The first camp involved 20 boys who are in the pool group of players born in 1989 or later that are age-eligible for selection to the USA squad that will compete at the ISF Junior Men's World Championship next June in Whitehorse, Yukon Canada.  All 20 of these boys were playing with various club teams in the 14-Under, 16-Under and 18-Under ASA national tournaments.  USA Softball junior men's national team head coach Tim Lyon, along with assistant coaches Scott Standerfer and Gary Mullican conducted the 3-hour camp at Caswell Park on Thursday afternoon, August 2.

 

     Later that evening, 30 boys from five states participated in an open tryout camp for players born in 1989 or later.  The junior men's coaching staff gave instruction in hitting and fielding fundamentals as well as more individualized information for the positions of pitchers and catchers, outfielders, middle infielders and corner infielders.  From this group of boys, the coaching staff was pleasantly surprised at the abilities of several players who are age-eligible for next years USA national team as well as the prospects for players born in 1993 or later who would be eligible for the next ISF event in 2012.

 

     For further information about opportuniities to be a part of the junior men's national team, contact USA Softball at www.usasoftball.org or head coach Tim Lyon at timlyon@earthlink.net.

 

14-Under

1.  St. Paul, MN Midway

2.  Lake Crystal, MN Legion

3.  Sioux Falls, SD Embroidery Touch

4.  Sioux Falls, SD J-MAC Trucking

Championship game:  Midway 11 Legion 0

WP  Robert Kinne

LP   Nate Meixell

 

16-Under

1.  Amazonia, MO NAP Co. Rockhounds

2.  Lake Crystal, MN Lumber

3.  Pattonsburg, MO  Jim Nalle Farms

4.  Eagleville, MO NOMO Fastpitch

Championship game:  Rockhounds 7 Lumber 5

WP  Kody Schieber

LP   Josh Schroeder 

 

18-Under

1.  Sioux Falls, SD Rookies

2.  Hartford, SD Explosion

3.  Conception Jct., MO Schmitz Dozing

4.  Salt Lake City, UT Page Brake

Championship game:  Rookies 6 Explosion 2

WP  BJ Hunhoff

LP   Jim Hartman

 

23-Under

1.  Lake Crystal, MN Weggy's

2.  Stewartville, MN Strikers Corner

3.  Onalaska, WI LX

4.  Ephrata, PA Cornerstone Excavating

Championship game:  Weggy's 4 Strikers Corner 2

WP John Paul Peterson

LP  John Kelly

 

20 players currently in the pool for possible selection to the USA Softball junior men's national team participated in the 14-Under, 16-Under and 18-Under club team nationals while 14 teams from 8 states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, California and Pennsylvania) played in the highly-competitive 23-Under division.