Softball elite in Oxford
- Updated: October 27, 2017
More than 50 top-flight youth softball teams descend on Choccolocco Park for weekend national qualifier
By East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD — More than 50 of the top youth softball teams in the Southeast featuring several Division I stars of the future will converge on Choccolocco Park this weekend for the chance to play in the national tournament.
The Southeastern Elite Shootout, a USA Elite Select National Qualifier, gets underway at Choccolocco Park and Oxford Lake at 9 a.m. Saturday. Teams from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee will compete in 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U divisions with championship games starting around 4 p.m. Sunday.
At least two of the championship games will be played on the Signature softball field at Choccolocco Park.
The division winners earn a berth in the U.S. Elite Select Nationals in Kansas City in July.
“It’s the best tournament East Alabama has ever had,” tournament director Anthony Ellison said. “You’ll see some of the best youth travel softball in the country playing and some of the best future Division I stars; some have already committed as 12Us.”
The Birmingham Bolts 05 is the No. 1 12U team in the country. Georgia Impact Premier 05 is No. 3 and already has locked up a berth in the nationals. Both will be playing up in the 14U division for the competition. Ellison’s Kraze HOH 05 team is coming off a runner-up finish in a national qualifier in Tennessee to the two-time defending national champions.
And while the teams in the older age divisions are “very, very strong” Ellison said their rosters could be impacted by players competing on in-season high school sports teams.
He said bringing the tournament to Oxford was a no-brainer.
“I’ve been hosting tournaments for the last two years,” Ellison said. “My team only plays in the best tournaments and we have to go out of town. We have the best complex in the Southeast, we should be hosting the best tournaments. Hopefully, if all things go well, we’ll have two a year.”
He already has a spring tournament scheduled for late May that is expected to double as a recruiting showcase with dozens of college coaches in attendance.
Tickets for this weekend’s event are priced at $10 (12-and-under admitted free). Ellison has scheduling contingencies in the event the tournament is impacted by weather.
TEAMS SCHEDULED TO COMPETE
18U: Alabama Thunder 18 Bryant (Calera), Birmingham Vipers 01 (Chelsea), High Intensity AL (Tuscaloosa), Prospex Gold 18U (Arab), Silver Bullets (Birmingham), East Alabama Storm (Jacksonville).
16U: Alabama Bombers Johnson (Geraldine), Firecrackers AL Payne 16U (Tuscaloosa), Kraze 01 HOH (Hartselle), Kraze 2020 (Tuscumbia), Prospex Gold 01 (Arab), RS CLEAtS (Springville).
14U: A3 Fastpitch 04 Sullivan (Birmingham), Alabama Elite Fastpitch 03 (Birmingham), All-Out 04 (Tuscaloosa), Birmingham Mustangs 03 (Birmingham), Firecrackers Al Burke 04 (Birmingham), Georgia Power 02 Ullmer (Acworth, Ga.), Georgia Fire 14U Jones (Buford, Ga.), Jaguars 03 (Clanton), Jaguars 14U (Clanton), Kraze04 McCluskey (Florence), Lady Renegades (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Ms. Blues (Saltillo, Miss.), MUSTANGS 04 (Birmingham), Prospex 03 Jordan (Arab), Sparks 03 (Hartselle/Madison), Tuscaloosa Titans (Tuscaloosa), Birmingham Thunderbolts 05 (Birmingham), Georgia Impact Premier 05 Lewis (Decatur, Ga.).
12U: Alabama Sparks Elite Bodine 2023 (Huntsville), Birmingham Mustangs 05 (Birmingham), BSA 05 (Homewood), Champions Fastpitch (Alexandria), GA Falcons Elite 05 (Dallas, Ga.), Kraze HOH 05 (Cullman), Mobile Thrillers 05 (Mobile), Nighthawks Elite 05 (Hoover), Prospex 05 Borden (Arab), The Hit Squad 05 (Tallassee), AL Firecrackers 06 (Hoover), Birmingham Mustangs 06 (Birmingham), Birmingham Thunderbolts 06 (Birmingham).
10U: Alabama Kraze 2025 (Decatur), Birmingham Mustangs 07 (Birmingham), Birmingham Vipers 07 (Birmingham), EC Bullets 07 Holcombe (Newnan, Ga.), Georgia Academy Power 07 (Carrollton, Ga.), High Intensity 07 (Tuscaloosa), Wicked 07 (Toney), Young Guns (Cullman).
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