Largest Softball Tourney in North America Kicks Off With 600 Games in the 2024 World Champs

Sept. 1, 2024

By Donna McGuire
Softball News Report

Three Triple Grand Slam winners, six undefeated teams and a successful run through the entire 60+ AA elimination bracket highlighted the opening session of the Senior Softball-USA World Championships.

The four-day session, which started Sept. 12, drew 184 teams in the 55+ and 60+ age groups. Their schedule involved nearly 600 games spread across eight Las Vegas-area ball parks.

“The first, and largest, of the four sessions of the World Championships went off with a raft of exciting games, a great celebrity game (please see the side bar story) and milder-than-normal temperatures,” said Terry Hennessy, SSUSA’s chief executive officer. “For the fifth year, the Worlds is the largest softball tournament of any kind in North America — and we would like to thank all of the teams competing here.”

Vendors showcase their newest equipment and apparel to players and managers at the 2024 Worlds' manager registration/receptions.

Overall, 650 teams registered to play in the 2024 Worlds. They represent 41 states and three Canadian provinces In addition to Germany, Panama and Guam. Play continues through Sept. 29.

First-session Triple Grand Slam titles were earned by Harford Financial Group of Maryland in 55+ AA, Sommerville Softball of California in 60+ Major Plus, and North Valley Seniors of California in 60+ AAA. Winning a Triple Grand Slam title requires success across multiple events. Team first must win their divisions at the Eastern or Western National Championships. Those winners play each other during pool play at Worlds for the USA National Championship. If the National Champion also wins its Worlds bracket, it earns the Triple Grand Slam.

Tri-State Kings of Alaska won the 2024 Sportsmanship Award for always encouraging a positive spirit on the field.

Undefeated World champions were crowned in all four 55+ divisions and in two of the 60+ divisions.

The longest route to a title occurred in the 15-team 60+ AA division, where the OKC Angels lost their first bracket game then won nine in a row, including five the final day, to capture the title and free Jostens championship rings for all players.

The Angels shook off that first bracket loss by deciding to simply win every inning, one game at a time, said second baseman David Baker, who caught the championship game’s final out. It helped, he said, that they had 16 players to share the load.

“We decided to set small manageable goals and see where it took us,” Baker said.

Results:

Men’s 55+ Major Plus: Third-seeded J.K. Inc./Miken/Worth of California (photo lower left) capped a 6-0 tournament with a 31-16 title game triumph over sixth-seeded Arizona Heat, the team it defeated 27-14 in its first bracket game. Arizona Heat dispatched six elimination bracket opponents to earn a rematch before falling. USA National Champions BPA/Miken/Worth of Pennsylvania finished third while eighth-seeded 50 Degrees of Missouri took fourth in the nine-team division. USA National Game: BPA/Miken/Worth 23 (photo lower right), Pacific Reign/DeMarini of Oregon 7.

Men’s 55+ Major: Third-seeded ShowTime So Cal (photo lower left) won all eight of its games, including a 26-11 title game triumph over 22nd seed The Firm of Texas, which won five elimination games to reach the finals of the 34-team division. PowerHouse of Texas finished third while PRS Softball of Michigan took fourth. USA National Game: Mitchells 55 of Florida (photo lower right) defeated L.A.F. of California 16-12.

Men’s 55+ AAA: Seeded third in a 43-team division, unbeaten NOP Softball of Oklahoma (photo below) notched four walk-off victories, including a 25-24 thriller in the title game against USA National Champion Supreme Athletics Outlaws of California. PCS/Lumberjacks of Minnesota placed third while 805’s of California took fourth. USA champion: Supreme Athletics Outlaws.

Men’s 55+ AA: Top-seeded Harford Financial Group of Maryland (photo below) defeated two AAA teams in pool play before besting all AA competition to win the three-team bracket and the Triple Grand Slam. Harford scored one run in the bottom of the seventh to edge Detroit Pride of Michigan 19-18 in the title game. Longshoremen of Virginia finished third. USA champion: Harford Financial Group.

Men’s 60+ Major Plus: Top-seeded Sommerville Softball of California (photo below) went 6-0, including a 24-18 championship win over third-seeded Top Dawgs of Florida. That earned Sommerville the coveted Triple Grand Slam title after also having won a Western National Championship. It had no opponent for a USA title game. Second-seeded Texas Crush placed third, and fourth-seeded Dudley Lightning finished four in the four-team division. USA champion: Sommerville.

Men’s 60+ Major: BTI of California capped a 8-0 tournament with a 22-17 championship victory over top-seeded and USA National Champion Ohio Elite. Both teams had been undefeated until clashing in the winner’s bracket finals. Second-seeded Sonoma Co. Crush of California finished third in the 35-team bracket. Thirteenth-seeded Washington Legends finished fourth. USA National Game: Ohio Elite (photo below) defeated Sonoma Co. Crush 20-11.

Men’s 60+ AAA: North Valley Seniors of California (photos below) nabbed a Triple Grand Slam title by defeating BJM Bomb Squad of Indiana in the USA National Championship game before winning all six of its bracket games. The title did not come easily, however. KC Elite of Missouri, which trailed most of the game, took a 24-21 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning before North Valley earned a walk-off victory. KC Stampede of Missouri finished third in the 41-team division. Turn 2 Electric of North Carolina finished fourth. USA National Game: North Valley Seniors 28, BJM Bomb Squad 18.

Men’s 60+ AA: The seventh-seeded OKC Angels lost their first bracket game then won nine in a row, including a 13-9 and 15-8 sweep of eighth-seeded Pelley Stix of Ontario, Canada, in the title games. The 11th seed, Club Tilt/Haus of Colorado, finished third. Fourth-seeded So Cal Riptide took fourth in the 15-team division. USA champion: Tri City Legends/D-bats of Washington.