Earls Club AAU Roster
Bub Dreher
Jerrod Dulmes
Scott Gillmore
Dale Horton
Josh Johnson
Eric Klabunde
Mark Nelson
Glen Nelson
Bruce Pirkle
Paul Skora
Earl’s Club is in Pool F:
Pool F
1. Los Socios – Venezuela
2. PK Broward – IL
3. Earl’s Club – WI
4. Sioux Falls Sox – SD
The 10th annual AAU International Tournament will be held January 22-25, 2009 at the Disney complex in Orlando, Florida, hosting 40 teams from around the world. Selected games will be broadcast live on Ballparkradio.com
From the Tasmania Examiner – Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Neilsen gives pitch on game
BY PHIL EDWARDSNSW and Australian softball head coach John Neilsen has about 20 years’ experience as a player and coach of softball.
The 49-year-old from Kurrajong near Sydney, has coached the defending national under-16 boys’ champions NSW since 2001 and has been Australian under-19 national head coach since 2005.“I got into coaching because someone had to coach my daughter’s side and I just continued on with it,” Neilsen said.
He was Australian assistant coach when the team won the world championships in 2005 and then took the men’s under-19 team to another world championship title as head coach in Canada last June, when Australia beat Canada 2-1 in the final.”
He said softball was basically a non- professional and self-funded sport which could prove expensive for parents.
“If any kids make a state squad over a four-year period or a national team you could be looking at about $25,000 so it keeps parents broke,” he said.
Neilsen said that while the profile of the sport was not high Australian softball teams were among the best in the world.
“Our women won a bronze at the Olympic, our under-19 girls won a world championship bronze as did our men’s team and we won a gold in the under-19 men’s,” he said.
He said there was not a lot of rivalry between softball and baseball but a lot of baseballers played softball because it was a faster game.
“We have a smaller diamond and plenty of action but a lot of baseballers can’t handle the speed of pitching from a closer distance,” he said.
Pitchers at the under-16 boys’ national championships reached speeds of around 110kmh over about a 15m distance.
That speed increased to 125kmh for the under-19 age group.
“If you have a good pitcher generally it will keep you in the game,” he said.
Editor’s note: John Neilsen was the head coach for the Gold Medal winningAustralian team this past summer, at the ISF Jr. World Championships at Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.
Ohio Battery/Stockpack AAU Roster
Tyron McKinney- Pitcher
Gregg Garrity- Pitcher
Joe Hineline- Pitcher
Chad Honaker- INF
Shane Flinner- INF
Pete Spoerl- INF
Steve Horning- INF
Kyle Beane- INF
Junior Rodriguez- INFJason Whiteley- OF
Brad Webb- OF
Todd Moore- OF
Justin Blair- OF
Boomer Brush- OFMike Justice- Utility
Mike Mussine- Utility
Larry Bedard- UtilityNick McCurry- Coach
jasonwhiteley2000@yahoo.com
Ohio Battery/Stockpack is in Pool J:
1. Sebringville – ON
2. Jamaica
3. Maccabi Blue – USA
4. Ohio Battery/Stockpack – OH
The 10th annual AAU International Tournament will be held January 22-25, 2009 at the Disney complex in Orlando, Florida, hosting 40 teams from around the world. Selected games will be broadcast live on Ballparkradio.com
From:
(click logo for original post)
Click here for Al’s AAU page
Team Minnesota AAU Roster
Brad Ezekial
Frank Cox
Rick Lang
Ward Gosse
Lucas Goring
Zach Warne
Jason Wandler
Tim Macumber
Daryn Miller
Chad Boom
BJ Gulick
Jesse Delorit
James Landreman
Brett Bresnahan
Tommy Thompson
BJ Boom
Roman Foore
Brett Bresnahan
brett.bresnahan(at)gmail.com
Editor’s note: Team Minnesota is a two-time finalist, finishing second on the AAU International Tournament twice. (to Team USA in 2006 and to Mac’s last year, 2008). Take a peek at that pitching staff (in bold above). Think they’re serious about trying to win this thing?
Team Minnesota is in Pool I:
1. Team Minnesota
2. Big Cove
3. Niagara Storms Fury – ON
4. Sopotocientos – Venezuela
The 10th annual AAU International Tournament will be held January 22-25, 2009 at the Disney complex in Orlando, Florida, hosting 40 teams from around the world. Selected games will be broadcast live on Ballparkradio.com
Last year’s AAU Champions, with a completely new pitching staff for 2009. Last year’s MVP, Jeff Ellsworth will be with Mac’s again in 2009
From:
(click logo for original post)
Click here for Al’s AAU page
Macs Fastpitch AAU Roster
Ryan Brand P
BJ Hunhoff P
Trevor Ethier PSean O’Brien Catcher
Frank Perez 1st/DH
Kelly Winstrom 1st/DH
Chris Miljavic 2nd
Ian Fehrman SS
Glen Ormsby 3rd
Jeff Ellsworth Outfield
Adam LaLonde Outfield
Ryan Kostell Catcher/Outfield
Jason Porto Outfield
Eddie Kettlehut Utility
Barry Kahler DH
Dan Loney OutfieldMike Gasaway Manager
Dave Miller Sponsor/Asst. Coach
Chico Mcart Asst. Coach
Pete Schmidt ScorekeeperMike Gasaway
gasaw1@aol.com
Editor’s note: Mac’s is in Pool A, along with Guatemala, Chicago/NY, NY, and Barranquita, Puerto Rico. Watch for our “pick the winners” poll for Pool A soon.
B.J. Hunhoff, now graduated from the USA Jr. Men’s program, will join the pitching staff for the defending champs, Mac’s Fastpitch at this year’s AAU tournament. BJ is the second player from the ISF Jr. Men’s World Championships that we’ve spotted, Ben Enoka of New Zealand the other. Ben will be with the Midwest Stampede. Click here to view our prior bio post on BJ Hunhoff. BJ closed out his 19u Jr. Men’s career with a flourish, shutting out eventual silver medalist Canada for 7 innings, before Canada pushed across a single run in extra innings for the win.
The 10th annual AAU International Tournament will be held January 22-25, 2009 at the Disney complex in Orlando, Florida, hosting 40 teams from around the world. Selected games will be broadcast live on Ballparkradio.com
2009 AAU Roster – Manor Dirt Bags, TX
Kenneth Tumlinson – Manager/Sponsor
Tim Schultz, Inf
Mike Govea, DH
Mike Contreras, Inf
David Rocha II, C
Will Sandifer, Inf/Of
Steve Vierra, Inf
Todd Kensler, Inf/Of
Rick Martinez, Of
Eddie Guerra, Of
Adam Fiebig, Of
Eric Middaugh, Inf/Of
Brian Schultz, C
Justin Tumlinson, Of
Chris Maas, Inf
Rick Barker, P
Ryan Nichols, P
The Manor Dirt Bags, Texas, are in Pool G with the NY Gremlin Knights, Bahamas Texaco Pirates and the Brewers de Venezuela. Cast your vote in our “pick the winners” poll for Pool G here.
The 10th annual AAU International Tournament will be held January 22-25, 2009 at the Disney complex in Orlando, Florida, hosting 40 teams from around the world. Selected games will be broadcast live on Ballparkradio.com
NY Gremlin Knights
3 – Bryan Newton – P
9 – John Rozich – C
12- Nathan Craigue – OF/INF
13- John Heinsch – DH/C
19- Steve Price – OF/DH
20- Bill Hillhouse – P
21- Dave Simon – OF/INF
23- Jay Herr – 3B
24- Chad McConnell – SS
26- Derek Pukash – OF
27- Dan O’Brien – UTIL
29- Jeremy Tracy – P/INF
32- Chad Busch – 2B
42- Reggie Barrau – OF
51- Craig Pidcock – P
94- Ed Jackson – OF
##-Jon Nimmo – C1-Bruce Tanski – Sponsor
5- Gregg Leather – Manager
33- Jim Busch – Coach
Texaco Pirates, Bahamas
Steve Mullaley
Jason Hill
Kyle Magnusson
Fred Sweeting
William Weatherford
Don Garvey
Louie Joglar
Andrew Albury
Alexis Hernandez
Grant Albury
Edward {Cheno}Lamb
Darrell Joy
Rob Schweyer P
Sean Cleary P
Rob Scheller P
Haziel Mcdonald Manager
Manor Dirt Bags, TX
Kenneth Tumlinson – Manager/Sponsor
Tim Schultz, Inf
Mike Govea, DH
Mike Contreras, Inf
David Rocha II, C
Will Sandifer, Inf/Of
Steve Vierra, Inf
Todd Kensler, Inf/Of
Rick Martinez, Of
Eddie Guerra, Of
Adam Fiebig, Of
Eric Middaugh, Inf/Of
Brian Schultz, C
Justin Tumlinson, Of
Rick Barker, P
Chris Maas, Inf
Ryan Nichols, P
More about the Texaco Pirates here, and the Gremlin Knights here. (waiting for more info from the Brewers de Venezuela)
We’ve learned that big Jon Nimmo will be joining the Gremlin Knights at the AAU tournament. Jon was a member of the 2007 California Lumberkings, runner-up that year in the ISC II division, where he earned All World honors as the top Designated hitter in the tournament. (Jon shown at far right in this photo, which includes, L to R, 2007 MVP Jay Herr, All Worlds Dave Drotzmann and Jeff Twist, and MVPitcher Jeremy Tracy) Ironically, Nimmo will be teammates with Herr and Tracy in this 2009 AAU.
Jon hit a home run in the semi-finals of that tournament, against A-1 Taylor Farms of California, then another in the championship game against the eventual champions, TNT of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Some observers – myself included – remarked that Nimmo’s home runs went as far as any home run hit in either the ISC II tournament — or the ISC World Tournament. Jon’s title game home run cleared the entire set of bleachers at the main ISC World Tournament diamond at Kitchener. As the saying goes, Jon can hit it out of any park in the country — including Yellowstone.
Speaking of prodigious home runs at the AAU tournament, many mention one by Roman Fiore of Minnesota as the longest, clearing both fences, and then some in a semi-final game on the main diamond.
As for the most memorable home run in the AAU tournament, that would have to be the walk-off home run by Frankie Perez in the bottom of 2006’s extra inning championship game, to give the AAU title to the Heflin Builders over the NY Gremlins.
(We corrected an earlier note that said “Heflin Gremlins over Broken Bow”, thanks to Gregg Leather’s note) The use of “Gremlins” by multiple teams gets a bit confusing
The Gremlin Knight lineup will certainly not lack for power — along with Nimmo, Herr smashed the ISC II tournament home run record (with 7), eclipsing the old record of 3. New York’s other catcher is John Rozich, hit 3 in his first two games at last summer’s ISC II tournament. This trio might arguably be the ISC II division’s top three power hitters.
The Bahamas Pirates and the Gremlin Knights will face off in pool play at 7pm Thursday night. (I only wish that Ballparkradio would be in town in time to broadcast this one, which figures to be a dandy). This game pits one of the ISC II division’s top teams, the Gremlin Knights, (3rd place in 2008) with three aces from the 2008 event, All World Bryan Newton (River City Rockers), and NY’s Billhouse (21 K’s in a game), and Craig Piddock against a team that has worked its way up from the Consolation bracket to one of the tournament favorites, an ISC World-talent-laden squad, with veteran world tournament pitchers, Rob Schweyer and Rob Scheller.
The 10th annual AAU International Tournament will be held January 22-25, 2009 at the Disney complex in Orlando, Florida, hosting 40 teams from around the world. Selected games will be broadcast live on Ballparkradio.com
Ballparkradio will be in Orlando for its sixth consecutive year, albeit a bit leaner than last year’s crew, which broadcast a tournament hight ten (10) games, with Kyle Smith, Blair Setford, Joe Todd, Bill Hillhouse and yours truly.
For 2009, Blair and Joe will not be making the trip, so it’s just a 2.5 man crew, of Kyle, myself, and Bill Hillhouse (when he is not pitching and available in the booth), plus distinguished guests (hopefully including Paul “Chico” McCart, among others).
To listen to the broadcasts, just go to the Ballparkradio website, www.ballparkradio.com and click the black “Click to Listen” button, then choose the link for the game you want to hear, turn on your speakers and sit back and enjoy the action. (or turn down the volume/don the headsets for those of you listening at work)
For the third year in a row, we’ll feature Kyle Smith’s interview with ISC Executive Director Ken Hackmeister (who doubles as co-tournament director for the AAU Tournament, along with the AAU’s Alex Linares). The interview has proven to be a popular item for listeners, a sort of a “State of the Game/ISC” chat. We’ll post the time for the interview when it’s set, but most likely on Saturday night.
Broadcasts will begin on Friday, and will be posted here and at the Ballparkradio website when available. Teams wanting to have a game broadcast may sponsor a game, splitting the cost with their opponent. For further information, email Ballparkradio, jim (at) ballparkradio (dot) com for further details. Broadcast slots will be handled on a first come-first served basis.
We’ve fielded a number of inquiries about the playoff format for this year’s AAU International Tournament, so decided to cover the subject here in a Morning Brief post.
The AAU International is a four day tournament, with the first two days devoted to pool play, and the second to single elimination playoffs:
Thursday – Pool Play
Friday – Pool Play
Saturday – Single Elimination Bracket Play
Sunday – Single Elimination Bracket Play
32 of the 40 teams to make the Championship playoff bracket, while the other 8 will advance to a Consolation bracket. The Consolation Championship is set for 7pm EST on Saturday night, while the Championship Bracket title game goes off at 2pm EST on Sunday.
With forty teams, this means that 3 teams in each pool are guaranteed a spot in the Championship Playoff Bracket (the top 30 teams), while the final two “wild card†spots will go to the top two fourth place finishing teams. (Tie Breaker rules apply)
Results from Pool play games determine seeding in the playoff brackets.
Tournament tie breaker rules:
A. Record
B. Runs allowed
C. Runs scored
D. Run differential
E. Coin flip
See our earlier blog post here for complete set of tournament rules, along with pools and schedule of games.
This is the first in a series of polls for the forty (40) team AAU International Tournament, at Orlando, Florida, January 22-25, 2009.
Editor’s note: We’ve bumped this post back up, after adding a second poll, for readers to predict the three teams that will make the championship playoff bracket. (Vote for 3). See Morning Brief post above for full details on the 2009 Playoff format.
Midwest Stampede Roster
Bondurant, IA
Gerald Muizelaar
Sean Whitten
Tony Peeples
Bob Rosthenhausler
Bruno Motroni
Tony Kunka
Joe Morales
Greg Cascaes
Matt Palazzo
Paul Walford
Chris Bohlmann
Ben Enoka
Justin Dauvin
Cody ParsonsSteve Moulton/coach co-owner
Bev Moulton/co-owner
Steve Kooser, Field Manager
Cobourg Force Roster
Mike Crawford
Steve Ketchell
Wayne Wells
Bill Fairney
Sam Forbes
Aaron Fraser
Ross Herold
Mike Kelly
Frank Lang
Carl Maloney
Anthony Palmieri
Matt Swift
John Garland
Craig MinifieSylvia Ryan Manager
Virgin Islands Roster
[none submitted]
Maccabi Red Roster – USA
[none submitted]
Rosters courtesy of Al’s Fastball
The forty team field marks the largest ever at the tournament, which began ten years ago, as an 8 team tournament. The last few years, the tournament filled out a 32 team bracket, but continues to grow as word about the tournament spreads.
AAU teams often feature “mixed rosters”, with players from several “regular” teams joining forces, or moving from one team to another. A good part of the fun for fans is perusing the rosters before the tournament, and making their predictions on the eventual winners.
Not all teams have submitted rosters yet, but we encourage all to do so. Send them to Al Doran at: fastball (at) prmi.com or here to jim (at) fastpitchwest.com, and we’ll forward to him as well. Be sure to visit his AAU International Tournament page
Below are rosters for two of the teams in Pool E, the Midwest Stampede and Cobourg Force of Ontario Canada.
For the Midwest Stampede, plenty of familiar names to be sure. Pitcher Gerald Muizelaar was with Team Minnesota the last few years, including a couple of trips to the championship game. Sean Whitten was with Florida Fastpitch, a top finisher last year, who pitched in one of 2008’s more memorable games, against Dave Drotzmann and the Virgin Island Ambassadors, a low scoring pitchers’ duel. Whitten showed up last January in mid-season form, with many fans commenting that he was throwing harder than anyone at the tournament. Tony Peeples, a member of the So Cal Bombers the past few years, will make what I think is his first trip to the AAU. Lots of top drawer ISC talent to go with the pitching staff, and a youngster from New Zealand, Ben Enoka, who played with New Zealand’s 19u team at the ISF Jr. Worlds last summer. Ben is one of two Enoka brothers from the Black Sox squad. Thomas pitched, while Ben played outfield and hit in the heart of the order, behind slugger Sam Bishop. Ben was 2 for 3 in his team’s 9-0 win over eventual Gold Medalists, Australia, the only loss in the tournament by the Aussies.
For Cobourg, it will be a couple of leapers with pitchers Wayne Wells and Steve Ketchell. Wells continues to display top form well into his 40’s, helping to pitch Waterdown Hammer into the championship game at last summer’s ISC II Tournament of Champions, and earn all-world honors along the way. Ross Herold, longtime ISC II all star catcher, and member of the 2006 ISC II champion Tavistock squad will be behind the plate, with plenty of Ontario’s finest joining in, including the ageless Sammy Forbes.
No roster yet for the Virgin Islands or Maccabi USA.
If they follow form, the Virgin Islands will land some top pitching talent to go with a hard playing squad that has been more than competitive in past years. In 2008, it was Dave Drotzmann and Mike Egerdeen on the hill for the Virgin Islands. That duo went on later in the year to pitch the California Lumberkings to the ISC II Tournament of Champions title, with Dr. Dave nabbing MVPitcher honors. The year before, it was Shaun Winship on the hill for the Virgin Island Ambassadors. (Last year, Winship pitched Mike Cutro’s CPI squad into the Final Four, the highest finish ever for an ISC II team.)
Perhaps Dave Blackburn can fill us in on the Maccabi team? And someone from the Virgin Islands?
The 10th annual AAU International Tournament will be held January 22-25, 2009 at the Disney complex in Orlando, Florida, hosting 40 teams from around the world. Selected games will be broadcast live on Ballparkradio.com
