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With the fall showcase season underway and teams locked and loaded for the 2019-20 year, we’ll be profiling some of those club programs that are ones to watch.
Today we head to Northern California to look at Dennis Gomes organization which features a 14U team that surprised a lot of people with how well the team coached by Eddie Brooks did including win the Triple Crown World Series.
With a strong corps of 2023 talent, here’s a look at the Batbusters 14U team that had a .750 winning percentage this year…
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When did the team/program start and how/why did it come to be?
This team has had a group of girls that have been together for the last four years. We added two huge pieces to our team last fall and one more piece this season.
Where are you based? Where do your athletes come from (all locally, some out of state?)
The team is based in Lodi, California and we have kids from Lodi, Modesto, the Bay Area, Vacaville and Elk Grove.
What was the purpose of creating the team (showcase players, win titles, develop skills, etc.)?
This team was created to teach the girls the proper fundamentals and the right way to play the game, win, and help them get to the next level (college).
What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events?
We attended PGF Nationals in 2018 (Premier) and this summer won the 14U Triple Crown World Series going 10-0 for the week. We finished the season this past summer 48-15-1.
What makes the organization unique?
This organization is unique because its family oriented and run by a great man, Dennis Gomes. We have great coaches and families in this organization that all support each other.
What’s your softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the team?
Coach Eddie Brooks played fastpitch softball for years at a very high level. He loves the game and loves being around this team. He has had this team for a longtime now and can’t wait to see what they do this year and in the future. This team has so much potential!
How many teams are there in the organization overall?
11.
Has there been a key moment or defining experience in the team’s history? Winning Triple Crown to end the year after always being overlooked as one of the top teams at our age in Nor Cal was a huge moment.
What is your primary focus or goal with this team?
We are planning on coming out and taking it to the next level this year. Our goal is to play hard, play great defense, pitch well, hit like we can and get to PGF Nationals in 2020.
What do you think are the strengths of the team?
The strength of this team is defense. Our pitchers throw a lot of strikes and the defense is important. Hitting is also huge for us—we had a team average of .374 with 28 home runs as a first-year 14U team. We have solid pitching— they are not flame thrower— but they locate, spin, and change speeds as good as anyone at this age group.
If there is one thing you would say that separates you from other club programs, what would it be?
The girls all love each other. They come out and play together and love being around each other.
What is the motivating factor for this group?
We feel this team is hungry to prove the doubters wrong, we are always overlooked.
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Here’s a closer look at the team with comments from the organization…
