Eight Teams Go Undefeated at the 2023 Southwest Championships

April 1, 2023

By Donna McGuire
Softball News Report

Thirty-five women’s and 206 men’s teams from as far away as Indiana, Minnesota, Alaska and Hawaii battled for titles at the Southwest Championships April 11-16 in the Las Vegas area.

Thirty-two of them earned berths to the 2024 Tournament of Champions by winning their divisions during the six-day event.

“The Southwest Championships is the second largest tournament of the year -- and this year we were lucky with the weather,” said Terry Hennessy, SSUSA's chief executive officer. “We had one day in the 90s, but little wind -- which Las Vegas is famous for -- and mostly pristine playing weather.”

More than 240 teams have entered the Southwest Championships every year since COVID caused the event’s cancellation in 2020.

This year, teams came from 17 states, including Missouri, Texas and Wyoming. Champions hailed from seven states, including Colorado, Washington and Hawaii. Seven men’s teams and one women’s team compiled unbeaten records.

Results:

Women’s 40+ Masters Major: TABU of California lost its first bracket game by one run before winning five in a row, including 5-2 and 20-6 championship game victories, to capture the five-team division. Firestarter Oldies of Washington, the only team to defeat TABU, finished second. Still Grubbing of California took third.

Women’s 40+ Masters AAA: The sixth-seeded Royal-T Real Estate/The LaFlamme Group of Washington (photo below) lost a pool game but ran through the bracket unbeaten, capped by a 15-5 title game victory over the Utah Relics. Las Maletas of Arizona took third in the 13-team division.

Women’s 40+ Masters AA: The Arizona Desert Belles (photo below) lost the first title game 13-7 then rebounded to win the second 12-7 against the Sandlot Sluggers of Nevada. Idaho Spirit finished third in the three-team division.

Women’s 50+ Major: Four California teams battled in this division. Cash Out 50s defeated Old School 17-4 for the championship. Legit Ol’ Ladies took third.

Women’s 50/55+ Gold: Top-seeded High Octane/Miken Franchise of Indiana (photo below, white and blue jerseys) went 6-0 with an average winning margin of 13 runs. It defeated All Mix’D Up of Arizona (photo below, purple and gold jerseys) 17-2 in the title game. Old Nasty Curves of California finished third in the 10-team bracket.

Men’s 40+ Masters Major Plus: West Coast United of California (photo below) capped an unbeaten tournament with a 30-18 championship game victory over KJE/Top Level Sports of California. Sudden Impact of New Mexico finished third in the three-team division.

Men’s 40+ Masters Major: Top-seeded Blue Pill Mafia/QOS Networks of Arizona (photo below) avenged an earlier one-run bracket loss to Legend Sports of Nevada by sweeping Legend 22-21 and 21-17 in the title games. SBOB/Voodoo Sports of Arizona took third in the 14-team bracket.

Men’s 40+ Masters AAA: O F of California, which scored 42 runs in one bracket game, earned the title of the four-team division with a 29-16 title game victory over Aces of Arizona. Toda Madre of Arizona finished third.

Men’s 50+ Major Plus: Top-seeded Stadium of California (photo below) dropped the first title game 33-30 but captured the second 30-29 in a thrilling finish to the three-team division. K B Westcoast Elite 50 of Arizona finished second. Fattboyz/Prestige/Elite of California took third.

Men’s 50+ Major: Top-seeded Scrap Iron Havoc of Colorado (photo below) won all six games it played, including the 23-20 championship game against second-seeded Men of Power of Arizona. G.O. Softball/Mae Capital of California won three elimination games to finish third in the nine-team bracket.

Men’s 50+ AAA: Fifth-seeded Team SMS of Nevada (photo below) went 5-1 overall and defeated third-seeded MN 50 Core for the title 23-22. Viejos So Cal won five elimination games to finish third in the 11-team bracket.

Men’s 50/55+ AA: California Coast Plumbers/Horn (photo below), a 55+ team, came out of the elimination bracket to beat So Cal Riptide 13-11 for the championship. Emerald City finished third in the four-team bracket and earned a TOC bid as the top-finishing 50+ AA team.

Men’s 55+ Major Plus: J.K., Inc., of California (photo below) edged Arizona Heat 55s 23-22 for the championship of the three-team division. L.A.F. 55s of California finished third in the three-team division.

Men’s 55+ Major: Damage of Nevada (photo below) lost both pool games but went unbeaten in bracket play, capped by a 24-23 thriller for the title over WPI/Jayco of Idaho. Scrap Iron Thunder won three elimination games to finish third in the seven-team bracket.

Men’s 55+ AAA: Top-seeded Top Gun Storm of California (photo below) lost the first title game 20-18 before winning the second 21-20 over Venom 55s of California. Boise Office Equipment of Idaho took third in the 13-team bracket.

Men’s 60+ Major Plus: Top-seeded Legacy Sports USA of Arizona (photo below) went undefeated and captured the crown with a 19-15 victory over CornerStone of Oregon. Express 60 of California finished third in the three-team bracket.

Men’s 60+ Major: Fourth-seeded Xcelerated Softball of California (photo below) defeated seventh-seeded Precision/Wolfpack of Washington 14-9 for the championship. New Life Interiors of Idaho finished third in the 14-team bracket.

Men’s 60+ AAA: Top-seeded Arizona Monsoon (photo below) capped a 7-0 tournament with a 22-7 victory over runner-up SMASH 55 of California in the 21-team bracket, the tournament’s second largest division. Tri-State Kinds of Alaska finished third.

Men’s 60+ AA: Advil Knights of California (photo below) defeated So Cal Riptide 14-12 to win the five-team bracket. The Tri-City Legends of Washington finished third.

Men’s 65+ Major Plus: Top-seeded Cal Energy (photo below) went 5-0, including a 24-9 title game victory over Samurai of California. The KC Kids of Missouri finished third in the six-team bracket.

Men’s 65+/70+ Platinum: Top-seeded and unbeaten R&R of California (photo below) defeated Scrap Iron High Octane 17-7 to win the five-team division. Gamers of Oregon finished third.

Men’s 65+ AAA: Ninth-seeded Top Gun Stealth of California (photo below, left) lost the first title game 17-13 but won the second 19-6 to win the 22-team division, which was the tournament’s largest. Sin City Mob of Nevada (photo below, right) finished second. The Arizona Owls won four elimination games and finished third.

Men’s 65+ AA: Fourth-seeded Majestic of California (photo below) defeated Warriors-Imua of Hawaii 11-4 to win the six-team bracket. The Classics of Utah finished third.

Men’s 70+ Major: Fourth-seeded Ranalls Realty of Arizona lost the first title game 13-14 then won the second 13-10 to claim the nine-team division. The Arizona Scorpions finished second. Ryan’s Way of Utah won five elimination games to finish third.

Men’s 70+ AAA: Top-seeded Warriors of Hawaii (photo below, left) lost the winner’s final 17-16 but returned to face D & K Softball (photo below, right) for the title The Warriors double-dipped D & K 15-10, 16-11 to win the 14-team division. Rezults Realty of Nevada took third.

Men’s 70+ AA: The Top Gun Olde Dawgs of California (photo below) defeated the Scrap Iron Diamonds of Colorado 17-6 for the title of the four-team division. Duke City Dynamite of New Mexico finished third.

Men’s 75+ Major Plus: Omen of California (photo below) went unbeaten and defeated the Sidewinders of Arizona 18-12 and 23-12 in a best-of-three format to win the division.

Men’s 75+ Major: So Cal Gusto (photo below) lost the first title game 11-5 but rebounded to win the second 19-15 over the Tri-State Diamondbacks of New Mexico. Ho’oikaika of Hawaii took third in the five-team bracket.

Men’s 75+ Silver: Al’s Sport Shop of California (photo below) defeated the Scrap Iron Diamonds of Colorado 23-17 to win the 11-team division. The Diamonds won five elimination games to reach the finals. J Squared of California finished third.

Men’s 80/85+ Platinum: Sidewinders of Arizona defeated Top Gun 80 Gold 14-8 to win the four-team division. Top Gun Blue Angels took third.

Men’s 80+ AAA: Scrap Iron 80s of Colorado blanked Bell Auto Upholstery of Arizona 20-0 for the title of the four-team division. Git-R-Done of California finished third.