This weekend in DFW

[Seven's Mom]

With the 6x6 split between NRH and Southlake, it'll be interesting. I'd have like to see the top 8 teams face each other in a final bracket for the ultimate champion.

I think the pools at NRH are pretty lopsided. Pool B should/could be either DBat Mulvaney, Glory Poole, or Elite Bancroft. I honestly couldn't pick Pool A. I know there are some strong players on several of the teams in Pool A, but I haven't seen any of the teams in Pool A really put it all together consistently and blow me away so far this season. Maybe someone will step up, but I think that pool will be very tight with some surprising wins/losses. I think DBat Mulvaney will take it all with Glory Poole up there too.

At Bob Jones in Southlake, I think you're going to find tougher competition overall except for the 3 listed above. Kinda wish the pools were bigger with the top 2 in each going to bracket play. Anyway, here's my best guess:

Pool A - Glory 97
Pool B - Either Glory Mendez or American Freedom (I'm leaning toward AF for the upset)
Pool C - Batbusters
Pool D - Austin's Finest

Final pick for Southlake 6x6 (no order)
Glory 97, American Freedom 14U, Batbusters

JMO - Best of luck to all the girls and their coaches.

[HUH???]

sevensmom:
Those picks are as good as any:

Southlake:
Pool A - Glory 97
Pool B - American Freedom
Pool C - Batbusters
Pool D - Austin's Finest
97 Glory vs. Austin's Finest in the ship and 97 Glory wins.

North Richland Hills:
Pool A - Austin Stars, Attitude,
Pool B - DBat, Texas Elite.
DBat vs. Texas Elite in the ship and Dbat wins.

[dallasFP]

10U Mesquite: Threat, Eagles, Stix
10U Keller: Glory 99s, 99 Roughriders, Fireballs
12U Allen: Pool A - 98 Texas Pride, Pool B - Batbusters Rhine
14U Garland: Diamonds, Xplosion, Stix
14U Southlake: Pool A - 97 Glory, Pool B - Glory Mendez, Pool C - Batbusters Freyman, Pool D - Austin's Finest
14U North Richland Hills: Pool A - Ladycats Alexander & Attitude 95, Pool B - Dbat (Mulvany) & Glory Poole
14U Grand Prairie: Sweeet, X-Factor (NOT Cowan), Force (Villa)

[dueceduece]

I have decided I would like to see some other formats other than the 6 pool games into single elimination.
If the pools are divided evenly then I think it works. But when you have it like Southlake last weekend with Pool B being heavy and Pool C having one worthy. It just doesn't get you the best in the finals. How do you have Bombers, Blaze, Blacksox, Roughriders in one pool and Threat only in another. However, I will say it worked out this past weekend. Bombers are a great team.
Here is my problem. You go through your pool no problem undeafeted . Then for whatever reason you lose your first bracket game. You have just been sent home with a 6-1 record, no second chance to get back in there. Don't get me wrong I enjoy this type of tournament but not for every tournament. I still like the double elimination bracket. I would like to see the TDs mix it up a bit.

I have noticed that if you are riding one pitcher and playing alot of these games in one day, you are having a harder time getting through. Better have more than one pitcher to get you some wins.

[knucklecurve]

I have to agree to some of what you said double duece. When you go to the 5 or 6 game pool and take the top seed or top two seeds, you want the best 4 or 6 teams in the field to be there.

I do wish the TD's would do a better job of evening out the pools.

I personally like the single elimination bracket because it challenges the girls and coaches to play error/mistake free ball which is what it takes to win championships anyways, well along with a dominate pitcher.

If you are using only one pitcher to win most/all the pool games to make the bracket their would be somewhat of an issue in the pitching department.

All in all I like the 5 and six game guarantee format, instead of the 2-3 pool game (non-seed) to entire field single elim. bracket. JMO

[dueceduece]

I have to agree with you. It does challenge the girls. I think I would be good with it with the pools more even.

I still like the double elimination bracket too though. I would like to see maybe a 3 or 4 game pool to seed and then into double elim. Maybe I just like seeing the loser bracket fight all the way back to the top. Sometimes that says more about a team than winning straight through.

[Joe]

I have decided...

Well then...build your frickin' ball park and do the way you "decided".

Ninety percent of the teams (paying the same fee as your "elite" teams) vastly approve of this format since they'll get plenty of time on the dirt, they'll know when they play so the weekend can be planned accordingly, and the teams that do well will get a game or two more out of a bracket.

The 2 pool, 2 game bracket means you play two 55 minutes pools leading to nothing, then the cream plays up to 6-7 games, while the start-ups play their two and go home. This amounts to the start-ups subsidizing the better team's number of games. Up until some sort of national tournaments in August, this (6gg) format serves the most...better. At Nats...all bets are off and you earn your games.

[51sDad]

I've got to go with Joe on this one as well as side with the TDs here.

If your objective is to play a lot of softball in hopes of improving your team, this is a great format. If you're objective is to go out and try to win a trophy, then you should consider playing in a tournament with a different format. Additionally, it appears as if the TDs are giving teams the best opportunity they can to give sound matchups with their polls. We may not see this too often with the younger teams simply because it's just too difficult to truly rank teams since the exposure has been so minimal.

[Wormburner]

As a team who is trying to play better teams and improve our level of play, I would prefer for the pools to be loaded up, with the best 6 or 7 teams in one, the mid-level teams in another, and the 2000 and startup teams in another. I know that I am probably in the minority on this, but neither us or a startup team gets much out of a 15-0 walk and error fest, but we get better in a 2-0 or 4-2 pitcher/defensive duel. In my opinion, the bracket is just gravy, and either way, the best team will get there. I do know that we are not playing for qualifying points, so that also give me a different perspective than those teams that are playing to qualify for state and national tournaments. From a family/team perspective, I love the 6GG format, because the times that you are going to play are set in stone and do not depend on the win or loss in the bracket. As a team, I feel that we gain much, much more from playing and losing (and even sometimes winning) close games with very good teams than we gain from winning easily. I know that some 2000 teams compete very well in the mid-level and even the upper level of 10U, and they should be able to express the desire to do so to the TD. I truly believe that a group of 10U teams are out there that would play all A level tourneys if those were offered in order to play intense competition more often, but most of the offerings are at B or Open. Please do not mistake my opinion for arrogance, because we are not an established quality team yet, but the higher level competition that we have played in our last three weekends has made us much better, given us more confidence, and helped us to realize that we are learning as much from the losses as we are from the wins... sometimes more. On the other hand, I love the double elimination tourneys, also, so I am not disagreeing with the two previous posts, just offering a somewhat different opinion or perspective. Thanks.

Bill
99 D-Bat (Savell)

[dueceduece]

Joe now I know you are Southlake!

I was not saying I didn't like it. I think I said I just wanted you to mix it up.
As far as getting time on the dirt. Friendlies are where it is at.
My older daughter has been playing those early spring to get their time on the dirt for much less cost.

I was not ugly about anything I said. I was only making a suggestion. I was just suggesting mix it up and I think I said I still liked the 6gg.

So once again Joe you go over the top when I was having a simple discussion with some people on this board. But since you are most likely the TD from Southlake you take it personal.

We can't seem to have a simple discussion with out you being an arrogant A$$. Just some suggestions. Geez you are starting to sound like the people you so despise by immediately dismissing what I am saying. Wasn't that your problem with ASA they wouldn't listen.
I am not saying I am 100% right. I was just throwing some stuff out there that I have heard around the ballpark.
Seriously Joe or whatever your name is, Get over yourself!