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

[hotwheels]

I don't mean to be rude but besides Raiders, Crunch, and Jynx in the 12U's......Was there anyone else there any good?.....Just curious as the AA's tournament seemed to have 7 or 8 very quality teams there this weekend...Just my thoughts....I am asking and not being an a _ _

[artomatic]

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

rare footage of bracketologist arriving at niguel hills middle school this weekend:

[hotwheels]

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

rare footage of bracketologist arriving at niguel hills middle school this weekend:

Just spit all over my keyboard....hahahahaha

[bracketologist]

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....

Great points. I think you are correct... instead of taking a leap of faith saying the Rebels and Firecrackers are A (last year after Chino CA95 stood out and after AAs OC Impact both were given A grades - then AH came along in the spring and beat both for a tourney championship) - I think we have a bunch of B+ teams and we will have to wait to Spring to see who the top teams really are. One adjustment to the A rating could be beating all A teams in bracket play in a tourney (the closer to the finals the better) and not requiring it to be done in the same tourney.

What makes it difficult this year is the fact that the top team Firecrackers already has as many tourney loses as the CA95 did all year from FALL to ASA Nationals... a total of two.

[bracketologist]

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.

Cent hold on to your popcorn but there are three good "off speed-junk ball pitchers in 12u" (i.e., two or more off speed pitches with different spin) and the scary thing is in Fall the only thing these junk pitchers work on is SPEED. By April their pitches will seem even slower…..

[onthejuice]

Ok ladies and gents now that the fall season is pretty much over, where is the next big 12u tournament? Let's all agree on one and all the big dogs as well as all the unknowns that want to step up show up.

[bracketologist]

Why is No Fear 96 and Cal Thunder Ranked in the top 20? Is winning weaker tourneys more important then competing with top teams? Both teams seem to be dodging really competitive tourneys.

IMO In 12u softball - team confidence is more important then playing really competitive tourneys in the fall and early spring and both No Fear 96 and Cal Thunder are solid teams that have played top competition in friendlies. Back when the 1st poll was introduced I give advice that both teams should win games and gain confidence while playing the top teams in friendlies. Example of OC Wildcats 96 - two tourneys wins and still under the radar until AA's. Watching the Wildcats play CA-K - the Wildcats expected to win..... confidence!

Therefore, I believe we should not punish teams for taking a different path...... instead judge them after watching them play. The Wildcats, So Crunch, Valley Tribe, No Fear 96 and Cal Thunder are all solid teams with all but the Crunch winning a tourney.

[ice_67]

Fresno Force

Are you kidding me? Do we have to wait until April to see who is the topdog in the rankings. Man, I guess I'll actually have to do some work instead of surfing Heybucket.

[Under the Radar]

Fresno Force

Are you kidding me? Do we have to wait until April to see who is the topdog in the rankings. Man, I guess I'll actually have to do some work instead of surfing Heybucket.

Usually alot of top teams are at the TCS Huntington Beach Classic. in Jan...

[TheCloser]

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.

What's up with the '97 teams who have played competitive ball against the '96 teams not getting any love. I think they will bridge the gap even further by the end of the year based on what the '97 class did at nationals last year (good athletes) and what the '96 class won't do at nationals this year just like two years ago. Jynx at 3 seems like a stretch considering that they couldn't beat either OCBB '97 Snow or CA '97 Lockman in Chino Hills.