After a one week delay due to rain, the Southern California fastball season gets underway in Norwalk, California today, at Holyfield Park, 12500 Excelsior Drive, Norwalk, CA. The field of teams is down to 12 from the original 20, with a number of teams unable to make the rescheduled date. The format has changed as a result, with the double elimination bracket being replaced by a 3 game round robin, followed by a single elimination bracket which gets started late Saturday afternoon, and continues on to Sunday.
The field of teams includes the two teams that can arguably raise the claim to being the best team in Southern, if not all of California, Team Rainey and the So Cal Bombers. The two teams faced each other in last year’s final at the Norwalk Tournament, with Team Rainey coming away with the championship trophy.
Team Rainey is the reigning ISC California Area champion, having represented the southland at the ISC World Tournament for the past two years in a row. Team Rainey played the most ambitious schedule for any California team in more than a decade last year, playing a number of top 10 teams, and notching some upsets, including an impressive 9-2 win over Victoria Travelers Inn at the Rose Cup tournament in Portland, OR.
As many of our readers know, the roster has undergone some big changes, with a number of former Rainey players moving over to the So Cal Bombers, including the 1-2 pitching tandem of Travis Price and Tony Peeples, and starters Jason Porto, Nate Devine and Mike Butler.
But with Captain Dan’s shuttering its operation after many years, Team Rainey has reloaded, signing former Dan team members Dwayne Fowler, Neil Sauerheber, and skipper Don Didion. In addition, Rainey has signed British Columbian ace, Bricklen Anderson, who was among the best pitchers on the west coast last year, along with Tony Hunhoff and Sonny Perkins, and looks to be in good shape, despite the loss of Price and Peeples.
The roster changes will make for a great rivalry between the two teams, who are scheduled to play each other today in the round robin portion of the tournament at 3:30pm PST. Tomorrow’s championship game in the single elimination bracket is set for 1:45pm.
Any information from Norwalk? What teams are playing and who is throwing and winning?