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

[ocdad]

I have to agree with badcallblue, you can't blame Thunder - this tournament wasn't advertised for what it was. We were scheduled to play in the Vegas tournament for 12U's, but it got canceled because not enough 12U as a year end thing for the parents & girls, so scrambled to find a replacement tournament. I figured if they have been doing this for 20 years they have to know what they are doing by now. The scheduling was a disaster I think TS96 had an 8:00 am game, 1:15 & 4:45 game for pool play (I can imagine those girls were burnt out by the end of the day) and you had the rec teams mixed with some good travel ball teams. When he sent out the rules it even stated uniforms do not need to match. It wasn't even fun to watch some of the games.

I have met the coaches of Cal Thunder and all are good people no ill will from them. There were just some really bad teams there to be playing against the type of hitters that Cal Thunder has.

As bad badcallblue said you learn, we are relatively new also, so a good learning experience. Thank God it didn't rain, because this rain policy was "NO REFUNDS & will reschedule if they can." I didn't see that until we had already sent the check, so I had my fingers crossed while I watched the weather channel for a whole week

[Under the Radar]

I have to agree with badcallblue, you can't blame Thunder - this tournament wasn't advertised for what it was. We were scheduled to play in the Vegas tournament for 12U's, but it got canceled because not enough 12U as a year end thing for the parents & girls, so scrambled to find a replacement tournament. I figured if they have been doing this for 20 years they have to know what they are doing by now. The scheduling was a disaster I think TS96 had an 8:00 am game, 1:15 & 4:45 game for pool play (I can imagine those girls were burnt out by the end of the day) and you had the rec teams mixed with some good travel ball teams. When he sent out the rules it even stated uniforms do not need to match. It wasn't even fun to watch some of the games.

I have met the coaches of Cal Thunder and all are good people no ill will from them. There were just some really bad teams there to be playing against the type of hitters that Cal Thunder has.
As bad badcallblue said you learn, we are relatively new also, so a good learning experience. Thank God it didn't rain, because this rain policy was "NO REFUNDS & will reschedule if they can." I didn't see that until we had already sent the check, so I had my fingers crossed while I watched the weather channel for a whole week

Hey did you notice if Bustos Elite was there from Rosemond??? Was there a website with brackets?

Thanx

[badcallblue]

Did not see Bustos Elite but heard they did well in pool play.

[ocdad]

Hey did you notice if Bustos Elite was there from Rosemond??? Was there a website with brackets?

Thanx

Yes, they were there

This is what I had, not sure about the scores, because the seeding doesn't match the scores, but I know they thought that runs allowed was the tie breaker before head to head, even though they posted that head-to-head was the 1st tie breaker. This is just what they had posted for pool play:

Pool A: Thunder over So Cal Xtreme, AA (Rawls) over Caught Stealing, Thunder over SC Xtreme, Thunder over AA, SC Xtreme over Caught Stealing, AA over SC Xtreme

Pool B: TS96 over LQ Diamond Devils, Northridge All-Stars over LQ DD, Northridge over So Cal Magic 95, TS96 over SC Magic, SC Magic over LQ DD, TS over Northridge

Pool C: SC Wrecking Crew over SC Knuckle Up, So Bay Dynasty over SC W.C., Bustos Elite over SC W.C., So Bay Dynasty overSC K.Up, Bustos Elite over SC W.C., So Bay Dynasty over Bustos Elite (Pool C vs D) S.A. Xtreme over SC W.C.

Pool D: SC Extreme Heat over Bullpen Heat, M.V. Xtreme over Bullpen Heat, SC E.Heat over Norco Fillies, S.A. Xtreme over SC E.Heat, Norco Fillies over Bullpen Heat, S.A. Xtreme over M.V. Xtreme, Norco Fillies vs M.V. Xtreme (not sure who won)

Elimination at La Sierra Park
1st round: THunder over Knuckle up, So Cal Xteme over Northridge, So Cal Magic 95 over S.A. Xtreme, Xtreme Heat over So Bay Dynasty

2nd round: Thunder over So Cal Xtreme, So Cal Magic 95 over Xtreme Heat

Semi: Thunder over So Cal Magic 95

[Diamond King]

Not to mention, against some high caliber teams.

With bracketologist's reaction to Thunder demoralizing some lower level competition, hopefully the Hey Bucket Poll doesn't turn into the BCS, where teams are going to steamroll weaker teams just to move up in the polls.

JMO

My reaction was to Thunder winning the tourney. I don't pay attention to the high scores as this is happening more and more in softball each year. So I disregarded the other scores early and only paid attention to the two games Thunder played against top 25 caliber teams.

Unfortunately running up the score is now very popular in softball …. and I see it, each and every week!

So using that logic, why isn't Nemesis '96 being announced as a team who should be ranked higher than their #16 ranking nor being recognized for their 1st place finish at the ZPizza Christmas Classic....or MG 97 and TNL 97 for their 3rd place finishes behind 2 '95 teams (SC Elite, So Cal Waves) at the USSSA Holiday Magic Tourney???

My point is, just because you win a tourney, the # of high caliber teams in that tournament should be taken into consideration. The teams who attended the So Cal Crunch Friendly, over the same weekend, played much tougher competition.

[Under the Radar]

Look at the teams listed for TCS Huntington Beach Classic. Should be some good match ups here.....

12 AND UNDER
1. Fury Softball-Temecula,CA-paid
2. OC Frenzy-Anaheim,CA-paid
3. So Cal Justice-Garden Grove,CA-paid
4. Revenge 97-Upland,CA-paid
5. American Athletics-Laguna Niguel,CA-paid *** ranked ? (is this palomino?)#19
6. CA Desperados-Mission Viejo,CA-paid
7. Outlaws-Garden Grove,CA-paid
8. OC Wildcats 97-Trabuco Canyon,CA-paid
9. Valley Tribe**** ranked #20
10. So Cal Mayhem
11. Cal Storm **** ranked #??? thought they were
12. Corona Eliminators
13. Santa Ana Xtreme
14. California Rebels **** ranked #2
15. USA Athletics
16. West Coast Voodoo
17. So Cal Heaters
18. Surfcity Slammers**** ranked #22
19. HB Force 96
20. HB Breeze
21. So Cal Rampage
22. Nemesis **** ranked #16
23. Long Beach Hot Rods
24. Crush 96
25. OC Wildcats 96 **** ranked #7
26. OC Magic 12U
27. Irvine Sting **** ranked #10

[ocdad]

Look at the teams listed for TCS Huntington Beach Classic. Should be some good match ups here.....

12 AND UNDER
1. Fury Softball-Temecula,CA-paid
2. OC Frenzy-Anaheim,CA-paid
3. So Cal Justice-Garden Grove,CA-paid
4. Revenge 97-Upland,CA-paid
5. American Athletics-Laguna Niguel,CA-paid *** ranked ? (is this palomino?)#19
6. CA Desperados-Mission Viejo,CA-paid
7. Outlaws-Garden Grove,CA-paid
8. OC Wildcats 97-Trabuco Canyon,CA-paid
9. Valley Tribe**** ranked #20
10. So Cal Mayhem
11. Cal Storm **** ranked #??? thought they were
12. Corona Eliminators
13. Santa Ana Xtreme
14. California Rebels **** ranked #2
15. USA Athletics
16. West Coast Voodoo
17. So Cal Heaters
18. Surfcity Slammers**** ranked #22
19. HB Force 96
20. HB Breeze
21. So Cal Rampage
22. Nemesis **** ranked #16
23. Long Beach Hot Rods
24. Crush 96
25. OC Wildcats 96 **** ranked #7
26. OC Magic 12U
27. Irvine Sting **** ranked #10

Cal Storm team is suppose to go back to rec ball. Same for Surfcity Slammers & most of their girls were 95's, so it will not be the same team team if they stay in 12U.

[bracketologist]

Not to mention, against some high caliber teams.

With bracketologist's reaction to Thunder demoralizing some lower level competition, hopefully the Hey Bucket Poll doesn't turn into the BCS, where teams are going to steamroll weaker teams just to move up in the polls.

JMO

My reaction was to Thunder winning the tourney. I don't pay attention to the high scores as this is happening more and more in softball each year. So I disregarded the other scores early and only paid attention to the two games Thunder played against top 25 caliber teams.

Unfortunately running up the score is now very popular in softball …. and I see it, each and every week!

So using that logic, why isn't Nemesis '96 being announced as a team who should be ranked higher than their #16 ranking nor being recognized for their 1st place finish at the ZPizza Christmas Classic....or MG 97 and TNL 97 for their 3rd place finishes behind 2 '95 teams (SC Elite, So Cal Waves) at the USSSA Holiday Magic Tourney???

My point is, just because you win a tourney, the # of high caliber teams in that tournament should be taken into consideration. The teams who attended the So Cal Crunch Friendly, over the same weekend, played much tougher competition.

Currently we do not go out of the way to recognize 2nd or 3rd place finishes, making the semi and finals is an accomplishment but with over 15 fall tourneys... we can't focus on the top 2-4 finishers at each tourney. I didn't know Nemesis had won a tournament so it was not recognized... if the results are posted we would give them credit (i.e., credit does not automatically increase your ranking ). Second Nemesis has played the top teams at Chino and AA T4T so all the pollsters tend to agree on their ranking.

More weight is given to tournaments with more high caliber teams (i.e., Surf City, Fresno & State in Spring), but to beat another highly ranked team in the final of any tournament is an accomplishment!

I put zero weight in Friendly performances.... who really won the Rebels vs. CA96 @ So Crunch Friendly? Depends on the drop dead rule? I just don't care about how hard the friendlies are... there is no "lose and go home pressure in friendlies." The goal is to prepare the team to qualify for Nationals and each coach may choose a different path. I have watched Cal Thunder play in elimination games and they are a good team.... you can see it whether their playing the #2 team or #17 team. I said the same thing about the OC Wildcats 96 before AA T4T - predicting they would make the semi's.. I was wrong they made the finals.

In 4 years of watching 12u....... it's more important to have a confident team with the girls and parents getting along (i.e., winning helps) then playing a tougher tournament schedule and losing. Example TNL last year did not play at either Chino or AA T4T did it hurt them no... 3rd at ASA Nationals in 2007 and 4th in 2008. A good team is a good team whether they are playing the #2, #3, #4 teams or #10, #12, #16 teams.... winning a tourney is an accomplishment!

Finally, you have to realize how difficult it is for a Coach to take a team with no organization name and build a top 10 team. So give the No Fear & Cal Thunder and like organization coaches credit .... it's much easier to draw confident girls (girls who are use to winning or who's batting/pitching coaches call them studs) to an OC Batbusters, Corona A, Firecrackers or PowerSurge/TNL in San Diego then to a No Fear, CTS, Cal Thunder or Mesa Magic.

So yes I will still give credit to the top teams that battle each other every week.... but I will continue to praise and recognize the teams #16-#30 who win a tournament or two!

[Under the Radar]

Look at the list now for HB Classic 12u

12 AND UNDER
1. Fury Softball-Temecula,CA-paid
2. OC Frenzy-Anaheim,CA-paid
3. So Cal Justice-Garden Grove,CA-paid
4. Revenge 97-Upland,CA-paid
5. American Athletics-Laguna Niguel,CA-paid
6. CA Desperados-Mission Viejo,CA-paid
7. Outlaws-Garden Grove,CA-paid
8. OC Wildcats 97-Trabuco Canyon,CA-paid
9. HB Force-Huntington Beach,CA-paid
10. So Cal Mayhem
11. Cal Storm
12. Corona Eliminators
13. Santa Ana Xtreme
14. California Rebels
15. USA Athletics
16. West Coast Voodoo
17. So Cal Heaters
18. Surfcity Slammers
19. Valley Tribe
20. HB Breeze
21. So Cal Rampage
22. Nemesis
23. Long Beach Hot Rods
24. Crush 96
25. OC Wildcats 96
26. OC Magic 12U
27. Irvine Sting
28. SD Legacy
29. Corona Angels

[bracketologist]

Look at the list now for HB Classic 12u

12 AND UNDER
1. Fury Softball-Temecula,CA-paid
2. OC Frenzy-Anaheim,CA-paid
3. So Cal Justice-Garden Grove,CA-paid
4. Revenge 97-Upland,CA-paid
5. American Athletics-Laguna Niguel,CA-paid
6. CA Desperados-Mission Viejo,CA-paid
7. Outlaws-Garden Grove,CA-paid
8. OC Wildcats 97-Trabuco Canyon,CA-paid
9. HB Force-Huntington Beach,CA-paid
10. So Cal Mayhem
11. Cal Storm
12. Corona Eliminators
13. Santa Ana Xtreme
14. California Rebels
15. USA Athletics
16. West Coast Voodoo
17. So Cal Heaters
18. Surfcity Slammers
19. Valley Tribe
20. HB Breeze
21. So Cal Rampage
22. Nemesis
23. Long Beach Hot Rods
24. Crush 96
25. OC Wildcats 96
26. OC Magic 12U
27. Irvine Sting
28. SD Legacy
29. Corona Angels

This looks like potentially a very good tournament. It will be interesting to see if the ranked teams actually pay and enter this tourney. I don't believe it would benefit the Cal Rebels if OC Wildcats 96 or Corona Angels don't enter.

Looking at the teams that have already paid in 14u (most have 1 stud pitcher), if I were a top ten 12u team (i.e., Rebels, Wildcats or Angels) I would play up in 14u unless all three sign up for 12u together. If I remember right Victory-Campbell played up in 14u in this Tournament the year they won ASA Nationals in 12u.... quick exit lost in 2nd round.