2011 AAU International Tournament begins today

Let the Games Begin !

The 2011 AAU International Tournament gets underway today, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disneyworld, Orlando, Florida, with 24 games, starting at 1 PM EST, and continuing into the evening.

The tournament hosts 40 teams, with games over the next four days. Each team will play three games during pool play on Thursday and Friday, with results determining seeding for single elimination games in Championship and Consolation brackets on Saturday and Sunday.

The championship game is slated for 1 PM on Sunday, January 22, 2011. Six of the games will be broadcast live on Ballparkradio.com, starting tomorrow, Friday, January 21, 2011 at 11 AM EST.

TODAY’S SCHEDULE OF GAMES – POOL PLAY

THURSDAY

Thursday 1 PM Diamond
Blackburn vs Minnesota Angels 11
Combatientes vs Memphis 10
Virgin Islands vs Aragua 13
Capitalinos vs Niagara Fury 12
Maccabi vs Ohio Battery 15
Sureno Soy vs Dominicana US 14

Thursday 3 PM Diamond
Florida Fastpitch vs Hill United 11
Hooligans vs Tornados 10
Team Minnesota vs DC Metros 13
Elmira vs Miami 12
Gigantes vs Kitchener 15
Lanzeros vs Softball Canada 14

Thursday 5 PM
Oklahoma vs Cobourg 11
La Raza vs Petroleros 10
Tijuana vs El Dorado 13
Los Socios vs CPI 12
Sopotocientos vs Italian AC 15
Minnesota Angels vs Brewers 14

Thursday 7 PM
Dominicana US vs Cobourg 11
Hill United vs Petroleros 10
Ohio Battery vs Lanzeros 13
Millwood vs Houston 12
NY/PA Metros vs Illinois Pirates 15
Chicago/New York vs Brewers 14

Readers of Fastpitchwest have been voting in “Pool Preview” polls over the past couple of weeks, projecting the following teams to finish at the top of each pool:

Pool A
Chicago NY, USA
Minnesota Angels, USA

Pool B
Milwood, ON
Combatientes, VEN

Pool C
Team Minnesota, USA
Kitchener Outlaws, ON

Pool D
Illinois Pirates, USA
Niagara Fury, ON

Pool E
Softball Canada (Development Team), CAN
Maccabi USA, USA

Pool F
Sureno Soy, VEN
Cobourg Force, CAN

Pool G
Hill United, CAN
Florida Fastpitch, USA

Pool H
Tijuana, MEX
Hooligans of Niagara, CAN

Pool I
Los Socios, VEN
CPI, USA

Pool J
Italian Athletic Club, USA
Elmira Expos, CAN

The polls are soon to be replaced by results on the field. Let’s see how well readers did at predicting results.