FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 5, 2012

 

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. ---  The USA Softball Junior Men’s Fast Pitch National Team will be conducting a selection camp in conjunction with an exhibition tour of Michigan from Saturday, July 14 through Sunday, July 22 the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced today.  Twenty-one young men from across the United States will travel to Michigan to participate in the selection camp in preparation for the 2012 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Men’s World Championship (Under-19) to be held November 1 -10 in Parana, Argentina.

 

“The coaching staff is looking forward to our trip to Michigan,” said head coach Tim Lyon.  “It is important for us to play as many games as possible.  This should be a great test for our players.  We really started to come together as a group in Utah and the ten days in Michigan should further advance the process.”

 

Starting on July 14-15, the team will travel to Frankenmuth, Mich., to compete in the 11th Annual Pete Schwab Memorial Tournament held in Frankenmuth’s Heritage Park.  Sixteen teams from across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Ontario are scheduled to compete in the event.

 

The Midland Parks and Recreation Department will welcome the USA Junior Team for weekday practices starting Monday, July 16.  Camp instruction will take place in Midland’s Emerson Park.  Midland, Mich. will serve as a central point during their stay in Michigan for lodging and meals.

 

On Tuesday, July 17, the USA Junior team will travel to Port Huron, Mich., to compete in a doubleheader against Huron Wellness and the Port Huron league All-star team.  Games will be played starting at 6:30 pm in Pine Grove Park underneath the Blue Water International Bridge.

 

The next evening, on Wednesday, July 18, the team will travel to Coldwater, Mich. to compete against the Lightning, Thunder, and the Coldwater league All-Stars.  Games will start at 6:30 p.m. in Waterworks

Park.  The evening will be hosted by the Coldwater Softball Association.

 

On Thursday, July 19, the team will travel to Munger, Mich., to compete against the Munger Vols.  Prior to the game, a scrimmage of 16-under players from the Munger and Reese Development programs will take

place.  The 16-under exhibition will start at 6 p.m., while Munger vs. the USA Junior team will begin at 7 p.m.

 

The Midland Explorer Booster Club welcomes the team to Emerson Park starting Friday, July 20 for a 12-team tournament which includes both the Midland Explorers and the Junior Explorers (Under-21).  Games

will begin on Friday evening and conclude on Sunday afternoon.

 

Concessions will be available at all Michigan events.  Schedules for the Michigan tournaments and exhibition information can be found at www.michiganfp.com as the event approaches.

 

Following the camps in Michigan, the 17 members of the 2012 Junior Men’s National Team will be announced on August 7.

 

The USA Junior National Team coaches and staff are also looking for prospective members of both the 2014 and 2016 Junior National teams.  While in Michigan, coaches will be scouting area players with 1995-1998 birthdays for consideration for the 2014 and 2016 selection pools.

 

About ASA Softball

The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 76 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 210,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than three million. For more information on the ASA, visit http://www.asasoftball.com/. 

About USA Softball 

USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links the USA Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ National Team programs together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of the only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles including the last seven consecutive as well as claimed five World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about USA Softball, please visit http://www.usasoftball.com/.