SPA News

Teams from all over are anxiously awaiting the start of the SPA 2018 tournament schedule and they will not have to wait long.

Alabama's LAGOON PARK starts the SPA Tournament schedule 3/15-3/18 with the SOUTHERN SPRING NATIONALS in Montgomery. Last year 37 teams attended the event as SPA tournament attendance was up across the board.

"We set records last year for tournament attendance with most drawing 30 teams, six in the 40's and THEE BUCKEYE CLASSIC with 76." SPA President and CEO Ridge Hooks said. "This year we expect to continue to grow with over 30 men's tournaments and six women's. We are now in 17 states with a possibility of two new states yet to join."

Ohio has the most tournaments with six with Texas, Alabama and North Carolina each having three. Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, Florida and Missouri have two events while Louisiana, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Maryland, Illinois and Indiana one.

The women have two in Tennessee and Florida with one in Georgia and Indiana.

GO TIDE ALABAMA
3/15-3/18 MONTGOMERY SOUTHERN SPRING NIT
4/19-4/22 VALLEY MID SOUTH NIT
7/26 -7/29 CULLMAN RED/WHITE/BLUE 

GATOR TIME IN FLORIDA
10/18-10/21 PENSACOLA SOUTHERN NIT

TY COBB'S HOME GEORGIA
6/21-6/24 PEACH STATE CLASSIC, MARIETTA
8/2-8/5 MID-SOUTH INVITATIONAL, CARTERSVILLE

DA BEARS! ILLINOIS
5/22-5/26 TROY JIM WELCH MEMORIAL SPA CLASSIC

HOOSIER COUNTRY INDIANA
7/20-7/22 INDIANA HOOSIER CLASSIC,SHELBYVILLE

POST MARDI GRAS IN LOUISIANA
4/12-4/15 MONROE SPRING QUALIFIER NIT

LOVE THE CRAB CAKES MARYLAND
5/2-5/6 GLEN BURNIE CLASSIC 

WHERE THE OKEY DOKEYS ARE MADE MINNESOTA
6/7-6/10 STEVE SIMMONS MOSQUITOLAND  CLASSIC LITTLE CANADA 

SHOW ME STATE MISSOURI
6/21-6/24  ISENHOWER MID-AMERICA NIT, RAYMORE
8/3 - 8/5 MID AMERICA QUALIFIER, LIBERTY 

HOW ABOUT THEM HEELS? NORTH CAROLINA
4/6-4/8 CONCORD SPA WARM-UP
5/18-5/20 CONCORD AWARDS EXPRESS
7/27 - 7/29 CONCORD PLAYER/AWARDS EXPRESS SHOOTOUT 

OH -H EYE-O OHIO
4/11  DAYTON 10TH ANNUAL ASA/SPA DICK ERNST
5/9-5/13 COLUMBUS HEART OF OHIO BERLINER
6/12-6/24 THEE BUCKEYE CLASSIC BARBERTON
7/5-7/8 DAYTON FIRST FLIGHT
8/2-8/7 SYLVANIA GREAT LAKES SPA NIT

BOOMER SOONER OKLAHOMA
4/26-4/29  MUSTANG MILITARY SERVICE APPRECIATION MUSTANG 

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TENNESSEE
7/13-7/15  JOHNSON CITY 26TH ANNUAL TOM WILLIAMS TRI-CITIES CLASSIC 

THE EYES OF TEXAS
4/5-4/8 COLLEGE STATION SALUTE TO VETERANS
4/19-4/26 GEORGETOWN LAYLA BRYAN MEMORIAL
6/7 - 6/10 WAXAHATCHIE LONE STAR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

CARRY ME BACK TO 'OLE VIRGINIA
6/1-6/3 SPA DEMARINO SPRING FLING , HENRICO (RICHMOND)
8/25-8/26 MENS VIRGINIA CLASSIC, HENRICO

MENS WORLDS

50,55,60 MAJOR & MAJOR PLUS WORLDS
7/19-7/22 DALTON, GEORGIA

75-80 WORLDS
8/6-8/29 COLUMBUS, OHIO BERLINER 

75-80 WORLD SERIES
9/9-9/12 DALTON. GEORGIA HERITAGE PARK

50,55,65 ALL DIVISIONS
9/6-9/9 DALTON. GEORGIA 

60 AA 60 AAA, 70 ALL
9/13-9/16 DALTON, GEORGIA 

WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT

FLORIDA
4/12-4/15 SPRING NATIONAL. PENSACOLA
11/7-11/11 SPA WORLD SERIES, PANAMA CITY

INDIANA
8/22-8/26 SHELBYVILLE WOMENS NIT

TENNESSEE
5/16-5/20  TWITTY WOMENS NIT, HENDERSONVILLE
7/5-7/6 ROCKY TOP, KNOXVILLE

GEORGIA

SPA WOMENS WORLDS DALTON GEORGIA
9/19-9/23    50-70 AGES

SPA WOMENS MASTERS WORLD SERIES
9/22-9/23   30,40,45 AGES

MORE TOURNAMENTS AND TOURNAMENT INFO AT

http://softballspa.com/

Good news for mid west softball teams as the TROY ILLINOIS JIM WELCH MEMORIAL SPA CLASSIC is back on schedule for MAY 22-27 at GORDY MAC COMPLEX in TROY..

The tourney was dropped earlier in January due to field availability. It is for 65,.70,.75 and 80 divisions..

"The field problem has been handled and we are ready to go," tournament director LENNY SUESS said. "We may change the format this year depending on amount of teams entered."

Last year TWENTY TEAMS took part in a round robin event but SUESS says, "If there is an increase in teams we will probably go to a five game guarantee of three pool and double elimination."

Dates for the tournament are 75 and 80 groups MAY 22-24 while the 65 and 70 divisions square of May 25-27.

The tournament will also provide 1/2 dozen softball to each team. The cost of the tournament is $325.

The host hotel is the BEST WESTERN ($76) with rooms at RED ROOF ($66), MOTEL 6 ($56) and HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS ($125) also available.

Contact SEUSS at (618) 791-1380 or ljseuss@gmail.com

Following is the result of the 2017 tournament.

WELCH TOURNAMENT CONTINUES TO GROW

The second annual Jim Welch Memorial tournament in Troy, Illinois hit the magic 20  number in terms of teams attending.

The round robin event held May 23-24 showed a big improvement from the first year.

"We had a good turnout this year and I expect to see another big increases in 2018," tournament director Lenny Seuss said. "This is only my second year running a SPA tournament so each year you learn a little more about getting teams to attend."Pallet "Retention is the key," he explained. "If we retain at least 18 and add another 12 teams next year there is no reason we can not draw 30 teams.. We also expect to expand our draw to include more 60,55 and 50's teams."

This year's tournament with the emphasis on the older groups was divided into five groups (80, 75, 70, 65, 50-55-60) with five division winners.

US Pallet ran the table going 6-0 to win the 70's group with Bank of Rison, Indy 70's and Mokando finishing 2-3-4.

Dr.Vinyl bested MidState 65's 27-14 in the title game to finish ahead of them and 50 Caliber  65's in the 65 group.

In the 80's the Texas Greyhounds avenged and earlier loss to Antiques of KC to finish 5-1 on top of the group with the Antiques at 4-2 for second. Texas Classics (2-4) and Louisville Thunder (1-4) rounded out the four-team division.

The Senior Redbirds edged Midwest Driving 17-16 in the semi-finals and Indianapolis Classics 25-23 in the finals to win the 75 division crown.

The Central Illinois Chiefs 60's beat the 50 Caliber 55's 17-10 to win the 50/55/60 bracket. Team Illinois 50's was third.

Next year's tournament will be around the same time, so save a space on your schedule.