Boys Fastpitch Camps and ASA Nationals
August 8, 2007
North Mankato, MN
USA Softball recently conducted two fastpitch camps, exclusively for young male players, in conjunction with the ASA Junior Olympic Boys National Championships in North Mankato, Minnesota.
The first camp involved 20 boys who are in the pool group of players born in 1989 or later that are age-eligible for selection to the USA squad that will compete at the ISF Junior Men's World Championship next June in Whitehorse, Yukon Canada. All 20 of these boys were playing with various club teams in the 14-Under, 16-Under and 18-Under ASA national tournaments. USA Softball junior men's national team head coach Tim Lyon, along with assistant coaches Scott Standerfer and Gary Mullican conducted the 3-hour camp at Caswell Park on Thursday afternoon, August 2.
Later that evening, 30 boys from five states participated in an open tryout camp for players born in 1989 or later. The junior men's coaching staff gave instruction in hitting and fielding fundamentals as well as more individualized information for the positions of pitchers and catchers, outfielders, middle infielders and corner infielders. From this group of boys, the coaching staff was pleasantly surprised at the abilities of several players who are age-eligible for next years USA national team as well as the prospects for players born in 1993 or later who would be eligible for the next ISF event in 2012.
Top four finishers from the ASA Junior Olympic Boys Fastpitch National Championships in North Mankato, Minnesota:
14-Under
1. St. Paul, MN Midway
2. Lake Crystal, MN Legion
3. Sioux Falls, SD Embroidery Touch
4. Sioux Falls, SD J-MAC Trucking
Championship game: Midway 11 Legion 0
WP Robert Kinne
LP Nate Meixell
16-Under
1. Amazonia, MO NAP Co. Rockhounds
2. Lake Crystal, MN Lumber
3. Pattonsburg, MO Jim Nalle Farms
4. Eagleville, MO NOMO Fastpitch
Championship game: Rockhounds 7 Lumber 5
WP Kody Schieber
LP Josh Schroeder
18-Under
1. Sioux Falls, SD Rookies
2. Hartford, SD Explosion
3. Conception Jct., MO Schmitz Dozing
4. Salt Lake City, UT Page Brake
Championship game: Rookies 6 Explosion 2
WP BJ Hunhoff
LP Jim Hartman
23-Under
1. Lake Crystal, MN Weggy's
2. Stewartville, MN Strikers Corner
3. Onalaska, WI LX
4. Ephrata, PA Cornerstone Excavating
Championship game: Weggy's 4 Strikers Corner 2
WP John Paul Peterson
LP John Kelly
20 players currently in the pool for possible selection to the USA Softball junior men's national team participated in the 14-Under, 16-Under and 18-Under club team nationals while 14 teams from 8 states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, California and Pennsylvania) played in the highly-competitive 23-Under division.