(click logo for our AAU website)
The AAU International tournament is set to kick off the 2008 season in Orlando, Florida, January 24-27, 2008, at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex. The tournament is heading into it’s ninth year, having started in 2000 with just eight teams. The field of teams grew year by year, and has been at 32 for the past three years. Click here to view the past award winners.
The tournament is headed up by Alex Linares of the AAU and ISC Executive Director, Ken Hackmeister. Fastpitchwest will be in Orlando for its fifth consecutive year, providing coverage of the tournament, with selected games being broadcast live on Ballparkradio.com.
The Ballparkradio crew for the 2008 AAU Tournament will be the largest ever, with many of the ISC II crew sitting in. ISC II commish Blair Setford is making his first ever trip to the AAU, and will be in uniform, as a player for the Niagara Storms Fury of Canada, but will also sit in to call some of the action. (shades of Lance Winn). Bill Hillhouse is also expected to see double duty as a player/broadcaster. Fan favorite Kyle Smith will be front and center for much of the action, so you’ll want to be tuned in to catch his latest gems.
More and more people are finding the AAU to be a good chance to sneak away in the middle of winter, with Al Doran and Joe Todd among them last year, and rumor has it they’ll be enjoying the Florida sunshine again for this one. It will be an eventful year for Al Doran in 2008, with his well-deserved induction into the ISC Hall of Fame at Kimberly, Wisconsin, for his service to the game.
Here is the list of 32 teams, via 
(with editor’s notes)
1. Cutro Professional Inspections
2. Ohio Battery
3. Colombia
4. Combatientes / Venezuela
5. Ambassadors / St. Thomas
6. Brewers / Venezuela
7. Niagara Storms Fury / Canada
8. Florida Fastpitch
9. Texaco Pirates / Bahamas (2007 Final Four)
10. Earls Club
11. New Breed / Bahamas
12. Broken Bow Gremlins (2007 Runner-up)
13. Cherokee Men’s Fastpitch
14. Chicago / NY / Dominicans
15. Elmira Advance Millrights/Canada
16. Millwood Logistics / Canada
17. Team Minnesota (2006 Runner-up)
18. Tijuana Fastpitch / Mexico
19. Redline Fastpitch Oklahoma
20. Big Cove
21. P.K. Broward Pirates
22. Radio 560 Mexico
23. Magos de Tenerife / Spain
24. Los Socios / Venezuela (2002 & 2004 Champions, 2003 & 2005 Runnerups)
25. Jamaica National Team
26. Mac Mauraders (Defending Champions)
27. Fedlock Falcons (2003 Champions)
28. St. Thomas Storm / Canada
29. Thomson Area Merchants
30. Venezuela Miami
31. Omaha Red Angels
32. Puerto Rico Natl. Team
Last year’s AAU Tournament was an all New York final, and the most dramatic finish ever to an AAU Tournament, with Frankie Perez hitting a walk-off home run in extra innings to win it. An excerpt from our feature story that appeared in Softball Magazine is below, with a link to the full story:
NY Mac’s Marauders Top NY Gremlins 3-1 in 2007 AAU International Final
[ORLANDO] – In one of the most exciting and memorable AAU championship games ever, Mac’s Marauders of Ballston Lake, New York won the 2007 AAU International title with a 3-1, 9 inning win over the New York Gremlins/Broken Bow. Eduardo Leonardo of Mac’s tied the game at 1-1 with a dramatic home run in the bottom of the 7th inning.
Colin McKenzie of Mac’s Marauders was the winning pitcher and took home Outstanding Pitcher award. McKenzie entered the game in the 8th inning in relief of starter Rob Schweyer, while Frankie Perez of Mac’s Marauders won the MVP award on the strength of his game winning walk off home run in the bottom of the 9th.
Click here to view the PDF version of the Softball Magazine story, with photos.(Adobe Reader required)
Click here for our webpage version of the Softball Magazine feature, “New York, New York”.
Click here to view Maddy’s Photos from the 2007 AAU Int’l Tournament, one of our largest photo galleries ever.
Click here for a look back at the last four AAU tournaments.