Veteran's Day NIT

After a week off from our first rain out in longer than I can remember, teams flocked to the Veteran's Day NIT.  Not only were they champing at the bit after a week off, but A4 clothing provided Long Sleeve Dry Fit Champions T-Shirts to the winners of each division.  Thank you to A4 for the awesome shirts, and all the teams that came back after a week off ready to play.

Here are your Champions and Runner Ups

See you on the fields

-AC

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Halloween Haunt Results

A sincere thank you to all of the teams that played in the month of October and helped us raise money towards Breast Cancer research. Through your entry fees and T-Shirt sales, we raised just shy of $4000 dollars to be donated.  Thank you again to all the teams that made this possible.

Here is a list of the Champions and Runner Ups.

See you on the fields

-AC

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Columbus Day Classic

Thank you to all of the teams that played in the Columbus Day Classic, and thank you always to the Los Altos Cal Ripkin league for hosting at El Dorado Park.

Here are your Champions and Runner Ups.

See you on the fields

-AC

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Oktoberfest Recap

October is traditionally the month of wet weather, and cancelled tournaments, but the drought has brought us clear skies and high temperatures.  There was no escaping the heat this weekend, on and off the field.

9-Under:
After an 8-0 win to send them into the Championship game, the Riverside Riot had to face the always dangers Caira's Black Dogs in a double header to win 1st Place.

Thunder Recap

Thank you to all of the teams that played in the 2014 Thunder.  Here are your Champions and Runner Ups.

See you on the fields

-AC

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Surf City Shootout Weekly Recap

Sold out weeks in advance, the Surf City Shootout in Huntington Beach was a healthy mix of local Orange County teams and inland teams looking to do anything to beat the heat of our dry California Summer.

9-Under:
The Los Al Combat had a stellar debut tournament.  Winning the first game of the tournament against HB Total Baseball, they would find themselves facing HB Total Baseball yet again in the final game of the tournament.

Fall Classic Recap

Thank you to all the teams that played in the 2014 Fall Classic.  Here is a list of Champions and Runner Ups.

See you on the fields

-AC

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Patriot Weekly Recap

Thank you to all the teams that played in the Patriot last weekend.  Here is a list of the Champions and Runner Ups.  We will be back with in depth Weekly Recaps next week.

See you on the fields

-AC

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Labor Day Global NIT Recap

Thank you to all the teams that played in the Labor Day Global NIT.  Here is a list of the Champions and Runner Ups

See you on the fields

-AC

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Mercury Recap

Thank you to all the teams that played in the Mercury tournament.

Here is a list of the Champions and Runner Ups.

See you on the fields

-AC

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Summer Sizzler Recap

Welcome to the 2015 Season.

Here is a list of the Champions and Runner Ups to the Summer Sizzler.

See you on the fields

-AC

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7-Under, 8-Under, 9-13 AA World Series Recap

With the fun of the Opening Ceremonies in the past, teams in all ages put on their game faces, and got ready for the long week of games.

7-Under:
Through Pool Play, the 7-Under Chino Hills Thunder continued in the footsteps of the countless Thunder teams before them, and took on some of the top 7-Under teams with ease.  Giving up just five total runs in Pool Play, they entered the Playoffs undefeated and outscoring opponents 30-5.

Playoffs proved to be not quite as easy.  The four teams in Championship Bracket were products of some of the longest standing and most reputable travel baseball organizations in Southern California.  Aside from the Thunder, the Championship Bracket included the San Diego Stars (one of the longest running travel baseball clubs in the state), and the SGV Hustle and Tomateros (both of which have produced national championship teams)

7-Under, 8-Under, 9-13 AA World Series Opening Day Recap

With 79 teams in the park, Big League Dreams Chino Hills was packed to the gills.  With teams from California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, players were running all over, trading pins, making friends, and taking pictures with the Inland Empire Beauty Queens.

It was all smiles and energy at the Opening Ceremonies.  Teams were chanting, running, waving flags and banners, dressing up, and overall having a great time.  Over 1,000 players and coaches crowded the outfield on Yankee field before receiving their free meal from USSSA.  After eating, the players strapped on their cleats, stretched and got loose before heading to their appropriate fields for the Skills Contests.

While the week would bring hard fought competition, the Skill Contests let the teams enjoy themselves in some friendly competition.  The night drew to a close as the thousands of people in the park rested up for the long week of baseball ahead of them.

7-Under SGV Hustle

Global World Series Recap

After the excitement and chaos of opening night, teams were ready to strap on their cleats and get to work fighting for 1st Place.

9-Under Red:
Through the first days of Pool Play, the LA Pegadores looked unbeatable.  Giving up just 13 runs in four Pool Play games, they entered the Playoffs as a comfortable 1st Seed.  It was not smooth sailing from there on out however.

Global World Series - Opening Day

The end of summer brought the first of two World Series weeks.  The Global World series saw teams traveling from far and wide to the beautiful Big League Dreams parks to play four days of competitive baseball.  With the temperatures reaching 100 degrees, teams played hard despite the temperature, all competing for the first place trophy.

Opening Ceremonies:

Rally Shoe Necklace

Summer Slam Results

Thank you to all the teams that played in the July 19-20 Summer Slam.  Here is a list of the Champions and Runner Ups.

See you on the fields

-AC

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Independence Results

Thank you to all the teams that played in the July 12-13 Independence.  Here are the Champions and Runner Ups.

See you on the fields

-AC

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Firecracker Global NIT Weekly Recap

The holiday weekend brought the heat, as well as great baseball across the board. Teams were playing in the last Global NIT tournament before the Global World Series begins at the end of the month. Teams

9-Under - Recap information provided by Temecula Crush parent, Jake.

The Temecula crush went undefeated in five games on their way to winning the 9u Firecraker championship. In a true team effort, everyone on the Crush provided support in their own way.

They had some great starting pitching the whole tournament from Michael Rodda, Jake Ledford, Carstens Mamaril, Lucas Casey, and Brady Jones. Working hard behind the plate in the heat were Aidan Salcedo and Zach Anderson.

All Star Extravaganza Recap

Thank you to all the All-Star teams that participated in our yearly All Star Extravaganza.  We wish you best of luck in your upcoming All Star tournaments.

See you on the fields

-AC

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Natural Global NIT Recap

Thank you to all the teams that participated in the Natural Global NIT.  We hope to see you back at the Global World Series.

Here is a list of the Champions and Runner Ups.

See you on the fields

-AC

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State Championsihps - Weekend 2

The second weekend of the State Championship saw the 9U, 11U, and 13U come back to fight for 1st Place in the always tough State Championships.  With teams from all over California competing, there would be no free rides for any teams through the tournament.  Every victory would be earned and well deserved.

State Championships - Weekend 1

The first weekend of the State Championships had a little bit of everything.  No Hitters? Check.  Wild and crazy finishes?  Absolutely.  The first half of the State Championship started great and ended with a bang.

Memorial Day Global NIT

With over 240 teams competing all over Southern California, the Global NIT saw teams from multiples states competing for 1st Place on a weekend made possible by the sacrifice by our proud service men and women.  USSSA recognizes our  veterans and the fact that we get to play baseball every weekend due to what they have given.

FVPB / USSSA Memorial Day Tournament

2014 marked the 6th Year that we've partnered up with Fountain Valley Pony Baseball to run their annual Memorial Day Tournament.  To get personal, I grew up playing Fountain Valley Pony before travel baseball was a blip on the radar.  As the Mustang A All-Star team, we advanced to the Zone Playoffs before losing to Charter Oak All-Stars (one of Fountain Valley's many rivals).  State Director Craig Ciandella and his two sons (myself and my brother), have spent more time at Mile Square Park in the last 20 years than anyone else.  To be able to run the PONY Memorial Day Tournament is a true honor.  We shattered last year's team count with 104 teams, all while having one less field to work with.  Time will only tell what the team count will be for next year.

Spring Classic Recap

Thank you to all the teams that played in the Spring Classic.  Here is a list of the Champions and Runner-Ups

See you on the fields

-AC

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Cinco De Mayo Super NIT Recap

With the winds gone and the temperature down to where it should be in April, Major teams from all over the state were ready to battle for the coveted Elite World Series Berth.  Teams from San Diego to Bakersfield to Stockton (and even one from Vegas), made the trip for a shot to go to Florida at the end of the season.

In addition to Elite World Series Berths being available in the Major Divisions, teams were playing to receive the exclusive Cinco De Mayo Champions Bat Bag Tags.  Keep your eyes open for future tournament offerings of these awesome keepsakes.

Premier Weekly Recap

A rogue rain cloud hit Southern California Friday night.  Despite dropping more rain than one would want on the night before the tournament, the dry fields took the water easily.  With some slight delays and hard work from the field crews, the fields were up and running.

Long Beach:
We made our first visit of the year to the beautiful El Dorado park in Long Beach, hope of the Los Altos Baseball Program.  With two grass infields, and two all dirt fields, teams were able to play on fields with proper distance fences, giving them exciting games, gappers off the wall, and close plays all around

Easter Classic Recap

Thank you for everyone that played in the Easter Classic.  Here is a list of the Champions and Runner Ups.

See you on the fields

-AC

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Heritage Weekly Recap - April 15, 2014

Big League Dreams Perris
9-Under:
Cruising through the tournament, NLA Baseball were expecting an easy run to 1st Place.  After winning their semifinal game easily, they found themselves up against the Bakersfield Bullets.

After a long drive from Bakersfield, the Bullets weren't keen on leaving after just one game on Sunday.  After getting revenge on the team that beat them on Saturday, they took an early lead against the 1st Seed NLA Baseball.  The two teams went run for run through the entire game, until it was 11-9 in the Bottom of the 6th.

Fool's Gold Recap

On a beautiful, breezy weekend, teams from all over Southern California (and even Nevada) met up in Huntington Beach to match up in a small, highly competitive tournament.  With the sun shining down, teams fought and battled to take home the Championship.

March Madness - Weekly Recap

11-Under:
After three Pool Play games, the Warriors and OC Friars advanced as the 1st and 2nd Seeds.  In their first meeting, the Warriors outlasted the Friars with a 3-2 victory.

Now with both teams in the Championship game, a hard fought game was sure to happen.  With the Friars taking the lead, solid pitching and defense allowed them to hold the Warriors to just 4 runs.  The Friars widened their lead, and took home the 7-4 upset and Championship victory.

Irish Recap

Green Shirts, blue skies, and warm temperatures made for a beautiful March weekend of baseball in both the coastal cities of San Clemente, and Huntington Beach.

Huntington Beach:
With a four game guarantee tournament, rather than a traditional Sunday Playoffs, each team played every team in their bracket, before the Top Two Seeds advanced to the Championship game.  While this ensured that the two best teams from the weekend would play for the championship, it eliminated any chance for an underdog to fight their way through the playoff brackets.  Each Pool Play game was crucial in the amount of runs given up, runs scored, and how much pitching was used.

While the Championship was always the 1st and 2nd Seeds, the 1st Seed didn't necessarily win each time.

Slugger Recap

10-Under:
After a rough start to the 2014 Season, the 10-Under So Cal Outlaws have found their footing, and are quickly rising to the top of the 10-Under division.

The Outlaws haven't lost a game in their last two tournaments, with a record of 8-0-1.  Their road to 1st Place wasn't an easy one though.  Up against the Lethal Venom in Pool Play, they managed to hold on to their winning streak by ending in a 7-7 tie.  The Outlaws edged out the Venom for the 1st Seed in Pool A by just 1 run allowed.

Frozen Fury Recap

While rest of the country was dealing with snow and low temperatures, the Frozen Fury in Southern California was a bit of a misnomer.  With temperatures in the 70s, it was a perfect weekend for some baseball.

Presient's Day Global NIT - Weekly Recap

The President's Day Holiday brought our first Global World Series Qualifying Tournament of the year.  All teams playing qualified for the Global World Series at the end of the Season.  On top of qualifying for that tournament, each team got to participate in a fan appreciation give away.  Prizes ranged from Tournament T-Shirts and Diamond Equipment Bags to Tournament Discounts and even Free Tournament Entries.

The $100 Tournament Discounts went to the 10U Bakersfield Rockets, 11U OC Smash, 11U La Mirada Thunder, 14U OC Pioneers, 13U OC Smash

The Free Memorial Day Tournament Entries went to the SP Pirates and 11U OC Premier

On top of qualifying for Global World Series and winning free stuff, incredible baseball games permeated the entire Three-Day Weekend.

Super Bowl Classic - Weekly Recap

Well the Super Bowl wasn't quite as exciting of game as people predicted, but the few teams that made it out to Big League Dreams for the Super Bowl Classic gave us something more entertaining to watch.

10-Under:
The BC Prospects approached the weekend just like the Seattle Seahawks.  Striking hard and fast, they easily jumped out to a 2-0 record on Saturday.  Heading in to Super Bowl Sunday as the 1st Seed, they had a tough semifinal game where defense reigned supreme, and took home a 5-3 victory to advance them to the Championship.

Now in the finals, their defense didn't let up, while their offense took advantage of every opportunity.  Putting up 9 runs against the 2nd Seed, they beat the other four teams in their bracket, proving that they were the deserving 1st Place finishers of the weekend.

11-Under:
In their first meeting of the weekend, the Pomona Titans and the Dirt Dawgs fought hard, with the Titans edging out the Dawgs 5-4.  Now faced with a must win game on Sunday, the Dirt Dawgs shut out their fellow 1-1 opponent, giving them the 2-1 record they needed to advance to the Championship game.

Unfortunately for the Dirt Dawgs, history wasn't destined to change on Sunday.  In fact, history repeated itself exactly, with the 1st Seed Pomona Titans edging out another win by the score of 5-4.

12-Under:
Looking for the payback story of the weekend, the BC Prospects were faced with a crucial game on Sunday.  Continuing Pool Play, the 1-1 Prospects needed a win on Sunday to advance to the Championship game.  Not buckling under the pressure, they outlasted their opponents, taking a 4-3 victory into the Championship game.

Now up against the team that gave them their one loss of the weekend, the Prospects were looking for redemption.  Not wanting to to give their opponent any breathing room, the Prospects put up 10 runs, giving them a comfortable cushion in their 10-4 Championship victory.

Thank you for all the teams that played on Super Bowl Weekend.  Here is a list of the Champions and Runner-Ups.

See you on the fields

-AC

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MLK Classic - Central California

Since late last year, Central California Director Todd Hiskey has been giving USSSA Teams north of Los Angeles local, well run tournaments.  With over 50 teams signed up to play in the MLK Classic, teams had a local venue to play high quality, competitive baseball.

MLK Recap

It's safe to say that even though we live in the golden age of technology, travel baseball is pushing on stronger than ever.  With so many tablets, tvs, smartphones, and video game consoles, there are plenty of distractions that Southern California's youth could spend their weekends glued to digital screens and remote controls.  Instead, 220 teams strapped on their cleats, and made the trek to fields all over Southern California for the MLK Dual Super NIT, and a shot to advance to the Elite World Series.

Winter Classic Recap - January 13th, 2014

Big League Dreams:

8-Under:
The So Cal Sharks played like just that on Sunday, a vicious Shark.  Entering Sunday as the 3rd Seed, they quickly got payback on the 2nd Seed Riot who had beaten them on Saturday.  Putting up 12 Runs, they left little doubt that they were a different team than on Saturday.

New Years Classic Results

See you on the fields

-AC

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