Next weekend, 32 of the top teams in club ball will travel to scenic Salinas, California to compete in the PGF Futures Organizational Challenge, an invitational only event that will feature 16 top teams at each of the 14U and 12U levels.
The confirmed teams who will battle at the Salinas Sports Complex—featuring six fields all together on one site—including many of the best young programs in the West:
- All American Sports Academy
- Aspire Softball Academy
- AZ Storm
- Athletics Mercado/Baltierra
- BCS Bengals
- CA Grapettes
- CA Storm
- Cal Nuggets
- Dirtdogs
- Firecrackers Leles
- Lady Magic
- Lady Hustle
- LTG Lions
- San Jose Sting
- So Cal Choppers
- Sorcerer
- Universal Fastpitch
… to name a few!
The set-up for the PGF Futures Organizational Challenge included three games of pool play followed by a seeded single elimination bracket.
The first-place winner will receive a $5,000 check with the runner-up taking home $2,500 based on a point system awarded to winning teams:
- Pool Play Winner: 10 points
- Pool Play Tie: 5 points
- Bracket Play 1st Round Win: 20 points
- Quarterfinal Win: 40 points
- Semifinal Win: 60 points
- Championship Game Win: 100 points
So what is there to do when team’s aren’t playing in the picturesque Monterrey County setting of Central California?
Lots, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Fisherman’s Wharf and the beautiful beaches located just 20 to 30 minutes away as well as enjoying the beautiful agricultural area world famous for its flowers, vineyards and vegetable crops that has earned the area the title “Salad Bowl of the World!”
This will be the first of three prestigious PGF Tournaments to be held in Salinas this year with two big invitational-only ones coming up in the Fall:
- the PGF Organizational Challenge to be held Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 202 for ages 18U, 16U and 14U with a prize package of $10K going to the winning organization and $5K to the second-place finishers,
- the PGF Ultimate Challenge, one of the biggest events of the Fall, taking place Oct. 20-22, 2023, with $5K going to each winning age group.
Bill Sparrey of PGF and Armando Barragan, the GM of the Salinas Sports Complex, organize the event and say next week’s event has become popular because of “the nice atmosphere, the fields are nice and well taken care of and there are excellent umpires working the games,” according to Sparrey.
“It’s a nice tournament with a good atmosphere to come to with increased prize packages and better competition,” he adds. “And, along with getting top talent in the West, we’re reaching out further every year to get top teams to attend.”
Not a bad idea for teams in areas that are still dealing with winter weather issues to consider the March even in future years!
For more on the PGF Futures Organizational Challenge, including game schedules, click HERE.
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
