Show Me State Brings SSUSA Back! Busy Father’s Day Weekend on Tap in Oklahoma, Arizona, and Florida

June 1, 2020

Oklahoma Street Outlaws 65 at the 2020 Missouri Open

Senior Softball is back!

The highly anticipated 2020 Missouri Open began last week at the Rainbow Softball Complex in Columbia, with 16 teams opening play in the Men’s 65-70 divisions (June 4-5) and 26 teams continuing in the Men’s 55-60 divisions (June 6-7). The tournament will conclude this weekend, June 13-14, with 19 teams in the Men’s 40-50 divisions.

The tournament, which was the first SSUSA qualifier since the Spring Training Classic in Phoenix, Feb. 28 – March 1, garnered national coverage leading up to the event, with an article in TIME Magazine, as well as local coverage in St. Louis.

“It went well,” said Tournament Director, Will Rogers, on the first two sessions of the Missouri Open. “Teams and players were elated to be playing. We received numerous comments about the quality of umpiring and format.”

With players waiting all Spring to get back on the fields following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, Mother Nature made them wait a little bit longer. “We had a rain delay the very first day!” said Rogers. “However, we recovered and got the games in.”

There will be no rest for Rogers, the 2019 SSUSA Regional Director of the Year, who will put on the annual Oil City Classic in Tulsa, OK., June 18-21. 50 teams are currently scheduled to participate.

Along with Columbia and Tulsa, Yuma, AZ (Southern California State Championships, June 19-21) and Punta Gorda, FL (Sunshine State Showdown, June 19-21) are also set to host SSUSA events in the coming weeks.

The Southern California State Championships mark the first TOC qualifier of the 2020 calendar year. 33 teams will be participating in the Men’s 40 – 60 age divisions.

There are six TOC qualifiers on tap for the month July:
Northeast Championships – Syracuse, NY
Midwest Championships – Rogers, AR
Jim Sherman Memorial/Northwest Championships – Salem, OR
Eastern National Championships – Loudoun County, VA
Western National Championships – Sacramento/Pacer, CA
ISA Senior World Series – Columbus/Shelbyville, IN

The Sunshine State Showdown has moved from CenturyLink Park in Ft. Myers to Carmalita Park in Punta Gorda. The change in venue was due to CenturyLink Park currently being used as a COVID-19 testing site.

The Inland Empire Classic, scheduled for June 25-28 in Spokane, Wash., has been cancelled.

Tournament Awards/Entry Fee Update

SSUSA will NOT be handing out individual awards this season in TOC qualifiers. Managers will receive discount coupons for their players from the sponsors.

There are three reasons for this policy:

1. First, and most important, we want to make tournaments more affordable because of the economic impact the pandemic is having on many people. Therefore, we will be cutting all entry fees by 15 percent. This price reduction is only for tournaments administered directly by SSUSA. Tournament fees have been updated on each of the respective tournament pages on seniorsoftball.com

2. We will be re-starting the sport and need to ensure there is enough money to retain staff so that we can maintain the tournaments.

3. Our major sponsors, as you may imagine, have lost a great deal of revenue already and this will also save them much needed capital so that they can continue offering the bats, gloves and products Senior Softball players need. We recommend players buy their equipment from these loyal sponsors, who help keep your entry fees lower.

STATE-BY-BY STATE BREAKDOWN

All SSUSA tournaments listed below, scheduled through the end of July, remain on as scheduled. Please be sure to email the listed contact for each tournament to enter your team.

Arizona

June 19 - 21: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS Yuma, AZ - CLICK HERE for tournament schedule.

July 15 - 19: Ernie Jones Memorial/Western States Championships Prescott, AZ - Deadline July 3.

July 25 - 26: 40s Mountain Madness II Flagstaff, AZ - Deadline July 10.

Interested teams for the Western States and Mountain Madness should contact tournament director Rick Seifman, via email: tournsport@aol.com or phone: 623-776-2143.

Oklahoma

June 18 - 21: Oil City Classic Tulsa, OK: 50 teams scheduled to attend.

Florida

June 19 - June 21: Sunshine State Showdown Punta Gorda, FL: 30 teams scheduled to attend.

Michigan

June 27 -  28: Holiday Classic Sturgis, MI - Deadline June 19.

July 11 - 12: Bobby Chapp Memorial Lansing, MI - Deadline July 3.

For more information, please contact tournament director Mike Dembicki, via email: mdembicki@capitaltire.net or phone: 586-202-8376.

New York

July 7 - 12: NORTHEAST CHAMPIONSHIPS Syracuse, NY - Deadline June 23.

For more information, please email info@seniorsoftball.com.

Arkansas

July 7 - 12: MIDWEST CHAMPIONSHIPS Rogers, AR - Deadline June 23.

For more information, please email info@seniorsoftball.com.

Texas

July 7 - 12: Aggieland Classic College Station, TX - Deadline June 23.

For more information, please contact tournament director Keith Parker, via email: txhcc@yahoo.com or phone: 903-315-6374.

Oregon

July 14 - 19: JIM SHERMAN MEMORIAL/NORTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIPS Salem, OR - Deadline June 30.

For more information, please email info@seniorsoftball.com.

Illinois

July 14 - 19: Quad Cities Classic Rock Island, IL - Deadline June 30.

For more information, please contact tournament director Kenny Chard, klchard@yahoo.com or 309-721-9633.

Maryland

July 17 - 20: Bert Bennett Memorial Westminster, MD - Deadline July 3.

For more information, contact tournament director, Tim McElroy, via email: PotomacSports1@gmail.com or phone: 301-514-2676.

Alabama

July 18 - 19: Cullman Qualifier Cullman, AL - Deadline July 3.

For more information, please email info@seniorsoftball.com.

Kansas

July 23 - 26: Wes Weddle Classic Shawnee, KS - Deadline July 9.

For more information, please contact tournament director Randy Rowe 816-718-3221 rrr5850@aol.com.

Washington

July 25 - 26: Smash It Sports Invite Enumclaw, WA - Deadline July 10.

For more information on the tournament in Enumclaw, please contact director Tom Israelson (206-841-9955 or israelsontj@comcast.net).

California

July 28 - August 2: WESTERN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Sacramento/Placer Counties, CA - Deadline July 7.

Reminder that this year teams do NOT have to play in a qualifier to compete in the Western Nationals.

For more information, please email info@seniorsoftball.com.

Virginia

July 28 - August 2: EASTERN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Loudoun County, VA - Deadline July 7.

Reminder that this year teams do NOT have to play in a qualifier to compete in the Eastern Nationals.

For more information, please email info@seniorsoftball.com.

Indiana

July 31 - August 2: ISA SENIOR WORLD SERIES Columbus/Shelbyville, IN - Deadline July 17.

For more information, please contact Amy Jackson at 309-267-8324 or ajackson@dist102.org.