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El Segundo Rounders 2002 Roster
El Segundo Rounders 2002 Roster
The El Segundo Rounders reached the
top of the mountain this last weekend at Big Bear Lake, in more ways than
one. The Rounders topped Raymar 10-7 in the winners bracket final,
after defeating the Alliance's top team, the
Kanakas in an opening round match-up
7-1, a pitching gem by Mitch Mendenhall, followed by a 10-5 win over San
Diego Fastpitch and a 7-6 win Sunday morning over the All Americans. The
Rounders were unbeaten on the
weekend, and in winning the tourney,
clinched a bid to the ASA "C" National in Sacramento. The Kanakas
batttled all the way through the loser's bracket after losing their first
game loss to the Rounders, and rallied from down 6-1 against Raymar, to
win 9-8 in the loser's bracket final, to capture the second bid to the
ASA National tournament. The Kanakas opted not to play the final game vs.
the Rounders.
A complete recap and plenty of photos are at www.fastpitchwest.com. Click here to go directly to the Big Bear Tournament Page: http://www.fastpitchwest.com/bigbear071402.htm
The Rounders' title marked their
first Alliance Tourney title this year, after a second at Santa Fe Springs
and third at Palm Springs. The Rounders also captured the Las Vegas
Spring Swing tournament title in March of this
year, and will be headed to both
the NAFA "A" World Series in Salem, Oregon, and the ASA "C" Nationals in
Sacramento, California.
Rounders 7, Kanakas 1
The Rounders opening round draw in
the Big Bear Lake tournament was none
other than the Kanakas, whom the
Rounders had just faced, and lost to in the
championship game at Santa Fe Springs
two weeks prior. The Kanakas have been
the dominant team in Alliance tournaments
this season, winning four of the
six they have entered. This
time around, the Rounders prevailed, largely on
the strength of a 2-hitter by pitcher
Mitch Mendenhall, buoyed by a six-run
first inning outburst by the Rounders.
Don Younger had the big blow in the
first, a 2 out-2 run double.
No sooner had the final out been recorded,
than the Big Bear skies opened,
and let loose with a brief, but strong
downpour, even including a bit of
hail. Fans grabbed umbrellas while those
without scurried to the dugouts
to stay dry. The rain and hail was gone as
quickly as it came, and play resumed.
Rounders 10, San Diego Fastpitch 5
Once again, the Rounders rode a large
scoring outburst in the early innings
to capture their second win of the
tournament against another strong
opponent. Eric Geierman stole
home in this one, igniting a Rounders rally,
while Paul Castillo had the big
hit, a bases clearing hit that actually drew
grass. The Rounders led 9-1 headed
into the 5th inning. Down to their last
out, scored two on a homer by Jay
Crawley, to earn the extra frame.
Rounders 7, All American 6 (Winner's
Bracket Semi-Final)
The All American team scored a run
in each of the first two innings, and
took a 3-1 lead into the middle
innings. The Rounders' offense finally
kicked in, sparked by a solo home
run by Tom Morton deep into the right
field corner. The Rounders
took the lead, then hung on to hold off a very
tough All American squad. Mitch
Mendenhall picked up his second win in as
many games.
Rounders 10, Raymar 7 (Winner's Bracket Final)
The Rounders batted around in the
first inning, jumping out to a 6-0 lead
over Raymar. Raymar, however,
was anything but done in this one. Playing
"little ball" with some timely big
hits, Raymar climbed back into the hunt,
with four runs of their own . A
key line-drive double play with the based
loaded proved to be key in the outcome.
The Rounders added to their lead,
on the strength of some "little
ball" of their own, a key bunt by Woody
Kempf, a bases loaded single to
center by Jim Crotzer, and a home run blast
to deep left center by Don Jewett.
(Jewettt played first base in this one,
while pitching, catching and playing
most everywhere in the Rounders lineup)
Mitch Mendenhall came on in relief
in this one when Raymar closed the game,
pitching out of a 5th inning jam.
Raymar still wasn't done though, adding a
couple more in the 7th, with the
tying run at the plate when the final out
was recorded.
The win over Raymar ran the Rounders
record to 4-0, and earned them the ASA
So Cal Championship, when the Kanakas
opted not to play the final game(s),
having secured their own ASA Nationals
berth by finishing second.
Kanakas 9, Raymar 8 (Loser's Bracket Final)
After dropping their opening round
game to the Rounders, the Kanakas ran the
table in the loser's bracket, winning
six games in the process, starting
with a 17-4 win over the Pechanga
Skins. The Kanakas, perhaps a bit tired
from their 7 games, fell behind
Raymar early, trailing 7-1 at one point.
But the Kanakas kept battling, and
finally caught Raymar 8-8 in the late
innings. A heads-up hustle
play by the Kanakas Keith Barker proved to be
the difference in the game.
Barker was at first base, when a teammate
popped out to Raymar's catcher,
who made a great, diving catch on the play.
Barker alertly tagged up at first
and advanced to second on the play. Later
in the inning, Keith came home to
score the winning run .
Raymar finished third, with the Amigos fourth.
Fastpitch at 7000 Feet?
It's hard to imagine a more picturesque
place to hold a tournament than
Big Bear Lake California.
With most players within a two hour drive "up
the mountain", the tournament offered
players a chance to bring along their
wives, girlfriends, and families,
for a weekend away. Big Bear Lake Village
offered plenty of dining and shopping
for those so inclined, or those who
just wished to spend a little time
away from the ballfields during the
weekend. Many teams took advantage
of the mountain-style lodging, including
some teams (Gamecocks and Rounders
to name two), who stayed in cabins just
across the street, and then walked
to the ballfields. I spotted one of the
Gamecocks early Sunday morning sweeping
the porch of his cabin, only to see
him minutes later swinging a bat
at the fields. (Personally, I prefer to
see him swinging that broom stick.)
The consensus among players seemed
to be that the altitude had its effect,
transforming the fields into a sort
of "Coors Field" West. 300 foot fly
balls were not that uncommon.
As the final scores showed, most of the games
were high scoring affairs that never
seemed to be over until the final out.
The tournament boasted some of Southern
California's finest umpires, with 5
members of UIC's Pete Davis'
8 man crew headed to umpire at upcoming
National Tournaments. Kudos
to ASA tournament director Robert Hernandez for
overcoming some weather, extra inning
games, and the challenge of working
with only one lighted field for
a successful tournament.
Teams return to Santa Fe Springs
July 27-28, 2002 for the final ASA So Cal
Alliance tournament of the year,
with two bids to the ASA Nationals still up
for grabs among Raymar, San Diego
Fastpitch, the Panteras and So Cal
Masters.
The El Segundo Rounders finished their guest weekend in the CCMSA with a 2-3 record, dropping two one run games. The Rounders lost a one run game to the Rancheria Coyotes; lost a wild (wind-aided) slugfest with the Lumberkings, coming from down 9-0 to tie the game at 9 before losing; won Saturday night against Deranged; lost a hard fought game against Valley Lavosh 3-2, and capped an exciting finish to their weekend, with a 7-6 win over the Silverhawks, which saw Ron Kirby's squad rally from down 5-2 in the 6th, to take a 7-5 lead into the 7th. The Silverhawks were not to be outdone, with what appeared to be a game-tying 2 run single in the bottom of the 7th. Rounder's centerfield Tom Morton came up the ball and tossed a perfect strike to the plate for the game ending putout.
El Segundo Rounders W-L Score
vs. Rancheria Coyotes L 8-9,
LP-Jewett, rallied from down 9-3
vs. Lumberkings L 14-24, LP-Mendenhall,
rallied from down 9-0 to tie 9-9.
vs. Deranged W 10-5, WP-Flanagan
vs. Valley Lyons L 2-3, LP-Flanagan
vs. Silverhawks W 7-6, WP-Mendenhall,
rallied from down 5-2, potential tying run out at plate to end game.
Sunday, April 28
The Rounders rebounded from a disappointing showing at Soboba, going 4-1 at Santa Fe Springs, for their second Alliance Event of the year, a fifteen team event. The Rounders were a perfect 3-0 on the day Saturday, with wins over the Amigos, San Diego Fastpitch and the Shiners. Don Jewett was the winning pitcher over the Amigos, stealing home to score the game winning run. Mitch Mendenhall topped San Diego Fastpitch in the second game of the day, while Jewett and Mendenhall combined for the win in their third game of the day against the Shiners. The three wins put the Rounders in a top seed position, opening Sunday morning's elimination bracket against the Palm Springs Express. The Rounders made one run stand up, Jim Flanagan picking up the win. The Rounders then fell to this season's nemisis, Santana Concrete, the third loss to the Concreters this season, and second in two weeks. The Rounders jumped on Dave Meltz for three runs early, but couldn't hold the lead, dropping the game 7-5.
The El Segundo Rounders's month long layoff showed in their sluggish play at Soboba, a one-day tournament which saw the Rounders going 2 and out. With key leadoff hitter Erik Geierman missing, the Rounders were no-hit by Soboba BBC's Brett Pobantz in their first game, and dropping their second game to Santana Concrete, 4-1 in the nightcap.
Mitch Mendenhall took the loss in
the first game, while Jim Flanagan suffered the loss against Santana. The
Rounders hitters struggled so much that they organized a dollar player's
pool for the first hit of the day. Jack Estrada won honors in the pool.
The Rounders will return to play in Santa Fe Springs April 27-28, 2002
in their second Alliance tournament of the season.
ROUNDERS REPEAT AS LAS VEGAS CHAMPIONS
Sunday, March 17
ROUNDERS REPEAT AS LAS VEGAS CHAMPIONS
[Monday, March 18, 2002]
(story reported by Tournament Director and Las Vegas Hitmen David Bell )
Las Vegas, Nevada/March 19, 2002]- Ron Kirby and his El Segundo, California Rounders have found a new home in the Vegas lights. For the second consecutive year the Rounders are the Spring Swing Fastpitch Weekend Class "A" tournament champions.
This years' event boasted 21 teams from 11 states in two divisions. There were nine teams in the "AA" bracket, and 12 others in the "A" class. Over the two day event teams played against other teams, that they may never see again unless they meet in a national or championship tournament.
NAFA "A" DIVISION
The El Segundo Rounders posted four
consecutive wins after a first round
bye, behind the pitching of Mitch
Mendenhall, Don Jewett and Jim Flanagan.
MVP Erik Geierman ran down plays from his centerfield position and led
his team in every major offensive catagory. The Rounders posted wins over
the Las Cruces Titans (6-4), Phoenix Naturals (11-10), DC Current of Bremen,
Indiana (10-8), and in the final over the El Paso Steel (5-2).
In two years of play at the Spring Swing, the Rounders are a perfect 9-0. El Paso Texas Steel sprinted into the tourney final with five consecutive wins after their first round defeat to the Soboba Big Boys Club (San Jacinto, Cal). In their path and being eliminated in the process were the Titans, Soboba in a rematch, the host Las Vegas Hitmen, Naturals, and DC Current.
DC Current (2-2) took home the 3rd place trophy, while the Phoenix Naturals (2-2) went back to Arizona in fourth.
Rounder Photos online from the Las Vegas Tournament
Ron Kirby's El Segundo Rounders reached the Final Four in their first ever Alliance fastpitch tournament, behind the strong pitching of Mitch Mendenhall and strong hitting from the entire Rounders roster, scoring 30 runs in 3 games Saturday, and 17 in their first two Sunday. Mendenhall opened the tourney on Saturday with an 11-2 win over the Las Vegas Hitmen, picked up another win over Palm Springs Sunday, finishing off the day suffering a tough 3-2 loss to Santana. The Rounders advanced to the final four by overcoming a 5 run first inning deficit against San Diego Fastpitch, battling for a 10-8 slugfest win. The Rounders' 23 year old newcomer Hector Munoz turns some heads in the San Diego game with a dazzling-game-saving-backhand catch in deep left center field, literally outrunning the ball, somersaulting as he hit the ground, managing not only to hold onto the ball, but come up throwing. Munoz, serves his country during the week as a Marine at Camp Pendelton, and the Rounders on weekends.
The Rounders will head for Palm Springs on March 9-10, 2002, to compete amongst 20 teams.
The Rounders will play three (3)
games on Saturday, March 9 as follows:
1:15 pm Las Vegas Hitmen
6:30 pm Jets
8:15 pm TC All Americans
The tournament field consists of 5 pools of 4 teams each, with a single elimination bracket on Sunday. For the complete schedule of games, click the headline link above.
For directions to De Muth Park, click the "LOCATIONS" link at left.
For hotel and player information,
click the "CALENDAR" link at left, then click the March 9 entry for the
Palm Springs Tournament.
Following a weekend of stiff competition
at the Norwalk tournament, including three games against Team Rainey and
an 1-0 win over perenial powerhouse Quest Fastpitch, behind pitching ace
Mitch Mendenhall, the Rounders now look ahead towards defending their 2001
Las Vegas Spring Swing title won last March over the St. Patrick's Day
weekend. In 2001, the Rounders posted a perfect 5-0 record, including four
come-from-behind "walk off" wins, defeating the Host Las Vegas Hitmen in
the championship game. The field of teams in 2002 has exploded from six
to twenty or twenty-one teams, including teams from all across the country.
The Rounders hope to get healthy before the March 16-17 tourney, having
suffered a myriad of injuries in the early going, including Mike Fitzgerald
(rib muscle), Mark Villalobos (nose surgery), Tom Morton (hamstring), Jim
Flanagan (broken wrist), and Mitch Mendenhall (hamstring). The Rounders
are rumored to be looking for a full time trainer......
The El Segundo
Rounders opened their 2002 tournament season at the Norwalk tournament
February 23 & 24, 2002. The Rounders, a ASA "C" team, played "up" in
the A/B division, facing stiff competition, but managing to notch a big
win over perenial powerhouse, Quest Fastpitch, 1-0 on Sunday morning in
the elimination round of the tournament. Pitcher Mitch Mendenhall picked
up the big win, tossing a shutout against a solid Quest team, which won
the "B" division of the CCMSA, California's top fastpitch league.
Woody Kempf had
a hand in the two biggest plays of the game. First, he tripled in the gap
in right center field, then scored on a hard ground out by Eric Geierman,
who grabbed the game's only RBI. Then, when a Quest player lined a ball
in the same right-centerfield alley, Woody ran the ball down, threw to
second baseman Don Jewett, who launched a perfect strike to catcher Scott
Meehan for the out, erasing Quest's scoring threat.
The Rounders
drew tourney runner-up Team Rainey twice on Saturday, suffering run rule
losses, and was eventually eliminated in the semi-finals of the tournament
by that same Team Rainey squad on Sunday.
Game 1: Team Rainey 10, Rounders 0
Game 2: Yucaipa Bombers 7, Rounders, 5
Game 3: Rounders 1, Quest 0
In a good defensive game the only score came in the third inning. Quest's best chance of tying the game came in the 6th inning when Kevin B. hit a drive to the right field gap. A perfect relay throw from Don Jewitt to the plate cut down Kevin at the plate to give the win to Mitch Mendehal of the Rounders.
Game 4: Team Rainey 10, Rounders 0
Stan Grebeck made his first start
of the tournament for Team Rainey against Mitch Mendehal. In the
third inning, Jason Aceves opened with a triple and scored on a passed
ball. DR Dale Lopes scored on a single by Tony Acedo for the second
run of the inning. Team Rainey broke the game open in the 4th inning
with 7 runs which included doubles by Jessie Duncan and Jason Aceves.
The Rounders won two games on the road in Corona Saturday night, February 9, 2002, managing to overcome strong Santa Ana winds at City Park in Corona as well. The Rounders won the opener against Ernie Marez's So Cal Rebels, 10-2, with Don Jewett picking up the win. Jim Flanagan returned from a 6 month stint on the DL to pitch the final frame. In the nightcap, the Rounders rallied in the bottom of the 7th for two runs to beat rival Santana Concrete, 6-5. Pitcher Mitch Mendenhall, the Rounders' newest roster addition picked up the win, with 7 solid innings. The game saw 3 lead changes in the final two frames. Paul Castillo drove home the winning run for the Rounders, scoring Eric Geierman who scored 4 times for the Rounders. David Echeveste twice staked Santana to leads, including what looked to be the game winner in the top of the 7th inning, until Castillo's game winner for the walk-off win.
The Rounders continue their season Wednesday night in the Artesia Winter league with a 7:05 pm game against the Panteras, Feb. 13, 2002.
The El Segundo Rounders are playing in the Artesia Winter League on Wednesday nights, starting January 30, 2002 through April 3, 2002.
See Calendar for specific game schedule.
The Rounders first two tournaments of the 2002 season will be :
1) Norwalk, February 23-24, 2002;
and
2) Las Vegas Spring Swing, March
15-17, 2002
See Calendar for tournaments and
more.
| Team | El Segundo Rounders |
| Manager | Ron Kirby (310.329.4290) |
| Year Formed | 1996 (Founder: Ron Kirby) |
| City | El Segundo, CA |
Home
Field
 |
Recreation
Park
401 Eucalyptus, El Segundo, CA |
| Leagues | El Segundo City League 1996-2000, Champs 96,97,99 |
| Tournaments | 2000
Norwalk Tourney (Panteras "Ace" Memorial)3rd pl
2001 Las Vegas Spring Swing Champs, A division 2002 Palm Springs Tournament, tie 3rd Pl. 2002 Las Vegas Spring Swing Champs, A division |
| Classification | NAFA "A"/ASA "C" |
| Team Colors | Navy and Red |
El Segundo Rounders manager Ron
Kirby fires up the troops
at the Panteras Ace Memorial Tournament
held October 20-22, 2000
in Norwalk, California as pitcher
Jason Iuli (hatless), John Wilson (l),
Paul Castillo (r) and Joe Fitzgerald
(rear) listen. Kirby's team finished third
in its first ever tournament,
qualifying as a winner's bracket finalist
