{"id":4257,"date":"2010-06-21T10:48:07","date_gmt":"2010-06-21T17:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/?p=4257"},"modified":"2010-06-21T11:08:37","modified_gmt":"2010-06-21T18:08:37","slug":"california-a%e2%80%99s-class-of-the-classic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/?p=4257","title":{"rendered":"California A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, class of the Classic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note:<\/strong> We were pleased to see our friend Bob Otto on hand Sunday at the California Classic in San Diego both with his trusty 300 mm lens and his reporter’s notebook. He hits a home run on this piece. I managed to snap a quick photo of he and my favorite photographer, Maddy in the same shot…finally, both of them together on the other side of the lens! Watch for that one soon. <\/em><\/p>\n


\nCalifornia A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, class of the Classic<\/strong><\/p>\n

Story and Photos by Bob Otto\/OttoinFocus<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n(click banner for original news story at OttoinFocus)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nCanadian, Sean Whitten, allowed but three hits along with 10 strikeouts in leading the California A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s to a 7-0 victory over Rude-Pac to claim the championship in the 2010 California Classic, Sunday, at Sportsplex USA in Santee, Calif. <\/em>
\nPhoto By BOB OTTO<\/em><\/p>\n

SANTEE, CA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c A year ago the California A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s were a good ball club, but not great. This season with the addition of Canadian pitcher, Sean Whitten, and a few more key additions, the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s have taken a giant leap into the elite class of International Softball Congress teams.<\/p>\n

And the California ballclub proved they are going to be a team to be reckoned with come ISC World Tournament time as the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s swept through their own \u00e2\u20ac\u0153California Classic\u00e2\u20ac\u009d 12-team tournament with a 5-0 record culminating with a 7-0 win over Rude-Pac in Sunday\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s championship at Sportsplex USA in Santee.<\/p>\n

An overpowering Whitten, held a good-hitting Rude Pac of Sun Valley, California to three hits, while striking out 10. The right-hander showed his dominance by striking out the side in the first and third innings. Only Jason Obregon, Caynon Vance, and Casey Pimm were able to scratch out singles.<\/p>\n

Whitten said that on Saturday he felt he wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t in top form. But come Sunday was a whole new ballgame.<\/p>\n

\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The rise and the change were both working good,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Whitten, who some believe to be the hardest thrower in the game today. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The defense and the offense were strong. I think we are progressing pretty good.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s DOMINATE<\/p>\n

The A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s reached the title game by outscoring their opponents, 28-4, including an 8-0 win over the Cal-State Builders in their opener, followed by 4-1 victory over Maccabi USA, and a 6-1 thumping of Portland with Whitten besting Bricklin Anderson and Terry Luster.<\/p>\n

And in Sunday\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s semi-final, Whitten came on in relief of Travis Price to pick up a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Meralomas, and Derek Mayson, in the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s toughest game of the tournament.<\/p>\n

A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s manager, Dave Weldin, was pleased with his ballclub\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s performance throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n
\nDave Weldin, Manager, California A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s<\/em>
\nPhoto By BOB OTTO<\/em><\/p>\n

\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We played great defense, got timely hitting, and our pitchers allowed just (four) runs the entire tournament,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Weldin. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Whitten gives us a lot of confidence. If we score a couple of runs we have a great chance to win.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

TURNER LEADS THE WAY<\/p>\n

In the championship, the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got all the runs they needed by scoring four times in the fourth inning off Rude-Pac\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Gerald Pyle. The left-side hitting, Chase Turner, batting in the number six spot, ripped a double to left field that brought home Marcus Tan, who opened the inning with a walk to give the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a 1-0 advantage.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n
\nChase Turner went 3-for-3 and drove in the game\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first and final runs.<\/em>
\nPhoto By BOB OTTO<\/em><\/p>\n

That proved to be the only run Whitten would need. But the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s added three more runs in the fifth to shorten the game to five innings under the mercy rule. And again Turner (3-for-3) was the catalyst by ending the game with a run-scoring single to plate the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s seventh run.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I got change up\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s on both hits,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Turner, who played for the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s last season, adding that he likes the look of the 2010 version. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153With Sean (Whitten) and Kevin (Schellenberg), Darren Box, Paul Rosebush, and Derek Mayson, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve now got a good mix, and our pitching puts us in the top five (ISC ranking) as opposed to the top 15 last year.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

ALL-WORLD HURLER<\/p>\n

Whitten comes to the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s from the Midwest Stampede of Iowa, which folded after last season. He was selected as a second team, All-World (3-1 record) pitcher after leading the Stampede to a fourth place finish in the 24-team 2009 ISC World Tournament in Moline, Illinois.<\/p>\n

And the right-hander, whose riser and drop speeds to the plate in the 80 mile per hour range was at his best against Rude-Pac.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153When you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re facing Whitten you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re in trouble if you give up a couple of runs,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Rudy Montanez, sponsor and manager of Rude-Pac. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I would have liked the game closer, but I feel real good about how we are coming together.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

RUDE-PAC KNOCKS OFF FAVORITES<\/p>\n

But even though Rude-Pac lost, Montanez felt good about his ball club\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s performance in the tournament. As the ISC\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s #26 ranked team, Rude-Pac finished 3-1 in Saturday\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pool play that included a 9-8 victory over #15 Portland, and a 4-0 shutout over the #11 Bakersfield Silverhawks.<\/p>\n

\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Coming from a team that started in 2005 playing (ASA Class) \u00e2\u20ac\u0153C\u00e2\u20ac\u009d ball, we are turning a few heads,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Montanez said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

By finishing second, Rude-Pac picks up an ISC World Tournament berth, which Montanez said, his team will gladly accept. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Getting the ISC spot is big for us,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.<\/p>\n

The tournament also featured a few surprises. Portland (0-2-1) and the Silverhawks (0-1-2) both found winning hard to come by in Saturday\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pool play. And the #22 Italian Athletic Club (IAC) of Stockton won but one game, finishing a 1-2.<\/p>\n

All three teams were relegated to the consolation bracket, with Portland going home early after losing its Sunday opener. IAC and the Silverhawks met in the consolation championship, with IAC taking a 3-2 victory with young, right-hander, Tyson Barkman, picking up the win.
\n
\nTOW PROS TOUGH<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the local Tow Pros from nearby Poway \u00e2\u20ac\u201c unranked and unknown \u00e2\u20ac\u201c made it into Sunday\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s championship bracket by finishing 2-0-1 in their pool.<\/p>\n

The ISC? NAFA? Never heard of them, said Tow Pros manager, Hector Garcia, after his ballclub had eliminated the #34 ranked California-State Builders, 3-2, in their first playoff game on Sunday. And in semi-finals, Tow Pros gave Rude-Pac a battle before losing, 3-2, and being eliminated from the tournament.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n
\nTow Pros Manager, Hector Garcia<\/em>
\nPhoto By BOB OTTO<\/em><\/p>\n

\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We came here to have fun,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Garcia. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We called (to try and enter the tournament), and they asked, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcwho are you?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 We surprised a couple of teams and some good ones left before us.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n


\nSCHEDULE GETS CHALLENGING<\/strong><\/p>\n

With their championship in hand in the inaugural showcase of the Classic, Weldin now points his team in a northeasterly direction. Next up is the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Boys of Summer\u00e2\u20ac\u009d tournament in Denmark, Wisconsin, July 9-11.<\/p>\n

\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That will be a tough tournament,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Weldin said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It will be a good test for us with four of the top 20 teams there.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Boys of Summer will indeed be a challenge for the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, which has won consecutive California championships after claiming the Best of The West in early June.<\/p>\n

But the ultimate test will come in August at the 2010 ISC World Tournament in Midland, Michigan. And A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s leadoff hitter, Paul Rosebush, believes the Salinas-based ballclub has the ability to meet that test.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n
\nPaul Rosebush, A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s leadoff hitter and outfielder
\n<\/em>
\nPhoto By BOB OTTO<\/em><\/p>\n

\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got a lot of talent,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Rosebush, who took last season off after playing for the Farm Tavern of Madison, Wisconsin. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It takes solid pitching and consistent hitting to win it. We will definitely be a contender.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note: We were pleased to see our friend Bob Otto on hand Sunday at the California Classic in San Diego both with his trusty 300 mm lens and his reporter’s notebook. He hits a home run on this piece. I managed to snap a quick photo of he and my favorite photographer, Maddy in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,6,9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4257"}],"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=4257"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4257\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}