Best of the West team profile – Long Beach Black Sox

May 29th, 2009

Best of the West – May 30-31

This is the ninth in a series of team profiles for teams competing in this year’s Best of the West tournament.

Thanks to Fred Hanker for this information:

The Black Sox currently first in the SCIFL will bring a majority of their players to The Best of the West. Team ace Ron Rupp with a 14-3 record and a 2.22 ERA leads the pitching staff. Rupp also has an impressive 90 strikeouts and 13 walks in 110 innings.Rupp can also hit showing an .356 average. Todd Budke recognized as one of the best hitters in the world is hitting .408 with 3 HR and 18 RBI. Budke also post a 4.55 ERA as a pitcher with a 1-1 record. Sox owner Fred Hanker leads the team in hitting with a .464 average with 4 HR and 41 RBI. Jason Obregon has been the Sox catalyst all year in the leadoff spot. Obregon is hitting .427 with 3 HR and 21 RBI. Chris Paiva has been a pleasant surprise for Long Beach. More known for his defense Paiva is hitting .373 with 24 RBI. Steady veteran Dave Demaio is batting .340 and on his way to his best year as a Sox player. Two veteran players from The Panteras join Long Beach this weekend. Eli Salazar and Jimmy Buentello will help bolster the Sox offense and defense. Salazar joins Long Beach for the third time after 2 impressive performances in Beaumont and The Best of the West last year. Buentello is a respected hitter and noted as one of the best in Southern California. Sox all time winning pitcher Randy Clay brings a 4-2 record into Santa Barbara. He is in the top 5 in every career Sox pitching category. Sox veteran Chris Minogue is off to a slow start but is one of the best hitters in Sox history. He is in the top 5 of every major hitting category.

Sox Roster

Manager Fred Hanker
Catcher Fred Hanker
Pitcher/Inf Ron Rupp
Pitcher Randy Clay
Inf/Pitcher Todd Budke
Inf Chris Paiva
Inf Jason Obregon
Inf Jimmy Buentello
Of Dave Demaio
Of Eli Salazar
Of Chris Minogue

Click here to view other team profiles for the 2009 Best of the West tournament.

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Meet Me Near St. Louie

May 29th, 2009

Well, maybe not me, but the City of Edwardsville, located near St. Louis, which is hosting a tournament July 10-12, 2009. Thanks to Hayley McGuire for the information:

THE CITY OF EDWARDSVILLE PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT
12TH ANNUAL HAROLD MCGAULEY MEN’S FASTPITCH SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT

The City of Edwardsville Parks & Recreation Department is now taking registration for our men’s Fastpitch softball tournament. The City tournament, which is named after the late Recreation Supervisor Harold McGauley, is back for its 12th year. The men’s Fastpitch tournament is held on July 10th, July 11th, and July 12th.

This double-elimination tournament is limited to the first 12 teams to apply. The registration fees are $200 per team with a registration deadline of June 12, 2009. There will be an additional $40 late fee if paid after June 12th. Teams who have not paid after June 19, 2009 will be dropped from the tournament. This year the City of Edwardsville is pleased to again be awarding the Team Sportsmanship Award in honor of Tony Dycus. The teams will vote which team shows respect, ethics, and fairness throughout the tournament.

To register on-line and for more information about the Harold McGauley 12th Annual Men’s Fastpitch Softball Tournament, visit the City of Edwardsville website at www.cityofedwardsville.com, go to City Departments and Parks & Recreation. You may also call the park office at 618.692.7538 and a registration form can be mailed to you.


View Larger Map
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ISC # 12 and #19 at Best of the West

May 29th, 2009

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.

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Kitchener Rivershark Twins stay atop ISC rankings

May 29th, 2009

With few, if any, of the top 10 teams having played this season, there is little change at the top of the June 1 ISC rankings.

Rank Team Name
1 Kitchener Rivershark Twins

2 Broken Bow Patsy’s
3 The Farm
4 Aspen Interiors
5 Midwest Stampede
6 Jarvis Gamblers
7 Vancouver Grey Sox
8 Allbaugh, Inc
9 Midland Explorers
10 Dominican Republic
11 St. Thomas Centennials
12 Pueblo Bandits
13 NY Gremlins
14 Kegel Black Knights
15 Dolan & Murphy
16 Owen Sound
17 Quad City Sox
18 Saskatoon D’Backs
19 California A’s
20 Bar of Appleton
21 Bar of Green Bay
22 Thomson Merchants
23 Ashland Mets
24 Larry Miller Hogs
25 Winterset A’s

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Best of the West team profile – California Athletics – Taylor Farms

May 28th, 2009

Best of the West – May 30-31

This is the eighth in a series of team profiles for teams competing in this year’s Best of the West tournament.

Thanks to Ron Guzman for this information:

California Athletics – Taylor Farms

Ron Guzman Manager
David Weldin Coach

Dave Drotzmann P
Mike Egerdeen P
Travis Price P

Jeff Twist C
Pat Fuentes INF
Marcus Tan INF
Kevin Castillo INF
Steve Pinocchio INF
Eddie Martin INF
James Close INF/OF
Chase Turner INF/OF
Shawn Mandolesi OF
Nate Devine OF
David Kimura OF
Jason Porto OF
Mandolesi, Shawn OF

Editor’s notes: Readers will recognize a good portion of that lineup as the champions of the ISC II division, from last year’s Tournament of Champions. Mix that with batch of front line ISC World tournament players, from the So Cal Bombers, (Devine, Kimura and Pinocchio) , two members of Team Rainey (Porto and Turner) plus Minn Dak Miller pitcher Travis Price, who returns to his roots in California, and you have quite a potent lineup here. Turner, coincidentally was last year’s Best of the West MVP for the defending Best of the West champions, Team Rainey.

This will be the first look we’ve had at the squad that has its sights set on the ISC World Tournament in Quad Cities.

Here’s how the roster breaks down:

From the (ISC II champion) California Lumberkings:

Ron Guzman Manager
David Weldin Coach
Dave Drotzmann P
Mike Egerdeen P
Jeff Twist C
Pat Fuentes INF
Marcus Tan INF
Kevin Castillo INF
Eddie Martin INF
James Close INF/OF
Mandolesi, Shawn OF

From Last year’s (ISC) So Cal Bombers

Steve Pinocchio INF
Nate Devine OF
David Kimura OF

From Last year’s (ISC) Team Rainey

Chase Turner INF/OF
Jason Porto OF

From Last year’s (ISC) Minn Dak Millers

Travis Price P

Click here to view other team profiles for the 2009 Best of the West tournament.

Posted in General, Nor Cal, So Cal, Teams, Tournaments | No Comments »

Best of the West team profiles

May 28th, 2009

Click here to view all team profiles for the 2009 Best of the West tournament. So far, we have received and posted profiles for 10 of the 15 teams in this year’s Best of the West.

We’d like to have one for all of you, so if you’re among the teams not yet posted, please send one to jim (at) fastpitchwest (dot) com. Just a roster and a paragraph or two about the team would be great. (See others for samples)

Teams who have submitted a profile shown in bold:
(if you’re not among those with profile posted, be sure to send it in)

1. SantaCecelia, Mexicali, Mexico
2. Hostilez,Morongo Reservation
3. Bandits, Pueblo, CO
4. Tri-County, Santa Barbara, CA
5. ISC II #32 InnovativeCommunications, Lehi, Utah
6. Coyotes, Beaumont, CA
7. Taylor Farms Athletics, Salinas, CA
8. SilverHawks, Bakersfield, CA
9. ISC II #6 Rude Pac, Sun Valley, CA
10. SoCal Tribes,San Jacinto, CA
11. ISC II #15 C.R.Rockers, Portland, Oregon
12. Young Bucks,Santa Barbara, CA
13. Black Sox, Long Beach, CA
14. Team Pape Pirates, Walnut Creek, CA
15. ISC II #37 Maccabi USA

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Best of the West team profile – Morongo Hostilez

May 28th, 2009

Best of the West – May 30-31

This is the seventh in a series of team profiles for teams competing in this year’s Best of the West tournament.

Thanks to Issac Nortre for this info:

MORONGO HOSTILEZ

Howie Diaz 15
Jason “Ro” Carrizosa 14
Paul “Flip” Miranda 00
Anthony Loza 64
Issac “Dirty” Norte 22
Francisco “Jr” Torres 11
Lawrence “Lo” Alcorn 37
Julian “Julez” Gonzalez 20
Robert “Big Swole” Aguilar 56
Mel “Cuz” Shaw 39
Damen “Bonez” Leivas 27
Tommy Herrera 12
Sal Estanislao 7
Anthony “Frankie” Weiss 34
Alex Soto 05

From the team:

Hostilez are from Morongo Rez. We have 2 pitchers that can shut it down HOWIE DIAZ and ANTHONY LOZA. We play mostly local rez tournies, and a couple out of town tournaments where we seem to fare well especially against BBC. Our lineup is decent but still figuring out who plays where because everyone’s pretty much a utility player. Our main goal is to see where we stand against other teams not just rez teams.

Click here to view other team profiles for the 2009 Best of the West tournament.

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2009 Best of the West Schedule

May 28th, 2009


Record 15 Team Schedule Announced

Editor’s note: Some folks missed the earlier post with the Best of the West schedule and couldn’t locate it, so we’ve bumped it to the top of the blog for today.

May 28, 2009 (Santa Barbara, California) – The 19th Annual Best of the West Men’s fastball Tournament will be held May 30 – 31 in Santa Barbara, CA. The Tournament is the longest running open tournament, held annually in California. A Tournament record field of fifteen teams will vie for the 2009 Championship, with two berths in the 2009 ISC World Tournament, and two berths in the 2009 ISC II Tournament of Champions at stake.

“The interest in this year’s Best of the West Tournament is at an all-time high, as proved by our record number of teams entering” said Tournament Director Dave Blackburn. “We are happy to have first time participating Pueblo Bandits, and their pitching ace and strikeout artist Jeremy Manley leading their staff. Add in the powerful Taylor Farms California Athletics who are playing as the 2008 ISC II Champions, along with hard hitting ball clubs Innovative Communications of Utah, and Santa Cecelia, of Mexico, and we have a very tough tourney set to go. Everyone always loves to spend the weekend in Sunny Santa Barbara.”

The 3-field complex at Elings Park will be used, along with one of the fields at Santa Barbara’s Pershing Park
Elings Park is locatedat: 1298 Las Positas Road, Santa Barbara, CA. Directions (

Pershing Park is located at: 100 Castillo St, Santa BarbaraCA
Directions

Teams

1. SantaCecelia, Mexicali, Mexico
2. Hostilez,Morongo Reservation
3. Bandits, Pueblo, CO
4. Tri-County, Santa Barbara, CA
5. ISC II #32 InnovativeCommunications, Lehi, Utah
6. Coyotes, Beaumont, CA
7. Taylor Farms Athletics, Salinas, CA
8. SilverHawks, Bakersfield, CA
9. ISC II #6 Rude Pac, Sun Valley, CA
10. SoCal Tribes,San Jacinto, CA
11. ISC II #15 C.R.Rockers, Portland, Oregon
12. Young Bucks,Santa Barbara, CA
13. Black Sox, Long Beach, CA
14. Team Pape Pirates, Walnut Creek, CA
15. ISC II #37 Maccabi USA

Schedule

Saturday May 30
Game 1 @ Elings Park Field 1 – 8:30 AM
Taylor Farms Athletics Vs Bandits

Game 2 @ Elings Park Field 2 – 8:30 AM
CR Rockers Vs Rude Pac

Game 3 @ Elings Park Field 3 – 8:30 AM
SoCal Tribes Vs Silver Hawks

Game 4 @ Pershing Park – 8:30 AM
Tri-County Vs Coyotes

Game 5 @ Elings Park Field 1 – 10:15 AM
Santa Cecelia Vs Innovative Communications

Game 6 @ Elings Park Field 2 – 10:15 AM
Black Sox Vs Team Pape Pirates

Game 7 @ Elings Park Field 3 – 10:15 AM
Maccabi USAVs Young Bucks

Game 8 @ Pershing Park – 10:15 AM
Hostilez Vs Tri-County

Game 9 @ Elings Park Field 1 – 12:00 Noon
Santa Cecilia Vs Bandits

Game 10 @ Elings Park – Field 2 – 12:00Noon
Black Sox vs Taylor Farms

Game 11 @ Elings Park – Field 3 – 12:00Noon
Maccabi USAVs SoCal Tribes

Game 12 @ Pershing Park – 12:00 Noon
Silver Hawks Vs Hostilez

Game 13 @ Elings Park Field 1 – 1:45 PM
Team Pape Pirates Vs CR Rockers

Game 14 @ Elings Park Field 2 – 1:45 PM
Rude Pac Vs Innovative Communications

Game 15 @ Elings Park Field 3 – 1:45 PM
Young Bucks Vs Coyotes

Game 16 @ Pershing Park – 1:45 PM
Silver Hawks Vs Tri-County

Game 17 @ Elings Park Field 1 – 3:30 PM
CR Rockers Vs Bandits

Game 18 @ Elings Park Field 2 – 3:30 PM
Taylor Farms Athletics Vs Innovative Communications

Game 19 @ Elings Park Field 3 – 3:30 PM
Rude Pac vs Black Sox

Game 20 @ Pershing Park – 3:30 PM
Maccabi USAVs Hostilez

Game 21 @ Elings Park Field 1 – 5:15 PM
Santa Cecelia Vs Team Pape Pirates

Game 22 @ Pershing Park – 5:15 PM
So CalTribes Vs Coyotes

Sunday May 31
Game 23 8:00 AM @ Elings Park Field 1 – 15th Place Vs 2nd Place
Game 24 8:00 AM @ Elings Park Field 2 – 14th Place Vs 3rd Place
Game 25 8:00 AM @ Elings Park Field 3 – 13th Place Vs 4th Place
Game 26 8:00 AM @ Pershing Park – 12th Place Vs 5th Place
Game 27 9:45 AM @ Elings Park Field 2 – 11th Place Vs 6th Place
Game 28 9:45 AM @ Elings Park Field 3 – 10th Place Vs 7th Place
Game 29 9:45 AM @ Pershing Park – 9th Place Vs 8th Place
Game 30 9:45 AM @ Elings Park Field 1 – (Quarterfinal) W Game 23 Vs W Game 24
Game 31 11:30 AM @ Elings Park Field 1(Quarter-Final) W Game 25 Vs W Game 26
Game 32 11:30 AM @ Elings Park Field 2 (Quarter-Final) 1st Place Vs W Game 27
Game 33 11:30 AM @ Elings Park Field 3 (Quarter-Final) W Game 28 Vs W Game 29
Game 34 1:15 PM @ Elings Park Field 1 (SemiFinals) W Game 30 Vs W Game 31
Game 35 1:15 PM @ Elings Park Field 2 (Semi-Finals) W Game 32 Vs W Game 33
Game 36 3:00 PM @ Elings Park Field 1 (Championship) W Game 34 vs W Game 35

For Sunday seedings, the criteria:
1. Overall Record;
2. Head-to-Head;
3. Fewest runs allowed;
4. runs scored

For berth determinations, the criteria:
1. Sunday finish;
2. Head-to-Head;
3. Fewest runs allowed;
4. runs scored

Special Rules: ISC Pitching Rule * Saturday – No inning starts after 1 hour 30 min time limit * 7 Run Rule after 5 innings Tiebreaker in the 8th, or after the time limit * ONLY STARTERS may re-enter * 5 warm-ups at start of game, then 3 after Speedup with C on base,with 2 out – last out * DR, EH, and DP allowed, but must be listed at start *

Dave Blackburn
Tournament Director
Best of The West
310-266-7803
daveb@virtvent.com

Posted in General, ISC, ISC-II, Nor Cal, So Cal, Tournaments | No Comments »

Best of the West – team profile – Bay Area Pirates

May 28th, 2009

Best of the West – May 30-31

This is the sixth in a series of team profiles for teams competing in this year’s Best of the West tournament.

Thanks to Vanessa Woodmansee (“Momma V”) for this info:

BAY AREA PIRATES
(aka Team Pape Pirates)

The 2009 Bay Area Pirates formerly known as Team Pape, is looking to better their 2nd place finish from the 2008 Men’s Class “B” ASA National Tournament last season. Their goal is to participate in the 2009 Men’s Class “B” ASA Nationals in Prescott, Arizona. With an off-season merger taking place with Da Bruddah’s of Hayward, the Pirates have 10 returning players from the 2008 squad and Da Bruddah’s are represented by 7 of its team members. The team has participated in 2 tournaments in NorCal and is looking forward to participating in The Best of the West tournament, which is considered to be one of the best tournaments in California. We are looking forward to a great weekend of highly competitive softball. Thanks in advance to the tournament organizers for a job well done and we will see you all at the field!

BAY AREA PIRATES
Roster for 2009 Best of the West

Coach/Manager Rick Abina #4
#4 Abina, Rick (util) (Pirates)
# 14 Boots, Dustin (inf) (Pirates)
# 33 Ching, Shawn (inf) (Bruddah’s)
# 13 Frey, Keith (P) (Pirates)
# 9 Grant, Ryan (inf) (Pirates)
# 8 Harsha, Eric (util) (Pirates)
#5 Hunhoff, BJ (P) (Pirates)
# 19 Hunhoff, Tony (P) (Pirates)
# 44 Moore, Ricky (util) (Pirates)
#11 Nishinaga, Kevin (util) (Bruddah’s)
# 3 Roeber, Matt (util) (Pirates)
# 23 Tomasello, Scotty (util) (Bruddah’s)
# 89 Villanueva, Bryan (util) (Bruddah’s)
# 10 Wimbs, Jabari (of) (Bruddah’s)
# 21 Woodmansee, Joshua (util) (Bruddah’s)

Pitchers
# 13 Frey, Keith
# 19 Hunhoff, Tony
#5 Hunhoff, BJ

MIA
# 24 Smith, Bobby (util) (Bruddah’s)
#1 Winnick, Dan (of) (Pirates)

Editor’s note: For other 2009 Best of the West team profiles, click here.

Posted in General, Nor Cal, Teams, Tournaments | No Comments »

Best of the West team profile – Tri County Blinds, Santa Barbara

May 27th, 2009

Best of the West – May 30-31

This is the fifth in a series of team profiles for teams competing in this year’s Best of the West tournament.

Thanks to Clayte Robinson for this info:

Tri-County Blinds from Santa Barbara

Jeremy Rodgers-P
Clayte Robinson-P
Russell Arrellanes-C/INF
Adam Alegria-C/OF
Jon Ramsdell-INF/OF
Kevin Speier-INF
Tom Lansdon-INF
Jason Sutherlund-INF
Ben Limosnero-INF
Phil Hiromerides-DH/UTIL.
JJ Brunner-OF/C
Jason Renick-OF
Mickey Ventura-MGR/DH

Tri-County is a mix of crafty veterans and solid young players. As a team we have been successful in our local city league for the past few years and are trying to expose our younger guys to a higher level of play. The veterans are well known in the So. Cal. fastpitch scene and still enjoy playing the game. They welcome newcomer Jeremy Rodgers to help them in the circle this weekend. We will be playing our games at Pershing Park, where we all got our starts some years ago. We have no plans on attending any ASA nationals but you might see some of the vets return to Carson City in the fall to try to improve on last years 2nd place finish at the NAFA 45 and over. See you this weekend.

Editor’s note: For other 2009 Best of the West team profiles, click here.

Posted in Teams, Tournaments | No Comments »

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