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Feature Stories from the ASA Men's Major 2004
(By Bill Plummer, ASA)
SOUTH BEND TO RECOGNIZE
1988 TRANS-AIRE TEAM AT MEN'S FAST PITCH NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP |
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SOUTH BEND, IN - The last Indiana team to win the ASA Men's
Major Fast Pitch National Championship was Trans-Aire of Elkhart, IN,
which defeated The Farm Tavern of Madison, WI in the 1988 Men's Major Fast
Pitch National Championship in Bloomington, IL, winning 1-0 in 16 innings
and 2-0 in the if game.
To show their appreciation for Trans-Aire's championship, the South Bend
National Tourney Committee invited the players on the team to attend this
year's Men's Major Fast Pitch National Championship, which begins here
today (Thursday) with seven games. Eight games were originally scheduled,
but one team (Separators of New Castle, IN) changed its plans and decided
not to compete in the double-elimination event. This is the first time
South Bend has hosted this event and it's the eighth ASA championship held
here since the Belleville Complex opened in June of 1997.
Two of the players on the 1988 team, Randy
Bender and Jim Ballee, are members of Plangger's Furniture of South Bend,
IN, which opens up against Fred's Interiors of Quad City, IA at 5 p.m.
Thursday. In 1988, Bender made several spectacular plays at second base,
hit four doubles to lead all players and earned second-team All-America
honors. He was one of five Trans-Aire All-Americans. The others were John
McEldowney, Brian Lehrman, Tim Davis and pitcher Peter Meredith, 55-27 in
ASA national championship play. Meredith came out of retirement this year
and was hoping to pitch in this tournament for Circle Tap of Green Bay,
WI, which was runner-up last year, losing to The Farm Tavern of Madison,
WI. Meredith, however, won't be attending the tournament after injuring
his right knee earlier this season. |
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KNIGHTS MAKING THEIR DEBUT IN ASA MEN’S MAJOR FAST PITCH NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP |
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SOUTH BEND, IN
–One of the teams making their debut in the Men’s Major Fast Pitch
National Championship, which resumed Friday morning, is the
Imaging Solutions Knights of Fargo, ND.
The team has
existed for more than 20 years and played Class A fast pitch. In
1998, it won the ASA Class A Fast Pitch
national title and were runner-up in 2003. In 1998,
pitcher James
Speral was the Most Valuable Pitcher in the national
championship and first baseman Scott Deutsch was named the Most
Valuable Player.
Last year the
Knights compiled a 51-20 record and it knew it needed another
top-flight pitcher to compete at the Major level. When
Frontier Casino dropped its sponsorship last year, the Knights
added Michael White, one of the nation’s top pitchers for more
than decade and a member of the USA National Team.
“We needed a
pitcher that could keep us in the big games,” said Paul Lybeck of
the Knights.”In our search we decided
to start with the best. Michael White certainly fills that bill.” |
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| GILLIS SIXTH
ON ALL TIME LIST BEHIND LEADER PETER MEREDITH |
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Doug Gillis was
the losing pitcher in the opening game for the Midland, MI
Explorers in one of seven opening games Thursday, For Gillis, it
was his 26th loss in ASA national
championship play against 37 wins. Gillis is sixth on the all-time
list. The leader is Peter Meredith (55-27), who was scheduled to
play for Circle Tap in this event but has been sidelined with a
knee injury. |
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2005 MEN'S MAJOR TO BE IN ALTAMONTE
SPRINGS FLORIDA |
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The 2005 Men’s
Major Fast Pitch Championship will be held in Altamonte Springs,
FL, August 4-7. The last time Florida hosted the ASA Men’s Major
Fast National Championship was 1997. |
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| FROM THE
SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE |
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| GAME
REPORTS FROM BILL PLUMMER VIA AL'S FASTBALL |
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| WATCH THIS PAGE
FOR MORE STORIES DURING THE TOURNAMENT,COURTESY OF BILL PLUMMER OF ASA |
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