HWSA Regional Qualifying Tournament
Central Region 2004
Location: Nashville, TN (Tullahoma, TN)
Dates: April 22-24, 2004
HWSA Baseball Commissioner: Jim Kill
Tournament Director: Jeff Hartline
Field Manager(s): Tim Day; Kevin Butts
Participating Teams:
Atlanta, GA Northside Lions
Dallas, TX Angels
Houston, TX Eagles
Memphis, TN Eagles
Nashville, TN Monarchs
Pool Play Results (Friday, April 23):
Nashville def. Memphis, 1-0
Dallas def. Atlanta, 7-2
Houston tied Nashville, 4-4
Atlanta def. Memphis, 12-1
Dallas def. Houston, 4-0
Pool Play Results (Saturday, April 24):
Atlanta def. Nashville, 3-1
Houston def. Memphis, 9-1
Nashville def. Dallas, 8-3
Houston def. Atlanta, 3-2
Dallas def. Memphis, 9-1
Final Pool Play Stats:
Team / Wins / Losses / Ties / Def. Innings / Def. Runs / Off. Innings / Off. RunsDallas Angels / 3 / 1 / 0 / 18 / 11 / 18 / 23
Houston Eagles / 2 / 1 / 1 / 18 / 11 / 18 / 16
Nashville Mon. / 2 / 1 / 1 / 18 / 10 / 17 / 14
Atlanta Lions / 2 / 2 / 0 / 20 / 12 / 19 / 19
Memphis Eagl. / 0 / 4 / 0 / 18 / 31 / 20 / 3
Post-Pool Play Seeding:
1. Dallas Angels (Automatic World Series Qualifier)
2. Nashville Monarchs (plays Saturday as Home Team)
3. Houston Eagles (plays Saturday as Visiting Team)
4. Atlanta Lions
5. Memphis Eagles
Qualifying Result (Saturday, April 24):
2 vs 3 Playoff Game: Houston Eagles def. Nashville Monarchs, 4-3
World Series Qualifiers:
1. Dallas Angels
2. Houston Eagles
Alternate:
3. Nashville Monarchs
2004 All-Region Team:
Player / Team / Classification1. David Hendricks / Dallas Angels / Junior
2. Ian Hockett / Dallas Angels / Sophomore
3. Reid Lorenz / Dallas Angels / Junior
4. Kenny Perkins / Houston Eagles / Freshman
5. Ryan Moreau / Houston Eagles / Freshman
6. Charles Coolidge / Houston Eagles / Senior
7. Lance Alsup / Nashville Monarchs / Senior
8. Kevin Winn / Nashville Monarchs / Junior
9. TJ Cahoon / Atlanta Lions / Senior
10. David Gramling / Atlanta Lions / Senior
11. Tyler Whitney / Memphis Eagles / Sophomore
Issues/Resolutions:
Weather. It was a terrible weekend for baseball in the Nashville area. It rained every day, and the Seven Oaks Park field was unplayable. Jeff Hartline and the Monarchs parents took immediate action and got on the phones to try to find playable fields in the areas south of Nashville. Fortunately, a college field 1.5 hours south of Nashville was available for Friday and Saturday. Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma, Tennessee, received very little rain during those days even though areas just north and south of this small town were drenched.
Condensed Format. Because (1) Motlow was not available on Thursday; (2) there was still the uncertainty of rain in Tullahoma; and (3) the college field had no lights, it was decided by the tournament organizers and the coaches to play all of the games in a condensed format (5 innings or 1.5 hours). It was also decided that the last playoff game be played immediately following the 5th game on Saturday. To accommodate 6 games during daylight, the first game on Saturday would need to start at 8:00 am. (By the way, some Monarchs parents and players had to travel 3 hours to get to the 8:00 am game on Saturday.)
Concessions. The Motlow concessions crew really came through for the tournament. There was very little time between games for the parents and players to get a bite to eat, so the well-run, reasonable concessions really were a godsend for everyone involved. Hot dogs went for $1, and some excellent sub sandwiches were provided for the measly price of $1.50. Gatorade, bottled water, soft drinks, candy, and snacks were also available at unbelievable prices. Thank You, Motlow State!
Suggestions:
It was really a well-run, successful tournament. The weather held up well in Tullahoma, Tennessee, and the games “clicked along” on schedule. The field was GREAT, and many people commented that the facilities were better than what we would have gotten at Seven Oaks Field in Nashville.
I would suggest that every HWSA event have contingency plans in place for weather. That may include possible game sites an hour or two from the base hotel. It was inconvenient for us to travel to Tullahoma for those two days, but it sure beat going home without getting the tournament in.
Acknowledgments:
Motlow State Community College and its baseball coach for its willingness to provide fields, facilities, and concessions on such short notice
Jeff Hartline and the Memphis Monarchs organization for hosting a great tournament
Kevin Butts, field manager, awards, and field maintenance
Debra Alsup, official scorekeeper for all teams, organizer, and tireless efforts
Wayne Alsup, maintenance and tireless efforts
Dallas Angels coaches and players for setup, cleanup, and field maintenance
Joe Day and Nic Irwin for press box help and field maintenance
Chuck Hendricks for risking life and limb while changing a light bulb on the field scoreboard
The Umpires for outstanding work except for an unusual “no-decision” regarding an illegal player in the last game
The Hotel Accommodations for the nice rooms, the extremely reasonable price, and the free hot breakfast
This Report Submitted by: Tim Day Date: April 27, 2004