Street Kids Win ASA "B" State Championship;
8th Tourney Win of the Season
8th Tourney Win of the Season
South Bend, IN 7/30/2011
Street Kids/Easton/Rover softball won the 2011 ASA "B" State Championship on Saturday at the Belleville Complex in South Bend. It was
their eighth tournament win of the season, and more impressively, they have now reached the championship game in all 11 tournaments this
year.
Jeremy Hochstetler was named MVP, batting .789 (11 of his 15 hits were extra base hits). Named to the all-state team from SKS were
Hochstetler, Terry Patesel, Jay Jeffery, Joe Horvath and Faron Miller.
"This was a nice start to the post season, thats for sure," said pitcher Steve Schroeder. "When TJ (Jorgensen) and I started talking back in
October about the possibilities of this team, I will be honest, I was not a believer. But then we started filling in the holes, adding some players
like the Amish guys and as we started to practice and gel together, I was a believer. Then we started winning together. With the team we have
now, and the way we can pick each other up and win as a TEAM, what you saw this weekend in ASA is just the beginning."
Jay Jeffery, who was named to the All-State team after batting .765 on Saturday, was once again on fire, this time playing with a fever.
"I talked to Jay on Friday night and he had a temp of 100," said TJ Jorgensen. "But you wouldnt know it the way he played. That man is a
straight up baller and he pulled a Michael Jordan (when he had the flu during the NBA Finals) and went out and had an awesome day."
Street Kids opened the day against Outkast from Fredrickburg. The Kids were a little slow offensively but their defense picked up and were
able to shut down Outkast, winning 13-2. Steve Schroeder led the way with three hits, including a home run.
The second round game was against Region Softball, a team that is arguably the best NSA C team in the state, but in ASA, they play B.
Region just came off an impressive win over Moose/Silverback to reach the second round. The Kids took control early, scoring 10 runs in the
top of the first, only to see Region answer back to keep the game close. But a nine-run third inning and a four run sixth would be enough as
SKS would beat Region again this year, 23-13. Jeremy Hochstetler and Jay Jeffery both went a perfect 5-for-5 in the game, while Joe Horvath
added four hits.
The third round game was a big one, as the winner would be in the finals, awaiting the losers bracket to sort out. The Kids got Strange, who
just beat Softball Mafia in extra innings. Softball Mafia was the defending ASA "B" State Champions, and found themselves now in the losers
bracket (they lost their next game to be eliminated). Strange is a good team and showed it in this game.
The Kids took an early lead with three in the first and nine in the second but Strange stuck with SKS, scoring a few times to keep the game
close. SKS put up seven runs in the sixth inning, only to see Strange answer back with seven of their own in the bottom of the sixth. Heading to
the top of the seventh, SKS lead 24-19, and needed some insurance. They got it in the form of a two run home run from Joe Horvath, his fourth
home run of the game, that gave the Kids a comfortable 26-19 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. But Strange was not going away
quietly. They came out with five straight hits then after an out, their clean up hitter came through with a booming three run homer that brought
Strange to within one run. After the homer, SKS pitcher Faron Miller was able to get the next batter to fly out, and after walking the next batter,
retired the final batter on a fly ball to left field. The Kids held on to win 26-25.
"Strange is good, and they will do really well this post season," said Jorgensen after the game.
Jeremy Hochstetler again lead SKS with five hits as did Tim Austin. Terry Patesel, Joe Horvath and Jay Jeffery added four hits each for the
victorious Kids.
Street Kids had reached the championship game of the ASA "B" State tournament. Not only was it impressive to get this far in a state
tourney, but in all 11 tournaments the SKS team has played in this year, they have been in the finals every single event.
"I said this in Kalamazoo at the Kiracofe, this is probably the most impressive number," said veteran Joe Horvath. "Not the wins, not the
tourney victories, not the winning streaks. But to reach the final game of every event is awesome."
The team that came out of the losers bracket was Moose/Silverbacks. They defeated Strange to reach the finals against SKS, and were
excited to make the 4.5 hour drive from Bloomington and get this far. But now they had to take on the hometown Street Kids Softball club, one
that has not lost a tournament game since the fourth of July. One that has won four straight tournaments. One that was looking for their eighth
straight tourney victory. More importantly, one that was built to win in the post season.
Street Kids came out slow in the first, scoring one run, but they came alive quickly, scoring six in the second and six more in the third. After
three complete, SKS lead 13-2. In the top of the fourth, Moose put up two runs, and had a chance for more, but the strong defense of SKS
prevented that, as they turned their eight double play of the day. The Kids had a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the fourth inning, as they
scored four times, but it would have to wait another inning. SKS took a 17-4 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning and after pitcher Faron
Miller shut Moose down on four batters, Street Kids Softball celebrated their ASA "B" State Championship.
Injured SKS player Tony Hardiman, who coached third all day, grabbed the water cooler filled with ice cold water and dumped it on manager
TJ Jorgensen.
"I had a feeling it was coming so I started to run, but they got me," Jorgensen laughed. "Seriously though, this was nice to win. Last fall I stood
in the outfield during batting practice one night and just thought about what it would take to have a team like this. I've had some of the best
players in the state on this team. Some from Indiana, some from Michigan and Ohio.. but with all that talent, we could not produce chemistry.
And thats not something you can learn in the cages, or in the gym. Its something that just happens when you put the right group together. I love
these guys like brothers, and I could not be more proud of all of them. Especially for guys like Scott Martin, who won his first state title today.
But I got a feeling there is many more in his career."
Jeremy Hochstetler and Jay Jeffery were two big names that stood out, on both sides of the plate. Hochstetler was playing on a sore achilles
and Jeffery was playing with a fever. But these two stepped up when needed the most and led their team to a championship.
"This is what we started out for in the winter," Jeffery said. "Its what we worked so hard for, to be here today at the end, holding the hardware.
But dont go no where, this show aint over yet, ya dig?"
Street Kids (90-11 overall, 51-6 in tournaments) broke the team record for tourneys won in a season with eight and extended their winning
streak in tournaments to 14 straight.
After some much needed time off from both league and tournament play, SKS will take to the field in Kendallville, Indiana for the NSA "B"
State Championship on August 13th.
How about this for Northern Indiana? With Tasers winning the D last weekend, and three other local teams winning this weekend, it was a
clean sweep in ASA:
ASA B state champs: Street Kids Softball
(Mishawaka and Topeka)
ASA C state champs: Martin Bros Construction
(Elkhart and Topeka)
ASA D state champs: Tasers Softball
(Mishawaka)
ASA E state champs: Rock Run Repair
(Topeka)
Way to represent the area guys!
Street Kids/Easton/Rover softball won the 2011 ASA "B" State Championship on Saturday at the Belleville Complex in South Bend. It was
their eighth tournament win of the season, and more impressively, they have now reached the championship game in all 11 tournaments this
year.
Jeremy Hochstetler was named MVP, batting .789 (11 of his 15 hits were extra base hits). Named to the all-state team from SKS were
Hochstetler, Terry Patesel, Jay Jeffery, Joe Horvath and Faron Miller.
"This was a nice start to the post season, thats for sure," said pitcher Steve Schroeder. "When TJ (Jorgensen) and I started talking back in
October about the possibilities of this team, I will be honest, I was not a believer. But then we started filling in the holes, adding some players
like the Amish guys and as we started to practice and gel together, I was a believer. Then we started winning together. With the team we have
now, and the way we can pick each other up and win as a TEAM, what you saw this weekend in ASA is just the beginning."
Jay Jeffery, who was named to the All-State team after batting .765 on Saturday, was once again on fire, this time playing with a fever.
"I talked to Jay on Friday night and he had a temp of 100," said TJ Jorgensen. "But you wouldnt know it the way he played. That man is a
straight up baller and he pulled a Michael Jordan (when he had the flu during the NBA Finals) and went out and had an awesome day."
Street Kids opened the day against Outkast from Fredrickburg. The Kids were a little slow offensively but their defense picked up and were
able to shut down Outkast, winning 13-2. Steve Schroeder led the way with three hits, including a home run.
The second round game was against Region Softball, a team that is arguably the best NSA C team in the state, but in ASA, they play B.
Region just came off an impressive win over Moose/Silverback to reach the second round. The Kids took control early, scoring 10 runs in the
top of the first, only to see Region answer back to keep the game close. But a nine-run third inning and a four run sixth would be enough as
SKS would beat Region again this year, 23-13. Jeremy Hochstetler and Jay Jeffery both went a perfect 5-for-5 in the game, while Joe Horvath
added four hits.
The third round game was a big one, as the winner would be in the finals, awaiting the losers bracket to sort out. The Kids got Strange, who
just beat Softball Mafia in extra innings. Softball Mafia was the defending ASA "B" State Champions, and found themselves now in the losers
bracket (they lost their next game to be eliminated). Strange is a good team and showed it in this game.
The Kids took an early lead with three in the first and nine in the second but Strange stuck with SKS, scoring a few times to keep the game
close. SKS put up seven runs in the sixth inning, only to see Strange answer back with seven of their own in the bottom of the sixth. Heading to
the top of the seventh, SKS lead 24-19, and needed some insurance. They got it in the form of a two run home run from Joe Horvath, his fourth
home run of the game, that gave the Kids a comfortable 26-19 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. But Strange was not going away
quietly. They came out with five straight hits then after an out, their clean up hitter came through with a booming three run homer that brought
Strange to within one run. After the homer, SKS pitcher Faron Miller was able to get the next batter to fly out, and after walking the next batter,
retired the final batter on a fly ball to left field. The Kids held on to win 26-25.
"Strange is good, and they will do really well this post season," said Jorgensen after the game.
Jeremy Hochstetler again lead SKS with five hits as did Tim Austin. Terry Patesel, Joe Horvath and Jay Jeffery added four hits each for the
victorious Kids.
Street Kids had reached the championship game of the ASA "B" State tournament. Not only was it impressive to get this far in a state
tourney, but in all 11 tournaments the SKS team has played in this year, they have been in the finals every single event.
"I said this in Kalamazoo at the Kiracofe, this is probably the most impressive number," said veteran Joe Horvath. "Not the wins, not the
tourney victories, not the winning streaks. But to reach the final game of every event is awesome."
The team that came out of the losers bracket was Moose/Silverbacks. They defeated Strange to reach the finals against SKS, and were
excited to make the 4.5 hour drive from Bloomington and get this far. But now they had to take on the hometown Street Kids Softball club, one
that has not lost a tournament game since the fourth of July. One that has won four straight tournaments. One that was looking for their eighth
straight tourney victory. More importantly, one that was built to win in the post season.
Street Kids came out slow in the first, scoring one run, but they came alive quickly, scoring six in the second and six more in the third. After
three complete, SKS lead 13-2. In the top of the fourth, Moose put up two runs, and had a chance for more, but the strong defense of SKS
prevented that, as they turned their eight double play of the day. The Kids had a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the fourth inning, as they
scored four times, but it would have to wait another inning. SKS took a 17-4 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning and after pitcher Faron
Miller shut Moose down on four batters, Street Kids Softball celebrated their ASA "B" State Championship.
Injured SKS player Tony Hardiman, who coached third all day, grabbed the water cooler filled with ice cold water and dumped it on manager
TJ Jorgensen.
"I had a feeling it was coming so I started to run, but they got me," Jorgensen laughed. "Seriously though, this was nice to win. Last fall I stood
in the outfield during batting practice one night and just thought about what it would take to have a team like this. I've had some of the best
players in the state on this team. Some from Indiana, some from Michigan and Ohio.. but with all that talent, we could not produce chemistry.
And thats not something you can learn in the cages, or in the gym. Its something that just happens when you put the right group together. I love
these guys like brothers, and I could not be more proud of all of them. Especially for guys like Scott Martin, who won his first state title today.
But I got a feeling there is many more in his career."
Jeremy Hochstetler and Jay Jeffery were two big names that stood out, on both sides of the plate. Hochstetler was playing on a sore achilles
and Jeffery was playing with a fever. But these two stepped up when needed the most and led their team to a championship.
"This is what we started out for in the winter," Jeffery said. "Its what we worked so hard for, to be here today at the end, holding the hardware.
But dont go no where, this show aint over yet, ya dig?"
Street Kids (90-11 overall, 51-6 in tournaments) broke the team record for tourneys won in a season with eight and extended their winning
streak in tournaments to 14 straight.
After some much needed time off from both league and tournament play, SKS will take to the field in Kendallville, Indiana for the NSA "B"
State Championship on August 13th.
How about this for Northern Indiana? With Tasers winning the D last weekend, and three other local teams winning this weekend, it was a
clean sweep in ASA:
ASA B state champs: Street Kids Softball
(Mishawaka and Topeka)
ASA C state champs: Martin Bros Construction
(Elkhart and Topeka)
ASA D state champs: Tasers Softball
(Mishawaka)
ASA E state champs: Rock Run Repair
(Topeka)
Way to represent the area guys!
| Check out over 200 pictures from the ASA State Championship on the SKS Fan Page on Facebook! Click here to go right to the album. |
SKS would like to thank all of their sponsors, including Tilted
Kilt of Granger, Indiana, for their support in 2011. We could
not have done any of this without your help!
We also want to thank the City of South Bend, the South Bend
Umpires Association and the staff at Belleville for their
outstanding work this weekend.
Kilt of Granger, Indiana, for their support in 2011. We could
not have done any of this without your help!
We also want to thank the City of South Bend, the South Bend
Umpires Association and the staff at Belleville for their
outstanding work this weekend.
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