Great Batting and Weather Rock 2025 Spring Nationals in Florida

March 1, 2025

By Donna McGuire
Softball News Report

Awesome weather and great batting created an explosive atmosphere during Senior Softball USA’s 2025 Spring National Championship/Horton & Wood Classic.

The 10 championship tilts saw an average of 47 runs scored. Twice, teams that surpassed the 30-run mark had to settle for second place.

Score a high number of runs didn't guarantee a win during the 2025 Spring Nationals.

“We had many, many high-scoring games,” Tournament Director Gayle Collins said of the March 14-16 tournament featuring 24 teams playing at the Walker Road Softball Complex in Lakeland, Fla.

Final tallies in championship games included scores of 35-34, 33-32 and 28-27.

Much of the hitting praise goes to the four men’s 40+ Masters teams, which averaged 52 runs a game between pool and bracket play.

Teams came from Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey to battle some tough Florida squads. In the end, Floridians captured nine of the 10 titles awarded. All 10 champions earned berths to the 2026 Tournament of Champions, an event that allows only champions to enter.

While some players traveled far for the first 2025 TOC qualifier on the East Coast, most teams played in their home state of Florida.

And though March weather can be fickle nationwide, Florida put on a perfect showcase for this year’s Spring Nationals.

“The teams from the North and Central United States were very appreciative of the great weather that has been lacking in their area for a few months now,” Collins said.

Results:

Men's 40+ Platinum: Third-seeded Major team Top Line Auto Glass/5 Days of Florida (photo below) capped an undefeated run through the bracket with a 39-29 championship victory over the top-seeded Major Plus team Suncoast 40s of Florida. Hancock Power of Florida finished third in the four-team division.

Men's 50+ Major Plus: Second-seeded Suncoast 50s of Florida finished 5-1 overall, including 3-0 in the bracket, to claim the title of this three-team division. It defeated top-seeded Baugh Ford of Florida 35-22 in the title game. Freehold/GMC/Juno of New Jersey finished third.

Men's 50+ Major: Playing a best-of-three format, Yeager's/Max Batz of Florida swept Walking Fossils of Florida 28-21 and 28-27 to finish 4-1 overall.

Men's 50+ AAA: This division featured the only “if needed” championship game of the tournament. Woodlawn Hitting Club of Florida (photo below) held off Game/Donate Life of Michigan 12-21, 25-22 and 25-10 for the crown.

Men's 55+ Major Plus: Playing a best-of-three format, Suncoast 55s of Florida swept BPA/Miken/Worth/Easton of Pennsylvania 28-17 and 35-34 to finish as 4-1 overall champions.

Men's 55+ Major: Also playing the best of three games, Tyler Trucking/P & G/Blue Mountain of Ohio (photo below) dispatched Skid Daddy/C3 Skids of Florida 22-9 and 19-16 to finish 5-0 overall.

Men's 60+ Major Plus: In another best-of-three match up, Lemay/Suncoast/WTGM of Florida swept Ohio Elite 60s 17-7 and 33-32 to finish 4-1 overall.

Men's 55/60/65+ Gold: Top-seeded Team Florida/Phoenix Tube 60 (photo below) defeated the 65+ Major Plus and second-seeded TRT of Florida 11-1 in the lowest scoring championship game of the tournament. That gave Team Florida a 6-0 tournament record and the 60+ Major title. Volusia Top Gun, a 55+ AAA team out of Florida, finished third in the four-team division.

Men's 65/70/75+ Platinum: Top-seeded and unbeaten Venom 75+ of Florida (photo below) claimed the 75+ Major Plus championship by defeating Levin Ameriprise II of Florida 22-13 in the title game of this three-team division. Slug-A-Bug of Florida took home the 70+ Major title and TOC berth.