Connie Mack

I believe it's the Sparks and I think they got some sort of pass on the state playoffs.

I don't think the Top Tier 18's played the Bullets??? I heard it was team called the "Hitters", "Sluggers" or some such.

anyone?

I heard it was the Bullets and it went into extra innings. I thought two teams were supposed to get drawn from the state tournament, I don't see how they could let a team in without participating while teams like the Bullets and Longshots, who are well deserving, don't get to go? Doesn't make much sense...

The Longshots and Top Tier will both be at the Connie Mack regionals at Battle Creek.

I think there are 4 teams from Illinois in the Connie Mack Regional:
Sparks Black
Sparks Red
Top Tier 18's
Longshots 18's

Cool. Good luck guys. Hope one of you gets to Farmington. It will be the best experience of your life.

Looking forward to see some of these teams play. My sons team will be there (Underwood Orr).

Should be a tough tournament.

Good luck.

why did Top Tier, Bullets, Longshots all play in a state final but the Sparks didn't play in it and they have 2 teams going? How did that work itself out, is it politics?

so is there any explanation to that from the guys who talk on here and seem to have a lot of knowledge on the Sparks program?

glove12, I don't know much about the connie mack tournament but did tt win or longshots? I think you said tt and I think the longshots wbsite says the longshots 2008 won. Is their a couple divisions or different age groups?

Two teams advanced from the state tournament. TT was the first team to advance. Longshots then won their next game to move on to the regional. It is kind of a strange setup. TT got the #1 seed out of Illinois sectional while Longshots got the #2 seed. Sparks got the #1 and #2 seeds out of the Illiana sectional.

Thanks for the explanation MMR. So who won the tournament? Seems odd with 4 teams from one area going to the regional.

Who did the Sparks beat in the Illiana section? I know the Rangers scout team is out that way, Indy bulls, but I don't know if they played each other or who was in that bracket. Who exactly was in the Illiana bracket and aren't the Spars out of Lockport not Illiana. I just don't get how this all works. I know the dome is being built in Lockport and they work out in Orland, not Illiana. Can someone explain this all and explain who they played and beat to get to the regional?

Longshots win their first game 9-6 against the Michigan Red Sox.

From what I heard, Top Tier won its first game 8-0. Good job to both the Longshots and TT. Any other results? Good start for Illinois.

Underwood Orr 6
Top Tier 5

Underwood Orr was up 5-0 going into the top of 7. Top tier scored 5 runs in the 7th to tie it up.

With a guy on, Orr gets the winning run off a base hit with 2 outs in the bottom of 7.

Illinois Sparks 3
Michigan Bulls 2

Very tough game. Well pitched.

Underwood Orr plays the Sparks at 3pm today. The Sparks look like an excellent team. They are LOADED!

Top Tier is also very good.

Illinois Sparks Black (Illiana #1)

Lost 6-4 to Underwood Orr. (really solid Michigan Team)

Won elimination game vs. Top Tier 11-0 run ruled in 5 and Brian Roberts shoved for 5 innings

They play Underwood Orr again today and if win 1st game have to play them again.

Illinois Sparks Red (Illiana #2) won yesterday vs. Grand Rapids Diamonds 9-4 and play Downers Grove Longshots today.

Sparks win first game vs. Underwood Orr 7-1. One more game slated to begin right now to determine bracket winner.

Longshots lead Sparks #2 5-2 in the sixth in the other bracket.

Sparks beat Underwood Orr the 2nd game 6-2.

Orr just could not capitalize on some opportunities with guys on (2nd & 3rd with one out...no runs, then bases loaded one out, a couple innings later and no runs).

You just can't let those get away when you play good teams.

Congrats to the Sparks. They are an excellent team, and seem like a very class program. They still have to play in the championship game tomorrow, but I really cannot see them losing.

But that's why you play the game so you never know.

Because in the end it should be about the players and nothing else, I wish the Sparks good luck today and know that it would be really something if a team from our area competed in Farmington for the second consecutive year.

RobV, when is the game and who is the opponent?

Are these teams local players ? I know Midland wasn't local guys isnce a guy I know well was on last years team. Are they not guns for hire in many cases?

At the highest levels of travel ball, bringing in players for or during a tournament is very common.

Midland resides at the pinnacle of travel ball! Just checkout their website. Championships, overall records, their past players, just amazing.

Yes they buy a lot of talent with all that insurance money.
It always amazed me how teams can bring in players. It happens at all levels of tournament play in the Connie Mack. It also happens at PG Jupiter and other big tournaments. Personally I think it detracts from the achievements.

Longshots advance to New Mexico. Congratulations! It will be the best experience of your careers!

Is this the team out of Downers Grove? Congratulations.

WOW!!

That's excellent...how great for those boys and our state?

Somebody tell me..did two teams advance from this regional?

Not sure how this Mack format works.

Wow...Longshots win it in 9 innings.

Great job. I heard it was a great game.

I know everyone was running out of pitching so it must've been a gritty performance by both teams.

Let us know how things go in New Mexico.

quote:

Originally posted by Coho:
WOW!!

That's excellent...how great for those boys and our state?

Somebody tell me..did two teams advance from this regional?

Not sure how this Mack format works.

No, just one team advances. 16 teams start out, and only one gets to go.

Longshots are very deep in pitching.

In the last game against the Sparks they threw Steve Sabatino (Notre Dame/White Sox draft), Tyler Deetjen (Valpo), and Sean Flanagan (Iowa).

This, no doubt, contributed to the success they experienced. They always have been a great team and they just keep on proving it. They are never satisfied.

Congrats to our 08's (and a few 09's) for their Regional Championship. I got to see many of the games in both brackets and there was some great talent there. Some 18U college players, top players (08's and 09's) primarily from Illinois and Michigan. There was an 09 SS from Michigan that was being compared defensively to Jeter at that age by the travel coach who coached both. I think he actually was with the Cangelosi team in Jupiter last fall.

Anyone who saw the championship game would be proud of how Illinois baseball was represented! Great players and some amazing plays on both sides.

Rob Rooney, who runs the Longshots, doesn't post here, but many of you know him and he asked me to post the following for he and Mike Flanagan:
"They wanted to publicly thank the leadership at the SI Bullets, Illinois Sparks, Top Tier, and Bergen Beach for their congratulatory messages and support. And they wanted to make sure everybody knows they are honored and proud to represent Illinois Baseball."

Rob has always said that we all represent the quality of Illinois baseball wherever we go, regardless of the name on our jersey. These teams and others are responsible for helping a lot of kids get to where they can go. We all may do it a little differently, but in the end, we've all helped regardless of who gets the credit. The kids know who added value and really helped them. That's all the credit anyone really needs.

I see the scores were posted and all that for the regional. I know I asked this before but I see the Longshots, SI Bullets, Top Tier were all in the state bracket for this tournament. I also see that the Sparks got 2 teams that advanced through the Illiana bracket. Who exactly was in that bracket and who did they beat?

I might be getting it all confused but I see the Midwest Rangers advanced, they are out toward Illiana so did they play the Sparks or are they in CABA which is a different tourney. It gets confusing at times.