Pacific Headwear ad Smash It Sports ad Publisher Stafford Connor Managing Editor In This Issue Greg Huchingson Design/Printing 37 teams answer the bell REEDESIGN for the 14th Conference by Lebco Graphics Contributing Writers Dudley season Van Galeon Anthony Ramos 6 Julie Walton Dale Weiser Photographers / Credits Andy Drabic Play ball, raise a family, Pete Spatula play senior ball Julie Walton Dale Weiser 46 Logistics Manager Roy “Rap City” Dean Big Time Softball is published quarterly. Publishing offices are located at 6028 Teams expand to six Rayburn Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76133. Reproduction or use of the contents with addition of in whole or in part without prior written permission of the publisher is Canadian Wild prohibited. 6028 Rayburn Dr. Fort Worth, TX 76133 52 817.944.7484 [email protected] T COAST O COAST Big Time Softball 5 The USSSA Conference by Dudley is set to begin its 14th season By Dale Weiser he USSSA Conference presented by Dudley slow-pitch softball league begins its 14th season at the end of March starting with Tthe 9th Annual “Sin City” Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada! The nation’s top league will have 37 teams from 21 different States. The USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association), a leader in amateur adult and youth sports runs the league using a group of national directors and umpires and the schedule visits some of the top slow-pitch venues in the country. The Live streaming of Conference events has been a big contributor to 14 years of success and growth. Conference will feature 4 Major classed teams, up from 3 a year ago, at least 8 America Ballyard which has the best Major, Hall of Fame Classic, Smoky, ‘AA’ teams, and 25 ‘A’ and ‘B’ classed atmosphere in softball, and they close and Conference Championships. Last teams. Including the opening tourna- the month at the Rose City Classic in year they won the point standings as ment in Las Vegas, March 29-31, the Portland, Oregon. In August the regular well and then the Major World Series Conference will travel 20 out of next 21 season comes to an end with a huge after being taken to the “if necessary” weekends (except for Easter weekend) tournament in Columbus, Ohio at the game by runner up Smash It Sports/ and host 23 tournaments. The schedule 30 turf field Lou Berliner Park complex, Thunder. In the offseason Resmondo features stops in Houston for the 64 and finishes in North Carolina at the picked up Kyle Pearson who led the team Space City Classic, the Hall of Louisville Slugger/Demarini Classic. league in on base percentage and home Fame Dual tournament in Viera, Florida The post season will then get under runs in 2018 and add him to a lineup which will have 35 of the top teams in way in mid-August with the GSL that dominated the baseball sized the country playing on the turf base- and USSSA ‘A’ World tournaments, fields last year. Meanwhile Smash It ball fields at the new USSSA Space and continue in September with the Sports/Thunder broke up with some Coast Complex, and the 41st annual Conference Championships, the USSSA of their key players like pitcher Andy Cajun Classic in Carencro, Louisiana ‘AA’ World tournament, and the most Purcell and power hitter Ryan Harvey rounds out the April schedule. In May prestigious slow-pitch event in soft- going to the new Major team TDB/ they will go to two new tournaments, ball, the USSSA Major World Series! Racks/Athlon who will start the season the Frank Webb memorial in St. Louis, The Conference teams score points ranked #3. Moving up to the #2 spot in and Myrtle Beach at the all turf Grand based on their finishing positions the pre-season rankings is Dan Smith/ Park Athletic Complex with their 325 throughout the regular season and are Menosse/Steven Smith/Florida Atlantic foot fences. The month of May will also scored on their best 6 tournaments. Ironworks/Churchill’s Steakhouse/ have the 19th Annual Texas Legends The top 16 teams in the point stand- Shirts and Logos who finished 2nd Major in Euless, the Peach State Major ings at the end of the regular season in the Conference points standings in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Rocky are invited to play in the Major World in 2018 and 3rd at the Major World Mountain Shootout in Colorado. In Series in Viera, Florida at USSSA’s Series. They are led by league Offensive June the softball action heats up with Space Coast Stadium with the highest MVP Davis Bilardello and outfielder big tournaments in Chicago, Minnesota non-qualified Conference ‘A’ team at Andrew Collins. Rounding out the 2019 at The Dudley, and a dual tournament the ‘A’ World tournament receiving Major division is newcomer Smash It in Seattle featuring unlimited home the 17th seed and the USSSA Military Sports/Pure Sports a team coming off runs! June also has smaller tourna- Champion receiving the 18th seed. of the USSSA ‘AA’ Championship last ments in Maryland and Oklahoma. In fall and are led by ‘AA’ MVP and the July the Conference visits the 40th This off season the Conference Major most entertaining pitcher in the game Annual Busch Classic in Arkansas, division expanded to 4 teams. The Justin Mucciarelli, and outfielder Filip the granddaddy of them all the Smoky defending 2018 World Series Champion Washington. Mountain Classic in Tennessee, the Resmondo/Smash It/Thunder/RDD/H. 20th annual Cincy Major at the Mid Auto/Sprizzi/S&S/Easton will try to In the ‘AA’ division there will be repeat their victories at the Las Vegas at least 9 top teams with the old T 6 COAST O COAST Big Time Softball Precision team from Illinois being hall of famer Victor Cordova. Premier/ the year in ‘AA’ with Demarini slugger called Smash It Sports/3rd Street/ TG/Headlines/Easton moves up to the Chris Larsen leading the offense. Bulldawg this year and they picked up ‘AA’ division after winning the GSL 2018 was an incredible year full of pitcher Andrew Vitcak and infielder ‘A’ World last summer. Nightmare/ upsets and close games particularly Mike Umschied, both of whom are Miken and sponsor Nolan Fogle return at the Major World Series. This year moving down from the Major divi- with big hitters Mike Brambilla and looks to build on the parity between sion. Bay Area/Rapid Fire/Bad Draw/ Billy Maggard and new pitcher Dan divisions and it will be interesting Easton joins the ‘AA’ division as the Bean. Riot Sports/All Out/Hubs Pub/ to see how the new Major division sponsors from 3 ‘A’ teams combine and Klutch/Showtime/Treedem/Benson pans out. Resmondo is the heavy they have a west coast flavor to their comes back for a 2nd year with Keith favorite, but the pre-season #1 team roster led by Conference Defensive Martin and veteran pitcher Donald has failed to win the big tourna- MVP Ryan Mcclanahan. Xtreme/Miken/ “Buckshot” Plaisance. Rebel Sports/ ments each of the last two years! To ASP/Athlon from Minnesota the 2017 TN/Troupe/M24 joins the ‘AA’ division follow the Conference USSS, tune in to ‘AA’ champions return although they as they combine sponsors including USSSAlive.com for the livestreaming lost a couple of their top outfielders 2014 Line Drive ‘A’ champion sponsor action and SoftballCenter.com and but retooled by adding outfielders Tarz Lanzon to field a team with the ConferenceUSSSA.com for tournament Chris Anninos and Matt Schrage Formosa brothers from California reports, rankings, interviews, chat from All Out. Newbreed/Cutter LLC/ returning to Conference play after rooms, and league leader articles! Thunder returns with a new lineup a couple of years away. And Classic from the State of Washington led by Glass/Easton from California will start Team articles by Van Galeon, Photos by Dale Weiser # 1 Resmondo / Smash It / Thunder / RDD /H Auto / Easton Resmondo/Smash It is heavy favorite to repeat as World Series champion hen you add the best hitter for winning every tourney on baseball in the game to the team that fields, but we are setting the bar for won the USSSA Major World every tourney. But we have to win the Series the year before, there’s Major for it to be a successful season.” Wa pretty good chance that team will be Last year Resmondo got off to a an odds-on favorite to win it all again. blazing start, winning first place in It doesn’t hurt their chances when the their first three tournaments by going team is backed by the sponsorship 6-0 to win Las Vegas. 6-0 to win Leg I groups of the top two teams. of the Hall of Fame Dual and 6-1 to win Resmondo/RDD/H.Auto/All In/Sprizzi Leg II. Resmondo was runnerup at the won the Major World Series last year Hoosier Classic and only tied for 9th by beating Smash It/Thunder in the place in Chicago. At the Seattle Dual championship game. The year before, they finished 3rd in Leg I and won 1st Smash It/Scene/TDB won the Major 2018 MVP Travis Clark in Leg II in Leg II. Resmondo went 6-0 World Series by defeating Resmondo/ to win 1st place at the 50th Annual OA/A.Auto/Specialty Tank in the finals. Smoky Mountain Classic. They went Those two sponsorship group have “There’s always a target on the top 1-1 at the rain-shortened Cincinnati combined resources for the 2019 and team in the nation, but if we bring Major and then placed 4th at Columbus Resmondo/Smash It/Thunder/RDD/H.