5 Teams Go Undefeated in the 2023 Don Brooks/Crabtown Classic

June 1, 2023

By Nic Francois
Softball News Report

GLEN BURNIE, MD – 60 teams representing six Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states battled it out in the annual 2023 Don Brooks/Crabtown Classic, June 1-4. Twenty-four teams hailed from the host state of Maryland.

Crabbing was one of the original industries of the region and town of Glen Burnie, giving the name Crabtown to the tournament. In 2021, Tournament Director Tim McElroy added Director Don Brooks to the title. This was to honor the SSUSA Hall of Fame National Director and player who was also the original director of the Crabtown Classic.

Brooks continues to direct tournaments with SSUSA and serves on the organization’s Rules Committee.

Men’s 65-85+ divisions started the tournament, playing on Thursday and Friday, followed by Men’s 55-60+ division Friday and Saturday, and Men’s 40-50+ and all Women’s division Saturday and Sunday.

"We should have seen it coming when the first game of the tournament went nine innings, but two words sum up the week - Competitive Balance," according to Tim McElroy. "It's only June but the teams in the east are heating up. I look forward to watching them bring their own brand of heat to Las Vegas in the fall."

Results:

Women’s 40/50+ Gold: First-seeded, 40+ Major DCG/Golden Girls (MD) successfully double dipped Vintage (NJ), also 40+ Major, after initially losing their first bracket game, sending Golden Girls to the elimination bracket. Vintage finished as the finalists and Unfazed (VA), a 50+ Major team, took third.

Men’s 40+ Platinum: This was the tournament’s largest division, with 11 Major teams and one Major Plus team. Certified Ground Breakers (MD) failed to double dip New Holland Legion (PA - photo below) in the IF game, losing 23-20. New Holland was the division champion with Ground Breakers finalists and Shin Biscuits/Potomac Sports (MD) took third.

Men’s 40+ AAA: First-seeded Barkley Heating & Air/O.P.P. (DE) went undefeated in the seeding and bracket games to claim the top spot. Gigantes O.C. 40s (MD) work their way through the elimination bracket for second place as seventh-seeded Autism Pride (MD) placed third.

Men’s 50+ AAA: The first-seeded team in this bracket, OTC/SMIRES (NJ), also went undefeated in their seeding and bracket games, winning 26-19 in the championship game. Arooga’s/MVP (PA) finished as finalists and Maryland Classics 50s finished third.

Men’s 50/55+ Major: This mixed division had their first-seeded team, Olympian Athletic 55s (PA), go undefeated in the seeding and bracket games to claim first. High Street 55s (MD) took second place and Smash it Sports/Bob Johnson Chevrolet (NY), a 50s team, took third.

Men’s 55/60+ Gold: Third-seeded Nova Force (VA - photo below), a 60+ AAA team, went 1-1 for seeding games but was undefeated in the bracket to become the champs. Second-seeded Monocacy Brewing Company (MD), also a 60+ AAA team, worked through the elimination bracket to place second. Olympian Athletics 60s (PA), a Major rated team, was first-seeded and finished third.

Men’s 65+ Major: In this three-team bracket, Omega IT Services LLC (MD - photo below) successfully double dipped the first-seeded Promotion/Phoenix Tube (NJ), 10-9 in the championships game and 11-2 in the IF game. High Street Bucs 65s (MD) finished third.

Men’s 65+ Silver: This mixed division had five AAA teams and one AA team. Jersey Boys (photo below), an AAA team, went undefeated in the seeding and bracket games while The Starboard (DE), another AAA team, finished as the finalists. Spring Ford 65+ (PA), also an AAA team, placed third out of the 6 teams.

Men’s 70+ AAA: This division played a unique format of three seeding games and single elimination. Third-seeded JAG-ONE/Jersey Masters Red (photo below) lost two of their seeding games but won the division, including a tight championship game 7-5 against finalists, Northern Virginia Force 70. Roc City 70s (NY) lost all their seeding games and first bracket game but won the third-place game 20-10.

Men’s 75+ Gold: This division also played three seeding games with single elimination. The third-seeded team, Northern Virginia Force 75 (Major - photo below), won the division after losing two seeding games but winning a tight championship game, 19-18, against Syracuse Cyclones (AAA). The two teams tasked to play the third-place game both forfeited, therefore there is no third or fourth place teams in this four-team division.