The Policesoftball.Com West Conference Regional Championships sponsored by Easton Sports in association with Rated Athletics was held this past weekend at the Big League Dreams Facility in Chino Hills, Ca. The event featured 23 open teams and 4 women’s teams and all earned invitations to the World Series in October. It was once again a provided bat format and the new line of Easton’s did not disappoint as they got rave reviews from the participants.In order to keep the round robin interesting and to keep the shrinking Majors Division from growing stale with familiarity, Majors Division teams were mixed with Gold Division teams in bracket play. Policesoftball.Com threw teams a curveball by spotting all Gold teams 7 runs when facing a Majors team. In most cases, the 7 runs were insignificant but in a few rare cases those runs were the deciding factor. Whatever the case, there were far fewer run-rule games than typical and many games went the full 7 innings.

Police Softball.COM is proud to announce that the 2013 Hall of Fame nomination period will begin May 22, 2013 and end June 7, 2013. We know this is only a two week window and we apologize. We have been extremely busy with family, work and our respective teams and tournaments that some things got left behind.

Jacksonville 2013 Tournament Masters Champions: Great Lakes Lawmen (dedicated to PHILL). Co-mvp's- Darren Stevens and Eddie Piacenza. All tournament awards- the rest of the team. Special thanks to Andy Wurm, Donny Meyer, Popeye, Terry Dugan and the Jacksonville/North Florida guys for making this tournament possible and giving us the opportunity to play some ball.

The Nitro2Go Team has suddenly made a claim to be a team to watch in the Gold Division this year. The team, coached by longtime police softball veteran Lyle Reyes, has quietly picked up the right pieces and has put together a team that should contend all season long.

2013 Baconball was down in numbers this year but was of the most enjoyable ever! The weather was absolutely perfect all weekend which set the tone for a great weekend of softball. The weekend started with a welcome party Friday night hosted by no other than Rocco from Rocco's Tacos in Palm Beach Garden's. About 125 people showed up for food and drinks all generously donated by Roccos. The after party took place at one of the hottest spots in the area......Dirty Martini, where there was plenty of free drinks and eye candy.

There was a very public split several years ago in the police softball world and the revelation that Hall of Famer Andy Wurm may be joining the Alliance .40 Cal at the United Stated World Police and Fire Games in June has the police softball world buzzing.

The best of the best in the West Coast traveled to West Covina Big League Dreams to open up the 2013 Police Softball season. If the annual DEA Kickoff was any indication of the Police Softball season, every tournament will be a competitive shootout and anyones to win. After Round Robin play Lockdown, Cal Showtime, SoCal Alliance, Sin City, Hardcore and DEA Combo all won their brackets much like the pre-season rankings predicted. Going to the Gold division were SoCal Riot and NoCal Shockers and both teams were favorite to run through double elimination play and meet up in the Championship.

It was the first tournament of the year for many teams and there was some rust. The weather was perfect and the host party at Roccos Tacos was a big hit. A new team on the circuit made their debut, the Florida Enforcers who are made up of players from the Palm Beach County sheriff’s office. North Florida Showdown made their first Aselton appearance and they are entering their sophomore year in the circuit. Both teams are loaded with talent and are a threat to even the most accomplished veteran teams.

This will be the second of two pre-season preview installments. Instead of separating the preview between East and West we are going to throw you a curve ball and combine both Conferences together and group them by division, Gold & Majors just like we do at the World Series. This article will feature the Gold Division, and going into the 2013 season these are our projected seeds for the World Series. Obviously, a lot can and will change between now and October, but if we were playing the World Series next week this is how the teams across the nation would be seeded. For details of the Majors Division see the previously posted article.

This will be the first of two pre-season preview installments. Instead of separating the preview between East and West we are going to throw you a curve ball and combine both Conferences together and group them by division, Gold & Majors just like we do at the World Series. This article will feature the top 24 teams in the nation, and going into the 2013 season these are our projected Majors Division for the World Series. Remember, the Majors Division is always the top 24 in the nation and that is a firm number. Obviously, a lot can and will change between now and October, but if we were playing the World Series next week this is how the teams across the nation would be seeded. Our next installment will feature the projected Gold Division rankings (1-30) for 2013. Who will land on top in Gold, the defending champs Greene County or maybe the 2011 champs Metro Detroit? Or will it be the locked and loaded Mid Atlantic Lawmen? Or will a West Conference team finally step up and represent in the Gold Division? Next week you will see our projections.

Policesoftball.com sadly has learned that Police Softball Hall of Famer Walter "Red" Conry passed away early this morning. Red was the long time Manager of the famed NY Metro team and a fixture in this sport for over 25 years. He was named the Manager of the All-Time Police Softball team and considered by many to be the most iconic manager in the sport.

Once again 3N2 Sports represented by PS.com Hall of Famer Dennis Leonard has sponsored the 3N2 MVP Series. Several tournaments throughout the year were selected as 3N2 MVP Tournaments which means the MVPs of those tournaments received a prize package from 3N2 Sports.The World Series Major and Gold Division were honored to be selected as the final tournaments in the 3N2 Series.The 3N2 MVP from the Gold Division is Bryan Mangin. Bryan is with the Ohio State Patrol and is currently assigned full time to the Special Response Team as a Sniper.

The 8th Annual Police Softball World Series was hosted once again by www.policesoftball.com at the Big League Dreams facility in Las Vegas, Nevada the second weekend of October. The tournament has grown every year as it started with 32 teams in 2005 and swelled to 73 teams this year. Unfortunately, the open division is capped and for the first time ever teams were turned away for failing to qualify before the deadline. Every year the tournament follows a theme based on the numerical year since the advent. Being the 8th year, the theme was the “Dead Man’s Hand” Aces & Eights. The biggest change this year was the switch to a provided bat tournament. Title sponsor Easton Sports and Brett Helmer supplied the new line of Easton’s and Miken’s Denny Crine outfitted the fields with their latest bats. For many it was the first time they ever played in a provided bat tournament, and although there was some hesitancy it was refreshing to lift the specter of juiced/shaved/rolled bats and just concentrate on playing softball on an even playing field.

Mike Snyder came on to the PoliceSoftball.com circuit in 2009 and immediately showed the pedigree of a great athlete. At that time he was one of several "Young Guns" featured in Softball Magazine as an up and coming player on the circuit and he has not disappointed.

A total of 18 teams graced the Drifton complex this past weekend for the Trooper Joshua Miller/Trooper Marc Castellano memorial tournament.Bracket play:Capital City 2-0Shamrock 2-0Steel City 2-0Team Jersey 2-0NYPD Shields 2-0PSP Carlisle 2-0 (Opted down to play) Maryland Outlaws opted up to play

Scott Waxweiler got his start thirteen years ago in police softball with Georgia 5-0. Wax also played on the great Kentucky TPS team, Illinois Police Association (IPA) and also started up the Illinois Lawmen which later developed into the Great Lakes Lawmen. Over the years Wax has won numerous tournament championships, all tourney awards and MVP awards. Wax at age forty one, plays a great outfield in a five-man defense but also sees time in the infield when needed. Without question Wax is one of the top five hitters in the country and always leads his team in hitting for average and power. Although primarily being a hitter who makes runners think twice about being on base when he is hitting, his game has developed a very good opposite side slap and run shot which has been an effective addition to his game.

Strength up the middle is an important asset and any successful team will typically be very strong in this area. Concord Combo is one of these teams and their strength up the middle starts with AJ Biama. AJ Biama is a huge asset to the Concord Combo softball team as he plays lock down defense no matter where he is on the field. AJ will be typically be found at the 5 man position and he has quickly become a West Conference power at this position.

Many of our awards have gone to the Major teams where it is easier for top flight players to shine. The top players have traditionally been easy to see but as the World Series has gone to two divisions, some Gold level teams and their players are starting to be noticed and it is about time. This is the case with this years East Conference Defensive Player of the Year Scott Hall.

Mick Hardenbrook is the coach of the Stanislaus Combo, Undersheriff at Stanislaus County Sheriff, and one of the nicest gentlemen in our sport. The Stanislaus Combo is a Gold Division team that is threatening to kick in the door of the Major division and Mick has led them to this point. With a win over perennial West Conference powerhouse Sin City this year, Stanislaus has shown itself to be one of the top Gold team vying for a World Series title this year.

Kevin Deck is a veteran of the Prince George's County Sheriff's Office Located in Prince George's County Maryland. Kevin and his wife Tonya have three young children and love police softball. When Kevin's youngest son Adam was 16 months old, he woke from a nap on Thanksgiving evening with a large mass on his neck. Adam was taken to a local E.R. and after many harrowing hours Kevin and his wife was informed Adam had cancer. Adam went to John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for further testing and treatment. After 5 months and after Adam was put under the knife to remove the mass, it was determined he had only a rare virus.

ACSO Most Wanted and West Coast Aftershock teamed up for the 3rd annual Bay Area Bacon Ball Tournament on September 8th, 2012. This year we were proud to raise money for the Alameda County Sheriffs’K9 Association.As usual, Jack Olson was on hand and showed everyone why he is the ultimate Police softball tournament host. The tourney was kicked off on Friday night at The Dublin Sports Pub and Grill. Free beer and food set the tone for a great event.

Matt Lonczak is a NJ State Trooper and he established the Shamrocks in 2008 after some players broke away from Dirty Jersey. Matt has been involved in police softball for 11 years and is married with two children ages six and four.Matt has managed to recruit some of the best talent in New Jersey as well as bringing top free agents like Donovan "Double D" Delaney to the team. As Manager, the Shamrocks have competed in 32 tournaments with 26 finishes in the top 5 includes 9 tournament wins. This record of success normal for the Shamrocks but it would be extra ordinary for most teams on the circuit. The Shamrocks play as much as any team in the East Conference and any tournaments prestige is raised by their presence.

The Warpigs began their softball run in 2006. They originally started playing Rec Ball in El Monte, CA. on Sunday mornings. The team was comprised mainly of civilians with a few L.A County jail deputies mixed in. One of these deputies was Ben Zaredini. The Warpigs logo is one of the best logos in police softball and it was adopted from a Mens Central jail floor logo. Ben worked with an inmate worker on some modifications and the Warpig name and logo we know today was born.

This will be the fourth installment of several 3n2 Sports prize package MVP's that will be recognized this season. The final installment will be following the PS.COM World Series - Las Vegas - October 11-14 (both Majors and Gold Divisions)

On September 25 and 26, 2012 the Concord Combo hosted their 3rd annual Brad Moody Memorial Tournament at the Big League Dreams in Manteca, California. We had 17 teams battle it out. Nine teams in “A” flight and eight teams in “B” flight. The following teams attended; Concord Combo, Choir Boys, Aftershock, So Cal Lockdown, Sin City, So Cal Alliance, Showtime, Nor Cal Shockers, Stanislaus, Richmond PD, San Pablo PD, Nor Cal Elite, Cen Cal, El Dorado, AC Most Wanted, San Francisco SD and Sac Probation.

Several years ago a new team named Lockdown showed up on the police softball scene. They were raw but had a passion for the game and a zest for fun. Each year this team has gotten better and improved their standing in our sport. So Cal Lockdown is now a legitimate Major team capable of defeating any Major level team you put against it.

Sponsors are an integral part of any sports and that rings true for police softball. Tehelp of a sponsor can many times bring a team up to the next level. The NYPD Blues, winner of many titles including World Series VI Champions, have been helped along the way by CopsPlus. CopsPlus has been an integral part of the Blues family and their success is due in part to the assistance of CopsPlus.

Day One, 0900 start, August 18, 2012Bracket winners Gold: Team Jersey, Capital City Lawmen, Steel City Enforcers and Montgomery County Young Guns. (2nd) Mid Atlantic Lawmen, Eatontown, Suffolk Lawmen, and Maryland Outlaws. (Gold Bracket) Double elimination started at 3:00 PM Team Jersey defeated Eatontown for their first loss; Steel City defeated the Maryland Outlaws for their first loss with an overwhelming offense assault. In the other match ups, The Suffolk Lawmen defeated the MC Young Guns for their first loss in a competitive contest and Capital City defeated Mid Atlantic for their first loss in a back and forth battle to advance.

The West Coast HOF Committee is proud to announce the 2012 HOF Class! The committee discussed the candidates worked diligently on the process and good discussions ensued. of the criteria was also discussed amongst the members of the committee. Each member votes on the nominees they would like to see inducted into the HOF and they reject any nominee they feel does not meet the selection criteria. The process is modeled after the MLB HOF selection process.

The East Coast Hall of Fame Committee is proud to announce our 2012 selections to the Police Softball Hall of Fame. First of all I want to thank all of the East Coast Hall of Fame Committee members for their dedicated work and professionalism during our voting process.

The Battle of the Badges took place after a great outing at the Red's game along with watching the Long Haul Bombers Show. Games got underway at River City Sports Complex located in Cincinnati across the river from Kentucky. Weather was great along with the balls and provided bats by Louisville Slugger, Z2000.

The tournament started with 13 teams in round robin play with Team Jersey, Baltimore County, Steel City and Suffolk County all going 3-0. Capital City and Maryland Outlaws went 2-1. These 6 team went into gold double elim playoff seeding by record/run differential with the remaining 7 (US Secret Service, Chicago Metro, Worcester, MA, DC Enforcers, Montgomery Cty PD, US Capital Police #1, US Capital Police #2) into a silver double elim.

The 2nd Annual SoCal Lockdown tournament was once again held at the beautiful Santee Sportsplex in San Diego County, California. 2011 West Conference Manager of the Year Brandon St. Aubin and his SoCal Lockdown team played host to the event and there couldn’t have been better softball conditions in Southern California. Although the tournament did not draw a high number of teams, there was no shortage of quality teams as 9 of the West Conference’s top 25 ranked teams participated. Among those were the top 3 ranked teams: 1. SoCal Alliance, 2. Sin City Combo, & 3. DEA Combo so there was plenty of firepower and with a whopping 10 (TEN) home run limit, there were fireworks to go along with that firepower. Other teams in the mix were the host SoCal Lockdown, Team Vargas, Border Patrol Arsenal, SoCal Dawgs, SoCal War Pigs, and Nitro2Go Hitmen

The NYPD Blues hosted their Annual Tournament this past weekend. While only 8 teams attended the competition was fierce and with a weather scare Friday evening but the all turf fields allowed the games to began. In the bracket play the Shamrocks and the Blues were the two only undefeated teams. This set up the double elimination games featuring the Shamrocks VS Nassau, Blues VS Connecticut, Suffolk VS Mongtomery and Mid Atlantic VS Team Jersey, but before we started the games we were honored to have NYPD Detective Kevin Brennan throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

The NorCal Choir Boys played host to their first ever Ba$h for Ca$h tournament in the Sacramento suburb Lincoln, Ca. Tournament director Alan Case had high hopes for a large draw because he was offering the largest cash prize since the advent of the www.policesoftball.com website. The prizes were based on a minimum of 16 teams with payouts of $2500 going to the A-flight champions and $1000 going to the B-flight champions. Unfortunately the lucrative booty could not overcome the growing trend of dwindling tournament numbers. On this weekend, only 10 teams participated which was a sharp decline from previous years. Those who did participate were treated to a jam packed day of softball at the Foskett Regional Park complex.

The Battle of the Beach started off Thursday with 6 teams competing in the Masters Divisions playing bracket ball and one round of double elimination. The Host hotel the Hampton Inn was home to all the night time early festivities thursday nights party was attended by not only the Masters teams and wives but all early arrival teams were invited close to 200 people attended and free beer and food was provided by the Taphouse bar and grill. Once the elimination games resumed on Friday Detroit Metro Masters and Mid Atlantic Lawmen were eliminated early. Wayne Oakland came in 4th with Tri-State coming in 3rd place. Ohio Lawmen Masters team double dipping the new Mason Dixon Dawgs. MVP for Ohio Lawmen was Jake Negray who got stronger as the tournament went on all weekend. Vic had the Mason Dixon Dawgs rolling all tournament but the Ohio Lawmen are old professionals and got hot and went on a roll.

This will be the third installment of several 3n2 Sports prize package MVP's that will be recognized this season. Other upcoming events selected as part of the 3n2 Sports MVP series will include: Brad Moody Memorial - Manteca Ca.- August 25-26. PS.COM World Series - Las Vegas - October 11-14 (both Majors and Gold Divisions)

The 2012 nomination period is officially open and will remain open until July 1st. If you would like to nominate someone for the Police Softball Hall of Fame, you must do so on the Hall of Fame portion on the message board. After July 1st, the HOF Committees will start their selection process.

The West Conference Regional Championship sponsored by Easton Sports was held the weekend of May 11/12, 2012 at the Big League Dreams Riverside Facility in Southern California. This event has undergone a few name changes and venue shifts since its inception in 2008. Although names and locations have changed a few things have remained constant and those are: the best teams in the West (and sometimes the East) come to the event and an assortment of quality stock bats are provided by the event sponsor Easton Sports. On this weekend, almost every team in the West Conference top 25 rankings participated and all seven fields had at least three of the new 2013 line of Easton bats.

This will be the second installment of several 3n2 Sports prize package MVP's that will be recognized this season. Other upcoming events selected as part of the 3n2 Sports MVP series will include: PS.COM West Regional Championship - Riverside Ca. - May 11-12. Brad Moody Memorial - Manteca Ca.- August 25-26. PS.COM World Series - Las Vegas - October 11-14 (both Majors and Gold Divisions)

The Jacksonville Masters Tournament which is still known to many as the Rick Hall Memorial was held the weekend of April 26-28 in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. For many years the event was one of the larger draws for the open teams, but recently tournament director Robbie Freitas has targeted the growing Masters (40+) Division. This year 14 of the circuit’s top Masters teams participated and represented regions including New York, California, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida and more. The weather was perfect which is typically the case for this event. Those coming from the north were treated to 80 degree temperatures and blue skies. Those from California were accustomed to the heat but the humidity took some getting used to.

On Friday April 20th, Perry Flowers hosted the 1st Annual RPN/Nor-Cal Shockers Spring Bash in Manteca. Although it was only a one day tourney, 11 quality teams showed up on what turned out to be a beautiful day at the BLD ballpark. Prior to the start of the tournament, a heart felt moment of silence was held in memory of Stanislaus County Deputy Robert Paris, who was killed in the line of duty on April 12th in Modesto. A 50/50 cash prize and three other prizes were raffled off before the playoffs, including a Worth bat, 511 gift package, and a Scentsy Basket by Kelly Hart.

John Scollo once again hosted his West Palm Beach tournament and once again it did not disappoint. From the pre tourney action at Grease Burgers, Dr. Feelgoods, Roccco's Tacos and the local golf course to the free beers, food and top level competition, this tourney was dialed in from the word go.

This will be the first installment of several 3n2 Sports prize package MVP's that will be recognized this season. Other events selected as part of the 3n2 Sports MVP series will include:Jacksonville Masters - Jacksonville Fl. April 26-28. PS.COM West Regional Championship - Riverside Ca. - May 11-12. Brad Moody Memorial - Manteca Ca.- August 25-26. PS.COM World Series - Las Vegas - October 11-14 (both Majors and Gold Divisions)

The prediction was for rain all weekend, there was even a Voodoo raindance performed. The softball gods would have none of this for the Blondies Sin City Madness Police softball Tournament at Las Vegas Big League Dreams. SoCal Alliance coach Ryan Coe said it best during an interview with ESPN Analyst Erin Andrews. Andrews asked Coe, "as the Westcoast #1 team, do you think the weather will become a factor"? Coe's reply said it all about the men who play Police Softball, "I really enjoyed that internet video of you". With that 15 Open Division teams started round robin play.

The Showtime Softball Team hosted their 1st Annual Tourney on Friday, March 2nd at Big League Dreams in Manteca. 14 teams participated in the 1st Nor Cal Tourney of the year. This was the 1st tournament of 2012 for sum of the participating teams. Although the day was breezy, the sunshine managed to break through and allowed for a great day of softball.

Here is Part II in our pre-season preview. Although both the East and West Conferences have 2012 tournaments already in the books, the real excitement will start soon with the West Palm Beach classic. Some of the best teams from all over the country will travel to West Palm. If you want to get the scouting report on your opponent, read on....(teams listed in order of 2011 final rankings)

The West Conference season opener, the DEA Kickoff was held the weekend of February 11/12, 2012. This is one of the most anticipated tournaments of the season and for the players it is likened to the first day of school. New teams, new players, free agent pick-ups, and new uniforms are all on display after the long off-season. The tournament signifies a fresh start and clean slate for all those in attendance. The 2011 season closed with the final out being recorded at the World Series in October, and since that time there were many changes. The legendary Quake team folded. The new Showtime team formed. Aftershock retooled. Lockdown overhauled. We could write an entire article just about the personnel moves. You can find blow by blow details on that subject matter on the message board under the Newswire thread

3N2 Sports in association with policesoftball.com has brought back their “3N2 MVP Prize Package Promotion” in 2012.

Welcome to the 2012 season! It seems like just yesterday we closed out the 2011 season at Big League Dreams Las Vegas in World Series VII. We hope you enjoyed the off-season. It's now time to dust off the cleats, pull the bat out of garage and oil up the glove. Next week the DEA Kickoff will mark the beginning of the West Conference Police Softball season. That only gives us one week to speculate as to what the season holds for us. So here is the official team by team West Conference preview.

The New York Metro Softball Club is saying “so long” to the Police Softball family. Since it’s inception in 1981 “Metro” has long been considered the standard to which other Police Softball teams would try to emulate. They played with a burning desire to be the best on the field. With more than 90 championship wins to it’s credit, Metro proved to be a worthy opponent no matter what the field was.

Policesoftball.com has issued a press release announcing a new partnership with the RoverPlusNine softball apparel company. RoverPlusNine is an industry leader in supplying high quality softball uniforms at reasonable prices. Widely considered to have the highest quality softball pants on the market, coupled with a vast array of custom jersey options, the partnership is destined to be hugely successful for police softball and Rover! Please check the message board for announcements regarding police package deals, point of contact and photo samples.

Complete 2011 World Series Results!!!This year marked the 7th Policesoftball.com World Series which was hosted at the Big League Dreams facility in Las Vegas, Nv. Although there are some basic aspects of the World Series that will never change, there is always something new each year and this year was no exception.

Typically when you think of a Player of the Year candidate, you think of someone who is an impact player. When you play their team, you are typically aware of where this player is playing and where he is hitting because there is a good chance that player will be a major factor in the game. This years' East Conference Player of the Year fits that description to a T. Anytime you play this player's team, you are very aware of where and when Donovan Delaney will impact the game.

In 2009, then Sin City Combo coach Paul Howard, added some new players to the team that would be key to Sin City becoming a West Coast power. The biggest addition was Keith Habig who was a well respected civilian player and who was known as one of the best U-trip pitchers in the area. Keiths presence was felt immediately as he split time between his civilian team and the police circuit. In addition to his fine work on the bump, Keith quickly showed he was one of Sin City's top hitters.

Much of police softball is dominated by offense but here at policesoftball.com, we value defense. Not just run of the mill defense, but the kind of defense that includes 100% effort, sweat, getting dirty and leaving your feet to make the play type of defense. And if you can do all of that with a smile, flair, and a sense of style, so much the better.

Nat Tauber has been a stand out defensive player for the NYPD BLUES for many years now. Nat is the glue that holds the NYPD BLUES infield together and will always be found in the action due to his sense of the game and desire to be a playmaker.

There are many players on the West Coast who are sportsmen but this year we are recognizing one such player who truly typifies the genre. John Sunia of the DEA Combo is arguably among the most powerful hitters in our sport but even his power pales in comparison to him as a sportsman. Whether he is player for his Major police team or his single agency team from Ventura, Johnny is the utmost professional player and friend to all.

When considering a nominee for this award, many factors must be considered. We feel that the person must demonstrate that they emulate the positive reflection of true sportsmanship while representing the professionalism of police standards. Furthermore, the individual must go above and beyond the normal player by promoting the positive influence that policesoftball.com has on the communities and the people that the network serves.

Three short years ago the West juggernaut known as SoCal Lockdown was an upstart small market team known as CYA Lockdown. The team was comprised of correctional officers from the California Youth Authority (Chino, Ca.) and played primarily in the local Guns N Hoses events. Then Brandon St. Aubin stepped in as manager and restructured, refocused and revamped the small market team into a legitimate heavyweight contender.

This is an award that may be long overdue but ironically sometimes success overshadows recognition. What we mean by that is the Ohio Lawmen have been so good that many times we take for granted the job done by their leader. For the Police Softball players who have been living under a rock the last few years, let us introduce their leader, Brad Borowy, who is THE manager of THE Ohio Lawmen. History lesson: In year one of the PoliceSoftball.com World Series, The Ohio Lawmen shocked the Police World by going to Palm Springs California and taking home the stone obelisk trophy that has become synonymous with World Series success. Many of the best teams in the nation were there for year one but that did not phase the Ohio Lawmen. Some thought their victory was a fluke but Brad has shown that anything less than greatness is a fluke for the Ohio Lawmen.

PMC Associates and vertex Standard is a wireless communications company specializing in Two-Way Radios and Systems for Public Safety agencies. PMC Associates and Vertex Standard also proudly sponsor the Team Jersey Police Softball Team. The support of PMC Associates and Vertex Standard has helped Team Jersey attend many of the top tournaments in the country the last two years.

Today we will start the process of naming the PoliceSoftball.com yearly award winners. Over the next few weeks we will name the sponsors, managers, sportsmen, defensive and player of the year awards. All award winners will be recognized at World Series VII in Las vegas Nevada on October 14th. at the renowned Big League Dreams facility. To start off the 2011 awards, we would like to recognize our West Coast Sponsor of the Year, Ancon Marine which is owned by Troy and Bret Hardin.

At the conclusion of a three game bracket on Saturday, bracket winners were Nassau PBA, 21st Century Knights and Team Jersey in the Top Gun Division and the MTA Police in the Competitive. The opening game on Sunday morning brought two big upsets as the Port Authority Police team defeated Tri-State Law in extra innings and the NYC Hounds handily defeated the defending champion Nassau PBA.

On Friday night at the World Series we will be blessed by some true American heroes and warriors. The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team will be at the World Series and they will play a select group of police officers from across the nation. To create our police team, we looked at officers who are active in our sport/website, have given of their time to good causes, and who possibly had military experience. The officers selected to represent PoliceSoftball.com are:

The PoliceSoftball.com/Easton Summer Classic started with most of the top teams in the west to go along with hot and muggy temperatures. The tournament was divided into Platinum and Gold divisions from the outset. The opening games were not set up in the traditional bracket format. Essentially all 10 teams in each division played two games with the seeding being based on wins, head to head, least runs allowed and then run differential.

This is the 2nd installment of a new feature on policesoftball.com that will spotlight some of the circuit’s top defensive players. Typically the sluggers get the press (and the chicks) but we all know that once the home runs are gone, it’s defense that wins games. This article and interview is brought to you by the newest policesoftball.com platinum sponsor. Fred Fimbres who is also known as the AZ GLOVEMAN at www.softballhitting.com. Fred has been a long time supporter of the police softball circuit and he has exceptional deals for ps.com members on custom fielding gloves. Check the message board marketplace section for examples of his custom Luguer gloves or call Fred at 520-709-6193 for more info. The second glove man to be profiled in this series is Quintin Lewis, centerfielder for West Coast Aftershock.

The 2011 Lake Tahoe Classic had 23 teams total. Weather was beautiful low to mid 70's all weekend with great sunshine. Great competitive games and minimal drama. Friday Bracket play had Sac Probation and Las Vegas Heat winning their B Flight brackets at Tahoe Valley, DVI winning the other B Flight Bracket at Bijou and the Host Eldorado Cartel winning their Bracket at Zephyr Cove.

Every year policesoftball.com honors an individual or individuals at the World Series that we dedicate the event to. Past honorees include: Jim Yarosh, Ari Figuroa, Shevy Wright and Eric Kelly. On Friday night October 14th, 2011 after the opening ceremonies and HR derby we will honor a very special group of patriots known as the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team. The Warriors will play an exhibition game against some hand selected members of our policesoftball.com community. Without revealing too much information, the police team will be comprised of military veterans and/or members of our softball community that represent what we feel are the spirit of our brotherhood. We will contact those who we want to represent the police team in the next few weeks. Our record attendance for the opening ceremonies was 1,700 in Cathedral City, Ca. (2008). Once you read the story of the Wounded Warriors you will understand why our police softball community should make every attempt make attendance a priority. We would love to have 2,000 fans come out to honor and support the Warriors! PLEASE NOTE: The Warriors will be featured on on HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, first airing Tuesday July 19th, 2011 from 10:00pm to 11:00 EST. Rather than try to explain the history of the team in our own words, we copied the attached article from Sports Illustrated author Phil Taylor. Please read on…

The 30th annual NLEOM tournament, hosted by the Montgomery County Police Softball Club and Budweiser, saw an international field of 23 teams playing in a three day three tiered format. After a great weather weekend at Pine Cliff Park in Frederick Maryland, the following are the results of the tournament.

The NYPD Blues hosted their 1st Annual 911 Commemorative Softball Tournament this past weekend. The tournament was to honor the fallen heroes of 911 and it's 10th year anniversary. The tournament was held at two locations Saturday at Moriches Complex with all state of the art astro turf fields and the weather could not have been any more accommodating. The second day at Medford Complex. The skies were blue and the temperature was in the 80's. This tournament fielded only 9 teams from the East but it featured nine BEASTS from the EAST.

The Tournament started with over 100 early bird Masters Players and their wives and players that arrived early getting together at CP Shuckers on Thursday night. Free beer wings and steamed shrimp were enjoyed by all. The Masters tournament started on Friday morning with Virginia Lawmen winning a close game against Charles County Maryland 20-17, Detroit Police beating Ohio Masters 19-9, Wayne Oakland beating Nassau 18-6 Tri-State beat Detroit 27-21, Wayne Oakland beat Virginia Lawmen 25-12. Wayne Oakland team beat Tri-State 22-12. Tri-State then beat Ohio Masters who was beating everyone in loser’s bracket. Wayne Oakland beat Tri-State in the championship.

It was a beautiful day in Vacaville with clear skies and 75 degree weather. It was a good time as many families and friends were at the park grilling and enjoying the sunshine. The homers were unlimited and the balls were rocks. It was a great day for hitters until the Vacaville winds kicked up in the afternoon. Two of the three fields remained homer-domes while the third became a long ball hitter’s nightmare.

The Cathedral City Police Department hosted their 2nd Annual tournament at the Big League Dreams facility in their home town. This year the tournament was renamed the Officer Jermaine Gibson Memorial in honor of the fallen Cathedral City officer who lost his life in the line of duty in March. Officer Gibson crashed during in a vehicle pursuit of a stolen car being driven by a parolee. Proceeds from the event were for the benefit of the Cathedral City Police Department slain officer memorial fund.

This is the first installment of a new feature on policesoftball.com that will spotlight some of the circuit’s top defensive players. Typically the sluggers get the press (and the chicks) but we all know that once the home runs are gone, it’s defense that wins games. This article and interview is brought to you by the newest policesoftball.com platinum sponsor. Fred Fimbres who is also known as the AZ GLOVEMAN at www.softballhitting.com. Fred has been a long time supporter of the police softball circuit and he has exceptional deals for ps.com members on custom fielding gloves. Check the message board marketplace section for examples of his custom Luguer gloves or call Fred at 520-709-6193 for more info.

This year PoliceSoftball.com will attempt to spotlight several tournaments in order to give everyone a little more information on some of our great tournaments and the tournaments on the rise..The first tournament we will spotlight is the 5th Annual New York tournament hosted by the NYPD Blues and Rick Tirelli. The tournament will be held June 4th and 5th at the new state of the Art Moriches Complex in Manorville Long Island, New York. This complex boasts four well-kept turf fields and lights. Parking is ample and the park is secure with fences surrounding the property. Each field has a dugout with separate cage for the on-deck batter.

The 2011 2nd Annual Brad Moody Memorial tournament hosted by Concord Combo and sponsored by CCPOA and Armando Acosta/Easton. The 2nd annual Moody Tourney was held in Hanford, California during the weekend of April 16-17. The weather was in the high 70’s to the low 80’s with some wind at times. Balls were still flying with Easton provided bats and 44 core 400 compression balls. 12 teams attended this tournament. $800.00 in prize money was on the line for the1st and 2nd place teams. MR. and Mrs. Yanez BBQ tri-tip sandwiches for players and their families.

Generally speaking the policesoftball.com circuit is divided with teams either being classified as East or West based on geography. Typically West teams play in tournaments held in California or Nevada. Meanwhile the East teams play in tournaments ranging from New York to Florida and from Virginia to Ohio. West teams have the luxury to be within driving distance of all the major West tournaments while East teams usually have only one or two major East tournaments within driving distance. The West season kicks off with the annual DEA Kickoff in Chino Hills, Ca. every February. Meanwhile the East season really fires up in April with the Bacon Ball West Palm Beach, Florida event hosted by SoFlorida Lawmen player John Scollo and sponsored by Jack Olsen. Come October teams from all over the country come to Las Vegas for the World Series.

Big League Dreams Las Vegas was the setting for this year’s Bacon Ball tournament co-hosted by Jack Olson, Las Vegas Heat and Sin City Combo. The venue is considered one of the finest softball facilities in the nation as it boast 6 replica fields, all with turf infields and unique field configurations. This tournament seems to always draw top teams from throughout the nation and this year was no different. The brackets were loaded with top caliber police softball teams. This year the stakes were raised because in addition to the $1000 cash grand prize and $500 runner-up prize, up for grabs was also policesoftball.com rankings points which will eventually be factored into World Series berths for West teams.

The police softball circuit has a new member, the Milwaukee Heat. This will be the first year for the Wisconsin/Illinios based team but they have plenty of softball experience and lofty goals for the 2011 season and beyond.

The National (Non-California) and International teams listed below have been granted a berth in the World Series VII Gold/Platinum tournament provided they pay the entry fee by July 1st. (After July 1st, unpaid spots are not guaranteed).

The weekend of February 12/13, 2011 marked the new season for the West teams at the annual DEA Kickoff in Chino Hills, Ca. Typically this event draws all the top teams from the West as many teams are anxious to show off their new uniforms, debut their new players or simply for an opportunity to play ball after a long off-season. This year was no different as 16 of the West top 25 along with the teams currently ranked 1-7 were in attendance. A total of 24 teams were divided into 8 brackets for round robin/seeding purposes. After pool play, teams were seeded 1, 2 or 3 based on their results. The top 2 teams in each bracket advanced to the A-Flight double elimination playoffs while the 3rd seeded team moved on to the B-Flight double elimination playoffs.

In the past we have brought you previews using Vegas odds, predictions etc. This year we bring you the best and worst case scenarios! Here is the East preview.

In the past we have brought you previews using Vegas odds, predictions etc. This year we bring you the best and worst case scenarios. Look for the East Coast preview to appear next Friday.

Policesoftball.com's World Series VI was held at a new venue this year after spending five successful years in Palm Springs, Ca. The brand new Big League Dreams facility in Las Vegas, Nv. was simply too enticing to pass up as it offered many benefits to the traveling teams including less expensive direct flights, less expensive hotels and the most state-of-the-art softball complex in the nation. The park boasts six replica fields including an American League side (Fenway, Yankee and Angel) and a National League side (Wrigley, Crosley and Dodger) and each side had its own clubhouse that served a variety of food and drinks. The infields were 100% turf so there were no bad hops and no dirt stained uniforms. Every dugout had a mister to keep the players cool despite the desert heat which was actually was not too bad as it rarely topped 90 degrees on the weekend. The park was located only 2 miles from the host hotel, the Golden Nugget, which received great reviews due to its high class feel, very low prices and its’ proximity to the ever interesting Fremont Street.

Every team has had those players who join them and immediately takes the team to the next level. Alfonso “Zo” Trujillo is that type of player and he did that for the Alliance in 2007. Zo is not only having a great year for the Alliance, he is having his best overall offensive year ever with the team. Zo’s offense and lock down defense at shortstop has led the Alliance to one of their best seasons in their 10 year history. Zo is known as one of the classiest and elite players on the West Coast and also one of the most humble players in the game. Zo is the epitome of an all around player as he excels with his glove, his legs and his bat. Zo is hitting .750 on the season and he has played great defense at shortstop since moving there at the beginning of the year. In addition to being among the team leaders in average, Zo is also one of the Alliance leaders in home runs this year. Every fielder who has played against Zo has quickly realized that the slightest bobble or hesitation will mean Zo will be standing on the next base.

When we look at our Player of the Year candidates, we look for players who elevate their teams by making an unmistakeable and positive impact. Butch Crozier is a veteran player who made that immediate impact when he came to the NYPD Blues in 2009. Since his arrival, the Blues are a much improved team and they once again walk with the swagger of knowing they can play with any team in the circuit. Butch is a legitimate 800 hitter and can change games by his prowess on the bump. With his bat, glove and pitching ability, Butch is a unique player who can change a game in many ways.

Chris Enriquez has been one of the strongest defensive players in the west for some time now and this year he is having a great year for WestCoast Aftershock. Third base is referred to as the hot corner and for good reason. You dont see much style or flash from the position but what you do see are nerves of steel to square up on some of the strongest pull hitters in the game. The throw from thirdbase can be difficult and Chris makes it look effortless.

This years East Coast Defensive Player of the Year honors goes to Alain Cruz of the South Florida Lawmen. Alain, who formerly was a defensive standout for the Miami Metro Red team, has been a finalist for this award in years past and he was also a strong contender for this years Player of the Year award which shows you the talent this young man has.

On September 25, 2010 the Concord Combo hosted their 1st annual Brad Moody Memorial Tournament at the Big League Dreams in Redding, California. We had 8 teams battle it out. Four teams in “A” flight and four teams in “B” flight. The following teams attended, Concord Combo, Choir Boys, Aftershock, Folsom/Sac, Norcal Heat, Richmond PD, San Pablo PD and CHP-FOG. The weather was around 96 degrees. The balls were flying even with the heat, (Sharks 44 core and 400 compression), and the Easton Bats were provided by Armando Acosta. In “A” flight Choir Boys went 3-0 in round robin, Concord, Aftershock and Folsom/Sac all went 1-2 in round Robin. In “B” flight Richmond PD went 3-0 in round robin, Norcal heat went 2-1, San Pablo PD went 1-2 and CHP-FOG went 0-3 in round robin.

Our Sportsman of the Year award for the East Coast will have to be slightly renamed this year as it is a “Sportsmen” of the Year Award. We tried to separate the deeds and brotherhood offered by Dan Pleckham and Mike O’Neill so we could pick a single winner but trying to separate these two are like separating conjoined twins. Both Dan and Mike have travelled all over the country the past years whether it be on their own team or on a TEAM USA format because they love the brotherhood that is police softball. Their team is one of the most active of EC teams and are always well fronted by these two men.

Our Sportsman of the Year award is a very special award because it says as much about the man as it does the player. Andy Domenici epitomizes this award because he is truly an ambassador for our sport and a true friend to every officer in need.

Noel Roberts is the player/manager for the Sin City Combo. Noel stepped into the leadership role this season and had his work cut out for him. At the end of the 2009 season Sin City played great at the World Series and had a ton of positive momentum rolling into the off-season but they needed someone to assume the managers role. Noel did not want to lose that positive momentum so he did an outstanding job communicating with his players and kept them in the loop regarding their 2010 season plans. Before the year started Noel had established a rock solid roster, got the team new uniforms and set the teams schedule. Things did not start well as they played far below their expectations at the DEA Kickoff. Rather than give up, Noel dug in deeper and got the team to refocus on their goal of become one of the nation’s elite teams. Noel’s hard work paid off in the very next tournament when his team cut through their opponents like a buzzsaw in Vegas Bacon Ball. They eventually settled in at 2nd place, but the performance would prove to be a foundation to build upon. They continued improving and played well in venues such as San Diego and Riverside. The break through moment came when they won their first ever gold medal in the Nevada Police and Fire Games in August. Noel’s goal of building his team to elite status on the national stage had been fulfilled!

On September 18, 2010 the NYPD Blues hosted their 4th Annual Baconball Tournament. Due to three other tournaments which overlapped our tournament we only had 6 teams participate. The following teams attended South Florida Lawmen, NYPD Blues, Suffolk County PD, Detective Bureau Queens, NYPD D Sun, and The Bullets. We had great weather and the complex is a brand new astro turf infield with (4) state of the art fields. The day started with the bracket play with the Florida Lawmen and the NYPD Blues winning their respected brackets. Both finishing 2-0. The DBQ team and the Suffolk PD team 1-1 and the D Sun and Bullets 0-2.

The annual Desert Classic was held this past weekend at the Big League Dreams facility in the Palm Springs region of Southern California. This event used to be hosted by the Newport Beach Softball Team but a few years ago was handed over to former SD Gray players, Steve Margetts and Darin Reis. Steve & Darin came up with a unique format where from the onset teams were divided into 3 divisions: A, B, C.

NY Metro showcased power and defense on its way to winning the first Trooper Joshua D. MILLER Memorial tournament held at the Drifton Softball complex in Drifton PA Sept 18, 19. The tournament finals concluded with a NY Metro win over a very gutsy Shamrock team from NJ.

When we look at our manager of the year award, we look at all things including how well a team is doing, what the manager does to give back to the sport, the community, the brotherhood and how his team plays the game. In this years East Coast Manager of the Year we believe have all that and more in John Scollo.

Barona Resort and Casino has been very supportive of the efforts of the San Diego Excessive Force softball team. This year they have been extremely gracious in their support and have helped the team with uniforms, tournament fees and equipment cost.

May we never forget the officers who ran towards danger 9 years ago today

Over the next few weeks PoliceSoftball.com will be announcing our year end awards that we will be presenting at the World Series. These awards recognize individuals for their hard work and their names will be permanently archived in our World Series records section of PoliceSoftball.com. Throughout the year PoliceSoftball.com receives input on these awards and many times these awards are nominated by teams, players and coaches. We review all the potential candidates for the awards and we then make the many times tough decisions because there are some many quality candidates year in and year out. Sometimes the decisions are very clear but many times it is a difficult selection process. Since the inception of our awards program, Anthony “Bigtone” Costanzo has been a huge supporter of our efforts and it is one of the many things he does behind the scenes to help make police softball a better experience for all involved. Bigtone’s unselfish efforts and behind the scenes work is just one of the many reasons why he is so well qualified to to be a 2010 inductee into the PoliceSoftball.com Hall of Fame.