Eighth in a series of ten team profiles for the 2011 Best of the West Tournament, to be played June 4-5, 2011 at Elings Park in Santa Barbara, California. Click here for schedule of games for the 2011 tournament.
The California A’s from Bakersfield, California are one of ten teams competing in this year’s 2011 Best of the West (BOTW) tournament. They’ll be competing in Pool A against the Those Guys, Liberty Fastpitch, Bakersfield Silverhawks and J&B Painting.
The organization was founded in 1994. From 1994-2006 the team name was Taylor Farms; from 2007-2008 the California LumberKings, and from 2009-Present the California A’s.
In 2006, the California Lumberkings became the first California team to compete in the ISC II Tournament of Champions. A year later, the Lumberkings returned, and advanced all the way to the finals. In 2008, the Lumberkings reached the top of the mountain, winning the ISC II Tournament of Champions, in Appleton, Wisconsin.
In 2009, the team stepped up to the next level, to competing in the ISC World Tournament, at Moline, Illinois (where the tournament is to be held again this year).
For 2011, the team has bolstered its already star studded lineup, adding former World Champion Lucas Mata from Argentina to go with Sean Whitten, one of the hardest throwers in the game. Travis Price joins the club to round out one of the deepest pitching staffs in the world. All three are members of their respective National teams, Mata for Argentina, Whitten for Canada and Price for Team USA.
The A’s have won back-to-back Best of the West, going for a three-peat in 2011. They also won the Cal Classic in San Diego last year.
Top Hitters include Derek Mayson, Keven Schellenberg, Todd Budke, Paul Rosebush, Blake Miller and Darren Box.
The team’s goal for 2011 is to become ISC World Tournament Champions. They are ranked # 3 in the world in the recently released ISC World Tournament pre-season rankings.
Roster for the 2011 California A’s
California A’s
(pitchers in bold)
PITCHERS
Mata Lucas 42 Pitcher Buenos Aires, Argentina
Whitten Sean 23 Pitcher Calgary, Alberta
Price Travis 34 Pitcher Corona, CACATCHERS
Rosthenhausler Bobby 7 Catcher N Tucson, NV
Twist Jeff 32 Catcher N Bakersfield, CaINF
Mayson Derek 9 Inf North Vancouver, BC
Budke Todd 27 DH/Inf Lancaster, Ca
Miller Blake Inf Eugene, Or
Schellenberg Kevin 4 Inf Squamish, BC
Castillo Kevin 3 Inf Long Beach, CaOF
Gardner Calem 16 OF Squamish, BC
Rosebush Paul 17 OF Bakersfield, Ca
Turner Chase 77 OF San Jose, Ca
Box Darren 33 OF Edmonton, Alberta
Porto Jason 8 OF Elk Grove, CaUTIL
Tan Marcus 2 Utility Union City, Ca
Villanueva Bryan 14 Utility Union City, CaSTAFF
Field manager Weldin David 11 Bakersfield, CA
Coach Guzman Ron 29 Salinas, Ca
Coach Hicks Greg 6 Bakersfield, CA
Teams in the 2011 Best of the West Tournament
(Click links for other team profiles)
Pool A
California A’s
Liberty Fastpitch
Those Guys
Bakersfield Silverhawks
J&B PaintingPool B
Cal-State Builders
Pala Braves
Maccabi USA
Italian Athletic Club
CR A1 Rockies
botwtp2011