by I Love Fastpitch » Tue Jul 10, 2012 7:20 am
Ok, the season is winding down and this thread has been crazy. Gators Cynthia, I know you have taken a lot of heat for ranking your team #1, but if anyone goes back and reads the context, they can see that you were baited into that response. I have seen your team play and they are definitely an elite team. I have seen Edge 99 and agree that they belong up there. I have not seen Xtreme 99, but their record clearly suggests they belong up there too.
In addition Raiders 99 and Center Grove Xpress are definitely worthy of a top 5 ranking. Definitely outstanding teams top to bottom-hitting, defense and pitching. There was a team called Center Grove Cyclones that had been dominant in this age group for the last couple years. Is the Xpress the same team under a different name?
I am not going to rank them in any particular order because they are evenly matched enough that on any given weekend, any one of them can come out on top in a given tournament. The body of work is pretty close to complete and I think these 5 have set themselves apart from the others in 12U Indiana softball- Gators 99, Edge 99, Xtreme 99, Raiders 99, and CG Xpress.
The team I am going to take flack for leaving out is Crown Point Bulldogs 99 and I have had a very difficult time rating this team. In my observation, they are a team that can put a great game together but have a difficult time sustaining it from one game to the next. They have some great players. Their shortstop is MONSTER and can play for any team anywhere in America. They are a very formidable opponent, but I would put their pitching in the A-minus/B-plus rating, good but not quite strong enough to carry them to the finish line in a strong tournament. I would classify this team as a tweener-they would be the odds on favorite to win the NSA B World Series, but are a middle of the pack team in a Class A event.
It will be interesting to see how these teams develop as they move up to the 14U division.