One of the exciting ripple effects of getting through the school year is getting to the Triple Crown Fastpitch schedule, and one of our iconic tournament moments is ready to take flight in the nation’s heartland.
The 16th annual TC OKC event will muscle up June 2-5 in Oklahoma City, designed to offer a great time and sturdy competition to 158 teams representing 29 states, in age groups ranging from 10u through 18u. Aside from offering teams unique matchups and the bonding opportunities that come with hitting the road, the game schedule is crafted so teams can attend the NCAA D-I Women’s College World Series, which is established as one of the collegiate sports highlights on the calendar. In 2023, the powerhouse programs from top-seeded Oklahoma along with Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Tennessee, Utah and Washington will tangle in the hunt for an NCAA championship. The excitement of this environment pulses through the TC OKC event, which launches with a WCWS Watch and Player Party at Remington Park Casino, from 2-5 p.m. on June 2. Music, photo booths, air-brush tattoos and pin trading are part of the menu, and TCS teams will get a chance to visit with former college stars Sis Bates, Aliyah Andrews and Sierra Romero. They are directing a 10u-14u Player Clinic earlier on Friday and are part of the amazing rosters you can find through Athletes Unlimited. The TC OKC tournament offers a five-game format (four pool play games and a single-elim championship bracket finish), with a mix of experienced umpires, some of whom just finished working the NCAA Super Regionals. It’s a valued piece of the tourism puzzle for the city, with more than 4,000 hotel room nights booked. Age group champions in 2022 ranged from all around the country, including programs from Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee. “We are nearly at the point where a full generation of youth softball players have been able to experience the TC OKC event, and there are no signs of interest cooling off as we get ready for 2023,” said TCS event director Sarah Pow. “Our dedicated and professional staff is set to deliver a great tournament setting, and outside the fields, there is always a chance you can spot the WCWS teams roaming around downtown OKC in Bricktown.” Follow the flow of game scores and bracket results here: https://bit.ly/3MI0aJD First team from West Virginia making the trip for June 3-6 event
By Kyle Koso As the 2022 fastpitch calendar starts to unfold, youth teams are emerging from the winter quiet and putting in early work to make the most of the road ahead. And if they’re lucky, there’s a big road trip ready to tackle as well. The Black Diamond Express 14u squad out of Morgantown, WV. is totally in step with that idea, with 12 players and their coaches dialing into the trek to Oklahoma City for the TC OKC event, set for June 3-6 and produced by Triple Crown Sports. Dozens of states will be sending teams to the tourney, with 167 total teams suiting up. For the Black Diamond Express, crossing half the country to play softball required some foresight in the shape of multiple years of fundraising, but it didn’t take very much convincing. The chance to play a unique mix of competition certainly appealed, as did the chance to attend games at the Women’s College World Series, scheduled for the same stretch of June. “The girls are very excited about watching the WCWS games and the possibility of meeting some of the players and coaches, but we are also coming out to compete against teams from all over the country,” said Express 14’s head coach Travis Masoner. “The team really wants to show everyone that we can play quality softball and compete against anyone, being we are the first team to participate from the state of West Virginia.” Black Diamond Express was founded in 2011 by Eddie Campbell and currently fields 11 teams ranging from 8u-18u. Masoner joined the organization in 2018 as a 10u coach; his current 14u team mostly hails from Morgantown with a few players making the hour-drive for practices. He’s coached eight of the 12 players for more than six years and in that time has seen fastpitch begin to escalate as a sport of interest, with tournaments sprouting up from various providers in support of the tri-state region of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. “I started coaching youth softball at the 6u ranks and helped develop the program for the local recreation league. I first started coaching travel ball in 2015 as an 8U coach and have been doing it ever since,” Masoner said. “Eddie Campbell and I had been coaching for a different organization that was affiliated with the local rec league and decided to make the jump to Black Diamond Express organization. The jump allowed me to take a group of girls looking to take the next step in their softball lives and start to play more elite competition along with traveling to some great places and tournaments.” A few years ago, Masoner was watching WCWS coverage and caught images of youngsters sitting in the stands and enjoying the action, then realizing those kids were in game uniforms of their own. “I saw some young ladies in the stands with their uniforms and signs, and that made me think what an awesome thing it would be to watch the best of the best play while also playing in a tournament,” he said. “As anyone would do these days, I searched the internet for youth tournaments and the first name that came up was Triple Crown and the OKC event.” “Sometimes we talk about the teams we might face in the tournament, and what teams we hope we will get to watch in the WCWS. For the most part we talk about how excited we are to be able to spend a week together while playing softball,” said Express player Maddie Wisman. “I like being able to play softball at a high level and getting better through playing high-level competition. While I am very excited about playing softball in the tournament, I am even more excited about being able to watch the college teams play. Since we are coming from a town that doesn't have a college softball team, this is a big deal for most of us.” Black Diamond Express will face teams from Tennessee, Texas and Washington in pool play at the TC OKC tourney on June 4-5 as part of the 14u B division. “I am very lucky to have a great coach in Nikki Nuzum, who brings numerous years of playing, instruction, and coaching skills to the team, which the girls thrive off of and really develop not only as softball players, but as young ladies,” Masoner added. “I am also fortunate to have such great families associated with our team who are supportive in every step we take as a team. A great example is the group fundraising effort it took for us to get to OKC that was done over three years.” by Kyle Koso
After many months of staying cooped up and coping with the feeling that life had grown too quiet, the time is proving ripe for softball teams to get busy again. The Kupa’a 14u girls team, based on the island of Maui in Hawaii, will be turning the routine upside-down in every way this June when they make the big trip – 3,762 miles – to the USA mainland to play in the 15th annual TC OKC tournament, one of the core fastpitch events on the calendar for Triple Crown Sports. The event features a five-game guarantee and welcomes teams from ages 10u through 18u from more than 20 states. Kupa’a is the Hawaiian word for loyalty, and the roster for the 14u team certainly has been devoted to the idea of playing in Oklahoma City, hustling at every turn despite COVID shutdowns to fundraise for the trip and work on their softball skills typically all on their own time. The squad will include nine players who are age 14 and two more who are 12; seven of the older girls have played on the same team since age 10. “Our 14u girls are really excited to have this opportunity to attend a tournament in the Mainland. This is the first time almost all these girls will be going to the Mainland, ever,” said Sherylden Gaspar, 14u team mom and wife of head coach Simon Gaspar. “Our girls had not lost any interest in softball during the pandemic, and there’s lot of the excitement knowing that they’re attending a well-known tournament.” Typically, the TC OKC tournament (June 4-7) is scheduled so teams can make their way to the Women’s College World Series, which runs concurrently with the event. The NCAA has yet to make a final determination if fans will be allowed in the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, but the Kupa’a program feels like the value of the trip is worth it either way. “We had heard about Triple Crown OKC from our coach, Timmy Tanno. Coach Timmy had mentioned this tournament not only because of the exposure, but because of the experience of playing against other teams outside the state of Hawaii and of course, the WCWS,” Gaspar said. “It will be a great opportunity and have a ‘WOW’ factor to have our girls sit and watch the World Series in hopes that one day it will be their turn to step foot on that field … if it will be available for us to attend.” The Kupa’a program dates back to 1998, when Maui High School head coach Bobby Medeiros started an alumni fastpitch league featuring prep graduates from Maui County. This evolved into Medeiros wanting to get younger players trained up and more prepared for their own time in high school, with ages 6-16 ultimately being served by the league. Hundreds of athletes have taken part in the spring/summer program, but no teams ever left Hawaii for a tournament. The current 14u squad and their families had to be patient in working on their games as well as putting together the trip. Hawaii had multiple lockdowns and episodes of re-opening as the COVID-19 case counts varied; the Maui Girls Softball Association ran a private league that offered a short-season schedule so the current crop of freshmen could get precious playing time in preparation for the 2021 club and summer tournament season. “Last November, Coach Simon, myself, and our assistant coaches had a meeting with our parents about TC OKC … how this opportunity would benefit our girls and how it is their time to see what’s out there,” said Gaspar. “We were honest about the case counts on how it fluctuates and the risks we would be taking in traveling. During our discussion, I specifically mentioned that even though the girls want to attend TC OKC, the final decision will be up to their parents due to health concerns and as always, finances. “If and when parents said yes, I made the girls promise me that they will be working hard in raising funds to pay for their trip as we are not allowed to do any team fundraising because of the gathering rules Hawaii is enforcing. I gave our families a week to think about it and within three days, 11 out of 14 girls’ parents had responded back saying, ‘YES.’” Once the trip gets closer, the Kupa’a team will investigate other activities, maybe getting in more games or doing some sightseeing, given how far they’ve traveled. “We are really, really excited,” said 14u player Kelela Gaspar. “We finally get to play in a different place where we never played before, and we get to experience new opportunities to boost our self-esteem as a softball student-athlete.” After more than two months without the game of fastpitch, Triple Crown Sports is proud to put teams and athletes back on the diamond this weekend for the 2020 TC OKC tournament.
Twenty-two clubs from around the region will converge upon Oklahoma’s capital city for the first time since the majority of the sports world shut down in early March. Across Saturday and Sunday, each team will get a guaranteed four games of pool play before heading into a single-elimination bracket. Teams from Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas will be represented in the field. “We couldn’t be more excited to get out on the diamond this weekend,” said tournament director Sarah Pow. “Ultimately, we’re here to put on a great event for the kids. We hope this is a first step in ensuring a safe return to the bigger events that we know and love on the summer schedule.” In conjunction with Sports UAC (United Against COVID), Triple Crown Sports has worked diligently to create a set of protocols to ensure the safety of athletes, coaches and fans. The guidelines have been vetted by other governing bodies, municipalities, event managers, public health sectors, coaches and more. In addition to these new rules, TCS is also following strict CDC recommendations. “Triple Crown is beyond excited to welcome players, coaches and families to the first TC event since COVID-19 changed the world forever,” said Triple Crown CEO Keri King. “We are thankful to Oklahoma for a progressive stance towards a return to outdoor sports and we have designed safe return protocols that should ensure the safest possible experience. Play ball!” Oklahoma City marks the first of several fastpitch tournaments Triple Crown has planned this summer and into the fall. The Fourth of July event has been split into four regions (Southern California, Colorado, Texas & Tennessee), events in Texas and Myrtle Beach are filling up fast, and organizers have found new dates for tournaments on the West Coast. For a complete list of Triple Crown tournaments in your area, visit: www.triplecrownfastpitch.com. Oklahoma Bombers-Aud avenged a 4-0 pool play defeat to OK Exclusive 18u Premier-Hughes in style, winning the 18u championship at the Triple Crown OKC. In a six-inning battle, the Bombers emerged victorious by a margin of 12-9.
“It was a good win for the girls,” coach Mike Aud said. “We put in the work all winter, worked hard, and we were ready to come out and play. They kind of struggled at first, but they pulled it together and came out with a solid win.” Despite seeing three runs cross home plate in the top of the first inning, the Bombers played from behind early as OK Exclusive took the lead in the bottom half of the frame. A 2-RBI single from Shianna Woods put the first two runs on the board for OK Exclusive, and then Sara Llamas-Howell piggy-backed on Woods’ effort in the next at-bat. Llamas-Howell plated two more teammates with her full-count 2-RBI double to give OK Exclusive the early 4-3 lead. OK Exclusive extended its advantage to 7-4 in the bottom of the second inning, highlighted by Sierra Woods’ inside-the-park home run. Sierra Woods laid down a bunt to advance her teammate but when the Bombers sent the throw to first base down the right field line, an innocent bunt turned into a 2-RBI sprint around the bases. The Bombers didn’t wait long to respond. “When we got down, we just decided that we weren’t going to give up and we kept pushing,” Bombers DP Emily Bingham said. “The message in the dugout was we just needed to keep fighting and never give up.” After adding two runs in the top of the third, Ana Aguilar drilled a pitch to center field, recording a leadoff triple. In the ensuing at-bat, Emma Davis tied the game for the Bombers with a single that snuck into left field. Taitum Bradshaw brought Davis home to give the Bombers the lead later in the inning, despite grounding out to third. Aguilar came up big for her team again in the fifth when she drove in a run on a double to right field. “We all came together and had the mentality of ‘swing, swing, swing’ and we were going to come out fighting and we weren’t going to give up without a fight,” pitcher Evy Aud said. “It feels really good.” While the Bombers’ bats continued to produce, Evy Aud grew into the game in the circle. After allowing five runs in the first two innings, she battled back to surrender just two runs in the remainder of the game. Keeping OK Exclusive off the board in the third and fourth innings, she allowed her team to regain the momentum and establish its foothold in the game. “Evy has been real good about coming along and pushing the girls. She works hard, and she’s always been one to pull it out in the end,” coach Aud said of his pitcher’s fight throughout the game. Evy Aud would give herself the final insurance run of the game in the top of the sixth. Aud laid down a perfectly placed bunt and beat out the throw to first base, bringing home Carly Kelley in the process. “This is our first championship of the season and we’re really excited about that,” Evy Aud said. “I’m just happy that we fought and did our best.” The Bombers look forward to building on their success in Oklahoma City throughout the summer. “We’re headed to San Antonio next weekend and we’ll be coming out ready to swing the bat and feeling good on defense,” Bingham said. By Ryan Chapman
Illusions Gold Ramsey 16U (TX) passed their stiffest test to date in the Triple Crown OKC. Behind four scoreless innings from pitcher Brooklyn Malone, Illusions Gold Ramsey battled past the Dakota Legends (SD), 5-0, moving Illusions Gold Ramsey to 3-0 in Pool A. “That was a good team, they played hard,” Illusions Gold Ramsey coach Ivan Ramirez said. “I tip my hat to them. I know we’ll see them down the road, they’re a good team” Malone struck out seven batters and only surrendered four hits during her outing in the circle. “She commanded her balls very well,” Ramirez said of Malone. “She got out of a couple jams, her change-up was working really nice, so we stuck with that and we just executed.” It wasn’t completely smooth sailing for Malone, as she had to work out of some trouble in the top of the third inning. After leading off the inning with a hit batter and a walk, Malone battled back. Smartly mixing the speeds of her pitches, she retired three of the next four batters, not allowing the ball to leave the infield for the rest of the inning. “I felt good,” Malone said. “It was great just knowing my defense was there to support me and make plays whenever they needed too.” After failing to record a base runner in the first two innings, Illusions Gold Ramsey finally found a breakthrough in the bottom of the third. Karissa Schneider led off the inning with a hard hit single back up the middle. Teammate Shellie Ferguson advanced Schneider to second with only one out to give her team their first runner in scoring position of the game, and they did not wait long to cash in. Ivanney Ramirez drove in Schneider for the first lead of the day on a single that snuck through the left side of the infield. With two outs, Maddi Lenton recorded a 2-RBI single off a ball hammered into right-center field, capping off the three-run inning for Illusions Gold Ramsey. Ashley Rojas was proud of her team fighting through the early adversity to come out with the win. “I felt like our energy was really amazing,” Rojas said. “We held all of our teammates accountable and everyone did their jobs.” Schneider capped off the win with a 2-RBI sac-fly in the bottom of the fourth inning to plate the final two runs of the game. Rojas believes her team is ready the weekend on a high note tomorrow. “Everyone seems really excited and really pumped up. I feel like this whole tournament has been really good so far, so I’m excited to see where we go tomorrow,” she said. By Ryan Chapman
With time running down, 16U Millard Fury (NE) coach Dylan Bestenlehner wasn’t worried about his team. “Our team really doesn’t put too much pressure on ourselves,” he said. “They go out there and they do their job.” Millard Fury trailed the Sundodgers (WA) 7-5 headed into the bottom of the fourth inning before their late rally put them over the top, 9-7. Kennedy Kadlec drew a leadoff walk for the Millard Fury to start off the inning. Then Gabi Puk wore a pitch for her team, and Jocelyn Diaz tallied a single to load the bases with the top of the order due up. In the next at-bat, Caroline Ohlendorf tied the game with a 2-RBI single back up the middle. Paige Druskis capped off her 2-3 day with a 2-RBI at-bat of her own. Her double cleared the bases and drove home the final two runs of the contest, sealing the game for her team. “The win felt really good,” Krahmolisch said. “We started passing the bat and the mojo kept getting bigger and bigger and the atmosphere grew.” Millard Fury had to battle back after a big third inning for the Sundodgers. Rachael Freebourn gave the Sundodgers the lead on a towering SAC-fly to center field, allowing teammate Alex Ginnis to tag up at third base and score. Savannah Antonowicz picked up an RBI single in her first at-bat of the afternoon and was able to steal second to put a runner in scoring position with two outs. Alyssa Vasqueuz brought Antonowicz home to extend the Sundodgers lead to two runs. Despite the big inning from the opposition, Avery Laing never doubted her team’s ability to manufacture a comeback. “The atmosphere that we had in the dugout was really positive,” Laing said. “We stayed positive the entire game and didn’t give up at all. We just kept going and going and we kept our hits up and ended up with the win.” Bestenlehner was pleased with how his team performed in the face of adversity. “Our team responded really well,” he said. “We have a great hitting team and when they’re on, the whole team hits. They pass the bat back and forth and they’re great.” “This was a really good team that we played and we just buckled down, did our best and worked hard,” Krahmolisch said. “This win will help us in this tournament and further on in summer ball.” Millard Fury wrapped up play in Pool B with its victory. The Sundodgers will finish up their pool play at 5:00 p.m. when they face Pool B leaders Dallas Tigers McNutt (TX). By Ryan Chapman
Despite the long trip to Oklahoma City from San Diego, Power Surge Berndes (CA) didn’t wait to make their mark, getting off to an electric start in 12U Pool A play. After defeating the Dallas Tigers 12U Mosqueda in their first game of the day 21-1, they followed their performance up with a 10-0 victory over Glory Atkins Gold (TX). “We’ve been working towards this tournament for a long time,” coach Scott Berndes said. Berndes commended the experience of his team, allowing them to get off to a hot start. “They’re a veteran team. We’ve been in nationals in California every year since they were 10 and nine years old. The big stage is not big for them,” he said. Power Surge looked comfortable all morning, especially pitcher McKenna Gieger. Getting the nod in game two, Gieger gave her team three innings of excellent work. She retired all nine batters she faced in order, surrendering no hits and just one walk while striking out five batters. Berndes was pleased with his pitching staff’s efforts all morning. “They’re pretty darn good. They work hard, but we have some great pitchers,” he said. While Gieger controlled the game in the circle, Sofia Mujica busted the game open for her team in the top of the second inning. Mujica stepped up to the plate with two runners on base and drove both of them in with her 2-RBI double to extend Power Surge’s lead to 6-0 early in the game. Mujica was really pleased with how her team started the tournament. “It was pretty good,” she said. “It was nice to see how together we are and how we trust each other. Even if we do make a bad mistake, we know our team has our back.” Gieger sealed the win, driving in the final two runs of the game on a hard hit single in the top of the third inning. Andrea Delatrinidad believes her team can make a mark this weekend if they continue to play like they did this morning. “We were just relaxed. We hit the ball hard and we worked as a team. If we keep working together, I think we’ll go really far,” she said. For now, they intend to celebrate their day one success with an evening at the Women’s College World Series. “We’ve been really looking forward to coming here and meeting new girls, eating different foods, and doing something different than we do on the beach in San Diego,” Berndes said. “We’re going tonight and we’re really looking forward to it.” Power Surge Berndes will be back in action twice on Sunday to wrap up play in Pool A. Refocused and ready to finish strong in pool play, Mujica is confident in her teammates. “Now we know what we’re capable of and we have a good future ahead of us,” said Mujica. There’s a select group of more than 2,000 softball players who are not only digging in at the end of the school year, but also getting their game face on for a memorable tournament experience.
Sold out weeks ago, the 2019 Triple Crown OKC tournament (May 31-June 3) will welcome 175 teams, ages 10u through 18u, to Oklahoma City for one of those ideal moments on the fastpitch schedule. There’s spirited competition within the five-game guarantee, with 19 states represented in the overall field, while plenty of off-the-diamond activities add extra value and amusement for teams making the trip as summertime gets ready to kick in. That includes a bustling Team Check-In and Player Party at Remington Park (May 31, 2-6 p.m.) that puts pin trading, vendors, food, music, photos and other activities right in front of each athlete. One of the essential charms of Triple Crown OKC is the next-door access to the Women’s College World Series, as the final eight teams in the chase for the NCAA Division I national title will be competing at the same time. Two new touches for 2019 include a social media contest that will award a Yeti Tundra 45 cooler (teams required to post four specific photos with the #TCOKC hashtag), and full-on livestream coverage from BallerTV that will be available for every game at every field. With teams ranging from Florida, Washington, Mississippi, California and throughout the West and Midwest, this is shaping up to be an iconic stop on the fastpitch calendar. “This event brings great out-of-state competition, allowing teams to see matchups they may not have experienced before,” said event director Sarah Pow. “Not only do they get to play softball, but the fiesta and vibe around the event with the WCWS and local activities allow teams to have fun on and outside the field.” For more information, please go to www.triplecrownokc.com – to track results, matchups and brackets, head to the scheduling page HERE The Triple Crown OKC fastpitch tournament (May 31-June 3) has measured up year after year by drawing a hefty amount of teams (sold out at 175) to an event that balances competition and fun just as the summer softball season begins to get serious.
Like any tournament, fans will be at the ballparks checking out the action, but Oklahoma City is more than capable of offering diversions when the schedule allows. Women’s College World Series – The increasingly devoted TV audience that tracks the event is just now grasping what fans who attend the WCWS already know. This is a riveting moment on the NCAA calendar as the best Division-I teams fight it out for the national championship; chances are you’ll see a few players who will turn up on the 2020 US Olympic team when it returns to the stage in Japan. Tickets for the WCWS may be tough to land, but you can start here: http://bit.ly/2V2NwMB Riversport Adventures – In the heart of the city is a new high-energy water park that offers rafting, kayaking and canoeing, among other activities. Many national competitions are held on the site, but you and your team can tackle more manageable action via tubing, slides, climbing walls and much more. Check it out for team building, as well as providing a test for those individual thrill-seekers: http://bit.ly/2KFJExi (and click for discount offer http://bit.ly/2V1FkMA) Oklahoma City National Memorial – (from the website) Coming onto the Memorial grounds, you are seeing symbolic representations of the events of, and of the people impacted by, April 19, 1995. The Memorial Museum contains exhibits that walk you through the moment of the bombing, the rescue and recovery efforts, as well as the investigation and trial of the perpetrators: http://bit.ly/2PdagnH Bricktown – Industrial-chic Bricktown is a lively entertainment district, with repurposed warehouse spaces home to restaurants, piano lounges and chic wine bars. An eclectic mix of shops sell clothing, home decor and specialty food items like gourmet condiments and handmade chocolate. The Bricktown Water Taxi takes riders along the Bricktown Canal for tours and dinner cruises: http://bit.ly/2DcY2qE National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum – The physical artifacts of the American Old West are just the starting point for the museum, which carefully considers both the settler and native experiences of a time that defies easy explanation. Don’t miss the retrospective of artist Tom Lovell and his depictions of horses – who doesn’t love horses? http://bit.ly/2Is54ft |
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