A Record 76 Teams Compete at the 2025 Tidewater Classic

April 1, 2025

By Donna McGuire
Softball News Report

Unusual weather, robust team entries and a crowded schedule highlighted Senior Softball USA’s 2025 Tidewater Classic April 2-6 in Virginia Beach.

Entries swelled 27 percent from 2024, to a record 76 teams. Both tournament sessions set records, as did some divisions.

“The schedule was packed each day on all eight fields at Princess Anne Athletic Complex,” Tournament Director Tim McElroy said.

The 2025 Tidewater Classic hosted a record of 76 teams, increasing from just 60 teams last year.

A robust roster of 40s teams bolstered the overall team totals. An eight-team AAA bracket, eight-team Major bracket and three-team Major Plus division “shows the overall growth of 40s ball in the region,” McElroy said.

Mother Nature made herself felt both championship days through high winds that stirred persistent and dense dust, “making for some interesting games,” McElroy said.

Fourteen champions earned awards and invitation-only berths to the 2026 Tournament of Champions in Polk County, Florida. They included the Team Illinois 55+ and 60+ teams, which made long journeys eastward to capture AAA titles. Overall, teams from 10 states participated.

Players enjoyed the Princess Anne Athletic Complex’s 20-minute proximity and regular jet flyovers from nearby Oceana Naval Air Station.   

Results:

Men’s 40+ Masters Major Plus: Top-seeded and unbeaten SMC of Maryland (photo below) survived teetering on the edge during bracket play, defeating runner up BL2/JCH/Treedom NE of Pennsylvania 22-21 in the winner’s finale and 15-14 in the championship game. HDI/She Gone Sports of Virginia finished third in the three-team division.

Men’s 40+ Masters AAA: Second-seeded Smokin’ Aces/American Legion Post #327 of Virginia (photo below) averaged 21 runs a game and capped a 6-0 tournament by edging top-seeded Sarafis Painting and Construction of North Carolina 18-17 in the title game. Fourth-seeded Lead Foot Grays of Maryland finished third in the eight-team division.

Men’s 40-50+ Platinum: Seeded eighth of nine teams, the 40+ Major team Motion/Edge Softball of Virginia never lost a bracket game enroute to a 27-18 championship game victory over the top-seeded Lost Boys, a 50+ Major Plus team out of Maryland. The 40+ Major team Sake of Maryland finished third, where it had been seeded.

Men’s 50+ AAA: Second-seeded EIS of New Jersey capped a 6-0 tournament with a 22-12 championship victory over top-seeded BACKSIDE of Virginia. Sixth-seeded Flatline/Van Metre Homes of Virginia placed third in the eight-team bracket.

Men’s 50-55+ Platinum: Fourth-seeded 50+ Major team Half Century of North Carolina knocked a red-hot and top-seeded Deluxe Bakery/Phoenix Tube of New Jersey into second place by winning the “if needed” title game 12-3. Heading into that game, Deluxe had won six elimination games in a row, including 27-23 over Half Century in the first championship game. Second-seeded Automotive Triage of North Carolina earned third place in the eight-team division. All three are 50+ Major teams.

Men’s 55+ Major: Top-seeded Broughton Pharmacy of North Carolina (photo below) capped a 6-0 tournament by winning its closest game of the tournament, 20-19, in the title game against seventh-seeded BACKSIDE of Virginia, which won three elimination games to reach the finals. Third-seeded WALKOFF of Maryland earned third place in the nine-team division.

Men’s 55+ AAA: Playing a best-of-three format, Team Illinois (photo below) recovered from a18-14 opening loss to post title game victories of 24-19 and 31-25 over the runner up Maryland Classics.

Men’s 55-60+ AA: The top-seeded 60+ Beltway Bandits of Virginia (photo below) defeated eventual third-place finisher 60+ Virginia Lightning 20-8 before ousting the runner-up 55+ Longshoremen 21-16 in the title game.

Men’s 60+ AAA: Top-seeded Team Illinois never lost a game enroute to a 24-21 championship victory over the runner up and second-seeded Virginia Journeymen. Fourth-seed Dalton Farms placed third in the five-team division.

Men’s 60+ Major: Top-seeded Howe Creative Design/The Bank of Delaware (photo below) and the third-seeded Maryland Cougars met three times in bracket play, with the Cougars winning the first meeting 19-18. However, Howe quickly returned through the elimination bracket and double-dipped the Cougars 25-18 and 31-12 to win the seven-team division. Buell Fuel 60s of New York captured third.

Men’s 65+ Major: Third-seeded Hudson Valley Cyclones of New York (photo below) won its three bracket games by an average of eight runs, including a 16-8 championship victory over second-seeded Anchor Mechanical of Maryland. The fourth-seeded Virginia Vipers finished third in the four-team division.

Men’s 65+ AAA: Third-seeded The Starboard of Delaware averaged 21 runs a game in bracket play, including a 23-7 championship victory over second-seeded Northern Virginia Force. Lynch Construction of Pennsylvania finished third in the three-team division.

Men’s 70+ Major: The top-seeded High Street Bucs of Maryland (photo below) capped a 5-0 tournament by clipping Northern Virginia Force 18-17 in the title game. Promotion/Phoenix Tube of New Jersey finished third in the three-team division.

Men’s 70-75+ AAA: This four-team division featured a championship game pitting two Long Island Jaguar teams from New York. The third-seeded Jags 70s (photo below) outlasted the top-seeded Jags 75s by a run, 18-17, to claim the crown. Robinson’s Furniture/OTS of Delaware took third place.