The Top Collegiate Prospect Tourney held at Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan this past weekend was won by Bill Copps Illinois Sparks team as they defeated McHenry Cty Hurricanes 17uj team 4-1 in a great game.
The contest was a thrilling way to end a long 3 day 96 game tourney WHICH IS PUT ON MERELY FOR THE PURPOSES OF "COLLEGE PLAYER HOPEFULS" GETTING SEEN BY RECRUITERS AND PRO SCOUTS...
There were over 75 recruiters and scouts in the stands with schools as far away as Central Arkansas attending. Coaches from Virginia and Nebraska were even in attendance....and all of the Illinois Schools were present...
In another forum a new member expressed their displeasure of being 5-0 and not being in the championship- final 6- In a 3 day period with 44 teams a format must be established in how to select 6 teams to play in a single elimination tourney on Sunday- THE PLAQUES WERE AWARDED TO 6 DIFFERENT TEAMS in the playdown tourney where teams are seeded.. There were 6 different divisions... and where they placed in their division DETERMINED WHERE THEY WERE PLAYING.... the team with a 3-0 record in pool play COULD FINISH with a 2nd place finish if they ALLOWED TOO MANY RUNS IN THEIR 3 GAMES or if they didn't score enough runs in case of a tie..
IF THIS WAS A TOURNEY WHERE WE HAD 5 days instead of 3; we could have played it off by having the 6 different play down champions meeting for the eventual championship- The ideal way to do it...but
the teams struggled with pitching enough at 5 or 6 games; let alone another 2 or 3...
THE emphasis of DIAMOND SPORTS PROMOTIONS events is NOT CHAMPIONSHIPS...there are plaques for division winners to recognize the kids accomplishments and just because you were not in the final 6 due to your runs allowed or scored does not mean you are not CHAMPIONS....THERE ARE 6 CHAMPIONS IN THIS TOURNEY---- THE SPARKS JUST WON THE OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIP DUE to them winning every game and making the plays when they had to in order to get to the final 6--- unlike some other teams who knew the situation when they entered their last pool game...They didn't make the plays...
Fair? If you are looking at the CHAMPIONSHIP side of it....probably not...but if you are looking at the ENTIRE scenario on why these games are even being played....VERY FAIR TO ALL 44 TEAMS INVOLVED..
Getting the opportunity to be in the right place at the right time to get seen by those who make the decisions on their future players...
The College staffs and the high school staff at Normal West High School did a tremendous job....The tourney will be limited to 24 teams next season but there will be 2 of these tourneys....due to the conditions of two of the fields this past season ...An organization promised to take care of the fields and left Diamond Sports out to dry....We will not be using that facility again..
Travel baseball is an excellent tool for kids and Diamond Sports Promotions was formed to AID THE SCOUTS, RECRUITERS, AND THE HIGH SCHOOL AGED PLAYER TO GET SEEN....not to have state tourneys, national world series, etc.... At least we don't have ties in our games; we give the kids 2 extra innings to break a tie prior to calling the game ....
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