Corpus Christi Championships Draws Diverse Competition

Jan. 1, 2009

By Steve Simmons

Softball News Report

CORPUS CHRISTI, Tex. – Larry Parrack has been holding independent senior softball tournaments here for years. In 2008 he insured his tournaments through the SSUSA Clubs & Leagues program. He culminated his tournament series (there were five played in 2008) in late summer with the year-end Coca-Cola championships.

This was the fourth year for the annual event and the first where the team was affiliated with the SSUSA Clubs & leagues program. Keith Parker, SSUSA Clubs & Leagues Mid-South regional director and executive director of the Texas Half Century association, has been encouraging local clubs, leagues and recreational tournaments to consider partnering with the SSUSA in their clubs & leagues program and hopes to see increased involvement this year.

For this tournament there was a unique formula used for the makeup of the teams. A diversity of players from all divisions was invited, from unrated league players through players rated AA to Major. This was made possible by limiting the number of higher skill level players per team.

The equitable mix of players gave league players the opportunity to experience the excitement of playing with teammates who were on travel teams, were ring winners and who played at all levels in between. This roster balance gave all teams a chance to win. This exposure also has given many league players the impetus to join tournament teams.

Tournament competition was good on both days. Tanel of Austin went undefeated through the winners’ bracket. The Gunners from Corpus Christi lost to Tanel and then fought back through the losers’ bracket to “double dip” Tanel, 28-27 and 21-16, to win the tournament.

The tournament host team was Rusty Hooks, another Corpus Christi team. Players selected to the all tournament team included the Gunners’ Donnie Grant, Steve Miller, Dan Silkwood, Hector Canales & Robert Clark and Tanel’s Paul Larue, Nick Lujan & Bob Black.