Just got back from hell on Earth, also known as Phoenix in June, and wanted to post about the event.
Overall it was very good tournament. This was our first time playing at the 17U level and I think there is a definite increase in the caliber of players across the board when making the move from the 15U event to the 17U. I was pleased with the quality of pitching my 2019 saw there, it was challenging and there were a ton of great arms there. That's exactly what we were hoping for. Even though there were teams coming out of this event with losing records, it wasn't like there were "bad teams" in the event, quite the contrary. I actually commented to another parent that there was the most parity among teams of any event I had ever been to. So hats off to all of the players and coaches for bringing in so much talent. The fields in Peoria, Goodyear and Camelback Ranch were all in top shape and the crews kept them that way during the tournament.
On the "need to improve" side of the discussion, and we've been to Arizona the last 3 summers for 14,15 and now 17U...playing baseball in Phoenix in June is stupid. USA Baseball - are you listening? These events are being held at the hottest time of the year and from a player safety perspective is just insane. They couldn't even do the testing entirely because it was so hot! Luckily our "off day" was the hottest day of the week, a mere 120 degrees. The average temperature while we were there was around 114-115 degrees. Shade for spectators is anywhere from non-existent to "at a premium." I know USA baseball cannot control this, but at some point it has to become a factor - common sense - why are they hosting an event in a climate that makes "Naked and Afraid" conditions look pleasant, with a majority of teams (67 of 96 teams) coming from California to play each other? Is there absolutely no way to host this event in a more hospitable climate closer to where a majority of these teams come from?
Not sure if the purpose of the "off day" in Phoenix is just to allow arms a day to rest so they are able to pitch later into the tournament, but the consensus of our team's parents was that it is a waste. May be useful in Florida where rain is a factor, but USA Baseball needs to consider shortening the duration of the tournament by scrubbing this off-day. Also, all of the fields used by USA Baseball have lighting. It's cooler at night, so perhaps scheduling some evening games is in order? Just a thought.
Again, the tournament as a whole was very competitive and had a lot of college coaches there looking at talent. It's a must go event, but man, it was blazing.
