Southern League week 1 Player of the Week



Omar "el Dominicano" Steinberg



Omar "el Dominicano" Steinberg of the Eastside Expos was lights out at the plate and on the mound in week 1 against the Portland Gothams. 

Steinberg went 4-9 at the dish on the day.  He swatted two Homeruns and had ten RBI’s in the series against the Gothams. 

El Domincano also threw a no-hitter in game two.  Steinberg went five innings to earn the complete game victory.  He struck out ten while allowing only a single walk to help his Expos to a 2-0 Start to the Season.

Northern League week 1 Player of the Week

Scott Coleman

The Jackmove Giants came out on Opening Day ready to play.  They were led by their ace pitcher Scott Coleman, who was in mid-season form.  The Giants swept their division rivals, the Lexington Brewers, 8-5 & 11-0 to take an early lead in the North East division.

Coleman had a monster day at the plate going 7-10 with five runs scored.  He also hit five homeruns and had twelve RBIs!  It was the best hitting series of Coleman's career.  It'll be interesting to see if Scott can keep up with such a hot start.

Scott also had an impressive day on the hill.  He pitched a complete game two-hitter and and struck out fifteen in five innings.  Coleman is already the all-time strikeout king in the CCWA and it looks like he's trying to widen that margin this season.

Look for the Giants to make another run deep into the playoffs behind Scott Coleman's pitching and hitting.  Congratulations on such an impressive week Scott.

Kyle Schulz done for the season; Giants sign Karlis Liepa

In a move that stunned just about everybody in the CCWA; Kyle Schulz of the Jackmove Giants has announced that he is done for the season.  Schulz became a free agent at the start of last year's off-season and talked about bringing the Gresham Braves back as their team captain.  That move fell through and he re-signed with the Giants a few weeks before the season started.

Taking his place on the Giants roster is CCWA alum Karlis Liepa.  Karlis played part of last season with the Phillies and has played in parts of five seasons.  His hitting should help replace Schulz's bat in the lineup.  Don't expect to see Karlis pitching very much this year though as he is returning from a shoulder injury.  Giants veteran Zac Warren will be taking a majority of Schulz's starts with Matt Jones filling in occasionally.

We all wish Kyle Schulz a quick return to the CCWA.  The league won't be the same without him.

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#1)

el Dominicano

We're finally down to the top spot on the CCWA Top 50 for 2012 countdown.  Join in on the conversation on our Twitter page using the #CCWAtop50 hashtag.

Omar "el Dominicano" Steinberg is the man.  This guy can do it all on the wiffleball field and he makes it look easy.  Omar is consistently a league leader in just about any statistical category you can name.

Since he joined the league el Dominicano has shown some amazing hitting skills.  He hits for average, homeruns and is extremely clutch.  Look for Omar to make a run at the Southern League triple crown this season and to possibly break the single season homerun mark.

Steinberg's pitching has shown improvement each and every season.  Last year he was one of the league leaders in ERA, Wins and Strikeouts.  When he takes the mound the opposition knows that it's going to be a long day.  The fact that he's the Expos #2 starter makes it all that much worse for his opponents, on most teams Omar would be the ace of the staff.

With most CCWA observers picking the Expos to repeat as champions look for Omar to have another monster season and be in the hunt for CCWA Player of the Year honors.  He should only improve on his already stellar career.

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#2)

Burck

We're down to number two and will be announcing our #1 CCWA player of 2012 tomorrow.  Join in the conversation on our Twitter page using the #CCWAtop50 hashtag.

Josh Burckhardt is the most feared hitter that the CCWA has ever seen.  He is the all-time career leader in batting average, homeruns, runs scored and runs batted in.  Last season he broke some single season records with 24 homeruns and 101 RBIs. 

Burck isn't just a slugger though, he is also one of the top pitchers in the Northern League.  He always keeps his team in the game and mixes locations on his pitches well.  He usually goes head to head against the other teams aces and has shut down some of the most potent offenses the CCWA has seen.

Expect nothing but the same from Burck this season.  He is the definition of a competitor.  I doubt that he will break the homerun record again but he will make a run at it.  Look for the Lumberjacks to make a run deep in the playoffs with Burckhardt leading them the entire way.

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#3)

Book'em Danno

We're finally down to the final three of our CCWA Top 50 for 2012.  Join in on the conversation on our Twitter page using the #CCWAtop50 hashtag.

At number three we have the most dominant pitcher the CCWA has ever seen.  Dan "Bookem" Sefner has a career record of 36-8 and a minuscule 0.85 ERA through four seasons.  His 644 punch-outs puts him at number two all-time. 

Look for this season to be no different as Sefner dominates batting orders in the Southern League.  He has shown complete control of a wide array of pitches and uses them all to keep hitters uncomfortable and off-balance.  He will definitely be in the running for the Cy Young award at season's end. 

Sefner's batting has always come through in the clutch.  In fact he is probably one of the most clutch hitters in all of wiffleball.  He always seems to get a timely hit to either tie the game up and keep his team alive or to give his team the win.  Look for this year to be no different as Bookem keeps his clutch hitting alive.

The Eastside Expos are predicted by many to repeat as CCWA Champions.  If they do look for Dan to be right there in the mix, leading his squad to victory. 

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#4)

Ol Dirty Bento Box

We're down to the top five in our CCWA Top 50 for 2012.  Join in on the conversation on our Twitter page using the #CCWAtop50 hashtag.  Today we review the #4 player Mike "Bento" Benkoski. 

Benkoski really blossomed as an all-around player last season with the Blue Jays.  He stepped into the team's Ace role and was so good that he led the CCWA in wins.  He led the expansion Blue Jays squad into the postseason.

Look for Benkoski to be as good or even better on the hill this season.  If the Blue Jays are going to challenge for the Championship it's all going to start with Bento's pitching.  He will need to once again win a majority of his match-ups against the rest of the top tier pitching in the South.

Bento's batting has always been his strength and this upcoming season should be no different.  Look for him to challenge for the homerun crown and drive in a ton of runs.  His batting average slipped last season but he should rebound this year with the Jays in a new division.

Look for the Blue Jays to be in serious contention when the CCWA playoffs start this fall and look for Benkoski to be right there leading the Jays.

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#5)

Eazy Z

This week on our Twitter page we'll be naming off the top five of our 2012 #CCWAtop50.  Here's our number five player that was named yesterday.

Zac "Eazy Z" Warren is ready for a monster season.  He's shown flashes of greatness in the past but has yet to put it all together for a full season.  Well this year is going to be his year. 

Warren has always batted well and this season should be no different.  He should challenge Burckhardt for the homerun title this season and be one of the league leaders in batting average.  Look for him to come through in the clutch when the Giants need him most.

When Zac's pitching is on he is untouchable.  His biggest problem has been consistency but he continues to improve every season.   Look for him to use the "dirty diaper" (Zac's special sinker) to lead the Giants to the postseason.  I'm predicting a very big year for Zac from the mound where he'll be amongst the league leaders in ERA.

Look for the Jackmove Giants to once again be challenging for the CCWA Championship and look for Zac to be right there leading them into battle. 

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#10-6)

We're back naming off the predicted top 50 CCWA players of 2012.  Join in on the conversation on our Twitter page.

10.  Eric Dorland, Ridgefield Orioles - Eric won the Northern League Rookie of the Year last year and should only get better.  This southpaw showed flashes of brilliance last year from the mound, if he gets more consistent he should be a favorite for Cy Young.

9.  Kyle Schulz, Jackmove Giants - Big Schulzy is a machine!  This guy can hit the ball for miles and is one of the hardest throwers the league has seen.  Look for him to play an integral part for Jackmove as they attempt to win a CCWA championship.

8.  Justin "Jaybird" Ellis, Mid-Town Mariners - Jaybird has become on of the top pitchers in the league.  His pitching helped the M's make a playoff run last year and we should expect more of the same this season.  Ellis also improved his batting last year and could challenge for MVP and Cy Young.

7.  Eric Keele, Lexington Brewers - Keele has downright nasty stuff on the hill.  With him pairing with Godinho the Brew Crew has an extremely dominant rotation.  He has also shown that he can hit in the past and should play a big part in the Brewers season.

6.  Kyle "Little League" Godinho, Lexington Brewers - Little League has dominated the Northern League winning the last three Cy Youngs.  He mixes pitches and speeds well and can locate his pitches at will.  He's also one of the top hitters the CCWA has seen and is looking to repeat his Player of the Year campaign from 2010.

U-Dub Sports Pub to Sponsor Northern League Player of the Week

We've come to an agreement with the U-Dub Sports Pub and Grub in Longview, Washington for them to sponsor the Northern League Player of the Week.  Each week the player voted POW by the Northern League captains will receive a coupon for one free table keg of the beer of their choice.

Rob James, of the Columbia Hgts. Cardinals, owns the U-Dub Sports Pub and thought it would be good for both the league and the pub to sponsor the Player of the Week.  He's hoping that the U-Dub Pub will become the place to go when teams are done playing.

Thanks again Rob!

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#20-11)

Here's the players ranked from twenty to eleven in the CCWA top 50 for 2012 ranking.  Join in on the conversation on Twitter using the #CCWAtop50 tag.

20.  Jim Hewey, Lexington Brewers - The Big Hewbowski had his worst season fielding last year but should bounce back strong and return to gold glove form.

19.  Ryan "Ox" Oxford, Mid-Town Mariners -  Ox is an absolute beast in the outfield!  His defense always helps keep his team in close games.

18.  Matt Jones, Jackmove Giants - Jonesy had an off year last season but should bounce back strong.  Look for him to take advantage of the short right porch at Jones Field.

17.  Jeff Priester, Buckman Blue Jays - Preez is a masher!  He doubled his homerun total last season from the previous year and should continue to improve.

16.  Matt "Fluff" Bailey, Lexington Brewers - Fluff could hit in his sleep.  Look for the Brewers Tony Gwynn to get on base and score some runs this year.

15.  Andy "Red" Huntington, Columbia Hgts. Cardinals - Red's pitching was one of the few bright spots for the Cardinals last year.  He should help the Cards battle for a playoff spot this year.

14.  Bryan Anderson, Clark County Colt .45's - Bryan showed that he could pitch last season when the .45's joined the North.  Look for him to continue to improve in the South this season.

13.  Scott Coleman, Jackmove Giants - Cole is the career strikeout king in the CCWA with 739 of them.  Look for him to continue to make Northern League hitters look silly.

12.  Mark "Manni" Sefner, Buckman Blue Jays - Manni is the epitome of a four tool player.  He does everything well on the wiffleball field (Hitting, Pitching, Defense, Drinking).

11.  Thomas King, Portland Gothams - King has one of the nastiest screwballs the league has seen.  He mixes speeds and location well and could make a run at the Cy Young.

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#30-21)

We're back again recounting the CCWA's top 50 for 2012.  You can always check the CCWA's Twitter page for the updated list and to join the conversation.

30.  Joey "Old Crow" Bock, Rose City Royals - Joey has shown drastic improvement with his pitching and could lead the Royals to their first playoff appearance.

29.  Brittany Warren, Jackmove Giants - Britt takes her big bat to the Giants lineup and should help them score some much need runs.

28.  John "Hippo" Savoie, Portland Gothams - Hippo does everything well on the wiffleball field.  He is one of the most consistent players the league has seen.

27.  Nate Colpron, Clark County Colt .45's - Colpron will be challenged early by the pitching in the South but should come around and should help the 45's battle for a playoff spot.

26.  Matt McVicar, Portland Gothams - Matty Baseball is a masher and his presence in the Gothams lineup should help them score some runs.

25.  Josh Martin, Eastside Expos - Martin proved to be an integral piece of the Expos title run last season.  Look for the Spos to challenge with his help.

24.  Erik Doyle, Longview Lumberjacks - Doyle can hit and should continue to hit.  He also led the league in tackles last season.

23.  Dan Woytek, Portland Gothams - Woytek went off last season!  Look for him to get close to the numbers he posted last season.

22.  Andy Kushner, Bridge City Dodgers - Kush had batters confused from the mound with his pitching and should continue to smoke-screen the competition.

21.  Keith Bunn, Ridgefield Orioles - Bunn's all-around game continued to improved last season and he should only get better in his second season.

Will Anybody Break Burck's Homerun Record?

Josh Burckhardt, Hitting Machine

Last season saw Josh Burckhardt break the single season homerun record by clubbing 24 round trippers.  Burck has a threat to go yard anytime he was at the plate and he ran away with the triple crown.  His 101 RBI's is also a new single season mark in the CCWA.

The previous record of 21 homeruns was set the season before by Brad Williamson of the Brewers.  Williamson broke the previous record of 17 that Burckhardt had set back in 2007.  Burckhardt was determined to regain the mark and set out with a vengeance last season. 

I'm not sure anybody can touch the 24 bomb mark in a single season but here are the top contenders this year.  And I'm not saying that anybody will break the record, but if they did the odds behind each player represents how likely it would be that they were the new record holder.

Matt Jones, Jackmove Giants - Matt Jones has had some great hitting seasons in the past and is looking to return to form.  With Jones Field being the perfect layout for his left-handed bat he could make a run this season if he gets hot. (15-1 odds)

Omar "el Dominicano" Steinberg, Eastside Expos - Omar has one of the sweetest swings that the CCWA has ever seen. He's currently sitting at #2 all-time on the HR chart and is a threat to go yard with every at-bat. (5-1)

"Big Bad" Brad Williamson, Lexington Brewers - Brad is back in the CCWA after taking last season off.  He has a great swing and if he plays a full season there's a chance that he could make a run at the record. (8-1)

Jeff "Preez" Priester, Buckman Blue Jays - Priester just keeps getting better and should continue to improve in his third season.  He doubled his homerun numbers from his rookie year to his sophomore campaign and will try to do it again this season.  If he does he could make a serious run at the single season mark. (10-1)

Josh "Burck" Burckhardt, Longview Lumberjacks - You don't become the all-time homerun leader by accident and Burck has belted round trippers at an impressive rate since his rookie season.  His career mark of 73 homeruns (and counting) will most likely never be touched, especially if he continues to play at this level. (3-1)

Now remember, all of this is most likely just talk.  The level of pitching in the CCWA is higher then it ever has been.  Almost every single team in the league has at least one bona-fide Ace, a guy who could go out at any time and throw a no-hitter.  I honestly believe that we'll be lucky to see anybody reach the 20 homerun plateau again.

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#40-31)

Continuing our pre-season countdown of the top 50 players of 2012 predictions, here are numbers 40 through 31.  For the full list follow the CCWA on twitter.

40.  Brooks Karey, Rose City Royals - Showed some promise on the mound last season, hopefully his liver doesn't go on the DL.

39.  Josh Philpott, Longview Lumberjacks - Philly is back in the CCWA and looking to return to form.  If he gets hitting he could do some damage.

38.  Josh Ellis, Mid-Town Mariners - Josh just keeps getting better, year after year.  Look for his role to be integral in the M's playoff chances.

37.  Gram McCloud, Buckman Blue Jays - Look for Gram to continue to improve from the mound and be a spot-starter for the BJ's.

36.  Rick Meder, Ridgefield Orioles - The O's captain actually wasn't on the original list but his Grandma bribed me with some cookies.

35.  Dustin Weasel, Rose City Royals - Weasel is looking to capture the crown of "CCWA's Top Catcher" now that Phil Shero is retired.

34.  Mike Wilson, Longview Lumberjacks - If Wilson can shake the rust off he could make a run at the Cy Young in the North.

33.  Sean Fouts, Buckman Blue Jays - If only Mr. Fouts could play more often he would be much higher on this list.

32.  Joe Occi, Portland Gothams - The Gothams captain will need to do all things well this year as his team battles the Jays.

31.  Parker Williamson, Lexington Brewers - Parker has already mastered the art of Smack-talk and his game continues to improve.

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#50-41)

We've started listing what we think the Top 50 Players of the 2012 season will be over on the CCWA's Twitter page and thought we'd recap them here.  So here are the players ranked from 50-41.

50.  Jeramey Randall, Rose City Royals - Jeramey earns this spot on drinking prowess alone.  Look for him to return to the Beer Team this season.

49.  Mike Sweet, Ridgefield Orioles - Look for former MLB'er Rick Sweet's nephew to expand on his rookie season.

48.  Nate Bullock, Longview Lumberjacks - If he could hit like he can talk smack he'd be the triple crown winner every season.

47.  Nicole Colpron, Clark County Colt .45's - Nicole can flat out hit!  Let's see how she adjusts to the Southern League.

46.  Dan Lurie, Bridgetown Black Barons - One of only two rookies to make the list, Dan is the favorite for Southern League ROY.

45.  Sonny Cronk, Cowlitz Black Bears - The other rookie on the list, Sonny is a masher and should help the Bears win some games.

44.  Tyler Robinson, Columbia Hgts. Cardinals - Tyler's game started to come together at the end of last season, let's see how he performs in his sophomore year.

43.  Eddie Francis, Rose City Royals - This chicken wing eating champion is poised for a bounce back year at the plate.

42.  Trevor Watson, Columbia Hgts. Cardinals - Spudder showed last year that he could hit, he should expand on his rookie year.

41.  Jimmy Robb, Eastside Expos - Rimmy Jobb has been great as a spot starter for the Spos in the past and should continue in that role this season.

We'll be back tomorrow with a recap on players 40 through 31.

CCWA Southern League set for major expansion

This season marks a big change for the CCWA Southern League.  The Stumptown Astros have folded and left the league after one season.  Taking their place is the Clark County Colt .45's, a team that played last season in the Northern League but will be moving to the South. 

The Southern League has also added three expansion teams to the mix to move to nine teams total.  These nine teams will be playing in three different divisions.  Each division winner will advance to the playoffs with only one Wild Card team advancing to the post-season. 

Here's how the divisions will line up with the teams and their captains.

Western Division
Rose City Royals - Joey "Old Crow" Bock
Clark County Colt .45's - Bryan Anderson
Bridgetown Black Barons - Dan Lurie

Central Division
Buckman Blue Jays - Mark "Manni" Sefner
Portland Gothams - Joe Occi
Beaver State Biscuits - Mark Dek

Eastern Division
Eastside Expos - Dan "Bookem" Sefner
Mid-Town Mariners - Ryan "Ox" Oxford
Bridge City Dodgers - Andy "Kush" Kushner

Look for the Southern League to be an absolute bloodbath this season. 

Big Thanks

Tomorrow we'll start re-posting the CCWA's Top 50 for the 2012 season #CCWAtop50 but today I wanted to say thanks to everybody that's helped make this league what it is today.  As we get ready to start our seventh season I feel extremely fortunate that we have such a great group of people that are willing to help out and make the CCWA such a success.  Here's everybody I'd like to thank in no particular order.

Matt & Brittany Jones, Jim Hewey, Mark "Manni" Sefner, Eddie Bert, Joey Bock, Phil Shero, Art Carney, TJ McNeely, John Savoie, Ryan "Ox" Oxford, Dan Sefner, Willie Nelson, Eric Wahl, Erik Guttormsen, Mike Jones, Kelly Frost, Max Fisher, Tony Liepa, Matt Miller, Dan Hurley, Blair Whiteman, Josh Burckhardt, Lance Sasser, Justin Luehr, Joe Occi, Jeramey Randall, Chris Stewart, Zac & Jessica Warren, Rick Meder's Grandma, Scott Coleman, Gerald Allen, Pat "Truck" Moriarty, Brian "Brimy" Myers and many, many others.

Thanks again for making the CCWA such a great place to play wiffleball.  Hopefully I'll see you all on the field this year.  -Nate

2012 Season Predictions

With Opening Day exactly two weeks away here's our predictions for the 2012 Season.

All Star Game Predictions
Northern League All Stars over Southern League All Stars 3-1.
Rookie Stars will defeat the Fun Stars 27-14.
Mike Benkoski will win the Homerun Derby.

Northern League Predictions
North-West Champs : Longview Lumberjacks
North-East Champs : Jackmove Giants
North Wild Card #1 : Lexington Brewers
North Wild Card #2 : Ridgefield Orioles
Northern League Champions : Lexington Brewers
Northern League MVP : Zac Warren, Jackmove Giants
Northern League Cy Young : Eric Dorland, Ridgefield Orioles
Northern League Most Improved : Erik Doyle, Longview Lumberjacks
Northern League Rookie of the Year : Sonny Cronk, Cowlitz Black Bears

Southern League Predictions
South-West Champs : Clark County Colt .45's
South-Central Champs : Buckman Blue Jays
South-East Champs : Eastside Expos
South Wild Card : Mid-Town Mariners
Southern League Champions : Eastside Expos
Southern League MVP : Omar Steinberg, Eastside Expos
Southern League Cy Young : Justin Ellis, Mid-Town Mariners
Southern League Most Improved: Dustin Weasel, Rose City Royals
Southern League Rookie of the Year : Dan Lurie, Bridgetown Black Barons

Playoff Predictions
CCWA Champions : Eastside Expos over Lexington Brewers
CCWA Player of the Year : Omar Steinberg, Eastside Expos

Eastside Expos become the first team to win back to back CCWA Championships and the only team to ever win three titles.

CCWA's Top Fifty Players

Starting tomorrow on the CCWA's twitter feed we will start listing the top fifty players of the 2012 season.  These players aren't necessarily the top players of all-time, these are the guys that we're predicting will have the biggest season in 2012.  Look for the hashtag #CCWAtop50 and join in on the conversation on Twitter.

Eastside Expos 2011 CCWA Champions

Dan Sefner, Jimmy Robb, Josh Martin, Omar Steinberg

Last season's champions, the Eastside Expos, made CCWA history by becoming the first team to ever win two championships.  With the level of competition in the league there has been huge parity on teams winning the title.  Last season the Spos used a mix of top-notch pitching with some very timely hitting to make their run through the playoffs. 

Now don't get me wrong, the Expos were no slouches when he came to batting.  Omar Steinberg was his usual self at the plate, hitting for an extremely high average while taking many trips around the bases.  Dan Sefner put up a career high in roundtrippers and always seemed to come through in the clutch.  Rookie Josh Martin helped his team with some extremely needed hits to keep rallies alive.  And Jimmy Robb?  Well, he was Jimmy Robb.

When the Expos took the mound the other team usually ended up with a scorecard full of K's.  Dan Sefner once again dominated the league and won his third straight Cy Young award.  He has become one of the greatest pitchers the CCWA has ever seen.  Omar Steinberg was the second starter for most of the season and would've been the Ace on many of the other teams.  His pitching helped carry Eastside all the way to the crown. 

Look for the Expos to be the favorite in the 2012 season.  They'll be playing with a huge bullseye on their back but that's something that they've become accustomed to.  If any team had a chance of repeating it's these guys.

Dan Sefner, 2011 CCWA Player of the Year

the Man, the Myth, the Legend

Last year's choice for Player of the Year was one of the toughest ones we've ever had here in the CCWA.  It basically came down to two teammates who helped lead their team, the Eastside Expos, to their second championship in three seasons.  When it was all said and done Dan "Bookem" Sefner edged out Omar "el Dominicano" Steinberg in a close vote.  Sefner got the nod for being the Spos Ace and dominating from the mound.

Last year Sefner posted a 9-4 record with 2 saves and a miniscule 0.97 ERA.  He struck out 194 batters in 80 innings while only walking 52.  What makes that 9-4 record even more impressive is that he pitched against the best pitchers from every team the Spos faced off against.  Every pitcher in this league wants to beat Sefner, who has become the most dominant pitcher in league history.  He also batted extremely well this past season batting .257 with 9 homeruns and 38 RBIs.  All in all he had an amazing season. 

It'll be interesting to see if Sefner can lead his Expos to another title and become the first team to ever repeat.  Good luck Bookem!

Back From the Dead

Hey all!  With CCWA's seventh season quickly approaching I've decided to revive the blog.  I will try to post on at least a weekly basis with everything that's happening here in the Pacific Northwest.  We're a little over two weeks away from Opening Day so we should have lots of good information here for you.  Stay tuned!

New CCWA Logo

Many thanks to Mark of the Expos for cleaning up and polishing my old design. Well done!

Sign up for Season 4; Summer of 2009

If you're interested in joining in on the action that the Columbia Cowlitz Wiffleball Association then you've come to the right place. Team sign-ups are now underway for Season 4. We are looking to add eight new teams total, four in each League.
All of the current teams in the CCWA will be back next year to compete for the Championship trophy once again. So we're expanding to a total of twenty teams in the league total.
If you want to sign your team up send an e-mail to me at nate.bullock@yahoo.com for more information. I will send you a team sign up form and get you set for next year.
2008 is turning out to be the best season in league history and next year will top that. Don't miss out!

Nick Mason done for the year

The Portland Royals lost a key part of their team last week went Nick Mason was lost with an ankle injury. He will miss the rest of the 2008 season and the Royals have placed him on their physically unable to perform list.
Get well soon Nick, we'll miss you at the field.

All Star teams announced!

The votes are in and they've been tallied. This year's All-Star teams have been decided. In the North three sets of teammates fill out the team while the South represents four teams. Here are the rosters for the 2008 CCWA All-Star game.
Northern League
Matt Jones, Jackmove 23 votes
Tony Liepa, Red Sox 20
DennyKing, Brewers 13
Scott Coleman, Jackmove 11
Erik Guttormsen, Brewers 9
Mike Wilson, Red Sox 5
Southern League
Eric Keele, Pirates 24 votes
Wayne Miller, Royals 11
Dan Hurley, Reds 10
Zac Warren, Pirates 7
John Nixon, Reds 4
Kyle Schulz, Braves 4

Josh Burckhardt of the now defunct Vancouver Yankees recieved 18 votes and would've been starting for the South before he quit the league.

Vancouver Yankees quit the league

The Vancouver Yankees have let the league office know that they would be quitting the league effective immediately. Their team captain Josh Burckhardt was upset about a forfeit being ruled against his team from the week one rainout against the Laurelhurst Pirates.
During the preseason meeting, which Burckhardt attended, there was an agreement that make-up games have to be scheduled for in a two week period. The home team is always responsible for the scheduling. Burckhardt failed to schedule a game and the co-commissioners Jim Hewey and Dan Hurley ruled that the game was a forfeit.
It was about a week later that Burckhardt informed Jim Hewey and Nate Bullock of the Yankees leaving the league.

Portland Royals could be first sponsored Southern League team

League sources say that Portland Royals team captain Jeramey Randall is in talks to get a sponsorship for his expansion team. Word is that Jeramey has been talking to the Bitter End Pub to get a team sponsorship. Details of the sponsorship are still unknown at this time but we assume that the team will most likely get hats and a nice bar tab after every game.

With this being the only team with a sponsorship down South, it'll be interesting to see if the other teams support the Bitter End or try to find sponsorships of their own.

Southern League Player of the Week

In their week 2 matchup the Vancouver Yankees were able to sweep the Portland Royals in a two game series. Josh Burckhardt was an integral part of their wins and earns Player of the Week honors because of it. In game one he took the mound and went 7 innings giving up 3 hits, 1 run and 2 walks while striking out ten. In game two Burck did all the damage from the plate. He was 5 for 8 with two bombs, five rbi's and four runs scored. He led the Yankees to a 9-0 victory to close the series.

Congrats Josh.

Northern League Player of the Week

In week 2 Matt Jones stepped up HUGE for the Jackmove Giants in their series against the La Center White Sox. In the two game series, Matt hit a total of four homeruns. He is now at five on the season and at 15 for his career, which ties him for second all-time.

Congrats Matt.

Laurelhurst Mets make debut tomorrow night

The Laurelhurst Mets are making their season debut tomorrow night, April 14th against the Couch St. Reds in a two game series. I'm not quite sure what to expect, but I know it'll be some good wiffle.

Keele throws first perfect game in CCWA history

Eric "Dr. K" Keele of the Laurelhurst Pirates did something against the Gresham Braves that has never been done before in the CCWA. The perfect game. Eighteen batters faced, eighteen batters out. Eric struck out fifteen and got three outs on batted balls to accomplish the feat. He did not walk any batters during the game.

Couch St. Reds pull off first double play in league history

"Thunder" Dan Hurley and Casey Bradley of the Couch St. Reds pulled of the first double play in league history in the first week of play. They were playing against the Portland Royals when Jeramey Randall hit a soft grounder up the middle. Mr. All-Defense Hurley scooped up the slow roller and tossed it to Bradley who was waiting in the double play triangle. Casey turned the play effortlessly and got the Reds out of the inning. They would go on to win the game.

Northern League Player of the Week

Denny King of the Lexington Brewers is our choice for the week 1 Player of the Week for the North. We expected Denny to be good his rookie season but this is ridiculous. Denny went off at the plate batting .364 while hitting his first two career homeruns. He also got the win on the mound in one of the games going the full 6 innings while striking out 11 and allowing 4 runs. King helped the Brew Crew get off to a great start and hopes to help them back to the Championship Series. With the Brewers getting so close last year and adding the free agents and rookies they did, anything less than a trip to the Cup is going to be disappointing. Look for Denny to continue his great batting this weekend against the Quiznos Indians. Congrats Denny.

Southern League Player of the Week

The new season is just underway and we're ready to announce the Week 1 CCWA Players of the Week. This week Nick Mason of the Portland Royals is our player of the week. In his first career game he led the Royals to a win from the mound. He went all 8 innings, gave up 5 runs and 8 hits but struck out 12 and most importantly he got the win. The Royals played a very tough Reds team that just about won this one. At the plate Nick was 6 for 14 in the series, batting a healthy .429. He hit his first homerun and knocked in seven while scoring five runs himself. Lets see if he can keep it going this weekend against the defending CCWA champs, the Vancouver Yankees. Congrats Nick.

Gresham Braves join the league

The Southern League just added a new team to replace the defunct Chinatown Athletics. The Gresham Braves will join the league for the 2008 season.
The expansion Braves will be led by team captain Kyle Schulz. Schulz played high school and college baseball and should make the transition to wiffleball pretty smoothly. Also joining Kyle are his dad Todd Schulz along with friends Branden Bradford and Dave Gunderson.
They will have to make up a game against the Laurelhurst Mets in the upcoming weeks and will kick off their season this Sunday against the Laurelhurst Pirates.
The league office was sad to see the Athletics go since they played last season but is happy to have a new team that is dedicated to playing.

Week 1 Predictions

We've got some great matchups Week 1, what a great way to start the season.
In the North we've got the Lexington Brewers playing the Jackmove Giants at Jones Field. This are two great teams with a great history in the CCWA and I see them splitting the two game series. We've also got the Quiznos Indians squaring off with the Rose Valley Red Sox. The Sox will play tough but Quiznos experience will help them get the series sweep. The last series has the expansion White Sox taking on the expansion Mariners. Although there is some CCWA experience on the M's roster I think the White Sox will get off to a quick start with the series sweep.
In the South we've got the defending champion Vancouver Yankees taking on the Laurelhurst Pirates. Lets see here... hmmmm... I'm gonna go with the Pirates I think in this one with the sweep of the Champs. The Pirates have a history of getting off to good starts to begin the season. The expansion Portland Royals are going to have their hands full with the Couch St. Reds and I see the Reds sweeping the Royals in a tough series. The expansion Mets on the other hand will get one win as they split their season-opening series with the Athletics.

Ed Bert traded to the Laurelhurst Mets

In a shocking move, the Laurelhurst Pirates have agreed to send last year's MVP Ed Bert to the Laurelhurst Mets. With the Pirates adding Zac Warren to the roster playing time for everybody was going to be short. An offer came in from the Laurelhurst Mets for Ed Bert and the Pirates could not refuse. Since Ed most likely won't appear all season, he agreed to play for the Mets and try to lead them to the postseason.
The Pirates, in return for Ed Bert, will be recieving a keg of Lucky Labrador beer from the Mets and a couple of pizzas. Mets captain Robert Long was very excited about adding Ed saying "He's a proven winner and he gives our new team a chance to be competitive right away."

Luke Fowler joins the Rose Valley Red Sox

Former Wiffleball Furies player Luke Fowler has agreed to play in the 2008 season for the Rose Valley Red Sox. Luke played in season one and missed last year. He was one of the few bright spots on that Furies roster and should come in and help the Red Sox make the playoffs.

BATTING STATS

YEAR	TEAM	AVG	GP	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	OBP	SLG
2006	FURIES	.056	4	18	1	1	0	0	0	0	4	2	.227	.056

FIELDING STATS

YEAR	TEAM	GP	INN	TC	PO	E	F.PCT
2006	FURIES	4	22	11	11	0	1.000

PITCHING STATS

YEAR	TEAM	GP	GS	IP	R	ER	H	BB	K	CG	W	L	S	ERA
2006	FURIES	1	1	6	3	3	4	4	0	1	0	1	0	3.00

ONE WEEK AWAY!

You know Wiffleball season is close when this shows up on the front porch...
That's right, 300 wiffleballs straight from the Wiffle Ball Company in Connecticut...

Opening Day is so close...

The CCWA drops a couple of teams for 2008 Season

In the past week the CCWA has removed two teams from the Northern Division and two teams from the South.
In the North the Toutle Angels were dropped from the league after they wouldn't pay their team fees. It's too bad too because this team could've contended for the title in my opinion. Matt Bailey would've been a great captain and set the tone for the rest of his team which included former Brewer Tim Davis. CCWA rookie Denny King had already paid his fee so he was allowed to join whichever team he wanted and that team would get an exemption on the six man roster size for the 2008 season. Denny decided that he'd join his friends on the Brewer roster and make them even stronger.
In very disappointing news the league office learned that the Cowlitz Cubs would also be dropping out of the league. Team captain Tyler Johnson was originally set to leave the season at the half-way point to go to college. Now he is scheduled to leave the second week of April which doesn't leave much time for wiffleball. Also departing the Cubs roster was Ryan Poston who is going to be Tyler's roommate in College. Kelle Ogden already had paid her fees and was given the same option as Denny. She decided to stay in the league and join her former team captain, Laura "Crazy Eyez" Marcil, on the Mariners roster.
In the South the new tournament tested team of the Rose City Padres dropped out of the league. It's tough to say how good this team may have been. I'm not sure if they really could hang with the CCWA since they dropped out before the season began.
In other Southern League news, the Woodstock Tigers have dropped a player in the last week. This left them with two players who both decided to join the Chinatown Athletics leaving the Tigers as a vacant team. With the Padres leaving we needed to cut another team for scheduling purposes. The now vacant Tigers were the perfect option.
For scheduling each team got assigned to a new division and will play each team in their League four games total. This will be in addition to two randomly drawn inter-league matchups.
NORTHERN LEAGUE

West	East
Lexington Brewers	Jackmove Giants
Quiznos Indians	Rose Valley Red Sox
La Center White Sox	Kelso Mariners

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

West	East
Vancouver Yankees	Laurelhurst Pirates
Portland Royals	Couch St. Reds
Chinatown Athletics	Laurelhurst Mets

The dropping of teams may actually prove to be good for the league as the remaining teams are all going to be able to play their games. Forfeits were unfortunately a big part of last season but should drop considerably this year. Along with the rising player fees the fact that 2/3 of the teams in the league will make the playoffs should keep teams interested and competitive through-out the season.
Thanks to all who help make this league the success that it is. The CCWA 2008 season will be the best yet.

2008 CCWA News Pre-Season Predictions

So it's that time of year again wiffleball fans. We're just two weeks away from the start of the 2008 season and things are getting exciting. I plan on going through both leagues here and giving my totally unbiased predictions. Lets start with the North...
North-West division winners : Lexington Brewers - With the core of players that made it to the Championships last year coming back and being joined by Erik "Gus" Guttormsen and Ty Baker makes this the team to beat in the North.
North-East Division winners : Rose Valley Red Sox - With the Liepa brothers both being on the same team this team will play some great wiffle. Look for team captain Tony "Ducky" Liepa to continue from where he left off after the 2006 season.
Northern Division Wild Card 1 : Quiznos Indians - I think that this will be the year that team Quiznos finally gets into the playoffs. Team captain Garrett "Teabag" Booth has been looking sharp all preseason long. He's been hitting the ball with power and done an excellent job pitching.
Northern Division Wild Card 2 : Jackmove Giants - Team captain Matt "Corduroy" Jones will have to have another great pitching season to help carry this team to the playoffs. The loss of Zac Warren will hurt this team on the mound and they'll lose a close, season long division battle to the Red Sox.
Regular Season MVP : Tony Liepa, Rose Valley Red Sox
Regular Season Cy Young : Matt Jones, Jackmove Giants
Regular Season Rookie of the Year : Denny King, Lexington Brewers

South-West Division winners : Vancouver Yankees - With 2007's Player of the Year Josh "Burck" Burckhardt taking over as team captain this team has a great chance to repeat. There is not another player in the league that hits the ball as well as Josh does. With Josh "Philly" Philpott and Erik "Chilly Willie" Williamson returning as well look for this team to win a lot of games.
South-East Division winners : Laurelhurst Pirates - With Cy Young winner Eric "Doctor K" Keele being joined by Zac "Eazy-Z" Warren this team has the best starting pitching in the league. This team has been hitting the ball extremely hard in Spring Training and hopes to keep that trend going into the season.
Southern Division Wild Card 1 : Couch St. Reds - Team captain "Thunder" Dan Hurley will lead this team to the postseason after just falling short last year. They should be one of the best defensive teams in the league and keep games close with their D.
Southern Division Wild Card 2 : Portland Royals - This was an extremely tough call due to the fact that I haven't seen all of the teams play yet. But I have seen these guys play other sports and I think that in the wide-open Southern League they may have a shot at the playoffs.
Regular Season MVP : Josh Burckhardt, Vancouver Yankees
Regular Season Cy Young : Eric Keele, Laurelhurst Pirates
Regular Season Rookie of the Year : Robert Long, Laurelhurst Mets

Northern Division playoffs; Round 1
Lexington Brewers will defeat the Jackmove Giants in a 2-0 sweep. Look for Ty Baker to be dominant in this series.
Rose Valley Red Sox will defeat the Quiznos Indians 2 games to 1. The pitching combo of Tony and Karlis Liepa will be too much for the Quiznos batters.

Southern Division playoffs; Round 1
Laurelhurst Pirates will defeat the Portland Royals in a 2-0 sweep. This series will be dominated by great pitching from the Pirates staff.
Vancouver Yankees will defeat the Couch St. Reds in a 2-0 sweep. Josh Burckhardt will go off at the plate in this series.

Division Finals
Lexington Brewers will beat the Rose Valley Red Sox in a close series that ends 3 games to 2. Both teams will pitch well but the Brewers will pull it out in the last game with clutch batting.
Laurelhurst Pirates will defeat the Vancouver Yankees 3 games to 1. The Pirates pitching staff will be too much for the Yankees to handle. Josh Burckhardt will play well but won't be able to carry his whole team.

CCWA Championships
Laurelhurst Pirates over the Lexington Brewers in five games. This will be another great series for the record books like last season's Championships. But in the end the pitching of the Pirates will be too much for the Brew Crew to overcome and the Brewers will fall short of the title for the second year in a row.

CCWA Player of the Year
Josh Burckhardt, Vancouver Yankees
Even though he won't defend his title, he will have the greatest offensive season to ever be seen in the CCWA. This year Burck will set records that may never be broken, especially with the overall pitching of the league improving as it grows.

Philpott playing with Yanks

Contrary to earlier rumors, it is now being reported that Josh Philpott will indeed be playing in the 2008 season with the Vancouver Yankees. He will be an integral part of their team and could help determine if they repeat or not. Look for Philly to be one of the best players in the league again this season.

Zac Warren joins the Laurelhurst Pirates

Zac "Eazy-Z" Warren, who played for Jackmove last year, decided that this season he was going to play in the Southern League to be closer to home. After narrowing his choice of teams down to three, he chose to join the Laurelhurst Pirates.

With his addition the Pirates now have five quality pitchers. With Zac joining Eric "Doctor K" Keele the Pirates look to have the best starting pitching in the CCWA.

Zac said it was an extremely tough call leaving Jackmove and his good friend Matt Jones but he's happy to have landed on the Pirates. He plans on playing for Laurelhurst for a couple of seasons and then ending his career with Jackmove.

Josh Philpott may miss season?

There are talks in the Yankee camp that Josh Philpott will not be returning for next season. Josh was an integral part of the 2007 CCWA Champion team. His all around play will be missed. In a recent poll of CCWA players to determine who the best players in the league where, Philly finished in at number nine overall. Yankees captain Josh Burckhardt, who finished first overall in that same poll, will have more of a job to do now to carry his team.

For his replacement the Yanks are in talks with former LCC pitcher Drew McEllrath. If Drew did join the Yankees and pitch as good as Burckhardt says he will, he would provide a deadly 1-2 combo with Burck.

How is all of this going to affect the Yankees season? It'll be interesting to see if they can defend their title with everybody in the league gunning for them.

Jackmove Giants shopping for a new pitcher?

Jackmove captain Matt Jones is searching for a new number two pitcher to help the Giants make the playoffs. Rumor has it that the G-Men may be bringing back a season 1 player to strengthen their lineup.

Laurelhurst Pirates adding a free agent

The Laurelhurst Pirates have recently come added a new player to their team. The team isn't announcing the signing until April 4th to keep the competition guessing. That is the latest the team can announce their new player and have him eligible for Opening Day against the Yankees.
Sources say the player will give the Pirates and edge in the South and make them a favorite for the post-season. Some people who have knowledge of the deal are calling it the biggest roster move in the history of the league.
Stay tuned here for a major announcement.....

Portland Tigers drop out

Newcomer Mike Vitallero and his team the Portland Tigers have informed the league that they will not be joining for the 2008 season. Team Captain Mikey V. said that he couldn't get enough people to commit for the whole season. He said he would be possibly interested in joining another team but will most likely focus his attention to softball.
Last year's Woodstock Unicorns have decided to adopt the Tigers name as their own, in part to honor their Michigan roots. As disappointed as the team was that they had to lose their Unicorn moniker, they decided that the Tigers was their best option.
This leaves only eight teams in the South and could force us to cut the North down to eight teams also for scheduling purposes. We will also most likely scrap the three divisions in favor of two in both the North and the South. The top two teams in each division will advance to the playoffs with the top seed in the Northwest playing the two seed in the Northeast and vice-versa.

Salem Blazers call it quits

Lance Sasser and Beau Theisen were both thinking of playing wiffleball this Summer. After contract negotiations with the Couch St. Reds fell through they both decided to sit out the season.
They were offered a spot as a team and denied it due to lack of interest.

Ty Baker signs with the Lexington Brewers

Lexington Brewers team captain, Jim Hewey announced today that the team had come to an agreement with free agent Ty Baker for the upcoming season. Ty Baker was the number one rated free agent on the market this offseason. Last year he played with the Femme Fatales and almost led them to the playoffs. He won the Northern League's Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards.
With this addition the Lexington Brewers are the team to beat in the Northern League in 2008. Earlier this offseason they had Erik Guttormsen join their lineup. They essentially signed the top two free agents available.
It looks like Brewer Brian Eyer will miss a good portion of the season with the combination of Baker and Guttormsen making up for him. Last year's MVP Timmy Kramer will be back full time to be the ace. Jim Hewey should improve on his batting even more than last year and will be a lock in the field. Phil Shero will be back as their cleanup hitter and catcher.
Look for the Brewers to challenge for the league title this year after almost winning it last year.

Reds sign two former Wizards

Reds captain Dan Hurley announced today that Matt Miller and Sam Fox would both be joining his lineup. Last year Matt Miller was the captain of the Wizards and together with Hurley almost led them to the playoffs. Sam Fox only appeared in a couple of games but played extremely well and should help the Reds.
Dan also added that their newest addition, rookie Casey Bradley, is going to win the Defensive player of the year award and lead the league in outs. Dan said "This newcomer breaks glasses and rips pants during our Spring Training but he didn't miss an out or a ball". That's high praise coming from last season's best defensive player Hurley.
With his lineup almost set for 2008 it looks like the Reds will challenge for a playoff spot.

Hot Stove Update part. 2

We're still a little over two months away from Opening Day and there are still a couple of notable unsigned free agents
1. Ty Baker, is currently in contact with four different teams and could end up in either the North or South this next season...
2. Erik Guttormsen, recently signed with the Lexington Brewers for the 2008 season.
3. Beau Theisen and his former captain Lance Sasser are both in talks with the Couch St. Reds to join them next season...
4. Austin Brown, could still possibly be joining the Red Sox but may also be in talks with at least one other team...
5. Matt Miller, looks to be joining the Reds for the 2008 season, reuniting with former teammate Dan Hurley...

Cubbies sign Ogden

Kelle Ogden, formerly of the Femme Fatales, agreed to play for the Cowlitz Cubs in the 2008 season. It looked like she was going to join Quiznos and play for the Indians but at the last second she signed with the Cubs. She should help out this team that will have three rookies on their roster.
Cubs team captain Tyler Johnson also announced that Justin Johnson will be making his return to the CCWA after missing the second half of last season. This is huge for the Cubs since JJ was had the highest regular season batting average in the Northern Division last year.
With these signings and some of the rookies the Cubs have added they may just have a shot at the playoffs. It's going to be tough though in their division which also includes the Jackmove Giants and the Quizno Indians.

Marcil joins the Mariners

Former Femme Fatale team captain Laura Marcil has agreed to join the Kelso Mariners for the upcoming season. After the Fatales disbanded after last season, Laura was looking for a new team and had a couple of offers. In the end she thought the Mariners would be the best fit.
She should add a decent bat and some pitching to the new M's squad. She is definitely the veteran of the team after playing all last season opposed to Mariners' captain Reggie Williamson who appeared in four games in 2007.
The Mariners have two more open roster spots and could make some more moves.

Guttormsen signs with the Brewers

Erik Guttormsen made his decision on where to play in the 2008 season final this past Wednesday when he selected to join the Lexington Brewers. The Laurelhurst Pirates were hoping to re-sign him and the Cowlitz Cubs and Quiznos Indians were also both interested in his services.
The Brewers now look like the team to beat in the Northern League with the addition of Gus. His left handed bat should fit in nicely with the Brew Crew lineup and he should once again wreak havoc on the short RF fence of Jones Field. He may also take the mound for the Brewers from time to time to help out their rotation.
Brewers captain, Jim Hewey, was ecstatic on Erik's decision to join the team. "We're not sure how often he'll be able to play, but when he's on the field it will make our team better" Jim added.

Hot Stove Update

With the upcoming season still a couple of months away I've decided to take a look at the top five free agents that are still unsigned. I've also speculated on where I could see this team ending up.
1. Ty Baker, Rumor has it that the Lexington Brewers are very interested in last season's Cy Young winner...
2. Erik Guttormsen, I know of four teams that are after his services right now and I have no idea who he will sign with...
3. Beau Theisen, It's unknown how much Beau will play in 2008 but he may end up joining the Reds with former teammate Lance Sasser...
4. Austin Brown, After getting injured during last season Austin should bounce back strong this year. The most obvious choice is the Red Sox with friend Karlis Liepa...
5. Matt Miller, Could possibly be teaming up with former teammate Dan Hurley on the Reds to add a little homerun power...

Where will the Fatales end up?

After season 2 was over, the Femme Fatales captain Laura Marcil decided she didn't have time to run a team in the upcoming season. For a short while it looked like Kelle Ogden might step up and take over the Captain spot and keep this team alive but it never happened. So after one season the Femme Fatales were done.It looks like the core group of players from the Fatales will be back next season though.
Former captain, Laura, is interested in playing and has been in contact with the Quiznos Indians. She would help their pitching staff and also add a decent bat to their lineup.
Last year's Northern League's ROY and CY winner Ty Baker was unsure of his status in season 3 after last year was over. Rumors have it that he has been in talks with the Lexington Brewers who are always trying to upgrade their lineup. If they add Bakes they would definitely be the favorite in the North.
After Kelle decided not to captain her own team she started looking for a team to join in the North. It looked like she was going to join the Quiznos Indians but it appears like that deal has disappeared. It now sounds like she may be joining the Cowlitz Cubs lineup. If she joined the Cubs she could possibly pitch for them.

Southern League "Super-team" in the works?

It's being reported that free agents Lance Sasser, Beau Theisen and Matt Miller are in talks with Dan Hurley about joining the Couch St. Reds for the 2008 season. This move would combine the top talent from last year's Blazers and Wizards. They would be a favorite to go to the playoffs in the Southern League

McNeely signs with the Pirates

In a stunning move TJ "Greatness" McNeely has re-signed with his original team, the Laurelhurst Pirates. It was unknown what team may sign TJ since he currently lives in Las Vegas, but after talks with the Pirates it sounds like he will play in about a third of their games in 2008.

Guttormsen close to signing with new team...

Erik Guttormsen, who played for the Pirates last season, is currently the most sought after free agent on the market right now. I know of four separate teams that are all trying to convince Gus to join their team. As of right now I'd say the front runners are the Lexington Brewers.
If the Brewers added Guttormsen's potent bat to their already powerful lineup it would spell trouble for the rest of the Northern League. The Brewers are also in talk with another top prospect that would easily make their lineup the most impressive in CCWA history.

2008 Division Breakdown

The winner of each division will make the playoffs along with the wild card winner.

NORTHERN LEAGUE

West	Central	East
Lexington Brewers	Jackmove Giants	Rose Valley Red Sox
Toutle Cardinals	Quiznos Indians	Kelso Mariners
Longview Dodgers	Cowlitz Cubs	Kelso White Sox

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

West	Central	East
Vancouver Yankees	Couch St. Reds	Laurelhurst Pirates
Rose City Padres	Woodstock Orioles	Portland Tigers
Portland Royals	Chinatown Athletics	Laurelhurst Mets

One more team needed for the Southern Division

Former Woodstock Unicorn player Asher Boggioni has agreed to play next season with his own team the Chinatown Athletics. It'll be interesting to see who he recruits to join his team.
Dan Hurley, formerly of the Couch St. Wizards, has also said he plans on starting his own team with some friends of his from Cincinatti. They will be playing under the Reds nickname and it is unknown at this time if any of the other Wizards will be joining Dan.
With these two teams we are currently at eight teams for the Southern Division. It has been rumored that either the Blazers or the Wizards will return next year but nothing has been finalized. There is also the possibility that these two teams will merge to form the final team.
Below is a current team line-up for the Southern Division.
Vancouver Yankees
Laurelhurst Pirates
Couch St. Reds
Woodstock Unicorns
Rose City Wifflers
Portland Tigers
Laurelhurst Mets
Chinatown Athletics

Free Agents

Free Agents are free to sign with any team of their choosing after November 1st.

Team Update

Here's a list of teams that have already signed up for season 3. Team captains in parantheses.

Northern Division
Lexington Brewers (Jim Hewey)
Jackmove Giants (Matt Jones)
Quiznos Indians (Avish Bhalani)
Cowlitz Cubs (Tyler Johnson taking over the Wiffleball Furies)
Rose Valley Red Sox ("Ducky" Liepa's new team)
Kelso Mariners (Reggie Williamson's new team)
Longview Cardinals (Matt Bailey's new team)

Southern Division
Vancouver Yankees (Josh Burckhardt taking over the Penguins)
Laurelhurst Pirates (Nate Bullock)
Couch St. Reds (Dan Hurley taking over the Wizards)
Woodstock Unicorns (Blair Whiteman still waiting to change team name)
Rose City Wifflers (Walter Burkhartsmeier's new team)
Portland Tigers (Mike Vitellaro's new team)
Laurelhurst Mets (Robert Long's new team)

Each division will be split into 3 sub-divisions with each sub-division winner and one wild-card team making the playoffs.

The Tigers from Portland join the league

Michael "the Babe" Vitellaro has contacted me to join the Southern Division with his team, the Tigers. I first found Michael on the Wiffleball Network which is a great website for people who truly love wiffle. With the Tigers and the Rose City Wifflers both signing up for next season, the Southern Division is looking to get even stronger.

The Wiffleball Furies are back!

Tyler Johnson contacted me today to let me know that the Wiffleball Furies will be playing again next season under the new nickname the Cubs. With the Cubs joining that makes seven teams total in the North. The level of competition should be top notch next season.

Preparation for season 3 already underway.

With over five months until the CCWA's third season starts but we are already trying to get things lined up for next season. We are planning on expanding the league and changing team names, changing up some rules to make it more competitive and completely remodeling Jones field in Kelso.
With expanding the league we are hoping to almost double in size with eighteen teams total. Those teams would be split 9-9 North/South. In each league there would be three divisions and the winner of each division along with a wild card winner would go to the playoffs. As for the name change, we have decided to go with MLB team nicknames. Here is how each division is shaping up in the early stages.
North:
Lexington Brewers, Jim Hewey and company are back again for another shot at the title
Jackmove Giants, Matt Jones is looking to lead his team back into contention
Rose Valley Red Sox, ex-Pirate Tony Liepa is starting a team with his brother that could win some games
Kelso Mariners, ex-Jackmove player Reggie Williamson is back this season with his own team
Quiznos Indians, team captain Avish Bhalani has already said that Quiznos will be playing in season three
Longview ?, Matt Bailey has verbally comitted to the CCWA for next season bringing with him a team of softball players
South:
Vancouver Yankees (formerly Penguins), player of the year Josh Burckhardt is taking over for this team and changing the team name to the Yankees since in his words "they are the first franchise of the CCWA"
Laurelhurst Pirates, Nate Bullock is bringing his team back once again to compete
Woodstock Unicorns, Blair Whiteman has said he will be back but they are undecided on a nickname at this point
Couch St. Wizards, Dan Hurley is going to be bringing some form of this team back for next season
Rose City Wifflers, Walt B has gotten a hold of me and said that he and the Rose City Wifflers would be delighted to come show us how to play wiffle

Chris Stewart off to San Diego

Wiffleball Furies rookie slugger Chris Stewart has recently returned to San Diego after his stay in Cowlitz County. While here, Chris joined the Wiffleball Furies and made friends with everybody in the league that played against him. He proved early on that he would be a dangerous hitter and at the time of his departure he was currently in second place in the homerun race. He also picked up the pitching aspect of the game pretty quickly and showed great control on the mound.
Thanks for all the good times Chris, you will be missed. And thanks also for the killer Carne Asada recipe. Hope to see you back at Jones Field soon.

Week 6 Player of the Week

Josh Philpott of the Portland Penguins is named the week 6 Player of the Week. In a two game series against the Couch St. Wizards, Josh got both wins on the mound while throwing seven innings, giving up five hits, no runs while walking three and striking out eight.
At the plate he went 9-17 with one bomb and 10 RBIs total. In the second game of the series, he drove in a new CCWA record 9 RBIs.
Congratulations Josh!

Rich Black throws second No-Hitter of the season

Rich Black of the Longview Colt .45's threw a no-hitter last night against Quiznos. He went all six innings, walked two and struck out sixteen. He had a perfect game going in to the fourth when Sergey Pisarchuk got a walk. Rich also hit a homerun in the second inning to help his team's cause.
Great job Rich!

Lance Sasser off the DL

In a surprise move last weekend, Salem Blazer team captain Lance Sasser came off of the Disabled List. It was thought that Lance would be lost for the whole season but made a comeback early.
In his first game back he hit his first homerun of the season. His mobility is still somewhat limited so Lance played catcher and was able to make some good plays.
It wasn't enough in the end though as the Wizards would sweep the Blazers in a two game series.

Week 5 Player of the Week

Ty Baker wins his second player of the week award this week. Ty's team, the Femme Fatales, split a series with the Longview Colt .45's. In the series Ty hit his first homerun of the season and followed it with two more (one of them being a grand slam). He also took the mound in both games and looked dominant like he has all season.
It's looking like Bakes is the front runner for the Northern Cy Young right now, and he should make the All-Star team with ease.
Great job Bakes!

Players of the Month

The Offensive Player, Pitcher and Rookie of the Month of April have been announced. You can check it out here.

Week 4 Player of the Week

Matt Miller of the Couch St. Wizards is named player of the week for week four. He had a monster series against the Portland Penguins that included three homeruns (one of which was a grand slam) and a pitching victory on the mound. His presence at the plate has been a huge reason why the Wizards are still undefeated.

Greatness signs with Brewers

In a surprise move yesterday, TJ McNeely agreed to play with the Lexington Brewers this season. He should play in his first game for them today against league rivals Jackmove.
He moved to Las Vegas last season and will only be available a couple of times a season, but his presence on the field had at least three teams bidding for him.
It looked like he was gonna rejoin the Pirates after leading them to a league title last year but instead signed with the Brewers. It's also rumored that Quiznos and the Colt .45's were also interested in signing him.
If the Brewers make it to the playoffs and TJ makes it back for them, it could be trouble for whoever has to face them.

Willie's first at-bat

Portland Penguins team captain Erik Williamson in his first CCWA at bat. He's up against Dan Hurley of the Couch St. Wizards. Hilarity ensues.

Mills goes off against Penguins

Matt Miller of the Couch St. Wizards hit three bombs yesterday in a doubleheader against the Portland Penguins. In the first game Mills hit a grand slam in the fifth inning to put the game out of reach for the Penguins. In game two he hit two homeruns and teammate Dan Hurley added one to keep the Wiz undefeated.
With his performance yesterday, Matt moves into second place on the HR list with four round trippers this season. He is right behind Ed Bert of the Laurelhurst Pirates who has six bombs. He passed Matt Jones of Jackmove who is currently at three homeruns. There is approximately seven other players with two each.
Way to go Mills!

Week 3 Co-Player of the Week

In week three, Ty Baker made his first start for the Femme Fatales against team Quiznos. Ty would go on to pitch the whole game, allowing one hit, six walks and striking out a new CCWA record 18 on the way to the victory. Every out his team recorded was by strikeout. It was a performance that may never get matched in CCWA play. In game two, with his team up by four, Ty came in and pitched the sixth inning allowing one walk and striking out three.
No pitcher has ever struck out 21 over seven innings and I doubt it will happen ever again. Great job Bakes!