16U Team Ranking (Bracketologist) Pre Premier Nationals NOW

[bracketologist]

16U Bracketologist Rankings – Updated July 26th

Final 16U poll of the year. Now that we have determined that a 16U is possible I will add it to the system next year.

Good luck and everyone have a safe trip!

Group A - The Favorite Top Contenders – Going to ASA Nationals or Premier to win it all. Have the ability to survive a hard bracket and still win it all.

OC Batbusters - Myers
Grade: A
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Comments: Picked up the pitching from the 1st poll. Still the team to beat. Strong pitching & solid defense, with excellent middle-infielders - consistent hitting with a couple big sticks

Corona Angels-Tyson
Grade: A
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Comments: very explosive team. solid all around,

TNL Gold Grade: A
Website:
Tournament Wins:
1st 16U ASA So Cal States
Bracky’s Comments: Have a great battle going with Ca Lite – maybe the only two teams that play at a consistent level at the biggest tournaments. Very nice offense (i.e., good hitting team) with solid pitching.

California Lite 16U – Newton
Grade: A
Website:
Tournament Wins:
1st 16U Champions Cup
Bracky’s Comments: Enough with the Gold player comments – they seem to play at a very high level on the biggest stages.

San Diego Renegades – Fox
Grade: A
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Wow – I like the pitcher and the rest of the team and coaching is very good.

Group B+ - The Bracket Dependent Contenders – Can win it all but it will take a bit of bracket luck (i.e., the A teams grouped in the other side of the bracket). Not a Top Contender because they are susceptible to B & C+ teams but they can beat an A team.

So Cal Athletics
Grade: B+
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Comments: Just like the style of play. Have one of the best coaching staffs at any level. Solid pitching, keeps team off balance, consistent hitting team. Not an A team – because they are not a good come from behind team.

Firecrackers - Blanco
Grade: B+
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Comments: Very solid team with a deep roster and strong hitters. Defensive not up to an A team level (i.e., seem to buckle a little under pressure). Needs to be careful of HBP - as free bases seem to come back to haunt you.

Victory USA Grade: B+
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Comments: Still rebounding from the loss of their #1 pitcher, but have stong hitters through most of their line-up.

Mizuno Pride (Davies)
Grade: B+
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Comments: They are well disciplined at the plate

CA Cruisers 16U - Harman
Grade: B+
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Brackey’s Comments: They can hit – with solid coaching.

Group B - The Spoilers – Don’t have enough to win it all but can send an A or B+ team home or to the losers bracket. Playing on Sunday (ASA Nationals) & Friday Night (Premiere) and a solid top ten finish are the ultimate goal.

Firecrackers - Lahners
Grade: B:
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: I know they are struggling a bit ….. but I have a good track record picking this team. Like Jynx and Power Surge 96 they just have a way of playing good ball in Aug.

So Cal Jynx
Grade: B
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Seem to be a team that can turn it on at the right time of the year. A battle tested team.

CA Rebels 16U - Stewart
Grade: B
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Anything I say about this team will be held against me…… So someone else said “Ms. Stewart always has a competitive team”

Artesia Punishers
Grade: B
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Solid team that was ranked to low in the 1st 16U poll.

Fury - Woodard (Santos)
Grade: B
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Could play with anyone, and beat any B+ or C+ team. Typically a tough out.

So Cal Choppers
Grade: B
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Another good team that that probably could be ranked a bit higher – but they fit the B group best .

Lakewood Firecrackers - Painter
Grade: B
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Played well at Champions Cup but the team tends to struggle in early bracket games and that is the surest way to guarantee you will have a hard time qualifying.


Group C+ - Very good teams that will need to play their A game to make it to Sunday (ASA Nationals) or Friday Night (Premiere). No C+ team has made the final eight at Nationals. These teams will cause some pain for a couple of B+ or B teams but not enough to make the final 4. Playing with the final 12 is the goal! C+ teams attending Western Nationals or TCS World Series are the favorites!

California Desperados
Grade: C+
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: A typical C+ team – not consistent at playing at a high level. Someone else summed it up “depends on what team shows up”.

Minors Gold/ Esparza
Grade: C+:
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Comments: Have picked the wrong time to play at the C+ level.

Team Smith
Grade: C+
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: A typical C+ team – not consistent at playing at a high level but is capable of beating B & B+ teams.

So Cal Wicked - Helms
Grade: C+:
Website:
Tournament Wins
Comments: Always well coached with an explosive offense. In general an underrated team.

USA Athletics - Mercurio
Grade: C+
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Solid team that is always a step ahead of the above average teams, but not yet at the level of the solid B teams. Someone else said “I like this team. Well coached.”

Group C - Very good teams that are a bit too hot and cold to be a C+ team (i.e., inconsistent). Playing on Saturday night is the main goal for these teams at ASA Nationals. Those attending Western Nationals will be labeled a top Contender!

San Diego Renegades – Aguirre
Grade: C
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Always a bit inconsistent.

So Cal Hurricanes
Grade: C
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Brackey’s Comments: Very competitive team.

CA Cruisers - Evans
Grade: C
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Brackey’s Comments: Picked the right time to play well.

Case Batbusters
Grade: C
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Solid team. Someone else said “still waiting for this team to show their talent.”

Irvine Sting
Grade: C
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Have always played up but have never broken through. Someone else said “had a rough showing at Champions Cup.”

American Athletics-Joiner
Grade: C
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Can be very good but way to inconsistent

Pure Fastpitch
Grade: C:
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Bracky’s Comments: Showed up at the PGF Qualifier and looked solid.

Corona Angels - Perez
Grade: C
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Comments: Have improved.

USA Athletics
Grade: C
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Comments: very solid team

So Cal Pumas
Grade: C
Website:
Tournament Wins:
Comments: Someone else said “haven't seen them too much but good team”

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Other Very Good Team Deserving of Recognition

San Diego Legacy – Others Comments: good team that is getting better
Huntington Beach Breeze – Others Comments: watched them at Champions Cup a good team
San Diego Rowdies – Others Comments: Tied for 5th at State. I have seen them play very well
USA Athletics - Mora
Orange County Dynasty
Minor's Gold-Alvarez - Others Comments: Had a good run at State.
Desert Blaze- Others Comments: Nice to see what these coaches do for the team
San Diego Renegades Lab
San Diego Mystic - Others Comments: team has improved from last year
Santa Fe Springs Rebels
American Athletics-Cassini - Others Comments: lost big hitter recently
O C Elite - Kevin
American Athletics-Bartholomy
Strike Force 95 - Others Comments: has talent to play with higher ranked teams
American Pastime - Others Comments: too high of a turnover to be consistent
Nemesis Elite - Others Comments: has gotten so much better since winter
Sudden Impact
OC Banzai Elite Williams
So Cal Waves- Others Comments: saw them recently and they look competitive

[mercyrule777]

Can't wait to see some of the top 16U teams play this weekend in SoCal Finest tournament in Hemet. After first and second year of 12U and first year 14U alot of teams moved up to 16U. Kinda had me in the dark about who stayed down and who went up far as the 96's are concerned. So thanks Bracky for this poll.

[WC Nightmare]

So Cal Jynx

[ZenMasterTao]

More off than the usual bracky poll. Some should be higher and some lower.

Fury - Woodard (Santos)

[mercyrule777]

Case Batbusters

[bracketologist]

More off than the usual bracky poll. Some should be higher and some lower.

Fury - Woodard (Santos)

Yep! This poll needs a lot of help ...... hopefully I can get some 16U pollsters to help before State & Premier Qualifier

So send me your PMs....... quickly.

[anonlooker]

If you add a team, it might be helpful if you add where they might belong, and what they have played in, results, etc.

[bucketbutt]

Imagine if all the 96's who are playing up in 16's and 18's came back down to play the 14's national championships. Now I would pay to see that!

[anonlooker]

They may as well play 14's, because a 96 team isn't going to win 16u Nationals.

Except maybe a secondary tournament like TCS, AFA, ASA, USSSA...

[anonlooker]

FWIW, here are results from 16u the past couple of weeks... not sure what's going on this weekend in SoCal...?

Triple Crown top finishers
Cruisers won tourney, beat Desperados (twice), OC Banzai
Desperados beat Smash, Fury, OC Banzai
OC Banzai beat CA-Perez, Sudden Impact Elite, Invasion, LV Pride
LV Pride beat SI Elite and Fury

Surf City top finishers winners bracket
BB Stith won, but are 14u, so... jk
Victory lost ship to Stith, beat TNL and Mizuno Pride-Davis (in semis)
MP Davis beat CC Express and either CC Krush or CC Dirt Dogs before losing to Victory
CA Perez beat Pumas 16u, SJ Sting, before losing to Stith (in semis)
(not sure how consolation bracket went down, think Pumas 16u won.)

AZ PGF Qualifier (teams that qualified)
Rebels beat Teamsmith, CM Cobras, Irving Sting
AZ Hotshots - Baker beat USA Athletics -Mercurio, Case Batbusters
Teamsmith lost to CA Rebels then came up through losers bracket, beat Case Batbusters (and others from AZ)
USA Athletics - Mercurio lost to Hotshots Baker, beat Ladycats, LV Pride, and Irvine Sting