2018 Season Kicks Off With 17th Annual Winter National Championships

Nov. 1, 2017

FORT MYERS, FLA. – The 17th annual Winter National Championships was held here in Lee County Nov. 7-12 with 109 teams competing for the first bids towards the 2019 Tournament of Champions.

The tournament began with the Men’s 65’s through 85’s age divisions playing Nov. 7-9.

Starting with the Men’s 65 Major Plus division, Team Florida 65’s swept PSL Construction (FL), by scores of 21-6 and 29-4, in a best two-out-of-three game series.

In the four-team Men’s 65/70 Platinum division, Handeland Flooring (WI) escaped from the elimination side of the bracket to double-dip top seed, Who’s on First (FL), winning both the championship (24-18) and “if” game (31-24). The wins for Handeland Flooring avenged their loss to Who’s on First 26-13, earlier in the bracket. Venom 70’s (FL) finished in third place.


Handeland Flooring - 65/70 Platinum Division Champions

The 12-team Men’s 65 AAA division saw No. 4 seed Bradford White (PA) complete a perfect week, going 2-0 in seeding play, before rattling off four in a row in bracket play, including an 18-15 win over Acousti (FL). Acousti, the No. 8 seed, made a Cinderella run through the bracket, including an upset win over top seed, Northern Virginia Force 25-18, as well as three straight wins in the elimination side of the bracket to reach the championship game. Talaga Construction finished in third place.


Bradford White - 65 AAA Division Champions

Jersey Masters Red ran through the five-team Men’s 65 AA division, going 2-0 in seeding play to earn the second seed, before posting three straight wins in bracket play, including a 17-5 win over Kentuckiana 65 (IN) in the championship game, to complete a flawless week. After dropping their first game in the bracket, Kentuckiana won three straight elimination games to reach the championship game. Action Auto Parts 65’s (RI) finished in third place.

Jersey Masters 70 also brought home a championship title back to the Garden State, winning the four-team Men’s 70 Major division, going 3-0 in bracket play, including a 22-20 win over Boca 70’s (FL) in the championship game. Spicer Properties 70 (MD) finished in third place.

Florida Legends 75 swept ProHealth Care 75 (WI) in a best two-out-of-three game series in the Men’s 75 Platinum division, by scores of 21-14 and 20-13, to defend their home turf.

The largest division of the first session, the 13-team Men’s 70 Silver division, saw CC Medical Services (NY) hold off Bostonian 70’s (MA) 18-17 in a championship game match-up between the top two seeds. CC Medical Services also edged out Bostonian 11-10 earlier in the bracket, knocking the team down into the elimination side of the bracket. Lane Construction (FL) finished in third place.


CC Medical Services - 70 Silver Division Champions

The champion of the seven-team Men’s 75 AAA division would be determined by a six-game full round robin, as Chadwell Supply (FL) posted a perfect 6-0 mark to take the top prize. Monkey Joe’s Big Nut Company (NJ) was the runner-up finisher with a 5-1 record, while Senior Red Birds 75 (MO) rounded out the top three going 4-2.

The champion of the eight-team Men’s 80/85 Gold division would also be crowned by a full round robin, as Florida Investment Properties earned the top billing with a 6-1 record, while New York Statesmen finished second with a 5-2 record. There would be a three-way tie for third as ProHealth Care 80 (WI), Bucs and Bulls 80’s (FL), and BackOffice Associates (MA) all posted identical 4-3 records.  ProHealth Care would earn the tie-breaker by virtue of their head-to-head wins over both BackOffice Associates (18-17) and Bucs and Bulls (18-17).

The tournament continued with the second session, as the Men’s 40’s through 60’s took the field Nov. 10-12.


Field crews honor America during Veteran's Day weekend at the Winter National Championships

Beginning with the three-team Men’s 40 Platinum division that began play on Saturday, Suncoast Adidas (FL) posted a perfect 3-0 record in bracket play on Sunday, including a 27-26 win over S2S/.40 CAL (FL) in the championship game. Suncoast Adidas plated three runs in the bottom of the open to complete the come-back victory. As the highest finishing 40 Major team, S2S/.40 CAL also sealed a TOC bid.


Suncoast Adidas - 40 Platinum Division Champions

In the five-team Men’s 50/55 Platinum division, Good Times/Clean Planet Foods (FL) avenged their loss in the championship game against RBC Wealth Management (FL) 25-22; bouncing back with an 18-7 win in the “if” game. Public Enemy (FL) finished in third place.


Good Times/Clean Planet Foods - 50/55 Platinum Division Champions

The six-team Men’s 50 AAA division saw No Shows (FL) escape the elimination side of the bracket before going on to double-dip All Secure (FL), by scores of 27-19 and 27-21, in the championship and “if” game, respectively. Top seed Avalon/50 Caliber (FL) finished in third place.

Florida Automated Shade completed a perfect weekend, going 3-0 in seeding play to lock up the top seed, before going 3-0 in bracket play, including a 24-15 win over Action Auto Parts 55’s (RI) to win the four-team Men’s 55 Major division. Six Pac 55’s (KY) finished in third place.

The nine-team Men’s 55 AAA division also featured the No. 1 seed winning it all, as Gap Sports 55 (FL) went 2-0 in seeding, before taking the bracket with four straight wins, including a 20-16 triumph over Maryland Cougars in the championship game. After falling in their opening game in bracket play, the Cougars made a valiant run through the elimination bracket, scoring five straight victories en route to the championship game. Team Illinois/Pias finished in third place.

Team Florida 60, which competed against the Louisville Slugger Warriors in exhibition on Friday, swept Hollis Appraisals 60’s (FL) by scores of 15-5 and 18-12, to capture the Men’s 60 Major Plus division.

AMR/Clean Planet/A Special Taste (MI) was another top seed to complete a championship run, as the team rattled off four straight wins, including a 19-5 victory over second seeded Central Illinois Chiefs in the championship game of the 11-team Men’s 60 Major division. Action Auto Parts 60’s (RI) finished in third place.

Playmakers (WI) won the 10-team Men’s 60 AAA division, completing a perfect weekend, going 2-0 in seeding play and 4-0 in bracket play, including a 10-4 win over top seed Northern Virginia Force in the championship game. Florida Mustangs 60’s finished in third place after winning three straight elimination games, while Eagle Tavern (NY) also made a valiant run winning four straight games in the elimination side of the bracket before falling to the Mustangs.

Glory Daze 60 (KY) swept Texas Legends 60’s by scores of 20-16 and 23-11 to win the Men’s 60 AA division.


Glory Daze - 60 AA Division Champions