Thanksgiving Super NIT
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The Thanksgiving Super NIT is our first Super NIT of the season. This year we had plenty to be thankful for. Between the impeccable weather and great baseball (not to mention being no where near any Black Friday crowds), there were few ways I would rather be spending my Holiday weekend.
Big League Dreams:
9-Under:
The 9-Under Division is our youngest division battling for a berth to the Elite 32 World Series in Florida at the end of the year. 1st Seed Team Rawlings started of their Playoff Sunday against Swagger, the only team they couldn't beat in pool play. Their first game ended in a 7-7 tie. Sunday obviously couldn't end in a tie, and Rawlings was able to sneak by in a close 8-6 game.
The other Semifinal game was between perennial powerhouses SGV Hustle and Easton Elite. The Hustle had handed Easton Elite their only loss in Pool Play. Easton Elite was able to turn the tables though, and advanced to the Championship with a Semifinal Victory.
Rawlings and Easton Elite, both on their 6th game of three day weekend, we're understandably running low on pitching. The Championship became a slugfest, albeit a very close game. Team Rawlings was able to outlast Easton Elite just enough with an 11-10 victory. This victory gave Team Rawlings their Elite World Series berth, where they'll attempt to repeat a Southern California 9-Under Championship.
10-Under:
The 10-Under San Pedro Pirates regularly participate in 11-Under tournaments, so their dominant performance can attributed to playing older boys on a bigger field. Going 4-0 in Pool Play, they got a bye to the Championship game as the 1st Seed. So Cal SKLZ, having already lost to the Pirates once, came into Sunday looking for redemption. After winning their Semifinal game, they advanced to face the Pirates in the finals. They by far gave the Pirates the closest game of the weekend, but came up just short with the Pirates taking home a 9-8 Championship Win.
12-Under Major:
The Finals of the 12-Under Tournament we're exactly what they should have been on paper. The 1st and 2nd Seeds battling to hand each other their first loss of the tournament. There was an unexpected rematch on the way to the finals though. 2nd Seed Diamond Stingrays found themselves battling 3rd Seed SY Titans. Both teams faced each other in the Elite World Series Championship as 11-Under teams the previous year. Just like their previous meeting, the Stingrays were able to best the Titans, just in this case it was to advance to the Championship game.
On the other side of the bracket, the Placentia Mustangs were showing why they were the 1st Seed. Going 4-0 and giving up only 9 runs in Pool Play, they advanced to the Championship game with two more wins. Now with both teams on their seventh game of the weekend, you would expect pitching to be wearing thin. That was not the case here. Both teams pitched great games, but the Mustangs were able to get the upper hand with a 5-3 Championship Victory.
The Mustangs will have some stiff competition at the Elite World Series, but you can be sure that they be finishing close to the top.
13-Under Major:
In last year's 12-Under Elite World Series, Team Phenom not only took home the first place trophy, they held the best 12-Under teams in the country to seven total runs in 8 games. Any way you look at it, you can't have a much better tournament than that.
Looking to earn their ticket back to the Elite World Series, Team Phenom had a rare stumble coming out of the gates. Underestimating the Outlaws in their first game of the tournament, the Outlaws (who would go on to be 4-0 and clinch the 1st Seed) surprised Phenom with a 7-5 loss.
After that though, Team Phenom was in true form. Outscoring teams 32-5 in their next three games, they advanced to Sunday as the 2nd Seed. A 9-1 victory put them in the Championship game against the 1st Seed Outlaws. Not content with the outcome of the last time the two teams met, they came back hard and took home a 7-2 Championship Victory.
We know that Team Phenom will have another very successful Elite World Series, they will just have some inevitable competition from fellow California teams.
14-Under:
The 14-Under found itself with an unexpected Championship game. There wasn't enough room for the 13-Under Major Placentia Mustangs in the 13-Under Tournament, so they jumped in the 14-Under tournament. They surprised everyone by going 4-0 in Pool Play and advancing to Sunday as the 2nd Seed, behind only the 14-Under Placentia Mustangs. Both teams would go on to win their Semifinal games, so we were left with a Championship game between the Placentia Mustangs and the Placentia Mustangs. The 13-Under, ready to show that they could hang with the big boys, came out swinging, and took home a 7-4 victory over their squadmates on the 14-Under teams.
Thank you to all the teams that played in the Thanksgiving Super NIT. Here is a list of the Champions and Runner Ups.
Did you play in the Thanksgiving Super NIT? Want a chance to earn 5 free tournaments? Check out our blog post to learn about how you can qualify for USSSA Southern California Sponsorship.
USSSA Southern California Sponsorship
See you on the fields
-AC
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