USA Softball of South Mississippi

This year is absolutely flying by… We’re coming up on the end of the season already.  This weekend marks the 2024 Gulf Coast Championships.  We have 45 teams participating in this year's event.  The event will be held at the Pascagoula Sport Complex.  The address is 1813 Tucker Av, Pascagoula, MS 39567. You’d think with 7 fields, it would be easy.  But there are some complications to work out.  No one wants to play on Sunday.  It’s Sunday to start with, it’s Father’s Day… and the forecast just isn’t very good.  We have 12 teams in Tee Ball and Coach Pitch.  Doing a one day tournament with that many teams is just brutal.  So we need to start Friday night.  It’s cooler and it will take a lot of pressure off on Sunday.  I got creative mixing TB and CP games.  For the most part, we avoid too many back to back games until we get down to the end. Per City of Pascagoula policy, no game can start after 10pm.  So it’s extremely important this tournament run on time.  We do a good job for the most part, but we must keep the games rolling.  Each team needs to leave the dugout as soon as possible.  Team meetings must occur off the field.  The next team needs to be ready immediately following the prior game.  There is no warmup on the field.   We’ll be very conscious about the clock and keeping things moving. 1.  The entry fee for Tee Ball and Coach Pitch is $250 and Fast Pitch is $300. 2.  Attached is a Roster Form.  For this weekend, I do not need it signed.  We just need a list of players that will be participating.  First and last names with the birthdate for each player. 3.  You’ll need to have a birth certificate and recent picture for each player.  I recommend put each player in a sheet protector where it can be easily retrieved. 4.  Rules for All-Stars are attached.  Please familiarize your age division.  It will cut down on a lot of arguments. Someone from each team will need to check-in with me before they play.  Entry Fee needs to be paid and the Roster Form turned in.  It can be paid with check, cash, CashApp ($tstanley2128) or Venmo (@tstanley2128).  If you using Venmo, please add $10 to cover the credit card fees. Finally, the Gulf Coast Championship is a special event.  It was first held in 2011 as a symbolic way of recognizing the best teams in our region.  It’s evolved since then and I’m very excited to see the interest so high.  I asked for everyone’s patience and understanding this weekend.  It’s been a long season and everyone’s nerves are getting frayed. So let’s make this a great weekend. Thanks for Playing USA Softball! … [Read more...] about 2024 Gulf Coast Championships Tournament Information

Below are brackets for this weekend’s 2024 East Central Invitational. The good news is this will be the largest USA Softball event in Hurley with 30 teams participating. The bad news is they only have four fields. So it’s a bit of a scheduling headache. We were able to keep 8U, 12U and 16U. But 6U and 10U will have to play on Sunday. The address to the park is Lum Cumbest Park, 18417 Hwy 613, Moss Point, MS 39562. The forecast is looking encouraging. So hopefully we’ll have a warm and dry weekend. Please have your players hydrate. Only 3 more tournaments left in the spring/summer season. Looking forward to a great day of softball. Thanks for Playing USA Softball! … [Read more...] about 2024 East Central Invitational Brackets

It’s been a quite eventful day. The City of Biloxi has been saying for a several weeks that we would be able to play at the A.J. Holloway Biloxi Sportsplex. Then the Mayor decided this morning that the fields just aren’t ready. They are in process of painting. The parking lot is still a construction zone with lots of hazards around. He doesn’t want anyone playing on them until they are 100% ready. So panic city this afternoon… Ms Carolyn to the rescue. The tournament is being moved to the Bayou View Fields in Gulfport. The address is 4300 Hewes Av, Gulfport. Playing in Gulfport does let us avoid playing on Sunday. The plan is to play Friday and Saturday. Only the larger divisions will have to play Friday; 6U, 8U and 12U. We have a very strong 38 teams participating in this tournament. This is an All-Star Tournament and will be played by All-Star rules. The rules are attached along with the Zero Tolerance Policy and Inclement Weather procedure. I always find it better to put the information out before it’s needed… hopefully they won’t be needed. I’d like to remind all coaches there is no arguing judgement calls.. fair/foul and safe/out are the judgement of the umpire. The head coach is also responsible for their fans. So please control their behavior and language. I have not received any notifications from any recruiters or college coaches that will be in attendance. So please remember we’re out there to provide an example of great sportsmanship for these young players. There is a potential of wet stuff in the forecast. So come prepared… a poncho and a few dry towels do wonders to keep the games moving along. Entry fees can be paid by cash, check, Venmo or Cashapp. The concession only accepts cash. Entry fees for teams are TB/CP $175 and FP $200. Proceeds from this weekend’s tournament will go to support the players of the Biloxi Girls Softball League. Let’s make this a great weekend for these young players. Thanks for Playing USA Softball! [ … [Read more...] about 2024 Biloxi Invitational Tournament Brackets

Below are brackets for this weekend’s 2024 Woolmarket All-Star Invitational Tournament. The gate fees for parents is $10 for adults, ages 6-11 is $7, and kids 6 and under are free. The address to the fields is Woolmarket Sports Complex, 16520 Switzer Park Rd. Biloxi, MS 39532. Be sure to put “Switzer Park Road” in your GPS… Switzer Road is not close to Switzer Park Road. This represents the first all tournament of the season. We have 23 teams this weekend. Given it’s the first all star weekend and the looming weather forecast, that’s a pretty good number of teams. I’m sure the numbers will also grow from here. First off, the forecast. So everyone’s watching the weather. Short answer is it all depends on when and how much rain we get. We will email out any changes to the schedule… We’ll also get up early Saturday morning. We’ll post to the Facebook page…. https://www.facebook.com/USASoftballSouthMS/. So be watching. I condensed the schedule as much as possible.. We can deal with a short rain delay. As long as it’s not a total washout, we hope to get it in.. Next… this is All-Stars. Better players and we start to take the reins off and let the kids play… Updated rules are attached here. These have been updated to fix clerical errors. Here’s a summary of what to expect: TB - Coach can only adjust the tee for the batter. No positioning the player in the box. - Any player can make any play anywhere on the field - Overtime will be modified ITB will start with a runner on second and 2 outs CP - Coach must start with a foot touching rubber when pitching - Any player can make any play - No overthrow at first rule 10u - Straight softball rules no coach coming in to pitch (no three walks) - 5 runs per inning 12u/16u - Straight softball rules Finally, we never had to address this. The use of tobacco or other substances is not allowed at the facility. No smoking, vaping or dipping. Either real or substitutes. This isn’t new… it’s been in the rules since before me; better known as forever. Please bring our patience and come prepared for anything. A few dry rags, umbrella or poncho can really make the day go better. Thanks for Playing USA Softball! … [Read more...] about 2024 Woolmarket All-Star Invitational Brackets