Ontario ISC II Qualifier

April 26th, 2005

The stage is set for the Canada East battle for automatic berths in both the ISC World Tournament and in the ISC – II Tournament of Champions.

The best men’s fastball teams in the area will be gathering in Innerkip, Ontario, to compete for spots in the best of international competition.

ISC Commissioner Bob McGowan is announcing that the 2005 ISC and ISC – II Qualifiers will take place over the weekend of June 17 – 19.

Format for both events will be double elimination.

The victors in the ISC division will qualify to advance to the ISC World Tournament in Eau Claire, WI, August 12 – 20.

The victors in the ISC – II division will qualify to advance to the ISC – II Tournament of Champions, August 14 – 19 in nearby Chippewa Falls, WI.

Commissioner McGowan points out that in addition to the teams which win their respective divisions, teams which finish high in either qualifier may be eligible for a possible invitational berth.

Entry fee is $325 payable to either “ISC Ontario Qualifier” or to “ISC-II Ontario Qualifier”

To enter, or for more information, contact:

Bob McGowan
Canada East Area Commissioner
e-mail: jbob99@allstream.net
Phone: (519) 941-6767 (home)
1- (888) 888-2605 (work)

Feb. 9, 2005
From: Gordon Wise
ISC Information Officer
www.iscfastpitch.com
sgwise@woh.rr.com

Posted in 2005 ISC II ToC, Qualifiers, Tournaments | Comments Closed

Eastern Canada ISC-II Qualifier Set for Blackburn Hamlet

April 26th, 2005

When the Blackburn Mens’ Fastball League hosts it’s annual tournament June 24-26, 2005 in Blackburn Hamlet (Ottawa), Ontario, there will be more at stake than mere bragging rights.

The 2005 event will count as an Eastern Canada ISC II Qualifier provided there are a minimum of eight teams committed prior to April 15. The ISC II berth at stake will be for the 2005 ISC II Tournament of Champions in Chippewa Falls, WI.

The tournament in Blackburn Hamlet is open to all ISC II-eligible teams in Eastern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The tournament format will be double knockout and the entry fee is $325.

Entry fees should be sent to:
Bob McGowan
ISC Canada East Commissioner
R.R.#1 Orangeville, Ontario
L9W 2Y8
Phone: 905-672-7473 (work); 519-941-6767 (home)

Blackburn Hamlet is a small community located in the eastern part of Ottawa. For more information on the village or the area contact:

Tim Keyes
Tim.keyes@runaware.com
1-800-430-3231 (Work) or 1-613-822-0456 (Home) or

Adam Brown
Adam.brown@ottawa.ca
613-623-8867 (Home)

Feb. 24, 2005
From: Gordon Wise – – – ISC Information Officer
www.iscfastpitch.com
sgwise@woh.rr.com

Posted in 2005 ISC II ToC, Qualifiers, Tournaments | Comments Closed

Canada West ISC – II Qualifier Set

April 26th, 2005

The dates and site are set for the Canada West Area Qualifier for a spot in the ISC – II Tournament of Champions.

Commissioner Ferdi Nelissen is announcing that the competition will be held in Portage la Prairie at the Republic of Manitobah Park.

The dates are the weekend of June 4 and 5, 2005.

Entry fee is $300 CDN.

This is an International Softball Congress sanctioned qualifier for teams seeking a berth in the ISC-II Tournament of Champions, a 40-team North American championship event for teams deemed level II by the ISC. The 2005 ISC-II Tournament of Champions will be held from August 14 – 19 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, along side the ISC World Tournament which will be held in nearby Eau Claire, Wisconsin, from August 12 – 20.

See the ISC website (www.iscfastpitch.com) for details on each event and for ISC – II eligibility requirements.

Teams already indicating interest in the qualifier include: Devils Lake Risers, Gladstone Whips, Portage Phillies, and Regina.

The Gladstone Whips from Manitoba are defending champions in the event. They went on last season to finish a strong fourth in the ISC-II Tournament of Champions in Fargo, ND. Regina, Portage, and Devils Lake also participated in Fargo by gaining invitational berths from the ISC. Only teams which participate in ISC sanctioned Area Qualifiers or Travel Leagues will be eligible for invitational opportunities if they do not win a berth.

Please contact Ferdi Nelissen (ISC Canada West Commissioner/Canadian Vice President) with any questions or to enter the qualifier.

Send entry fee and roster ASAP to:

Ferdi Nelissen
58 Tupper Street S.
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
Canada R1N 1W6
e-mail: ferdi@mts.net
Phone: 204-239-5822 (Home) or 204-871-2072.

April 25, 2005
From: Gordon Wise
ISC Information Officer
www.iscfastpitch.com
sgwise@woh.rr.com

Posted in 2005 ISC II ToC, Qualifiers, Tournaments | Comments Closed

2005 ISC II Preseason Rankings

April 25th, 2005

Here is the full list for the 2005 ISC II Preseason Rankings.

To see how each of the judges on the 12-person panel ranked each team, click on the link at:

http://www.iscfastpitch.com/webstartme/iscii.htm

2005 ISC II Preseason Rankings
Rank Team
1 Tavistock, ON Smully’s Merchants
2 Harriston, ON Mercury’s
3 Appleton, WI The Bar of Appleton
4 Norwich, ON Razorbacks
5 Kanata, ON Team Easton
6 Wilkes-Barre, PA Keating’s Fitness Center
7 Gladstone, MB Whips
8 Lloydminster, AB Scope Dodgers
9 Perkasie, PA KMV Rise
10 Fargo, ND Chub’s Pub Wizards
11 Galesville, WI Wilber Lime
12 Oswego, NY McKie’s Sports
13 St. Paul, MN ABS-Villard
14 Palermo, ON Athletics
15 Reasnor, IA RPMs
16 Hermann, MO Black Gold
17 Alvinston, ON Indians
18 Anderson, IN Jaybirds
19 Port Elgin, ON Blue Devils
20 Glencoe, ON Astros
21 Micksburg, ON Twins
22 Sioux Falls, SD Sox
23 Denver, CO Colorado Rage
24 Ashland, OH Merchants
25 Yakima, WA JRW Associates Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in 2005 ISC II ToC, Rankings, Teams | Comments Closed

2005 Ontario ISC II Preseason Rankings

April 25th, 2005

‘Tis the season for rankings and here is the Ontario ISC II Preseason Rankings.

As the name suggests, this covers teams that are eligible for ISC II play. Without further adieu, here they are:

2005 Ontario ISC II Preseason Rankings

1. Smully’s Tavistock Merchants
Added power hitter/pitcher Mike Pinder and Shawn Brown to already strong lineup. How long will leadoff batter & sparkplug Dean Kaufman stay retired?

2 Harriston Mercury’s
With Ryan Dilgee & Terry Martin in Elora, there’s some holes to fill for last year’s ISC II Champs. Joe German is signed on to back up Scott Smith.

3 Micksburg Twins
Have to be considered top seed at ISC II Qualifier in Blackburn with Corey & Shawn Costello.

4 Norwich Razorbacks
Signed Todd Winkworth, Ben Blonde & Drew Winger to go with ace Tim Neill & added Cory Winkworth plus a couple of sticks from East coast, but losing shortstop Jeff Konigshofer.

5 Palermo Athletics
Biggest beneficiary of slightly looser ISC II restrictions, reclassified veteran club is loaded with senior experience, especially with NAFA Hall of Famer Gord Scott on the mound.

6 Kanata Team Easton
Most of the former Kemptville Thunder players landed here including ace Dan Konkle.

7 Port Elgin Blue Devils
With berth to ISC II ToC already in their back pocket, BDs will be heard from in Chippewa Falls.

8 Bridgeport Braves
With decision to open up ISC II by a small degree, Scharr brothers will keep this team in contention.

9 Elora Rage
Picked up several players from Breslau, including Don Harris, Kevin Pomfret, Terry Martin & Greg Scheele to go with Ryan Dilgee, who is playing here and not in Harriston.

10 Niagara Snappers
Full-time additions of pitcher Dan Duemo & DH Jarrod Burtt will solidify Snappers’ lineup and playing in ISC league provides solid experience.

Honourable mentions (alphabetical):
Alvinston Indians – Still looking for pitching to replace Drew Winger. Also lost Kyle Mitchell from ISC II roster, but veteran club is still competitive.

Aylmer Cardinals – Dan Beecroft & Ryan Cummings will keep Aylmer in every game.

Cobourg Stingers – Will be a threat to win the Blackburn qualifier with addition of Lyle Brown.

Glencoe Astros – If Shaun Winship is on form, Glencoe will be heard from in Innerkip. Added three starters from Shedden.

Hamilton Hawks – Apparently looking at ISC II for 2006, have added Newfoundland junior pitcher Lee Cose for selected weekends.

Highgate Rock – Added pitcher Jeremy Osbourne & catcher Bryan Depencier, but looks like Blonde is gone to Norwich for ISC II.

Jarvis Rock – Can hit with anyone. Big question: Is Dave “Farmer” Martin back?

Kingston Cowboys – Won Loughborough leage in 2004 and will be playing in Blackburn.

Mississauga Arrows – Could be tough if Chris McColl pitches full-time. Addition of Craig Walker & junior Drew Hathway for tournaments gives some pitching depth.

Stouffville Mennos – With Scott Evans they won Intermediate elims, but even without, they’re very good.

Posted in Ontario, Rankings, Teams | Comments Closed

Smully’s Tavistock Merchants top ISC II Preseason Rankings

April 21st, 2005

The two finalists from the 2004 ISC II Tournament of Champions remain atop the 2005 ISC II Preseason rankings, although the order is now reversed.

With the addition of some key players, Tavistock, ON Smully’s Tavistock Merchants take top spot in the preseason poll, edging out two-time defending champion Harriston, ON Mercury’s, who may be losing two starters.

A total of 55 teams received at least one vote from the 12-person panel.

The top 10 teams are:

1. Tavistock, ON Smully’s Tavistock Merchants
2. Harriston, ON Mercurys
3. Appleton, WI The Bar of Appleton
4. Norwich, ON Razorbacks
5. Kanata, ON Team Easton
6. Wilkes-Barre, PA Keating’s Fitness Center
7. Lloydminster, AB Scope Dodgers
8. Gladstone, MB Whips
9. Perkasie, PA KMV Rise
10. Fargo, ND Chub’s Pub Wizards

To view the full list, please see the ISC II section of the ISC website at www.iscfastpitch.com.

The rankings will form the basis for seeding teams in the fourth annual ISC II Tournament of Champions which will be played August 14-19 at Casper Park in Chippewa Falls, WI. The tournament will feature 40 teams from across North America playing a four-game round robin schedule in eight pools of five teams each. The top three teams from each pool advance to a single elimination playoff bracket.

For more information, please contact:

Blair Setford
ISC II Commissioner
Email: blairjs@rogers.comPhone: 1.800.268.9374 x8803

Posted in 2005 ISC II ToC, Rankings, Teams | Comments Closed

Canada East ISC II Home League Program for 2005

March 10th, 2005

Bob McGowan, ISC Canada East Commissioner, is inviting men’s intermediate fastball leagues in Ontario to join the 2005 ISC II Home League program to give their league’s representative a shot at qualifying for the 2006 ISC II Tournament of Champions to be played in Kitchener.

Nearly 5,000 fans watched the ISC II Championship Game in 2002 in Kitchener and there is no reason not to expect the same next year. The ISC may not be back in Ontario for another five years and for many players, 2006 may be the last time they can participate in such a fantastic event in front of friends and family.

There is no initial cost to affiliate your league with the program. Each league will operate under its own unique rules. As of August 5, each league will qualify a representative team to advance to the ISC II Ontario Cup to be held August 26-28, in Hillsburgh. The tournament format will be double knockout.

Involvement in the program, which started in 2003, can help your league:
generate greater league publicity
place increased importance on the regular season schedule
provide increased competition for league teams in contention for the berth
provide a good marketing tool to retain junior and intermediate players who do not have ISC aspirations but would like to play on a larger stage like ISC II.
See where it stacks up against other Ontario intermediate leagues

Previous champions included the Norwich Razorbacks of the Tri-County league in 2003, who went on to finish tied for 5th at the 2004 ISC II Tournament of Champions in Fargo, ND, and Port Elgin Blue Devils, of the Blue Water league, who will compete in this year’s ToC in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

The entry fee for the Ontario Cup will be $175 per team. A payment to cover the entry fee will be due on July 15. If a league decides not to send a team by August 15, the entry fee will be returned.

A reminder that only eligible players are allowed to participate. Teams will be allowed two pickups from within their league and can replace any ineligible players with players from within their league. All rosters must be approved by their individual leagues and are subject to final approval by Ontario ISC personnel.

To affiliate your league with the 2005 ISC II Home League program, please contact Bob McGowan at 519.941.6767 (home) or 905.672.7473 (office) or jbob99@allstream.net (email).

Entries in the 2005 ISC II Ontario Cup will be limited to 16, including the host team. Berths will be provided on a first reply basis. We have already heard from several leagues, so don’t delay in confirming your affiliation with the Canada East ISC II Home League Program.

Posted in General, Leagues, Ontario | Comments Closed

Totally unofficial ISC II Rankings – really, it’s just for fun!

February 23rd, 2005

Tried this over at the GHFL.ca board and got some strong reactions – good and bad – so we’ll try it here too.

Changed things a bit based on some initial feedback, so don’t be alarmed that this one is slightly different than the initial draft.

As stated on ghfl.ca, don’t take it too seriously because it’s certainly possible that I’ve missed teams or under or over estimated teams. Also, a couple teams may have pitchers who aren’t eligible for ISC II and that could impact their ranking or even their eligibility, so please don’t get too bent out of shape if your team isn’t here or isn’t as high up as you think it should be. Have fun with it – and remember, it doesn’t mean a thing until it’s on the field.

Rank Team
1 Harriston, ON Mercurys
2 Tavistock, ON Smully’s Tavistock Merchants
3 Gladstone, MB Whips
4 Lantzville, BC Atlas Truss
5 Galesville, WI Wilber Lime
6 Seattle, WA Bodle Chiropractic
7 Micksburg, ON Twins
8 Lloydminster, AB Scope Dodgers
9 Norwich, ON Razorbacks
10 Appleton, WI The Bar of Appleton Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Rankings, Teams | Comments Closed

Qualifiers for Nebraska, South Dakota, and W. Iowa Set

February 20th, 2005

A pair of automatic berths in each of two international fastball tournaments will be the prizes when the cream of the crop of men’s fastball teams from the states of Nebraska, South Dakota, and western Iowa gather this summer in Omaha, Nebraska.

ISC Commissioner Chuck Welker has announced that the qualifying tournaments to determine representatives from both the Area and from the Travel League (Welker is Commissioner of both) will be held in Omaha, Nebraska.

The location will be the Seymour Smith Complex, 72nd and Harrison, in Omaha.

The dates will be:

** May 21 – 22, 2005, AND
** July 2 – 3, 2005.
(NOTE: A rain date would be July 4.)

The format will be Round Robin.

And just what is “on the line” in these qualifiers?

TWO spots in the ISC World Tournament, to be held August 12 – 20 in Eau Claire, Wis.

TWO spots in the ISC – II Tournament of Champions, to be held August 14 – 19 in Chippewa Falls, Wis.

Entry fee is $480 (Less $200 per team) NOTE: The “less $200 per team” is a raffle program where each team sells 20 tickets – – at $10 – – for a Hy-Vee Food Store gift certificate which will be drawn for on the final day of play. Each team will keep the money from the raffle tickets sold, thus reducing the entry fee to a net of $280.

To enter the qualifier, or for more information, contact:

Chuck Welker
4954 Stream Side Circle
Des Moines, Iowa, 50317
Phone: 515-262-2977
e-mail: ChuckWelker@aol.com

Jan. 20, 2005
By: Gordon Wise
ISC Information Officer
www.iscfastpitch.com
sgwise@woh.rr.com

Posted in 2005 ISC II ToC, Qualifiers, Tournaments | Comments Closed

Lots of ISC-II at GHFL.ca

February 19th, 2005

From ISC II Commissioner, Blair Setford:

With the launch of GHFL.ca, in no small part due to the tremendous contributions of Jim Flanagan, I am hoping to duplicate, albeit on a smaller scale, the success of Fastpitchwest.com. Our focus will be on fastball in the hotbed of Ontario, particularly the ISC II brand of ball.

Most of the press in the game goes to the big boys – the teams and players that compete on the ISC World Tournament stage, at the Pan-Am Games and the quadrennial ISF World Series. And it should.

To borrow from the PGA – These guys are good. Nothing beats seeing the game of fastball played by the best players in the world. It’s a shame that we’ve never been able to successfully translate that poetry on grass to the television screens across North America. (More on that in a future guest column.)

But for every team competing at the ISC World Tournament, there are probably five, maybe 10, maybe 25 or even 50 teams that don’t have budgets the size of small Caribbean islands who play for the love of the game and the purity of the competition.

It was for these guys that the ISC II division was started a few years back and it’s where my passion for the game comes from. These players are the unheralded stalwarts of the game who are keeping it alive in all four corners of North America.

And, yes, these guys are good, too. They can run and hit and catch and make plays that will take your breath away. Only it’s not every play, and the imperfections in the game make one appreciate the gems sometimes a little more.

So, what can you expect at GHFL.ca? First you’ll get coverage of the Golden Horseshoe Fastball League. Beyond that, we’ll provide regular updates on the Ontario Top 10 Intermediate Teams, polls on the best hitters and pitchers, the best bats, the top parks to play in and much, much more.

Rumours and rankings are your thing? Log into the GHFL.ca forums and talk all you want about who’s the best and why. If you’ve got a hot scoop, pass it along.

We’re going to experiment with posting video and audio clips during the year along with still pix. Now, unless Maddy and Jim move to Toronto in the next three months, we’re not going to have anything along the lines of the beautiful galleries of photos that Maddy regularly graces us with, but we’ll try to post some new stuff every couple of weeks.

Lastly, tell us what you’d like to see on GHFL.ca. More polls? More rankings? More outside-Ontario material? More tournament coverage? More league coverage? GHFL.ca is literally in its infancy and the direction it takes as it grows is going to be determined by you, the readers. Please voice your opinion. We’ll be listening.

Cheers,

Blair Setford
GHFL.ca

Posted in Ontario, Websites | Comments Closed

Survey Says: “ISC II a Solid Success”

February 10th, 2005

ISC II a Solid Success Says Survey The International Softball Congress (ISC) is pleased to announce the results of a recent survey of team managers, player representatives and other participants that point to the success of the ISC II division. “We will take these results and study them to see where we can continue to improve the experience of teams and players at the ISC II Tournament of Champions, but this tells us that we are clearly on the right track,” said ISC II Vice-President Bob McGowan. Conducted over a one-month period between Dec. 15, 2004 and Jan. 15, 2005, an invitation to complete the online survey was sent to a total of 107 people with 59 providing responses by the deadline. “We are thrilled with the quantity and quality of the feedback we’ve received with this survey,” said ISC II Commissioner Blair Setford, noting that all but one of the teams that participated in the 2004 ISC II Tournament of Champions responded, along with 25 teams that either competed at previous ISC II events or have played in other post season championships. Overwhelmingly, survey respondents declared the ISC II Tournament of Champions (ToC) as the top tournament for this caliber of play. A clear majority prefer the current ToC format, including the existing playoff schedule, although there is a substantial minority that would like the schedule to be compressed. Opinion is split on whether to reduce the number of allowed out-of-area players and pitchers permitted on ISC II teams as many were specific in their comments that ISC II should be preserved for local teams. Many respondents also want to see the ToC champion move up to the ISC World Tournament through the provision of an automatic berth in the following year’s World Tournament. Other highlights include: * Respondents definitely want the ToC championship game played on the final Saturday. * There is significant support for inviting international club teams to the ToC. * ISC II players spent a lot of time and money at the 2004 World Tournament site. * More needs to be done to promote the ISC II program, including a dedicated ISC II web site, state/provincial or regional rankings and increased commissioner contact. * Two-thirds of respondents say that having the ToC at the same time and place as the WT is very or extremely important. Click here to view the full results of the survey online.

Three respondents were chosen at random to receive an ISC Prize Pack consisting of official ISC apparel. The winners are: Frank Keating Jr., Wilkes-Barre, PA Keating’s Fitness Center Kim Fuerniss, Wichita, KS Athletic Club Jeremy Petersen, Walcott, IA Walcott Coliseum The fourth annual ISC II Tournament of Champions will take place August 14-19 at Casper Park in Chippewa Falls, WI. The tournament will feature 40 teams from across North America playing a four-game round robin schedule in eight pools of five teams each. The top three teams from each pool advance to a single elimination playoff bracket. The ISC is a non-profit corporation organized for the promotion and administration of men’s and boy’s fastpitch softball throughout North America. Athletes participating in ISC tournaments come from literally all over the world to play the game of fastball at its highest levels.

For more information, please contact: Blair Setford ISC II Commissioner 416.681.8803 mailto:blairjs@aol.com Bob McGowan ISC II Vice President 905.672.7473 mailto:jbob99@allstream.net Ken Hackmeister ISC Executive Director 801.447.8807 < mailto:iscken@comcast.net

http://www.iscfastpitch.com/

Posted in 2004 ToC, General | Comments Closed

I.S.C. Qualifiers Set for Colorado/New Mexico and Arizona/Nevada Areas

February 9th, 2005

There is a lot of territory in the four-state I.S.C. areas which include the states of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada.

And the finest men’s fastball teams from these four states will be in a battle royale for several key berths in international fastball competition.

Area Commissioner (and I.S.C. President) Dick Mason is announcing the dates, site, and other information for the qualifying tournament from the area.

The dates will be the weekend of June 25 and 26.

The location will be Alamosa, Colorado.

At stake in the weekend event will be: One berth in the ISC World Tournament and Two berths in the ISC – II Tournament of Champions. Those two events will be held in Eau Claire and Chippawa Falls, Wisconsin, in August, 2005.

The format will be Round Robin pools with a single elimination playoff.

Participating teams will be guaranteed a minimum of four games.

The entry fee will be $325.

The deadline for entry will be May l, 2005.

And of course the qualifier is open to men’s fastball teams from the states of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada.

To enter, or for more information, contact:

Dick Mason
739 W. Littleton Blvd.
Littleton, Colorado 80120
Phone: 303 – 797-9101
Fax: 303 – 795-3356
e-mail: dmason@mrwllc.com

Feb. 9, 2005
By: Gordon Wise
ISC Information Officer
www.iscfastpitch.com
sgwise@woh.rr.com

Posted in 2005 ISC II ToC, General, Qualifiers, Tournaments | Comments Closed

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