by Dave Price, Special to The R-C

Cliff Simpson Jr. takes batting practice in Dresslerville Tuesday night in preparation for this weekend’s softball tournament.

Combine tradition with love for the game, some top-level talent, even a unique twist thrown in for good measure, and you have the ingredients for the Cal-Neva Native Softball Classic this weekend at Stodick Park.

A field of men’s fast-pitch softball teams from Nevada and California, in addition to at least one co-ed entry, is expected to play Saturday and Sunday in an event that has been held annually in Carson Valley since 1967.

Games are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday and conclude Sunday afternoon.

Though known by different names over the years, the tournament has long been a family affair, according to Loren Simpson, who is serving as tournament director for the second year.

Previously, his aunts, Virginia and Lenora Kizer, and before that, his father, Cliff Simpson, were all movers and shakers in putting on what is one of the few men’s fast-pitch tournaments remaining in Northern Nevada.

“This has been a family effort for years, since the beginning, really,” Simpson said. “It’s been a long time. This is our 42nd or 43rd year … it’s now the biggest and longest-running men’s fast-pitch tournament in the area.”

There’s been a surge of interest this year because 12 teams are expected to play in the fast-pitch division this weekend.

That’s opposed to last year, when the response was low enough that a one-pitch limit slow-pitch tournament was set up to bring in more teams.

“This is the most teams we’ve had in a decade, the most since we had nationals here,” Simpson said. “We’re still going to have a slow-pitch division.

I expect five or six teams to come out and play a round robin schedule and have fun.”

On the fast-pitch side, this tournament will serve as a tune-up for teams preparing for upcoming national tournaments. Among those are the North American Fastpitch Association men’s AA and A World Series on Aug. 13-16 in Sioux Falls, S.D., and the NAFA Masters West World Series for men’s 50-, 45-, 40-, 35-and-over, as well as women’s 35-and-over teams on Sept. 18-20 at Centennial Park in Carson City.

Proceeds from this weekend’s tournament will help cover entry fees for Dresslerville Athletic Club teams that plan to play in Carson City next month and for teams to play in tournaments next year, according to Simpson.

Three or four local teams are tentatively set to play this weekend, two of those led by longtime fixtures in Northern Nevada’s fast-pitch softball community, Junior and Craig Kizer.

“Junior still has great movement on the ball,” Simpson said of the long-time ace pitcher and well-known pitching coach.

Simpson, 43, said he may even try to pitch some himself.

“I’ve always loved to play. If I’m healed up from my injury, I’ll throw some,” he said, adding with a laugh. “I don’t have great speed or great movement on the ball like Junior. It’s all about placement; I need every edge I can get.”

Simpson hopes he can delegate most of the pitching load for his Cal-Neva squad to Arizona ace Sonny Perkins, who in 2007 was a member of USA men’s national team that finished second at the ISF Men’s World Cup in Prague and in 2005 was named designated hitter on the ISC All-World team.

“He’s pretty well known in our fast-pitch circle,” Simpson said of Perkins.

As for the unique twist, Craig Kizer has entered Red Storm, which consists of players from a team that won the NSA girls 18-and-under state tournament in Carson City last month. The state championship team included Carson City’s Cassie Vondrak and Fernley’s Sevreana Johnson, who have committed to play for Western Nevada College, and Carson City’s Katie McEwan, who is set to play for Santa Barbara City College.

“It’ll be a co-ed team … I’ll probably even play some myself, just to help direct them a little from the infield,” Kizer said. “Mostly, it’s to let the girls see some quality pitching.”

And to have some fun, he added.

“That’s what the game’s all about, having fun,” Kizer said. “A lot of those guys out there, we’ve been playing together and against each other for years.”

Simpson echoed that.

“It takes a lot of work. Is it worth the time? Oh, yeah, it’s good to see that calibre of pitching. We just love the game and we want to see it keep going.”