News Archive

Sept. 24, 2012

+ Liberty Field Update

Sun City, Arizona - Tuesday, Sept. 25th will be the last day for this years summer session games to be played at Liberty Field. The field will be closed immediately following the last game on Tuesday for overseeding and will reopen Monday, Oct. 22. The Monday Co-Ed League will start play on Monday, Oct. 29 starting at 10 AM. The American League is scheduled to begin play on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 8:30 AM. As a reminder, practice will be held at Bicentennial Park Softball Field starting Tuesday, Oct 2 at 8:30 AM. The practice time and date are as follows: All time are 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM. The dates are Tuesday, OCT. 2, Thursday, OCT. 4, Tuesday, OCT. 9, Thursday, OCT. 11, Tuesday, OCT. 16 and final practice at Bicentennial Field is Thursday, Oct. 18.
+ Lindsay Schultzer joins Tennessee softball program

Northern California native Lindsay Schultzer has joined the Tennessee softball program as Director of Softball Operations. She earned her masters degree in Education in Student Affairs from UCLA in 2009. She graduated from Tennessee with a bachelor of arts in psychology. "We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to hire a person of Lindsay Schutzler's caliber," Co-head coach Ralph Weekly said. Schutzler donned the Orange and White from 2004-07 and was one of the most accomplished players in Tennessee softball history both on and off the field, earning Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America Honors in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American of the Year accolades in 2006 and 2007. She also earned a gold medal as a member of the USA Softball team at the 2006 World University Games in Taiwan. Schutzler recently worked at Ohio State University an academic counselor in athletics. The Monterey, Calif., native earned her masters degree in Education in Student Affairs from UCLA in 2009. She graduated from Tennessee with a bachelor of arts in psychology. "She had a strong background in academics at Tennessee, UCLA and Ohio State, and her stellar performance on the field during her time at Tennessee speaks for itself," Ralph Weekly added. "Lindsay is truly one of the greatest athletes that Karen and I have ever coached at this or any other level." With a long list of career accolades, Schutzler returns to Knoxville as one of the most decorated Lady Vols' in team history. "I am excited to be back in Knoxville with the Lady Vol Softball family," Schutzler said. "I am looking forward to a great year!" Schutzler concluded her outstanding Tennessee career as the program's all-time leader in hits (362), triples (20), runs (241), stolen bases (120), games played (296), games started (294) and at-bats (946) She also owns the program's single-season record for triples (eight) and at bats (270). She was arguably UT's most productive offensive player as she is the only Lady Vol to surpass 300 hits, 200 runs, 150 RBI, 100 walks and 100 stolen bases in a career. According to career statistics entering the 2012 softball season, Schutzler ranks as one of the all-time great hitters in the history of NCAA collegiate softball (all divisions). She holds the single-season record for at-bats in all divisions with her mark of 270 from the 2005 season. Her 107 hits in 2005 rank 11th in NCAA Division I history and 18th among all divisions.

Sept. 12, 2012

+ Smoke Tournament 2012 Brackets

Click below to view your bracket for the 2012 Smoke Tournament this weekend at Golden Eagle Park. Men's E Winner's Bracket: PDF Men's E Loser's Bracket: PDF Men's D Bracket: PDF Coed Bracket: PDF To view .pdf files, you will need to have adobe acrobat viewer installed. For more information you can visit adobe's website to read about or download it: http://www.adobe.com

Aug. 29, 2012

+ Youth Softball Camp

ANGELS RBI LEAGUE is hosting the 1st ANGELS YOUTH SOFTBALL CAMP on the field at Angel stadium on Sept. 15th with seven past and current TEAM USA players and most of the local colleges are sending their coaches and players to assist with instruction. It will give the girls a chance to talk with the college players and ask them questions about playing softball at the college level and for the select few to play on the USA National Team. We have partnered with USA SOFTBALL and ASA Softball to make this a special event for the girls. This event is designed to give back to girls in the stands at ANGEL games and to help promote softball to the general public and hopefully get softball back into the Olympics. Sign up online at www.angels.com/rbileague or call 714-619-8416 or e-mail rbi@everykid.org

July 23, 2012

+ USA National Team falls to Japan

WHITEHORSE, YUKON, Canada — The USA Softball National Team earned silver Sunday July 22 at the ISF XIII Women's World Fastpitch Championship, falling to Japan, 2-1, in 10 innings of action. Oklahoma's Keilani Ricketts got the start in the pitching circle for the American squad, throwing 9.2 innings of action. Ricketts struck out 10 Japanese batters while walking just two. The lefthander gave up just four hits and two runs. In a pitching battle between Ricketts and Ueno Yukiko, the two teams remained scoreless until the ninth inning. With the international tie-breaking procedure placing a Japanese batter on second base to start the inning, Japan was able to score the game's first run in the top of the ninth. The U.S. answered in the bottom of the ninth with its own runner on second due to the international tie-breaking procedure but was unable to do so in the bottom of the 10th as the Japanese scored its game-winning run in the top of the inning. It was a revenge game for the Japanese team as The USA National Team defeated it, 3-1, on Saturday to advance to the finals. The game saw Ricketts earn her fourth win of the event as the senior-to-be came in relief in the bottom of the seventh of a 1-1 game. Ricketts struck out the first Japanese batter she saw to end the inning before retiring all three opposing batters in order in the bottom of the eighth to end the game. Ricketts ended the competition with a record of 4-0 and an ERA of 1.04 with 25 strikeouts in 27 innings of action. Ricketts allowed just 11 hits and four walks in her action in Canada. At the plate, Ricketts finished the event with a batting average of .429 that was bolstered by one home run and four runs batted in.

July 19, 2012

+ USA improves to 6-0 with 13-0 win over China and 4-0 win against Netherlands

WHITEHORSE, YUKON, Canada — Pitching for the USA Softball National Team, Oklahoma's Keilani Ricketts was close to perfect in a 13-0 four-inning run-rule USA win over China at the ISF XIII Women's World Fastpitch Championship Wednesday. The game was the first of two wins for the United States team on July 18th, that later defeated Netherlands, 4-0, in a game which saw the U.S. score three runs in the sixth to seal the win. With its two wins Wednesday, USA improved to 6-0 in the tournament and has outscored its opponents 64-0. Ricketts did not allow a batter to reach first base via a walk or a hit in the day's first win, but four Chinese batters did reach first on two American errors and two pitches that hit batters. After not allowing a run in the top of the first inning, Ricketts saw her national teammates post three runs on the board before scoring five each in the bottom of the second and the third. The win was Ricketts' second of the event as the lefthander has only allowed one hit and no runs in 11 innings of action while striking out 10 opposing batters. The U.S. team returns to action on Thursday, July 19 as they face Argentina in the final day of preliminary action.

July 14, 2012

+ USA defeats Venezuela, 7-0, in opening game of pool play

WHITEHORSE, YUKON, Canada — Oklahoma's Keilani Ricketts held Venezuela to just one hit as the USA Softball National Team opened the ISF XIII Women's World Fastpitch Championship Friday, July 13, 2012 with a 7-0 win over South American country. The first of seven days of pool games at the event featured a Sooner battery as Ricketts' collegiate teammate, Jessica Shults, got the start behind the plate for the U.S. Ricketts earned her team-leading sixth win as she threw her third complete game of the summer for the American team, allowing just one the hit and no walks while striking out six. In 37.2 innings of action for Team USA this year, Ricketts has an ERA of 0.56. The senior-to-be was also successful in her one trip to the plate, picking up one her team's 12 hits with a single. The U.S. team returns to action on Saturday as it faces the Czech Republic.

June 28, 2012

+ Crine vs. Canseco: Battle of the Titans Home Run Derby

Denny Crine plans to take on 6-time MLB all star Jose Canseco in "The Battle of The Titans" Home Run Derby. It's a head to head, slug for slug ,home run derby, between two titans of home run power. Team Miken's Denny Crine, is a two-time champ on the Stadium Power Tour with the Long Haul Bombers. Jose Canseco is a two-time World Series champ. Both are hitting for the ALS Society, helping fight Lou Gehrig's Disease. The Ultimate Home Run Derby is set for Wednesday, July 11, 2012, at 5:30 at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Los Angeles. The home run derby will be followed by the California Collegiate League All-Star Game, show casing the best college baseball players from around the country. The Ultimate Home Run Derby starts at 5:30pm and the All Star Game at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $10 and can purchased in advance at www.calsummerball.com or at the gate, on the day of the event. The home run derby takes place at the MLB Urban Youth Academy on the campus of El Camino College, 901 East Artesia Blvd, Compton California. The charity event is presented by MLB Urban Youth Academy, California Colligate League, Golden West Chapter of the ALS Association and Natural Balanced Pet Foods. Miken's Denny Crine is a two time champ on the Stadium Power Tour. He's a member of The Long Haul Bombers, a collection of the world's greatest softball homer run hitters. Highlights of the Ultimate Home Run Derby will be on the national TV show, " Softball 360" later in July.

June 19, 2012

+ Trisha Ford Named Head Softball Coach at Fresno State

FRESNO, Calif. -- Fresno State Director of Athletics Thomas Boeh announced that Trisha Ford has been hired as the next head coach of the Bulldog softball program to continue the legacy of the nation's second-winningest program of all-time. Ford becomes the fourth head coach in the history of the 35-year program. She comes to Fresno State after serving the last nine years at Stanford, including the previous four seasons when she held the title of associate head coach. In her nine years with the Cardinal, Ford helped guide Stanford to a 385-155 (.713) overall record and to the NCAA Tournament each and every year she was with the team. Stanford made six Super Regional appearances, ended a season ranked in the top 10 four times and reached the 2004 Women's College World Series. "Trisha's extensive leadership role within one of the nation's most prestigious softball programs has helped her to develop extraordinary technical expertise as well as a keen understanding of the nuances of the game, both on and off the field," Boeh said. "Her deep California roots, Division I head coaching experience and demonstrated commitment to the daily experience and development of student-athletes make her a premier selection to build upon and expand the distinguished tradition of Fresno State Softball." At Stanford, Ford served as the primary pitching coach and worked with the infielders while also being responsible for recruiting, community outreach as well as camps and clinics. "I'm excited to be joining the Bulldog program and the great tradition that the program has," Ford said. "I would like to build upon the tradition that coach Margie Wright has established continue the program's success. I'm looking forward to getting out on the diamond and meeting the team to establish the plan for the upcoming season."

June 16, 2012

+ Softball West Challenge Results

The Free Agents were undefeated in the Coed division with a hard fought, back-and-forth game against the Young Dolls Old Balls team in the championship. Dark Meat was third and WTF fourth. In the men's E division the Woods team had to win the if game to take the top prize against a tough ADL squad. ADL forced the if game with an 8-inning 14-11 win in the championship. BTA finished third and Average Joes were fourth.

June 13, 2012

+ 2012 Softball West Challenge Brackets Posted!

Click below to view your bracket for the 2012 Softball West Challenge Tournament this weekend at Golden Eagle Park. Men's E: here Coed: here

June 8, 2012

+ Wildcats Softball Player to Continue Career in Texas

Western Nevada College Wildcats softball player Taleas Marble is continuing her sport at a university next year, but not before setting a number of records at WNC in 2012. The sophomore has signed a letter of intent to play next year at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, in Odessa. As a Wildcat, Marble crushed the softball on a weekly basis this spring, setting records in eight offensive categories while being named to the NJCAA All-Region 18 second team. Batting third in the Wildcats' order, Marble decimated Scenic West Athletic Conference pitching, hitting .391 with 16 homers. Both of those totals were school records, along with her three triples, 29 walks, 52 RBI, 133 total bases, .764 slugging average and .467 on-base average. The third baseman out of Corrine, Utah, also socked 11 doubles and fanned only 11 times in 174 at-bats. It's wonderful," said WNC Assistant Coach Rosie Contri. "She wreaked of confidence. She would get in the batter's box and would have a definite determination on her face. No matter what they threw her, she was going to hit," Contri said. Coach Leah Wentworth was able to add Marble to the Wildcats' roster after she played her freshman season at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. There, she was third on the team with a .353 batting average. She also hit four doubles, one triple and one homer in 68 at-bats. "It was definitely a blessing, and we were very, very grateful to have her as part of the squad," Contri said. "The attitude she brought to the team was phenomenal." Marble's ability to routinely deliver big hits quickly endeared her to Wentworth. "We can always count on her to come through with a hit when we need her to," said Wentworth after Marble homered in a win against North Idaho early in the conference season. Marble came to the Wildcats as an outfielder, but she was able to fill a spot in the infield, playing the hot corner at third base. "The best thing about Taleas is she's a utility player. You tell her where to play and she'll play it," Contri said.
+ June 13th is World Softball Day

Next Wednesday will mark the eighth straight year that "World Softball Day" is celebrated globally on June 13th. The occasion coincides with the date in 1991 when the International Olympic Committee announced that (women's fast pitch) softball would be added to the program of the Summer Olympics, beginning with the 1996 Games in Atlanta. Each year, ISF member federations are encouraged to stage a special event in conjunction with World Softball Day, to both celebrate the occasion as well as raise the profile of the sport in their country. The media are asked to devote coverage to softball on June 13 th as well. The ISF is engaging the worldwide softball community via Facebook and Twitter in relation to World Softball Day as well. At www.facebook.com/ISFsoftball, wall posts are encouraged for purposes of reporting how World Softball Day is being celebrated (and where). Twitter users are encouraged to tag their WSD-related tweets with the hashtag #WorldSoftballDay. The ISF will later publish a recap, including photos, of World Softball Day activities from around the world.
+ ESPN to air Team USA vs Canada on June 23

On June 23rd, Team USA will take on Canada in a celebration game that is part of a weekend schedule of events centered around the 40th anniversary of the signing of Title IX (legislation aimed at increasing gender-equity in higher education). Being played in Oklahoma City, the game will be televised by ESPN, who that weekend will present events and studio shows featuring women in sports. ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, and ESPN Classic will all be a part of the June 22-24 programming.

May 30, 2012

+ Four Bruins earn NFCA All-American honors

Four UCLA Bruins were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Americans. Freshman Stephany Larosa was named to the first team, Seniors Andrea Harrison and Katie Schroeder earned second-team honors and Senior Samantha Camuso was third team.

May 27, 2012

+ Brett Helmer & Denny Crine dominate at Safeco Field

Round two of the Stadium Power Tour was a big hit Friday night, May 25th at Safeco Field in Seattle. Team Combat, DeMarini, Miken and Easton's Brett Helmer put on big show before the Marines & LA Angles game. Brett "the hitman " Helmer continued to dominate as the team Easton vet won round two with 13 points. Helmer lead off slamming Evil softballs off the glass walls of the Hit It Here Cafe in right field. "I love this ball park and I got off to good start, my Easton bat was working, 13 is a big number, I'll take it. " Team Miken's Denny Crine finished second with 11 points. Crine crushed several massive, upper deck show bombs to the bleachers in left field. Many Mariners fans left Safeco with Evil softballs as souvenirs. Team Combat's Johnny McCraw rounded out the leaders with 10 points. McCraw is a former champ on the Stadium Power Tour, who feels he has what it takes to take the crown back. "I didn't come back to finish second, my Combat bat has plenty of pop, trust me on this, I'm taking Combat back to the top. " Final results from round two of the Stadium Power Tour at Safeco Field. Brett Helmer, Team Easton 13 points Denny Crine, Team Miken 11 points Johnny McCraw, Team Combat 10 points Kevin Filby, Team DeMarini 9 points Chris Larsen, Team DeMarini 7 points Ed Vega, Team Miken 4 points Brandon Perry, Team Combat 4 points Round three of the Stadium Power Tour is set for Sunday June 3 at Tropicana Park in St. Pete, Florida. Team Suncoast Reebok with Jeff Wallace and Dustin Roberts make their debut. Suncoast Reebok is hitting for charity, to help legendary softball scout Gordie Heagle. Gordie is making a comeback after an extended hospital stay. For details on how you can hit a " Grand Slam For Gordie ", log on to www.softball360.com
+ SWM Video interview with Arizona ASA Deputy State JO Commissioner

Check out the Jose Munoz interview on the Softball West Magazine facebook page with Tom Carle, Arizona ASA Deputy State JO Commissioner at Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix for the 20th Annual John McGonigle Memorial Tournament & 2012 USA/ASA 14U National Qualifier and Hall of Fame Region 13 Qualifier. Click here to see interview

May 25, 2012

+ Fund-raiser to Help Western Nevada Community Softball Player Battle Cancer

CARSON CITY, NV - Western Nevada College student athlete Melanie Pfeiffer has been a fierce fighter on the field for two years as shortstop for the Wildcats softball team. Now, she is in a fierce fight against cancer. The Wooster High School graduate who just this week earned her Associate of Arts degree at WNC now must face melanoma skin cancer, and do it without medical insurance. In true team fashion, Melanie's Wildcats teammates are rallying around their friend, planning a fund-raising race - run/walk/jog/ on Sunday, June 10, at 4 p.m. It will begin and end at El Charro Avitia Mexican Restaurant, 4389 South Carson St. Afterward, the Avitia family will host a complimentary buffet and music, along with a no-host bar. Entry fee: $25. Participants can register for the event online at www.active.com. Those who cannot participate may donate to the Melanie Pfeiffer Medical Fund at any Bank of America. From her first day at WNC, Melanie has been called a ‘sparkplug' by Wildcats Softball Coach Leah Wentworth because of her boundless energy and effort. She earned second team honors this season for her outstanding play in the Scenic West Athletic Conference, one of the toughest junior college softball conferences in the country. For additional information, contact Bethany Henry-Herman at 775.291.6214 or bhenryherm@gmail.com.

May 23, 2012

+ Top 3 finalists Named

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced the top 3 Finalists today, May 23, 2012, for the 11th Annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. This award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women's collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. California's Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.), Arizona State's Katelyn Boyd (Phoenix, Ariz.), and Oklahoma's Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) are the three remaining athletes in the running and would be the first to win this award from each of their schools. The winner of the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced on May 29 at the athlete only banquet just prior to the 2012 WCWS.

May 21, 2012

+ Super Regional Matchups Set

Women's D1 Super Regional play takes place May 24-27 with a best of three series being played. Winners advance to the Women's College World Series played May 31 to June 6. For a complete bracket visit http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/softball/d1

May 9, 2012

+ Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 Finalists announced

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced May 9, 2012 the Finalists for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, which will be announced at the opening of the 2012 NCAA Women's College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City. Due to a tie, 11 individuals are being honored . This award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women's collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. This year's finalists are comprised of five seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and one freshman. The student-athletes selected represent nine NCAA Division I universities and six athletic conferences. California and Oklahoma lead the way among universities with two athlete representatives each. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award is voted on by coaching representatives from 11 Division I Conferences in the 15 ASA Regions as well as members of the media who consistently cover Division I Softball across the country, and previous Player of the Year recipients. 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Finalists Name (School) -- Year -- Position -- Hometown Valerie Arioto (California) -- Senior -- Utility -- Pleasanton, Calif. Katelyn Boyd (Arizona State) -- Senior -- Shortstop -- Phoenix, Ariz. Lauren Chamberlain (Oklahoma) -- Freshman -- Infield -- Trabuco Canyon, Calif. Raven Chavanne (Tennessee) -- Junior -- Third base/Outfield -- Thousand Oaks, Calif. Jolene Henderson (California) -- Junior -- Pitcher/First base -- Elk Grove, Calif. Michelle Moultrie (Florida) -- Senior -- Center field -- Jacksonville, Fla. Sara Nevins (South Florida) -- Sophomore -- Pitcher -- Pinellas Park, Fla. Christi Orgeron (ULL) -- Senior -- Outfield -- New Orleans, La. Sara Plourde (Umass) -- Senior -- Pitcher -- Bristol, Conn. Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma) -- Junior -- Pitcher -- San Jose, Calif. Jackie Traina (Alabama) -- Sophomore -- Pitcher/Designated player -- Naples, Fla. The three finalists selected from this list will be announced May 23, while the winner of the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be revealed on May 29 prior to the start of the NCAA WCWS in Oklahoma City.

May 8, 2012

+ Fresno State Head Coach Margie Wright Announces Retirement

FRESNO, Calif. - After 27 years as the Fresno State softball head coach, Margie Wright has announced her retirement effective June 30, 2012. Wright, who is the NCAA Division I all-time winningest softball coach and is ranked second all-time in NCAA Division I history for victories regardless of sport, steps down after guiding the university to its first NCAA Division I team title (1998) and directing the softball program to unparalleled heights. Read more in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.
+ Oklahoma's Keilani Ricketts named Big 12 Player of the Week

Junior earns seventh Big 12 weekly honor this season. NORMAN, Okla. — Oklahoma's Keilani Ricketts continued to add Big 12 weekly honors to her personal resume as the conference named her this week's Big 12 Player of the Week on Tuesday, May 8th. The honor is Ricketts' seventh weekly honor from the Big 12 this season. With the honor, Ricketts becomes just the sixth player in Big 12 history, and the first in OU history, to earn both Big 12 Player and Pitcher of the Week honors in the same season. The latest award is her first ever Big 12 Player of the Week award as Ricketts now owns 12 total Big 12 weekly honors after receiving her 11th Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honor last week. Tuesday's award came after Ricketts helped keep OU in the Big 12 title driver's seat as she led the No. 4 Sooners at the plate over the weekend in a series win over No. 8 Texas. While pitching and batting, Ricketts led OU with an average of .714 over the weekend. The Big 12 leader in on base percentage, Ricketts had an on-base percentage of .833 on the weekend while recording a slugging percentage of 1.714. The junior had five walks and five hits including a double and two home runs. She had a season high five RBIs in Saturday's 9-3 win over the Longhorns in a game that she hit a double, a home run and reached via a walk. She led her team with 12 total bases on the weekend and scored herself twice.

May 6, 2012

+ 2012 Stadium Power Tour starts strong at Petco Park;

The 2012 Stadium Power got off to a hard hitting start at San Diego's Petco Park Saturday night May 5th. Team Easton's Brett "the hitman" Helmer was the top Long Haul Bomber with 12 points. Helmer set the pace early, sending homers sailing into the right field bleachers. "I felt good, balls were flying and I love Petco Park. This morning I hit a hole in one at a charity golf event for the Wounded Warriors and won a trip to Europe, but I donated the trip right back to the charity, so tonight was the capper to an awesome day" . Helmer's Easton team mate Brain Wegman finished with 9 points, putting Easton out front early in the battle for the manufactures cup. Denny Crine of Team Miken threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Padre's-Marlin's game. Crine had a solid day at the plate ending up with 8 points and sent multiple "show bombs" into the upper deck. Also taking cuts Saturday night, Team Louisville Slugger's Tim Cocco and Lee Powers. Cocco is a veteran on the tour and was part of the team that won the Manufactures cup last season. Cocco's new teammate Lee Powers had an impressive rookie debut with 8 points. The standings after round one of the stadium power tour at Petco Park are: Brett Helmer, Team Easton: 12 points Brian Wegman, Team Easton: 9 points Denny Crine,Team Miken: 8 points Lee Powers,Team Louisville Slugger: 8 points Ed Vega,Team Miken: 5 points Tim Cocco,Team Louisville Slugger: 1 point Next up for the Bombers is a trip to Seattle's Safeco Field for a Friday night slug fest on May 25. It's the first opportunity to see Team Combat in action. Combat features a mix of youth and seasoned experience, led by veteran Johnny McCraw, who claimed a championship on the Stadium Power Tour and the youthful swagger of Brandon Perry. Team DeMarini is back in the hunt, with stadium power tour champ Chris "the crusher " Larsen and wily vet Kevin Filby. The Bombers are excited to announce: "The Road to Miami ". The Marlins new park will be the host site for the 2012 the stadium power tour finals on Sunday, September 16.

May 4, 2012

+ Mallary Darby wins Nevadas Ruth Russell Award

RENO, Nev. -- Mallary Darby was named the 2011-12 Ruth I. Russell Award winner as the University of Nevada's top female senior student-athlete, Director of Athletics Cary Groth announced. A pitcher from Sparks, Nev., Darby is second on the team with a 3.56 ERA and she leads the Wolf Pack with 10 wins and 15 complete games so far in 2012. She also paces the team in appearances, starts, innings pitched and strikeouts. She paced the Wolf Pack staff in almost every major pitching category, including innings pitched, wins, appearances, strikeouts and ERA last year. She won 12 games in 2011, going the distance 24 times. She also recorded two shutouts, including her second career no-hitter against Boston College at Hixson Park on March 6, 2011. Darby ranks third in the Nevada career record book in nearly every pitching category, including wins (44), appearances (134), starts (105), complete games (62), shutouts (10), innings pitched (654.2) and strikeouts (552), while her two career no-hitters are also the best in school history. She produced the finest freshman season by a Wolf Pack pitcher in 2009, turning in a 12-8 record with a 3.11 earned-run average and 177 strikeouts on the year. She also tossed the first no-hitter of her career and the third in school history with an 8-0 shutout of Boise State on April 11, 2009. "Winning the prestigious Ruth Russell Award is a great honor for Mallary Darby and is a wonderful culmination to a great career at Nevada," head softball coach Matt Meuchel said. "Mallary has achieved many great things in the classroom, on the diamond and in the community during her career at the University of Nevada, and it is nice to see her honored for that commitment." The award is named for Ruth I. Russell, a former director of women's athletics. Student-athletes are nominated by their head coaches and must be in their final year of eligibility and in good academic standing. The award winners are chosen in a vote by the athletics department staff.

April 23, 2012

+ Fresno States Michelle Moses WAC Pitcher of the Week

Fresno State senior Michelle Moses was named the Verizon WAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday, April 23. 2012 after helping lead the Bulldogs to a series sweep over New Mexico State. This is the second time this season that Moses has been named the conference's pitcher of the week and the fifth time in her career. Moses went 2-0 last week in her two starts against the Aggies and held NM State to just one total run and a .087 batting average. She allowed only four hits in her two complete game victories and had 12 strikeouts against two walks as she finished the week with a 0.50 earned run average. In the series opener last Friday, Moses threw her second-straight one-hit shutout in the 1-0 victory. The one hit she allowed was an infield single to the first batter she faced in the game. It was her WAC-leading 11th shutout of the season and she did so by pounding the strike zone, as she threw first-pitch strikes to 20 of the 24 batters she faced and 68 of her 92 pitches in the game were strikes. In her second start of the weekend, Moses took a perfect game into the sixth inning during the final game of the series. She didn't allow a hit until there were two outs in the top of the sixth. Moses gave up one seventh-inning run - her first allowed in her last 22.2 innings pitched - but closed it out with her 25th complete game of the season. Moses had six strikeouts and no walks in the win over New Mexico State that gave her win No. 20 on the year. She is now 20-11 overall on the year with a 1.80 ERA. In WAC play she has been even better, holding league opponents to a .159 batting average and she sports a 9-1 record and 1.32 ERA against WAC teams.

April 17, 2012

+ Spots still available in Henderson Anniversary Tourney this weekend

Wanna play in a softball tournament this weekend? The City of Henderson (Nevada) is having their anniversary tournament this Saturday, April 21. They will be having Men's D and E divisions, and awarding prizes to first and second place teams. For more information or to sign-up, please call 702-267-5700.

April 11, 2012

+ Top 25 Finalists for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced on April 11th, the Top 25 Finalists for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, which will be announced at the opening of the 2012 NCAA Women's College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City. This award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women's collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. Among the selected 25 student-athletes is Ashley Hansen, the 2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, as well as Katelyn Boyd and Chelsea Thomas, who were the other two finalists for last year's award. Now in its 11th year, this year's Top 25 is comprised of 12 seniors, seven juniors, five sophomores, and one freshman. The student-athletes selected represent 17 NCAA Division I universities and eight athletic conferences. While California and Oklahoma lead the way among universities with three athlete representatives each, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and Washington each have two members among the Top 25 Finalists. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award is voted on by coaching representatives from 11 Division I Conferences in the 15 ASA Regions as well as members of the media who consistently cover Division I Softball across the country. 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists Name (School) -- Year -- Position -- Hometown Valerie Arioto (California) -- Senior -- Utility -- Pleasanton, Calif. Lexy Bennett (Texas) -- Senior -- Infield -- Kingwood, Texas Katelyn Boyd (Arizona State) -- Senior -- Shortstop -- Phoenix, Ariz. Kayla Braud (Alabama) -- Junior -- Outfield -- Eugene, Ore. Lauren Chamberlain (Oklahoma) -- Freshman -- Infield -- Trabuco Canyon, Calif. Raven Chavanne (Tennessee) -- Junior -- Third base/Outfield -- Thousand Oaks, Calif. Rachele Fico (LSU) -- Junior -- Pitcher -- Oxford, Conn. Ashley Hansen (Stanford) -- Senior -- Infield -- Chandler, Ariz. Jolene Henderson (California) -- Junior -- Pitcher/First base -- Elk Grove, Calif. Kaitlin Inglesby (Washington) -- Sophomore -- Pitcher/First Base -- Portland, Ore. Ashley McClain (FIU) -- Senior -- Outfield/Pitcher -- Brandon, Fla. Michelle Moultrie (Florida) -- Senior -- Center field -- Jacksonville, Fla. Sara Nevins (South Florida) -- Sophomore -- Pitcher -- Pinellas Park, Fla. Christi Orgeron (ULL) -- Senior -- Outfield -- New Orleans, La. Sara Plourde (Umass) -- Senior -- Pitcher -- Bristol, Conn. Kimi Pohlman (Washington) -- Senior -- Outfield -- Sammamish, Wash. Jamia Reid (California) -- Senior -- Outfield -- Buena Park, Calif. Ellen Renfroe (Tennessee) -- Sophomore -- Pitcher -- Jackson, Tenn. Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma) -- Junior -- Pitcher -- San Jose, Calif. Hannah Rogers (Florida) -- Sophomore -- Pitcher -- Lake Wales, Fla. Jordan Rutkowski (Valparaiso) -- Senior -- Catcher/Outfield -- Alden, N.Y. Jessica Shults (Oklahoma) -- Junior -- Catcher -- Valencia, Calif. Chelsea Thomas (Missouri) -- Redshirt Junior -- Pitcher -- Pleasantville, Iowa Jackie Traina (Alabama) -- Sophomore -- Pitcher/Designated player -- Naples, Fla. Delaney Willard (BYU) -- Senior -- Outfield -- Camarillo, Calif.

April 10, 2012

+ Arizona States Bach Named Pac-12 Softball Pitcher of the Week

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Hillary Bach of the Arizona State softball team was named the Pac-12 Softball Pitcher of the Week, for the week of April 2-8, conference officials announced on Monday morning, April 9, 2012. This is Bach's third Pitcher of the Week award and the program's 67th. Bach's 101st career game of record was against No. 12 UCLA and ended with a final score of 9-1 in five full innings, marking the second time in ASU history the Sun Devils have mercy ruled the Bruins. The right-hander threw 65 pitches on the night, including two strikeouts and no walks. Bach is now 16-0 on the year (82-19 career), posts a team-best 1.14 ERA with eight shutouts in 92.0 innings of work. She ranks second all-time at ASU in wins with 82 and has not lost a game since May 9,2010 (26-straight victories). Through April 1, she was 14th in the nation in ERA and 23rd in wins. Bach helped the Sun Devils sweep UCLA for only the second time in school history, for a series that dates back to 1980 (the lone other sweep was in 2010).
+ Game schedule set for ISF Women's World Championship

PLANT CITY, FLORIDA -- New Zealand and Mexico will go head-to-head at 9:30am (local time) when the International Softball Federation XIII Women's World Championship gets underway on July 13 in Whitehorse, Yukon (Canada). The matchup was part of the 66-game schedule released by the ISF for the fast pitch event. Sixteen countries -- the maximum participation allowed under ISF Code -- will compete in the tournament, which will end with the medal games on July 22. Opening Ceremonies will take place at 6pm on the 13th, followed immediately by the host team (Canada) taking on Chinese Taipei on the same field, while the Netherlands faces China on an adjacent field. The full schedule accompanies this release. In addition to the six teams noted above, other national teams participating include: Australia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Puerto Rico, South Africa, United States, and Venezuela, which gives representation from all five regions (Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania). "We are looking forward to a competitive and entertaining world championship in Whitehorse," ISF President Don Porter said. "The level of play continues to provide a good challenge for the athletes and this event will be no different. The spectators and media will be impressed by what they see." The Americans are the defending champions, having defeated Japan in 2010 in Venezuela. This (2012) is the first year that the ISF world championships are starting an every-two-years rotation after having been one a year every four years. (he IX Jr. Men's World Championship is set for this November in Paraná, Argentina. The official event website for the world championship in Whitehorse is www.worldfastpitch2012.com/.

April 5, 2012

+ Nevada Softball holds Easter Egg Hunt

Reno, Nevada - Come out to Wolf Pack Softball on Saturday (April 7th) when the Pack takes on San Jose State and an Easter Egg Hunt for children is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Prices are $8 for adults and $5 for children and seniors. Pup Club members always get in for free.

April 4, 2012

+ 100 days until world championship

Exactly 100 days away is the first day of play at the ISF XIII Women's World Championship. The 16-nation fast pitch event is scheduled for July 13-22 in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. The official tournament website can be found at www.worldfastpitch2012.com. The IX Jr. Men's World Championship (19-and-under fast pitch) will also be held in 2012. The first pitch is 211 days away for the 10-day event in Paraná, Argentina. The ISF is also busy with plans for softball to be represented at next week's Association of National Olympic Committees Assembly in Russia and the 2012 edition of the SportAccord convention, taking place next month in Quebec.

March 28, 2012

+ Sacramento ASA Pitch, Hit & Run April 15th

Calling all Softball Players (7-14 years old) - Sacramento ASA is hosting a Pitch, Hit & Run Competition on Sunday April 15th at Antelope High School. The Pitch, Hit & Run is a FREE skills competition. Winners advance through several rounds of competition and have the opportunity to advance to the SF Giants or the Oakland A's. For more info, please visit our website at www.sacramentoasa.org. Comment here if you plan to come

March 27, 2012

+ 2012 Baseball EXPO and Sports Memorabilia Road Show

Anaheim, CA -- Baseball and CHOC Children's fans, alike, can enjoy plenty of family fun at the 2012 Baseball EXPO and Sports Memorabilia Road Show at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel, from 10 a.m. -- 7 p.m., on April 6th and April 7th. The event, organized by The McClemmy Companies, will feature more than 100 exhibit booths; an autograph pavilion hosting numerous Major League Baseball celebrities; baseball skills clinics run by experts in the areas of hitting, fielding, base running and pitching; a live taping of an episode of the Sports Memorabilia Road Show; and silent and live auctions benefitting the CHOC Children's Down Syndrome Program. The silent auctions will be held on April 6th, from 10 a.m. -- 7 p.m., and on April 7th, from 10 a.m. -4:30 p.m. Silent auction items include: Vladimir Guerrero- signed baseball cleats; a Rod Carew-signed baseball bat; basketball court time for 26 players at Next Level Sports Complex in Garden Grove; a Cal Ripken-autographed baseball; and a set of Leaf trading cards. A live auction will be held on April 7th, from 5:30 p.m. -- 6 p.m. Live auction items include: a trip for 50 people on the "Angels Train" donated by Metrolink; a "meet and greet" with Steve Garvey prior to a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game, including four game tickets; and a "steal third base" experience at a Los Angeles Angels baseball game donated by Pepsico, including four game tickets. Ticket and exhibitor information is available at www.2012baseballexpo.com. Contact Kathleen McClemmy, CMP at 949.487.0123 for more information.

March 25, 2012

+ 20th Anniversary German Senior Tournament

The Dreieich Vultures have sent a special invitation to Senior Softball-USA players to help them celebrate their 20th Anniversary with a tournament on June 23-24, 2012. This organization has deep ties with Senior Softball in the United States. They have been sending teams to America to the SSUSA World Championships since 1999 and they have sponsored International Tournaments near Frankfurt twice with Senior Softball-USA. The Tournament will cap a week-long trip to Germany filled with sightseeing, shopping and - of course - softball!!!! The tournament will feature three teams from Germany, one from Switzerland and one from Austria. We have been invited to bring a team from America. Team List: Senior Softball-USA Dreieich Vultures Old stars Luetjensee Lakers (team from Northern Germany) Lucerne Eagles (Switzerland) Vienna Ducks (Austria) Green A's (Mainz, Germany) The trip, including Hotels, Ground Transportation, the Tournament, and several meals and tours is $1,200 per person, double occupancy. Full payments are due by April 8, 2012. Players and families are invited, but we are limited to one team, so it will be first-come, first serve....make your reservations today!!!!! To reserve your spot, Call Susan Ruth, Director of International Sports Holidays at 206-930-7091, or e-mail susan@weruth.com

March 23, 2012

+ Oregon Civil War Series

The Oregon State softball team opens its Pac-12 schedule this weekend, March 24, 2012 when it hosts a three-game set against the Oregon Ducks in the Civil War Series presented by the Northwest Ford Dealers and PacificSource Health Plans. Games on Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25 begin at 3 p.m. while first pitch on Monday, March 26 is set for noon. As part of this weekend's series, the Beavers will be welcoming local Little League squads to the OSU Softball Complex in Corvallis. On both Saturday and Sunday, teams are welcome to join the Beavers on the field for the national anthem prior to the game and on Sunday there will be a post-game autograph session (weather permitting). Teams are encouraged to wear their jerseys and those wishing to join Oregon State on the field pre-game must arrive at least 30 minutes before first pitch. The public address announcer will give directions on where to meet 15 minutes before the start of the game. OSU will provide autograph cards and pens.

March 21, 2012

+ Portland States Karmen Holladay honored

PORTLAND -- Portland State's Karmen Holladay has been named the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Mountain Division Player of the Week the league office has announced on March 21, 2012. Over two games in Boise last weekend, the senior first baseman from Corvallis hit .667 (4-for-6) with two home runs, a double and seven RBIs. She slugged 1.833, had a .714 on-base percentage and registered a perfect fielding percentage in 11 chances as the Vikings went 1-1 at the SpringHill Suites Invitational. On Friday, Holladay belted a three-run home run in a 6-5 loss to the host Broncos. Two days later, Holladay batted 3-for-4 and just missed hitting for the cycle, as she had a two-run homer, a RBI-double and a run-scoring single in the Vikings' 11-5 victory over Utah State. Holladay, who leads the Vikings with a .371 batting average, is ranked in multiple categories in the PCSC, including third in home runs (7) and slugging percentage (.806), tied for fifth in doubles (6) and tied for seventh in runs batted in (18). Thirteen of her 23 hits this year have gone for extra bases. This is the second career honor for Holladay after she was named the Mountain Division Pitcher of the Week on May 9, 2011. She becomes the first Portland State position player to win the weekly award this spring, joining Anna Bertrand, who has already been named pitcher of the week four times.

March 18, 2012

+ Portland State gets 11-5 win over Utah State

Alicia Fine and Karmen Holladay both homered for the second straight day, and Brittany Hendrickson had three hits to lead Portland State to a 11-5 victory over Utah State on Saturday afternoon, March 17 at the SpringHill Suites Invitational. After going down in order in the top of the first, Portland State scored in each of the next six innings to win going away. Holladay drove in four runs and the Vikings tallied 12 hits to improve to 10-11. Utah State dropped to 8-17 with their nine consecutive loss. Less than 24 hours after hitting a game-tying home run in the top of the seventh against Boise State for her first career round-tripper, Fine tied the game up against the Aggies with a solo shot in the second inning. Holladay put the Vikings on top with a two-run blast to left center in the third inning, starting a streak of five straight two-run innings for the Vikings.

March 17, 2012

+ Softball West Magazine now on Facebook

Softball West Magazine has joined the social media revolution, we're a little late but we're here with a new Softball West Magazine Facebook page. Join us in conversations about stories we'll be writing and tournaments we covered. Writers will post from time to time about stories they're working on. Give us ideas for stories you'd like to see us cover and check out some of the latest photos we've taken. Join in on a conversation with the Softball West staff and others about new products, bats, rules and more.

March 10, 2012

+ Portlands Anna Bertrand makes history

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland State's Anna Bertrand became just the second player ever to be named the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Pitcher of the Week four consecutive weeks when she was honored on Wednesday, March 7th by the league office. Bertrand, who was the Mountain Division honoree this week, joins former Sacramento State pitcher Nicole Deatherage as the only pitchers to win the weekly award four consecutive times. Deatherage accomplished the feat from March 16-April 4, 2004. A junior from McMinnville, Ore., Bertrand went 2-2 with a 2.15 ERA (26.0 IP, 8 ER) in five appearances, including four starts, at the Highlander Classic in Riverside, Calif., last week. She struck out 23, walked 10 and held opponents to just a .205 batting average. Bertrand opened the tourney on Thursday by pitching three scoreless and hitless innings of relief in a loss to the host Highlanders. The next morning, she suffered the loss to South Carolina despite allowing just six hits and two runs over six innings. She struck out four in both outings. On Saturday, Bertrand pitched the Vikings to a pair of victories over Maine and UC Davis. Against the Black Bears, Bertrand worked six innings of two-hit ball, allowing no runs and striking out four. Later that afternoon versus UC Davis, she pitched a complete-game, scattering five hits and giving up one run with four Ks. Bertrand is 7-5 with a 2.12 ERA on the season. She leads the PCSC in strikeouts (88), batters struck out looking (24) and innings pitched (92.2), while also ranking second in victories, third in opposing batting average (.209) and fifth in earned run average. This was the 11th career weekly honor for Bertrand.

March 3, 2012

+ Fresno States Michelle Moses throws a no-hitter in the win over Saint Josephs

SANTEE, Calif. - Fresno State senior Michelle Moses threw her second no-hitter of the season to lead the Bulldog softball team to a 3-0 victory over Saint Joseph's on Saturday, March 3rd, but the `Dogs dropped their second game of the day 6-4 to San Diego at the Santee Softball Complex. Through two days at the San Diego State Classic, the Bulldogs have gone 2-2 over the weekend and now stand at 11-7 overall on the year. Moses' no-hitter against Saint Joseph's comes one week after she no-hit Iowa State. Her no-hitter on Saturday was the 69th in program history and the third of her career. She came back and pitched the second game where she drew the loss to drop her record down to 7-5 on the year. Moses struck out nine batters and walked three against SJU, but really no Hawk came close to getting a hit off her. She induced four fly outs to the outfield, two pop outs in the infield and two foul outs in her 103-pitch performance.
+ Spring Fling Games at Liberty Field

The first weekend of March Madness is now over with the completion of the National League and American League Spring Fling Games. Congratulations to the Relics who won the National League games and congratulations to the White Lightening who battled back all the way through the losers bracket to win the American League games. Lots of hotdogs, chips, cookies, brownies and soda were consumed during the 3 days these events took place. Next Saturday, March 10, is the Battle of the States, with games starting at 9:00. A pregame ceremony honoring the colors is scheduled to begin at 8:30. The is a charity event with proceeds going to the Sun City West Posse. The posse works hard to protect our community and this would be a great time to show our appreciation for the hard work they do in our community. So please make arrangements to attend this worthy local charitable event. Once again grilled hot dogs along with other food and soda will be served. This will be another one of those fun events, so don't miss out on the fun, come on out to the field, root for your favorite team and show the posse how much we appreciate their excellent work. We do need scoreboard operators for this event. The following weekend, Saturday March 17 and 18 the local women's team, the Hotflashes, will host a women's softball tournament at the field. We are in need of scoreboard operators and public address announcers for these games. Also, we are in need of a few people who would be willing to help out with the preparation of and the grilling of hotdogs for this event. Again, if interested, please contact Ray Early: raymondearly@msn.com

March 1, 2012

+ Help softball into Olympic Hall of Fame

Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Lisa Fernandez and the 2004 U.S. Olympic Softball Team are among the final nominees for the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame's Class of 2012, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) announced today. Fernandez is vying for one of six spots in the individual category while the 2004 U.S. Olympic Softball Team is vying for the sole team spot. The public can help select the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame inductees at http://www.teamUSA.org/halloffame/. Voters will be allowed to vote once per day, per category, through April 9, 2012.

Feb. 29, 2012

+ 2012 USA Softball Mens Slow Pitch team named

Twelve veterans and two rookies comprise the 2012 USA Softball Men's Slow Pitch National Team roster, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced. The team will play a pair of ESPN2 televised games in June during the World Cup of Softball, including Border Battle IV against the 2012 Canadian Men's Slow Pitch Border Battle Team. Highlighting the roster are four-time Men's Slow Pitch National Team members Rick Baker (West Harrison, Ind.); Brett Helmer (Cicero, N.Y.); Johnny McCraw (Wylie, S.C.), the 2010 USA Softball Male Athlete of the Year; and Brian Wegman (Hamilton, Ohio). All were on the inaugural squad in 2009 and have continued to represent the United States each year since. "It is an honor to be a part of the USA Softball Men's Slow Pitch National Team for the fourth year. Thank you to ASA/USA Softball for selecting me for the team," McCraw said. "When you're my age, you have to be grateful just to be playing softball. I am blessed not just to play but to play for the best team in the world. Every year, the USA Softball Men's Slow Pitch National Team program and the Border Battle continue to get better and better. I am looking forward to giving Canada a challenge again this summer." Returning to Team USA for their third campaign: Bryson Baker (Magalia, Calif.); Don DeDonatis III (Kissimmee, Fla.); Andy Purcell (Naples, Fla.); Brian Rainwater (Kathleen, Ga.); and Dennis Rulli (Moorpark, Calif.). "I'd like to thank ASA/USA Softball for giving me and the other players the opportunity to represent our country," Rulli said. "It is truly an honor to be a part of this team and I feel privileged to get the opportunity to join my fellow teammates for a third year. The Border Battle has helped take slow pitch to a new height and has brought men's slow pitch softball a tremendous amount of national exposure. This event is truly beneficial for our sport and I hope that it continues for years to come so that younger players have a chance to participate. Every member chosen to be a part of this should be proud because they've earned it." Dal Beggs (Gainesville, Fla.), Geno Buck (Red Wing, Minn.) and Greg Connell (Moultrie, Ga.) have made the National Team for the second time. In 2011, Connell won the USA Softball Male Athlete of the Year award after going 29-for-34 (.853) with 25 runs scored and 27 RBI. He also hit 10 home runs in 2011, his rookie season. "Anytime you get to the opportunity to play among the 14 best players in the nation is always an honor," Connell said. "I feel honored to be given another chance to represent my country, especially when we have such an exciting schedule for this year. Not only do we get to play in the Border Battle IV, but we also get to play against the USA Men's Futures Slow Pitch Team and we will be televised twice on ESPN. It's going to be a blast." Two rookies, BJ Fulk (King, N.C.) and Ryan Thiede (Wood Dale, Ill.), are also on the 2012 roster. "I would like to thank ASA/USA Softball and everybody that had a part in putting the 2012 USA Softball Men's Slow Pitch National Team and these great events together," Thiede said. "It is an honor to be recognized with this elite group of professionals." The team will be coached by Steve Shortland (Converse, Texas) with Randy Raper (Hillsboro, Ore.), who are making their fourth consecutive appearance on the coaching staff. Created in conjunction with the inaugural Border Battle slow pitch competition against Canada in 2009, the Men's Slow Pitch National Team program is now in its fourth run. With a dominating 25-3 performance last year in Oklahoma City, Team USA took a 2-1 lead in the Border Battle series. The Americans also won Border Battle I 30-23 but Canada evened the series in 2010 with a 30-29 win. The Border Battle IV is scheduled for June 30 at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. In addition to participating in that game, the 2012 USA Softball Men's Slow Pitch National Team will also take on the 2012 USA Softball Men's Futures Slow Pitch National Team in the Slow Pitch Showdown on June 27, the opening night of the World Cup of Softball VII in Oklahoma City. The Futures roster will be announced in March. Both the Slow Pitch Showdown and Border Battle will be followed by autograph sessions. Slow Pitch Showdown and Border Battle tickets are included in all-session tickets to the World Cup, June 27-July 2 in Oklahoma City. All-session tickets, which are $275 for the Ultimate Fan Zone reserved seating in the first three rows of the stadium, $80 for other reserved seating and $45 for general admission seating, can be purchased now by phone at 800-654-8337 or online at SoftballOutlet.com. An official World Cup program is included with all-session tickets. Single session general admission tickets will be on sale in early June. The Ultimate Fan Zone package also includes a private autograph session and meal with the USA Softball Women's National Team, tentatively scheduled for Sunday at a local hotel and open only to Ultimate Fan Zone ticket holders, as well as free parking and a replica USA Softball jersey customized with a name and number of the fan's choice. The 2012 USA Softball Men's Slow Pitch National Team will participate in exhibition events prior to the Slow Pitch Showdown and Border Battle. The team's complete schedule is to be announced. The Futures team roster will also be announced in March with a complete schedule to follow.

Feb. 28, 2012

+ Gilmore Goes Yard in Beavers 4-2 Win Over Colorado State

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -- Dani Gilmore hit a three-run homer, Marina Demore pitched 4.2 innings of scoreless relief to earn the save and the Oregon State softball team defeated Colorado State, 4-2, on the final day of the Cathedral City Classic on Sunday, Feb. 26. "It's a great way to close out the Cathedral City Classic," Head Coach Kirk Walker said of the victory. "At Oregon State, we put a lot of time and effort into making this the best softball tournament in the country, so we always want to show well on the field. Winning four of five definitely does that." The game got off to an inauspicious start when Colorado State's first two batters doubled and homered to put the Rams up early, 2-0. But as has been the case all season, the Beavers (11-4) were never rattled, continued to plug away and ensured that any dreams their opponent had of winning were just that. Oregon State finished its annual tournament with a 4-1 record.

Feb. 27, 2012

+ Western Nevada College off to great start

Western Nevada College ended a demanding 11-game stretch on the road over the weekend to start the Scenic West Athletic Conference, splitting four games with North Idaho College February 24-25 to hold onto fourth place in the standings. The Wildcats are off to its best start in its three year history. The Wildcats won the second and third games against North Idaho at Larson Field in Moses Lake, Wash., improving to 6-5 in the SWAC. "They've maintained great focus when we've been out on the road," said WNC Coach Leah Wentworth. "They try to get as much rest as they can, and they've been mentally prepared for the games on the road." Throughout the team's five weeks of games away from home, the Wildcats have been often limited to one day of hitting practice and another day of glove work. "When we travel, our destinations have been pretty far away, so our travel days are six to eight hours," Wentworth said. Unplayable field conditions moved the series from Memorial Field in Coeur d'Alene to Moses Lake. In the opener, North Idaho's Emily Perlich pitched the distance, permitting only four WNC hits and striking out six in the Cardinals' 7-1 victory. WNC scored twice in the seventh inning to outlast North Idaho 7-5 in the second game of a doubleheader on Friday. Feb. 24. The teams split their doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 25, with the Wildcats fending off the Cardinals 4-3 in the opener, then losing game two, 7-4. The split enabled WNC to remain a half game ahead of the Cardinals for fourth place in the SWAC.

Feb. 20, 2012

+ Nevada gets come from behind victory

STANFORD, Calif. -- Sara Parsons, from Fallon, Nevada, hit a three-run walk-off home run to cap a six-run seventh inning as Nevada came back to beat Pacific 7-5 in the final game of the Stanford Nike Invitational on Feb. 19, 2012. The home run, the second of the year for Parsons, capped an improbable comeback as Nevada entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 5-1. But the Pack rallied for six runs, all with two outs, to knock off the Tigers and improved to 3-7 on the year. Karley Hopkins, Sam Puzey and Ashley Butera each had two hits for the Pack, which lost 4-1 to Pacific on Friday to begin play in the tournament. The comeback made a winner of Mallary Darby, who pitched well in the complete-game victory. Darby gave up nine hits but just two of the five Pacific runs were earned (three Nevada errors). She walked just one and fanned four and improved to 3-2 on the year. Nevada will return to action next week at the Gaucho Classic, Feb. 24-26 hosted by UC Santa Barbara. The Wolf Pack will play the host school, UCSB, and UNLB on Friday, Houston and San Diego on Saturday and then finish with UCSB again on Sunday. Nevada trailed for much of the game as Pacific scored twice in the second and again in the third. The Wolf Pack answered with a run in the fourth when Megan Fincher crushed a solo home run -- her first of the year -- over the scoreboard beyond the left-field fence. But Pacific pushed two more across in the sixth and was in control at 5-1. In the bottom of the seventh, the rally started simply with one out when Hopkins singled. Caylin Campbell then doubled off the wall in left. After Lauren Lastrapes popped up for the second out of the inning, Sam Puzey singled to score Hopkins and make it 5-2. Megan Fincher then walked to load the bases and bring the freshman Butera to the plate. She lifted a single to centerfield to score Campbell and Molly McWilliams, who was running for Puzey. Parsons then came to the plate and worked the count full before hitting the first walk-off home for Nevada since Michelle Beach beat UNLV with a walk-off in 2008.

Feb. 19, 2012

+ Fresno State shuts out Santa Clara and Cal State Fullerton

FRESNO, Calif. - Senior pitchers Mackenzie Oakes and Michelle Moses led the Fresno State softball team to a pair of shutout victories over Santa Clara and Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, FEb. 18, 2012 at Bulldog Diamond. Oakes (2-0) won game one for the Bulldogs against Santa Clara 7-0 by allowing just two hits and Moses (2-2) backed her performance up with a one-hit, 13-strikeout game in the 2-0 win over Fullerton. "Anytime you can get back-to-back shutouts, that's really great and I give [Oakes and Moses] a lot of credit for today," said head coach Margie Wright, who saw her team improve to 5-2 on the year. The three combined hits allowed in the two games are the fewest since Fresno State only gave up two hits in consecutive outings against Santa Clara and Pacific early on in the 2010 season. Former Bulldog Morgan Melloh threw a no-hitter in that Feb. 13 win against Pacific. Both Oakes and Moses came close to throwing no-hitters on Saturday, as each pitcher did not allow a hit until the sixth inning of their game. "I was just trying to get my placement a little more shaper today than I was last weekend and it helped," said Moses, who recorded her 13th career game with 10 or more strikeouts. Moses also accounted for both runs in the game two victory, as she hit her fourth homer of the year in the fourth inning. Moses now has struck out 34 batters on the year with two shutouts, giving her 10 in her career. Oakes, who struck out four and walked only one against Santa Clara, now has 16 strikeouts on the season and just three walks. "I felt like all the pitches were there, starting out early, and then the defense did a great job behind me today," Oakes said. "I felt like there was more confidence out there [as the game went along] and more confidence in the defense with them making great plays all game."
+ Nevada Wolf Pack Splits With No. 8 Stanford

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The Nevada softball team got a big win with an 11-3 run-rule win over No. 8 Stanford in the Stanford Nike Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012 at Smith Family Stadium Nevada fell in the second game of the doubleheader 8-2. Nevada is now 2-7 on the year. The Wolf Pack jumped out early with four runs in the top of the second inning. Megan Fincher singled and stole second before the Pack loaded the bases as Sara Parsons was hit by a pitch and Kortnee Wiley reached on a fielder's choice. Chelsea Barilli then drew a four-pitch walk to score Fincher. Karley Hopkins then drove in a run with a groundball. Leading 2-0, Nevada pushed it to a four-run lead when Lauren Lastrapes drilled a two-run single. Stanford got one back in the third to make it 4-1 but Nevada opened the floodgates in the fourth with seven runs. The Wolf Pack batted around in the frame and Barilli was the catalyst. She doubled to lead off the inning and tripled to cap the scoring. In between were four other Nevada hits and two Stanford errors. Mallary Darby went the distance for Nevada, scattering eight hits and giving up three runs while walking one and striking out three. Lastrapes, Fincher, Campbell and Barilli each had two hits in the game for Nevada with Lastrapes and Barilli each driving in two. In game two, Stanford jumped out to a four run lead off of Nevada starter Karlyn Jones as the Cardinal got one in the first and then three in the second. The Wolf Pack got a run back in the third as Lauren Lastrapes blasted a solo shot to left to make it 4-1. Stanford answered with two runs in the fourth, which came off of Ariel Craig, who relieved Karlyn Jones. Nevada came right back in the top of the fifth inning with three straight singles to score one run (Hopkins with the RBI) and put runners on second and third after a sac bunt by Caylin Campbell. But Lastrapes struck out and Sam Puzey grounded out on a ball hit off the pitcher Gearhart and deflected directly to the shortstop Ashley Hanson who got Puzey by step at first. Stanford added two more on a triple by Caitlyn Pura in the bottom of the fifth.
+ Oregon State Keeps Rolling

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Marina Demore tossed another complete-game gem and Ya Garcia notched her first career walk-off hit, helping set the tone for a Beaver squad that earned two wins on the second day of the Campbell/Cartier Classic in San Diego on Feb. 18, 2012. Oregon State squeaked by Notre Dame, 3-2, on Saturday morning before cruising by tournament co-host San Diego later in the afternoon, 7-2. With the victories, OSU upped its record to 6-3 on the young season. The Beavers have now won four of their last five games. "It was nice to see finally see a one-run game go our way," Head Coach Kirk Walker said of the win against Notre Dame. "Ya came up with a huge hit and Marina battled on each and every pitch to help us get the ‘W' over a team picked by many to be one of the best in its conference. We will gladly take that result." With the score knotted up a two runs apiece heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, Lea Cavestany struck out swinging, but alertly dashed down the line when the catcher mishandled the ball, beating the throw to give the Beavers some life. Ally Kutz adeptly moved Cavestany into scoring position with a textbook sacrifice bunt to bring Garcia to the plate with two outs. The freshman, showing maturity beyond her years, remained unfazed despite falling behind in the count, 1-2. A calm Garcia smoked the next offering down the right-field line, allowing Cavestany to round third base, beat the desperate throw home and earn the dramatic victory. "Those are the kinds of games we need to win and the kinds of at-bats we need to have to achieve our goals this year," Walker said. "We never got down, never gave up and our perseverance and determination was rewarded." Garcia would have never had the opportunity to perform her late-game heroics were it not for another big-league performance from Demore in the circle. The junior gave up only one earned run in seven innings for the win, striking out five. Notre Dame didn't even manage a hit until there were two away in the fifth. In her last three starts, Demore has allowed all of three earned runs in 20 innings (1.05 ERA) while striking out 17. It was apparent that the momentum from the emotional win carried over into game two against San Diego, a 7-2 win. As they've done all season, the Beavers tested the Toreros defensive mettle and forced four USD errors thanks to aggressive base running and timely contact with the bats. OSU scored twice on three San Diego blunders in the second inning and continued to grow the lead, scoring single runs in the third and fourth innings and three in the fifth. Elizabeth Santana was 2-for-4 with an RBI, becoming the second Beaver to reach double digits in that category this season (10). In the third inning, Santana put herself into scoring position thanks to a leadoff single followed by a wild pitch, and was immediately driven home on a shot to left center off the bat of Erin Guzy, who has now reached base safely in each of the first nine games of the year. Two innings later, Garcia legged out a single on a ground ball to the left side for her only hit of the contest, but one that upped her hitting streak to a team-high five games. Oregon State closes out the Campbell/Cartier Classic against Central Florida at 9 a.m. on Feb. 19, 2012 in what will be the first-ever match-up between the two schools.
+ Oregon State captures Campbell/Cartier Classic

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- For the second time in the last three contests, the Oregon State softball team used a late rally to claim a one-run win, this time pushing the game-winner across in the sixth inning against Central Florida in the final game of the Campbell/Cartier Classic in San Diego on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012. The 2-1 win moves the Beavers' record to 7-3 this season, the program's best start since the 2007 team began with the same mark. OSU has now won five out of its last six games. "We've now started our season with two consecutive successful weekends," Head Coach Kirk Walker said. "Going 4-1 in a tournament featuring a number of teams mentioned in national polls, including ourselves, is very gratifying, but we still have work to do to get better, and we will." Marina Demore and Paige Hall continued their strong work in the circle, this time combining to throw a two-hitter. In the event, the pair went 4-0 with 14 strikeouts and a miniscule 0.32 ERA. Offensively, the Beavers continued to put the ball in play and pressure the defense with speed and aggressiveness on the bases. OSU got on the board in the fourth inning when Hall drew a leadoff walk and was pinch run for by junior Maggie Doremus. Erin Guzy then laid down a beautiful sacrifice bunt and hustled down the line, forcing a quick and errant throw into right field by the third baseman, giving Oregon State runners at second and third with nobody out. In the six spot, Desiree Beltran performed her job perfectly, lofting a deep sacrifice fly into foul territory in left field, which allowed Doremus to tag up and put the Beavers on top, 1-0. Central Florida tied things up in its half of the fifth inning, setting up another late-game opportunity for Oregon State. In the bottom of the sixth, Beltran was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and was run for by freshman Madison Bundy. After a couple of unsuccessful sacrifice bunt attempts, Ally Kutz hit a shot down the line, which ricocheted off the third baseman and into the waiting hands of the shortstop, who gathered the ball and threw the Beaver catcher out at first. No matter, however, as Kutz advanced Bundy to second. With two outs, Ya Garcia, who hit a walk-off against Notre Dame, smacked another shot into right field. The UCF player came in hard and fast to make the catch, but dropped the ball as Bundy crossed the plate to put Oregon State on top, 2-1. In the seventh, Hall set down the Knights on only eight pitches to earn her third win of the season. The lockdown work from the rubber was supplemented by a plethora of highlight-worthy defensive plays, especially from Kutz's position behind the plate. The junior picked off a runner taking too large of a lead from first base in the opening inning and gunned down runners trying to steal in each of the fifth and sixth innings to turn the tide in OSU's favor heading into the bottom of the sixth. The Beavers will have a quick turnaround in Corvallis before heading back down to Southern California when they host the Cathedral City Classic beginning on Thursday, Feb. 23rd just outside of Palm Springs.

Feb. 13, 2012

+ Womens Jr. World Championships Awarded

PLANT CITY, FLORIDA -- Brampton, Ontario (Canada) and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (USA) will host the top event in 19-and-under female fast pitch softball in 2013 and 2015, respectively. The International Softball Federation X Jr. Women's World Championship will take place from July 1-7, 2013, and the eleventh edition of the tournament will play from August 7-16, 2015. Following approval by the world governing body's Board of Directors, ISF President Don Porter made the announcement on Feb. 13, 2012, just over eight weeks after the 15-nation IX Jr. Women's World Championship concluded in Cape Town, South Africa. The event next year will mark the first time that Ontario has ever hosted an ISF world championship. Meanwhile, the 2015 tournament will be the first time since 1996 that the USA has hosted an ISF world championship (IX Men's World Championship in Michigan). "As we recently saw in South Africa, the junior women's world championship is the premier event for our young female athletes," the ISF president said. "The organizers in Cape Town did a first-class job and we are confident that Canada and the U.S. will do the same next year and in 2015. We need them to because this is an important competition opportunity for that age category to be able to continue to test their skills against their counterparts from around the world." Softball Canada submitted the 2013 bid on behalf of the Brampton Girls Softball Association, while the Amateur Softball Association put forth the 2015 plan, which calls for the junior women's world championship to be played at their headquarters complex. This (2012) is the first year that the ISF world championships are starting an every-two-years rotation after having been one a year every four years. The XIII Women's World Championship will be played this July in Whitehorse, Yukon (Canada) and the IX Jr. Men's World Championship is set for November in Paraná, Argentina. In addition to next year's event in Ontario, the XIII Men's World Championship will take place in Auckland, New Zealand (in March 2013).
+ Western Nevada College gets big win

WNC Wildcats Rally to Beat Second-Ranked Salt Lake The Western Nevada College softball team turned a corner over the weekend. After three losses to second-ranked Salt Lake Community College to kick off Scenic West Conference play, the unranked Wildcats came from behind to win 6-5 on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012 in the series finale at St. George, Utah. Head Coach Leah Wentworth called it the "biggest win in program history." Salt Lake took a 5-4 lead into the top of the 10th inning, but the Wildcats rallied for two runs to pull out the dramatic conference victory. "It shows that when we have everything come together, we can beat any team we go against," Wentworth said. "Every time we face them, we know we're going to get really tough competition. This is a challenge for our girls. It's a great way for us to start conference play." Taleas Marble swatted a two-run double, bringing home Jennifer Quam and Jordan Thomas for the tying and winning scores. Salt Lake had taken a 5-4 lead on a sacrifice fly by Tanisha Anderson. Both teams started the deciding inning with a runner on second base under an international tiebreaker format. After being shut out on one hit in Friday's doubleheader, the Wildcats delivered 16 hits Saturday. Marble gave the Wildcats offense a jolt to start the finale, homering with two outs in the first inning. Her third homer of the season scored Quam, who had singled and stolen second base, to give WNC a 2-1 lead. The Bruins retaliated, scoring twice in the fifth inning. Then, the teams exchanged zeros on the scoreboard until the 10th inning. Freshman pitcher Jordan Garcia was a workhorse on the mound for WNC, pitching all 10 innings to collect the victory. She allowed nine hits and only two earned runs. A reliever in prior appearances, Garcia made the most of her start-to-finish opportunity in the circle. "She did a great job for us," Wentworth said. "Against a team that hits the ball like they do, we couldn't have asked for a better job." "We had a really tough game in the opener, so to see them bounce back showed a lot of character," Wentworth said. "Defensively, we forced them to leave a lot of runners in scoring position. We did a great job of holding them back." Ariel Zimmerman and Kylee Colvin blanked WNC on one hit in Salt Lake's 7-0 series-opening win Friday. The only hit off Zimmerman was a fourth-inning single to right by Marble. Salt Lake scored all of its runs in the second and third innings. Flint quieted WNC bats for a second straight game on Friday, limiting the Wildcats to Thomas' sixth-inning base hit in the Bruins' 3-0 victory. Western Nevada began to figure out the Bruins' pitchers in game three, spraying seven hits in a 17-3 defeat. Ali-Marie Lostra slammed two hits and knocked in a run, while Quam, Marble, Thom, Katirina Rand and Niki DiSera each had one hit. Western Nevada (6-12 overall, 1-3 in the SWAC) will resume conference action in Rangely, Colo., for four games against Colorado Northwestern Community College on February 24- 25.

Feb. 11, 2012

+ Fresno's Moses has great game

FRESNO, Calif. - Michelle Moses out-dueled North Dakota State's Whitney Johnson and provided the only offense in Fresno State's 1-0 win over the Bison Friday night, Feb. 10, 2012 at Bulldog Diamond. Moses's first inning homer was the only hit the Bulldogs (2-0) picked up and the only hit they needed to beat the Bison's ace in the second day of the Fresno State Kick-Off Tournament. After hitting her second home run in as many days, Moses shut the Bison (2-1) offense down, allowing just three hits en route to recording her ninth career shutout. "I think Michelle pitched a great game," head coach Margie Wright said. "They came out swinging over there and she really did a nice job in the tight spots. She really gutted it out and did a good job."
+ Nevada softball's rally falls short

DAVIS, Calif. -- Despite two seventh-inning home runs in a late rally, the University of Nevada softball team fell 7-3 to Boise State Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, in its second game at the Aggie Stampede. The loss dropped the Wolf Pack to 0-2, while the Broncos improved to 3-0. Three Nevada pitchers took to the circle in the defeat. Ariel Craig started the game, going two and a third and giving up two earned. She went one, two, three in the second throwing only eight pitches. Nevada had promising at bats early, as right fielder Megan Fincher had an extra-base hit taken away from her in the second. Bronco center fielder Tara Glover made an over-the-shoulder catch at the warning track. Pitcher Karlyn Jones saw her first action of the 2012 season, coming in with two runners on and nobody out in the third and limiting Boise to one run. Jones gave up five runs on six hits in the fourth, before Bailey Brewer came in with two outs and a runner on first. Alex Arciniega was the Pack's first base runner, reaching on an error in the third and stealing second. She was stranded there by Karley Hopkins, who grounded out hard to the pitcher. Hopkins flashed some serious leather in the fourth, making a spectacular diving play behind third to record the first out. Catcher Ashley Butera singled to center for her first collegiate hit, as well as Nevada's first hit of the day, with one out in the fifth. The freshman from Saugus, Calif. was the only change to the lineup in the season's second game. She started in place of Chelsey Venable and hit sixth in the Pack lineup. The Pack had the makings of a rally on a few occasions before the seventh, including the sixth inning. Molly McWilliams led off the inning with a five-pitch walk. Hopkins hit a sinking liner into center two batters later, only to have Glover take another hit away with a diving catch. The frame ended without Nevada pushing a run across. Butera showed her defensive ability as well on Saturday, exacting a little revenge on Glover in the process. She threw her out trying to steal second for the first out of the sixth. McWilliams ended the inning with a backhanded play down the line to get Nevada to the plate with three outs left. Lastrapes blasted a 1-2 pitch over the right-field fence to lead off the seventh, putting some life into the Nevada dugout in the final frame and making the score 7-1. Sam Puzey recorded her first hit of the season behind her, doubling into left field. Butera drove Kortnee Wiley in on a sacrifice fly with one down to pull Nevada to within five. Wiley ran for Puzey at second base. Following Butera, Sara Parson hit a Kenzie Cole fastball over the fence in left for Nevada's third run. Nevada was unable to complete the comeback however, as McWilliams grounded out to first to end the game. Butera was 1-2 with an RBI. Craig took the loss to fall to 0-1, while Boise State starter Aubrey Zell won and moved to 2-0.
+ Oregon States Stellar Offense Not Enough In Pair of One-Run Losses

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Marina Demore gave up only three earned runs in nine total innings and the Beavers knocked a trio of balls out of the park, but that tandem came up just short, as the Oregon State softball team lost a pair of one-run games on the second day of the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. OSU fell to No. 23 Georgia Tech in its early-morning opener, 9-8, and then was bested in eight innings by McNeese State, 3-2, in game two. "We played a couple of close games today, but didn't get the results we wanted," Head Coach Kirk Walker said. "We need to learn from these two and improve. After an impressive first day in Arizona, this is our first setback of the season, so it's important that we are resilient and continue to compete."

Feb. 9, 2012

+ Women and Sport Conference

ISF President Don Porter will head a delegation from softball that will attend the International Olympic Committee's 5th World Conference on Women and Sport in Los Angeles next week. ISF Secretary General Ms. Low Beng Choo is a member of the IOC Women and Sport Commission as are IOC Members Beatrice Allen and Melitón Sánchez, both of whom are ISF board members. The softball delegation will also include two-time Olympic softball medalist Jessica Mendoza (Team USA, 2004 -- gold, 2008 -- silver), who was formerly the president of the Women's Sports Foundation and is now -- among other endeavors -- a commentator on ESPN. Donna de Varona, who was a BackSoftball co-chair, is also on the IOC Women and Sport Commission. A website for the February 16-18 meetings has been set up at www.womenandsport2012.com.

Feb. 8, 2012

+ Fresno State Softball Radio Schedule Announced

FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State and ESPN2 790 AM announced its 2012 softball radio schedule and 32 games will be broadcast live this season from Bulldog Diamond. Guy Haberman returns to deliver all the Bulldog action, as Fresno State enters its 27th year under legendary head coach Margie Wright. 790 the Deuce is broadcasting all but three of Fresno State's 35 home games this season. The three that won't air are the Feb. 14 game against Pacific, the March 9 game against UConn and the March 13 game against Butler. The Bulldogs begin the 2012 season by hosting the Fresno State Kick-Off Tournament, Feb. 9-11. Toledo, North Dakota State, UC Riverside, Sacramento State and Long Beach State are all participating in the opening weekend tournament. Opening day for the Bulldogs is this Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 against Toledo at 7 p.m. live on 790 the Deuce.

Feb. 7, 2012

+ Souther California Senior Championships

The 2012 Southern California Championships are coming soon, don't miss your chance at playing in beautiful Hemet, California. This is a qualifying tournament for the Western Nationals, the LVSSA/SSUSA World Masters Championships and the Champions earn a berth to the 2013 Tournament of Champions! Go to www.seniorsoftball.com for more information.
+ WNC Picks Up Three Softball Wins

Western Nevada College's softball team produced three victories during a weekend tournament in Yuma, Ariz., with the Wildcats' hitting, pitching and defense taking turns in delivering the wins. "We had another good weekend. We made some improvements from last weekend," said WNC Coach Leah Wentworth. In an opening 11-6 victory against Arizona Western College, the Wildcats rapped 14 hits — four coming off the bat of Taleas Marble. Marble's 4-for-4 performance included two triples and three RBI. Ashley Gleason and Alia Cox also were busy at the plate, collecting three hits apiece, while leadoff hitter Jennifer Quam socked a pair of hits. WNC used a six-run second inning to take a lead it never relinquished. Marble started the bountiful uprising with a triple and later knocked in two runs with a single. Alexia Alley tossed five innings to pick up her third win of the season. Alley surrendered just three hits and one run. A six-run inning also figured in Western Nevada's second tournament win, as the Wildcats erupted for a 6-0 first-inning lead against Mesa College. That was more than enough support for Ali-Marie Lostra, who scattered six hits and allowed two earned runs over five innings to earn her first win. Alley prevented any thoughts of a Mesa comeback by throwing two hitless innings of relief and striking out three for the save. The Wildcat pitchers were backed by a solid defensive effort with only two errors and the hitting of Tori Crowell. Crowell supplied two of the Wildcats' eight hits and knocked in three runs, including a two-RBI base hit during the six-run first frame. Next, the Wildcats put their two-game winning streak on the line against the National Junior College Athletic Association's top-ranked and defending national champion, Yavapai College, falling 8-2 despite scratching the scoreboard first. Quam walked, stole second base and scored on an error for a 1-0 WNC lead in the opening inning. Yavapai, however, scored three times in the second inning to take the lead for good and pulled away with two runs in the fourth and three in the seventh. Quam finished with two of WNC's five hits off winning pitcher Amelia Willadsen. Western Nevada bounced back with a 5-2 triumph against Golden West College for its third win of the tournament. Lostra kept Golden West hitters off balance, pitching the distance while the defense behind her played errorless ball. She allowed six hits and two earned runs while throwing scoreless frames over the final five innings. Marble and Crowell led a nine-hit offensive attack with two hits. Lostra helped herself with a two-run base hit in a three-run WNC first inning. The Wildcats completed the day with a back-and-forth duel against El Paso Community College. After falling behind 2-1 early, WNC rallied to take a 7-4 lead before El Paso battled back for an 8-7 victory. The patient Wildcats drew nine walks off two El Paso pitchers, with Quam, Gleason and Marble accounting for the team's three hits. On the final tournament day, WNC's fast starts continued, but the Wildcats came up short in losses to Eastern Arizona (11-4) and Arizona Western College (13-5). In the nightcap, WNC jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first inning, but Arizona Western used four-run scoring flurries in the sixth and seventh innings to break open a tight contest. Marble came through with her third multi-hit game of the tournament, knocking out three hits and scoring twice. Her performance was highlighted by a home run to right in the sixth inning. Marble also homered in the defeat to Eastern Arizona, while Jordan Thomas topped the Wildcats with two hits. "We're still trying to find the right combination on defense," said Wentworth, whose club made 13 errors against the Arizona schools. We gave some of the teams too many bases on errors." The Wildcats (5-9) will open Scenic West Athletic Conference play February 10 and 11 with a four-game set at NJCAA No. 2 ranked Salt Lake Community College, at St. George, Utah.

Feb. 2, 2012

+ WAC softball preseason picks

Jan. 31, 2012 -- The Fresno State softball team was selected by the coaches in the Western Athletic Conference to win the 2012 WAC regular-season crown. This marks the 14th time in the last 17 years that the Bulldogs have been the preseason favorite to win the title. Fresno State edged out Hawai'i by two points as the preseason favorite. The Bulldogs collected a league-high three first-place votes and 44 points. New Mexico State, which matched UH with two first-place votes, was close behind in third with 37 points followed by Brigham Young (one first-place vote) in fourth with 35 points.

Jan. 29, 2012

+ Softball is the Winner as Tournament of Champions ends

SOFTBALL IS THE WINNER AS TOC ENDS At the ISF world headquarters complex and two other area facilities, the ISF/ISSA Masters/Seniors International Tournament of Champions concluded on Jan. 29, 2012. Final games wrapped up three days of play at the ISF's world headquarters complex in Plant City, Florida, and two other softball facilities in the Tampa Bay area. With 54 teams having been entered in the tournament in age divisions ranging from 50 to 75, a number of champions were crowned. However, the real winner was the game of softball itself. "Thanks in large part to our participation in the last four Summer Olympics, fast pitch certainly seems to be the discipline most often seen," said ISF President Don Porter. "However, we're working to continue providing diverse opportunities for men, women, boys, and girls of all ages to play softball around the world. This senior slow pitch tournament is a great example of that. "We're pleased to have been involved with this event. Softball is a part of the World Masters Games too, which is further testimony to our desire to serve all ages." The ISF president also mentioned modified pitch, arena softball, beach softball, wheelchair softball, and softball for individuals with intellectual disabilities as disciplines that the world governing body is promoting and developing. Hillsborough County was also a winner with over 800 tournament participants having converged on the area for the tournament. In addition to an entry from Colombia, 13 different U.S. states had teams in the event.

Jan. 27, 2012

+ ISF Senior tourney in Florida

Fifty four teams in age categories from 50 to 75 will begin play Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 in the ISF/International Senior Softball Association Masters/Seniors International Tournament of Champions. For more information on the men's slow pitch event, visit www.seniorsoftball.org.

Jan. 26, 2012

+ ISF Collectibles auctioned on eBay

The ISF's latest eBay auction opened with a flurry of activity. Up for bid is a package that includes an unused ticket from opening day of the 2000, 2004, & 2008 Olympic softball competitions, plus the media guide from each of those as well as the World Softball magazines published prior to and following each of the three. The auction is scheduled to end on Monday (January 30) at approximately 11:45a.m. Eastern Time. An article about it on this website's homepage includes a link to the auction page

Jan. 17, 2012

+ Fresno State adds to versatile pitching staff

FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State head softball coach Margie Wright has announced that left-handed pitcher Kiley Shae Aldridge has been added to the teams 2012 roster. Aldridge, a freshman, enrolled at Arizona in the fall of 2011, but transferred to Fresno State for the spring semester. "Her addition is huge because she is a left-handed pitcher and anytime you can switch teams up like that in the middle of a game is a big advantage," Wright said. Aldridge, out of Lompoc, Calif., was a four-time letterwinner at Cabrillo High School where she earned first-team all-league and all-area accolades as a senior. An all-around athlete who also played volleyball and basketball in high school, Aldridge threw a perfect game in 2008 and won player of the week honors in north Santa Barbara in both her junior and senior seasons. She was a six-time scholar-athlete award winner and attended several prominent camps, the 2008 Adidas Future Camp and the 2008 OnDeck Top 64 West Coast Camp. Both her mother and her father are Fresno State alum.

Jan. 12, 2012

+ 2012 USA Softball Womens National names 12 to squad

OKLAHOMA CITY — Twelve athletes have been named to the 2012 USA Softball Womens National Team, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced today. An additional five athletes will be named to the squad, which will compete at the International Softball Federation (ISF) Womens World Championship, following a 2012 USA Softball Women's National Team and USA Softball Womens Elite National Team Selection Camp in June. Read who was selected in the next issue of Softball West.

Jan. 8, 2012

+ Michelle Moses ready to lead Fresno Bulldogs to WCWS

FRESNO, Calif. - Senior year -- for student-athletes it represents their last shot to make their mark as a college athlete and right-handed pitcher/infielder Michelle Moses does not plan on wasting it. During her college career Moses has received many accolades. Last year she was named third-team Easton Sports All-American, she is a two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-West Region selection and a two-time first-team All-WAC selection. She has emerged as the natural leader for the Bulldog softball team and in a year where the `Dogs have 10 newcomers, her leadership and experience will be put to good use. Moses' lead-by-example style is one 28-year head coach Margie Wright feels will benefit the young team. "When you have leadership that does things by example, it's a lot easier to follow that person," Wright said. "She's very valuable in that role because she holds people accountable and she holds herself accountable." What Wright feels sets Moses apart from other players is her ability to be more than just a pitcher. "I think Michelle is the total package," Wright said. "She can hit, she's a great pitcher and she's very good on defense. She's somebody that can do all facets of the game very well." She is what Wright calls "softball athletic." "The good thing about Michelle is she's not a typical pitcher in that's all that she does," Wright said. "She has played other positions and still does and she also contributes offensively. I could put her in the outfield and she would still throw somebody out at the plate because she has a great savvy of the game, understands it and wants to win more than anything." Moses' drive to win is something Wright tries to instill in all of her players. "I don't think anybody can go wrong if your mentality is 'I will do whatever I have to in order to succeed', " Wright said. "If you work hard, you're competitive, will do everything in your power to win and you're not afraid, you'll put yourself on the line to be the best. How can that not prepare you for life? I think Michelle has really bought into that." It is this winning mentality that helped Wright become the NCAA's all-time winningest softball coach in 2000 and one she hopes will push her young team to succeed. "I think potentially this team could be one of our better teams that we've had in a long time and I'm looking forward to it because we have a lot of really competitive kids out here," Wright said. "I think that competitiveness will really be able to get us through some tough games and tough situations." Each year the goal for Wright and her Bulldog team is to go to the Women's College World Series. This year is no different and for Moses, that dream is more alive than ever before. "This is her last chance to achieve every goal she's had since she came here," Wright said. "I'm really hoping she has an unbelievable year." Moses plans to take her goals one day at a time. "My goal for the team is to get past the regional championship," Moses said. "Ultimately, the goal is to get to the series, but for right now, that's where we've gotten stopped every year I've been here. It's one step at a time and that's the first step." Moses has high hopes for this season and the new Bulldog team. "I think this season is going to go well," Moses said. "We have a lot of freshmen and transfers that are going to come out here and do great things for us. We have a tough schedule like always and I don't think this team is afraid of competition." This season, the `Dogs will face many top 20 teams including Oregon, Arizona State and California. One advantage to their tough schedule is the `Dogs will face many teams at home with a total of 35 home games. It is Moses' hope that with the support of their fans she will be able to lead the `Dogs to another outstanding season and inspire a winning spirit in the newcomers. "This year is about leading by example because we do have so many new girls and it is confusing when you come and it's a totally new program," Moses said. "I want the new girls to learn that they need to play out here with their hearts because there are going to be games where that determines whether you win or lose." Heart is what she takes the most pride in about her team. "Bulldog Softball is always tough," Moses said. "We play a hard schedule every year and we have a lot of heart." However, Moses feels that no matter how her last season goes, the lessons she learned as a Bulldog will carry her throughout her life. "Being part of a team really teaches you how to work with people and that can be a challenge at times, figuring out how to balance school-work with the long hours we spend out here teaches you manage time and get your priorities straight," Moses said. "The lessons I have learned in softball have everything to do with life."

Jan. 7, 2012

+ 2012 Cathedral City Softball Classic All-Tournament passes on sale

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Tickets for the 2012 Cathedral City Softball Classic, the nation's premier Division I softball tournament, are now available for $40 through the Oregon State Athletic Ticket Office online or by calling 1-800-GO BEAVS. By purchasing an all-tournament pass in advance; fans will receive a $10 discount. Advanced tickets are $40, while those purchased at the tournament are $50. Passes to the annual event just outside of Palm Springs include entrance to every game over the four-day tournament, held from Thursday, Feb. 23 to Sunday, Feb. 26 at Big League Dreams Sports Parks in Cathedral City, Calif. All seats are general admission. The 2012 Cathedral City Classic features 35 NCAA Division I schools, including 22 NCAA Tournament teams from last season and five of the eight squads that advanced to the 2011 Women's College World Series (WCWS). Fourteen teams finished last season ranked in the top 25 and eight of the 10 NCAA Champions in the sport will be at the tournament, representing 27 of the 30 all-time national titles since the NCAA WCWS began in 1982.

Jan. 5, 2012

+ Corky Pellien joins Senior Softball USA

Longtime Miken rep Corky Pellien has joined Senior Softball-USA as national sales representative. Read more in the next issue of Softball West.

Dec. 22, 2011

+ USA wins World Championship in South Africa

Saturday Dec. 17 in Cape Town, South Africa, Team USA got revenge on Japan for a 9-0 loss the day before by posting a 4-1 victory in the gold medal game of the IX Jr. Women's World Championship. Chinese Taipei was the bronze medal finisher at the 15-nation (age) 19-and-under fast pitch tournament that ran from December 7-17 at the renovated Turfhall Stadium complex. 2012 brings a new schedule for the International Softball Federation world championships as the world governing body's four marquee tournaments shift to an every-other-year format.

Dec. 16, 2011

+ Women's World Championship continues

The International Softball Federation IX Jr. Women's World Championship in Cape Town, South Africa, continues with finals set for Dec. 17th. The 19-and-under fast pitch tournament began December 7 with 15 countries participating. All of the remaining games will be webstreamed over the official event website, http://jwwc2011.co.za, as will the Closing Ceremonies on Saturday. ISF President Don Porter has given high praise to the facilities at the renovated Turfhall complex, which had been part of the region's unsuccessful bid to host the 2004 Olympic Games. "Once again we have a world-class facility hosting a marquee ISF event. This shows the level of dedication that South Africa has had to hosting this event. And, it's a great atmosphere for the athletes to compete in." Round robin play finished with the USA and Japan(each undefeated at 7-0 to finish a on top in the two pools. Two teams finished with 6-1 won-lost records; Canada had that mark to stay within a game of the Americans while Australia lost just one of seven to stay close to Japan in Pool B. Others that advanced to the playoffs were Pool A's New Zealand (third place at 5-2) and China (fourth, 3-4), and Pool B's Chinese Taipei (third, 5-2) and Brazil (fourth, 4-3). As a result, these teams are now finished: Pool A -- Czech Republic (fifth, 3-4), Puerto Rico (sixth, 3-4), South Africa (seventh, 1-6), and Botswana (eighth, 0-7), Pool B -- Argentina (fifth, 3-4), Russia (sixth, 2-5), and Germany (seventh, 1-6). USA is the defending champion, having dethroned then-two-time defending champion Japan at the last edition of the event (2007 in the Netherlands).

Dec. 13, 2011

+ Australia, Samoa qualify for Men's World Championship

Australia and Samoa have qualified for the ISF XIII Men's World Championship, which will be held in Auckland, New Zealand, from March 1-10, 2013. The pair earned a spot in the fastpitch event through a qualifying tournament held in Canberra, Australia. By virtue of their hosting the ISF tournament in 15 months, New Zealand gets an automatic berth. Australia is the defending ISF men's champion from the 2009 event in Canada. They went undefeated at the qualifier, while Samoa cemented their spot in 2013 with a victory over Papua New Guinea.
+ Liberty Field Billboard Advertising

Larry Ott's outfield advertising sign should be available for installation by mid December, that leaves only two more slots available for billboard advertisers. One slot is down the left field foul line and the other one is down the right field foul line. When these spaces are sold, it will, for the first time in the history of Liberty Field, have all available spaces taken for billboard advertising. For information, contact Ray Early at Raymondearly@msn.com.

Dec. 12, 2011

+ NFCA Inducts Ralph Weekly

On Friday, Dec. 2, during an evening ceremony at the annual National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Convention in Las Vegas, Nev., Tennessee Lady Vol Co-Head Coach Ralph Weekly joined Ithaca Head Coach Deb Pallozzi in being inducted into the prestigious NFCA Hall of Fame.

Nov. 11, 2011

+ Nevada softball signs four

RENO, Nev. -- The University of Nevada softball program received National Letters of Intent from four prep standouts, fourth-year head coach Matt Meuchel announced. The four newcomers who will join the Wolf Pack in fall of 2012 are: infielder Hannah Harger (Hanford, Calif.); infielder Jasmine Jenkins (Tustin, Calif.); infielder Amanda Weis (Redlands, Calif.); and outfielder Danielle Wiltz (Elk Grove, Calif.). "This class of four will individually and collectively help our program take another large step forward," Meuchel said. "We are really excited about how this class has come together. Our 2012 class will bring a lot to our program both offensively and defensively. They bring a great balance of speed on power to our offense while bring versatility and skill to both our infield and outfield. We are excited for the impact that these players will make immediately in our program."

Nov. 10, 2011

+ Nevada Wolf Pack Softball 2012 Schedule

RENO, Nev. -- The 2012 Nevada softball schedule will feature 20 games on the diamond at Hixson Park, as well as a host of stellar Western Athletic Conference and non-conference opponents, head coach Matt Meuchel announced. "Our home WAC slate alone features competition against 2011 NCAA Tournament participants Fresno State and BYU along with 2010 Women's College World Series participant Hawai'i," Meuchel said. "It should be an exciting year of Wolf Pack Softball." Nevada will open the season with two games against former-WAC foe Boise State in Davis, Calif., February 10-11 at the Aggie Stampede. The Wolf Pack will conclude the tournament in Davis by taking on the Aggies twice, as well Loyola Marymount once. Nevada will begin WAC play with a three-game set against defending WAC Tournament Champion Fresno State on March 23-24, and will also welcome San Jose State, Hawai'i and BYU to Hixson Park in 2012. The Rainbow Wahine will travel to Reno from April 20-21. "The WAC is going to be loaded with great softball programs and we are excited to compete for a conference championship in our final season in the WAC," Meuchel said. The season-ending WAC Tournament will take place in Las Cruces, N.M., from May 9-12.

Nov. 3, 2011

+ International Softball Federation Meeting

Delegates from 70 countries attended the 25th International Softball Federation Congress that ended Sunday, Oct. 30 in Oklahoma City, OK. The biennial gathering included meetings of commissions, regional confederations, and ISF partners, plus the main session that included reports on major competitions -- including new provisions to have open world championships, increased development of slow pitch, indoor and softball for participants with intellectual disabilities, and reports on upcoming events including the Jr. Women's World Championship to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, next month (age 19-and-under, fast pitch).The Congress also approved a resolution to cooperate with the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and the International Olympic Committee in determining whether a joint bid by the two sports would preserve and guarantee the interest of the members of both organizations. The ISF also hosted presentations by two major partners, the World Games and Special Olympics International. Ron Froehlich, president of the World Games, attended the Congress, as did Special Olympics representatives Craig Pippert and Doug Liebman. The next ISF Congress to be held in 2013 was awarded to Cartagena, Colombia.

Oct. 23, 2011

+ Liberty Field Opening Day

The field dedication ceremonies held at Liberty Field was a big success with the largest crowd ever at the field. It was a great turnout. There were many, many volunteers, too many to mention by name, but thanks to all of you for your help in making this event a huge success. "As we have mentioned before, we can not do these things at the field without volunteers" said Ray Early. "We can now turn our attention to Opening Day, which is this Tuesday, Oct. 25. Come out and witness an historic event for Liberty Field as players play on our new artificial turf for the first time. We will be honoring the memory of those members of our softball family who passed away within the past year. Coffee, doughnuts and orange juice will be available in the morning with popcorn. soda and bottled water available a little later in the day."

Oct. 8, 2011

+ Portland State to host NPF All-Stars

PORTLAND, OR -- A game against the National Pro Fastpitch All-Stars will highlight Portland State's fall softball schedule. The Vikings will play eight games, including taking on the NPF All-Stars at Erv Lind Stadium on Wednesday, October 26. The NPF team is made up of players from the league's four teams -- the Akron Racers, the Chicago Bandits, the NPF Diamonds and the USSSA Florida Pride. The team is embarking on a 19-game, 17-stop Back to School Tour. Among the players on the squad are US Olympic team member and Beaverton native Ashley Charters (Washington), fellow Olympians Andrea Duran (UCLA), Kelly Kretschman (Alabama) and Catilin Lowe (Arizona), and Canadian National Team members and former Washington Huskies Danielle Lawrie and Jenn Salling. PSU closes out its fall schedule by hosting the NPF All-Stars on Oct. 26 with the first pitch set for 6 p.m., under the lights at Erv Lind Stadium. "As always, we want to use these games to get a feel for our team and get our players some game competition. The game against the NPF squad will be a great night not only four our team, but also the city of Portland and softball fans in the area. It's a chance for our girls to compete against some of the best players in the world," said PSU Head Coach Tobin Echo-Hawk.

Sept. 29, 2011

+ Liberty Field Update

The facility improvements are continuing. Cleaning and repairs have been done to the George Karras Memorial Fountain and it is working perfectly now. A number of sponsor's banners along the 1st and 3rd base foul lines have been hung and brand new bunting along the outfield fence is also up. The blue backstop panels located behind home plate have been lowered and reinstalled, along with a new, blue netting behind the panels which hides the panel boards from view. The rec center groundskeepers will be scalping the outfield grass in preparation for overseeding which will begin Monday, Oct. 3. The warning track is in place, but the groundskeepers still have more work to do. More rain/water is needed for both the infield and outfield to help improve field conditions
+ 80 Countries expected at ISF Meetings in October

PLANT CITY, FLORIDA (USA) -- On October 26th, the members of the Board of Directors will arrive in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in the lead-in to the International Softball Federation XXV Congress. The next day, October 27, delegates from around the world will meet as the world governing body convenes its biennial gathering. "I think it shows the level of commitment of our members and the continued passion for our sport around the world," ISF President Don Porter said of the projected turnout of close to 80 countries. "This is nothing new, however," he continued. "Four years ago in the Philippines we had 77 countries represented." The Congress runs through October 30th and will take place at the Oklahoma City Marriott Hotel. Agenda items include choosing the site of the 2013 Congress, as well as the awarding of host cities for future ISF championships. A discussion on possible changes to competition format (meaning, qualification tournaments) is also expected. There will also be numerous commission meetings, including the Athletes Commission, the Women in Sport Commission and the Hall of Fame Commission, which will consider the latest candidates who have been nominated. The Olympic Legacy Committee will lead a forum on the process that softball will follow relating to the sport being on the shortlist announced by the International Olympic Committee. A total of eight sports will vie for the one spot on the 2020 Summer Games programme that will be voted on in September 2013. This year's edition will also include an exhibitors area.

Sept. 25, 2011

+ Greg Connell from Team Worth wins 2011 Stadium Power Tour

The Long Haul Bombers, powered by Home Run Monkey.com crowned a new champion as Greg Connell from Team Worth took top honors at the final contest of the season, held at Dodger Stadium. Connell got the crowd's attention, with big home run blasts, some went completely out of the stadium and into the parking lot. Connell ended the day on top, with 10 points. " It's a Great stadium, we had perfect weather and the crowd was into to it. It's an honor to be on this tour and I happy to bring the championship to Worth . " Martin Cloutier of Home Run Monkey.com made the presentation and was in awe of the worlds greatest collection of softball home run hitters. "Congrats to Greg and Team Worth, what a show at Dodger Stadium, watching Greg send homers into the parking was powerful fun. " Six Bombers qualified for the right to hit for championship in LA: 2 time champ Denny Crine from Miken, Brett Helmer from Team Easton and his Easton teammate Brian Wegman, along with JD Genter and Tim Cocco from Team TPS. These six athletes staged a one of kind home run derby before the Dodgers & Pirates game at Dodger Stadium. Before the game, Team TPS was honored with an award for winning the manufactures cup. Steve Bush from TPS and Louisville Slugger presented the award to JD Genter and Tim Cocco. "These two sluggers represent TPS in a fantastic way, we're all proud of what they've been able to do all season long with TPS bats in hand . " All six Long Haul Bombers made the fans proud and all six showed why they qualified for the championship. Tim Cocco finished a close second with 9 points and the remaining Bombers tied at 7 points. Next season the Stadium Power Tour will be both challenging and exciting. There's a new ballpark for the bombers to test in Miami Florida. There are return trips to LA and St. Louis and perhaps a new stop in Texas at Rangers Stadium.

Sept. 19, 2011

+ 2011 Smoke Tournament Results

In Coed action Save This from Sparks, NV double dipped Team BASS from Vacaville, CA for first place. Roulette Apparel from Napa, CA were third and Tools of the Trade from San Ramon, CA were fourth. In Men's E action Chico's NBOM were undefeated to claim the top spot over the Flatland Slappers from Fairfield, CA. Just Blaze and Table Mountain rounded out the top four. Free Agents came back through the loser's bracket to defeat FDI twice to take the Men's D first place prize. All Out finished third.

Sept. 15, 2011

+ Smoke Tournament 2011 Brackets

Click below to view your bracket for the 2011 Smoke Tournament this weekend at Golden Eagle Park. Men's E Winner's Bracket: PDF Men's E Loser's Bracket: PDF Men's D Bracket: PDF Coed Winner's Bracket: PDF Coed Loser's Bracket: PDF To view .pdf files, you will need to have adobe acrobat viewer installed. For more information you can visit adobe's website to read about or download it: http://www.adobe.com

Sept. 2, 2011

+ ASA C Slowpitch Bracket

Click here to find the bracket to the 2011 ASA C Slowpitch Western Nationals in Fresno, Ca.

Aug. 13, 2011

+ Smoke Tournament partners with Circus Circus for special $89 room rates

Use code: NSMOKE for special room rate of $89/night for Friday and Saturday. If you can stay an extra night, Sunday night is only $39. Players will receive VIP Specials upon check in: A one time 10% discount in one of the Circus Circus Reno retail stores (gift items only), Three (3) 10% discount coupons redeemable at any restaurant at Circus Circus Reno, Two (2) free drink coupons redeemable at any casino floor bar or lounge and $5.00 casino match play. Sign Up Now!

July 24, 2011

+ USA run-rules Team Canada 25-3 in Border Battle III

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- The US Men's National Slowpitch team never trailed in the third annual Border Battle as they exploded for 10 runs on 11 hits in the first inning. The US team now leads the annual series 2-1. Full story in next issue of Softball West Magazine.

July 12, 2011

+ Softball "thrilled" to be on IOC's 2020 Olympic Shortlist

International Softball Federation President Don Porter announced that softball is back in the running for a spot on the Olympic Games programme. "Without question we are thrilled to have softball on the IOC's shortlist for the candidate sports for 2020," the ISF president said. "That being said, the real victory, of course, would be a decision in our favor come 2013 when the vote is taken on which sport the IOC will add for the Summer Olympics." Mr. Porter added that, "We've never given up on restoring dreams. Just as the athletes give it their all on the field, we must ensure that we make every effort to return softball to the Games so that a new era of players can get the chance to compete on the biggest stage like others did in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008."

July 6, 2011

+ Men's A/B Fastpitch National Championships

The ASA Men's A/B Fastpitch National Championships will be held on July 28-31 at Fresno Regional Park. Entry fee is $400. Contact Vince Frascona at 559-313-3191 or Tom Dowd at 539-281-1622. Click here for the flyer.

July 2, 2011

+ Arena Softball Memorial Tourney & Raffle

A memorial tournament will be held at Arena Softball in Roseville on July 16-17. Crystal Rodriguez and her husband Victor Rodriguez played at the Arena for the past 4-5 years and actually met there. Crystal was fatally injured during a parasailing accident on the last day of her honeymoon. Her husband, Victor, survived the fall, but has several broken bones and internal injuries.The memorial tourney is being held to help raise money for the families to help cover memorial service costs and Victor's medical bills. In addition to the tournament there will be tons of raffle prizes...Giant's Tickets, A's Tickets, San Jose Shark Tickets, TV's, Bats, Gloves, Restaurant Gift Cards, etc. For more information please call Arena Softball at 916-771-3818. If you would just like to donate money please follow link for all the information: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/30/3737677/family-faith-sustain-injured-groom.html

June 26, 2011

+ ESPY nomination

USA Softball Junior Women's National Team member Dallas Escobedo has been nominated for the "Best College Female Athlete" ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Award, ESPN announced. Escobedo concluded her freshman campaign at Arizona State with a record of 37-3 in the circle, including a 10-0 post season that led the Sun Devils to an NCAA Division I Softball National Championship. Vote for Escobedo online at espn.com/espys, by mobile device also at espn.com/espys, or on the ESPN Facebook page (facebook.com/espn). In addition, fans can follow the official ESPYs Twitter page (twitter.com/ESPYs) and tweet about their favorite nominees, using the tag @ESPYs to have their votes counted. The deadline to vote is July 9.

June 20, 2011

+ 2011 Softball West Challenge titles go to...

The winners of the Softball West Challenge were Free Agents in Coed, FDI in Men's D and Home Grown in Men's E. Read the full story in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.

June 16, 2011

+ Softball West Challenge Game Times

These are the starting times for the 2011 Softball West Challenge. All games are at Golden Eagle Regional Park. Men's E 2NQ vs Home Grown - 9:00 Fd 4 Papa Jarrell vs B-Town Posse - 9:00 Fd 1 Team Blackout vs winner of game #1 - 10:10 Fd 1 High Ballin vs winner of game #2 - 10:10 Fd 2 Box of Rocks vs HTP - 9:00 Fd 2 Rokgod vs Unleashed - 9:00 Fd 3 Drunk-N-Dirty vs winner of game #2 - 10:10 Fd 3 Coed Jugs & Thugs vs WTF - 9:00 Fd 5 Bust It vs winner of game #1 - 12:30 Fd 3 Free Agents vs Chili Thugs - 10:10 Fd 5 Pitch Slap vs Semi Drunk - 11:20 Fd 5 Men's D Proof vs. Bad Guys - 10:10 Fd 4 FDI vs. Sick Softball - 11:20 Fd 4

June 15, 2011

+ World Cup coverage on ESPN

World Cup of Softball VI, women's fastpithc, will take place from July 21-25 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and will receive significant TV coverage. All five of Team USA's games, plus the event's championship game and the men's slow pitch "Border Battle" between USA and Canada will be aired by ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3.com. Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Japan and USA will all compete in the invitational event which is sanctioned by the ISF.

June 6, 2011

+ Marie Rose Vigil Memorial Tournament

A softball tournament is planned for June 25 at the Arroyo Grande Sports Complex in Henderson, NV in honor of Marie Rose Vigil. Proceeds will go to the Marie Vigil Memorial Fund to help her daughter attend college. For information contact Larry Ruggieri at 702-376-2025 Larry.Ruggieri@varian.com or Amy Bernard at 702-499-866 Amy.Bernard@varian.com.

May 31, 2011

+ Stanford's Ashley earns top award

The Amateur Softball Association of America announced on May 31st that Stanford shortstop Ashley Hansen (Chandler, Ariz.) was selected the 2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Read the full story in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.

May 27, 2011

+ Nevada coach Meuchel set to coach with USSSA Pride

RENO, Nev. -- Nevada head softball coach Matt Meuchel will coach with the USSSA Florida Pride of National Pro Fastpitch this summer, the University announced Friday May 27. "I am extremely honored to be working with the USSSA Pride this summer," Meuchel said. "They are a class organization that I am excited to be a part of." Meuchel will be an assistant with the professional team out of Orlando, Fla., alongside FIU head coach Beth Torina. Tim Walton, the head coach at Florida, will be the head coach of the Pride. National Pro Fastpitch (formerly the Women's Professional Softball League) has been in existence in some form since 1997. This year, four teams will play from June 10-August 21, with a championship series in Sulphur, La., from August 18-21.
+ Final List of Invitees to 2011 USA Softball WNT Selection Camp Announced

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced today, May 27, the final invitees to the 2011 USA Softball Women's National Team Selection Camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., June 12-17. The 37 attendees will vie for 17 spots on the 2011 USA Softball Women's National Team which will be announced on Friday, June 17. The approximately 17 athletes selected to the USA Softball roster will compete in six different events in three countries. Fans in the United States will get four opportunities to see the team in action with three exhibition stops scheduled as well as the World Cup of Softball VI, July 21-25, in Oklahoma City. For ticket information on the World Cup as well as the tour stops in Plant City, Fla., Salem, Va., and Bowie, Md., go to www.usasoftball.com. The 2011 Women's National Team will also seek the program's eighth Pan American Championship title at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, Oct. 17-23. Below are the eight athletes who recently accepted the invitation to compete for a spot on the 2011 USA Softball Women's National Team: Ashley Brignac (River Ridge, La./ULL) Kaylyn Castillo (Norco, Calif./Arizona State) Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif./Florida) Kelly Grieve (Asheville, N.C./Tennessee) Jolene Henderson (Elk Grove, Calif./California) Annie Lockwood (Phoenix, Ariz./Arizona State) Jen Mineau (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Fordham) Christine Orgeron (New Orleans, La./ULL) The ASA has made previous announcements with lists of invitees. Those who previously accepted their invitations are below. Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif./California) Ashley Holcombe-Bell (Fayetteville, Ga./Alabama) Katelyn Boyd (Phoenix, Ariz./Arizona State) Megan Bush (Anaheim Hills, Calif./Florida) Whitney Canion (Aledo, Texas/Baylor) Raven Chavanne (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Tennessee) Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif./Arizona State) Brigette Del Ponte (Peoria, Ariz./Arizona) Dallas Escobedo (Glendale, Ariz./Arizona State) Andrea Harrison (Garden Grove, Calif./UCLA) Taylor Hoagland (Flower Mound, Texas/Texas) Molly Johnson (Tucson, Ariz./Kentucky) Stacy Johnson (Reno, Nev./Iowa) Ashley Lane (Escondido, Calif./Michigan) Megan Langenfeld (Bakersfield, Calif./UCLA) Whitney Larsen (Vestavia Hills, Ala./Alabama) Jenae Leles (Sacramento, Calif./Arizona) Blaire Luna (Austin, Texas/Texas) Meagan May (Spring, Texas/Texas A&M) Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla./Florida) Jenna Rich (El Segundo, Calif./Stanford) Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif./Oklahoma) Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif./Florida) Jessica Shults (Valencia, Calif./Oklahoma) Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Michigan) Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga./Missouri) Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa/Missouri) Niki Williams (Mission Viejo, Calif./Washington) Shawna Wright (Lancaster, Calif./Washington)

May 22, 2011

+ 2011 WCWS Brackets

Click the link below to follow the 2011 Women's College World Series. http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/softball/d1/2011

May 19, 2011

+ Women's Softball on TV

Please click on the link below to catch the action of the Regionals (May 19-22), Super Regionals (May 26-2) and Women's College World Series (June 2-8). http://www.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/files/WCWS_TV_Schedule.pdf

May 18, 2011

+ World Softball Day June 13, 2011

The ISF is once again encouraging its members to celebrate World Softball Day in their country. Every year now since 2005 the occasion is marked on June 13, which coincides with the date (in 1991) when the International Olympic Committee announced that women's fast pitch softball would be added to the programme of the Summer Olympics, beginning with the 1996 Games in Atlanta. The national governing body in the 127 countries where the ISF has a member federation is asked to recognize the occasion with special World Softball Day activity, and the media is asked to give coverage to the sport that day as well.

May 11, 2011

+ Top 10 Finalists Named for 2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced on May 11th the Top 10 Finalists for the 2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, which will be awarded May 31 at the athlete banquet of the 2011 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. The award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women's collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. Now in its 10th year, past winners of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award include UCLA's Stacey Nuveman, Florida State's Jessica Van der Linden, three-time winner Texas pitcher Cat Osterman, Tennessee's Monica Abbott, Virginia Tech's Angela Tincher and two-time winner Washington's Danielle Lawrie. The Top 10 finalists represent nine schools and five different NCAA Division I Conferences. The list is comprised of three seniors, four juniors and three sophomores. 2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 Finalists Name (School) -- Year -- Position -- Hometown Katelyn Boyd (Arizona State) -- Junior -- Infield -- Phoenix, Ariz. Kayla Braud (Alabama) -- Sophomore -- Infield -- Eugene, Ore. Megan Bush (Florida) -- Senior -- Utility -- Anaheim Hills, Calif. Raven Chavanne (Tennessee) -- Sophomore -- Outfield -- Thousand Oaks, Calif. Kelsi Dunne (Alabama) -- Senior -- Pitcher -- Port Orange, Fla. Ashley Hansen (Stanford) -- Junior -- Infield -- Chandler, Ariz. Blaire Luna (Texas) -- Sophomore -- Pitcher -- Austin, Texas Christi Orgeron (ULL) -- Junior -- Utility -- New Orleans, La. Jordan Taylor (Michigan) -- Senior -- Pitcher -- Valencia, Calif. Chelsea Thomas (Missouri) -- RS-Sophomore -- Pitcher -- Pleasantville, Iowa The three finalists will be announced May 25. The winner of the 2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced on May 31 at the athlete banquet of the 2011 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

May 10, 2011

+ Pac-10 player/pitcher of the week

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Arizona State junior right fielder Annie Lockwood and California sophomore pitcher Jolene Henderson have been named Pac-10 Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week for May 2-8, 2011, Commissioner Larry Scott announced. Lockwood had a stellar weekend at the plate as the Sun Devils finished off their third consecutive Pac-10 sweep, defeating then-No. 13 Washington in a three game series. The Phoenix, Ariz., native collected six of Arizona State's 11 RBIs over the weekend and also added a home run in Friday's 6-4 victory. She batted a stellar .545 for the series and even drew an intentional walk. For her efforts, Lockwood was named USA Softball National Player of the Week. California's Henderson put forth three more gems this weekend to power the then-No. 7/8 Bears to a series sweep of Oregon State. The Elk Grove, Calif., native pitched 21.0 innings for three complete-game shutouts in which she did not allow a single run. Cal blanked the Beavers, 14-0, over the course of the weekend -- due in no small part to Henderson. In addition to her perfect ERA, she limited the OSU bats to a .151 batting average. She fanned a weekend-high eight Beavers in Sunday's eight-inning series finale to bring her weekend total to 21. Henderson was battling the stomach flu on Sunday, but powered through to pitch the complete-game shutout. This is Lockwood's first Player of the Week honor while Henderson has won five Pitcher of the Week honors for the season and her career.

May 4, 2011

+ Western Nevada College Fan Appreciation Weekend

Western Nevada College is having a Fan Appreciation Weekend with free admission on Friday, May 6, 1 and 3 p.m., and Saturday, May 7, noon and 2 p.m. The Wildcats will host the College of Southern Idaho in their final home series of the 2011 season. The WNC play at Edmonds Sports Complex, 1555 Livermore Lane, Carson City, Nevada. The Wildcats have earned a spot in the Scenic West Athletic Conference Tournament, which is Thursday-Saturday, May 12-14, at Salt Lake Community College.

May 1, 2011

+ Reno Diamonds Advanced Team Camp

The Reno Diamonds are sponsoring a softball camp with coaches from ASU, Ball State and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The team camp will be held from July 6-8, 2011 and a separate coaches clinic will be held on Tuesday July 5th. The team camp will be held at the Reno High School Varsity Softball Field and the cost is $285 per player or $3,000 per team. The coaches clinic will be held at Home Field Athletics 10 Greg St. Sparks, NV and the cost is $85. For more information contact Roger Higgins at 813-205-3445 or Joyce Cathey at 775-336-9385.
+ Portland State sits atop PCSC Mountain Division

Vikings sweep Northern Colorado, take over sole possession of first place PSU wins three of four in the series and now sits atop the PCSC Mountain Division standings GREELEY, CO -- Jenna Krogh and Danielle Lynn combined for 10 of Portland State's 20 hits and the Vikings swept a crucial doubleheader at Northern Colorado on Sunday, May 1st to take over sole possession of first place in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Mountain Division. Krogh batted 2-for-2 and Lynn was 3-for-3 to lead the Vikings to a 4-0 victory in the opener, then the duo teamed up for five more hits to help PSU take an easy 10-2 win in five innings in the second contest. The Vikings took three of four games from the Bears over the weekend after the two teams entered the series tied for first in the Mountain Division. But the Vikings now hold down the top spot by themselves with a 12-4 record, one game up on Utah Valley (11-5). UNC fell into third place at 10-6. Portland State also got two stellar pitching performances as Nichole Latham fired a three-hitter in game one and Anna Bertrand scattered four hits in the nightcap. "It was a big day for us. We stepped up when we had to the most," said Vikings Head Coach Tobin Echo-Hawk. "Our offense came alive and our pitchers did an excellent job of keeping Northern Colorado in check." Portland State (26-16) closes out its road trip with a non-conference doubleheader at Colorado State tomorrow.

April 23, 2011

+ Civil War Series

The Oregon State Beavers completed a three game sweep over in-state rival the Oregon Ducks during their annual Civil War Series. Played on April 21, 22 and 23, it was the first time since 1994 that Oregon State swept has the series. The Beavers were dominant in all three games winning by scores of 7-1, 7-4 and 8-1.

April 20, 2011

+ UC Santa Barbara's Krista Cobb tosses her second career no hitter

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Junior pitcher Krista Cobb tossed a complete game no hitter on Saturday April 16 as UC Santa Barbara won both games in a doubleheader against Big West Conference foe UC Riverside at Campus Diamond. Cobb's second career no hitter came in game one as the Gauchos posted a 3-0 win. UCSB won game two by a 7-5 score. Cobb (10-9) was masterful in game one allowing just two walks and striking out one on her way to the complete game no hitter. It marked her second career no hitter. Her first was in a perfect game against Wagner during her first collegiate start on Feb. 8, 2009. The junior got all the offensive support she would need in the third inning. Kendall Gill was hit by a pitch to lead things off and advanced to second when Brooke Putich grounded out to shortstop Kameryn Hebenton. A blooper hit by Kathryn Pilpil over Hebenton's head pushed Gill to third before a fielder's choice, in which Hebenton chose to hold the ball to keep Gill from going home, allowed McKenzie Kane to load the bases. A bases loaded walk drawn by Allison Taylor gave UCSB the 1-0 lead. In the fifth inning, Pilpil led off by hitting a high pop up single that landed between Hebenton and left fielder Brittany Keeney and was able to beat out the throw as she raced to second base. A slow rolling ground ball hit by Kane to short allowed Pilpil to reach third. On the next play, Kane dashed to second and, in attempt to catch her stealing, catcher Dawn Brodersen overthrew past second base, allowing Pilpil ample time to score an unearned run. When Allison Taylor flew out during the next at bat, the Highlanders were able get Kane out on a pickle but Keilani Jennings followed with a two-out solo home run hit over the left center field fence to push the Gaucho lead to 3-0. Cobb retired the next six batters in order and, with the help of an impressive diving catch made by Kane in center field during the sixth inning, she sealed the 3-0 win for the Gauchos.

April 6, 2011

+ USA Women's National Selection Camp

The 2011 USA Softball Women's National Team Selection Camp will be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. over June 12-17. The approximately 17 athletes eventually chosen to the final USA Softball roster will compete in numerous events in four different countries. Fans in the United States will have four opportunities to see the squad in action with three exhibition stops scheduled as well as the World Cup of Softball VI, July 21-25, in Oklahoma City, Okla. The 2011 Women's National Team will also seek its eighth Pan American Championship title at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, over Oct. 17-23. USA SOFTBALL WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION CAMP INVITEES Kat Dotson (Savannah,GA/Tennessee) Taylor Hoagland (Flower Mound, Texas/Texas) Whitney Larsen (Vestavia Hills, Ala./Alabama) Meagan May (Spring, Texas/Texas A&M) Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla./Florida) Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif./Oklahoma) Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif./Florida) Jessica Shults (Valencia, Calif./Oklahoma) Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga./Missouri) Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif./California) Ashley Holcombe-Bell (Fayetteville, Ga./Alabama) Katelyn Boyd (Phoenix, Ariz./Arizona State) Raven Chavanne (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Tennessee) Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif./Arizona State) Molly Johnson (Tucson, Ariz./Kentucky) Megan Langenfeld (Bakersfield, Calif./UCLA) Jenae Leles (Sacramento, Calif./Arizona) Blaire Luna (Austin, Texas/Texas) Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Michigan) Niki Williams (Mission Viejo, Calif./Washington) Shawna Wright (Lancaster, Calif./Washington)

April 3, 2011

+ IBAF and ISF discuss joining forces to reinstate softball and baseball into Olympics

The International Softball Federation (ISF) and the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), which are separate and independent international federations recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as governing their respective sports, announced today that they have agreed to explore the feasibility of collaborating on a single, joint presentation to the IOC seeking to restore softball and baseball onto the programme of the Olympic Games in 2020. The IOC and the Local Olympic Organizing Committees (LOOCs) have faced increasing financial and organizational pressures in recent years as a result of the growth of the Olympic Games and the accompanying new venues and numbers of athletes that must be accommodated. In a 2005 vote undertaken with a view to controlling the size of future Olympic Games, softball and baseball were dropped from the 2012 Olympic Games programme and subsequently were not reinstated in a 2009 vote for the 2016 programme. Mindful of the concerns and pressures facing the IOC and the LOOCs, the IBAF and ISF are analyzing the savings and the reduced impact that may be derived from a combined proposal that women's softball and men's baseball share a venue and share space in the Olympic Village for the Summer Games in 2020. Should an agreement be reached to work together, the ISF and the IBAF believe that they would be able to demonstrate compelling reasons why, under such a proposal, their respective sports should be reinstated onto the Olympic programme. The IBAF and the ISF would work closely with the IOC to assure that any joint proposal would accomplish their goals in a manner that complies with the Olympic Charter. The ISF and the IBAF will meet again -- perhaps as soon as next week's SportAccord convention in London -- to talk further about the possibility of the two federations working together on such a proposal.

March 30, 2011

+ City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department Earns National Accreditation

HENDERSON, Nev. -- The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) announced that the City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department became one of only 99 park and recreation agencies accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) this year. This distinguished accomplishment was announced March 18 during the NRPA 2011 Legislative Forum in Washington, D. C. National accreditation is an extensive multi-year process, which includes the completion of an application and detailed self-assessment report, a site visit by a committee of experienced park and recreation professionals, and a final assessment completed by the agency and CAPRA. Accreditation requires agencies to respond to 144 standards representing elements of effective and efficient park and recreation operations. To become accredited, agencies must fully meet 36 standards deemed fundamental to a quality agency and at least 92 of the remaining standards. Under the leadership of Parks and Recreation Director Mary Ellen Donner, the City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department fully met all 144 standards, which CAPRA board members noted was "quite rare." "Agency accreditation is a tremendous accomplishment, and the City Council and I commend Mary Ellen Donner and her team for their hard work on behalf of the people of Henderson," said Mayor Andy Hafen. "Our vision is for Henderson to become America's premier community. We're close in some areas and we still have some work to do in others. But there is no question that our Parks and Recreation Department is already premier. It is premier in its organizational excellence, sustainable practices, and in fostering a more vibrant community." CAPRA accreditation is the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies, and is a measure of an agency's overall quality of operation, management, and service to the community. Accreditation is valid for a period of five years. The City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department was first accredited in 2001 and reaccredited in 2006 and 2011. The nationally accredited City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department provides premium services through diverse and innovative parks, recreation and natural resource opportunities. It serves the community with seven recreation centers (including a facility for adults 50+), 11 pools, 52 parks, five skate parks, two sports complexes, more than 60 linear miles of trails, Acacia Demonstration Gardens, the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, and thousands of programs for people of all ages and abilities.
+ Softball West Magazine Covers now available

Ever been on the cover of Softball West Magazine? Over 70 covers from the past decade of covering the sport of softball are now available for purchase on www.gethotshots.net.

March 24, 2011

+ Nevada softball on the radio

RENO, Nev. -- Eight University of Nevada softball games, as well as the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, will be broadcast on Fox Sports Radio 1450 AM this season, beginning with the March 25-27 series at Boise State. In addition to the radio broadcasts, all road games throughout the regular season can be heard via nevadawolfpack.com. Every home game at Hixson Park will feature a video streaming product on the website. "I'm excited that our fans will again have the opportunity to follow the Wolf Pack on radio and online during conference play," Nevada coach Matt Meuchel said. "We're excited for WAC play to get started this weekend. The WAC will be extremely competitive, week-in and week-out, this season." The 2011 Wolf Pack softball radio schedule will begin when Nevada travels to Boise State to take on the Broncos in a three-game set. The teams will play one game Friday at 2 p.m., and a doubleheader Saturday, with the first game at noon and the second game beginning approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Each broadcast will begin with the First Independent Bank Pre-Game Show 15 minutes prior to first pitch, and will conclude with a 15 minute post-game show sponsored by Heritage Bank. Chad Hartley will return as the play-by-play voice of the Pack for the third straight year. Following the games at Boise State, Nevada's doubleheader with the Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine on April 9 will also be carried from Honolulu. The first game of that series will be available streaming at nevadawolfpack.com only. The radio schedule also includes the Wolf Pack regular-season finale, a three-game series at Fresno State May 6-7.

March 21, 2011

+ Jessica Mendoza signs with Spalding

Spalding has announced the signing of Jessica Mendoza, one of the best softball players in the world, to a multi-year endorsement deal with its DUDLEY® brand. The four-time All-American at Stanford has won two Olympic medals and is an outfielder for the National Pro Fastpitch champion, USSSA Pride. "We are proud to partner with Jessica as she is one of the most versatile professional athletes in the country and a role model both on and off the field," stated Gary Barfield, Executive Vice President of Spalding. "She will bring increased exposure to Dudley's unparalleled history in softball and mirrors the brand's focus on quality and performance." Mendoza joins the growing Spalding pro staff roster which includes Paul Pierce, Robinson Cano and Colt McCoy. With Dudley, Mendoza will be actively involved in fast pitch product development and a focal point of the brand's marketing efforts beginning with next month's dudleysports.com website re-launch. Dudley will also be the official ball of Mendoza's softball clinics. "I am very excited to be a part of the Spalding/Dudley family. Dudley is a leader when it comes to innovative technology and I know the partnership will only increase the quality of product Dudley has within fastpitch softball," stated Mendoza. "I can't wait to show the world of fastpitch the exciting Dudley products to come." Off the field, Mendoza is the President of the Women's Sports Foundation, works as an announcer for ESPN and is on the board of the National Education Association.
+ Junior pitcher Mackenzie Oakes honored by WAC

After beating No. 5/6 Michigan and Illinois on back-to-back days, the Western Athletic Conference honored Bulldog junior pitcher Mackenzie Oakes as the WAC Pitcher of the Week for March 13-19. "I'm really, really proud of her," head coach Margie Wright said of Oakes. "Mackenzie did a great job against Michigan and did a good job all week. This was a well deserved honor." In her three starts last week, Oakes recorded a 3-0 record in the circle with a 0.67 earned run average to lead Fresno State to wins over No. 5 Michigan (3-1), Illinois (3-2) and Bradley (3-2). Oakes' performance against No.5/6 Michigan (29-2) handed the Wolverines their second loss of the season. The Bulldogs are now 8-0 this season in Oakes' eight starts, which have all been complete games. On the week, Oakes (Bakersfield, Calif./Stockdale HS) tossed 22.2 innings and recorded a 2.16 earned run average with 10 strikeouts and allowed only five walks. This is Oakes' first WAC honor of the season and second of her career.
+ Softball West Challenge becomes Qualifier for ASA E

Nevada ASA State Commissioner Tony Pehle has selected the Softball West Challenge to become a qualifying event for the Men's ASA Western E Nationals to be held in Tucson Sept. 2-5. The date of the Challenge is June 18-19. To sign up click the red button below.

March 17, 2011

+ NPF and Boombah Announce New Partnership

The National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League will have a new look beginning in 2011. When the four NPF teams take the field on June 9, they will be wearing brand new uniforms, custom designed for them by Boombah, Inc. "We are extremely happy to welcome Boombah on board with the NPF this year in our most visible category - uniforms. Boombah is a company that is eager to make an impression on the fastpitch community from grassroots on up, and it is our intention to help them do that. We appreciate the confidence Rick Tollefson and his Boombah team have shown in the NPF and the influential potential of the game's greatest players." commented NPF Commissioner, Cheri Kempf. The new uniforms are part of a sponsorship and licensing deal that makes Boombah, Inc. the "Official Supplier" of team uniforms and athletic wear, including jerseys, jackets, shorts and practice apparel for the NPF. The agreement also provides value for NPF fans and amateur leagues -- the same uniforms developed for the NPF will be available for other women's amateur teams, schools, and fans for their league, team, or personal use. Replica NPF jerseys will be available for each of the four NPF teams at games and select retailers nationwide. The deal also provides exposure opportunities for Boombah, Inc. at all League Games and the Championship Series.

March 9, 2011

+ City of Sparks Softball Team Managers Meeting

The City of Sparks Softball Team Managers meeting is scheduled for March 22nd from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at John Ascuaga's Nugget. There will be vendor booths and a raffle. For more information contact Tony Pehle, Recreation Supervisor at 775-353-7836.
+ ESPN Radio to broadcast Fresno State Home Games

The partnership between ESPN Radio and Fresno State softball will continue for the 2011 season as at least 17 Fresno State softball games will be broadcast on ESPN Radio (790 AM). Guy Haberman, a Fresno State graduate and local radio personality, will call the action for his eighth season as the Bulldogs' softball play-by-play announcer. "Guy's experience and ability to tell the story of our softball tradition is a perfect match and we are thrilled to continue this great partnership," Associate Athletics Director Paul Ladwig said. A total of 17 regular season games as well as all Fresno State games during the Western Athletic Conference Tournament from May 11-14 at Bulldog Diamond and any NCAA Tournament contests will be featured. All games can be heard live on 790 AM and online via www.gobulldogs.com.

March 1, 2011

+ Nevada Softball Summer Camp Dates

RENO, Nev. -- The University of Nevada softball program will be holding its 2011 summer camp from June 20-23 at Hixson Park. The elite camp, for girls entering grades 9-12, will be held from 8 a.m. to noon. The four-day camp will focus primarily on improving each participant's skills in individual and team situations. A large portion of the camp will include live game situations in an effort to hone each camper's skills on the diamond. Registration for the elite camp will cost $175 before April 29, and $200 after. The general camp will feature a younger age range, offering instruction to girls entering grades 3-8. It will be held from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The general camp will offer young players the opportunity to improve their overall softball skills. It will include various competitions and games throughout. Registration for the general camp will cost $155 before April 29, and $180 after. Head coach Matt Meuchel and his staff, assistants Melanie Meuchel and Andy Dominique, will offer two camps and be joined by additional college coaches. Currently set to instruct alongside the Nevada coaches are Josh Taylor, the head coach at Feather River College and Leah Wentworth, the head coach at Western Nevada College. For more info or to request a brochure call 775-784-4062 or 800-233-8928 or register online at www.extendedstudies.unr.edu
+ Fresno state Bulldogs Back in Top 25

FRESNO, Calif. - With wins over a pair of teams ranked in the Top 20 and a 6-1 start to the 2011 season, the Fresno State Bulldog softball team is back in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll at No. 23, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced. Fresno State started the season with an Opening Day doubleheader sweep of Sacramento State before the Dogs downed then-No. 8 Missouri 6-3 in the San Diego Classic I. At the prestigious Cathedral City Classic over the Feb. 26-27 weekend, Fresno State defeated then-No. 19/18 Oklahoma State 4-3, the ACC's Virginia 4-1 and six-time defending Atlantic-10 champion UMass 7-5 with a lone loss against Syracuse's Jenna Caira, who pitches for the Canadian National Team, 4-3. "We have been playing pretty good teams - both ranked and unranked - and we've played them well. Any step we can take forward is a plus. It all comes down to the end of the season, but I am happy with our progress," stated head coach Margie Wright. Senior Haley Gilleland and junior Michelle Moses, two of the Bulldogs' preseason All-WAC honorees, have been selected as a WAC Hitter of the Week during the first three weeks of the season. In the circle, junior Mackenzie Oakes leads Fresno State with a perfect 4-0 record and a 2.36 earned run average in four appearances, including three complete games. Moses is 2-1 on the year and paces the WAC in strikeouts per game (9.04). Both of Moses' wins were over Top 20 teams (Missouri and Oklahoma State). At the plate, freshman infielder Brooke Ortiz is hitting a team-best .400 (10-for-25) with five runs scored.

Feb. 23, 2011

+ Sac Town NSA Tourney photos now on Gethotshots

Sac Town NSA Tournament photos are now on www.gethotshots.net Look for results in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.
+ Oregon State hosts Cathedral City Classic

The Oregon State softball team (4-1 overall) heads to Palm Springs, Calif. this week where it hosts the annual Cathedral City Classic. The Beavers take on Florida State (7-4) on Thursday Feb. 24 starting at 12:30 p.m. They next take on No. 1/3 Georgia (10-0) Friday starting at 3 p.m. before facing Northwestern (4-3) and Long Island (2-8) on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Oregon State wraps up the tournament against Fresno State (3-0) on Sunday starting at 1 p.m. PT.
+ Arizona's Chambers named PAC-10 Player of the Week

Arizona senior catcher Stacie Chambers was named Pac-10 Softball Player of the Week and California sophomore pitcher Jolene Henderson was named Pac-10 Softball Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 14-20, Commissioner Larry Scott announced today. Arizona's Chambers brought out the bat for the Hillenbrand Invitational in Tucson, Ariz., over the weekend, slugging 1.643 over five games, with 14 RBI and five home runs. In a career day against Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Friday, Chambers tied for second in Arizona history for RBI in a game with nine, as she bombed two grand slams and added an RBI single in a 12-4 victory. The Glendale, Ariz., native's nine RBI in the game ties her career-high. Chambers had a home run in four of the five games played over the weekend, as she batted .571. Henderson was a force for the Bears in the circle over the weekend, pitching 14.0 innings for two-complete game wins, including a two-hit performance against then-No. 8 Missouri. On Friday against Missouri, the game was delayed because of rain, but not before the Elk Grove, Calif., native fanned six and allowed only one hit through five innings. The game was picked back up on Sunday, where she finished the 1-0 complete game shutout, allowing only one more hit and tallying eight strikeouts in seven innings. She then came back later in the day on Sunday to face UCSB, striking out seven and allowing only one run in a 2-1 victory. Over the weekend she limited the opposition to a .146 batting average. For the season, Henderson is 5-1, with 34 strikeouts and a 0.81 ERA over 35.0 innings pitched. The honor marks the fourth career Player of the Week nod for Chambers and the Conference leading 131st all-time for Arizona. This is the first career Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week honor for Henderson and the 63rd all-time for California.
+ Bash 4 Cash Feb. 20 tourney photos on Gethotshots

Check out the Bash 4 Cash Feb. 20 tournament photos on Gethotshots.net. Results will be found in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.

Feb. 19, 2011

+ West Coast NSA Sports Feb 26-27 in Las Vegas

Brett Helmer and Armando Acosta are hosting the 1st Brett Helmer "Real Skilz" Manufacturer Challenge sanctioned by West Coast NSA Sports. Joining them will be Chris Larsen of DeMarini Sports who was the 2010 Long Haul Bomber HR Derby Champion. This event will be a provided bat event which is hosted by Brett Helmer / Armando Acosta - Easton Sports and Chris Larsen of DeMarini Sports. On Saturday February 26th the Men's 40+, Men's D, Men's E and a Women's Division will play. On Sunday February 27th the Men's Open, Coed Upper and Lower Divisions compete. Tournament entry fee is $300 plus $30 one time reg. West Coast NSA Sports will be hosting a special HR Derby and the top two winners will receive either an Easton or DeMarini Bat and the two winners will go "Head to Head" vs. Brett Helmer / Chris Larsen. For more information, please contact Armando Acosta at (909) 528-6031 or NSASoCal34@Live.com. All rosters must be submitted and approved at www.WestCoastNSAS.com .

Feb. 14, 2011

+ Fresno State's Michelle Moses named WAC hitter of the week

Fresno State's Michelle Moses was named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week for Feb. 7-13. This is the first honor of the season and third of her career. Moses, a junior pitcher/first baseman from Paso Robles, Calif., led the Bulldogs to a pair of wins over Sacramento State on Saturday, Feb. 5th, going 6-for-8 (.750) with two home runs, a triple, a double, three singles and four RBI for 15 total bases, three runs scored and a 1.875 slugging percentage. "Michelle's cycle was a pretty special way to start the season," head coach Margie Wright said of Moses' opening day performance. "We had some outstanding performances and have a very good team." In a 5-4 season-opening win, Moses hit the first cycle in Fresno State softball history. Starting the game as the pitcher she later moved to first base. She began the cycle with a two-run home run in the third inning, then followed with a double in the fifth, a single in the seventh and a triple in the ninth inning. In game two, she blasted another two-run home run to spark Fresno State's 7-4 victory. The two home runs moved Moses into a tie with Kim Maher and Amanda Scott for third all-time at Fresno State in career home runs with 31.

Feb. 13, 2011

+ Liberty Field Volunteers Needed

We have a need for a couple of volunteers to help drag and water the infield and do miscellaneous duties, such as go on donut runs, buy coffee, bottled water and Pepsi products and miscellaneous other duties that arise from time to time. Reliability and dependability are important. Volunteering at the field can be both fun and fulfilling for those who have a good attitude and truly want to help make Liberty Field the place to be on game day. We are not looking for individualist, but rather team players. If you are interested, please contact Ray Early at (623) 975-0998 or email me at raymondearly@msn.com.
+ Oregon State off to fast start

The Oregon State softball team, behind a combined no-hitter by sophomore Marina Demore and junior Paige Hall, downed Appalachian State in the season opener by a score of 8-0 in five innings at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz on Feb. 10th. "It was a good team win for us," head coach Kirk Walker said following the game. "I'm really proud of the solid performance we had from our pitchers." Saturday kept the winning ways going as they defeated North Texas 3-2 in their first game and Bradley University 8-6 in game two. On Sunday in the Beaver's final game of the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona the Oregon State team faced the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Cornhuskers (5-1 overall) scored two runs in the bottom half of the first on a two-run home run by Tay Edwards off of Oregon State starter Marina Demore. Oregon State cut the deficit to one run with a run in the top half of the third inning but Nebraska added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning giving them a 4-1 lead which they held on to for the win. Pitcher Ashley Hageman pitched five scoreless innings for Nebraska. The final score was Nebraska 4, Oregon State 2. Oregon State's 4-1 start to the 2011 season is the best start to a season since 2004 when it went 6-1 to start the season. Oregon State next hits the field when they travel to Palm Springs, Calif. to take part in the annual Cathedral City Classic. They are schedule to play Florida State on Feb. 24th.

Feb. 9, 2011

+ Mizuno USA partners with Arizona Wildcats softball team

Mizuno USA has announced that the company has reached a multi-year agreement with the University of Arizona Wildcats to become an "Equipment Partner of the Women's Softball Program." Arizona's softball team will be equipped in Mizuno, using the company's ball gloves, equipment bags, protective gear and the high performance Frenzy 3.0 fastpitch bats for the 2011 season. Arizona finished the 2010 season as the National Runner-Up with a 52-14 overall record, finishing third in the Pac-10 conference. The Wildcats are coached by Mike Candrea, a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Candrea has won eight national titles with Arizona and has over 1,110 career wins since joining the program in 1986. He also served as the head coach of the US National Team from 2002 to 2008, winning a Gold Medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics and a Silver Medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. "Mizuno is very excited to begin a partnership with a premier academic and athletic softball program in the University of Arizona, and a truly legendary coach in Mike Candrea," said Bob Puccini, President Mizuno USA Inc. "We have a storied history of supporting fastpitch softball. Many of the games best players, at all levels of play, rely on the quality and craftsmanship of our products to help them perform to their potential. We're looking forward to helping the Wildcats continue to be one of the most dominant programs in all of NCAA Fastpitch." "We look forward to our new partnership with Mizuno, and working with a company that has been instrumental in growing the sport of fastpitch softball," said Candrea. "Mizuno's commitment to our game is evident through their excellent product line and visibility at softball events around the country. Our program is eager to work with such a great company that is dedicated to sporting goods innovation and the future of fastpitch softball."

Feb. 6, 2011

+ Portland State picked to repeat as PCSC Mountain Division champs

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Defending PCSC Mountain Division champion Portland State has been picked to repeat in 2011 in a vote of the conference's 12 head coaches it was announced on Sunday night. The Vikings were a unanimous pick to win their division again, while Saint Mary's was tabbed to win the Coastal Division for the second straight year. The Pacific Coast Softball Conference expanded to 12 teams prior to last spring and split into two divisions. Saint Mary's edged the Vikings, two games to one, in the inaugural PCSC Championship Series to earn the league's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Portland State received 72 points and all 12 first-place votes in the Mountain Division. They were also picked as the favorite last year. The Vikings and Loyola Marymount each garnered four votes to win the championship series. Saint Mary's earned three votes and Sacramento State received the other. The three-game series will be held May 13-14, at the site of the Mountain Division winner. In the Coastal Division, Saint Mary's got 65 points and six first-place votes, LMU received 55 points and four first-place votes, and Sac State earned 53 points and two first-place votes. San Diego (39) was picked to finish fourth, followed by Cal State Bakersfield (28) and Santa Clara (12). Portland State, which went 30-27 overall and 18-2 in the PCSC last year, has won conference titles and advanced to the NCAA tourney in 2006 and 2009. The Vikings return 11 letterwinners, five starters and their top two pitchers from last season's squad. 2011 PCSC Preseason Coaches Poll Mountain Division 1. Portland State (12) 72 2. Northern Colorado 49 3. Utah Valley 48 4. Seattle 44 5. Idaho State 26 6. Weber State 13 Coastal Division 1. Saint Mary's (6) 65 2. Loyola Marymount (4) 55 3. Sacramento State (2) 53 4. San Diego 39 5. Cal State Bakersfield 28 6. Santa Clara 12 * First-place votes in parenthesis

Feb. 3, 2011

+ Softball Swap Meet and Tournament

Sick Softball Events is hosting the Inaugural Softball Swap Meet on Friday, February 25th at the Ramada Hotel Casino from 6 to 9 pm followed by the Sparks Winter Warmup on Saturday, February 26th at Golden Eagle Park. Swap Meet vendors so far include DSS Bats, Demarini, Sick Softball Events, Softball West Magazine and This and That Softball. Entry into the tournament is $225 and it's a three game guarantee. For more information contact Wiz at 775-200-8622 or Ted at 775-530-0982.

Feb. 2, 2011

+ The National Foundation for Cancer Research Joins Softball Teams to "Beat Cancer with a Bat"

Bethesda, Md. -- Feb. 1, 2011 -- The National Foundation for Cancer Research is teaming up with softball players around the country for a nationwide fundraiser entitled "Beat Cancer with a Bat!" Any softball team, whether high school, college, or community-based, can participate by dedicating proceeds from one or more games to be donated to NFCR. "There are countless ways you can help fund cancer research, but a great place to start is by utilizing the talents you already possess," said Franklin C. Salisbury Jr., President of NFCR. "Fundraising programs like ‘Beat Cancer with a Bat' allow you to do what you love and help save lives at the same time." NFCR is providing numerous resources to help participants get started, including an event manual and cancer information materials. The campaign lasts throughout the end of the year. To sign up or get more information, click here or visit www.nfcr.org/beatcancerwithabat.

Jan. 30, 2011

+ 2011 March of Dimes Sno*Ball Tournament Photos on Gethotshots.net

Photos from the 2011 29th Annual March of Dimes Sno*Ball Tournament at Lake Tahoe are now on gethotshots.net. Look for complete story in the next issue of Softball West Magazine. Check out the photos [Here]

Jan. 26, 2011

+ Pac-10 dominant conference in preseason polls

Seven Pac-10 squads were ranked in both the USA Today/NFCA and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 polls, the most of any Conference. The ranked squads include Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA and Washington. In the USA Today/NFCA preseason poll, the defending national champions, the UCLA Bruins received 27 of 30 first place votes and were picked first. Picked No. 2 was runner-up Arizona. Washington was picked 10th, followed by California at No. 12, Arizona State at No. 13, Oregon at No. 14 and Stanford at No. 20. In the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top-25 poll it was Arizona ranked No. 1with nine first place votes. UCLA was second, with 10 first place votes. Arizona State was picked 10th with Washington at No. 11, California at 12th, Oregon at No. 14 and Stanford at No. 18. The Pac-10 is coming off a stellar season with a Women's College World Series final that featured UCLA and Arizona.

Jan. 22, 2011

+ Applicant sought for Australian AIS Women`s Head Coach

Softball Australia invites applications for the position of Australian AIS Women's Head Coach. The position will be based at the Softball Australia offices in Hawthorn, Melbourne. The Australian AIS Women's Head Coach will develop, lead and coach the Australian Women's Softball squad (athletes and officials) and to ensure the long term viability and success of the Australian Women's elite program through the implementation of long term athlete development strategies at the State and National level. The position reports to the Softball Australia Manager High Performance Pathway on a day-to-day basis and is also accountable to the AIS Systems Manager in regard to AIS operational matters. We are seeking candidates with proven success as an elite Softball coach at an International, National, State and/or equivalent level. For more information contact Julie Anderson by email (julie.anderson@softball.org.au) or by telephone on (03) 9818 6144

Jan. 21, 2011

+ Carson High softball slugger signs with Western Nevada College

Carson High School's Lauren Knorzer has signed a letter of intent to play softball at Western Nevada College in 2012. A versatile player, Knorzer has been successful in multiple roles as CHS, and is expected to bring those skills to the Wildcats. Read more about her in the April issue of Softball West Magazine.

Jan. 13, 2011

+ Haiti tragedy remembered by International softball community

PLANT CITY, FLORIDA -- The International Softball Federation is among the countless organizations and individuals keeping Haiti in its thoughts as the one-year anniversary passes since two deadly earthquakes hit there last year. "It's not old news because so many people there are still dealing with the after effects today," said ISF President Don Porter. "Being based in Florida, we know -- unfortunately -- all too well about disasters and how they impact the lives of so many. Between Hurricane Katrina and, more recently, the oil spill in the Gulf, we've been fairly close to some forms of devastation right here at home. It's important that all people and all industries continue to look for ways to help in recovery." On her Twitter account, two-time Olympic softball medalist Jennie Finch (USA, gold -- 2004 & silver -- 2008) tweeted, "1 yr since the horrific tragedy in Haiti. Please keep Haiti in prayer!" The ISF president noted a shipment that is currently en route to Haiti, expected to arrive there next week, containing sporting goods hoped to stimulate activity among those whose spirits are down and resources likely gone or limited. "The International Olympic Committee asked us to assemble and pack 200 kits here at our world headquarters, so that this equipment can get into the hands of the people of Haiti at a time when sport can be used to truly unite people," Porter said. "With our experience from sending over $3 million worth of softball equipment to almost 100 countries around the world since 2002, we were ready to answer the IOC's call and pleased to be a part of such a meaningful project. I know I speak for the worldwide softball community when I say that hopefully next January we will continue to remember the victims, but celebrate great progress in Haiti's recovery."

Jan. 9, 2011

+ Sun Cities Women's Softball

Saturday's Women's Softball game at Liberty Park in Sun City West provided an historical event and the Hot Flashes were victorious over Sassy Sisters by a score of eight to six. The home standing team, Hot Flashes, were leading the visiting team, Sassy Sisters of Surprise four to two in the third inning. Sassy Sisters scored one run on an RBI triple by Bobbie Coy; the next batter walked to bring to the plate, Vivian Resendez and on a 2 & 1 count, she promptly delivered a gigantic homerun over the left center fence that according to Hot Flashes' Coach, Judy White "cleared by 7 to 10 feet"! This is only the second homerun ht out of Liberty Field by a female -- the first one was hit last year by Karri Kinkead. However, the homerun blast proved to be Sassy Sisters final scoring in the game. The Hot Flashes tied the game in the fourth inning on an RBI double by Karen Hill and sacrifice fly by Kay Peterson. The Arvid & Kay Peterson, Realtors-sponsored women's team put the game away in the sixth inning on a 2 RBI single by Judy Christ. With the win, the Hot Flashes are unofficially tied for first place with Sassy Sisters in the Northwest Valley Senior Women's Slowpitch Softball League.

Jan. 4, 2011

+ High School softball pitching distance change

High school softball pitchers will be throwing from a few feet further back this season. The National Federation of State High School Associations has extended the pitching distance from 40 to 43 feet for its member associations. This change has been debated for close to 10 years and it will take effect with the upcoming season. The longer distance from the mound to home plate will enable high school hurlers to match what is expected of college pitchers. Elite club teams already compete with the pitcher 43 feet from home plate and the pitching rubber also is 43 feet at the college level. "Our main thrust is getting the defense more involved," said Mary Struckhoff, assistant director for the NFHS and liaison to the Softball Rules Committee. "When more balls are hit into play, the defense is more involved in the game, thus enhancing skill development." The NFHS tested the distance in Oregon for one year and Florida for four years where it was well received. Coaches surveyed from those states were overwhelmingly supportive of the change, the NFHS said. Creating a better balance between the offense and the defense was the major rationale for the rule change. Experimentation results from both states indicated more batted balls were hit into play. The change is going to give batters a better advantage because they'll be able to see the pitch a little longer. But for pitchers who are slower, it will give them an advantage as it gives them more time on their balls movement. National estimates have shown a 60 mph pitch from 40 feet will be about 55 mph at 43 feet.

Jan. 2, 2011

+ Senior Softball - Play in Spain

Senior Softball USA is offering a trip to Spain in 2011. The complete itinerary will be out soon, but here is a sneak preview: We arrive June 8th in Madrid, travel to Barcelona June 12th and return to the US on June 20 -- 12 nights in all. We'll play games in Madrid and have a tournament in Barcelona. We'll do a city tour in both cities, we'll visit San Martin & Alcantara Bridges, Puerta del Sol, Santo Tome Church, Sergovia Cathedral, Alcazar Palace, Sagrada Familia, Parqque Guell, tour the Olympic Park in Barcelona and the sports museum, Gerona, Banos Arabes, Tour Montserrat Monastery. There will be lots of photo opportunities for all!!! We are planning for the group to depart and return from New York. For information, contact Susan Ruth, SSUSA-International Sports Holidays 206-930-7091.

Dec. 30, 2010

+ UT SOFTBALL'S RALPH WEEKLY TO BE INDUCTED INTO NFCA HALL OF FAME WITH CLASS OF 2011

Tennessee Lady Vol Co-Head Softball Coach Ralph Weekly has been chosen as one of two inductees for the NFCA Hall of Fame Class of 2011. Weekly will join Ithaca Head Coach Deb Pallozzi in ceremonies to be held in 2011 at the annual NFCA Convention slated for Las Vegas, Nev. "This is a very prestigious honor, especially since selection comes from my peers," Lady Vol Co-Head Coach Ralph Weekly said. "The NFCA Hall of Fame and its 49 previous inclusions represent the best of the best in our profession, and I am humbled to be chosen for membership in this group. This selection would never have been possible without my wife and co-head coach Karen Weekly, assistant coach Marty McDaniel, and the many outstanding coaches and players I have worked with throughout both the collegiate and Olympic ranks. I am especially grateful to everyone in the Tennessee athletic department for providing exceptional support and encouragement." In a 23-year career that has spanned portions of three decades and included 966 overall victories, Weekly has been successful at every stop along the way. He guided Pacific Lutheran to a pair of NAIA national championships (1988 & 1992) during a nine-year stint in Tacoma, Wash., and helped build UT-Chattanooga into a Southern Conference force alongside his wife and co-head coach Karen Weekly from 1995-2001, winning four regular season and SoCon Tournament titles. Since arriving at Rocky Top prior to the 2002 campaign, the Weeklys' have built the Lady Vol softball program into a national powerhouse. Under the duo's guidance, Tennessee has won 465 games while registering four top-three finishes at the Women's College World Series during the last six years (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010) and winning both the 2006 Southeastern Conference Tournament and 2007 SEC regular season championships. Along the way UT became the first league school to reach No. 1 in the national rankings, staying in the lofty position for a then-record 11 consecutive weeks back in 2007, and the first SEC squad to qualify for the best-of-three WCWS Championship Series (2007). During the Weeklys' nine-season stay in Knoxville, Tennessee has reaped 18 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American selections, 30 NFCA All-Region nods, more than 30 combined All-SEC or SEC All-Freshman choices and an impressive 11 ESPN Academic All-Americans. Weekly has also enjoyed a long and storied career involved with the USA Softball program, including serving as a hitting coach, third-base coach and team leader with the high-profile gold medal-winning 1996 (first-ever Olympic softball competition) and 2000 U.S. Olympic Softball squads. Included are stints as the USA Softball National Teams Director (1999-2001) and previously as a liaison to the ASA National Team Selection Committee responsible for the elite level selection process for Olympic, Pan American Games and other USA Softball National Teams. In December of 2009, Weekly was chosen to the five-member selection committee for the USA Softball Women's National Team. He will assist in choosing the elite-level athletes that will represent USA Softball in international competition during a three-year appointment that spans from 2010-2012. Between 1998 and 2001, Weekly worked closely with the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) to ensure that USA Softball received adequate funding for its programs and was fully equipped with the technical assistance it needed. He was also instrumental in securing the funding for the development of a state-of-the-art practice facility at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. The facility has been used by all of the USA Softball National Teams and continues to be an integral part of USA Softball's success. Under his direction, USA Softball captured the gold medal at the 1994 Pan American Games qualifier in Guatemala. He was an assistant coach on teams that won additional gold medals at the 1994 World Games in Nova Scotia, the 1995 Pan American Games in Argentina, the 1996 South Pacific Classic in Australia, the 1997 Canada Cup, the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, the inaugural 1999 America Cup in San Diego, the 2000 European Championship in Rome, Italy, and the 2001 Hawaii Cup in Honolulu. As a coach and National Teams Director for USA Softball, Weekly has appeared in 13 international tournaments, winning a gold medal each time. His international coaching record is a sterling 130-15 (.897). He has served on a pair of Olympic gold medal-winning coaching staffs and has claimed two national championships as a head coach (Pacific Lutheran, NAIA National Softball Champions, 1988 & 1992). He also directed all facets of the USA Men's National Team from 1999-2001.

Dec. 23, 2010

+ Liberty Field new Field Manager

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM RAY EARLY Effective January 1, 2011, I will be replacing George Karras as Field Manager at Liberty Field. I realize these are big shoes to fill as George did a tremendous job of being the Field Manager. My staff and I will work hard to make Liberty Field an enjoyable place to play and watch softball. Quality has been defined as "Meeting Customer Expectations 100% Of The Time". Our goal will be to provide quality service at Liberty Field. We will strive to have the field in excellent playing condition and to have a safe and clean environment in which to watch the games. We want EVERYBODY to be proud of Liberty Field and for Liberty Field to be the place to be on game days. I'm proud to have the following volunteers working with us at Liberty Field: Responsibility for field maintenance and related tasks will be Ernie Miller, Arnie Wright, Jerry Bianchi, Bruce Brady, Frank Welch and Dick Erikson. Watching over the George Karris Memorial will be Ken Skinner. I need volunteers to close up the park after the last American League, National League and Friday Co-ed League games. Basically all that involves is to be sure the clubhouse is locked and everything is cleaned and put away (such as the coffee urns, etc.). Carol Bowden has volunteered to close up after the women's game on Saturday. We also need someone to act as the upstairs monitor. Basically, all that entitles is to just be sure it is kept clean. We will ask the score board operators, scorekeepers and public address announcers to do their part in helping keep the upstairs clean. Public address announcers will be Hugh Kelley, John Baie, Joe Gallo, Orie McDonald, myself and, from time to time, others as well. Miscellaneous activities will be done by Tex Wells, Carol Bond (Popcorn Princess), Mike and Linda Graham. Angels in the outfield will be Joyce Fano, Kay Williams and Linda Graham. All of us want your input. We want to hear your comments, positive as well as negative, lol. Your thoughts, ideas and suggestions as to what we can do to keep on improving Liberty Field are welcome. I greatly appreciate the above mention people volunteering to help out at Liberty Field. As stated above, we need more volunteers and do hope that others will join us. I would like to see more National League volunteers as I would like for more National League players to be involved. If you are interested in joining us in the fun of being a volunteer at Liberty Field, please contact me. RAY EARLY 975-0998 CELL 239-9287 EMAIL raymondearly@msn.com

Dec. 22, 2010

+ Sun Cities Senior Softball Notes

NATIONAL LEAGUE RESULTS -- DECEMBER 21, 2010 Reporter: Bob Williams The lunar eclipse and the Winter Solstice bode well for Farrar Chiropractic, as they are now in first place by percentage points over Larry Ott Realty, with one game to go. Pruitt's still only one back. Desert Rose 10 -- Larry Ott Realty 9 Larry Ott Realty was in good position to hold their number one spot leading Desert Rose 9-6 going into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Roses' however had other ideas, sending eight to the plate and scoring three runs to tie and then bringing home the winning run in the seventh when Bob Healey drove in Pat Cooke with the winning run. This was a pitchers battle won by Duane Newkirk over Tom Haroldson. Neither team knocked the cover off the ball as each team had only one extra base hit, that being a double by the Roses sub Scott Reeves and a double by Larry Ott leadoff man, Clarence Von Eschen. Von Eschen led the Ott's going 4 for 4 and scoring three times. Desert Rose leadoff man, Roger Stone, went 3 for 3 as did subs Mike Kennedy and Scott Reeves. The Roses turned a slick double play to finish the Ott's last challenge. Farrar Chiropractic 11 -- Pruitt's Furniture 9 Farrar's bone crushers move into first place by percentage points by knocking off a tough Pruitt's Furniture. Pruitt's led 5-3 going into the third inning but Farrar maxed out with four run rallies in the third and fifth innings to go up 11-5. Pruitt's would not submit and came up with four runs in the Mercy 7th inning only to fall short. Farrar's Dick Downs, the Mason City Kid, pitched the win, went 3 for 3 including a double and a triple. Big Mike Kennedy blasted a two run triple in the first, and drove in two more with a double in the fifth. Larry "Legs" Chapman tripled and doubled amongst his three hits. Paul Struglinski cleared the bases by legging out a three run triple in that fifth inning. Credit Tony DiBiasio with a third inning triple. Chapman, Scott Reeves, Kennedy and Downs all had 3 hit days in the win. Pruitt's was shut out from the second until the seventh innings due to some fine pitching and defense. Frank Lancisi and Bruce Stannard both had 3 for 4 days from Pruitt's with Stannard blasting a three run homer in the seventh to make things interesting. Margaret Morgan smacked a two run double in the opening frame. Pruitt's stays in third place, but only one game out.

Nov. 30, 2010

+ UC Santa Barbara Softball Signs Three to National Letters of Intent for the 2012 season

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- UC Santa Barbara head softball coach Brie Galicinao has signed three Northern California products to National Letters of Intent. Jenessa Jeppesen, DeJanee Moore and Shelby Wisdom have committed to join the Gauchos for the 2011-12 season. "The individual and team accolades say a lot about what this class can bring softball-wise to our program -- they are strong, athletic and have experience competing at the highest levels of high school and travel ball," Galicinao said. "It's exciting to have these types of athletes eager to be a part of UCSB softball and continue competing at the highest level when they get here." Jenessa Jeppesen is a first baseman and outfielder that hails from El Dorado Hills, Calif. At Oak Ridge High School, she has posted a .437 career batting average while leading her team to three-consecutive Division II CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Championships and three straight Sierra Valley Conference Championships (2008-10). Jeppesen earned First Team All-Sierra Valley Conference honors in 2009 after leading the league in home runs. "Jenessa brings another big bat to our line up and is also a versatile defensively," Galicinao said. "She has tremendous power, and a work ethic and attitude that we hope will be contagious for our entire team." DeJanee Moore is a multi-talented utility player that hails from Sacramento, Calif. At Sheldon High School, she helped lead her team to the 2008 Division I CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Championship and was the runner-up in 2009. Moore led Sheldon to consecutive Delta River League Championships in 2008 and 2009 and is a three-time all-league pick. In 2010, she posted a .359 batting average and a .667 slugging percentage. "We'll probably need to invest in all types of gloves for DeJ because she can really play anywhere on the field," Galicinao said. "She has that combination of speed and strength that will be scary as she continues to grow as an athlete." Shelby Wisdom is a pitcher and outfielder out of Elk Grove, Calif. The senior at Elk Grove High School is a highly decorated prep player that has earned 2010 Cal-Hi All-California Softball First Team honors and was a finalist for the 2010 Ms. Softball State Player of the Year. Wisdom helped lead her team to the 2010 Division I CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Championship and was named the 2010 Sacramento Bee Player of the Year. Wisdom posted a 16-2 record with a 0.54 ERA in 2010. She also posted 269 strikeouts in 143 innings pitched while batting .338 with three home runs. The three-time All-Delta River selection helped the Thundering Herd to three league titles (2008-10) and second place in the section in 2008. "Shelby has the type of presence in the circle that's hard to teach -- it's that "bring it" attitude," Galicinao said. "And she has legit skill to go along with her attitude on the mound and the plate." Jeppesen, Moore and Wisdom all currently play together on the Lady Magic 18Gold team. "Even better than what they bring to the field, they are great students and great people who are as excited as we are for them to be Gauchos," Galicinao said. "We can't wait for this signing class and their families to join our team next fall." UCSB will open the 2011 softball season on Feb. 11 when they host the three-day Gaucho Classic I. Western Kentucky, Wichita State and Seattle University will be making the trek to Campus Diamond for the season-opening tourney.

Nov. 29, 2010

+ Portland Viking softball squad signs three to National Letters of Intent

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland State softball program signed three high school all-stars to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period announced Head Coach Tobin Echo-Hawk. Joining Portland State for the 2012 season will be Brittany Hendrickson of Springfield, Ore., Alicia Fine of Mount Vernon, Wash., and Raya Johnson from Aurora, Colo. Hendrickson was the Midwestern League Player of the Year as a junior at Thurston High School last season. She also earned second team Oregon 5A All-State honors as the Colts won the Midwestern League title and advanced to the state playoffs. A 5-foot-7 middle infielder, Hendrickson was also a first team All-Midwestern League honoree as a sophomore and garnered honorable mention all-state honors that season. She hit .459 as a junior and .522 as a sophomore. Hendrickson, the lone left-handed batter in the group, has played the past two summers for the NW Bullets Gold, coached by Tony Campos, the father of PSU senior outfielder Brandi Campos. "Brittany is an extremely passionate softball player. She is one of the most competitive recruits that we have had," said Echo-Hawk. "She mixes athletic ability, explosiveness and power which is something that our team needs. Her ability to be a game changer will be something exciting to watch next year." Fine plays at Mount Vernon High School, where she has earned first team All-Northwest Conference honors each of her first three seasons. She also was a honorable mention Washington 3A All-State selection in 2009 and has been named All-Area by the Skagit Valley Herald all three years playing for the Bulldogs. A team co-captain as a sophomore and junior, Fine has twice been named the team's Defensive MVP. Fine is a 5-foot-6 middle infielder who has played summer ball for the Lake Breeze Gold since 2008. "Alicia brings a log of talent mixed with a calm presence that will benefit our team in many areas," Echo-Hawk said. "She is extremely athletic and will be a great asset on the infield. If I were to compare her to one of our current players I would say she is a mini Arielle Wiser. Alicia will be a great addition to our program." The final signee, Johnson, is a all-state pitcher from Eaglecrest High School southeast of Denver. High school softball is played in the fall in the state of Colorado and Johnson and her Raptors teammates recently concluded their season by reaching the 5A Region 8 tournament, falling in the championship game with a berth to the state playoffs on the line. As a junior, Johnson was named to the 5A first team All-State team after going 19-4 with a 0.43 ERA and 192 strikeouts. She also hit .456 and drove in 31 runs at the plate, and was named one of Colorado's top softball players by ESPN Rise on Oct. 14, 2009. Johnson is a four-time first team all-league pitcher and leaves Eaglecrest as the school's all-time leader in strikeouts with 536. She actually took over the top spot toward the end of her junior season. "Raya has a tremendous amount of talent and game sense, which is exactly what you look for in a pitcher," said Echo-Hawk. "Her talent has yet to meet its full potential and I am extremely excited to see the development of her as a pitcher. She will complement our pitching staff well."

Nov. 14, 2010

+ University of Nevada new recruits

RENO, NV. -- Third-year Nevada softball coach Matt Meuchel announced the signing of three prep standouts to National Letters of Intent. "We could not be more excited about our 2011 class," Meuchel said. "These three address the needs that we have due to graduation and will continue to propel us toward being a nationally competitive program. All of them are very versatile and athletic and we look for them to step right in and be major contributors in our program. All of them have a great passion for the short history of our program and look forward to putting their stamp on that history and adding to it." Butera (Saugus, Calif.) is a catcher/first baseman from Saugus High School. She has lettered all three years of her high school career thus far and is a two-time Foothill League Offensive Player of the year and a three-year all-league selection. She was named to the Santa Clarita Valley first team as a sophomore and junior and is also an honor roll student. She was part of an ASA National Championship team in 2007 her travel ball team. "Ashley is a big bat and we look forward to adding her power to our lineup," Meuchel said. "She comes from one of the strongest high schools in Southern California and last year lead one of the best leagues in hitting. She is just one of those players you watch that always finds a way to get hits and we are excited to add her production to our lineup." McWilliams (Anderson, Calif.) is a shortstop/third baseman from West Valley (Happy Valley, Calif.) High School. She was the Northern Athletic League MVP as a junior in 2010 as she guided West Valley to a league championship. She also earned first-team all-section honors as a junior. McWilliams is West Valley's senior class president and on the honor roll. "Molly is one of the most versatile players we have recruited at Nevada," Meuchel said. "She can play nearly every position on the diamond. Due to her athleticism, she spends most of her time at shortstop, but can play many other positions and is a decent pitcher as well. We will look for her to make an impact wherever she fits in our lineup." Seidel (Burbank, Calif.) is a pitcher from Village Christian High School in Sun Valley, Calif. She is a two-time first-team all-state selection by Cal-Hi Sports and a three-time NFCA Academic All-American. She helped Village Christian to a league title as a sophomore in 2009 and back-to-back CIF semifinal appearances in the last two years. "We are very fortunate to have Emily joining our softball family," Meuchel said. "She is an exceptional pitcher that will step in and make an immediate impact in our program. Her style on the mound is very similar to Mallary Darby in that she has very good velocity, but has exceptional ball movement. She has a bright future in our program and will surely be the next in a long line of great pitchers in our program." Nevada opens the 2011 season on Feb. 11 at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.

Oct. 26, 2010

+ ISF new web shopping site

In completing the changeover that the ISF has undertaken for some time now, first to a new logo and then to a different URL for its official website, the world governing body's online shopping site has a new place on the Internet as well. Now located at http://shop.isfsoftball.org/, the secure merchandise site features departments such as apparel, accessories, and even a section for umpiring. As the calendar prepares to turn over to November, holiday shopping will soon be in the air and the softball aficionado on your list can be bought for through the convenience of your home, office, or anywhere you access the Web.

Oct. 13, 2010

+ Southern Nevada High School Alumni Softball Tournament

Miken Sports will be sponsoring a Southern Nevada High School Alumni Softball Tournament to be held October 23-24, 2010. The entry fee is $225 and the deadline is October 19, 2010. They are looking for representatives from each high school to put together alumni teams. High schools can enter multiple teams. 1A - 3A schools can combine if you do not have enough players. There will also be free agent teams that will be randomly drawn for those of you who did not graduate from a Southern Nevada High School. The cost will be $25 per player. A cash donation will be made to the High School of the winning team. Amount will be based on the number of teams entered. To enter a team in the tournament, please contact Denny Crine 702-245-3340 e-mail: dcrine@cox.net or Logan Heckathorn 702-528-2185 e-mail: nsaloganheckathorn@yahoo.com. Please bring the completed registration form and roster prior to 1st scheduled game. The bats will be provided on each field by Miken Sports.

Oct. 9, 2010

+ The Long Haul Bombers Finish 2010 Tour In New York City

The Long Haul Bombers finished their regular season on September 14th at Citi Field in New York City. Extreme winds produced low numbers for the Long Haul Bombers, but rookie Chris Larsen who had the top overall points in the regular season persevered with 10 points at the event to win the 2010 Stadium Power Tour. Geno Buck and Chris Larsen had the most combined team points and were awarded the prized Manufacturer's Cup for the first time, taking it from two-time champs Team Miken. "I'm really glad that we were able to bring home the Manufacturer's Cup. This was DeMarini's first time on the tour and as you can see, it's a great product. It got us to the top," said Buck. But it was Chris Larsen who held two trophies on Tuesday. "This is such a huge honor for me. Winning this as a rookie is huge. I just really can't believe it," beamed Larsen. So what's next for the 2010 champ? "I'm really happy that DeMarini chose me to represent their product this season, and hopefully I'll be back on the tour next season."

Oct. 8, 2010

+ ISF aids in softball development

The profile of softball in Peru has been getting raised in 2010. It started earlier this year when their women's national team competed in the IX South American Games in Colombia, where they finished fourth. Now the Peru Softball Federation is preparing to host an international (age) 14-and-under championship for girls. The tournament will take place from October 30-November 7 and is expected to include Brazil, Ecuador, two teams from the host country, and Argentina (status pending). The federation is also making preparations for a softball exhibit later this year at a sports festival in Lima, organized by that city and the Peruvian Olympic Committee. The ISF has provided some materials for that display. Peru is not the only country where the ISF has sent a shipment recently. The world governing body also provided equipment to Zimbabwe for a coaching workshop. Held at the Olympic Sports Centre and targeting primary and secondary school children, the event was organized by the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee. In addition, just prior to that the Zimbabwe Softball Association had taken part in a Generations For Peace workshop held by the ZOC.

Sept. 20, 2010

+ Smoke Tournament Results

The 28th Annual Smoke Softball tournament was held the Sept 18-19 weekend at Golden Eagle Regional Park with 53 teams participating. Going undefeated in the Coed bracket was D-bags & T-bags from Fairfield, CA. They took the championship with an 11-5 win over Early-N-Often from Vacaville, CA. NBA from Fairfield and TOTT from San Ramon rounded out the top four. Aftermath from Dayton, NV pushed the Men's division to an if game against Bucks from Reno with a 13-8 win. In the if game Bucks came out on top by a score of 13-9. North Valley/Smith Electric from Chico, CA were third and Motherlode from Auburn, CA finished fourth.

Sept. 15, 2010

+ Smoke Tournament 2010 Brackets Posted!

Click below to view your bracket for the Smoke Tournament this weekend at Golden Eagle Park. Mens: PDF Mens Loser's Bracket: PDF Coed: PDF Coed Loser's Bracket: PDF To view .pdf files, you will need to have adobe acrobat viewer installed. For more information you can visit adobe's website to read about or download it: http://www.adobe.com

Aug. 16, 2010

+ Home Run Benefit Contest in Sacramento

When: Aug 20th - Friday 6:00pm -10:30pm Where: The Sacramento Softball Complex Cost: $10 entry Come on out and support this great cause -- everyone is invited. Tommy who runs the snack bar at the Sac Complex is in trouble - He has been diagnosed with Cancer and could use our help! Medications, chemo therapy, time off work while fighting to survive are all adding up. We will be giving away some bats, Phiten products, and a lot of other cool softball gear to the top 4 finishers in the HR Derby. We will also have a booth set up selling stuff. If you're not a bomber still come on out Friday the 20th buy a t-shirt, have a cold one and hang out. Any help will be much appreciated. All money raised will go to support one of softballs greatest guys. If you have any questions or ideas on how to help raise a few bucks for Tommy please call or email me ASAP! Thanks Jay Zetz info@playutrip.com 916 919 5968

July 28, 2010

+ The Long Haul Bombers visit Safeco Field

Seattle, WA -- The Long Haul Bombers Stadium Power Tour took things north to Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners. July 25th marked the sixth stop on the Stadium Power Tour with TPS, Easton and DeMarini all represented. The event began as usual; each hitter was given 15 swings, with the final pitch, or "money ball," worth two homeruns. Easton's Brian Wegman was first and he certainly made a good impression on the Mariners' fans as he blasted nine homeruns into the stands, including the money ball, giving him 10 points total. Next up was TPS' JD Genter who posted five homeruns and stepped off the plate with a slightly defeated look. "I'm going to have to put up some big numbers to make the finals in New York, and that's what I've got my eye on," reflected Genter. Geno Buck hit third and for DeMarini, putting up a solid nine homeruns, plus the money ball for a double digit score of 10 points. When asked his secret he explained, "I'm a lot more comfortable this year and I think it's showing. I don't have the nerves going, and I'm able to settle in." Easton's Brett Helmer hit fourth and took the lead, hitting a whopping 11 homeruns plus the money ball for a total of 12 points. Helmer also had the longest ball of the day, reaching the distant upper deck of right field. "I'm in the business of making friends, and when you put on a good show, you make friends. I don't think I could have hit that ball a foot farther than I did," recalled Helmer. Hitting fifth for TPS was Brett McCollum who blasted a solid seven softballs into the stands. Rounding out the days challenge was Seattle's hometown boy, Team DeMarini's Chris Larsen. He hit eight homeruns plus the money balled for a total of nine points and seemed unfazed at the large number of family, friends and fans who came to see him. When asked if he was nervous having an audience Larsen replied, "No way! I love having them here. This was a blast. But I wish I could push past nine points. I keep getting that many at every event!" The Long Haul Bombers did so well at Safeco Field that the Mariners staff requested an additional show, with each hitter given three pitches to try and launch a softball completely out of the stadium. Many of the hitters came close, but none was able to conquer Safeco. When all the numbers were tallied, Team Easton came out on top with 22 points total, followed by Team DeMarini with 19 points total and Team TPS with 12 points total. The Bombers have six more stadiums to visit to complete their 2010 regular season. After that the top six homerun hitters advance to the Stadium Power Tour Finals in New York. The Bombers are also competing for the "Manufacturer's Cup" title, which is awarded to the team with the most homeruns at the end of the regular season.

July 24, 2010

+ The Fast vs. The Furious

USA Softball Pitcher and 2009 Gold Medalist Stacey Nelson walks to the mound without even a glint of fear in her eyes despite the fact that at the plate, eagerly awaiting her pitch is a man that tours the country blasting home runs out of major league stadiums. The man at the plate is 4-time ASA batting champ and 15-ASA All World Team Member Brett Helmer and on deck is 2008 ASA offensive MVP and 2009/2010 Team USA Member Brian Wegman and catching behind the plate is Nelson's teammate Ashley Holcombe. On July 24th in an ultimate battle of speed versus strength, Easton will pit Nelson and Holcombe against Helmer and Wegman and the results may not be what you would expect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWKY-rxIRyM

July 23, 2010

+ City of Henderson fall season league registration

HENDERSON, Nev. -- Registration for the City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department's adult softball leagues will be accepted Aug. 2-Sept. 17. Registration is $450 per team and must be made in person at the sports office, located at Arroyo Grande Sports Complex, 298 Arroyo Grande Blvd., from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. weekdays or from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Fall season play begins the week of Oct. 4th and all divisions play a 7-week season consisting of 14 games, which are held at Arroyo Grande Sports Complex, Anthem Hills Park and Russell Road Recreation Complex. All leagues are sanctioned by the United States Specialty Sports Association. For additional information, visit cityofhenderson.com or call 702-267-5717.
+ Jennie Finch announces retirement

Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch announced on July 20th that she will retire from the sport that made her famous. She stated she will play one more week with the U.S. team and retire from the sport next month when the National Pro Fastpitch season is over. International Softball Federation President Don Porter commented, "I'm sorry to see Jennie leave the sport after a great career and her contributions to the development and recognition of the sport," the ISF president said. "She has been a great ambassador and the dedication she has displayed tells me that while she no longer will be on the playing field, Jennie will surely continue to stay involved with the game in other capacities. "She is a great role model for not only up-and-coming softballers, but women in sports."

July 19, 2010

+ Incline Western Shootout

Incline Village, NV -- Ten teams participated in the 2010 Western Shootout which was held on July 17th. Finishing in third place was ATG from Reno. Second place went to I.B.E.W out of Alameda, CA and the champs for the third consecutive year was the Olympic Club (open) from San Francisco CA. Incline Parks and Recreation will be changing the western shootout tournament date for 2011 to the first week in August.

July 8, 2010

+ Wildcats Softball Team Will Have Open Tryouts July 21

CARSON CITY - The Western Nevada College women's softball team will hold an open tryout on Wednesday, July 21, 5-7 p.m., at the Carson High School softball field, 1111 N. Saliman Rd. Participants are asked to enter the ball field from the school ‘s north parking lot. Players need to bring their own bat, glove, helmet and cleats. They will participate in drills that include hitting, catching, base-running and sliding. Eligible student athletes include high school graduates, GED holders, and new, current or former college students. There is no player age limit in the National Junior College Athletic Association, as long as a student-athlete has two years of eligibility to play college softball. Players who are under age 18 must have a parent sign a release that is available ahead of time from the WNC Intercollegiate Athletics office on the Carson City campus (445-3344). WNC student athletes are required to enroll full-time in at least 12 academic credits each semester, and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5. They are also eligible for athletics scholarships that may become available. The Wildcats compete in the Scenic West Athletic Conference, an NJCAA Division I conference that includes colleges in Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Colorado. They are coached by Leah Wentworth and Andrea Lazzari.

July 3, 2010

+ Team USA wins ISF title

CARACAS, VENEZUELA -- Team USA successfully defended their International Softball Federation women's world championship title, shutting out the Olympic champion Japan team by a dominating 7-0 score. Canada won the bronze medal.

July 2, 2010

+ Inaugural Paul Sonner Memorial

The Inaugural Paul Sonner Memorial tourney will be held July 30-August 1 at Rancho San Rafael and Idlewild Park in Reno, Nevada. Divisions are: Men's Upper, Men's E, Men's 40 and Over and Coed. All dvisions are 5 homers and equalizer. Entry is $275 with a portion of the proceeds going to a scholarship for a local high school athlete in Paul's name. There will be a great BBQ and live DJ along with tons of raffel prizes. Call Josh at 775-560-4409 or e-mail greenest23@yahoo.com for more info and to enter.

June 20, 2010

+ Dongs & Thongs, Dirt Bags 2010 SWC champs

Both the Men's and Coed divisions went to if games where the undefeated teams were double-dipped for the 2010 Softball West Challenge Tournament title. Dongs & Thongs defeated the Free Agents in an extra-inning if game for the Coed trophy while the Dirt Bags defeated the Bad Guys twice for the Men's title.

June 16, 2010

+ 2010 Softball West Challenge Brackets Posted!

Click below to view your bracket for the 2010 Softball West Challenge Tournament this weekend at Golden Eagle Park. Men's E: here Coed: here

June 14, 2010

+ Long Haul Bombers Team Miken, Team DeMarini and Team TPS visit Denver

The Long Haul Bombers Stadium Power Tour made their third stop on May 29 in Denver, CO at Coors Field, the home of the Denver Rockies. This stop marked the third stop for Team Miken and the debut of Team DeMarini and TPS. The lineup was split evenly between veteran and rookie Long Haul Bombers. Team Miken was lead by Denny Crine and his new hitting partner Jeremy "Izy" Isenhower. New manufacturer DeMarini consisted of veteran Geno Buck and rookie Chris Larsen. And finally, Team TPS brought veteran JD Genter and newcomer Brett McCollum. Each hitter was given up to 18 pitches to hit as many homeruns out of 15 swings as possible. Each home run was worth one point with the 15th swing, also known as the "money ball," worth two points. The final score was Team Miken 12 points total, Team DeMarini 20 points total, and Team TPS 17 points. The next stop for the Long Haul Bombers is at the Minnesota Twins' new home Target Field in Minneapolis. The Bombers will be competing at nine more stadiums for their 2010 regular season. After that, the top?six homerun hitters will advance to the Stadium Power Tour Finals. Fans can follow the Long Haul Bombers on TV's Softball 360 or online at www.softball360.com.

June 2, 2010

+ Wolf Pack Softball Camps Filling Up

RENO, Nev. -- Only a handful of spots remain in the Wolf Pack Softball Elite Camp and the General Camp is also approaching capacity, head coach Matt Meuchel said today. There is no official deadline for registration but the camps will be closed at 72 participants for each. Meuchel said only a few spots remain for the Elite Camp and that the General Camp is beginning to near capacity. The camps both run June 21-24 and are held at Hixson Park, the home of the Wolf Pack. The Elite Camp is for girls entering grades 9 through 12 and the camp will focus primarily on improving each participant's skills in individual and team situations. A large portion of the camp will include live game situations. It runs in the mornings from 8 until noon. The General Camp is for girls entering grades 3 through 8 and offers young players the opportunity to learn, practice and improve overall softball skills. Various competitions and games will be held during the camp. Each camper will receive one-on-one time with the coaching staff. It runs in the afternoon from 1 until 4:30 p.m. The camp is conducted by Meuchel and his Wolf Pack coaching staff, including pitching coach Melanie Meuchel and hitting coach Andy Dominique. Current and former Wolf Pack players assist with the camp and coaches from colleges around the country will also be part of the instructional staff. All campers will receive a T-shirt as part of the registration fee, which is $160 for Elite campers and $140 for General campers. For more information, please call the university's Extended Studies department at (775) 784-4062 or visit www.extendedstudies.unr.edu to register online.

June 1, 2010

+ SOFTBALL HITS $3 MILLION MARK IN EQUIPMENT SHIPPED

PLANT CITY, FLORIDA (USA) -- A milestone is being reached in the International Softball Federation's development program that provides equipment for playing softball around the world. Approximately 60 "starter kits" are packed for shipment from the world headquarters complex and once they go out, the ISF will have reached the $3 million (in US Dollars) plateau in terms of the value of softball equipment sent out since the program began in 2002. The ISF is also very near to another significant milestone as one of the upcoming recipients (San Marino) is a first-timer, bringing the total number of countries that will have received equipment to 98. "We have been very fortunate over the better part of the last decade to have been able to provide so much equipment to nearly 100 countries around the world," said ISF President Don Porter. "A tremendous thank you is due to the many manufacturers that have helped make this possible." Among those who currently provide the ISF with new equipment are Combat Softball, DeMarini, Easton, Hillerich & Bradsby (Louisville Slugger), Miken, Mizuno, Rawlings, and Worth. "Along the way we also had a number of colleges/universities and club teams that helped out with donations of used equipment," the ISF president added. "As a result of this continued demand, we would very much welcome them coming back onboard so that boys, girls, men, and women in other countries can have the same opportunity to participate in our sport." Besides San Marino, five other countries will be recipients of what is currently packed at the ISF warehouse. That quintet includes Austria, Botswana, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Slovenia. There are still many other countries waiting for equipment. One "starter kit" contains over $1,200 (in US Dollars) worth of softball equipment including: bats, balls, fielder's gloves, batting helmets, catching gear, an equipment bag and instructional videos. Anyone interested in donating equipment can contact ISF Development Coordinator Lori Nolan for more information at lnolan@ISFsoftball.org.
+ Lawrie named National Collegiate Player of the Year

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- The Amateur Softball Association of America and USA Softball awarded the 9th Annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award to Washington's Danielle Lawrie. This award, which is considered the most prestigious honors in Division I women's collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. The three finalists were UCLA's Megan Langenfeld, Washington's Danielle Lawrie and Georgia Tech's Jen Yee. The winner was named on June 1st during the Opening Ceremonies of the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, OK. The 2009 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Lawrie became only the second student-athlete in the history of the award to win the award. The senior from Langley, British Colombia is a First Team All-Pacific Region, First Team All-Pac-10 and Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year. This season she was a Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week a record eight times, she earned USA Softball Player of the Week three times (a single-season record) and she was the NFCA National Player of the Week twice. Lawrie is 38-1 on the season with a 0.94 ERA, 446 strikeouts and just 34 walks in 269.1 innings. On the offensive side of the game Lawrie led the Huskies in home runs (15), RBI (57) and slugging percentage (.627), all of which are career highs. Holds a nation-best 22 shutouts to break her own single-season school record. Lawrie is 19-2 against ranked teams this year with 234 Ks in 143.1 innings. She has thrown three perfect games on the season. Langenfeld (Bakersfield, Calif.) was named Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year, First-Team NFCA All-West Region and First-Team All-Pac-10. She led the Bruins with a .500 batting average, 49 runs batted in, a 1.037 slugging percentage, 38 walks and a .650 on base percentage. She is also tied for first with 16 home runs and second with 40 runs scored. In the circle, Langenfeld is 10-1 with three saves, a 1.29 earned run average and 56 strikeouts in 87 innings. The senior was named Pac-10 and USA Softball National Player of the Week on April 27 after recording four homers and eight RBI in a three-game sweep at Stanford. Langenfeld has 18 multiple-hit games and 14 multiple-RBI contests on the season. Jen Yee (North Delta, British Colombia) makes her first appearance in the Top 3 after being named the 2010 ACC Player of the Year. The senior from Georgia Tech was a First-Team NFCA All-Southeast Region and First-Team All-ACC. She reached base safely at least once in all 62 games this season and leads the nation in batting average (.568), slugging percentage (1.270), on-base percentage (.732), runs scored (93) and walks (88). She is also tied for the lead nationally with 29 home runs. Yee struck out just six times all season and was 21-for-22 in stolen base attempts, good for fourth in the ACC. Her 84 hits and 63 RBI led the league while her 15 doubles ranked third. She was a two-time Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week and five-time ACC Player of the Week. Yee was intentionally walked 31 times this year which is an NCAA single-season record. Lawrie, Langenfeld, Yee and Mississippi State's senior catcher Chelsea Bramlett have all been named as finalists for the Honda Sports Award for Softball which will be awarded on June 4th. The winner will become a candidate for the Honda-Broderick Cup, awarded to the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year.

May 28, 2010

+ Join Jennie Finch at a SF Giants Game

On June 2nd, join Jennie Finch and the San Francisco Giants for Girl's Softball Night 2010! The special event ticket package includes a limited-edition Jennie Finch bobblehead, a pregame Q&A session with Jennie Finch in Scoreboard Plaza and a seat in the girl's softball section of the ballpark. Each group who brings in 25 or more people will receive one (1) autographed bobblehead signed by Jenne Finch. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Jennie Finch's n'PLAY Foundation, whose mission is to financially support physical education and activity programs in low income areas with the highest rates of childhood obesity. Go to www.sfgiants.com for tickets and more information.

May 27, 2010

+ KFC Kids Meals

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Kentucky Fried Chicken, the title sponsor for the upcoming 2010 KFC World Cup of Softball recently launched a softball themed Kids Meal box featuring USA Softball players Monica Abbott, Jennie Finch and Jessica Mendoza. The box is now available at participating KFC restaurants across the United States. A part of the KFC Keep Fit Challenge initiative, the boxes feature advice on how to play smart and stay healthy from the Olympic medal winners, who will star in the World Cup, July 22-26. The boxes also feature softball themed games including a word search and a maze. If you purchase a Kids Meal this summer, take a picture of the softball themed box and upload it to the ASA/USA Softball Facebook page for a chance to win a USA Softball poster pack featuring Abbott, Finch and Mendoza autographed posters. One entry per-person. One winner will be drawn at random by ASA/USA Softball in May, June and July.

May 25, 2010

+ 2010 NCAA DI Softball Championship Bracket

Click the link below to view the 2010 NCAA Women's Softball Bracket and keep track of your favorite team! http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/2010/ncaa_bracket_DI_softball.html.

May 20, 2010

+ Softball is for everyone

Softball prides itself on being a sport for boys, girls, men, and women from youth to seniors and in countries around the world. There is fastpitch, slowpitch, modified pitch, arena (indoor), wheelchair and beach softball. On June 11th, the 9th Senior Softball World Cup gets underway in Salem, Virginia. The annual slow pitch event includes men's and women's participants ranging from the 35-and-over division up to a 70-and-over category. Last year in Australia softball was the second biggest sport on the program of the World Masters Games in terms of participants (approximately 2,600). Softball (slow pitch) will be a part of another multi-sport event in August, as part of the 11th World Firefighters Games, taking place in Daegu, Korea.

May 16, 2010

+ Saint Mary's Gaels capture Inaugural Pacific Coast Softball Conference title

Saint Mary's took advantage of Portland State miscues to sweep a doubleheader Saturday afternoon May 15th at Cottrell Field to claim the 2010 Pacific Coast Softball Conference Championship Series, two games to one. The Portland State Vikings won game one of the best of three series with a 1-0 victory on May 14. Portland was hoping to claim their second straight PCSC title but it was not to be as the Gaels won game two 3-0 and game three 7-4.Sophomore shortstop Rebecca Sabatini Sabatini was named the PCSC Championship Series Outstanding Player, going 4-for-8 with doubles, three walks and four runs scored. Sophomore Britany Linton was named Outstanding Pitcher, going 1-1, with one save, and a 1.26 ERA in 16 2/3 innings.Saint Mary's will receive the PCSC's automatic NCAA bid

May 11, 2010

+ 1000th All Time Contest

In their 1,000 game in school history, the Tennessee Lady Vol's picked up a 6-5 win over the 11th-ranked LSU team. It was the 40th victory of the 2010 season for the Lady Vol's as they split the double header on Saturday, May 7th and rebounded with a win on Sunday. Tennessee has secured the No. 5 seeding for the upcoming SEC Tournament at Bogle Park in Fayetteville, Ark., over May 13-15. The Lady Vols will battle No. 4 seed Georgia in opening round action.

May 1, 2010

+ Pacific Coast Softball Conference

2010 begins a new chapter as the conference expands 2010. The PCSC will unveil a new divisional structure, conference schedule and conference championship series in 2010. The 12 schools will be split into two, six-team divisions. The six California-based schools -- Cal State Bakersfield, Loyola Marymount, Sacramento State, Saint Mary's, San Diego and Santa Clara -- form the Coastal Division. Idaho State, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Seattle, Utah Valley and Weber State will compete in the Mountain Division. Each school will play a 20-game conference school, facing each of their division rivals in a four-game series over the course of five weekends. The winners of the two divisions will meet May 15-16 for a best-of-three series. The winner of the Coastal Division will host the PCSC Championship Series in 2010 and the host institution will alternate between the Coastal and Mountain Divisions on a yearly basis.

March 31, 2010

+ World Championship Schedule set

Caracas, Venezuela will be the host for the International Softball Federation's XII Women's World Championship ten-day competition from June 23 to July 2, which will consist of national teams from 16 different countries. Team USA comes in as the defending world champions, having defeated Japan in the gold medal game of the last event which took place four years ago in Beijing, China. Just two years later Japan would avenge the 2006 loss by capturing the Olympic softball gold medal with a 3-1 victory over the Americans. The two teams are in separate pools for this year's world championship, however, so the opportunity to go head-to-head won't come until a possible playoff matchup. "Without question we are certainly in store for some exciting competition at the women's world championship," ISF President Don Porter said. "The fans and media will witness some terrific play by elite-level athletes over those ten days in Caracas. The 16 teams that will compete are: Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Great Britain, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, USA, and Venezuela.

March 23, 2010

+ Washington's Taylor Smith sets record

WALNUT CREEK, CA. -- Washington sophomore outfielder/designated player Taylor Smith was named Pac-10 Softball Player of the Week and Stanford freshman pitcher Teagan Gerhart was named Pac-10 Softball Pitcher of the Week for March 15-21. Smith had two outstanding games over the March 13-1 weekend for the No. 1 ranked Huskies going 5-for-5 in two games, with four of her five hits home runs. She drove in a total of 13 runs in two games, hitting two grand slams and a pair of two-run shots. In an 8-0 win over Utah she went three-for-three with five RBI and a pair of two-run shots. On Sunday, Smith topped her Saturday performance, hitting two grand slams to give her eight RBI in the game, tying the Washington single-game record originally set in 1993. She also became the first Husky in school history to hit two grand slams in a single game. For the weekend she slugged 1.889 and finished with a .556 average (five-for-nine). Gerhart was on fire for the Cardinal over the March 13-14 weekend, throwing three-straight no-hitters, beginning with her first career perfect game in an 8-0 win over Santa Clara on Friday. The Norco, Calif. native threw a career-high 13 strikeouts, including eight in a row to finish off the perfect game. On Saturday, in a 7-0 win over Princeton, she struck out eight batters for the complete game shutout and was just one team error short of a second perfect game. She also earned her first career hit, an RBI double. Gerhart finished off Saturday with an 8-0 win over Saint Mary's, throwing six strikeouts in five innings of work. She also went 2-3 from the plate against the Gaels, including her first career home run. On Sunday Gerhart finished up a stellar Stanford Louisville Slugger Classic with a win over Cal Poly and earned her first career save against Saint Mary's. For the weekend Gerhart tossed 26.0 scoreless innings, with 34 strikeouts an allowed just one walk and three hits to finish with a 0.00 ERA.

March 19, 2010

+ Nevada's Katie Holverson tosses no-hitter

SACRAMENTO, CA -- Senior Katie Holverson tossed her first career no-hitter as the Nevada softball team blanked Colorado State 1-0 on March 19th at the Capital Classic. This was just the fourth no-hitter in the Nevada softball program history and the first seven inning no-hitter since the softball program was brought back in 2003. Holverson struck out six batters while walking two and she faced one batter over the minimum. Nevada got the only run of the game in the sixth inning as Noelle Micka led off with a single and moved to second on Danielle Patrick's sacrifice bunt. Sam Bias then laced a single into center and Micka beat the throw at the plate to give Nevada the 1-0 lead. Holverson was sharp throughout the game and she benefitted from some strong defense, especially by Bias and second baseman Kortnee Wiley, in the victory.

March 17, 2010

+ Washington Huskies on a roll

The Huskies went 5-0 at the Husky Softball Classic, extending their winning streak to 17, the fourth-longest streak in school history. Pitcher Danielle Lawrie was perfect in the first game with a 3-0 shutout over Miami, Ohio and earned two wins on the weekend. She almost had back-to-back perfect games, retiring the first 19 hitters against Portland State finishing the game with 13 strikouts, no walks and a two-hit shutout win, her ninth win of the year. Lawrie had retired an unbelievable 41-consecutive batters dating back to the final inning of the Bank of Hawaii Invitational on March 7 and now has three perfect games and six no-hitters in her career, both school records. Over the weekend she also passed the 1,500-strikeout mark for her career.
+ Arizona players honored

Arizona senior shortstop K'Lee Arredondo was named Pac-10 Player of the Week and freshman teammate Kenzie Fowler was named Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week for March 8-14, 2010. Arredondo, a native of Tempe, Ariz., batted .600 with nine hits for nine RBI in five wins during the Arizona's Wildcat Invitational over the weekend. The senior hit her first two home runs of the season, with a 1.000 slugging percentage, while also drawing four walks. In a win over Northern Colorado, Arredondo went 3-for-3, knocking in three runs, drawing a walk and scoring twice. Against Illinois-Chicago, Arredondo also went 3-for-3, adding one home run and three putouts defensively. She upped her season batting average from .333 to .389 on the weekend, helping Arizona maintain a winning streak that now stands at 15 games. Fowler pitched four shutout games in a 6-0 week for the Wildcats. The Tucson, Ariz. native struck out a combined 33 batters, while only allowing nine hits and three walks to the opposition. She held opponents to a .118 batting average, while her offense backed her up with 39 runs. Against Creighton, Fowler had her best game of the weekend, striking out 17 batters, one short of her career high and allowing only one hit in an Arizona win. She capped off her stellar weekend with a five-strikeout, one-hit win over Minnesota. Overall Fowler's record sits at 15-0 on the season. For her outstanding weekend, Fowler was named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week.
+ Oregon State to finish suspended game

The Oregon State softball team (10-11) will begin their Spring Break at the San Diego Classic II followed by completing the suspended game from Sunday, March 7th at Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday evening. The Beavers face the Long Beach State 49ers (10-12) and the UMass Minutewomen (11-4) first on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. On Sunday, the team takes on the UIC Flames (6-13) and the San Diego Toreros (5-13) at 9:00 and 11:30 a.m. Oregon State wraps up the tournament against the San Diego State Aztecs (15-8) on Monday evening at 6:00 p.m.
+ Ortega, Oakes named WAC players of the week

Fresno State's Andrea Ortega and Mackenzie Oakes have been named the Verizon Wireless Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for March 8-14. This is the first-ever honor for both. Ortega, a sophomore outfielder from Scottsdale, Ariz., hit .478 with a .696 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage over seven games last week. She was 11-for-23 with two doubles, a home run and nine RBI. During the five games of the Bayer CropScience Tournament, she hit a team-high .500 with nine hits and eight RBI. She had at least two hits in each of the last four games. She had one walk, no strikeouts and no errors as the ‘Dogs went 4-1 at the tournament. She was the leading overall hitter for the tournament and was named to the all-tournament team. Oakes, a sophomore from Bakersfield, Calif., went 2-0 in 17.2 innings. For the week, she allowed just 10 hits, five runs and three walks and struck out 13 batters. She was named MVP of the Bayer CropScience Tournament after throwing the first perfect game of her career in a 3-0 win over Georgetown. It was the first perfect game by a Bulldog pitcher since March 25, 2005. It was the second no-hitter of the season for Oakes.

Feb. 14, 2010

+ Oregon State University record set

Sophomore Mary Claire Brenner hit three home runs in a game to break the previous school record of two home runs in a single game. Brenner was a perfect 3-for-3 at the pate against Southern Utah as Oregon State won 11-0 in five innings during play at the Kajikawa Classic.

Feb. 11, 2010

+ Western Nevada softball team finishes weekend with first win

Carson City, Nevada - Western Nevada College's softball team finished with a 1-5 record ending a difficult weekend in Henderson, Nevada on a positive note. The Wildcats lost their first five straight games including their season opener against the defending 2009 NJCAA Division I national champions, Yavapai College of Arizona. WNC fell to Yavapai, 12-2, Arizona Western College, 7-1, Central Arizona College, 7-4, South Mountain College, 8-1 and Pima Community College, 9-1, before earning a 12-0 shutout of Gateway College. First-year Wildcats Coach Leah Wentworth said her team performed well despite the losses. "There were a lot of positives," as WNC scored in every game, and three Wildcats players batted .500 or above for the weekend against "really good competition," she said. "These are year-round teams that have been practicing outside" while the Wildcats have been working indoors and waiting for the snow to melt on Edmonds Park Field A in Carson City, where they will play home games this year. The second year team includes eight freshmen and seven sophomores. Wentworth said her team made significant progress to build on before heading into Scenic West Conference play in a few weeks. "There were things we needed to work on, defensively, and we were putting the ball in play," she said. "I feel good about where we started and where we are going." The Wildcats next head to St. George, Utah for doubleheaders against Salt Lake Community College (Feb. 10-11) and Colorado Northwestern Community College (Feb. 12-13).

Jan. 31, 2010

+ Nevada pitcher named to ASA's Top 50 Watch List

Nevada senior pitcher Katie Holverson, the 2009 WAC Pitcher of the Year, has been named to the Top 50 Watch List for the 2010 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. Holverson is 61-31 with a 2.23 ERA in her career at Nevada. Last year, she went 28-11 with a 1.70 earned-run average in leading the Wolf Pack to its second straight WAC title and NCAA Tournament appearance. This award, which is considered the most prestigious honors in Division I women's collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. The 2010 Pre-Season Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 35 schools and 14 different NCAA Division I Conferences. The list includes 27 seniors, 17 juniors and six sophomores. The list will be cut to 10 on May 12 and the final three finalists will be announced on May 26. The winner of the 2010 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced prior to the start of the 2010 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
+ 2010 National Preseason Polls

The USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.COM/USA Softball Division I preseason polls have been released and NCAA defending national and Pac-10 champion Washington has been ranked No. 1 in both polls. The Huskies, coming off their first-ever national championship in 2009, enter the 2010 campaign as the No. 1 preseason pick for the first time in school history. Washington returns 2009 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and Women's College World Series Most Offensive Player Danielle Lawrie in 2010. Other key offensive players also returning to help the Huskies defend its national title, include All-American junior shortstop Jenn Salling, junior infielder Morgan Stuart, sophomore infielder Niki Williams and sophomore outfielder Kimi Pohlman. The Huskies begin defense of their title on February 11 against Auburn in Tempe, Ariz. In the NFCA poll, which is voted on by NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each Conference, tabbed Washington as the unanimous No. 1. ARIZONA STATE came in at No. 5, ARIZONA at No. 6, UCLA at No. 8, and rounding out the top 10 was STANFORD at No. 10. The sixth Pac-10 squad is CALIFORNIA, which was picked at No. 12. In the USA Softball Collegiate top 25 poll, Washington nabbed No. 1 with 17 first-place votes. Arizona was tabbed No. 4, UCLA No. 6, followed by Arizona State at No. 7. California came in at No. 11, followed by Bay Area-rival Stanford at No. 12. Also receiving votes in the poll was OREGON. Arizona State is coming off its fourth-consecutive NCAA Women's College World Series appearance IN 2009. The Sun Devils return a strong squad highlighted by sophomore pitcher Hillary Bach who tallied 31 wins in 2009, ranking third all-time in the ASU single-season records. The Sun Devils begin their season on February 11 with a doubleheader against Mississippi and San Jose State in Tempe, Ariz. The Arizona Wildcats are coming off their 21st appearance in the Women's College World Series in 22 years. They return a strong team in 2010, with junior outfielder Brittany Lastrapes leading the way. Lastrapes was Arizona's only first team NFCA All-American in 2009, batting .481 with only 14 strikeouts. The Wildcats begin their 2010 campaign on February 12 with a doubleheader against Western Michigan and Purdue in Tempe, Ariz. UCLA is coming off a 45-11 campaign in 2009 reaching the NCAA Super Regional title game. The squad is led by senior pitcher Megan Langenfeld who was 17-2 last season. UCLA begin its season on February 12 vs. Georgia in Clermont, Fla. The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll 1 Washington 2 Alabama 3 Florida 4 Michigan 5 Arizona St. 6 Arizona 7 Georgia 8 UCLA 9 Missouri 10 Stanford 11 Oklahoma 12 California 13 Georgia Tech 14 Ohio St. 15 Northwestern 16 Tennessee 17 Baylor 18 LSU 19 North Carolina 20 Massachusetts ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 1. Washington 2. Alabama 3. Michigan 4. Arizona 5. Florida 6. UCLA 7. Arizona State 8. Georgia 9. Missouri 10. Oklahoma 11. California 12. Stanford 13. LSU 14. Georgia Tech 15. Baylor 16. Ohio State 17. Northwestern 18. Tennessee 19. Florida State 20. DePaul 21. Louisville 22. North Carolina 23. ULL 24. Fresno State 25. UMass

Jan. 16, 2010

+ 2009 Palm Springs Toys for Tots Tourney

PALM SPRINGS, CA -- Amidst the worst rain, mudslides, rock falls and economy in recent Southern California memory, the sun shone on the Toys for Tots USSSA softball tournament in Palm Springs. The tournament got underway on Friday night December 11. Director Jerry Ramsay was confident, yet somewhat apprehensive, about whether the 108+ teams would get to complete the games on Sunday. The sun shone, however, on the 25th annual Toys for Tots Tournament and even though rain fell during the day on Friday and in the middle of the night on Saturday, the fields were groomed and dry by the games' start at 6 p.m. on Friday night and then again on Sunday morning at 8 a.m. Ramsay extends a huge thank you to the maintenance crews of Big League Dreams in Cathedral City and to the maintenance crews of the cities of Palm Springs and Palm Desert for making sure that the fields were perfect. "Also thank you to 1st SGT. O'Toole and a special thank you to SGT. Malendoski for her great coordinating of the marine detail that collected the toys." SANTA CAME… And, then there was Santa. From the team of NW Combat/CJ Financial/Elite, a veteran player in the Toys for Tots Tournaments, Jessie Wozniak and Candy Campbell of CJ FINANCIAL became so overwhelmed that they went out and bought more than $7,000 in toys from the local Walmart to donate to the Marines for this year's tournament. Jessie and Candy come all the way from Detroit, Michigan each year to play. This year, his donation of toys helped to set the record of "Most Toys Donated" in Toys' history. The toys are given to kids who are at risk, and who might not otherwise have a Santa in their lives at Christmas. Thanks, Jessie and Candy. "This was the 10th year in a row that we have had more than 100 teams play at the Toys for Tots Tournament in Palm Springs ," said Ramsay, the Tournament Director. "We were very pleased that the games went off without a hitch, and we are thankful for such strong support from the teams and players." Tournament winners were: Open Division - 1st -- Sunnyvale/Fine Design; 2nd -- Famouns/Hartzell/Easton Mixed Division -- 1st -- Class Acts Auto Body; 2nd -- FTB C Division -- 1st -- Kongs; 2nd -- No Ego E Division -- 1st -- Paper Trail; 2nd -- Kuz We Can

Jan. 7, 2010

+ USA softball's Jennie Finch raises funds for nPlay Foundation

The nPLAY Foundation, a nationwide organization dedicated to helping reverse the rate of childhood obesity in the United States has announced that USA Softball superstar Jennie Finch has committed to help raise funds for the organization by teaming up with MyCelebritees—a one-of-a-kind company that partners with celebrities to support charities through the sales of unique apparel. Finch has an ongoing partnership with nPLAY, and sees MyCelebritees as the ideal way to supplement the donations she already makes to the group. Finch designed a T-shirt based on her personal motto—"Dream and Believe"—that is now available to the public via www.mycelebritees.com. Twenty-five percent of all sales of the shirt will be donated to nPLAY to help support the organization's mission. "We are thrilled to know that Jennie has chosen our organization as the beneficiary for her partnership with MyCelebritees," said Michael Maccia, Founder of nPLAY. "Jennie has been wonderful about her support of our group for some time, and this is yet another effort on her behalf to help make a difference in the lives of America's youth. It is truly amazing to know that she is committed to helping inspire, motivate and give back to our organization." "This cause is a very important one, and I am honored to help the nPLAY foundation achieve its goals," said Finch. "I strongly encourage everyone to support this wonderful group by visiting mycelebritees.com and picking up a ‘Dream and Believe' shirt for themselves or a loved one."

Dec. 18, 2009

+ Arizona Softball of Fame

The 2009 Arizona Softball Hall of Fame Class were honored at the Hall of Fame Banquet which was attended by 240 honorees and guests. The 2009 class included Annie Jackson Sierras, Rojelia Holguin, Betty Hamman, Gary Clifford and Tom Bowen in the players category and Mike Candrea and Lloyd Jenney in the contributor category. The 2000 and 2001 Arizona Storm Women's Open Major Team was also inducted for winning back to back ASA National Championships. Nominations for the 2010 Softball Hall of Fame are now being accepted. To nominate a female player or contributor contact JoAnna Burton at 623-979-6823. To nominate a male player or contributor contact either Paul Rubin at 602-229-8433 or John White at 520-836-6096.

Dec. 12, 2009

+ NSA Unlimited Homerun Tournaments

December 5th was a busy day for NSA as they hosted Men's E and Men's D Unlimited Homerun Tournaments at Big League Dreams in Cathedral City, California. In the Men's E division Orange County's MD-12 had a tough first game loss (33-13 in four inning) and were so discouraged they almost went home. Lucky for them they decided to stick around as they ended up taking the top spot and winning 12 Easton bats. "We came back to make the playoffs as the 6th seed, and knocked off the 3rd seed handily in our first playoff game to set up a rematch against the team that had beaten us so badly earlier in the day. In order to advance to the championship game, MD-12 rallied to put up nine huge runs in the bottom of the 7th, capped off by a walk-off homerun by Tourney MVP Scott (Mac) McDonald to win 35-34," said MD-12's Max Derseweh. In the championship game against Team BTG, MD-12 never gave up and continued bringing run after run. To cap off the long day, in the bottom of the 7th inning MD-12's Scott McDonald pitched a 3-batter shutout inning to pull off the championship victory with a score of 41-35. Shawn Scobee and Stewart (Unit) Denningham each hit 10 homers for the day and the team hit 70 homers and scored 183 runs in 6 games. With over 24 teams participating in this event, the day was a huge success. "Games were on time and teams were evenly matched due to the director's pre-tourney diligence and all aspects of the tournament were smooth. MD-12 would like to thank Armando Acosta, Victor Rivera, and Steven Baker for putting on such a great show." In the very competitive D Division, Cleanrite also took home an early holiday gift of 12 Easton bats for coming out on top of the 8 team tournament. "I will definitely have this on my teams tournament schedule for next December because I know it will definitely be the can't miss tournament for years to come," said Cleanrite's Jeremi Pulido.

Nov. 21, 2009

+ Softball signings for Oregon State

Corvallis, Ore. -- Hannah Bouska (Salem, Ore./McNary HS) and Isabelle Batayola (Seattle, Wash./Roosevelt HS) have both committed to play for the Oregon State softball team in 2011 announced head coach Kirk Walker. "Both Hannah and Izzy are tremendous athletes that have dynamic and explosive skills," Walker said. "It is always exciting to add great athletes from the Northwest that have Pac 10 level playing skills." Hannah Bouska comes to Oregon State after being named a three-time All-Conference selection. She has consistently hit over .400 and posted an on-base percentage of over .500 at all levels of play that she's competed in. She was named the 2008 Oregonlive.com Fans Player of the Year. Bouska has been a multi-sport athlete, competing in basketball, volleyball and running varsity cross country. And outside of athletics, she volunteers her time with the Keizer Giving Tree Program, Special Olympics, serving as a teacher's assistant at a local grade school and putting on softball clinics. "Hannah has been playing at the Gold level for a while now and competed in the Gold Nationals as a junior," Walker said. "We see Hannah's explosive speed and dynamic style of play to be an exciting addition to our program. She brings great speed and surprising power and is a solid defensive player." Isabelle Batayola is coming off a junior season, where she served as team captain that culminated in All-King County Second Team honors at shortstop and being named Roosevelt High School's Most Valuable Player. She received the same accolades as a sophomore and was named to the All-King County Honorable Mention squad as a freshman. In travel ball, Batayola was a member of the ASA 16A National Championship team, was a Colorado Fireworks Champion and Valley Invite Champion. She played for the NW Blaze for the 2009 season. In addition to her play on the field, Batayola also has been named to her school's honor roll and is a member of the National Honor Society. "Izzy brings a ton of versatility and some very high level experience," Walker said. "She played for the Beaverton Blaze 16U team that won the ASA National Championship this last summer. Being an integral part of a championship level team is a very special experience that helps a player set high level expectations personally as well as team wise."
+ Fresno State Bulldogs add two

FRESNO, Ca. -- Head Fresno State softball coach Margie Wright signed two student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Chavonnia "Vonnie" Martin and Brooke Ortiz will attend Fresno State and play for Wright beginning in 2010. Martin is an infielder from Plano Senior High School in Plano, Texas. She is a three-year varsity letter winner and entering her senior season she is the team captain. She has helped lead her team to a 75-25 record in three years and back-to-back District Championships. Last year, PSHS posted an impressive 29-6 record. Martin broke the single-season home run record her sophomore year as she hit seven home runs and batted .393 with 40 RBI's. She is a three-time NFCA All-American scholar-athlete, a two-time first-time all-district honoree, the two-time PSHS Offensive MVP, a Dallas Morning News all-area second-team honoree, a NFCA all-region second-team honoree, was named to the TGCA all-state second-team and was selected by VYPE Magazine as one of the Top 20 Texas High School softball/baseball players. "Vonnie is one of those kids that not a lot of people noticed and she was a diamond in the rough," Wright said. "My hope is that she will give us extra power offensively and hopefully be a person we can build our offensive around. I can't wait for her to get her." Ortiz is a switch hitting shortstop from Lodi High School in Lodi, Calif. She made second-team infield her sophomore year and first-team her junior year. Her sophomore season, Ortiz hit .361 with a .454 on base percentage, leading the team in runs and hits as they posted a 20-10 record and made the Division I section playoffs. In 2009-09 her junior season, she hit .295 for LHS and scoring 19 runs while driving in another nine as her team went 22-8. Ortiz also played for the Runnin' Rebels and the Lodi Extreme. With the Extreme, she was named the 16-U MVP at Babe Ruth as she hit .571. She has an overall GPA of 3.8 and is consistently on the honor roll. "Brooke is a very exciting athlete and I think she is really going to bring a new dimension to our team," Wright added. "She is very versatile. I can use her anywhere and I think she will come through very well. There is a lot to be said about her excitement to come here and I think she will have a good career."

Nov. 17, 2009

+ So. Cal NSA tournament

Paper Trail/Ceanrite dominated the Nov. 7th Men's E tournament held at Rancho Quakes Stadium in Southern California. They finished the six team tourney with a perfect 3-0 record, defeating second place finisher J.B.S. 18-3 in the championship game. Paper Trail crushed VIP 52-7 to advance to the final while J.B.S. squeaked by Can I Hit 21-18. Tanner Elliott and Paul Padovano were named all tourney for Paper Trail and Trevor Lindzy and Carlos Ortiz were honored by J.B.S.

Nov. 12, 2009

+ Nevada softball team signs four

RENO, NV. -- The University of Nevada softball team has signed four outstanding high school athletes to National Letters of Intent. Second-year coach Matt Meuchel said "We are excited about the 2010 class, each of them individually as well as collectively. We have continued to be able to add athleticism to our roster with this group. Every player in this class has the ability to play multiple positions for us here at Nevada. Maybe the biggest statement about the athleticism of this class is the fact that the only pitcher we signed can play several other defensive positions and hit in the middle of our lineup. One of the other things that we love about this class is that each of the players will bring a blue-collar work ethic and pride themselves in outworking the competition." The signees are: Bailey Brewer, a pitcher/utility player from Sedro Woolley High School in Mt. Vernon, Wash.; Caylin Campbell, a second baseman from Westlake High School in Westlake Village, Calif.; Karley Hopkins, a second baseman/outfielder from Spanish Springs High School in Sparks, Nev.; and Wendy Tamayo, a catcher/utility player from Mater Dei Catholic High School in Chula Vista, Calif. The Wolf Pack were 40-19 overall in 2009 and claimed a share of its second straight Western Athletic Conference title with a 15-5 league record. Nevada received an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament, where it competed at the Palo Alto (Calif.) regional. Nevada will open the 2010 season in February at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.

Oct. 24, 2009

+ Olympian Jennie Finch re-signs with Mizuno

Mizuno USA, Inc. has announced that the company has re-signed two-time Olympic Medalist and member of the National Professional Fastpitch's Chicago Bandits, Jennie Finch, to a multi-year contract extension. Finch and Mizuno have partnered together since 2002, when she first joined the brand's roster. "Re-signing Jennie Finch demonstrates Mizuno's continued commitment to fastpitch softball and women's athletics," said Bob Puccini, President Mizuno USA, Inc., and Chairman, Mizuno Canada, Ltd. "Jennie is one of the elite athletes in the history of women's fastpitch softball and continues to serve as an outstanding symbol for the character, dedication, and performance that both Mizuno and Jennie bring to the game. She is an excellent ambassador for female athletes all over the world." Finch was one of the premier players on the USA Women's National Team which took home the Silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and the Gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Before that, Finch was a three-time, first team All-American, and two-time Honda Player of the Year while playing for the University of Arizona. She is one of the most dominant pitchers in the history of fastpitch softball, and currently holds the NCAA record for most consecutive wins with 60. "For almost a decade I have been proud to work with the Mizuno team on the Jennie Finch signature product line," said Finch. "Mizuno has enabled me to fulfill my dream of developing the best products for the fastpitch player, and I am thrilled to continue my relationship with a company that has believed in me and my dreams." "Mizuno is proud to have Jennie Finch, the premier softball player in the world, to represent our brand and line of products," said Dick Grapenthin, Vice President and General Manager for the Diamond Sports Division, Mizuno USA. "Jennie is a world class hitter and pitcher and a truly professional person. We are excited to have Jennie staying with the Mizuno team." Finch will continue to contribute her feedback in the research and development process. The current line-up of Mizuno fastpitch products includes several Finch™ series items including the Franchise Finch™ Series of fastpitch ball gloves, the Jennie Finch™ Signature Series fastpitch bat, the Finch™ Premier G2 batting gloves, Jennie Finch™ Low Rise Slider w/ Padding compression shorts, and 9-Spike™ Finch™ Mid and Low G4 Cleats.

Oct. 19, 2009

+ Registration Open for Real Skilz Bat Manufacturers' Challenge

The City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department is accepting registration for its inaugural Real Skilz Bat Manufacturers' Challenge through Oct. 27. Registration is $250 per team, which includes sanction fees. The slow-pitch softball tournament will be held Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at Arroyo Grande Sports Complex, 298 Arroyo Grande Blvd., and Russell Road Recreation Complex, 5901 E. Russell Rd. Teams can register for one of four divisions: men's open, men's D, men's E, and co-rec D. There will be unlimited home runs allowed in each division and all games are NSA officiated. Co-rec division play is Sunday only. In addition to the tournament, the event will feature a home run derby on the evening of Friday, Oct. 30, with the top two finishers receiving a manufacturer's bat. The derby winner will advance to compete against bat manufacturers' representatives in a final round face-off. Manufacturers include Miken and Mizuno, represented by Denny Crine and Johnny Bailey respectively. Awards packages will be presented for first, second and third place. For additional information or to register, call the City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department Sports office at 702-267-5717, or visit the Sports office at Arroyo Grande Sports Complex.
+ Bill Plummer announces new business

Former ASA Hall of Fame Manager Bill Plummer III has started a new business called BPIII Productions, which will be based in Oklahoma City. "I've gotten to know a lot of people the past 30 plus years and I feel I can be of help to them with some phase of softball. If they need a newsletter for their association, a guest speaker for their Hall of Fame banquet or some softball research, we will be able to help," said Plummer. Helping Plummer with his new venture is Larry Floyd, a former ASA staff member, who has a varied background in communications and journalism. "Larry will handle the design portion of the business and can also write when needed," said Plummer, who also will be working for Anaconda Trump Softballs. Anyone interested in contacting Plummer can reach him at BPlummer1@cox.net or call him at (405) 208-1580 in Oklahoma City. His mailing address is BPIII Productions, 8513 Crestline Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73132.

Sept. 21, 2009

+ Smoke Tournament Results

The 27th Annual Smoke Softball Tournament was held at the Golden Eagle Regional Park in Sparks, NV over the Sept. 19-20th weekend. Three divisions were held with 56 teams participating. Top placing teams were: Coed 1st - Team Famous from Fairfield, CA; 2nd - Free Agents from Sparks, NV; 3rd - Early-N-Often from Vacaville, CA; 4th Just 2 Hit from San Lorenzo, CA. Men's D 1st - North State Chico from Chico, CA; 2nd - Mpact from Daly City, CA; 3rd - R.U.M. from Sacramento, CA; 4th Darkside from Reno, NV. Men's E 1st Don't Trip from Dixon, CA; 2nd - Northbound from Gilroy, CA; 3rd - APerfectgame.com from Nevada City, CA; 4th - Local from Napa, CA.

Sept. 16, 2009

+ Smoke Tournament 2009 Brackets Posted!

Click below to view your bracket for the Smoke Tournament this weekend at Golden Eagle Park. Men's E: PDF Men's E Loser's Bracket: PDF Coed: PDF Coed Loser's Bracket: PDF Men's D: PDF To view .pdf files, you will need to have adobe acrobat viewer installed. For more information you can visit adobe's website to read about or download it: http://www.adobe.com

Sept. 14, 2009

+ Thunder versus Envy photos

Thunder versus Envy in Sacramento photos are now posted on www.gethotshots.net

Sept. 11, 2009

+ World Masters Games Countdown

The action begins in exactly 30 days (on October 10) in Sydney, Australia, with the venue used to host the 2000 Olympic softball competition at the center of the games. There will be quite an Olympic aura surrounding the softball competition at the World Masters Games this year as one of the entries will be a team that reunites the members of the 1996 Australian Olympic softball team, which represented that country in the sport's debut in the Summer Games, which were held 13 years ago in Atlanta, Georgia. Softball will be the second largest sport in terms of participation at next month's 7th World Masters Games, a multi-sport event that takes place every four years. In addition to the host nation, softball teams are coming from Austria, Botswana, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and USA. For more details visit www.2009worldmasters.com.

Aug. 21, 2009

+ Andy Dominique joins Nevada Wolf Pack Coaching Staff

RENO, Nev. — Nevada Hall of Famer and former major leaguer Andy Dominique has joined the Wolf Pack softball program as a full-time assistant coach, second-year head coach Matt Meuchel announced today. Dominique will serve primarily as a hitting coach and will also work with the Wolf Pack's catchers. "We are excited to have Andy back with our program," Meuchel said. "He is an exceptional teacher of the game and the players respond well to him. Andy has a tremendous love and loyalty for the University of Nevada and we are excited to have his passion for the game and for this university as part of our coaching staff." This is Dominique's second tenure with the team as he served as the program's volunteer assistant coach during the Pack's record-breaking 2008 season. "I'm excited to be back on campus with softball program and working with a tremendous group of student-athletes," Dominique said. "Coach Meuchel has done a great job with this program and I'm excited to be part of it." Dominique played four years for the Pack baseball team from 1994 to 97. He was the 1997 Big West Conference Player of the Year and was twice selected to the All-Big West team. As a senior, he was named an All-American by Louisville Slugger, the American Baseball Coaches Association and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1997 he played in the major leagues with Boston, Toronto and Seattle and he earned a World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2004. Dominique was enshrined in the Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame last fall. He holds Nevada records with 62 career home runs and 30 home runs in a season (1997). In 1997 he drove in a school-record 96 runs and his 239 career RBI ranks second in school history. In addition to serving as the team's hitting coach, he will also be involved in scouting and various administrative duties.

Aug. 16, 2009

+ IOC did not include softball in 2016 Olympic Games

Berlin, (Germany); 13th August 2009: The president of the International Softball Federation, Don Porter, issued the following statement today following the decision by the International Olympic Committee Executive Board that did not include softball among the two sports that will be recommended to the IOC Session in October for a vote on sports to be added to the 2016 Olympic Games Programme: "The ISF and wider softball family is certainly disappointed by today's decision by the IOC Executive Board not to recommend softball for reinstatement onto the Olympic Games Programme in 2016. "However, we respect the IOC's decision and I tip my cap to golf and rugby for getting recommended and offer my sentiments to the other four sports that were not successful today. "The ISF has worked tirelessly for more than four years since we were voted off the 2012 Olympic Programme and we have made tremendous advances in that time. "Softball has more players, a long list of member federations, a more solid and appropriate organizational framework, and development programs that are producing phenomenal results on every continent. "Our anti-doping record is second to none and our culture and aspirations blend perfectly with the values that the IOC seeks to promote. "For softball, reinstatement to the Olympic Games would have been the catalyst for further sustainable global growth, demonstrating the power of the Games. "Softball players continue to dream of Olympic gold, the ultimate prize in our sport, and we will carry on our campaign for Olympic reinstatement to prove to the IOC that our sport fits with Olympic values and ambitions and deserves a place on merit on the Games Programme."

Aug. 10, 2009

+ 2009 Little League Softball World Series field set

Portland, OR. -- The Little League Softball World Series begins on Thursday August 13th. The 2009 field features four international teams and six teams from the US. The 2009 Field: International Teams: Asia Pacific- Guam Little League from Hagatna, Guam Europe/Middle East/ Africa- Lombardia Little League from Milano, Italy Latin America- Soraida Juliana Little League Willemstad from Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. Canada- Windsor South Canadians Little League from Windsor, Ontario US Teams: East- West Point Little League from Greensburg, Pennsylvania West- Nunaka Valley Little League from Anchorage, Alaska Southwest- Crawford Little League from Crawford, Texas Southeast- Warner Robins American Little League from Warner Robins, Georgia Central- Croswell Lexington Little League from Croswell, Michigan District 4/Oregon- Beaverton area Little League from Beaverton, Oregon Admission is free to all tournament games. The semi-finals on August 18th and finals on August 19th will be shown live on ESPN.

Aug. 7, 2009

+ Team USA dominating in Japan

In Sendai City, Japan Jennie Finch was dominating as she led Team USA to the Gold Medal at the 2009 Japan Cup with solid pitching and stellar hitting. Defeating the Japanese 2-0 in front of 2,600 fans, the USA took home the hardware for the fifth time in the six-year history of the event.
+ USA Softball Pan American Qualifier team suffers loss

In Maracay, Venezuela the USA Softball Pan American Qualifier team lost to Canada 3-1. The US team will face Argentina on August 8th in their quest to get to the championship. The US team only allowed five hits while playing Canada, but two of those hits were home runs.

Aug. 3, 2009

+ Washington's Danielle Lawried selected as a finalist for Sportswoman of the Year Award

Washington Huskies softball player Danielle Lawrie has been named one of 10 finalists from around the world for the 2009 Women's Sports Foundation's Sportswoman of the Year award. Each year, the Women's Sports Foundation recognizes an individual and team Sportswoman whose performances over a 12-month span has been above and beyond those of their peers. Criteria is based on new records and world championships won. Lawrie is nominated in the team category. Since the team category's inception in 1993, four softball players have won the award, including the past two years, with Stanford's Jessica Mendoza (2008) and Monica Abbott from Tennessee (2007). Previous winners include Lisa Fernandez (1994) from UCLA and Texas' Cat Osterman (2003). To vote for Lawrie log on to: http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/News-And-Events/Awards/Sportswoman-of-the-Year-Award/Vote.aspx?type=team Award winners will be announced on October 13, 2009 and honored at the Annual Salute to Women in Sports Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
+ 2009 Little League Softball World Series Schedule of Events

The 2009 Little League Softball World Series runs August 13th -- 19th at Alpenrose Stadium in Portland, Oregon. The Schedule of Events is below: Tuesday, August 11th: 12:00pm: Team Arrival. The teams will arrive, have lunch, take their ESPN profile shots, team photos, and meet host families. Wednesday, August 12th: 3:00pm: Opening Ceremony. This great tradition will begin with all 10 teams singing their National Anthem while holding that country's flag. The Hillsboro Police Department will be in attendance for the anthem and the opening pitch will be thrown by Carl Cadonau, owner of Alpenrose Dairy and the Alpenrose Mascots Rose II, Alpen Jr., and Alpen III will be dancing to "YMCA". 4:30pm: Shutt Sports Skills Challenge includes a pitcher, catcher, runner and batter from each team. The 30 World Series players compete in the skills challenge to win gloves, bats, and bags. Wednesday, August 12th: 4:00pm: Baskin Robins Ice Cream Social. What better event at a famous dairy? Ice cream is served by the visiting umpires. This is a popular event each year and it offers the players a chance to meet one another, along with the umpires. Thursday, August 13 2:00pm: Games begin and run through the Championship game on August 19th. Saturday, August 15 12:00pm: Challenger softball game for kids with special needs. All 10 teams will be invited to be "buddies" and assist the Challenger kids with hitting, running, and throwing. 2:30pm: Player appreciation occurs in the 600 seat Opera House. Teams gather to receive gifts of jackets, t-shirts, and other goodies that have been donated. 3:30pm: Home Run Derby is open to anyone who would like to participate. The fundraiser is $10.00 for 10 pitches and there are prizes for 6 different categories: World Series players, kids 12 and under, females 18 and up, males 18 and up, females 13-17, and males 13-17. 8:00pm to 12:00pm: Adult Fun Night fundraiser with drinks, snacks, blackjack, games and dice games. Prizes are given out and entry is $20.00 for $100.00 worth of chips. This is a 21 and over event and is held at the Shilo Inn and Suites on Canyon Road in Beaverton. Tuesday August 18th: 10:00am: All Star Game. Little League has a tradition of doing their "All Star" game in a unique way. The players off each team that have played the fewest defensive innings are invited to play in this special game. It's a wonderful opportunity for the players to mix with other players and allow their teammates to cheer them on.

July 26, 2009

+ You can help Salem Little Leaguers

The South Salem/Sprague girl's Little League have had their storage/concession stand broken into for the third time since March. The stand is located at the Leslie Middle School in Salem, Oregon. The latest attack resulted in the thieves stealing $1200 worth of softball equipment, along with the generator to power the stand and hundreds of dollars worth of candy and food. League co-vice president Steve Galyen said that the league is funded by donations and registrations fees and the latest attack has left them with a huge hole to dig out of, especially with the state tournament coming up. "I don't think we will have time to replace everything that was taken," said Galyen. If anyone would like to donate equipment, please contact Steve Galyen at 503-871-0453.
+ Softball tells IOC: ‘A vote for us is a vote for a clean sport'

International Softball Federation President Don Porter is urging the International Olympic Committee to back softball's campaign for Olympic reinstatement in 2016, reiterating the sport's exemplary anti-doping record at the highest level. The tremendously successful Olympic softball competition at Fengtai Softball Field in Beijing last summer, which entertained more than 180,000 fans, recorded not a single positive doping test, maintaining softball's perfect record over all four of the sport's appearances in the Summer Games. More than 250 tests have been undertaken recently both in and out of competition with updated directives distributed to the ISF's 127 member national softball federations. Softball's clean record has been credited as one of many reasons why softball's popularity continues to grow with huge increases in the number of young people across the world who are taking up the sport each year.

July 21, 2009

+ 2009 Boneyard Blast Results

Check out the final results of the 2009 Boneyard Blast Tournament [here].

July 20, 2009

+ USA wins Border Battle

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — When's slow pitch softball's version of the Dream Team—the USA Men's Slow Pitch National Team—is losing 16-8 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, some people might have wondered what was going on Saturday at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.,in the inaugural Border Battle, a game televised by ESPN. Head Coach of USA Men's National Slow Pitch Team Steve Shortland (Overland, Kan.) was not one of them, however. "But I was a little bit concerned," Shortland said after watching his team, comprised of the best players in the USA, rally from eight runs down to defeat Canada 30-23 in a game that took only one hour and 36 minutes. Shortland figured his team needed to get in the "groove, relax and play" the game they are capable of. But that didn't happen until the fourth inning. By that time Canada, which jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, continued to add to its margin and by the bottom of the fourth had built its margin to eight runs, 16-8. Then the USA, which had used the big inning in winning three exhibition games, scored 17 runs on 17 hits in the bottom of the fourth to turn the game around and move into a comfortable 25-16 lead. If Canada, which collected 27 hits to 37 for the USA, was to stay in contention it needed to come right back and score some runs in the top of the fifth. Canada went scoreless, however, against USA winning pitcher Andy Purcell (Naples, Fla.) and never recovered from the USA onslaught. Losson White (Omaha. Neb.) pitched the final two innings for the USA to earn a save. In a big game, it pays to use your home runs wisely, considering each team was allowed only ten. That strategy paid off for the USA in the fourth inning with the USA having hit only two homers through the first three innings. But in the fourth, the USA took seven balls out of the yard with Jason Kendrick's (Naples, Fla.) three-run blast over right field tying the score at 16-all. Although the USA scored only once in the bottom half of the fifth after Canada went scoreless, the big inning proved to be the difference as the USA added four more runs in the sixth and didn't have to bat in the bottom of the seventh as Canada scored three in the sixth and fourth in the seventh. Losing pitcher Brian Higginbotham (Orleans, Ontario) went four-for-four and had three of his team's eight homers, driving in six runs.

July 19, 2009

+ 2009 World Games

The 8th World Games, the world's second largest international sports tournament, which continue until July 26, will bring together almost 5,000 athletes from 105 countries. A four-day fastpitch softball competition features women's teams from Canada, Chinese Taipei, Japan, (South) Korea, Russia, and Singapore. ISF President Don Porter, who will go to Kaohsiung shortly, said, "This is an extremely busy time for softball and the World Games provides a further opportunity to promote the BackSoftball campaign for Olympic reinstatement.
+ Men's World Championship

Sixteen teams from six continents are bidding for world glory at the XII International Softball Federation Men's World Championship, being played in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The best male players from Africa, North and South America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania are playing in the ten-day event, which is expected to attract capacity crowds through to the final games on July 26. The 2009 edition of the world's peak men's fast pitch softball competition, which is played once every four years, features teams from Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Great Britain, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Africa, USA, and Venezuela. ISF President Don Porter said, "The Men's World Championship is currently the pinnacle event on the men's softball calendar, although we have offered the IOC the option of including a men's tournament should they decide to allow us back onto the Olympic Programme in 2016.

July 16, 2009

+ The BackSoftball Campaign

In Lausanne, Switzerland, International Softball Federation President Don Porter has urged the International Olympic Committee to reinstate softball to the Olympic Programme to help meet Olympic challenges in the 21st century. Don Porter stated "A vote for softball is a vote for the Olympic values that the IOC promotes across the world". The BackSoftball team in Lausanne met with the IOC Executive Board to highlight the progress and development the sport has made in recent years and the opportunities it provides in under-developed and troubled areas of the world. A final decision on which sports will be added to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will be made at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen in October this year.
+ 2009 KFC World Cup of Softball

Team USA defeated the Netherlands 7-2 in their first game of the 2009 KFC World Cup of Softball taking place at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK. Jennie Finch struck out 11 in a relief appearance. Team USA will face Italy in their second game on July 17, 2009.

July 7, 2009

+ FDI comes back to win D Division of Challenge

FDI, Sore Pecker Softball Club and the Free Agents were the winners of the 26th Annual Softball West Challenge. Read about the event in the latest issue of Softball West Magazine on newsstands now.

June 17, 2009

+ 2009 Softball West Challenge Brackets Posted!

Click below to view your bracket for the 2009 Softball West Challenge Tournament this weekend at Golden Eagle Park. Men's E: here Men's D: here Coed: here

June 13, 2009

+ Public support growing for softball reinstatement

World Softball Day (June 13) has been themed as BackSoftball Day in support of the International Softball Federation's campaign to get softball reinstated back into the Olympic Games in 2016. A presentation to the IOC is scheduled for next week with a final decision to be made in October.

June 5, 2009

+ Washington wins WCWS

The Huskies won their first ever title defeating Florida 3-2. Look for story and photos in the next issue of Softball West.

May 31, 2009

+ Nevada softball team hosts camp

The University of Nevada softball team is hosting a pair of girls softball camps from June 15-18. The sessions are divided into 2nd through 8th grade and 9th through 12th grade. For information call 775-682-6923 or register online at www.extendedstudies.unr.edu.

May 22, 2009

+ Easton signs on as sponsor of Softball West Challenge

The 26th Annual Softball West Magazine Challenge, June 20-21, has picked up another sponsor and increased the trophy and prize package. Along with the already top quality awards, Easton will be giving away bats. As part of Easton's sponsorship of the Softball West Challenge, bats will be given to the MVP of each division as well as one bat for the first and second place teams in each division. Easton will also have a manufacturers representative with the Easton 2009 bat line on display. The Softball West Challenge is also a WSL Qualifier for the WSL West Coast Championship to be held Oct. 8-11 at the Golden Eagle Regional Park in Sparks, Nevada. The top four teams in each division will earn berths.
+ Follow your team to the Women's College World Series

Click this link to get a copy of the NCAA Division 1 Softball Super Regional Tournament bracket and follow your team to see if they make it to the final eight and a trip to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. The first championship game will be on June 1st. Look for complete results in the Summer issue of Softball West Magazine.

May 11, 2009

+ Nevada's Holverson named WAC Pitcher of the Year

Katie Holverson was named WAC pitcher of the Year going 23-8 with a 1.61 ERA for the regular season. Six Nevada players made the 2009 All-WAC team. The Nevada team finished second in the WAC tournament and will play Cal Poly on May 15 in the NCAA Division 1 Softall Tournament.

April 5, 2009

+ Photos from Skilsz HR Derby & Tourney

Photos from the Skilsz Tournament and Home Run Derby held at the Golden Eagle Regional in Sparks, Nevada are now on gethotshots.net. Look for a complete story in the next of Softball West Magazine.

March 21, 2009

+ Northern Nevada teams show up for Shrek

The Northern Nevada softball community showed up on March 21, 2009 at the Rancho San Rafael Park at the Benefit and Celebration Memorial Tournament for popular player Richard "Shrek" Mercer. Mercer passed away unexpectedly on March 7th. Teams played in a double elimination tournament, had a home run derby and raffle to help raise money for his family.
+ Quijada Benefit raffle planned

The Northern California softball community will be selling raffle tickets for Ed Quijada. Winners will be announced at Lions Park on May 16th at 8:00 pm during the Hangtown Active 20-30 Club Men's Wood Bat Tournament which is also being held as a fund raiser for the Quijada family. Ed played for the Ripstix team out of Redding, CA for years. Ed was involved in a serious automobile accident that has left him paralyzed for the time being. For information on the raffle or tournament contact Dallas Sweeney at 530-409-0974 or dal2030@sbcglobal.net.

March 9, 2009

+ Memorial Tournament for Rich "Shrek" Mercer

The field at Rancho San Rafael Park, Reno, NV has been resered for Saturday, March 21st with a 9:00am start to hold the Memorial Tournament Fundraiser/Benefit for Rich "Shrek" Mercer. The promoters have put alot of thought into this tournament on how Rich would have liked to have it played, knowing that he has touched alot of the softball ladies hearts, they would like them to be included as well. So all teams must have at least 2 gals playing or more if you wish. This will also be an equalizer tournament. The entry fee will be $225 and will be a double elimination. There will also be raffle prizes, T-shirts and much more. The deadline for entering will be Thursday, March 19th. Should you wish to enter, please email atenguys@yahoo.com. All proceeds will go to his family in order to pay for the costs associated with his untimely death. If you wish to make a contribution an account will be set up under the Richard H. Mercer Estate at Bank of America on Wednesday, March 11th.

Feb. 16, 2009

+ San Francisco Men's Fastpitch League

The San Francisco Men's Fastpitch League spring season begins play on March 27, 2009. For information call the league office at 415-831-6317 or e-mail them at leagueoffice@sfsoftball.com

Feb. 8, 2009

+ Modernizing Mather

The new Mather Sports Center in Sacramento, CA made its debut in January as a state-of-the-art three field complex with field turf fields, beautiful lighting, huge dugouts and stadium seating. Read more in the Feb/Mar issue of Softball West Magazine.

Jan. 18, 2009

+ Be A Power Hitter

Look for our April issue's conditioning story. Peter Twists article will focus on developing core strength and rotary power to increase hitting power and bat speed.

Jan. 4, 2009

+ Idaho State announces new assistant

Shelly Prochaska has been named assistant softball coach at Idaho State University. Prochaska was one of the top softball players in Oregon State University history. Read more about her in the Feb/March issue of Softball West Magazine.

Dec. 20, 2008

+ Greater San Joaquin ASA Hall of Fame Ceremony

The 2009 Greater San Joaquin ASA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on January 17th at the Jackson Hall, Lodi Grape Festival Grounds in Lodi, California. The event begins at 6:00 pm and tickets are $25 each. For tickets call Matt Pfeifer at 209-484-5036.
+ Oregon Softball Camp

The Oregon State softball program is holding its annual winter camp on Jan. 17-18, 2009 in the Merritt Truax Indoor Center. Go to www.beaversoftballcamp.com and click on "Winter Camp Registration" for more information and registration.

Dec. 9, 2008

+ Umpiring Manual Available Online

The ISF Umpire Manual is now available online. Sections include the 1 or 2 umpire system as well as the 3 or 4 umpire system. To view the pdf files visit www.internationalsoftball.com/english/umpiring/umpiring.asp.

Nov. 25, 2008

+ Pacific Coast Softball Conference Expands

The Pacific Coast Softball Conference will grow to 12 schools beginning with the 2010 season. The PCSC will split into two divisions, the Coastal and Mountain with division winners meeting in a best-of-three championship series to determine the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament berth. New schools California State University Bakersfield, Idaho State University, University of Northern Colorado, Seattle University, Utah Valley University and Weber State University will be joining charter members Loyola Marymount, Portland State, Sacramento State, Saint Mary's, San Diego and Santa Clara.

Nov. 9, 2008

+ March of Dimes Sno*Ball

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 27th Annual Sno*Ball Softball Tournament to be held January 24-25, 2009. Contact the March of Dimes at 775-826-2166 for more information.

Oct. 26, 2008

+ Louisville intros Triton 3-X & H2 Hybrid

Louisville Slugger introduces four new bats for fastpitch and slowpitch. See complete details in the Fall issue of Softball West.

Oct. 24, 2008

+ Gilbert Days Softball

Registration is still open for the 19th Annual Gilbert Days Softball Tournament to be held Nov. 22-23 at the new Big League Dreams in Gilbert, Arizona. Visit www.ci.gilbert.az.us/parks/softballTournament.cfm

Oct. 17, 2008

+ Fall Round-Up

Two undefeated teams faced each other in the 12U division in the Fall Round-Up in Sparks, Nevada on October 5. Find out who they were and results in the upcoming issue of SWM.

Oct. 16, 2008

+ Winter Softball Training

A new series of softball training articles will be featured in SWM. Peter Twist has over 20 years experience in North American training methodologies. The first article in the series will be in the next issue.

Oct. 14, 2008

+ Mendoza named Team Sportswoman of the Year

The Women's Sports Foundation announced today that US Olympic softball team member Jessica Mendoza was honored as Team Sportswoman of the Year at the 29th Annual Salute to Women in Sports. Look for a complete story in the Fall issue of SWM.

Oct. 10, 2008

+ Softball Kingdom company

Softball Kingdom, Inc. is a Florida company that specializes in streamlining softball games over the internet. They recently signed a contract with USSSA. Read more in the next issue.

Oct. 7, 2008

+ Europe World Cup

The International Softball Federation recently announced the new event of the youth Europe World Cup which will take place in August 2009. Read the article in the upcoming issue of Softball West.

Oct. 3, 2008

+ Annual Williams Memorial in Washington

The annual Shannon Williams Memorial tournament took place at the end of September in Walla Walla Washington. Read the highlights in the next issue.

Oct. 2, 2008

+ Reno Christian Softball team has unique jerseys

Reno softball team, Revelation, wears biblical scriptures on their backs. Manager and player, Corey Morris hopes to bring glory to Jesus Christ and repay him for personally saving Morris' life. Read more about how Morris started Revelation in the next issue.

Oct. 1, 2008

+ Las Vegas' Denny Crine wins Bombers championships

Denny Crine from Las Vegas, won the Long Haul Bomber homerun championship tournament. Read the story in the fall issue of SWM.

Sept. 10, 2008

+ Smoke Tournament 2008 Brackets Posted!

Click below to view your bracket for the Smoke Tournament 2008 this weekend at Golden Eagle Park. Men's E: PDF (High Quality) or JPG (Low Quality) Men's E Loser's Bracket: PDF (High Quality) or JPG (Low Quality) Men's D: PDF (High Quality) or JPG (Low Quality) Coed Upper: PDF (High Quality) or JPG (Low Quality) Coed Lower: PDF (High Quality) or JPG (Low Quality) To view .pdf files, you will need to have adobe acrobat viewer installed. For more information you can visit adobe's website to read about or download it: http://www.adobe.com

Sept. 5, 2008

+ Smoke tournament now offers berths to WSL

The Smoke Tournament in Reno, Nevada on September 13-14 is offering berths to the WSL Miken West Coast Championship tournament in Sparks, Nevada on October 10-12.

Sept. 2, 2008

+ Half-century old softball team finally retires

The Hawks softball team from Tucson, Arizona played in its final game over the Labor Day weekend after 50 years of softball play. Read the history of the generations that made up this team in the fall issue of SWM.

Aug. 29, 2008

+ Candrea retires

ASA announced August 27 that U.S.A. Head Coach Mike Candrea has retired from the United States team. Read the whole Olympic story in the upcoming issue of Softball West Magazine.

Aug. 22, 2008

+ Local Arizona girl went to New York for softball competition

Alicia Portillo from Phoenix, Arizona did well in the Aquafina Competition in New York last month. She even got to see the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. Read about her story in the upcoming August issue.
+ Champions Cup sign-ups

The 2009 Champions Cup in Irvine, California will be held next July. Sign-ups are taking place now and benefit local scholarship funds. Find out more in the next issue.
+ Silver in Beijing

We all know how the Olympics ended for the girl's USA softball team. Find out what International Softball Federation President Don Porter has to say about it in the August issue of SWM.

July 24, 2008

+ Arizona Hall of Fame

Four new members have been inducted the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame in Phoenix, AZ. Find out who they are in the next issue of the magazine.

July 22, 2008

+ Summer Sizzler

Nor Cal Elite won the 18-and-under division in the Summer Sizzler on July 19-20. Find out the results and game-play in the August issue. Photos are on Get Hotshots!

July 18, 2008

+ International Co-ed championships

For those who didn't know, the European Co-ed Slowpitch Championships recently finished on July 13. This was the sixth year of the tournament, which took place in England. Participants included Czech Republic, and Slovenia, with Great Britain defeating Ireland for the title.
+ Girls NSA World Series

The NSA girls World Series event is in Reno this year for the first time. The 16U B division just ended Friday afternoon with the Spokane, Washington Villains taking home the championship title. Catch more tournament information in the August issue of Softball West Magazine.

July 16, 2008

+ New Nevada Coach Named

The University of Nevada chose a new softball coach. Matt Meuchel was an assistant coach for the Wolfpack in 2002 and left to coach at Oklahoma State in 2006. Read the whole article in the next issue of the magazine.

July 11, 2008

+ Arizona State Coaching Staff

After winning the Women's College World Series, it's no wonder Arizona State coaches were named the Division I coaching staff of the year. The Sun Devils finished the season with a 66-5 record. Read more in the next issue of SWM.
+ Olympians clobber Spokane

The most recent Bound for Beijing stop in Spokane, Washington on July 10 was a bust for the Spokane All-Stars. The All-Stars were defeated 31-0 and the Olympians said it was due to their intense week of double practices.

July 9, 2008

+ Division II coaches

Humboldt State softball coaches were named the Division II coaching staff of the year after winning the NCAA Division II championship this season. Read more about the team in the August issue of the magazine.

July 3, 2008

+ AZ girl heads to Aquafina pitch, hit & run competition

From Maricopa, Arizona, Alicia Portillo just qualified to attend the Aquafina pitch, hit and run competition. She plays for the Casa Grande Heat fast pitch club. Read more about her story in the July issue of Softball West Magazine.

July 1, 2008

+ Olympic Team Alert: Bound4Beijing, via Portland and Spokane

Team USA Softball will be barnstormingthrough Portland on July 8 and Spokane on July 10, playing area All-Star teams. The Portland exhibition game will start at 7:00 pm at Erv Lind Stadium and the 9-inning Spokane event will start at 7:30 pm and be held at Franklin Park Sports Complex. Admission is charged at both events. For more info, go to www.portlandsoftball.com or www.spokanesportsevents.com.

June 27, 2008

+ They Are Worthy Tournament

Gather up all of your new and gently used softball equipment and donate it at the annual They Are Worthy softball tournament in San Francisco on July 12-13. All proceeds will benefit Sports for the World's Children and will go to communities and schools for sports programs. For more information visit: www.swcfoundation.org.

June 24, 2008

+ Estes Express Lines

Two tournaments are held annually for 11 trucking companies on the west and east coast. This is a unique tournament because trucking company, Estes Express Lines, sponsors the entire event itself. Read more about this interesting tournament in the July issue of SWM.

June 23, 2008

+ Softball West Challenge Winners!

The 25th Annual Softball West Challenge was held at the new Golden Eagle Regional Park on June 21-22. Winning the Men's D division was SCH/Sign-a-Rama/DSSbats with Taylor Made in second. Men's E winners were the Soplas with Frozen Rope taking second. Rug Bugs/Easton took top honors in Coed with TOTT the runner ups. Check out the photos on www.gethotshots.net. Complete story in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.
+ Pitching machine subscription winner drawn

The winner of the Sofball West Magazine/Sports Attack subscription contest for a free Junior Hack Attack pitching machine was drawn at the Softball West Challenge Tournament in Sparks, Nevada. The winner was Robert Sauntman of Tucson, Arizona. See story next issue.

June 19, 2008

+ Softball West Challenge Brackets Posted!

Click below to view your bracket for the Softball West Challenge Tournament this weekend at Golden Eagle Park. Men's E: here Men's D: here Coed: here

June 15, 2008

+ Last week to subscribe and win

Softball West Magazine and Sports Attack will be giving away a Junior Hack Attack Pitching Machine on Saturday, June 21 during the Softball West Challenge at the new Golden Eagle Park. To be entered in the raffle subscribe to Softball West Magazine. Enter online or on Saturday at the ballpark.

June 13, 2008

+ Long Haul Bombers underway

The Long Haul Bombers has already started power hitting in three events so far this season. They'll compete in two more in the next couple of weeks. See how the rookies did in the July issue of the magazine.

June 12, 2008

+ Play Ball USA

Play Ball USA, the non-profit organization dedicated to increasing youth participants in softball has had a name change to Batters Up USA. Read more in the next issue of SWM.

June 11, 2008

+ ISF tournaments

Canada will be the starting location for the International Softball Federation's VIII Jr. Men's World Championship tournaments on June 20. The Championship will be located in twelve countries with Canada being the first event. For coverage and results visit: www.worldsoftball2008.com. Also, ISF is hosting its seventh Senior World Cup in Salem, VA on June 20.

June 5, 2008

+ Seniors rocked Reno, Nevada

The Rock ‘N' Reno Senior Softball Tournament concluded a few days ago, and the competition out there was fierce! Lots of teams came out for the Men's 40-80 divisions as well as for the Women's 40-70 divisions. Read the article in the July issue of SWM.

June 4, 2008

+ Mike Davis Memorial

Three teams from the west made it to the top in the 20th annual Mike Davis Memorial tournament in Concord, California on May 30-June 1. Find out which teams and where they're from in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.

May 30, 2008

+ Back Softball progress

The International Softball Federation and Back Softball representative will be traveling to Athens this weekend to present a progress report of Back Softball. Some of the things to be presented will include the increase in the number of youth softball programs available in school programs, more opportunities for women athletes in the ISF council, and softball equipment being sent to 91 countries. For more information on the progress report visit: www.backsoftball.com.
+ Senior Invasion in Sparks, NV

Senior Softball USA invaded Northern Nevada this week. Photos from the 70+ AA division championship are on gethotshots.net.

May 25, 2008

+ CA State Senior Games

The 2009 Summer National Senior Games will be held in the San Francisco Bay Area August 1-15, 2009. To compete for the Gold next summer teams must qualify this year at the 2008 California State Senior Games in Riverside, Calif. Games will be played June 21-22, 2008 at the Riverside Softball Complex. For details visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org.

May 23, 2008

+ Collegiate play

The University of Nevada, Reno had the best season ever this year. They won more games and even made it to the NCAA Regionals. We've highlighted some of their best games as well as detailed how they got there. Catch the next issue of SWM to find out more.

May 22, 2008

+ High School play

Spanish Springs High School has an outstanding softball team; mostly thanks to its pitcher. Not only has she taken the team to two consecutive 4A State Championship wins, but much more. Find out who she is and where she's going to play next year in the June issue of the magazine.

May 19, 2008

+ ESA Spring Nationals

The third annual ESA Spring Nationals took place on May 17 in Temecula, CA. The Wreckers won for the co-ed division but read abut the top two teams in the Men's "E" and "D" divisions in the next issue of SWM.

May 14, 2008

+ Oregon Summer Camps

The Oregon State Beavers has released its schedule for softball summer camps. They will hose five different camps in June and July. Check out the next issue of Softball West Magazine for more details.

May 9, 2008

+ Xtreme Point Challenge

Talented teams competed in the Xtreme Point Challenge recently in Walla Walla, Washington to earn a berth to the Western National Tournament in September. Read about the competitive play in the next issue.

May 8, 2008

+ ASA youth Sportsplex Invite

The ASA Girl's Sportsplex Invite in Walla Walla, Washington had skillful girls competing in April. These girls will be tough competition in future tournaments. Check out how all the teams did in the June issue of SWM.

May 6, 2008

+ Beat the Heat Tournament

The Dirtbags and team Demolition proved to be the best-of-the-best in the NSA Men's Beat the Heat Tournament in Washington. The Dirtbags and Demolition stomped the competition. Find out what the championship scores were in the June issue.

May 2, 2008

+ Golf tournament for softball

A Golf Tournament will be held on May 17 in Prescott, AZ to benefit softball. This is the first time the event has ever been held, and all proceeds will support the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame. For more information, call (602) 438-2928.

May 1, 2008

+ ISF goes to Venezuela

International Softball Federation President, Don Porter visited Venezuela at the end of April for the Pan American Softball Confederation congress. Porter met with Minister of Sports for Venezuela, Victoria Mata and Vice President of the Olympic committee, Elida Parraga de Alvarez. They held discussions about developing softball in Venezuela schools and interest in hosting a new ISF Beach Softball World Cup in Venezuela.

April 20, 2008

+ Softball West Challenge is now a 3 game guarantee tournament

Softball West Magazine publisher Tom Smedes has announced that the Softball West Challenge to be held June 21-22, 2008 will now be a 3 game guarantee. The extra fields at the new Golden Eagle Regional Park will allow them to have a bigger event and allow teams to play more games.
+ Golden Eagle Regional Park Opens

The brand new Golden Eagle Regional Park opened this month and it will become the home of both Softball West events this season. Read more about the park on page 7 of the May issue to see the Sparks Mayor throw out the first pitch and come visit us at the park this season!

April 18, 2008

+ Colorado team has come along way since 1987

The Pueblo Bandits, from Colorado, have come along way over the past twenty years. Without uniforms, or much of a budget for that matter, the Bandits started out like any brand new softball team. Now, the Bandits are much more experienced and mature. Read about their succession and accomplishments in the May issue.

April 16, 2008

+ Tucson Spring Shootout

The ASA Spring Shootout in Tucson, AZ was a successful event for youth tournament play, with 37 teams participating. Catch up on the aggressive play in the next issue of SWM.

April 15, 2008

+ Golden Eagle finally ready for play

Locals from Reno and Sparks, NV are excited because of the opening of the new Golden Eagle Park sports complex. The complex opened on April 14 and cost $30 million. Read about how the city celebrated the opening day in the upcoming May issue.

April 4, 2008

+ Olympic Team announced

The 2008 Olympic Softball Team has just been announced and SWM has the latest on who's playing and who's not. It will come to a surprise for many on who's not, but perhaps it's because of recent, talented, graduates like Monica Abbott, Caitlin Lowe and Cat Osterman who are participating in Beijing. Read the entire list of the team and replacements in the May issue of SWM.

April 1, 2008

+ Helping Hands Tournament was a competitive one

The Helping Hands Tournament held on March 29-30 in Sparks, NV is a wonderful tournament that benefits the March of Dimes. This year's tournament was filled with a lot of aggressive play from King 888, FDI and American Truck & Trailer. Read more about game highlights in the May issue.

March 21, 2008

+ Triple Crown to eliminate slow pitch

It's time to say goodbye to slow pitch softball in Triple Crown sports. Triple Crown recently made the decision to eliminate slow pitch softball in 2009 because of advancements in the sport. Find out how Triple Crown will extend its appreciation to slow pitch players in the May issue of the magazine.

March 19, 2008

+ New Balance offers new shoes

New Balance has quite a few multi-purpose turf shoes out on the market; and they're aggressive and lightweight. Find out which ones you should pick out in the May issue.

March 18, 2008

+ Wood Bat Tournament

Local team, BFC proved their talent by competing in their first-ever wood bat tournament on March 15 in Sparks, NV. Coach, Ben Ross, said their team had a great time and they will definitely play in more. Read more about the wood bat tournament in the May issue of SWM.

March 15, 2008

+ Reed Easter Tournament

With the international tie breaker rule in effect, Reed High School was able to move their runner from second to third on a sacrifice bunt, but they weren't able to push the run across in their half of the inning. In the bottom of the 8th, Logan High's runner advanced from second to third on a passed ball and they scored the winning run on a wild throw to first. See the complete story in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.

March 14, 2008

+ Olympic schedule released

The International Softball Federation just released the 2008 Olympic Games softball schedule. Team U.S.A. will play its first game on August 12 against Venezuela. Eight softball teams will compete in round-robin play for the first seven days. Playoff games will begin on August 20 with the final game on August 21. Also, the final 15-player U.S.A. roster will be announced on March 28.

March 13, 2008

+ African Softball

The African Softball Confederation is holding the next meeting April 18-20 in Zambia, Africa. The meeting will go over operation information as well as appoint officers and schedule events. The African Softball Confederation was created last fall at the International Softball Federation congress.

March 12, 2008

+ Equipment preview

Softball West Magazine's annual equipment preview was photographed at the new Golden Eagle Park in Sparks, NV. The April issue of SWM has four pages of the latest gear.

March 11, 2008

+ West Coast collegiate team still number one

Arizona State is still holding on to the number one spot on the USA Today/NFCA poll as well as the ESPN college ranking poll. The Sun Devils have a 27-1 record. In the USA Today poll, Alabama follows Arizona State with a 20-2 record and UCLA comes in third. The ESPN poll ranks UCLA in second place and Alabama in third.

Feb. 28, 2008

+ Bound 4 Beijing makes second stop

The Bound 4 Beijing tour made its second stop in Palm Springs, CA on Feb. 21-24 to compete against some of the top college teams in the country. Read about how they did in the next issue of SWM.

Feb. 27, 2008

+ Long Haul Bombers tour starts up again

The Long Haul Bombers kicked-off the 2008 season in San Bernadino, CA with their media day. Las Vegas' Denny Crine along with four others has joined the Bombers for this season's tour. Check out the April issue of SWM to find out more on the Bombers tour.
+ Palm Springs Classic

On Feb. 21-24, 24 of the top collegiate softball teams competed against each other and Team USA in the Palm Springs Classic. The tournament is important every year for colleges, but it doesn't feature a winner. Find out why this tournament is so important in the April issue.

Feb. 26, 2008

+ Portland Sports Expo

On March 25, the Portland Metro Softball Association is hosting the 2008 Manufacturers Meeting and Sports Expo at the Holiday Inn/Airport. The event will feature scorekeeping and hitting clinics as well as some of the top softball uniform and equipment managers.

Feb. 15, 2008

+ WAC's first softball Player of the Week

For the first 2008 season Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week, University of Nevada Reno's Tyler Schafer and Katie Holverson were named hitter and pitcher of the week respectively. Schafer is a senior and led Nevada's softball team to a 3-2 start while Holverson is a sophomore and has played in four games with a 1.56 earned-run average.

Feb. 14, 2008

+ Restore that old glove

When old gloves wear-out, now there's a way to rejuvenate them. Hot Glove Restore Pocket is a great product to fix up that old mitt. Check it out in the April issue of SWM.

Feb. 13, 2008

+ SWM subscriber contest

Softball West Magazine will be giving away an awesome Junior Hack Attack Pitching machine to one lucky new subscriber. Look for contest details in the April issue of the magazine.

Feb. 8, 2008

+ Mizuno Classic has $500 first prize

The winner of the Southern Arizona Mizuno Classic in Tucson, AZ on Jan. 25 took home $500 worth of gear. Read more of Greg Harris' story in the next issue.

Feb. 7, 2008

+ Holiday Wrap-Up

The Holiday Wrap-up tournament in Tucson, AZ on Jan. 5 was an exciting youth tournament between Arizona Heatwave Creed and Team Velocity. Find out who won in the story by Greg Harris.

Feb. 4, 2008

+ On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

USSSA held their On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! tournament on Jan. 19 in Tucson, AZ. Find out who won in this issue's article by Greg Harris.

Feb. 1, 2008

+ Shade within seconds

If you've been looking for a quick and simple shade to set up for those weekend tournaments, look no further. Sports Shade can be set up in 30 seconds and attaches to SUV's, fences and trees. Look in the Feb/March issue for a special discount.

Jan. 27, 2008

+ Sno Ball Photos on www.GetHotShots.net

Photos of the 2008 Sno Ball Tournament from South Lake Tahoe are now on www.GetHotShots.net.

Jan. 25, 2008

+ Xtreme Point Challenge

Xtreme Point Challenge (XPC) is returning for the 2008 season in the Pacific Northwest. The series will consist of three men's division, and director, Jeff Harbison, is excited for the new season. Find out what major companies will be sponsoring the series in the Feb/March issue.
+ ASA spring league in Sparks, NV

It's almost time for the Spring Adult Softball League in Sparks, NV starting in April. Any adult 18 and older can participate at the Shadow Mountain and Golden Eagle Sports Complexes. Registration for returning teams begins January 28 through Febrary 17 and for all new teams, February 18 through March 2. Call (775) 353-7780 for more information.

Jan. 24, 2008

+ Oregon Beavers 2009 season

Yes, the Oregon Beavers have already signed four new players for their 2009 season. The four talented players include Mary Brenner (Portland, OR), Paige Hall (Portland, OR), Nikki Chandler (Houston, TX) and Ashley Sanchez (Alameda, CA). Check out their softball resumes in the Feb/March issue.
+ Walla Walla High student signs with Houston

A Walla Walla High School student signed with the University of Houston last fall. Kaela DeBroeck is excited to play for the Division I team. Read more about her letter of intent day in the Feb/March issue.

Jan. 23, 2008

+ Big 12 Season Preview

If you can't wait for another Big 12 Season, then look no further. It's coming faster then you think, and SWM has the latest preview from a new writer who is in the center of it all. Mayble Watson lives in Oklahoma and has the latest news on which players are returning from all the hot schools. Read the article in the Feb/March issue.

Jan. 18, 2008

+ Merle Butler will always be remembered

International Softball Federation Director of Umpires, Merle Butler passed away January 6. A service was held in Oklahoma City and a January 26th memorial will be held in Los Gatos, CA. Butler was remembered for his many years of service to both ASA and ISF as well as his dedication and love for the sport of softball. Read the full article in the Feb/March issue.
+ Stephen Monson retires from ASA

Phil Gutierrez is replacing Stephen Monson as the Southern California ASA Commissioner. Monson is retiring, but Gutierrez has plenty of experience. Gutierrez is hopeful that he will continue to improve ASA softball. Read more about his goals in the next issue.
+ New website to reinstate softball

A new website, Back Softball has been created to help reinstate softball back into the Olympic Games after this year's Games. The website is a part of an international campaign to promote the sport and prove its popularity. Read about it in the Feb/March issue of the magazine.
+ New National Triple Crown Director

Kasey King is the new Triple Crown National softball director. His primary goal is to prove to softball participants that Triple Crown is "the best." He also wants to increase the number of participants. Learn more about King in the next issue.
+ New bat manufacturer

In the Feb/March issue, Softball West Magazine will be the first to inform readers of the newest and hottest bat manufacturer in the country. This awesome new company has created the most modern technology that will make irresistible bats. Check it out in the next issue.

Jan. 11, 2008

+ New Mizuno bat series

Mizuno is launching the new bat line, "Frenzy" next month. The Frenzy is faster and will provide more consistency for the ideal batting average everyone wants. The Frenzy comes in fast pitch and slow pitch models featuring a thinner grip and four layers of carbon for durability. Look for Frenzy pictures and more details in the Feb/March issue.

Jan. 10, 2008

+ Golden Eagle Park almost ready for play

Softball players and fans will be excited to hear that they will be able to use the new Golden Eagle Park facility very soon. Stan Sherer, director of Sparks' Parks and Recreations, was quoted in the Reno Gazette Journal as saying players should be able to use the complex in March. The park already has turf down on all the softball fields and buildings are partially constructed. The complex will include two youth softball/baseball fields, six adult softball fields and two baseball fields including other athletic sports fields. The park will also have three concession stands and large structure that will be a concession venue and hold offices. Golden Eagle Park is located south of Vista Blvd. in Sparks, NV. (Click to view larger images)

Jan. 7, 2008

+ New Southern California ASA Commissioner announced

Southern California ASA has announced that Phil Gutierrez has been named commissioner. Gutierrez, a Marine veteran, replaces D. Stephen Monson. Gutierrez states, "It is a huge honor to be appointed the commissioner for this very prominent association. It's a challenge I look forward to." Look for a complete story in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.
+ MittMate fits like a glove

Jessica Jobes, a Redmond, Wash. Inventor has come up with the MittMate. "I could never find my glove," laughed Jobes. Her solution…a colorful neoprene wrap that fits around one finger of a softball glove which helps players easily identify their gloves from the pile in the dugout." It's a fun and easy way to keep track of your glove. Look for the complete story in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.
+ Greater San Joaquin ASA Hall of Fame & Awards Ceremony

The Greater San Joaquin ASA Hall of Fame will be holding its 2008 Induction Ceremony on Feb. 2, 2008 at the Memorial Hall in Micky's Grove Park, Armstrong, Road in Lodi, California. For tickets or other information contact Matt Pfeifer, ASA Commissioner at 209-484-5036. Look for a list of award winners and a complete story in the next issue of Softball West Magazine