2001 ISA Sunshine Shootout

I’ve been talking and writing a lot about how good the A teams are around the country all season long, and seven of them, plus a AA team showed up at this tournament and the battle was on. The one team I didn’t talk about was Team Mizuno, out of Ft. Pierce, Fla. Yes, Team Mizuno swept through this pool play and single elimination event by going 6-0 to capture the Championship. This is a good team boys. Rick Gosser and Dick Landris have put together some veteran players combined with some good young players to make a strong team. Mizuno was led by one of the top players from Florida and a guy that can play with anybody that has also played at the Big Time before, MVP of this tournament, Roy
Eppley. Big Scott Alley also contributed big in this win. Then add one of the top up and coming prospects in the country, Chad Durek. This young man is still learning, but I can tell you he can go get it with the best in the outfield right now. He can hit for average and also can hit it out of any park. I believe he still needs to play at this level for awhile. Finishing in 2nd. place in this tournament was Maroadis/Transfer/Frank-n-stein/TPS. This bunch has played two tournaments this year and hasn’t got it all going yet, but believe me they will. They’re a very good team. Getting the 3rd. spot was another good Florida team, Suncoast/TPS out of Sarasota, Fla. Fourth place went to W.W. Gay/TPS out of Gainesville, Fla. Don Stratton and the ISA staff did another good job putting together this field of eight strong teams. When you can get eight teams like this to play in a tournament it makes for a real competitive tournament. You don’t always need 14 or 16 teams, when some of the teams just can’t compete against the competition.

1. Team Mizuno
2. Maroadi’s/TPS
3. Suncoast/TPS
4. W.W. Gay/TPS

MVP: Roy Eppley