Cap tip to Tim Lyon, USA Jr. Men’s Head Coach:

ASA YOUNG MEN’S NATIONAL TOURNAMENT RECRUITING DRIVE

These teams have indicated an interest in coming to Rolla for this summer’s ASA Young Men’s National Fastpitch Softball Tournament (August 4-8, 2010)

They have either committed or are working on it.

This list of teams has been compiled from those teams and coaches that are included on my YOUNG MEN’S FASTPITCH SOFTBALL email list. If you would like to be included….email me at elewis (at) winston.k12.mo.us

Who else do I need to add in which age division?

I am really hoping we will see some Rolla or other area teams added to the younger
age divisions where fast-throwing pitching isn’t such a premium.

Get your son’s baseball team together, pick a couple kids and have them practice a little this summer and come expose them to our great sport. It’s easier to do it when they are 10-12 than waiting until they are in their teens and there are no pitchers around.

10 AND UNDER
NW Royals from Winston, Missouri (Eric Lewis)
Big Dogs from Garden City, Minnesota (Brian Swanson)
Fairmont Fastpitch from Fairmont, Minnesota (Brian Johnson)

12 AND UNDER
NW Royals from Winston, Missouri (Eric Lewis)
Big Dogs from Garden City, Minnesota (Brian Swanson)
Young’s Primetime Sports from Watertown, South Dakota (Travis Young)
Fairmont Faspitch from Fairmont, Minnesota (Brian Johnson)
Illinois (Rich Well)
Watertown, South Dakota (Gary Young)

14 AND UNDER
Matt Christensen is the only one to contact me so far.

16 AND UNDER
NW Implement from Stanberry, Missouri (Greg McQuinn)
Sioux Falls from Sioux Falls, South Dakota (Kirk Lien)
Soukup Bulldozers from Sioux Falls, South Dakota (Lori Warne)
Amboy from Amboy, Minnesota (Jon Lewis)
Richville from Reese, Minnesota (Don Petro)
Page Brake Juniors from Herriman, Utah (Steve Black)
Hennager Plumbing and Heating from Lake Crystal, Minnesota (Blake Meshke)

(no contact with Mike Sandt’s “Lake Crystal” team….anyone have phone or email?)

18 AND UNDER
NW Implement from Stanberry, Missouri (Greg McQuinn)
Schmitz Dozing from Ravenwood, Missouri (Tim Coffelt)
Richville from Reese, Minnesota (Don Petro)
Embroidery Touch from Sioux Falls, South Dakota (BJ Hunhoff)

(no contact with Mike Scanlan’s “Rockhound” team….anyone have phone or email?)

23 AND UNDER
NW Implement from Stanberry, Missouri (Greg McQuinn)
LaCrosse Athletics from Onalaska, Wisconsin (Bud Olson)
Farmington from Cushing, Wisconsin (Donnie Potting)
RM Kurtz Enterprises from Ephrata, Pennsylvania (Ralph Kurtz)
Page Break from Herriman, Utah (Steve Black)
Schmitz Dozing from Ravenwood, Missouri (Tim Coffelt)

(no contact with Joyce Dewitz’s “Protein Sources” team….anyone have phone or email?)
(no contact with Ron Koster’s “Seth’s Down Under Bar and Grill” team…anyone have phone or email?)

WHO ELSE IS INTERESTED? PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

I am not affiliated with Rolla Parks or ASA. This is simply an email list put together for those people wanting to forward the development of YOUNG MEN’S FASTPITCH.

Please email me if you are interested in bringing a team to Rolla or know someone who might.

Thanks,
Eric Lewis
elewis (at) winston.k12.mo.us

Click here for Evite

Host: Wayne Toppila
Location: Elk Grove Park Pavillion
9950 Elk Grove-Florin Rd
Elk Grove, CA 95624 US

When: Sunday, March 21, 1:00PM

Phone: Rusty (916) 690-7116 WT- 749-0733

Please come join us in a celebration of life for our Son, Brother, Uncle,Teammate, and Friend, Dave Bostick. The loss of Dave has left a lot of broken hearts. However, Dave would want to be remembered in a celebration with smiles and laughter. This celebration is being held on Sunday, March 21 at 1:00 pm, at the Pavilion in the Elk Grove Regional Park located at 9950 Elk Grove-Florin Rd, Elk Grove, CA 95624.

There will be barbecue style lunch/pot luck with you bringing your favorite side dish for at least ten people. Donations will be accepted to help defray the costs of the entire day with any additional funds going towards the Dave Bostick Scholarship Fund. This newly formed scholarship fund will be given annually to a baseball player from Elk Grove High school to keep Dave’s competitive spirit alive.

Please RSVP as soon as possible. Also remember to comment on the side dish that you can bring to the event. For donations please email Rusty at RMcLain15 (at) yahoo.com. Thank you all and we will see you on the 21st. Please Forward to anyone that might be interested in joining us.

Click here for Evite

ISC Press Release:

The Kitchener Fastball Promotions group recently informed us that they were withdrawing as host of the 2011 ISC World Tournament.

Currently, we are in discussions with three other locations as possible hosts for not only 2011 but 2012 and 2013 as well. We hope to announce the 2011 host city within the next few weeks.

The Kitchener withdrawal was completely unexpected as we had been involved in good faith discussions since April 2009 and at Kitchener’s request, issued a release last May announcing Kitchener as our 2011 host city.

During that 10-month negotiating period, there were no major concerns brought up and just prior to the Christmas holiday period, we agreed to suspend discussions until after the first of the year. At that time a final contract had been developed and mutually agreed upon.

When discussions began again in January, we were unable to come to an agreement on a number of new issues presented by Kitchener Fastball Promotions, none of which had been previously brought up. Following a February 3rd, 2010 KFP meeting, we were informed of their formal withdrawal as hosts of the 2011 ISC World Tournament.

Ken Hackmeister
Executive Director, ISC

Precursor to the World -

June 11 - 13
Midland, MI – Annual Boulevard Lounge Tournament
Emerson Park
Berths: 1 berth to highest finishing US East team
Format: Pool play into single elimination playoff, 4-game guarantee
Entry Fee: $450 USD
Contact: Kyle Beane - kbeane8@yahoo.com - 810-813-5178
UIC: Joe Squires – heyumpy@yahoo.com - 989-631-7043
ISC Rep: Lee Isenhart isenhartlee_@hotmail.com 989-835-9146

To date, the following teams have committed:

1 - Midland Explorers
2 - NY Gremlins
3 - Midland Mickey’s Sleds
4 - Dominican Republic
5 - Kitchener Rivershark Twins
6 - Duncan Outlaws
7 - Marshall Lightning

With the new ISC format in 2010, there will not be a second division, as in years past. There is room for at least 3 more teams, and possibly more.

Please contact me to hold a spot for your team.

Thanks,
Kyle Beane
www.midland2010isc.com

The SCIFL (So Cal Independent Fastpitch League) reports that the league weekend in Santa Barbara for March 6-7, 2010 has been canceled:

The tournament for this weekend has been cancelled due to the unfavorable weather reports and to allow players the opportunity to cancel rooms before cutoff dates. Next tournament is Santa Fe Springs, March 20 - 21.

From Al’s Fastball:


(click logo for original news story at Al’s Fastball)

Thursday, March 4, 2010
PRESS RELEASE

Monkton ON.

It is with a heavy heart that I compose this message today, however, it is news that most of you, the fastball world, may have already been informed of through various sources.

I am writing to confirm that the 2010 edition of the World Fastball Invitational that was scheduled for this upcoming July 1 - 4 has been officially cancelled.

Myself and the Executive Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank the teams and people involved (they know who they are) that put forth a very valiant effort - especially in the “final hour” , in order to salvage and save the tournament for this year.

Many factors played a hand in this decision, yet I do not deem necessary the need to disclose nor make public the reasoning at this time. The people close to this situation know and understand the hardships and dilemnas involved, and stand behind us 100%
in not only this decision, but to put remain intact and bring a 2011 edition of the event to Monkton, and cement our place on the elite mens circuit for the future.

There are a couple other fine tournaments being held this summer and I encourage teams, fans, and sponsors to inquire and assist in making them the success’ they will certainly be - the annual Legends held in Kitchener put together by my good friend and fastball legend in his own right- Larry Lynch, as well as the upstart Tavistock event headed by another good friend Dave Bailey.

Many words of thanks and praise could be said here, but this is not a farewell. it is an announcement that saddens ourselves and many many people in our great game - to whom I feel personally obligated.. Those close to me know my inner feelings and thoughts at this time… it is a sad day. However, the game MUST go on.. The game will go on. I committed to seeing that happen. There are many fine people that work tirelessly and are committed as well. I ask the world to support our game in any way possible - we all know it needs it. More then ever.

Kind regards and thank to all!

We’ll see you at a park somewhere this summer…

Brian Baillie
World Fastball Invitational.

The latest from the pen of Bob Otto at his website,
“OttoinFocus”
(click banner for original news story)

Written by Bob on March 3rd, 2010

“Fastpitch is still the greatest game in the world.” – Herb Wisdom

TUMACACORI, ARIZ – Herb Wisdom had a choice, straddle the saddle or don the catcher’s gear.

He chose the later and has no regrets. But back in 1957, the 18-year-old Arizona cowboy was on his way to following in his dad’s footsteps as a rodeo cowboy.

Fastpitch softball? Not on Wisdom’s radar. That is until he enlisted in the Navy. And from 1958 to 1962, during his stint, he played with and against some of the greatest pitchers and players the Armed Forces had to offer.

“There were some great, great pitchers,” said the 69-year-old Wisdom. “I remember Buck Brown and Jim Hines as two of the great ones. The competition was tough.”

While stationed in Long Beach, Wisdom happened across Red Meairs, who managed the famed Long Beach Nitehawks, winners of 10 International Softball Congress (ISC) World Tournament championships.

He started playing with the Nitehawks in 1965, embarking on a Nitehawks career that lasted until 1976. During that time he watched, listened, and learned from Meairs, who was inducted into the ISC Hall of Fame in 1988. And he got valuable schooling from Stan White, the team’s catcher.

“Red was a great, great manager,” Wisdom said. “He told me something I never forgot. He said, ‘stay in shape, come ready to play, and be on time. See that guy up in the stands? He wants to be a Nitehawk, so you’d better hustle.’”

Wisdom followed Meairs direction. And as for White, he watched how the ISC Hall of Fame catcher, who was selected as an ISC All-World player 11 times (1951-1963), went about his business.

“I learned a lot from him,” Wisdom said.

After his Navy tour, Wisdom joined the Long Beach Police Department. But after a 20-year career, he retired and moved back home to Read the rest of this entry »

From: Al’s Fastball:


(click logo for original news story at Al’s Fastball)

(click banner for official Rivershark Twins website)

With the Winter Olympics now sliding off into Vancouver’s western sunset thoughts of many sports enthusiast now turns to summer sports. With that in mind the Kitchener Rivershark Twins, reigning ISC World Champions and Canadian National Champions are pleased to announce their revamped lineup and summer schedule.

The Sharks have consistently worked to improve and evolve their club over the past 2 seasons. When a number of players departed following the 2008 ISC Championship season many critics suggested there was no way they could repeat with such a staff turnover. The club responded to critics by doing even more in 2009 when they added a Canadian National Championship to the repeat World title . No easy feat for any team coming out of Canada.

Over the winter months several veterans have opted to retire or pursue opportunities with other teams, or with more suitable situations. Gone then are Derek Shackleton, Dean Holoein and Craig Crawford who advised the team of their intentions to likely retire, early last Fall. Denny Bruckert, the field manager and architect of the clubs success the past two years in Kitchener, and the 2 years before that in Orillia also made the decision to leave the game and the Sharks shortly before Christmas. Denny is planning to rejuvenate over this year and may return to the game he loves in 2011.

Outfielders Dan Loney and Steve Mullaley took the opportunity to pursue a new direction with US based teams that afforded them the opportunity to start on clubs with both great character and some long-time friends.

Nothing can replace the camaraderie and friendships developed while sharing a World and National Championship. The entire Rivershark Twins organization wishes Denny and all of the players from 2009 the best of luck in their future fastball pursuits.

So how to you respond to the loss of some great teammates, some world class performers and an ISC Hall of Fame Manager ? How do you replace a PRAWN with new rules restricting numbers? How do you field a team that can win it all a 3rd straight year? The answer is simple, put a world class sponsorship team together , assess the holes and target the type of player that will keep the chemistry, the skill sets and the winning tradition alive.

The sponsorship team of Jim Hallman and Bob Nydick made a commitment to the players and coaching staff before the end of the 2009 World Tournament, saying “We’ll be back.” With that knowledge and financial commitment the first order of business was to replace Bruckert as field manager. The club is pleased to announce that Kelly McGiffen has joined Hall of Famer Larry Lynch, Dave Bailey and Bob Nydick on the coaching staff and he will serve as the new field manager. Kelly, who resides in Ancaster, Ontario by way of British Columbia, is a former Canadian National Team coach and has worked with both SoCal Bombers and Aspen Interiors in previous ISC competition.

The nucleolus of the team remains intact. Captains Ryan Wolfe, Jody Eidt and Patrick Shannon will bring leadership along with unlimited talent back to the lineup. The pitching staff will feature 8 time All-World right hander Todd Martin, while joining him on the mound will be power pitching Don Scott and the big man, Grant Patterson. The brothers Ezekiel, Blair and Brad will bring their powerful bats along, no doubt boned over the winter on “the Rock”. The rest of the World Champion returnees include Darrell Joy, Dave Bailey, Evan Boyd and Blake Miller .

So what about the new guys ? The first order of business was to secure a world class power hitter to join the middle of the batting order. The club is ecstatic to be able to announce Jeff Goolagong as the newest Shark. “Goolie” was a key member of the legendary Farm Tavern and the County Classic juggernaut before that, winning ISC World Tournaments in 3 straight years between 2005 and 2007. He is also a proud member of the 2009 ISF World Champion Australian National Team.

The loss of two outfielders has been offset by the addition of Mark Johnson formerly of the St.Thomas Evergreen Centennials, and Scott Newitt previously a member of the now defunct Vancouver Grey Sox. Mark is a power hitting speedster who is rapidly becoming one of the best young stars in the game. Scott is a much sought after left handed hitting outfielder who has served with Canada’s National team and is a former ISC PRAWN. These two will share the outfield chores with its anchor Ryan Wolfe and left fielder Brad Ezekiel.

The final puzzle piece was to replace the legendary Twin backstop, Craig Crawford. The Sharks looked no further than another one of their own alumni and are pleased to welcome Chris Shewfelt back to the game after work and family commitments trumped his fastball endeavours the past two summers. “Shewy” brings Canadian National Team experience and an intense drive for excellence back behind the dish where he will share catching chores with Kiwi Patrick Shannon.

The additions of Goolagong, Johnson, Newitt and Shewfelt provide the team with solid depth at every position, both offensively and defensively. With pitching, defense, offense, speed, power, depth and great big game experience this team is well positioned for the challenges of 2010 campaign.

2010 KITCHENER RIVERSHARK TWINS ROSTER ( alphabetical)

1.Dave Bailey
2.Evan Boyd
3.Jody Eidt
4.Brad Ezekiel
5.Blair Ezekiel
6.Jeff Goolagong
7.Mark Johnson
8.Darrell Joy
9.Todd Martin
10.Blake Miller
11.Scott Newitt
12.Grant Patterson
13.Don Scott
14.Patrick Shannon
15.Chris Shewfelt
16.Ryan Wolfe

Coach – Larry Lynch
Field Manager – Kelly McGiffen
General Manager and Sponsor – Bob Nydick
Training Staff – Meg Smith and Cyril Moss
Scorekeeper – Greg Nydick
Webmaster – Todd Evans
Sponsors – Jim and Sue Hallman

(Carroll Forbes Memorial ISC World Championship Trophy, 2008 - one of two consecutive world titles won by the Rivershark Twins)

Hosted by the Bakersfield Silverhawks
Date: May 22-23, 2010
Where: Bakersfield, CA
Patriots Park Complex
Entry Fee: $400
Format: Round Robin Single Elimination
With a 4 Game Guarantee
Prizes: $500 for Tournament Champion

Host Hotel:
Quality Inn and Suites
4500 Buck Owens Blvd.
Bakersfield, CA 93308
(661) 324-5555

$59.00 per night by mentioning Silverhawks Invitational

Park Address:
Patriots Park
1200 New Stine Ave.
Bakersfield, CA 93309

Teams Confirmed with Pitcher:

California A’s (Travis Price)
Bakersfield Silverhawks (Andrew Putnam, Sebastian Gervasutti?, Sean Barker)
Rude Pac (Matt Barnes, Gerald Pyle)
West Bishop 9’ers (Sonny Perkins, Mark Manuelito)
Panteras (Ronny Rupp)
Maccabi USA (Russ Snow, Dave Blackburn)

We only have room for eight teams, but with enough interest may add another facility.

For more information, please contact:
Chris McGehee: (661) 330-7114 or garageworks (at) bak.rr.com
Bobby McCormick: (661) 549-3987 or mccormickservices10 (at) yahoo.com

We were sorry to learn of the passing of Dave Bostick, member of the River City Rockers of Sacramento, California. Funeral service details will be posted when available. Our condolences to his family, teammates and friends.

Update: From the Sacramento Bee newspaper: Obituary notice, with memorial service information:

BOSTICK, David Glenn
Was born February 19, 1967 in Lakeview Terrace, CA and died February 23, 2010 in Sacramento, CA. Dave moved to Milpitas, CA when he was 7 years old where he began his illustrious baseball career. Dave moved to Elk Grove, CA when he was 13 and in his first year in Elk Grove, he made friendships that would last the rest of his life. Dave graduated from Elk Grove High in 1985 and worked for UPS for 23 years. Dave was the epitome of the famous UPS driver. He was rarely seen in anything but UPS brown shorts showing off those legs and he never had a hair out of place. Dave’s smile would light up a room and the sound of his distinctive voice would always remind you that you were in the company of a true friend. Dave made friends wherever he went, especially as he traveled the country wearing his #5 jersey on various fast pitch softball teams. Dave will be deeply missed by his loving family and numerous friends. We will remember the comedy and celebrate the good times we’ve had with him. Dave was preceded in death by his father, Jerry Dean Bostick. He is survived by his mother, Janice Hillyard, his sister Karen and brother Tom and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and, nephews. A celebration of Dave’s life will be held in the near future. For information regarding the celebration, contact Rusty at rmclain15@yahoo.com. We will always love you Bostick!