ESPN Wide World of Sports Tournament Champions

[Moses Guthrie]

A trio from Scioto County recently helped their team take home the gold at the Rawlings International Salute to Baseball at ESPN's Wide World of Sports in Disney World. The Cave Run Muskies, based in Morehead, Ky, won the baseball championship in the 10u division against strong competition from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, and Pennsylvania.

The Muskies are currently ranked 19th nationally according to Travelballselect.com. The Scioto Co trio includes one 5th grade student from Green Elementary, one 5th grade student from Wheelersburg Elementary, and one 6th grade student from Portsmouth Elementary. The remaining players include one 6th grader from Cabell Midland Elementary near Huntington, Wva, four players from Lakeside Elementary in Morehead, Ky, and two players from Rowan County Schools in Morehead, Ky.

[a_c_m]

Congratulations to the Muskies! I work with one of the player's grandmother and she kept me up to date on what was going on in the tournament. Quite amazing to take on some excellent competition and come out winning the whole tournament!

[Moses Guthrie]

10 National Rankings Update – 7/18/2011

TravelBallSelect.com updates the 2011 Rankings of the Top 25 10U Teams across the USA taking into account July 17th tournament results. These Rankings are continuously updated as new tournament results play out.

1) The Oakley Stingrays – Green (of Whittier/Norwalk, CA) retakes the #1 spot and moves up from #3 after an impressive run 9-0 run to repeat as Elite 32 World Series Champions. This event was, bar far, the most competitive event of the year thus far. With this win, the Stingrays will represent the USSSA at the 2011 NYBC National Championship games coming up August 25th in Cordova, Tennessee. By our estimates, their overall record now stands at 80-9-1 (67-6-1 versus 10U teams, 13-3 against 11U competition). This does not include their wins in local non-documented tournaments. Next up, the Stingrays are heading to Puerto Rico to compete against International competition.

2) TEAM Miami (Miami, FL) was idle this week and are edged out at #1 as the Stingrays Repeat Championship title at the talent loaded Elite 32 trumps TEAM Miami’s 10-0 run to win the AAU Nationals. But these two teams will face each other at the NYBC National Championships where the 2011 season’s final #1 will be decided. TEAM Miami’s overall record is 102-21 including AAU, USSSA and local league records. Their USSSA play accounts for 28-10 with 6 of these 10 losses coming against 11U teams. Next up, Team Miami will start preparation as the AAU representative for the NYBC National Championship games in Cordova, Tennessee coming up in August.

3) The Georgia Yard Dogs Black (Atlanta, GA) moves up #4 after going 10-2 in a remarkable test of Endurance to finish as a strong “Runner-Up” at the Elite 32. Next up, the Yard Dogs will be competing in the Memphis AACB Regionals before heading to Puerto Rico for the AABC World Series starting July 28th.

4) The Nomads Elite (Garden Grove, CA) moves from #4 after a strong finished at the power packed Elite 32 a close 3-2 elimination loss to the #1 Oakley Stingrays. By our tally, the Nomads overall season record now stands at 99-11 with 11 tournament wins.

5) The Carolina Cubs (Raleigh-Durham, NC) holds at #5 after a strong performance at the Elite 32 where they went 6-2 before losing a close 13-11 game against the talent loaded South Florida Stealth. They finished tied for 5th Place and proved that they can compete with any team in the nation. By our tally, they now hold an overall 2011 season record of 85-25 with 10 tournament wins and 6 “Runner-Up” finishes. Also, it is worth noting that 21 of their 25 losses have come against 11U teams. They are 50-4 versus other 10U teams.

6) TEAM MVP (Miami, FL) moves from #2. They had a strong performance after going 5-2 before being eliminated 9-4 by the Georgia Yard Dogs. They recently finished “Runner-Up” at the AAU Nationals losing to Team Miami by a narrow margin of 2-1 in the finals. Their overall record now stands at 123-19-1 including a 72-18-1 record in USSSA 10U and 11U tournament appearances. They have won 17 tournaments, 11 of which were USSSA and 3 Triple Crowns.

7) The MCBC Hit Dogs (Macomb, MI) jumps up from #17 after going 6-1-1 to finish 3rd Place at the Elite 32. They lost 13-3 in the semi-finals to the #1 ranked Oakley Stingrays. The Hit Dogs have won 5 USSSA tournaments including the Northeast Super NIT and have compiled an overall record of 54-15-2.

8) The IE Elite (Inland Empire, CA) moves from the #3 slot after an extended idle period in elite travel play since their last win on June 11th at the USSSA California State Championships. Their overall record stands at 78-10 this season with 6 of their 10 losses coming against 11U’s. They are heading to the Utah Triple Crown World Series coming up during July 25th-30th in Park City, Utah.

9) Lightning Baseball (Lakeland, FL) moves up from #12 after an excellent showing at the Elite 32 going 6-2 and finishing tied for 5th Place. Their USSSA record now stands at 53-20-2 with 4 tournament wins plus 3 Runner-up finishes. Also, 7 of their 20 losses have come against 11U teams.

10-Tie) The Sandlot All-Stars (Tempe, AZ) moves from #5. They tuned in a respectable performance at the Elite 32 although going 4-4-1 against this slate of outstanding 10U teams. By our tally, their season record now stands at 63-11-2 against quality 10 and 11U teams while playing both USSSA, Triple Crown events and local Sandlot hosted events. Coming into the Elite 32, they had won 8 straight USSSA tournaments – another impressive accomplishment.

10-Tie) The Cave Run Muskies (Morehead, KY) moves up from #19 after winning the July 2-10th Rawlings International Salute to Baseball held in Disney. This follows their 6-0 run to win the June 24th Kentucky Dreams Park and their “Runner-Up” at the June 16th Cooperstown All-Star Village World Series week. They have compiled a record of 58-5 and have won 5 tournaments along the way.

[Moses Guthrie]

Final National Rankings - Cave Run Muskies Finish Season as #10 Best Team In The Nation

Final Travel Ball Select 10U 2011 Season National Rankings

Monday, 29 August 2011

This edition concludes TBS’s final 2011 season rankings for the Top 25 10U Teams across the USA. These rankings take into account tournament results through August 28th including the NYBC National Championship Series.

1) The Oakley Stingrays – Green (of Whittier/Norwalk, CA) retain the #1 spot for the second consecutive season after their exciting 8-6 extra inning win over #2 TEAM Miami at the NYPB Nationals. This follows their 9-0 run to repeat as the July 10th Elite 32 World Series Champions. By our estimates, their overall record now stands at 84-10-1. This number does not include their wins in several local non-sanctioned local tournament competitions.

2) TEAM Miami (Miami, FL) continues preparations for the NYBC. They finish their 2011 season ranked #2 following their runner finish at the NYBC National Championship. TEAM Miami’s overall record stands at 115-22 including AAU, USSSA and local league records.

3) The Georgia Yard Dogs Black (Atlanta, GA) had an outstanding season and hold firmly to finish at #3 after a very solid performance at the NYBC. They beat the #1 ranked Oakley Stingrays 4-3 in early pool play rounds of the NYBC, but lost 4-1 to TEAM Miami in the semi-finals to finish 4th at this event. Their overall season record now stands at 87-15.

4) The Nomads Elite (Garden Grove, CA) finishes their 2011 season ranked #4 after their strong finish at the power packed Elite 32 where they finished 5th Place after a very close 3-2 elimination loss to the #1 Oakley Stingrays. By our tally, the Nomads overall season record finished at 99-11 with 11 tournament wins.

5) The Carolina Cubs (Raleigh-Durham, NC) finishes 2011 ranked #5 wrapping up with a strong finish at the Elite 32. They went 6-2 and finished with a share of 5th Place after losing a close 13-11 game against the talent loaded South Florida Stealth. By our tally, their overall 2011 season record was 85-25 with 10 tournament wins and 6 “Runner-Up” finishes. Also, it is worth noting that 21 of their 25 losses came against 11U teams. They were 50-4 versus other 10U teams.

6-Tie) The IE Elite (Inland Empire, CA) finishes #8 after winning the July 25th-30th Triple Crown World Series in Park City, Utah. They went 8-1 in that event. Their overall season record stands at 86-11.

6-Tie) TEAM MVP (Miami, FL) finished their 2011 season going 0-2 at the AABC World Series. They finish their season with a share of the #6 spot. MVP had a strong performance at the Elite 32 going 5-2 before being eliminated 9-4 by the Georgia Yard Dogs. They also finished “Runner-Up” at the AAU Nationals losing to Team Miami by a narrow margin of 2-1 in the finals. Their overall record was 123-19-1 including a 72-18-1 record in USSSA 10U and 11U tournament appearances. They have won 17 tournaments, 11 of which were USSSA and 3 Triple Crowns.

7) The Banditos Black (Houston TX) finishes at #7 after finishing 3rd Place at the NYBC where they beat #2 TEAM Miami in pool play before being eliminated by the Oakley Stingrays (9-2) in the semi-finals of the NYBC. By our tally, their record now stands at 59-16-1 with 9 tournament wins while playing in USSSA, Super Series and Nations Baseball events.

8) The MCBC Hit Dogs (Macomb, MI) takes the #8 spot after wrapping up their 2011 season by going 6-1-1 to finish 3rd Place at the Elite 32 where they lost 13-3 in the semi-finals to the #1 ranked Oakley Stingrays. The Hit Dogs won 5 USSSA tournaments including the Northeast Super NIT and compiled an overall record of 54-15-2.

9) Lightning Baseball (Lakeland, FL) takes the #9 spot after an excellent showing at the Elite 32 going 6-2 and finishing tied for 5th Place. Their USSSA record finished at 53-20-2 with 4 tournament wins plus 3 Runner-up finishes.

10-Tie) The Sandlot All-Stars (Tempe, AZ) rounds out the top 10. They tuned in a solid performance at the Elite 32 going 4-4-1 against that slate of truly outstanding 10U teams. By our tally, their season record finished up at 63-11-2 against quality 10 and 11U teams while playing both USSSA, Triple Crown events and local Sandlot hosted events. They won 8 straight USSSA tournaments – another impressive accomplishment.

10-Tie) The Cave Run Muskies (Morehead, KY) share the #10 spot after finishing an outstanding season by winning the July 10th Rawlings International Salute to Baseball held in Disney, FL. They compiled a season record of 71-7 and have won 7 tournaments along the way.

11-Tie). The South Florida Stealth grabbed the #12 on momentum from their strong 4th Place finish at the Elite 32. They went 5-1-2 in this event and beat several outstanding teams.

12) The Bullets Blue of Tampa, FL wraps up their 2011 ranked #13 after a solid performance at the Elite 32. They went 5-2 in that power packed event. This team compiled a record of 54-20-2 with 8 of their 18 losses coming against 11U teams. They also won 7 USSSA tournaments plus finishing as the “Runner-Up” in 3 other events.

13) So CAL United of Chino Hills, California finished their 2011 season ranked #11 after going 5-2 to finish “Runner-Up” at the July 31st Extreme Diamond Sports World Series held in San Diego. By our tally, their overall record was 66-19-2.

14) East Cobb Longhorns (Marietta, Georgia) finished their 2011 season ranked at #14. They had a respectable performance at the Elite 32 going 3-3 against a power line-up of the best teams in the nation. This team will return in 2012 as the 11U East Cobb Astros.

15) The 6-4-3 DP Cougars of Marietta, Georgia wrapped up their 2011 season ranked at #15. They went 9-0 to win the June 24th week #3 at Cooperstown, beating the Beaver Valley Reds in the title game. They compiled a record of 52-12 and have beaten a number of the top teams in the nation over the course of this season.

16-Tie) MO Steele (Miami, FL-S) wrapped up their 2011 season with a strong performance going 8-1 at the June 26th AAU Nationals before losing to #4 ranked TEAM MVP in the semi-finals. They won the Florida Premier League for the 4th year in a row. They are now preparing for the 2012 season by playing in local league action in the Miami area.

16-Tie) The Mississippi Athletics (Brandon, MS) finishes the season ranked at #17 after a respectable performance at the NYBC. They won the NABF World Series going 5-1 in that win.

17-Tie) The KC Sluggers of Kansas City, Missouri wraps up their 2011 season play ranked at #17. They went 2-3-1 to finish at a respectable 17th Place at the Elite 32. The Sluggers compiled a 62-11-1 record with 10 tournament wins and 2 “Runner-Up” finishes.

17-Tie) Outlaw Baseball (Alabaster, AL) wrapped up the 2011 season with a strong finish going 4-2 at the power packed Elite 32.

18-Tie) The Beaver ValleyRed (PA) has finished 2011 season play ranked at #18. They went 3-4 and finishing 9th Place at the Elite 32. They recently went 8-2 and finished “Runner-Up” at Cooperstown week #3. They won the May 28th Michigan Super NIT where they went 6-0 and outscored all opponents by a 55-6 margin. By our tally, their season record finished at 45-5 while playing mostly 11U teams.

18-Tie) The Fultz Prospects (Atoka, TN) finished their 2011 season on a strong note going 7-0 to win the July 21st Global World Series held in Gulf Shores, AL. This follows an excellent performance finishing “Runner-Up” in the NABF World Series Their record was an impressive 56-13-2 with 9 USSSA tournament wins plus 3 “Runner-Up” finishes.

19-Tie) PSA Worth Sox Red (Flowood, MS) wrapped up their 2011 season with a good performance going 3-3 at the power packed Elite 32. Their USSSA record finished at 51-17-1 including 4 USSSA tournament wins and 4 “Runner-Up” finishes.

19-Tie) Rivals Baseball (of Gulf Coast, MS) finished with a share of the #19 spot. They concluded their season by going 3-2 while playing up in the 11U Nations Gulf Coast Select National Championships held in Gulfport, MS starting on July 20th.

20-Tie) The DBAT Mustangs-Greer finished with a share of the #19 rank. They went 3-3 at the Elite 32. They finished their 2011 season with a 38-9 record including 5 tournament wins and 3 “Runner-Up” finishes.

20-Tie) The Atlanta Blue Jays finished strong and grabbed a share of #20 after going 5-2 with an excellent showing at the Elite 32.

21-Tie) The Mac-N-Seitz Indians (Kansas City) wraps up the 2011 season at #21. They went 7-0 to win the Iowa Global World Series. Their 2011 record now stands at 49-12-1.

21-Tie) The Rawlings Jr. Prospects (St. Louis, MO) wrapped up their 2011 season by winning the Missouri AAYBA World Series going 7-0. They compiled a 49-12 record. In addition to this World Series Title, they won 5 major tournaments and finished “Runner-up” in 2 others.

22-Tie) The Oklahoma Naturals (Oklahoma City) finished 2011 with an overall record of 49-13. They compliled a 30-11 record in USSSA action with 4 tournament wins.

23-Tie) RingGold Baseball Factory (Ringgold, GA) finished with a share of the 23rd spot. They finished 3rd Place after losing to the Tri-State Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Triple Crown Summer Nationals held July 16-20th in Myrtle Beach, SC. Their overall record was 60-10 as the concluded their 2011 season.

23-Tie) The Lamorindo Spartans (Moraga, CA-N) finished strong down the stretch of their season to regain their rank among the final 2011 top 25 teams. They finished their 2011 season with a record of 50-15 with 10 of these loses coming against 11U teams. They also finished 3rd among 84 teams in Cooperstown and won 6 tournaments with 3 “Runner-Up” finishes.

24-Tie) The Misssissippi Stixx (of Oak Grove, MS) finished strong with 3 straight tournament wins including the Gulf Shores World Series Title. They also won the USSSA Mississippi State Title. They finished strong winning 20 games in a row. Their final record for 2011 was 47-20 with 7 tournaments with 3 “Runner-Up” finishes.

24-Tie) The Montgomery Crush (Montgomery, AL) wrapped up their season going 5-0 at the Gulf Shores, AL Global World Series. Their 2011 season record 53-19 with 11 total USSSA tournament wins plus 3 “Runner-Up” finishes. A few more big wins would have placed this team among the final Top 20 ranks. They are a team to watch in 2012.

25-Tie) The Indiana Prospects finished their 2011 season strong. They won the July 15-24th CABA World Series held in Westbrook, Indiana. At the end of the season, the team was playing excellent baseball beating some very good teams. They are a top 25 caliber teams and we have them on our “Teams to Watch” list for 2012.

25-Tie) The Missouri Gators (St. Louis) wrapped up their 2011 season with a share of the top 25 ranks. Their record was 36-17 with 4 tournament wins plus 3 “Runner-Up” finishes. We look for them to return much stronger in 2012.

25-Tie) The Arkansas Mighty Ducks (Ft. Smith, AR) went 5-1-1 and finished 6th Place in the USSSA Global World Series 21st in Gulf Shores, AL. They finished their 2011 season with a 36-8-4 record in USSSA play.

[Moses Guthrie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSJQcSMS ... e=youtu.be

This is a fantastic feature of the team caught by Disney throughout the week. The video will be marketed to prospective teams across the U.S. for Disney's international tournament.