By Donna McGuire
Softball News Report

Senior Softball-USA’s crown jewel, the Tournament of Champions, celebrated its 20^th year in late January with a hitting clinic, all-star game, skills competitions and nearly 300 games played across four central Florida ball parks.

Seven teams emerged as unbeaten champions following three days of play under pleasant conditions, with crisp mornings giving way to beautiful 80-degree afternoons at Polk County complexes. Twenty-two additional teams also claimed first-place prizes, which included free quality Jostens rings.

Overall, 91 teams from 27 states and Canada competed. Since only winners of TOC qualifiers across the country get invited, the competition featured some of best teams and senior athletes in North America. Their fans cheered spectacular defensive plays, spirited offensive rallies, and endless friendly post-game interactions between opponents. Sportsmanship abounded.

“A former director used to say that you know you’ve run a good tournament when a team that just went ‘0 for the weekend’ stops to ask when the next tournament is,” Tournament Director Tim McElroy said. “That was the case in Florida. Regardless of their finish, many players thanked us for the special events, for the awards, for the top notch officiating, and communication via the new Who I Follow online scoring system.”

Events launched Jan. 21 with a hitting clinic and an all-Star game won 24-22 by the National team. The following day, players competed in hitting, running and pitching competitions. That evening, hundreds attended a reception at Nora May Hall in Winter Haven that honored the all-star players, the skills contest winners and the 91 teams in attendance.

Both the 2026 TOC National Team (red caps) and American Team (blue caps).

When bracket play ended Jan. 25, teams from as far away as Arizona, Nevada and Canada had captured crowns. More than 50 of the games, including six title tilts, were decided by one run. More than a few games needed extra innings to determine a victor.

“SSUSA’s Original Tournament of Champions is a unique event, celebrating the best of the best on and off the field,” McElroy said. “It’s been that way for 20 years, and I am already looking forward to popping the cork on the 21st edition.”

Results:

Women’s 40+ Gold: Top-seeded Redz/Prime Time/Ikonic/CA Sports Co. of North Carolina (photo lower left) nabbed the Major championship and overall bracket title by defeating third-seeded AAA champion Mood Swings of California (photo lower right) 19-12 in the finale. The unbeaten Redz averaged nine-run victories in its five games. The second-seeded Lady Bandits/Standard Plumbing team from Arizona finished third in the three-team division.

Women’s 50/60+ Gold: The top-seeded Lady Scorpions 60s of Arizona (photo lower left) capped a 4-1 tournament by defeating Shots Fired of Rhode Island (photo lower right) 27-14 in the title game of this three-team, mixed-age-group division. The Lady Scorpions earned the 60+ Major title while Shots Fired claimed the 50+ AAA crown. Get Dirty of New Mexico finished third.

Men’s 40+ Major: Playing a best-of-three format, Motion/Edge 40s Softball of Virginia (photo below) finished 5-0 by sweeping TSC/Anarchy of New York 21-17 and 24-14 in bracket play.

Men’s 40+ AAA: The second-seeded Lead Foot Grays of Maryland (photo below) won a high-scoring championship game 31-29 over top-seeded Torgi Trucking/U.P. Electric of Washington. Third-seeded Smokin Aces/American Legion Post #327 of Virginia finished third.

Men’s 50+ Major Plus: Playing a best-of-three format, Suncoast 50s of Florida (photo below) needed all three games to dispatch Baugh Ford/Barrow Power/Short Porch of Florida 19-12, 25-32 and 30-12.

Men’s 50+ AAA: One run decided one-fourth of this division’s games, including the 21-20 title game won by third-seeded Old Skool/Racehorse Tavern/Girard Club of Pennsylvania (photo below), which finished 5-1 overall. Fifth-seeded EIS of New Jersey captured second place. The top-seeded Viejos So Cal team finished third in the seven-team division.

Men’s 50+ AA: Nearly a third of this division’s games were decided by one run, including the 20-19 title game won by the second-seeded Markham Canadians of Ontario (photo below). The Canadians finished 4-2 overall. Second place went to the top-seeded Heroes NE 50s of Nebraska. The Nor-Cal Hitmen of California placed third in the three-team division.

Men’s 50/55+ Platinum: After Yeager’s/Max Batz of Florida (photo lower left) defeated Suncoast 55s of Florida (photo lower right) 31-27 in the first championship game, the teams agreed not to play the if-needed game because both had earned titles. Yeager’s/Max Batz nabbed the 50+ Major crown while Suncoast captured the 55+ Major Plus title. Magic Softball of Massachusetts took third in the three-team division.

Men’s 55+ AAA: Second-seeded Paly of Texas nipped a stubborn Heroes 55 team of Nebraska (both teams photographed together below) 20-19 to claim the title with an overall 4-1 record. The fifth-seeded Heroes won four elimination games to reach the championship bout. Fourth-seeded Pro Vision 55 of Washington placed third in the six-team bracket.

Men’s 55+ AA: Playing a best-of-three format, the Longshoremen 55 of Virginia swept Detroit Pride of Michigan 15-14 and 23-12.

Men’s 55/60+ Platinum: Undefeated in five games, 60+ Major Plus champion Suncoast/Squared Away Sports/M&M Glove Repair of Florida (photo lower left) won each of its bracket games by one run, including the 32-31 finale over 55+ Major champion C3 Skids of Florida (photo lower right). The third-seeded NW Jokers of Washington finished third in the three-team division.

Men’s 60+ AAA: The third-seeded Road Warriors 60 of Arizona (photo below) lost the first championship game 20-15 but rebounded to win the if-needed game 20-17 over top-seeded Wicked Slice Pizza of Connecticut, which lost its first bracket game before winning six elimination games. Fourth-seeded Team Illinois captured third in the 11-team division, the tournament’s largest.

Men’s 60+ AA: The top-seeded Nevada Drifters (photo below) had been on a roll before the second-seeded Colorado Renegades won the first title game 22-15. The Drifters responded with a 32-15 win in the if-needed game to capture the three-team division. Wongs 60 of California placed third.

Men’s 60/65+ Platinum: Third-seeded Hard Hat Cafe/Latella’s/Caterbone Realty of Connecticut upended the top-seeded Minnesota Merchants (photo below) 28-19 in the first title game. The teams were in the third inning of the if-needed game when a player’s serious medical emergency halted play. The teams agreed to cancel the rest of the game. Hard Hat received the 60+ Major title while the Merchants, which went 4-1 overall, nabbed the 65+ Major Plus title. TRT of Florida finished third in the three-team division.

Men’s 65+ Major: Top-seeded Dudley Lightning 65s of Missouri (photo below) capped a 5-0 tournament with a 16-9 championships victory over second-seeded Levin Ameriprise II of Florida. The third-seeded Hudson Valley Cyclones of New York finished third in the three-team division.

Men’s 65+ Silver: Unbeaten in six games, the top-seeded 65+ AAA Texas Legends (photo below) edged sixth-seeded Scrap Iron Heavy Metal of Colorado 11-10 in the championship game. Fourth-seeded Steve Levin Amerisprise 65 of Florida placed third in the nine-team division.

Men’s 70+ AAA: In the only division without a one-run game, top-seeded Slug-A-Bug of Florida (photo below) capped a 6-0 tournament with a 11-8 title-game victory over the second-seeded  Long Island Jaguars 70 White of New York. Fourth-seeded Spring Ford 70+ of Pennsylvania took third in the four-team division.

Men’s 70/75+ Platinum: After going 0-3 in seeding games, third-seeded Promotion/Phoenix Tube 70 of New Jersey (photo lower left) went 3-0 in bracket play, including a 21-11 championship victory over top-seeded REI Nation 70s of North Carolina. That gave Promotion the 70+ Major title. Top-seeded RPR Softball of Tennessee took third. Venom 75s of Florida (photo lower right), which played as an exhibition team, received the 75+ Major Plus title.

Men’s 75+ AAA: The second-seeded Jersey Masters 75s capped a 4-1 tournament by squeaking out a 7-6 championship victory over the top-seeded Sacramento Islanders 75 team from California. Fourth-seeded MidState Seniors 75s of Illinois captured third in the five-team division.

Men’s 75+ AA: Top-seeded Doc Martens/Ropes Courses of Michigan went 4-1 overall, including a 25-10 championship victory over the Minnesota Lumberjacks 75s. Northwest Sage of Washington finished third in the three-team division.

Men’s 80+ AAA: Top-seeded and unbeaten Midwest Express of Nebraska knocked off Cozy Grill 80s of Rhode Island 21-17 in the title game. The Syracuse Cyclones 80 of New York took third in the four-team division.