1. Orillia Quaker Riversharks
2. Patsy’s
3. Broken Bow Gremlins
4. Kitchener Hallman Twins
5. The Farm
6. MinnDak Millers
7. So Cal Bombers
8. Circle Tap
9. Aspen Interiors
10. Vancouver Grey Sox
11. Townline
12. Midland Explorers
13. Portland/Demarini
14. Albaugh, Inc.
15. Jarvis
16. Quad City Sox
17. Pueblo Bandits
18. Bloomington Stix
19. Dolan & Murphy
20. Innerkip
21. St. Thomas Centennials
22. Ashland Mets
23. Elkland
24. Plangger Furniture
25. Thomson Area Merch.
26. Midwest Stampede
As noted by Al Doran at : 
To see the full list, including how each committee member ranked the teams, please see the Tournament section of the ISC website at www.iscfastpitch.com.
Watch for the results of a number of weekend tournaments coming up, including a number of World Tournament qualifiers. Its the results of these tournaments that give
ammunition to the rankers to vote on the teams.The rankings will form the basis for seeding teams in the annual ISC World Tournament which will be played August 10-18 at Peter Hallman Ballyard in Kitchener, Ontario.
Al Doran
ISC Web Site Director
http://www.iscfastpitch.com/
Editor’s notes:
“Big 5” is not a sporting goods store. Well, at least not in this context. The “Big 5”, Orillia, Patsys, Broken Bow, Hallman and the Farm stay put right where they were in the June 5 rankings. Monkton will be a great showcase — perhaps the one voters pay the most attention to, before the final seeding for the ISC World Tournament. Who gets hot that weekend could determine how these 5 get seeded..
Not a lot of movement – my quick review shows the MinnDak Millers of Minnesota the biggest mover – jumping 4 spots from # 10 to #6. Winning the Albaugh tournament was a good win, and fresh in the voter’s minds, I would think. From there, it’s a pretty big hill to climb, to get past the top 5 who kept their slots from the last set of rankings.
Aspen Interiors the biggest drop, 3 slots from # 6 to #9, though I confess I haven’t tracked their season to explain why. Perhaps just where they landed with a few others moving up on the strength of one tournament or another.
The Midland Explorers moved up 2 slots from #14 to #12, trading spots with Albaugh. I thought the win over # 4 Kitchener Hallman Twins in the Explorer’s tournament in June might bump them into the top 10, but it’s a crowded house. (They won a 13-7 slugfest in the championship game against Kitchener).
More parity among the top teams than we’ve seen in a while, perhaps a result of the PRAWN rule taking effect, so not a lot of (that ought to get me some emails from those who don’t like that rule). More teams with a legitimate chance of making it to the final than in recent years, I think. The last couple years, it seemed like a two or at best, three team race. How far down the list do you think it goes this year, i.e. how many of these teams have a legitimate chance ? ?(translation: you’re betting with your own money 😉 7? 8? 9? With the caveat, of course “if they got hot”. Or do you think it’s still a win, place and show field of 3-4 teams?
The So Cal Bombers stay right at # 7, winning the Red Rock tournament, but getting upset off by Larry Miller UT with Cody Thomson on the mound. The Bombers fared well enough at their own tournament in May, to hold their spot. They did knock off # 13 Portland again (also in Red Rock), but were beaten 10-2 by a lower ranked # 8 Circle Tap.
Vancouver drops from # 9 to #10, while Portland moves up from #15 to #13. I would have thought the ranking committee would pay more attention to the fact that Portland took 3 of 4 from Vancouver in Vancouver. And don’t take anything away from Vancouver, who is solid, but I thought Portland would move up above # 13. Vancouver for its part, was impressive in Palm Springs, shutting out #17 Pueblo and beating a higher ranked #8 Circle Tap in the final. The Rose Cup tournament this weekend should give us a better look at just where Vancouver and Portland stand with each other. Expect to see those two battling late in the day on Sunday, though they both have to get past higher ranked Broken Bow.
Quad City jumped from # 19 to #16. Any of our midwest readers know what might have sparked that? For the rest of the pack, just a slot or two up or down, here and there.
And so the dance continues, musical chairs, until the Big Show in August…….
Comments anyone? send them to jim (at) fastpitchwest.com