Bay Area Merchants: 2009 Nafa Western National Champions
50 & Over.
Most Valuable Player: Ray Biagini (Shortstop) .650 3 HR
Most Valuable Pitcher: Ray Camacho 6-0 .575 4 HR
All World Players: Larry Schofield (Catcher)
Chris Newbold (3rd/Util)
Second Team: Mark Linnell
Fred Kronenberger
Thanks to Herb Dower for the latest edition of “The Dower Report” on the NAFA 45+ World Series:
CARSON CITY, NV — Santa Rosa Fastpitch didn’t stand a chance against the very talented QMax team of Calgary, Alberta, but despite two lopsided losses to the Canadian team, Santa Rosa captured third place in the Over-45 Division in the NAFA Masters West World Series held here Sept. 18-20 at Centennial Sports Complex.
Santa Rosa opened Friday night with a 9-3 win over Savala Painting, which recently finished second in the Over-45 Division of the Amateur Softball Association’s Masters Tournament. Matt Smith pitched the win and Tony Lopez, Tom Dower and Dana Faccini led the way offensively. Lopez collected five straight hits, Dower hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Faccini had two extra base hits.
QMax brought Santa Rosa down to earth Saturday morning as Lanky Johnson pitched a four-hitter in a 9-0 victory. Lopez held the Alberta team at bay for three innings as Santa Rosa trailed only 1-0, but QMax erupted for five runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to put the game away.
Lopez continued his hot hitting with a pair of singles, giving him seven consecutive hits to start the tournament. Dana Faccini added a double and Gary Dower had a single.
Santa Rosa then lost 6-3 to the Tulsa Gray Sox, with Gary Dower taking the loss. Lopez doubled in his first at-bat for his eighth straight hit and Tom Dower and Dana Faccini each had two hits.
In the first game of the playoffs, Santa Rosa took on the No. 4 seeded Ladner Masters of British Columbia and rallied for an eight-inning 9-6 victory behind Matt Smith (2-0).
Santa Rosa led 3-1 after three innings, but Ladner came back to take a 5-3 lead going into the seventh inning.
Gary Dower singled to start the Santa Rosa comeback, Lopez was hit by a pitch, Tom Dower singled across a run to make it 5-4, and Tim Grund tripled to right to drive in two runs to give Santa Rosa a 6-5 lead. Grund was left stranded on third.
In the bottom of the seventh, Kelly Wenstrom singled for Ladner’s, Jim Bruce lined out to left, and Sammy Aldridge walked. Troy Grow followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 6-6, but Aldridge, trying to advance to third, fell down and was eventually tagged out. Keven MacDonald flied out to left to end the inning.
In the eighth, Gary Dower ignited the game-winning rally with a two-out bunt single, Lopez doubled, and Tom Dower launched his second three-run home run of the tournament to give Santa Rosa its 9-6 victory.
QMax made short work of Santa Rosa in Sunday’s second game pounding out 13 hits in the first two innings off Matt Smith, including a three-run homer by Tony Davis. Tony Lopez, Tom Dower, Tim Grund and Rick Kane got hits for Santa Rosa. In two games, the Alberta powerhouse outscored Santa Rosa 22-1, and Santa Rosa did not have to face Alberta’s best, pitching legend Rob Scheller.
Three members of the Santa Rosa team received All-World honors. Lopez, who hit .625 (10 for 16) and scored seven runs; Tom Dower, who hit .533 (8 for 15) and had two home runs and seven RBI; and Grund, who was 5 for 14 (.357). It was the second year in a row that Dower received All-World honors, earning it last year while playing for Fat City, when he also hit two home runs.
NAFA MASTER’S EAST WORLD SERIES
(Rockford, IL) September 14, 2009 – It was an awesome event with perfect weather and great fields, great umpiring and the new four-game guarantee was well received by all, except for a few players with really sore muscles today.
Congratulations to the Champions of this year’s event:
35 & over – New Image, WI
40 & over – Seadogs, MA
45 & over – Eagle Pack, IN
50 & over – Nietzer’s/Kelly, MI
55 & over – Co-Champs Texas Stars, TX & Bower Electric, WI
For the complete brackets and All-World Teams, please see the results on our web site at www.nafafastpitch.com .
Thanks to Marianne Larson of Rockford Parks District for having an awesome friendly staff and taking care of all the players and staff like they were her own. Field Prep Supervisors Dave and Gene and the entire field prep staff were awesome. Concession Manager Gene and his staff were great. Hospitality Ambassadors Cindy and Mary took care of everyone working the whole weekend and it was much appreciated by all. The gate staff and scorekeepers were friendly and accurate. Thanks to tournament directors Loren Lathrop from Wisconsin, Mike Watson from Kansas, UIC Carley Parish from Canada, Business Manager Kris Russom from Oregon and Masters Committee member Mike Clark from Iowa.
Every team that played in this event and the West Masters are invited to the “East vs West Battle†in Vegas in late October where we will play a regular four-game guarantee tournament for all who attend. In addition to the regular event, the West Masters Champ will play the East Masters Champ in each age division in a one game winner takes all World Championship game Saturday night. There will be no Friday games.
The teams voted overwhelmingly to return to Rockford for the East Masters next year on the same weekend September 10-12 in 2010, the weekend after Labor Day. They also voted to keep the same four-game guarantee format with one round robin Friday night game at 5PM or later, two more round robin games on Saturday that seed all teams into a single elimination on Sunday. The championship games will be scheduled at 4:45PM or earlier and preferably at 3PM.
The teams wished to continue using the NAFA ball but nearly 50% want to change to a yellow ball for visibility, especially for night games, so we will look into that some more. Almost half the people wanted to allow the courtesy runner be the last out like the present. They would also like a player not in the game to be able to be a designated runner once per inning. I will give other players and coaches the chance to fill out the survey for another week and post the rest of the survey results as soon as possible.
To the Teams that have made NAFA the first choice in Masters play, we thank you for your support. 60 masters teams from the U.S. and Canada are participating this year in the East and West and the growth is surely due to your participation and your willingness to give input to our NAFA Directors who guide your program and it is truly the “Players Program”.
The awards, fields, field preps, ball, format, , supervision, the friendliness, openness & willingness to make things right, along with the camaraderie between the teams in the Masters program is unmatched anywhere. Overall the umpiring was very good and consistent.
From the 31 year old who is turning 32 this calendar year to the 71 year olds(there are 7 of them), the NAFA Masters program is supremely successful because of you the players. We wrote down pitching velocities for most pitchers and the new player photo ID check went well and was well received and appreciated by all coaches.
Every event is not without hiccups and we had a couple, but we made every attempt to make them right when they were brought to our attention.
Thanks to each and every player, coach and spectator for making this an event to remember.
Yours in better Men’s Fastpitch,
Benjie Hedgecock
NAFA Executive Director
Nafafastptich ( a t ) gmail.com
www.nafafastpitch.com
Click logo for links to all brackets and info.
Men’s Masters 45 Over Fast Pitch
Fresno, California
September 11 – 13, 2009
Tournament Director – Vince Frascona 559-313-3191 Cell 559-276-7648 Home
Vince.Frascona@Centralcalasa.Com
Tournament Format – Double Elimination
Tournament Fee – $400 (Includes Gate Admission)
Deadline To Register – September 8, 2009, 5:00 Pm Pdt
Mail Check Payable To Ccasa Along With Official Asa Roster, Entry Form And Pickup Player Form To:
Ccasa, P O Box 625, Clovis, Ca 93613
Contact: Tom Dowd Dick Grove
559-281-1622 805-466-8505
Please Make Sure Your Entry Form, Roster And Pick Up Player Forms Are Signed By Your Local Commissioner
Team Draw – Wednesday, Sep. 9th, 7:00 Pm Piccadilly University
Brackets Will Be Posted Sep. 10th On: 4961 N Cedar Ave.
Www.Ccmsasa.Org Fresno, Ca 93726
Manager’s Meeting/Luncheon – Friday, Sep. 11th, 12:00 Pm Piccadilly University
Two Persons Per Team With Additional Tickets Available For Sale
Team Player Check In – Friday, Sep 11th, 10:00 Am – 5:00 Pm Piccadilly University
Opening Ceremonies – Friday, Sep. 11th, 6:00 Pm Fresno Regional Park
Team/Player Hospitality – Saturday, Sep. 12th Piccadilly University
Lodging – Piccadilly University, 800-468-3587 – Asa Tournament Rate
From:
SUNDAY FAST PITCH
THE CITY OF PRESCOTT WILL be offering Open Fast Pitch practice/games for Men and Masters 50+ on Sunday afternoons at Ken Lindley Field beginning Sunday, March 29. The open fast pitch workout is free for all current fast pitch players along with anyone interested in learning how to play and possibly join one of the city’s current Men’s Adult or Men’s Senior 50+ Fast Pitch teams. Pitching machine and live pitching will be available. The Sunday afternoon workout begins on March 31 and runs through April 26, with no play date on Easter Sunday. Workouts begin at noon with hitting on a pitching machine or live pitching followed by a pick-up game between those who come out.
City adult fast pitch leagues begin May 7 with a registration deadline scheduled for April 15 for Fast Pitch teams only. The Adult Men’s Fast Pitch league will be conducted on Thursday, Friday and possibly Saturday evenings at Lindley Field. For more information call 928-777-1557.
Editor’s note: Prescott will host this year’s ASA 50+ Masters National Tournament. In addition to the main field downtown, (Ken Lindley Field), the city has completely renovated its softball complex. Last year, the fields were in great shape when they hosted the ASA “C” Nationals, with the ASA “B” Nationals headed there this year, in addition to the 50+.
Click here for host cities for all 2009 ASA National tournaments.
Facility to Host ASA 40-and-over Nationals in 2009
From the News-Leader, Springfield MO
Updated Killian Softball Complex dedication to be held Saturday
The Springfield-Greene County Park Board will hold a dedication ceremony at 4:15 p.m., Saturday for improvements at the Killian Sports Complex, 2141 E. Pythian St.
Project highlights consist of new site utilities, irrigation to fields, paint, new scoreboards and a public admissions facility at the entrance.
The highlight of the improvements is the Killian Softball Stadium, which also has been completed at the site. Its features include home and visitor’s locker rooms, public restrooms, coaches’ room, training and ticket sales rooms, stadium chair-back and bleacher seating, press box, dugouts, backstop, bullpens, scoreboard, field lighting, fencing, asphalt and concrete walks.
The stadium and five other fields make up the six-field complex. The stadium features an upgrade to 1,080 infield seats, 523 of which are chairback.
Killian Stadium becomes the new home for the Missouri State University softball team, with home games and practices played at the facility.
Activities during the stadium’s inaugural weekend will include the NCAA Division I All-Missouri Classic softball tournament Friday-Sunday, featuring Missouri State, Saint Louis, Southeast Missouri State, the University of Missouri and University of Missouri-Kansas City. MSU will participate during the Saturday dedication by featuring more than two dozen former alumni and a first pitch ceremony by university officials.
“We’re continuing the more than 70-year legacy of softball in our community by maintaining and updating the Killian Sports Complex, a facility that has been a part of that rich tradition since 1994, when the Park Board acquired the property†Parks Director Jodie Adams said. “Not only have the grounds been used by local players for more than 25 years, but we also currently use them to host a number of state and national tournaments. The improvements will continue and increase our likelihood of bringing in those types of games, adding to the quality of recreation and athletics in the community, and bringing a significant economic impact to the area.â€
In 2009, the facility will host the Missouri Amateur Softball Association Adult Slow Pitch State Championships, the ASA Men’s 40 & Over Fast Pitch National and ASA Women’s “C†West Slow Pitch National.
(click logo for tournament details at official ASA website)
Editor’s note: It’s great to see the town of Springfield Missouri improving their facility and hosting this year’s 40-and-over Masters National. This year’s tournament will be the first time in 3 years that the ASA has held the 40-and-over nationals, cancelling in 2007 and 2008 due to “lack of interest”. The last time it was held was in 2006 in Portland, Oregon.
Update: We bumped this one up, to include a link to the final bracket for the tournament. Click here for the bracket. (Still waiting for ASA to post the All Americans, link below)
[Fort Worth, TX] – Here are the results from the ASA website for the 50+ Masters National:
Place M/R Team Name Hometown Record
1st Harold’s Supermarket Lexington, MO 5-1
2nd United Sports Academy Galt, CA 4-2
3rd Texas Stars Houston, TX 5-2
4th Savala Painters Hayward, CA 4-2
5th Ohio Battery Ashland, OH 2-2
5th Geo-Per Houston, TX 2-2
7th Houston Diablos Houston, TX 1-3
7th Big Sky Helena, MT 1-3
9th Seattle Fast Pitch Seattle, WA 1-2
9th San Antonio Classics San Antonio, TX 0-3
9th Glow Worms San Antonio, TX 0-3
Editor’s note: ASA insists on calling 50+ fastpitch “Seniors” fastpitch. ( ASA Men’s Senior 50-Over Fast Pitch) In my book, ballplayers still playing fastpitch after 50 are anything but “seniors”.
Here is the list of All-Americans posted on the ASA website:
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