Fifteen teams will open the 2005 So Cal ASA Alliance season in Palm Springs this weekend, March 19-20, 2005. [For schedule and more click here…]

Ralph Trejo Jr. of the So Cal Bombers is inviting teams to Palm Springs, to get some games in next weekend, March 12-13, 2005. See his post at the Fastpitchwest Forum for the details.

Update: 3/7/05: If you are an interested team, Ralph needs to know by tomorrow, March 8 if you want in. (909)-841-0462.

Update: 3/9/05: Sorry folks, this weekend has been cancelled.

The So Cal ASA Alliance will kick off their 2005 league season this Saturday, March 5, 2005 at Little Lake Park in Santa Fe Springs, California. The Alliance will once again combine the best features of league and tournament play with its “tournament series” format, permitting teams to play in as many or as few tournament weekends as they wish. Points towards ASA “C” national tournament berths are awarded each league weekend, based upon the order of finish. The teams play three games Saturday during the pool play portion of the weekend, which determines seeding for Sundays’ single elimination bracket.

The line-up of teams for the Alliance in 2005 will have a decidedly different look this year. Missing will be two of its top teams, Raymar and Edge, both of whom finished in top 5 in last year’s ASA “C” National Tournament in Hastings, Nebraska, among 70 teams. Under ASA rules, these two teams are “bumped up” to the next classification, e.g. the “B” division. Raymar will compete in the So Cal ASA A/B league and vie for a spot in the ASA “B” Nationals, while the Edge team has dispersed among other Alliance “C” teams. (players from a top 5 team may stay in the “C” division, provided there are no more than four on the same team. ).

Raymar will lose two of its players to Alliance teams, pitcher Tommy Obregon, who heads over o the Panteras, joining up with two of Edge players, the Sepulveda brothers, sons of the legendary Greg Sepulveda, who played for the Lakewood/Lancaster Chameleons, 1983 ISC World Champions. Damian Guerrero will take his big bat from Raymar, over to the Long Beach Black Sox.

A four man nucleus from the Edge have merged with San Diego Fastpitch to form “Prime Time Fastpitch”. The Edge (formerly Kanakas) and San Diego have been perennial contenders for the Alliane crown. San Diego ace Dan Zupp, one of the few pitchers to beat the Edge last year, will now have some as teammates.

Ron Kirby’s El Segundo Rounders will be the top returning Alliance finisher, having won the league in 2003 and finished second in 2004. The Rounders add Mike “Spanky” Thomas, from last year’s Fresno River Rats to replace retiring shortstop Danny Roberts. In 2004, the Edge team edged out the Rounders for the top spot in the Alliance standings. The Rounders closed strong, winning three league weekends down the stretch, but came up just a point shy of league champions, the Edge.

Back for their second Alliance season will be the Long Beach Black Sox, headed up by player-manager, and former pro-baseballer, Fred Hanker. Hanker’s squad made their mark in their inaugural season, proving their ability to compete with, and beat any of the Alliance teams. The Sox capped their 2004 season by winning the Cal Cup title in Fresno, in August, and look to carry over that momentum into the 2005 campaign.

Past accomplishments mean little at this point, though, as all teams start the new season with a clean slate. With the winter rains hopefully behind them, the teams appear anxious for the Alliance season to get underway.

The schedule of games is posted at the So Cal ASA website.