UPDATED! 12u Top Team Ranking – Pre ASA Nationals Poll!

[bracketologist]

okay bracket, using your format for ranking and grading here is my take.

1 firecrackers (a)
2 ca rebels (a)
3 ps 96 (b+)
3 jynx (b+)
3 ocbb marq. (b+)
6 ca knighten(b)
6 oc wildcats (b)
8 ocbb '96 snow (?)
9 ca '96 lockman (?) it's tough to grade the '97s

this is based only on the teams i've seen play.

Funny, CA-Knighten beat OC BB Marquez AND PowerSurge this past weekend and they are a B player with 5 Home runs hit over the fence? GEEZ, what's it going to take to earn a little respect now and again? LOL...

Hold on everyone .... the new poll will be out on Dec 9th Tuesday

but ......sball14, makes some good points.

1. Only two A players (Rebels & Firecrackers) - those two have won the two major tourney's just like last year CA 95 smith won Chino and OC Impact won AA's - and yes OC Impact did not enter Chino last year - just like the Rebels this year!

2. PowerSurge 96 has potential but what have they accomplished so far this year... have .400 win pct against the top teams and no final appearances. The same can be said for CA 96 - K potential and injuries but no final appearances.... you can't have an A grade on potential only. Example: I saw the OC Wildcats with only 9 girls at some of the bracket games this weekend.... so you play who you have! Second, to be an A team you should be able to play two top teams back to back and be able to win or it least be very very competitive in the second game ... no excuses!

So for me to be an A team in Spring you have to be able to beat the CA Rebels & Firecrackers in the same tourney ... period! NO Excuses! Anything less then you are a B or B+ team! So if you beat PS96, Jynx and CA96-K in a row and lose to the FC96 or Rebels in the finals... you are a B+ team (not A) and yes you can still win ASA Nationals.. but you do it as a B+ team. Remember last year we only had 3 A teams (CA95, OC Impact & Anderson Heat period - end of story). The same rules that applied last year, apply this year... injuries or not!

3. OC Batbusters M are the only team to play all five other top teams - win pct .400. So only coach J and team really know how they stack up and what they need to be competitve in Spring... anyone else is guessing at this time. It would be interesting to see how the OC BB rank the other teams. Second, no matter how great the OC BB team looked beating FC96, PS96 in Chino they still lost to Jynx - also note how competitive they looked against Rebels in AA Toys... and they looked just as uncompetitive against the CA96-K. They are the perfect example of a B+ team... yes they can win ASA Nationals but can they do it if they have to beat PS96, CA Rebels and Firecrackers in a row?

Winning ASA Nationals requires a little luck and a very good team! Ask Anderson Heat 95, Tx Travelers or CA Grappettes about the draw ..... Note: The only time CA Grapes beat AH was at Nationals when it counted!

The polls are all for fun, and the State and National champion will be crowned on the field.... and sometimes the "best A teams do not even make the semi-finals at Nationals!"

[RaeRae56]

we in the 14u community are still waiting for your rankings there...

[bracketologist]

we in the 14u community are still waiting for your rankings there...

I need some help with the 14u poll as it too hard to watch enough 12u and 14u games. I have enlisted some pollsters for 12u and will do the same for 14u!

Shocked: 1. Victory Campbell entered AA tourney. 2. Lost to Suddn Impact... So hopefully 14u will be very exciting at Nationals!

I will post for pollsters tonight and put my 14u poll out Tue-Wed, with a follow-up poll in 1 week with the pollsters input.

[YellowBalls]

Then by your criteria, this FALL how can anyone be an A team unless they have faced all other top players? Rebels didn't beat Firecrackers and Firecrackers didn't beat Rebels, Rebels didn't face PowerSurge OR CA96 - they beat BB and Wildcats. Firecrackers lost to and then beat PowerSurge, but not CA96. CA96 lost to and beat PowerSurge and beat BB Marquez but have not yet faced Rebels, Jynx or Firecrackers in a tournament. So, you have to rate the teams based upon their overall talent, pitching, hitting, defense and potential for the FALL and it's all up in the air IMO for the Spring.. Personally, from what I've seen from all of these top teams, and based upon your criteria, only the Firecrackers have the pitching depth and consistent hitting to possibly be rated A in that they COULD POSSIBLY beat three other top teams IN A ROW in a tournament, but it's doubtful. Firecrackers, CA96, PowerSurge, Rebels, Jynx, BB Marquez and also I think maybe the Wildcats are B+ teams at this point in time as not one single team has done what you say they should do to be an A team. We shall see in Spring....

[Luv_SC]

Good point and who knows cause it seems like overall everyone is beating someone then losing to someone else. With exception of Rebels who only played one strong team to date in a tourney. Seems as they could all be A teams or TBD or B teams. Who knows. Crackers do seem like #1 right now though strongest one though they have their moments.

[YellowBalls]

Good point and who knows cause it seems like overall everyone is beating someone then losing to someone else. With exception of Rebels who only played one strong team to date in a tourney. Seems as they could all be A teams or TBD or B teams. Who knows. Crackers do seem like #1 right now though strongest one though they have their moments.

Exactly, last year only THREE consistent top teams, with 5 or 6 now of comparable talent makes it harder using last year's three teams and their accomplishments as the "bar". Competition is much closer, so rating criteria should be adjusted and teams with the potential to pull it off rated highest.

[cent]

I can't agree more with all of you, it is going to be a really fun spring and summer. Lots of great teams. The CA96 pitcher was amazing. A new trend in Fastpitch er Slowpitch Softball.

[upnin]

My understanding is the Firecrackers 96 played in the only 2 ASA tournamrnts this fall, and won both championships by beating 5 teams that are in the top ten.

As a parent on a competitive team, I've see all the teams play this fall. Still have yet to see the pitching, hitting and infield that is better than the Firecrackers when it's elimination time.

Many teams had good fall seasons, but FC96 stood out the most to me.

[Clean_up]

My understanding is the Firecrackers 96 played in the only 2 ASA tournamrnts this fall, and won both championships by beating 5 teams that are in the top ten.

As a parent on a competitive team, I've see all the teams play this fall. Still have yet to see the pitching, hitting and infield that is better than the Firecrackers when it's elimination time.

Many teams had good fall seasons, but FC96 stood out the most to me.

I agree, Firecrackers have had the best season in terms of tournament wins, but Bracket's criteria is beating 3 "A" players in one tournament, back to back, and no team has done that so far.

[12U DAD]

Raiders just came in 2nd to Jynx 9-5 at Chino Hills TFT 12-8 tournament last night. Give us some love!