ASA Super Slow Pitch tournament returns

ASA Super Slow Pitch returns with Invitational in August in Minnesota

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) and USA Softball announced today the return of the Super Slow Pitch division with the first-ever Men’s Super Slow Pitch Invitational Championship. Slated for August 23-25 in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., this special event is a resurgence of the ASA Men’s Super Slow Pitch program, which held its last National Championship in 2003. The Men’s Super Slow Pitch division is an open-roster event which differs from the Men’s Class A, currently the highest level of Championship Play where each team can have no more than five players on the ASA restricted slow pitch players list.

"It is appropriate as we celebrate our 80th Anniversary that we return to our roots and offer an open championship where teams are allowed to assemble and bring their best players to compete in a National Championship,” said ASA/USA Softball Executive Director Ron Radigonda. “ASA Softball was built on this concept. Our founding fathers established the ASA to conduct National Events to crown a National Champion without classification restrictions. The Men's Super Slow Pitch Invitational will crown the best Men's Slow Pitch Team in the United States at this event in Minneapolis/St. Pau, MN."

Bracket play for the Men’s Super Slow Pitch Invitational Championship will be played in Minneapolis/St. Paul area while the Semi-finals and Championship Game will take place at the historic Midway Stadium in St. Paul, Minn., home of the St. Paul Saints professional baseball team. Fans who are unable to attend will get the opportunity to catch the Semi-finals and Championship games on the CBS Sports Network via tape delay on Tuesday, August 27 and Wednesday, August 28.

The invitational will feature 12 of the top teams in men’s slow pitch, who will compete in a double-elimination bracket with no “if-game”, which will determine the champion. Bracket play will begin on Thursday and will continue through Friday evening. Each team is allowed 16 home runs per game, with each home run hit after that recorded as an out.
This marks the first time since 2003 that the Men’s Super Slow Pitch program has had a tournament. The first Men’s Super Slow Pitch National Championship took place in 1981 in Burlington, N.C., where Howard’s/Western Steer (Denver, Colo.) claimed the inaugural Championship and Hall of Fame member Rick “The Crusher” Scherr took home the MVP title. Throughout the 22-year existence of the Super division, 12 teams were crowned champions, with Ritch’s Superior (Windsor Locks, Conn.) and Steele’s Silver Bullets (Grafton, Ohio) leading the pack with four championships apiece.

About ASA
The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 76 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 210,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than three million. For more information on the ASA, visit http://www.asasoftball.com/.

About USA Softball
USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links the USA Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ National Team programs together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of the only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles including the last seven consecutive as well as claimed six World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about USA Softball, please visit http://www.usasoftball.com/.

About CBS Sports Network
CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) is the 24-hour cable destination of CBS Sports. The Network covers more than 340 live games annually, showcasing 30 men’s and women’s sports, in addition to a variety of studio shows, documentaries and original programs. CBSSN’s live programming is highlighted by college sports and also features professional lacrosse, Professional Bull Riding (PBR), the sports news and commentary show ROME and the Tim Brando Show. CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, and to access the CBS Sports Network channel finder, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.