State Softball Tournament & Preparations

This was from the 8-10 Year Old
Baseball game on Sunday Night in
District 28, Not Softball.

From Saturday, July 10th to Friday, July 16, I worked every day but Sunday at the Southern California Softball State Tournament. It was a roller coaster ride of bad softball, great softball, nervous umpiring on my part, a game of quicksand wondering why I'm doing this, to one of my best games of the year. I feel, after 6 days of umpiring 8 games, I am ready for San Bernardino now.

Looking at the list of umpires, there are a lot of umpires I have heard about, a couple i have worked with, and all of them are known around the region. This is a great group of umpires of which I feel like I belong but also have that self-doubt that I can't afford another game where confidence wanes. 

One of the best things about the state tournament was the opportunity to work with Tori. I recruited Tori back in 2016 to umpire with me at Bloomington as a teenager. This year, she told me that she worked the entire Softball season at Bloomington. During the district's 8-10 Softball tournament, we worked 2 umpire and she worked her first All-Star game behind the plate. She was nervous but worked it. She did the loser bracket finals plate for the State tournament and did an excellent job. The growth between that first game and her last plate was impressive to see. I'm glad she's sticking it out because she is the future of umpiring. I consider her career my success as UIC of Bloomington.

Let me recap the state championship from my Facebook post:

"Little League Softball Majors Southern California State Championship: La Verne (visitors) vs West L.A. (Home): this was the if game with La Verne forcing it yesterday with a rub in the bottom of the 6th. Today La Verne scores one in the first and West L.A. scores 3 in the bottom of the first. La Verne ties it up 3-3 in the third. Scoreless 4th. La Verne scores one in the 5th and West L.A. gets runners on first and second with no outs in the bottom of 5. A couple of fly balls to center and a 6-3 ground out gets La Verne or of a pickle.

6th inning, La Verne has 7-8-9 up and 8 gets on base. 9 gets the second out. 1 gets intentionally walked and 2 hits a dribbler to the third baseman whose throw beats the batter by half a step.

West L.A. also has 7-8-9 coming up in the bottom of the 7th. 8 gets on. 9 out for second out. 1 hits and now there are runners on first and second. 2 hits a dribbler to the shortstop and we have a third out, 6-3.

La Verne played every day during this tournament, 7 days. And I'll see them again in a week."

So now the state tournament is done and I am getting the final preparations done for Regionals. My pants are at the cleaners getting pressed. I'm cleaning out my car from all the extra umpire stuff. I'm hydrating today for games on Saturday. I've read and reread the rule book and tournament rules. I'm ready for San Bernardino.

Friday is Rebecca's 18th birthday. I get to hang out with her in the morning and then head up to San Bernardino for our Umpire meeting the night before games start. First game starts at 9 AM on Saturday. I don't know if I'm on that game yet or if I'll be on the noon game instead. Here is the schedule of all games:

https://www.littleleague.org/world-series/2021/llsbws/tournaments/west-region/

I'll guarantee I won't be on the plate for any game that Southern California is on (La Verne) because that is the way they do it. No home state umpires doing the plate for their home state team. I understand the reasons for that (and after doing 6 games for La Verne during the state tournament, it is definitely a good idea to avoid the perception of impropriety.) So no plate Sunday at noon.

Looking at the tournament, it looks like Idaho is not sending a team this year but the other 11 states (2 California) are sending one. 19 games. It should be a fun tournament.

I'll let you know my opening day schedule as soon as I know it myself.