All the teams but one were registered yesterday and I spoke to the team in question after running into them late last night at Peter Hallman Ballyard … they were delayed at the car rental agency in Toronto, then one of their guys got nabbed in a radar trap on the highway and none of them got into town until after 8 pm … they’ll be early at registration … talked to Corey Costello last night – he’s pumped about being here with his own team and will have the ball tonight against Orangeville … the main field at Budd Park is in great shape … there is a big garden on the top of the hill overlooking the park and everything, including the Sportsjuice hookups are ready to go!

On tap for broadcasts today:
12 pm Ashland vs CPI – Blair Setford & Jim Flanagan
2 pm Ottawa vs Toronto – Lance Winn & David Bakker
4 pm Elora vs Rice Creek – Blair & Joe Todd
7 pm Bridgeport vs California – Jim & Blair
9 pm Elmira vs Denver – Jim & Blair

If you’re at the park, look for the Diamond Dirt newsletter … starting tomorrow there will be a daily ISC II column with scores, tidbits and highlights … the park at PHBY was about 80% full for last night’s Kitchener game vs Vandalia – the Twins in their brand new uni’s got up 6-0 in the first and then never got a hit after that, but the outcome was never in doubt … Todd Martin left after 5 without giving up a hit … Don Scott came in and threw gas … gave up one single and had a bunch of K’s … if you haven’t tried it yet, try ISC TV … go with the 200% screen size (right click on the image in your WMP to change the setting … it’s great to see video with audio for fastball altho’ you need a clean broadband connection or you will get buffering.

If you’ve read this far, keep reading throughout the day as I’ll post more observations, highlights etc. as the day goes on.

Email us during the broadcasts at live@ballparkradio.com if you’ve got questions or comments.

Cheers,

Blair

From Al’s Fastball:

[KITCHENER, ON] -The activity and storms around the ball parks these days are impressive. Copious, rainfall has the turf in the best condition itÂ’s been in for a long time and it was good before. Parking lots have been graded, grass cut, the lighting has been improved, and the enhanced dugouts are getting great reviews. The permanent bleachers behind home plate are now in place and look great. Many sponsors have stepped forward and signs, advertising and talk among players, fans are helping to build excitement. The present heat wave in Ontario is set to break and the tournament forecast is sunshine and low 70Â’s so the weather and facilities are ready and in excellent shape. (more…)

The parks in Kitchener & Cambridge are really starting to take shape.

At PHBY, site of the World Tournament, the stands are almost complete and are looking great. All diamonds have new Big O plastic tubing around the tops of the fences and dugouts.

At Budd Park, the main facility for the ToC, New Big O tubing has been installed there as well. All lights have been cleaned and reaimed. The old wooden bleachers that were built into the hill on 1st and 3rd base side at Budd 1 are being replaced with aluminum bleacher seats encased in cement. The infield and outfield are in awesome shape.

At Kinsmen 1 & 2, the satellite facility for the ToC in Cambridge, by the end of this week, the diamonds will be changed from stone dust infields to clay infields and warning tracks

Looking forward to seeing everyone in August.

Rick Boyd
2006 ISC II Tournament Director

The ISC is pleased to release the pools and schedule for the 2006 ISC II Tournament of Champions to be played at Budd Park in Kitchener and Kinsmen Park in Cambridge.

Play will begin Sunday August 13 at 11 am with the championship scheduled for 5 pm on Friday August 18.

Each team will play four pool games with the top three in each of seven pools, along with three wildcards, moving on to a single-elimination playoff bracket.

The full schedule can be found here on the ISC II section of the ISC website at www.iscfastpitch.com or see below for a breakdown of the schedule by pools.

The pools are as follows:
Pool A
Elmira, ON Cubs
Denver, CO Colorado Rage
Micksburg, ON Twins
Orangeville, ON Resolve Kings
Reading, PA Bob Hoffman’s Garage

Pool B
Bridgeport, ON PROforma Braves
Bakersfield, CA California Lumberkings
Thomson, IL Area Merchants
Waterdown, ON Hammer
Fitzroy Harbour, ON West Carleton Electric

Pool C
Perkasie, PA Rise
Hermann, MO Black Gold
Harriston, ON Mercury’s
Millington, MI Up-to-Date Painting
Kingston, ON Cowboys

Pool D
Port Elgin, ON Blue Devils
Alvinston, ON Indians
Palermo, ON Athletics
Grand Prairie, AB Pride
Harrisburg, PA PA Power

Pool E
Oswego, NY Cutro Professional Inspections
Glencoe, ON Astros
Ashland, OH Merchants
Yakima, WA JRW & Associates
Mitchell, ON Mets

Pool F
Elora, ON Wellington Brewers
Marshall, MI Rice Creek Lightning
Kitchener, ON Phoenix Outlaws
Stittsville, ON 56ers
Sydney, NS Cardinals

Pool G
Ottawa, ON Team Easton Thunder
Tavistock, ON Merchants
Toronto, ON Champion Indians
South Lebanon, PA TNT
Orrville, OH Orr Park Knights
(more…)

An ultra-competititve field of 35 teams is set for the 5th annual ISC II Tournament of Champions August 13-18 in Kitchener/Cambridge.

Headlining the field is the defending champion Elmira, ON Cubs, joined by host team Bridgeport, ON PROforma Braves. See below for the full list of teams.

Each team will play four round robin pool games. The top three in each division, plus three wildcards, will advance to a single elimination playoff bracket.

The pool assignments will be based on rankings where possible, with exceptions made to ensure teams from the same areas and/or leagues are not playing each other in the round robin.

The schedule will be released in late July.

For further information, please contact:

Blair Setford
ISC II Commissioner
blairjs(at)rogers.com

or

Bob McGowan
ISC II Vice-President
jbob99(at)allstream.net

1 Elmira, ON Cubs – Defending Champions
2 Port Elgin, ON Blue Devils – 2005 Finalist
3 Bridgeport, ON Braves – Host
4 Toronto, ON Champion Indians – Canada East TL
5 Saginaw, MI Up-to-Date Painting – Mid Michigan TL
6 Perkasie, PA Rise – Mid-Atlantic Area
7 Oswego, NY CPI – Northeast Area
8 Ashland, OH Merchants – Ohio Area
9 Bakersfield, CA California LumberKings – CA-NV Area
10 Denver, CO Colorado Rage – CO-NM-AZ Area

11 Hermann, MO Black Gold – Gateway TL 1
12 South Lebanon, PA TNT – Mid-Atlantic TL
13 Harrisburg, PA PA Power – W IA-SD Area (invite)
14 Reading, PA Bob Hoffman’s Garage – MO-KS Area (invite)
15 Grande Prairie, AB Pride – Canada West TL
16 Yakima, WA JRW & Associates – WA-OR-BC Area
17 Thomson, IL Area Merchants – Iowa Area
18 Marshall, MI Rice Creek Lightning – Indiana Area
19 Sydney, NS Cardinals – Atlantic Canada
20 Elora, ON Wellington Brewers – Eastern Canada Area 1

21 Ottawa, ON Team Easton Thunder – Eastern Canada Area 2
22 Tavistock, ON Smully’s Merchants – Illinois Area (invite)
23 Micksburg, ON Twins – Rainier (NorWest) TL (invite)
24 Mitchell, ON Mets – Western Fastball Alliance TL (invite)
25 Orangeville, ON Resolve Kings – WI Classic TL 1 (invite)
26 Glencoe, ON Astros – KOTA Travel League (invite)
27 Kingston, ON Cowboys – Tri-State TL (invite)
28 Kitchener, ON Phoenix Outlaws – Northern Illinois Area (invite)
29 Alvinston, ON Indians – Gateway TL 2 (invite)
30 Waterdown, ON Hammer – Northern Illinois TL (invite)

31 Orrville, OH Orr Park Knights – Utah Area (invite)
32 Palermo, ON Athletics – Southeast Area (invite)
33 Harriston, ON Mercury’s – Wisconsin Area 1 (invite)
34 Stittsville, ON 56ers – MidWest Softball Congress TL (invite)
35 Fitzroy Harbour, ON West Carleton Electric – WI Classic TL 2 (invite)

ISC II Umpire-in-Chief Bruce Bierman is proud to announce the umpire crew who will be working the 2006 ISC II Tournament of Champions in Kitchener/Cambridge, Ontario this August.

1. Mike Anklewicz Toronto, Ontario
2. Joel Balberman Brantford, Ontario
3. Gary Brierley Crystal Lake, Illinois
4. Ted Burchell Newmarket, Ontario
5. Terry Burr Puslinch, Ontario
6. Michael D’Abreu Brampton, Ontario
7. Len Gorgei Caledonia, Ontario
8. John Gretz Germantown, Maryland
9. John Irvine Cobourg, Ontario
10. Jeff Juchniewicz Quakertown, Pennsylvania
11. Steve Kuhl Kitchener, Ontario
12. Jay McNaughton Fort Erie, Ontario
13. Dave Seldon Reese, Michigan
14. Trevor Topping Kitchener, Ontario
15. Tim Whitelaw Kitchener, Ontario
16. Mitch Zuk Erin, Ontario

Congratulations also to four umpires who worked last year’s ToC and will be working the World Tournament this year:

Paul Baier Stratford, Ontario
Jay Hart Dunnville, Ontario
Ginger Rendon Pueblo, Colorado
Joe Squires Midland, Michigan