A-1 Tank, from Northern California will see its first action of the 2006 season, competing in the first “league weekend” at the Pacific Coast Tournament Series at Stockton, California. Stockton hosted last year’s ASA “C” Nationals, which produced a highly competitive, 70 team tournament, with a member of the ISC World Tournament’s Super Pool team, the Riversharks garnering MVP honors for PA Power of Pennsylvania.
Pyle, a Las Vegas resident, and former University of Wyoming football lineman, took a liking to the fields in Stockton, California last year, hitting seven (7) homers in two weekends there in 2005, including five (5) during a qualifier, and two more in the National tournament.
A-1 Tank finished 9th in that tournament, scoring a boat-load of runs in the process, falling twice in close, hard-fought battles with the El Segundo Rounders, who took 7th. A-1 has revamped their roster, adding free agents such as the slugging, hard-throwing Gerald Pyle, recently named as an alternate on Team USA and to their travel squad. Pyle was a member of that Rounders team, and homered in their elimination win over A-1. The Tank has also added a core group from the Nor Cal Mavericks, including pitchers Ed Gasper and Keith Frey, as well as Paul Reyes and Dean Waltier from last year’s JRW Associates ISC II team.
The Tank has its sights set on the ISC II Tournament of Champions in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. No team from California has ever competed in the ISC II Tournament of Champions. California’s classification system has undergone major changes, resulting in a large increase in the number of teams playing at the A/B level instead of class C. A-1 Tank, as well as the Bakersfield Lumberkings have expressed interest in the ISC T of C for 2006.
This weekend’s league play will see A-1 Tank competing against longtime ASA “B” Nationals contender, the River City Rockers, no strangers to upper level play in California.
Pre-season rankings in California have A-1 Tank at #3 in the state, behind ISC World Tournament teams, the So Cal Bombers and Team Rainey. The Rockers are pegged at #6 in those same pre-season rankings.