament Champions – Blitz/Weller/Watanabe/MAB/Easton out of Cincinnati, Ohio

AJS/Easton/Supreme/Mike Foulks/Mojo, the 2010 'B' World Champs

Northwest Combat, the 2009 'B' World Champs, from Seattle, Washington

Past tournament results

2016 'A' World Results
1 TX – BHR/Coppermine Lodge/ASP/Worth
2 NY – Thunder/Miken/Blowoutpicks.com
3 CA – Bay Area Legends
4 NC – Bad Draw/Broughton/Worth

2015 'B' World Results
1 CA – OC Swats Doerflinger/Miken/LCP
2 IL – Compound Athletics/Easton
3 MN – Encompass/Eurotech/Easton/CA
4 NC – Broughton Pharmacy/Bad Draw/Worth

2014 'B' World Results
1 IL – Precision/Easton
2 MN – Xtreme/Miken
3 WY – Sonny's
4 OH – Pure Romance/Chics/Headlines/Easton

2012 'B' World Results
1 GA – Down2earthsports.com/sbc/worth
2 MS – Buzinisports.com/bww/worth
3 FL – Westshore pizza/tps
4 FL – Jolt

2011 'B' World Results
1 OH – Blitz/weller/watanabe/mab/easton
2 FL – 1st Step/ DCS
3 WA – Doerflinger/tsc/pro-coat/combat
4 GA – Down2earthsports.com/worth

2010 'B' World Results
1 FL – AJS/easton/supreme/mike foulks/mojo
2 CA – FamousSports.com/Easton
3 UT – Desert Falls/Elite/Miken
4 MO – Hub's Pub

2009 'B' World Results
1 WA – Northwest combat / trojans
2 OH – blitz/watanabe/weller/minges/easton
3 CA – WCS / LCV berth
4 AR – Fence brokers/illustrated sportswea

2008 'B' World Results
1 MI – Team Bud Light/Easton
2 MD – ANGLE INN EASTON
3 CA – WCS/LCV
4 AZ – ATS/EASTON

2007 'B' World Results
1 MN – Showcase/j & h/chanticlear/combat
2 ID – C-town/americanfund./redrock/easton
3 MD – Angle Inn / Easton
4 AZ – ATS/Easton Softball

2006 'B' World Results
1 MD – ABS/TEAM LTP/EASTON
2 IL – KA Softball/Worth
3 MS – SPORTS CENTER WORTH
4 MN – Tangletown/PSI/Worth

2005 'B' World Results
1 FL – Kirby Investments
2 MN – Showcase/chanticlear pizza/tps
3 WA – Dobbs & fox/nw climate controls/gat
4 OH – James s. arnold/freeze concrete 

2004 'B' World Results
1 CA – K&C DRYWALL
2 IL – KA Softball
3 CA – BMA/all star academy/worth
4 MA – Laser Vision/Easton/3N2

2003 'B' World Results
1 NV – MCA/EASTON
2 CA – JOHNNY BLAZE
3 OH – EMR/Worth Softball
4 FL – Team Synergy by Easton

2002 'B' World Results
1 NV – MARNELL CORRAO / MIZUNO
2 MN – M.T. Crew/Mizuno
3 NM – Silva's Softball / Miken
4 MI – NAIL DRIVER Softball

2001 'B' World Results
1 MI – PDC Printing/Cals
2 NV – DRAI'S AFTER HOURS
3 MN – O & S CATTLE/MIZUNO
4 NV – Marnell corrao / s c / mizuno