Kids Win 3rd Straight Mishawaka Fall
City Title, Clad in Pink for Breast
Cancer Awareness
City Title, Clad in Pink for Breast
Cancer Awareness
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Mishawaka, IN 10-19-2008
Alas, we finally say goodbye to the 2008 softball season.
On Sunday, the Street Kids/Suburban/Easton/PAS softball
team wrapped up the long season with their sixth tournament
win of the year, winning the 2008 Mishawaka Fall City
Championship for the third straight season. It was the first
tourney win since April 26th when the Kids won the Al Fisher
Memorial in Buchanan. The team suffered five second place
finishes between that win in Buchanan and the tourney win in
Mishawaka on Sunday.
The level of competition is not what the SKS team would
normally see in tournament action, seeing that it was held to
just 18 of the league teams that play in the city during the fall.
However, the team made the best of the weekend, wearing
their pink jerseys to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month,
something they done for the past three years, following the
team walking in the Making Strides Walk.
"I have been playing softball for 17 years and before I came to
the Street Kids, I really was unaware with what the
organization does for breast cancer and other things off the
field," said Joe Horvath on WNDU-TV this past Saturday
morning. "But with the walks we've done and some other
things we have coming up, I think it effects me personally
more than even the people we help."
For the tournament itself, the Street Kids/Suburban team went
a perfect 5-0, winning every game by at least 10 runs. They
outscored their opponents 106-35. They had a team on base
percentage of .681, compared to a .648 OB% for the
tournament season. The Street Kids were victims of some
unfriendly banter on the teams message board for taking part
in the weekend at all.
"I read the posts (on the message board) but it doesn't mean
anything," said manager TJ Jorgensen. "Sure, our team is
better than the other teams but what are we supposed to do?
Stop practicing? Stop trying to make our team better? I
always thought the goal behind playing in a tournament was to
win it, and because we put together a team - our league team,
mind you - that is far superior than the rest of what the area
has to offer, why should we feel bad?"
Reigning MVP and pitcher Lanny Fisher added very simply:
"It is slow pitch softball, I throw it underhand to every batter
and that gives every team a chance. We have the same
chances as our opponents. The difference is talent and the will
to want to become better."
Despite the criticism, the team continues to play well locally,
finishing last week with an overall league record of 64-6
between South Bend and Mishawaka, in both the summer and
fall. The team finished the season with a tournament record of
74-23, and with only six tourney wins out of 18 events, that
would mean the team played well enough to get far in the
tournament but not well enough to close them out.
"This was a weird season," Jorgensen added. "While the team
itself set many records, including many tournament records,
and the overall record of the team (137-29) would define a
great year, we have been up and down. I think it started with
the loss of Shane Varga to injuries. Varga was out tournament
MVP last season and batting champion so when you lose a
key player like that, you find yourself trying to fill the void he
left with several people. Then you are going to run into
tournaments where you lost to teams that you know you are
better than, and that hurts. Especially driving a long way home,
thinking how did that team beat us. But its over and like every
situation in any sport, you figure out what to do to get better
and you prepare for the next season."
Lanny Fisher finished the day 18-for-20 at the plate while Joe
Horvath went 17-for-19 with eight home runs and 18 rbi's.
Jake Underwood, who set the single season home run record
this year, went 17-for-23 and hit a tournament high nine home
runs, giving him a phenomenal 123 on the season. Horvath,
the previous record holder with 85 set last season, finished
with 113 home runs, but did manage to get enough at bats to
qualify for the batting title, which he won with a final batting
average of .760. The team rule has always been that in order
to qualify for the batting title, a player must have at least 3/5 of
the overall leader in plate appearances. Next season, the team
will eliminate the batting average statistic and go with on base
percentage as the main batting average, as most competitive
teams do. On base percentage is only heightened in softball by
including the number of walks.
Nick Bishop and TJ Jorgensen both had on base percentages
of .765 for the tournament, aiding in the win.
Several records were broken this season, including every
individual tournament record. Fisher broke six of the 10 major
tournament records, including the highest batting average in
tournaments (.732), breaking Shane Varga's single season
record of .720 he set last season. Fisher also holds the single
tournament season record for on base percentage, doubles, at
bats, hits and runs. Jake Underwood set the team tourney
Alas, we finally say goodbye to the 2008 softball season.
On Sunday, the Street Kids/Suburban/Easton/PAS softball
team wrapped up the long season with their sixth tournament
win of the year, winning the 2008 Mishawaka Fall City
Championship for the third straight season. It was the first
tourney win since April 26th when the Kids won the Al Fisher
Memorial in Buchanan. The team suffered five second place
finishes between that win in Buchanan and the tourney win in
Mishawaka on Sunday.
The level of competition is not what the SKS team would
normally see in tournament action, seeing that it was held to
just 18 of the league teams that play in the city during the fall.
However, the team made the best of the weekend, wearing
their pink jerseys to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month,
something they done for the past three years, following the
team walking in the Making Strides Walk.
"I have been playing softball for 17 years and before I came to
the Street Kids, I really was unaware with what the
organization does for breast cancer and other things off the
field," said Joe Horvath on WNDU-TV this past Saturday
morning. "But with the walks we've done and some other
things we have coming up, I think it effects me personally
more than even the people we help."
For the tournament itself, the Street Kids/Suburban team went
a perfect 5-0, winning every game by at least 10 runs. They
outscored their opponents 106-35. They had a team on base
percentage of .681, compared to a .648 OB% for the
tournament season. The Street Kids were victims of some
unfriendly banter on the teams message board for taking part
in the weekend at all.
"I read the posts (on the message board) but it doesn't mean
anything," said manager TJ Jorgensen. "Sure, our team is
better than the other teams but what are we supposed to do?
Stop practicing? Stop trying to make our team better? I
always thought the goal behind playing in a tournament was to
win it, and because we put together a team - our league team,
mind you - that is far superior than the rest of what the area
has to offer, why should we feel bad?"
Reigning MVP and pitcher Lanny Fisher added very simply:
"It is slow pitch softball, I throw it underhand to every batter
and that gives every team a chance. We have the same
chances as our opponents. The difference is talent and the will
to want to become better."
Despite the criticism, the team continues to play well locally,
finishing last week with an overall league record of 64-6
between South Bend and Mishawaka, in both the summer and
fall. The team finished the season with a tournament record of
74-23, and with only six tourney wins out of 18 events, that
would mean the team played well enough to get far in the
tournament but not well enough to close them out.
"This was a weird season," Jorgensen added. "While the team
itself set many records, including many tournament records,
and the overall record of the team (137-29) would define a
great year, we have been up and down. I think it started with
the loss of Shane Varga to injuries. Varga was out tournament
MVP last season and batting champion so when you lose a
key player like that, you find yourself trying to fill the void he
left with several people. Then you are going to run into
tournaments where you lost to teams that you know you are
better than, and that hurts. Especially driving a long way home,
thinking how did that team beat us. But its over and like every
situation in any sport, you figure out what to do to get better
and you prepare for the next season."
Lanny Fisher finished the day 18-for-20 at the plate while Joe
Horvath went 17-for-19 with eight home runs and 18 rbi's.
Jake Underwood, who set the single season home run record
this year, went 17-for-23 and hit a tournament high nine home
runs, giving him a phenomenal 123 on the season. Horvath,
the previous record holder with 85 set last season, finished
with 113 home runs, but did manage to get enough at bats to
qualify for the batting title, which he won with a final batting
average of .760. The team rule has always been that in order
to qualify for the batting title, a player must have at least 3/5 of
the overall leader in plate appearances. Next season, the team
will eliminate the batting average statistic and go with on base
percentage as the main batting average, as most competitive
teams do. On base percentage is only heightened in softball by
including the number of walks.
Nick Bishop and TJ Jorgensen both had on base percentages
of .765 for the tournament, aiding in the win.
Several records were broken this season, including every
individual tournament record. Fisher broke six of the 10 major
tournament records, including the highest batting average in
tournaments (.732), breaking Shane Varga's single season
record of .720 he set last season. Fisher also holds the single
tournament season record for on base percentage, doubles, at
bats, hits and runs. Jake Underwood set the team tourney
| Tournament Game by Game Scores Game 1 vs. Renegades WON, 16-6 Game 2 vs. Squads WON, 15-2 Game 3 vs. GVW Tire WON, 35-7 Game 4 vs. Chamberlin WON, 17-7 Game 5 vs. Chamberlin WON, 23-13 |
record for home runs (69) and rbi's (245),
smashing Hank Minix' record he set last season.
Chris Firebaugh set the tourney record for triples
in a season (22) while TJ Jorgensen broke his
own team record for walks in a tournament
season (33).
Overall, many records were broken this year,
but none more distinguishing than the RBI record.
Underwoods 433 rbi's topped the previous
record of 264 (set by Horvath last season) by a
wide margin. Along with his home run record, he
showed that he can be a force inside the fence as
well, collecting 169 rbi's without the benefit of a
home run.
"It will be an exciting MVP vote this year, thats for sure," said Jorgensen. "Fisher had better numbers this
year than he did in his MVP season in 2007, and if you look at Horvath's tournament numbers, he
showed he is just not a league player, and of course Jake's season is one for the ages, so when people
cast their vote, I am sure they will take everything into consideration."
With the season concluding on Sunday, the team will now begin the process of gathering votes for the
post season award winners, which will be announced at this years awards banquet on November 15th.
After the banquet concludes, the team will start looking at the 2009 season and see what needs to be
done to put a winner back on the field.
smashing Hank Minix' record he set last season.
Chris Firebaugh set the tourney record for triples
in a season (22) while TJ Jorgensen broke his
own team record for walks in a tournament
season (33).
Overall, many records were broken this year,
but none more distinguishing than the RBI record.
Underwoods 433 rbi's topped the previous
record of 264 (set by Horvath last season) by a
wide margin. Along with his home run record, he
showed that he can be a force inside the fence as
well, collecting 169 rbi's without the benefit of a
home run.
"It will be an exciting MVP vote this year, thats for sure," said Jorgensen. "Fisher had better numbers this
year than he did in his MVP season in 2007, and if you look at Horvath's tournament numbers, he
showed he is just not a league player, and of course Jake's season is one for the ages, so when people
cast their vote, I am sure they will take everything into consideration."
With the season concluding on Sunday, the team will now begin the process of gathering votes for the
post season award winners, which will be announced at this years awards banquet on November 15th.
After the banquet concludes, the team will start looking at the 2009 season and see what needs to be
done to put a winner back on the field.
