Who's the top 12u team in the midwest ????

[coach]

Heard a guy from Illinois explain 12u to me. He said that Illinois has more "teams" that are overall better and Indiana has more total "players" that are better, but they are spread out over multiple teams. After stepping back and looking, I think he is absolutely correct. Right now it seems that any dad that doesnt like what the coach did or where his kid plays puts together a "travel" team. Who is the dominant team going to be when they hit 14u? Who will be the exposure teams? I think CP and Xtreme have set themselves in good positions, but who else will step up. There are a lot of kids out there spread out over other teams that if put together would really challenge those teams and make the 14u division very interesting.

Good post.... I agree 100%.

[afastpitchfanatic]

Crete Crush 98' will be in the Battle of the I's, in June. Don't know if it's full or not, yet, but it's worth checking if you're looking for a chance to play them. NWI Sox and Team Nike will also be there.

We (Nike) won't be at the Sparks Invitational, but we'll be making our 2nd showing at Stingrays in July. Sparks looks really good....we've got to put that on our to-do list for next year.

We'll get to play Xtreme 98 this coming weekend. Not in pool play, but hopefully in brackets.

I agree, the mixing of A & B in NSA tournaments isn't doing the teams any good. There's such a huge gap between some of the teams, that it's unfair to both of them. There IS a lot of talent in Indiana, but I agree, it's too dispersed. Maybe for 14u next year, there will be some merging. Indiana teams can't continue to fill rosters with weak players and expect to draw any good competition from out of state for our tournaments. It's forcing the good teams to have to do serious travel at the lower age groups to get challenged. Personally, I expect more traveling at 14u and up, when exposure is key for those who want to play beyond. However, the 10's and 12's, that might not even be playing by 14u, shouldn't be needing to drop thousands in travel expenses for quality tournaments. JMHO

[backstop13]

slapperdad - just more proof it's not the coaching these girls get.

afastpitchfanatic - we looked at that tournament, but decided to go to Capitol City Showdown/Bat Wars in Columbus, OH. We are playing 14s this weekend at CG...the Xtreme 99 are the ones playing in your bracket. The way our schedule has worked out the only 12U we will be playing in Indiana is the NSA and USFA State tournaments. We are playing 12s in Elgin and Columbus, OH as well. Good luck at Stingrays...that is another one we have been thinking about for the future.

[afastpitchfanatic]

We're only playing 14's in two tournaments that I know of. That's a bummer that it's the 99's this weekend....my paper says 98's. =( *sigh* Nothing against the 99's....it's just I keep reading about the 98's and wanted to play you. Maybe I'll come watch one of your games during our down time.

This might be our first weekend tournament WITHOUT wind and rain. Looking forward to it!

[Fuddrules]

I agree, the mixing of A & B in NSA tournaments isn't doing the teams any good.

Of the IN tournaments I"ve seen, a bunch of teams sign up but there isn't much mixing. They stack the brackets so it's not that common for the top teams to play the other teams. It can make for an odd order of finish.

For Sparks, who is the favorite?

Klash
CP
Windmills - Visor
Downers Grove
Xtreme

That's how I see it in no particular order.

[Play Hard]

I agree that they cluster the teams as best they can. The problem is that when you come out of pool play you have stronger teams matched up with weaker teams.

It doesn't help good teams to face weak teams. It doesn't help weak teams to be beaten badly when they are ill equipped to handle it. What concerns me more is when a girl is playing ten feet in front of third base and has no chance of handling a line drive off some of the stronger bats.

[afastpitchfanatic]

I agree that they cluster the teams as best they can. The problem is that when you come out of pool play you have stronger teams matched up with weaker teams.

It doesn't help good teams to face weak teams. It doesn't help weak teams to be beaten badly when they are ill equipped to handle it. What concerns me more is when a girl is playing ten feet in front of third base and has no chance of handling a line drive off some of the stronger bats.

I couldn't agree more. I was going to post something similar last night, but figured I'd get blasted if I brought up that I thought the mixing is borderline unsafe.

Fuddrules said

Of the IN tournaments I"ve seen, a bunch of teams sign up but there isn't much mixing. They stack the brackets so it's not that common for the top teams to play the other teams.

A/B tournaments are blended, but you don't think it's common for A and B to play eachother. Very interesting.

Tournament directors are doing the best they can with what they have to work with. When when the number of B teams is barely offset by the number of A teams....well, you get the picture. Some might ask, then why do you play those tournaments if you don't like it? I don't believe that the problem lies within any team's decision to tame traveling expenditures at the 12u level. The problem is that there are 50+ 12u teams in Indiana, and the A teams only make up a small portion of them because the talent is too widespread. JMHO

[afastpitchfanatic]

Do you think we can come up with the actual number of 12u teams in Indiana??


1. Hoosier Crush 12U
2. Brownsburg Bombers
3. Indiana Stealth 12u
4. Twisters 12u
5. Indy Edge '98
6. Indy Edge '99
7. Mad Batterz
8. Indiana Diamonds
9. Lady Bandits
10. Indiana Shockwaves 98
11. Indiana Shockwaves 99
12. Team Indiana Ryan
13. Indiana Gators 98
14. Indiana Gators 99
15. Tanel 360 Prospects 98
16. Team Nike
17. MV Maniacs
18. Inidana Chaos 98
19. Indiana AfterShock
20. Indiana Xtreme 98
21. Indiana Xtreme 99
22. Indiana Diamond Batz Cole
23. J.C.Indiana Angels
24. Angels Softball
25. Hoosier Pride
26. Lady Dawgs 12u
27. HSE Cats (Kehl)
28. Noblesville Flames 12U
29. Indy Flashes
30. Knightstown Heat 12U
31. Carmel Sting 12U
32. Indiana Diamond Batz Lawyer
33. 12U Cats - Ford
34. Shamrocks Fastpitch
35. NWI Sox
36. Crown Point Bulldogs 98
37. Crown Point Bulldogs 99
38. Center Grove Cyclones
39. Avon Attack
40. Indiana Reapers
41. West Central Havoc
42. Center Grove Xplosion '99
43. Indiana Magic
44. Indiana Thunder 12u
45. Indiana Thunder 11u
46. Indiana Zoom
47. Monticello Eclipse
48. Lime City Rockers
49. Achievers 12u
50. Twist 12u
51. Indiana Fusion
52. Indiana Ambush
53. Wawasee Allstars
54. Diamond Devils 12u
55. Indiana Raiders 12u Black
56. Indiana Raiders 12u Silver
57. Munster Magic 12u
58. New Lenox Lightning ?
59. Dire Fire 98's ?
60. Illusion ?
61. Chesterton Lady Cougars
62. Lime City Rockers ?
63. Black Widows
64. Lafayette Firestorm
65. Angola Swarm
66. Lafayette Lady Bronchos
67. Mafia Fastpitch Black 12u
68. Lakeshore Storm 12u White
69. Fairmount Fury
70. Manchester Shock
71. Indiana Intensity
72. Munster Muddawgs
73. Valpo Phoenix
74. Lafayette Firestorm
75. 12u Howard Co. Thunder
76. Howard Co. Inferno 99
77. Plainfield Rage 99
78. Ben Davis Monkeyheads
79. Carson Rage
80. Indiana Force
81.


I need a break.....Good LORD!!

[just a dad]

WOW!!!!
Hey afastpitchfanatic,

I am impressed! If at anytime in my HB career I ever challenge your familiarity of 12U teams I would like to apologize in advance.

You probably just whipped them off of the top of your head, just think if you actually sat down and research it.

[backstop13]

81. Mafia
82. Indiana Gators - Reeser
83. Tsunami
84. Hope Lady Jets