Connie Mack Regional Tournament in Battle Creek

Are you playing in Bailey Park?

yes, In the Bailey Park Complex

Good luck, it would be great to see a team from Illinois make it to the Mack!

Good luck to the Sparks too!!!!!

Do you have to win the Mack State tournament to get into the regional or can anyone get in? If Top Tier and the Sparks are in it, I guess that answers my question.

MMR, I could be very wrong, but I don't believe that the Sparks played in the Illinois State Tournament. If not, I don't know where they played to qualify for the regionals or why. Again, I could be mistaken.

Today we won 5-4 in round 1 against a tough Michigan team. Led by a 13 hit attack. Highlights - WP - John Flanagan Pete Cappetta 4 for 4 1 HR, 2 doubles.

You do have to qualify to make the Connie Mack Regionals. This past week we won our 4th consecutive state championship.

The Sparks are not playing at the Connie Mack regionals. They must be playing in some other type of event. Good luck to them as well.

So, the Sparks are not palying in the tournament? I heard they were? Anyone out know the situation

That's news to me. My son was playing Sparks until he had to leave for West Point three weeks ago, and up until that point I was under the impression that they were going to play Connie Mack.

any scores from the Sparks games?????

It is my understanding that the sparks were scheduled to play, but something happened. Don't know what the deciding factor was.

It appears that someone pulled the plugwires on them playing in Battle Creek...

Heard thru the grapevine that the Sparks pulled out of the state tourn in Ottawa and tried to get the tourn director to just let them in up in Battlecreek....Needless to say they are not there and their coach has some explaining to do to the parents and players on his team.

BZBALL, What grapevine have you been drinking?? The Sparks are a top program. Find this hard to believe..

CPLZ you have a PM

Reggies, I guess we won't know what happened until someone from that team steps up and let's us know. What I believe is that every team participating in any of the CM regionals around the country got there by finishing either 1st or 2nd in their respective state tournaments. I think it has been that way for a long time, at least in Illinois. How or why any team would think that they could get into a regional after not playing in the state tournament is a new one on me, but I'm no expert on how Connie Mack works. I say let's wait and hear from someone close to the situation.

The AABC runs Connie Mack Baseball. The reason I mention it is that while my son played for a Travel Team at 14, their big goal was the AABC State and then the Regional Tourney. They needed to qualify and had a few chances to do it but failed. Nonetheless they did in fact play in The AABC State Championships that year even though they failed to qualify.

Perhaps they at that time and The Sparks this year were told they could fill in for a Team that qualified but did not go to State.

The AABC has allowed it in the past.

Hi FBD,

I also remember when the boys were younger about teams getting to play in the STATE tournament by one way or another. But how could a team advance to the regionals if they didn't play in the state tournament?

BTW, how does the signing of Ted Lilly look now?

Top Tier just advanced to the final four of the tournament.

Very exciting PBR, keep the updates comming! Bye the way, it was great to meet you at North Central the other day. Keep up the great work.

quote:

by fbDad: They needed to qualify and had a few chances to do it but failed. Nonetheless they did in fact play in The AABC State Championships that year even though they failed to qualify.

actually they did qualify - but by some other team(s) defaulting

bids to post-season play are awarded by the league or leagues as some teams are associated with more than 1 league so should have more post season options ie: AABC, USSSA, NABF, etc

some teams who qualified thru their league pass to play somewhere else, others participate in AABC State tournies for the game comptition knowing full well they are heading to an NABF (etc) berth somwhere else instead of advancing to AABC regional. In that case the # 2,3,4 or anyteam still able to play could be offered the regional bid by the tourny director.

it can get a bit complicated

This is off of the NIML web site.

The NIML is Proud to Announce we are now our own State under the AABC Charter !!

• NIML teams will be awarded direct AABC regional berths in ages 10, 12, 14, 16 & 18

• NIML teams will be awarded direct AABC World Series berths in ages 9, 11, 13, 15 & 17

• There will be no entry fees to AABC World Series or Regional events

• Regional winners advancing to the AABC World Series will be awarded travel money, housing and
meal monies

So if you play in the NIML you can go directly into the Regional or World Series depending on the age. You don't need to qualify

I sense an attempt at humor, but there could be some truth as well.

as a tournament site host for AABC your team would have an automatic berth for that tourny or ws

Bee>
I wasn't trying to be humerous. My team plays in the Northern Illinois Metro League. We were told at the begining of the season that if any team wanted to play in the AABC Regional (at the even age groups)or their World Series (at the odd age groups) we could go just by signing up.

This information is listed on their web site.
www.glyse.com

Rosy...You are probably right about what happened at that age. The Lilly signing ...not too bad, eh? Sometimes people just don't like a signing because of the amount of $$$ involved. You can't think about it because even a jouneyman is going to get big bucks.

Bee, you probably are right about what happened in The AABC Tourney. It sounds like you know.

Man, they make everything so confusing these days. Every year thing change, need a lawyer to read through all the fine print.

Things are getting pretty crazy here in Battle Creek, MI. If we win the next three games - we go to the Connie Mack World Series in New Mexico next week. Not an easy task. But I do like our chances with our next three aces:
Pitchers
Game 1: Nick Chmielewski
Game 2: Tom Zelasko
Game 3: John Flanagan

Championship game (game 3) is on Sunday.

In the last 4 games we have pounded out 55 hits.
We are all crossing our fingers.

Wish us luck.

34/33 55 hits in 4 games and those three horses in the stable...I like your chances!
Good luck!

Top Tier 18u advances to the Championship game. We had quite the day today! We came into today having to beat Maroons Baseball from Michigan two times. They had players going to Univeristy of Michigan, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Kentucky, Michigan State, and some other D-2, D-3, and JUCO programs. They beat us the other day in a game that went down to the wire. We lost 11-9 and ended the game with runners on second and third and Casey McMurray flying out to right for the last out. Today was a totally different story. Nick Chmielewski started game one and went 6 innings allowing zero runs on 2 hits, and struck out 14. Derek Graham came in as a relief and pitched a scoreless 7th. We came up on top 6-0. In the second game, Tom Zelasko took the hill and gave a GUTSY performance. We took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but fell behind 6-2 in the 5th. In the bottom of the 6th inning, down 6-2, Ian Goldberg ripped a line drive into left field with the bases loaded to plate two and cut the game to 6-4. Next batter- Casey McMurray. Can you say Deja vu? Same situation- different result. C-Mac hit a line shot up the middle to tie the game at 6-6. Zelasko shut them down in the top of the 7th, but we came up empty in the bottom. In the top of the 8th, Zelasko took the mound again. They scored one run to take the lead and make it 7-6. In the bottom of the 8th, we were not ready to give up. We loaded the bases with two outs, and who came up? Casey McMurray. On the first pitch, Casey drove the ball into the left center gap to plate two and win the game with a walk-off single. This was a very exciting win and we hope to defeat another tough team (A. Green Baseball) and advance to New Mexico!

Good for you guys! I hope you find enchantment!

Top Tier defeats A. Green Baseball to advance to the Connie Mack World Series in Farmington, NM. John Flannigan goes the distance for a 3-2 win.

I do believe that this is the first Illinois team to advance to the World Series but I could be mistaken.

Congratualtions to all the players and coaches. What an accomplishment!

Congrats to Top Tier, the coaches, the players and the moms and dads and girlfriends (boyfriends, too, to be politically correct, if applicable).

T and S and others that have coached you----WOW!!!!

Please do your best in Farmington. Opportunity of a lifetime.

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Rosy...I think a team from the Western Suburbs, Prairie Gravel, made it down there last year and won the Championship. Ryan Anetsberger, Illinois State University, was the tournament MVP. This year he was drafted in the 16th round (methinks).

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Congrats one and all...When you add a second place finish to the CABA National Championships in Ohio for the ???? age kids, we should all be proud in Illinois.

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JP, Last years's winner of the Connie Mack WS was the Arizona Firebirds, from Phoenix.

I think the Prairie Gravel team you're referring to may have been in another (older)age group.

The runners-up in the CABA tournament are the Top Tier Americans- 17U.

Gotcha, Rosy....You are correct.

Congrats to Top Tier for beating a very tough A.Green team.

My sons team (Anchor Bay Angels 17U) played them in the final 4, and I can say that Top Tier is a team full of good ball players.

We had them down 4-0 in the 2nd inning of our game with them, and they didn't look the least bit worried (they ended up beating us 9-5).

Good luck in New Mexico guys!!

Bill Copp, coach of the Sparks 18u told me that he played on a team that made it to the CMWS, so that would be at least one other from IL.

Good luck Top Tier.

From the book Diamond in the Desert- a history of the connie mack world series- here is the list of Illinois teams. Data is from 1965-1999
1965-Chicago Pequods 1-2
1967-Chicago Pequods 0-2
1968 - Chicago Bruins 1-2
1969 -City/Water/Light Springfield Ill- 2-2
1970- City/Water/Light Springfield Ill - 3-2
1971- Firefighters local 37 Springfield Ill - 0-2
1972- Joliet Comets -2-2
1973-Fernwood Bruins- Chicago 1-2
1974-Homestead-Chicago 1-2
1975-Joliet Comets 1-2
1976- Joliet Comets - 3-2
1979 - Chicago Pequods 5-0 National Champions- Kirk Vucsko MVP- all tourney -Randy Gaska , Henry Lepore,Jim Cesario -
1980 Musser's Mohawks- Joliet 2-2
1981- Mussers Mohawks- Joliet 3-2
1982-Musser's Mohawks- Joliet 6-1 National Champions. MVP -Don Ducet, all-tourney - Jeff Hermann, Scott Markley, Tom Siebers,Bill Copp, Steve Van Iten
1983- Rockford East Auburn -4-2 - runners-up
1984 Mussers Mohawks-2-2
1985- Rockford East Auburn 0-2
1986- Lansing Sport Angels-Chicago Heights- 0-2
1987- Lansing Sport Angels-Chicago Heights-0-2
1988-Lansing Sport Angels-Chicago Heights- 3-2 National Runners Up

sef, great piece of history. I do stand corrected on this being the first Illinois team to advance to the CMWS.

Just found out the teams that will be in Farmington:

East Central Region - Midland Redskins (Ohio)

North Atlantic Region - Jack Cust Diamond Jacks (New Jersey)

Southeast Region - East Cobb Yankees (Georgia)

South Plains Region - DBAT

North Central Region - Top Tier Baseball (Illinois)

West Region - Arizona Firebirds

National WS Qualifier - Dallas Tigers

American WS Qualifier - Florida Legends

Puerto Rico

Host - Farmington Storm (NM)


First Round Matchups

East Cobb Yankees vs. Dallas Tigers

Farmington Storm vs. Top Tier Baseball 8:00 PM Aug 3rd (New Mexico Time)

Midland Redskins vs. Florida Legends

Puerto Rico vs. DBAT

Jack Cust Diamond Jacks vs. Arizona Firebirds

All games will be broadcast from Ricketts Park via internet: verticalradio.org