In what was once considered one of the softball hotbeds in the world, fastpitch continues to be alive and well! Northeast Wisconsin will play host to 4 great tournaments in 2015 covering all skill levels and will no doubt, provide a great schedule for any softball fan to enjoy!

June 5-7 will kick of the tournament season for us with the Grafmeier Memorial Tournament at legendary Sunset Park in Kimberly! This is a NAFA AA and lower tournament. Format will be round robin, moving to 2 single elimination brackets on Sunday which, will provide 2 champs. Entry fee is $250, UIC will be Bob Neville and Gary Johnston.

The second leg of the tournament season takes us to Greenville, WI for the Midwest Classic on June19-21. This will be an Open Tournament, with a potential for a lower level tournament, NAFA A-Major and lower, to be held at the same time if we have enough interest. Entry fee for the Open will be $450, the lower level is TBD. UIC will also be Bob and Gary for this one. Last year's champion was Bloomington Stix who defeated Kegel Black Knights.

June 26-27, Circle Tap will play host the 3rd annual 21 Gun Shootout. This is a NAFA A-Major and lower division with an emphasis on new teams. Entry fee is $175 per team. The unique part of this tournament is the Saturday night championship! This works great for traveling teams that want to have a good time Saturday night and not get home too late on Sunday. Earl's Club of Kenosha was last year's champion defeating The Stock of Woodstock, IL under the lights.

The final stop is the crown jewel of the tournaments and one of the top tournaments in the country, The Boys of Summer.. This tournament has long been known for hosting some of the top teams in the world and providing one of the greatest atmospheres in softball that a fan will ever find! July 10-12 will be the dates to mark on your calendar for this great event! For details on the Boys of Summer, keep an eye on Al's Fastball or contact Dean Kane or Darren Derricks.

If your team has an interest in any of these tournaments or any questions, feel free to contact me at fvfp08@gmail.com.

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season!

Thanks,
Ric Thompson