September 19, 2014 at 1:28 p.m.
Prom headed to super national slowpitch softball tournament
Rhinelander grad's team to compete for $25,000 top prize
Prom headed to super national slowpitch softball tournament
Slowpitch softball is a popular recreational activity among Northwoods athletes. Bar leagues and other tournaments are a consistent presence throughout the warm months.
For Prom, it's more serious business though. What started as a hobby now takes him all over the country.
"It originally started because I was playing with a friend from Rhinelander in a different town," he said. "I got to know some people there and they had a team in the Fox Valley area. I started playing with them and we play in all kinds of tournaments."
It's a little different than the average softball tournament though. Prom said things get a little more serious at these tournaments.
"It's a lot different," he said. "It's slowpitch, but it's slowpitch with a strike zone. There's a lot more defense involved and the guys playing have a lot more experience, even in baseball. It's taken more seriously than the classic city bar league."
The team, based out of the Appleton area, recently traveled a considerable distance to compete in a tournament against some of the nation's top teams.
"Over Labor Day weekend, we traveled to Columbus, Ohio and played in the national tournament there," Prom said. "We took fifth place out of 67 teams. The top four from each region get invited to super nationals. One team couldn't go, so we were invited to go play at super nationals in Oklahoma City next weekend."
The tournament is part of the Amateur Softball Association's super championship title. The ASA was founded in 1933 and is now one of the country's largest sports organizations. What was once only made up of a couple hundred teams now boasts a roster of more than 210,000 squads, and Prom's is one of the last teams standing.
"In theory, it should be around the top 16 or 20 teams at this tournament," he said. "My goal is to continue to have some success. After the national tournament, they do a review of your team and what you're expected to do in your next 10 games. We were expected to do pretty well at this tournament, so we're hoping to meet the expectations set on us by the people at the national tournament."
There's big money on the line too. The first-place team at the super championship tournament will receive $25,000. The second-place team will get $15,000 and the third-place team will receive $10,000.
Prom, who plays first base and bats in the middle of the the lineup on his team, said he thinks they've got a decent shot.
"I think we definitely have a chance to do well," he said. "At the national tournament, we actually lost to the team who went on to win it all, it was a well-contested match. We're expecting to do well and hopefully come out in the top five and at least 10."
The tournament will also allow Prom and his teammates to pick the brains of some of the more experienced players there.
"It's a Friday and Saturday tournament, so we'll be playing a lot, but I'm sure we'll try to get out and see some of Oklahoma City," he said. "They also have a big ASA get together and I'm sure we'll hit that up to network with other teams from other states."
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
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