2002 WSL/NSA NIT Columbus, OH

Columbus, Ohio was the setting for this, the fourth leg of the World Softball League NSA event. The weather was beautiful, good fields and very good teams. Long Haul/Taylor Bros/Shen Corp/TPS came out the winner in this one as they squeaked out a one run win in the Winner’s bracket Championship game and then did it again in the first game of the Championship winning by one run. Long Haul played seven games in this one, three in the pool play and four in the double elimination. The TPS boys were led by the excellent pitching and defensive play of MVP Andy Purcell and a total team effort to win this one. Hague/Resmondo/Walser/Worth battled their butts off all weekend, but once again came up a little short. Big Randy Kortokrax led the Ohio based team hitting 19 homeruns to lead the tournament. Well the two Giants had their “Titanic Battle” this weekend with some unbelievable games played by some very good A softball teams this weekend.&! Mid South/TPS came out on top finishing in third place getting the much needed points as they tried to earn enough points to make it to Las Vegas to the World Softball’s Final Four. They also picked up the $2,000 traveling expense check for finishing in third. This ball club is for real, they are as good as any of the great A teams, or like some people want to call the AA teams. The facts are there are about ten to twelve teams just like Mid South/TPS who can flat out play. Chase/Reeces/Roosters/Easton is one, as they finished in fourth place and picked up the $1,500 traveling money. The story in this tournament was the great play by all the A teams. Central Paving/TPS played extremely well and proved they could play with the good A teams on the baseball fields with 90′ bases. Like I’ve said before I will not rank teams who want to play tournaments on 300′ fields and hit .47 core balls. It doesn’t prove a thing. When! n these good teams play on baseball fields and use 90′ bases these games are unbelievable, and it brings out all the good talent these good A teams have. That my friends is what happened here this weekend, there were some great games played by these teams. Teams like Central Paving/TPS, Hooters/Mizuno, K&G/Phonemasters/TPS, Creative Stucco/Easton, Chase/Reee/Roosters/Easton, Team AH/TPS, Smokes/Mizuno, Jonesboro/TPS, Maroadi’s/Frank-n-stein and a bunch of good B teams who also played very good all weekend and made for a very good tournament. The World Softball League has given teams the chance to play in some very interesting, exciting, fast-paced, great defense and some unbelievable softball in the four events so far. The Pif in Fleurimont, Quebec Canada on July 4th weekend the WSL will explode into the biggest softball event in the World. The Pif Directors are expecting the crowds to be the largest ever and that could be well over 20,000 people both on Friday and Saturday night just like the old days when the best players played there, and I mean people like Bruce Meade, Craig Elliott, Jim Fuller and many more of the Super starts of “Big Time Softball” will make this an extraordinary event in 2002. There’s no doubt that there will be some of the great players in the world entered in this tournament this year, and it’s a shame that some of the boys will not get an opportunity due to other commitments. Fox Sport Net and the WSL along with our neighbors from the north hosting this spectacular event before huge crowds will be an excellent venue for TV coverage. Good Luck to all the American and Canadian teams that have entered. I want to thank Jeff Hague for hosting myself and my webmaster this weekend in Columbus. We both enjoyed ourselves. With Jeff Hague being involved with the WSL it doesn’t get any better than that. The effort and great job he did putting this tournament together in Columbus, Ohio was truly a great show.

Jeff you are a ‘First Class’ man and Big Time softball is in good hands when people like you are involved.
Once again Jeff Thank you for a GREAT weekend.