{"id":3987,"date":"2010-04-23T19:25:47","date_gmt":"2010-04-24T02:25:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/?p=3987"},"modified":"2010-04-23T19:38:08","modified_gmt":"2010-04-24T02:38:08","slug":"cal-state-builders-go-full-time-2010-california-classic-on-tap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/?p=3987","title":{"rendered":"Cal-State Builders go full time, 2010 California Classic on tap"},"content":{"rendered":"

From “Otto in Focus”, by Bob Otto<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n


\nWritten by Bob Otto on April 22nd, 2010<\/em><\/p>\n

The 2010 Cal-State Builders.<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6I decided I would like to start my own team.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Dave Carlton<\/p>\n

BAY AREA, CA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c The 2010 fastpitch season marks a couple of firsts for Dave Carlton. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the first time he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s grabbed the reins as a full time manager. And it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the first time his team \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the Cal-State Builders \u00e2\u20ac\u201c will play a full season.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have dabbled in the NAFA Masters, NAFA AA, and a couple other tournaments prior to this season,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Carlton, 39, of Hayward, California. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But this is the first full season for the team,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Carlton began playing fastpitch in 1990 in Seattle. And from the get-go the first baseman has loved the challenge of hard-fought games.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is fantastic to play games that are close and count,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.
\n
\nPOST-SEASON SUCCESS<\/strong><\/p>\n

And the Builders have done quite well in close games. In 2008 Cal-State finished second in the NAFA Masters age 40-over. And in 2009 they topped the field, winning the 40-over championship, as well as taking third in the NAFA AA.<\/p>\n

With last season\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s success whetting his appetite, Carlton made a decision: Cal-State would play a full schedule in 2010. Including Carlton managing the team.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I still like to play,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But after last season I decided I would like to start my own team, make the calls, and put the money up (limited sponsorship).\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

So during the off-season, Carlton went on a recruiting mission. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s assembled a ball club that he plans on entering in the NAFA AA World Series and ASA Class B National Tournament.<\/p>\n

CHALLENGING TOURNEY SCHEDULE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Building up to post-season play includes several weekend tournaments \u00e2\u20ac\u201c including a trip to Seattle for the 50th anniversary of the Seattle Invitational, and a return trip to Grants Pass, Oregon and the Boatnik Tournament, which the Builders won last year.<\/p>\n

But possibly Cal-State\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s biggest challenge will come when the Builders travel to Southern California for the \u00e2\u20ac\u01532010 California Classic\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in Santee, June 19-20. The tournament features12 top-flight teams from California, Oregon, New Mexico, Nebraska, Mexico, and Canada.<\/p>\n

And at stake are two ISC World Tournament berths.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is will be a high-class tournament with top-notch ISC major teams,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It will be a challenge for us. Do I expect us to be standing in the winner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s circle? No, but we will see great pitching (against such pitchers as) Sebastian Gervasutti (Parana, Argentina) of the (Bakersfield) Silverhawks. And I expect the California A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s will be extremely strong. We hope to play hard and have close games, and see where we stack up.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

STRONG LINE UP<\/strong><\/p>\n

A look at the Cal-State roster finds it filled with talent. Darren Strang of Richmond, BC, Canada, and John Peterson from Lake Crystal, Minnesota will anchor the pitching staff along with veteran Dave Jordan.<\/p>\n

Carlson likes what he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s seen so far \u00e2\u20ac\u201c variety.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Darren throws a good rise ball and has good movement on his pitches,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Carlton said, of the 34-year-old right-hander, who is considered a top ISC II \/ ISC pitcher. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s strong, intelligent, and brings us experience.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n
\nJon Peterson, pitcher from Lake Crystal, MN.<\/em><\/p>\n

And Peterson? The Minnesota native has a sharp-breaking drop ball that gives hitters fits and compliments Strang\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s riser. And in Jordan the ball club has a veteran pitcher who hits his spots. And his change up contrasts nicely with the power pitching of Strang and Peterson.<\/p>\n

Carlton also plucked another Canadian from the country\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s vast pool of talent: Doug Cain. Carlton says that Cain is a proven ISC and Canadian national championship caliber player. The left-side hitter hits the ball where it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pitched and goes to the opposite field with line drive power, Carlton said.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the Barry Bonds of our lineup,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Carlton said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Doug is a veteran ISC player and won the Canadian championship with the (Vancouver) Grey Sox. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a veteran with major-level experience and a reliable glove at third base. He gives us clutch hitting in the clean up position.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nTWO GOOD CATCHERS<\/strong>
\nBehind the plate, Ricky Moore II and Jon Abbott will share the catching duties. When Strang toes the rubber, Moore will call the pitches. And when Peterson gets the call, Abbott \u00e2\u20ac\u201c also a Lake Crystal native \u00e2\u20ac\u201c will catch.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153They are both excellent catchers,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Carlton said, adding that at a recent tournament in Lodi, California, Abbott impressed him with his bat, power and speed. And Moore is, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a true utility man who can catch and play every position on the field, and he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s learning to pitch,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d added Carlton.<\/p>\n

A look at the infield finds Carlton and Rusty Newman sharing time at first base. Chris Paiva and Kevin Nishinaga\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s speed and defense will anchor the middle infield, and Ty Fogarty, Ricky Sivilla, Dave Jordan, Dave Demaio, and Steve Garcia will patrol the outfield.<\/p>\n

What can fans expect from the Cal-State Builders at the California Classic?<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Builders combine speed, defense, and pitching for a balanced strategy,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Carlton said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have the potential for power at the plate, but we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t rely on it. Our goal is to play competitive games.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n
\nThe current Cal-State roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Darren Strang (Richmond, BC)
\nJohn Peterson (Lake Crystal, MN)
\nDoug Cain (Burnaby, BC)
\nJon Abbott (San Francisco and Lake Crystal, MN)
\nChirs Paiva (Pico Rivera, CA)
\nKevin Nishinaga (Alameda, CA)
\nTy Fogarty (Gresham, OR)
\nRicky Sivilla (El Cerrito, CA)
\nDave Jordan (Rancho Murrieta, CA)
\nDave Demaio (Simi Valley, CA)
\nSteve Garcia (Fresno, CA)
\nRusty Newnan (Penn Valley, CA)
\nDave Carlton (Hayward, CA)
\nRicky Moore II (Concord, CA)<\/p>\n

<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From “Otto in Focus”, by Bob Otto Written by Bob Otto on April 22nd, 2010 The 2010 Cal-State Builders. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6I decided I would like to start my own team.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Dave Carlton BAY AREA, CA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c The 2010 fastpitch season marks a couple of firsts for Dave Carlton. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the first time he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s grabbed the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,18,11,9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3987"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3987"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3987\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}