Best of the West – May 30-31
Fastpitch fans will get a first look at the #12 Pueblo Bandits as well as the # 19 California A’s this weekend at the Best of the West tournament in Santa Barbara, . New Zealander Jeremy Manley, one of the top pitchers in the game, returns to his US roots, with the Bandits, after a stint with Broken Bow and the Midwest Stampede. Manley is always among the strikeout leaders in any tournament, and should make #12 ranked Pueblo among the teams to beat this weekend at BotW.
As noted in our comments yesterday, the # 19 ranked California A’s, is made up of most of the players from the 2008 ISC II champion California Lumberking, including 2008 ISC II MVP Dave Drotzmann and Mike Egerdeen, bolstered by a group of talented ISC World tournament players, including Team USA’s Nate Devine, Steve Pinnochio, and pitcher Travis Price. Price will be with the Vancouver Grey Sox during the regular season and at the ISC World tournament, but is pitching with the A’s at BotW. The A’s will have the services of a well known ISC World Tournament pitcher to join Drotzmann and Egerdeen at the WT in Quad Cities this summer.
Former Professional baseball players at Best of the West:
In addition to the Lumberkings, several other of Californi’as top players will be at the Best of the West, tournament. Todd Budke and Fred Hanker will be with the Long Beach Black Sox. Budke is among the premier hitters in the game, while player-manager Hanker’s diet and training regimen has made him a shadow of his former self, figuratively speaking, and playing shape reminiscent of his pro baseball days, giving the Sox a potent 1-2 punch in the middle of their batting order. Both played baseball professionally. Budke ranks in the top 20 of all ISC World Tournament hitters over the past seven years, in batting average (16th with .350 average) and home runs (tie, 20th), as well as several other offensive categories. This feat is more remarkable considering that those seven years are as he approached age 40 and omits his younger years at the World Tournament. Click here to view a YouTube clip of Budke’s picture postcard swing as he triples into the gap at the AAU Tournament.
A third former pro baseball player at Best of the West is Brian Teeters, who as talked out of “retirement” by the Bakersfield Silverhawks. Anyone that saw Teeters play at the ISC II T of C knows there is a lot of game left in him. Twice in the playoff round in that tournament, Teeters homered, just when the Lumberkings appeared on the brink of elimination, including a 2 run shot in the 6th inning of their semi-final game against the powerful NY Knights, that catapulted the Lumberkings into the finals against Ontario Canada’s Waterdown Hammer.
All three of these players can elevate the level of play for their respective teams, and will be among the players to watch this weekend at Santa Barbara.