deadeye

The better older age group teams are playing at the ASA state. I think there are only a couple of 18U teams playing USSAA. USSSA state has great younger teams, and we welcome them to Crossville! http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/Chroni...tballteams.html ASA this weekend will have 14 , 18U teams.

http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/Chroni...tballteams.html Ton of younger teams there, and I agree that USSAA does a super job with the younger teams. ASA this weekend 18-A .... 14 teams. Has anybody anywhere ever heard of the NAFA?

I don't like this stat, because it penalizes where in the order the batter hits and the number of RBI opportunities overall. Poor ole Barry Bonds wouldn't have a chance usng the formula this person proposes. Neither would lead off batters. The reason Maris hit 61 is because of the Mick, right? How about a hybrid of RBI opportunities versus RBIs made? That will take quite a good set of books, but for example: Debbie Batter came up to the plate 30 times in a year with a runner at 2nd or 3rd (traditional scoring position). You eliminate the at-bats she sacrificed (she bunted twice) which makes 28 opportunites to score the runner. She had 12 RBIs that year. RBI's/# of RBI opportunities = true rbi efficiency. 12/28 = .429 rbi eff. However, I think computing a batting average with runner's in scoring position is the best stat on this subject. Sacrifices are removed from the at bat, as are walks (intentional or not). Although the rbi (on a sac fly) is awarded, this stat shows that the player did her job regardless of the other base-runner's ability to score the run. Mix science with my favorite sport, and I am hooked!

Not just Hamilton Co. My daughter played on it last year, as did our catcher. Both from Cumberland Co. This is the only all-star team they were eligible to play on and they both kicked butt in both games. A Sequatchie HS girl played on it last year as well, as did other counties. Best looking team I had seen play anywhere, including travel ball. The outfielders ran like gazelles, having played center field for their schools. The infielders had hoovers for gloves and cannons for arms. Both games were great to watch if you are a fastpitch fan. Oh, and to answer the question, it is usually played at Frost Stadium. It has been played there for the past few years anyway. Let there be a Northwest Tennessee area all-star team, let them play SW Virgina and let the game be called the TN vs VA all-star game, or another other part of the state. Does it really matter? There are enough talented ball players to have several.

They will have to split them among their 2-4 field complexes, one of which hosts the Worth Invitational. Maybe slightly above average fields and facilities. But as previously posted ....... ANYTHING is better than Mississippi. And don't forget that baseball was being played as far away as Millington. Not sure how Murfreesboro will handle baseball. Maybe at all 4 Rutherford Co. High schools? Murfreesboro is centrally located in the state and will require the least amount of travel for the majority of the regions. I think it is the best choice for all involved. I would have preferred the rotation to give places like Knoxville a chance, but the logistics would have been a killer.

I only saw them play once, but they definitely played as a team in that game. Playing together is usually due to good coaching. I think they will be strong again next year. However, so will be Cumberland, and Soddy, and Ootelwah, etc... all out of the same region. You get out of that region still intact, you can win the state.

I have waited patiently to throw this our there, so no one would claim me as having "sour grapes". This topic is pointed at no one. Rather, it is to everyone, since my daughter moved on to college last year. I have no problem with the current state - level playoff system. It is a double elimination tournament. If you lose twice, you go home. It is a fair as it is going to get. I have a real problem with the lose-one-game-go home that is present in the regional and the sectional. For the benefit of the discussion, I will call my daughter's team "Our Team". Our team was both the victim and the benefactor of this system in 2003 and 2004. In 2003, we beat a team in the sectionals that could have placed at least 3rd in the state, maybe even taken it all. I sure would have hated to face them again to be sure. They scattered their hits, whereas we strung our few hits together. In 2004, we were beat in the 1st round of regions by a team that we could beat 8 out of 10 times. There is no way anyone who understands the nature of the game could agree that a single game is good enough to determine a better team. If that was true, we could have the district and state be single elimination and be done in a couple of days, right? Heck, we would not even need a regular season. Red Bank faced Soddy 4 times prior to the state. Lost all 4. But they won in the tournament. By the TSSAA way of thinking, they should not even be at the tournament. The powers that be (TSSAA) need to realize this. The constraint is time. There are only 3 playing days allotted to go from district finals to the state. The system needs to be changed. The solution is straight forward enough. Why not play a double elimination Region and Substate? Regions would be: First round played Monday, Second round (2 games) on Tuesday, and the Championship on Wednesday? Same for Sectionals, except beginning on Friday, then combining round 2 & 3 for Saturday? I know the TSSAA is against playing on Saturday's. How about Round 1 being on Monday, with Round 2 & 3 on Tuesday, and so on. At least we would have a for sure winner and not a lucky, good enough that day team. Weekends would be used for rain-outs just as they are now. Everyone knows that any team playing at the region level can beat any other team if the right combination of normal factors comes together. Only a double elimination tourney keeps the balance, especially in very closely matched regions/sectionals. Thanks goodness none of my daughter's post season was handled that way this year. Her team lost the first game of her college regional double elimination tournament. They then went on to win every game thereafter all the way through the loser's bracket to the championship where they lost a close one. The right team came in first, and second, and third, etc... I am not claiming some moral wrong here. It is just the nature of softball. One game does not a winner/loser make. We can do better than this system.

6AAA: All pitchers returning 5AAA: All pitchers returning minus one from the last place team.

They surely did. Very close game among 2 great teams, but RB deserved to win.

Those teams really are the best teams in the state. They have not limped in and showed great talent at the sport in depth from top to bottom and pitching. My home town team suffered loses to 5 of them. They really are the best of the best. My wish list includes Goodpasture, Walker Valley, Red Bank and GPS. But good luck to all. Win or lose, they are in the sun for a day.

She fed off of the "Pepperoni" thing. She mentioned that it really pumped her up for the Boyd-B game. Goodpasture 6 BB 0 You might want to try another tactic.......

To make this question more fair, if you live in Davidson, Rutherford, Hamilton, or Shelby, please do not pick your city.

Red Bank has some good hitting and pitching. At the right time, they are also playing good defense. Beech is a little one-dimensional. Troglin is scattering hits... bending without breaking. Despite facing great pitching, Red Bank is also getting their hits. They have as solid a top 5 in the order as anyone, anywhere. Good Luck to Red Bank! This is why it is so hard to get out of District 5 and 6. For the past 3 years, the AAA state chapionship has been either District 5 or 6 or both. Red Bank, Soddy, and Cumberland. The road to the state goes through all 3. Best wishes to the Lady Lions!

Congrads to Red Bank. Solid team. Good Pitching, good defence, and some real pop in the batting order.

Dear Bledsoe: Your post irked me to no end. You decided to jump right in there, which was just a bad as Radio's post. Do not make me start making comments about BCHS's team. You saying Cumberland can't hang with Chatt team's? Well, Cumb. beat your team 15-0, and that was only because of the mercy rules. We have had the same sucess (or lack thereof) against Nashville teams. Chatt. does not rule TN softball anymore (exception Soddy and Baylor). Radio is obviously a young fan and new to this message board. He/She wanted to show some pride (albeit a little too zealously). Good for them. You on the other hand wanted to beat him/her down. Shame. By the way, you kept on about Cleveland and how weak they were and how your team beat them earlier in the season (key word earlier). Cleveland was defeated by the best team in the state (Soddy) on Monday. Final score 3-0. Could BCHS even dream of keep the score to that against Soddy? I guess I won't have the chance to say "told you so" in your post season. Now, doesn't that sound petty? Made me embarrased to post it. Listen y'all. Couple of lessons here. 1. Don't brag about your team until you have something to brag about. Even then, show some class and respect for the other teams. You will be much happier in the end. 2. Don't slam someone else unless you are ready to get slammed. 3. Regular season records against teams doesn't mean much, especially when talking about pool games in tournaments when a team could be throwing their 3rd or 4th pitcher and a JV line-up. They are weak predictors to future success. 4. You cannot argue absolutes in TN High School Softball. There is no sure thing when dealing with young players. Indian... as usual you are correct. District 5-AAA overall this year was a little down, and only a couple times in recent history have they been considered powerful. But being in this district has not stopped Cumb. from being competitive. This year, well, Cumb. overall offense was weaker than what it would take to get past the first round of regions. Cumb. defence and pitching was soild, and the coaching great, which is why they can at least hang with anyone. This year, they had a lot of 1-0 losses against very good teams. Red Bank had 2 good hits put together in the first inning, which is why they won (what is that thing about timely hitting and defense.......). Cumb. had 2 more baseruners than Red Bank, primarily due to a couple of errors. But RB also played well and deserved to advance. I wish them the best of success. RB also won with class, and their parents were good sports. And yes, Walker Valley is for real. They not only beat us, but a lot of other good teams. Last year's Cumb. team was dynamite. Beat Beech the only time they saw them 4-1. Same with Goodpasture (2 of last year's state champs right?) including lighting up Ms. Perroni, a great pitcher... NOT from Chatt. Split with David Lipscomb and the magnificent Megan Rhodes. Someting like a 38-6 record with half of those during a prom weekend. All of this with a bullseye due to the previous year's success. However, they played one bad game and got put out early. Such is softball. Good luck to Red Bank tonight. Even better wishes to both Region 3AAA teams in the sectionals. Go represent!

Soddy 3 Cleveland 0

oh yeah. Ran into them and East Cobb Vipers last year. Both VERY soild teams. (18U) That area does not have many teams, but they are loaded big time. They also have much more playing time and typically sweep the best TN teams early in the season due to their High Schools playing in the fall.

My Sympathies to you and your family Antwan.

Congrads FPFanatic!!! Met your daughter (again) at the Georgia Tourney this year. Good kid. A Sweetheart... and a great pitcher. My daughter is home now, lost in the Florida Atlantic Champsionship. Beware of Indian River CC, and keep it low and off speed to them at the Nationals! I wish her well!

Same is true for Soddy coming to Cumberland Co's tournament (I think it is almost always the same weekend, right?) Crossville's Centenniel Park is very busy. That is the weekend CCHS gets the park every year to host the Plateau Invitational. Soddy is invited every year. They came in 2002 and did well. CCHS played Soddy this year in Cookeville. Lost 4 to 2 with a very young team (prom was that weekend). Soddy has my respect. Got to meet Coach Kirk personally during summer ball when he temporarily coached the Frost Falcons and when my daughter played for him at last year's TN-Georgia all-star game. Good coach, and I like his style of opportunistic small ball. I just wish CCHS had the talent pool of pitchers he has year after year. That being said, I doubt CCHS would go out of their way to play Soddy. They know they will have to meet if we do well. I was mainly talking about the other strong teams out there not in Region 3AAA. The only time we have seen Beech was at Hendersonville Tourney 2 years ago (split the Championship with them due to their losing too many players and only able to field 8, and beat them last year at the Worth in Murfreesboro). We have a winning record against Goodpasture the past 3 years (CCHS lost for the first time against them this year). Our Coach went to meeting of the KIL 2 years ago and could not get a game with anyone. It is tough getting games being isolated up on the Mountain. However, that does not diminsh the strength of CCHS, nor the overall improvment of District 5AAA this year. Bradley is a much improved team this year, and can give anybody a loss (yes anybody). Rhea has a great young pitcher. Cleveland is a little off. McMinn is starting to put building blocks in place for the future with their youth programs.

I gotta join this fray. Chattanooga has some great teams. District 5AAA is not as strong as District 6AAA. I know this to be true. This is not Cumberland's fault. They have tried to schedule a strong schedule. No one is willing to travel to CCHS. The Lady Jets will play anybody anytime on their field so long as they will return in kind. Coach does his best. but there are rarely any takers. What RadioJet says is true. Bradley is better than people give them credit for this year. Good pitching, but a defnese that either makes the spectacular plays or can;t make the routine. Jeckal and Hyde team to be sure. BCHS can beat anybody.. sometimes can be beat by anybody. As far as good teams CCHS has beaten? Well, for the past 2 years, CCHS has beaten anyone you can name... except for Soddy (gotta give them their due). This year's team, although somewhat young, has beaten Goodpasture, Hendersonville, and Knox Central (a good team this year). CCHS is playing better with each game. Proud to support the Lady Jets on yet another good year. By the way, for Coach T-bone to get thrown out of a game, it must have been a very bad call. He is a Class act (with a capital C). If anyone has details, I would like to hear them on a private PM. By the way RadioJet... we in Cumberland County talk softly shhhhh and carry the big stick into tourney time! Not being talked about on this board is actually a blessing. Bleecherbum is being honest from his point of view. He could have gotten ugly, but didn't. Respect is earned each year. The Lady Jets will get what they deserve. thumb JET PRIDE! "Off we go into the........" Best wishes on winning the district. Need that home game on Monday!

Good Day Cherokee. Yes, that is the rule. If she does not make an attempt to bunt the ball, and the pitch is out of the strike zone, it is a called ball. She can leave the bat in the zone, or even attempt to get the bat away from the ball. All leagues that I know of follow this same rule. The reason for this rule is simple. Imagine being the umpire. At what point in time would the hitter be required to "pull it back" and how would you ever call it? Would they be required to just drop the bat, pull it back, etc? A swing is a swing, regardless of when the pitch crosses the plate. That is easy to call. If a bunt were treated the same as a swing, a pitcher could just adjust the pitch if the batter had squared up to ensure that it was well out of the zone and the umpire would be required to call it a strike, right? The rule is she has to make an attempt at the pitched ball, regardless of where the bat is. If a batter had the bat well in front or well behind the plate when she squares, it would not matter. Hope this helps.

Hixson is not that small. According to their enrollment numbers, they are right at 1,000. Get a few more and they will have to move to AAA. Good Luck to Hixson in the post season. Been a while since y'all have had real success. Looks promising this year.

Oh no. Not the squirrel again. I thought that he finally got laser corrective surgery last year.

No. TSSAA does not concern themselves with regular season, only post season. As soon as district winners are determined, they will start showing games results on their brackets only. Districts 1 through 4. Hmmm. Knoxville paper using does a good job covering the teams from the KIL. Johnson City also covers up there fairly well. Sports news archive?