Georgia Bandits: 2006 Highlights
Sunday, March 5The Bandits Defend Their South Gwinnett Shootout Title
The Bandits successfully defended their South Gwinnett Shootout title going 5-0 in the tournament. The Bandits started the tournament with a 13-3 win over the Grayson Rams. Everyone in the batting order hit well against Grayson with Coty and Clint really shining. In game two of the tournament the Bandits decided to spot Team Thunder 11 runs in the first inning before waking up. Over the next three innings the Bandits outscored Team Thunder 15-2 to take the game 15-13. Andy came in and pitched well to give the Bandits an opportunity to rally. Hunter, Cameron, and Travis hit big homeruns in the last inning to put the team in front. In game three against the South Gwinnett Mustangs the Bandits again fell behind early. Homeruns by Cameron, Hunter and Grayson put the Bandits up as they held on for an 11-10 win. In the semi-finals the Bandits faced the South Forsyth War Eagles. Hunter pitched a great game and homered for the third time in the tournament as the Bandits edged the War Eagles for a 5-4 win. In the championship game the Bandits faced their friends the South Gwinnett Storm. The Bandits looked sharp in the championship playing a solid defensive game as well as breaking out the bats. Cameron pitched a great game and Zayne homered as the Bandits prevailed 9-1 over the Storm.
Tuesday, March 21
The Bandits 3rd In 12U At The Winder Dugout Classic
The Bandits played very good baseball as they stepped up and played in the 12U division at the Winder Dugout Classic. The Bandits won all 4 of their pool games allowing only 2 runs. The tournament started with a 12-1 victory over the Georgia Titans. Zayne and Coty looked good on the mound and the rest of the team played solid defense behind them. Cameron and Travis combined to shutout the Oconee Titans 9-0 in the next game. Once again the Bandits shined defensively. In game 3 Hunter and Grayson took their turn at combining for a shutout as the Bandits handed the Clermont A's a 4-0 defeat. To wrap up pool play Clint took the mound and pitched a complete game as the Bandits defeated the Berkley Academy Red Sox 4-1. The Bandits faced the talented Rockdale Rhinos in the semi-finals. Both teams broke out the bats with the Rhinos taking a 15-7 lead into the bottom of the 6th. The Bandits never quit and rallied for 6 runs in the 6th before the Rhinos closed the door handing the Bandits a 15-13 defeat. The Bandits will again test the 12U division in their next tournament.
Monday, April 17
Bandits 2nd At Bulldog Bash In 12U
The Bandits traveled to North Gwinnett over the weekend to play in the 12U division of the Bulldog Bash. In the opening game the Bandits handled the Gwinnett Barons 17-4. Grayson pitched a complete game and Travis and Cameron homered. In game 2 the Bandits squeaked out a 4-3 victory by playing small ball in the last inning. Travis homered for the 2nd time in the tournament. In game 3 the Bandits faced some healthy 12 year olds in the South Gwinnett Renegades. It is a good thing we didn't have to wrestle the Renegades because they were defiinetly more developed than the Bandits. Despite homers from Grayson and Clint and a soild pitching performance from Zayne the Bandits fell 11-3. In the semi-finals the Bandits rebounded to take a 10-7 victory from the Millcreek Hawks in 7 innings. Clint went deep for the 2nd time and Travis hit his 3rd of the tournament. In the championship the Bandits again faced the powerfull Renegades. The Bandits battled and kept the game close. The Renegades went to their ace pitcher who was throwing in the low 70's (mph). After a tough game the Renegades defeated the Bandits 7-5. Next up the Atlanta Super NIT.
Monday, April 17
The Bandits Fall Short Of Their Goal At Super NIT
The Bandits played in their first USSSA Super NIT over the weekend. The tournament had 172 teams from across the country in all age groups with 24 teams playing in the 11U major divison. The Bandits faced the Palmetto Lightning (SC)in their first game. The team came out flat and kicked the ball around and immediately found themselves 0-1 after the Lightning got the victory 6-3. Needing to finish in the top 2 in pool play to advance, the Bandits had work to do on Saturday. In their next game the mighty Memphis Tigers jumped on the Bandits 4-0 in the first inning. The Bandits finally woke up and responded by outscoring the Tigers 10-1 over the next 4 innings to take a 10-5 victory. Clint homered and Grayson and Cameron combined for the victory on the mound. In game 2 on Saturday the Bandits spotted the Power Alley Sluggers(AL) 5 runs in the first before responding. After the first inning the Bandits outscored the Sluggers 10-0 to take the game 10-5 and advance in the tournament. Hunter and Travis each homered in the game and Zayne and Travis combined for the win on the mound. Hats off to the Sluggers who turned a triple play during our game. In the first round of elimination play the Bandits got another chance to play the Palmetto Lightning. This time the Bandits came out hot and with homers from Clint and Zayne the Bandits prevailed 11-3. Grayson went the distance on the mound for the win. In the next round the Bandits had to play the #1 team in the country, the Temecula Tide from California. The Bandits jumped out early on the Tide with a 3 run homer from Zayne in the first inning. Cameron pitched a great game and took a 3-2 lead into the 4th inning when his defense made a couple mistakes and the lead changed. The Bandits trailed 6-3 going into the 6th and managed to score 1 before the Tide brought in their closer to finish the game. The final score was 6-4 the Tide, and the Bandits were eliminated in 5th place. A couple players who had strong tournaments were Tony, catching all but 2 innings of the tournament and Coty who had big hits at important times. The Bandits will travel to Charlotte for another Super NIT and another shot at their goal of qualifying for the Elite 24 tournament.
Tuesday, April 25
Bandits Disney Bound
The Bandits traveled to Charlotte, NC over the weekend and brought home the Super NIT championship and a birth in the USSSA Elite 24 World Series at Disney World. The Bandits started the tournament hot with a 12-2 win Friday night over the Pro Level Angels from Myrtle Beach, SC. Cameron pitched a great game and the team gave him plenty of support. Then the rain came. Saturday was a muddy mess with the rain altering everyone's schedule. The Bandits 9am game was moved to 3pm and we came out flat and fell 3-2 to the North Carolina Cardinals. Zayne pitched a great game but got no support defensively or offensively. Our third pool game was rained out so we ended up pool play 1-1 and the number 5 seed headed into elimination play Sunday. We arrived at the park Sunday having to win four in a row to bring home the championship so we went to work. First up was the Homeplate Chili Dogs from Peachtree City, GA. The Bandits came out hot and downed the Chili Dogs 12-2. Hunter went the distance on the mound and Zayne homered. In our second game we faced the number 4 seeded North Carolina Baseball Academy. We batted first and before we could take the field defensively we had jumped on the Academy 11-0. Grayson pitched a good game and Travis and Zayne hit homeruns. The Bandits downed the Academy 20-2. In the semi-finals the Bandits faced the number one seeded Greenville Marlins. We enjoy playing the Marlins because they play hard and always exhibit class and sportsmanship. Today was no different. Both teams played well and it was a close game for 4 innings, then we pulled away for the 7-3 win. Cameron pitched a gem and Travis went deep twice. Three down and one to go. The Bandits finally got a chance to play the Atlanta Monarchs in the finals. In the finals Travis took the mound and kept the Monarchs impressive offense in check by allowing only one run. Grayson homered and the defense was led by Andy as the Bandits pulled away for a 9-1 victory, the championship and a birth in the Elite 24 in Disney. Mickey Mouse here we come.
Monday, May 8
Rain Washes Out Tournament Of Champions
The Bandits made the journey to Johnson City, TN over the weekend to play in the most competitive 11U tournament in the Southeast. Unfortuanetly mother nature had other ideas. Friday's games were washed out due to the rain. We did play 2 games on Saturday defeating the Charlotte Megastars 6-5 and the Tennessee Tornados 10-2. Although we were 2-0 after pool play we were seeded 7th out of the 32 teams based on runs allowed. Sunday the rain was back and the tournament was called with us sitting in the 7th spot. We did have a few highlights in the 2 pool games. In game 1 Travis homered and Cameron and Travis combined for the win. Andy came up big with a ground rule double, blasting one 220 feet on the 225 field, to tie the game in the 6th. In game 2 Zayne homered and Grayson and Hunter combined for the win. Coty layed out for a line drive hit in the left field gap, making the catch and doubling off the runner at second. Next week we head to Huntsville for our 3rd Super NIT of the season.
Wednesday, May 17
Bandits 2nd At Rocket City Super NIT
The Bandits visited Huntsville, AL over the weekend and returned with a second place finish in the Rocket City Super NIT. The Bandits did not have their "A" game but battled through to defeat some very good teams. The Bandits started pool play by defeating the Palmetto Lightning(SC) 4-3. Zayne and Hunter combined for the win and Tony executed a beautiful squeeze when he got a bunt down on a pitch in his eyes. In game two the Bandits faced the Memphis Tigers and fell 10-4. Bandit pitchers walked 10 Tigers in the game and the Tigers hit the ball well. In our first elimination game the Bandits faced the Viper Baseball Academy (AL) and their hard throwing pitcher. Travis took the mound for the Bandits and both teams played very well. Big hits by Zayne and Hunter put the bandits ahead late in the game as we held on for a 5-3 win. In the semi-finals our buddies the Atlanta Monarchs were looking for a little payback for the defeat the Bandits handed them in Charlotte but it was not to be. Grayson took the mound and pitched four strong innings before Cameron came in to close. When it was over the Bandits had defeated the Monarchs 7-4 to earn a spot in the Championship game and a rematch with the Memphis Tigers. The Champiponship game started ugly for the Bandits as we could not find the strike zone and quickly found ourselves down 4-0 in the first inning. Hunter came on in the first to pitch and did an outstanding job for 5 innings to give us a chance to get back in the game. We fought back and took a 10-6 lead into the bottom of the 6th inning. Then the wheels came off; 3 walks, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 intentional walks, a questionable call by the umpire, and a perfectly executed squeeze bunt later the Tigers had snatched the Championship from our grasp and were headed back to Memphis with a 11-10 victory. Congratulations to the Memphis Tigers on their birth to the Elite 24 World Series. They were deserving champions who played very well all weekend. We look forward to seeing them at Disney.
Sunday, May 28
Bandits Finish Third With Wood Bats
The Bandits tried their luck with the wood bats in the Smoltz-Grissom Wood Bat Classic. The tournament was the worst run tournament that we have ever participated in. It was so bad that the Bandits were given the #1 seed after pool play even though 2 other teams had a better record.The tournament directors could offer no explanation and the result was a top team in the tournament was eliminated because of a forfeit. Our compliments and apologies go out to the Roswell Rockets. They handled a very tough situation with class. In addition to the mistake with the brackets we also played on a field with a 44' mound and 65' bases and had to use the junk wood bats provided by the tournament director. These issues were compounded by the worst umpires we have seen in a long time. We did get to play 4 games finishing 2-2. The Bandits were defeated by the Sandy Plains Wildcats 3-1 and the South Forsyth War Eagles 2-0. We had victories over the East Cobb Hurricanes 5-2 and the West Georgia Mavericks 2-1. We had strong pitching performances from Brett, Tony, Grayson, Cameron, and Hunter. Travis hit his 12th homerun of the season and his first inside the park homerun. Brett had a hot bat and everything Zayne hit was a shot right at someone. We head to Knoxville next weekend.
Thursday, June 8
Bandits Smokey Mountain Classic Runner-Ups
The Bandits made their second trip to Tennessee this season and again encountered rain. Friday nights games were rained out. The sun came Saturday and the Bandits opened pool play with a 4-0 win over Impact Adidas. Cameron and Grayson combined for the shutout. In our second pool game we faced the Carolina Thunder and came away with a 8-3 victory. Taylor and Travis combined for the win and Travis hit his 13th bomb of the season. We finished pool play as the # 3 overall seed out of the 24 teams in the tournament earning a bye in the first round of elimination play. In elimination play we opened with the East Cobb Braves. This was our first meeting with the Braves and it looked as if the game may get rained out. After a 2 hour delay we finally took the field. The game was close as both teams played good defense and had good work form the starting pitchers. We took an early 1-0 lead, but in the 4th the Braves hit a long homerun to go up 3-1. The Bandits battled back and went ahead 5-3 and held on for the win. Hunter started the game and Travis came in to close. In the semi-finals the Bandits faced the Mt. Juliet Bearcats in a rematch of last years semi final game. This year it was the Bandits who got the upper hand early in the game to go on for a 6-2 win. Cameron pitched a complete game gem to get the Bandits to the championship. In the championship the Bandits faced the Viper Baseball Academy for the secnd time in the last 3 weeks. We again saw the big hard throwing ace of the Vipers. This time the Vipers and their ace got the best of us as we fell 7-4. We finished the championship game at 11:00pm and got home at 3:00am Monday morning. We would like to congratulate the Vipers on their championship. They are a class act and a fun team to play. Next up the USSSA State Championships.
Monday, August 28
Bandits Runner-Ups at Elite State Championship
The Bandits finished in second place at the Elite USSSA State Champinships. The Bandits had wins against the East Cobb Astros, Wills Park Wild Dogs, and the Roswell Rockets before falling in the championship 3-2 to the Atlanat Monarchs.
Monday, August 28
Bandits 2nd in LaGrange
The Bandits traveled to LaGrange to play a World Series warm-up before heading to Orlando. The Bandits finsished in second place with wins over the Newnan Nationals and the Georgia Bluedevils before falling to our pals the Atlanta Monarchs 9-8 in the championship. Travis, Hunter, Cameron and Zayne all homered in the tournament. Off to Disney World we go for the USSSA Elite 24 World Series.
Monday, August 28
Bandits Finish Strong At The Elite 24
The Bandits finally arrived at Disney World for the USSSA Elite 24 World Series with the hopes of a top 10 finish. After a lightning shortened opening ceremony the Bandits began pool play against the West Volusia Attack (FL). The Bandits made a couple key errors and we had two runners thrown out at the plate and we dropped the game 7-5. On day 2 we had to face the Memphis Tigers in our second pool game. Hunter pitched a great game for 4 innings and then the Tigers hit 3 doubles back to back to back to pull away for a 7-4 victory. After the two pool games the Bandits began double elimination play with the Oklahoma Elite. We finally got things on track and Trent Simpson hit a walk-off 3 run homer to give the Bandits a 10-2 rune rule victory. Travis pitched a great game. Our next game was against the West Covina Bombers from California. We took an early 2-0 lead but the Bombers battled back. The Bombers had an excellent catcher and he threw out several runners trying to steal to give the Bombers a chance to take the lead. Despite a great effort by Trent on the mound the Bombers battled back and won the game 3-2. Our next game matched us up against the Mac-n-Seitz Indians from Missouri. With both teams facing elimination this was one of the best games played by any team in the tournament. The game went back in forth for 5 innings and the Bandits took a 1 run lead going into the bottom of the 6th but the Indians battled back and tied the game. In the top of the 7th the Bandits again took a one run lead. Before the Indians could bat in the bottom of the 7th both team s had to leave the field for about an hour for a lightning delay. After returning to the field the Indians again tied the game and had a chance to win but Zayne threw a strike from left field to nail th winning run at the plate.The 8th inning was the same story, the Bandits took the lead and the Indians tied the game. On to the 9th, this time the Bandits scored 6 runs and the Indians could not answer. The Bandits won the game 12-6 in 9 innings. In our next two games we defeated the Southern California Xterminators and the The Kansas City Cougars to earn a rematch with the West Covina Bombers. Trent again pitched a great game but the Bandits could not generate any offense and the Bombers took the game 3-0 to end our World Series. The Bandits battled all week long in the heat of Central Florida and earned a 5th place finish out of the 24 teams in the tournament. Congratulations to the tournament champions, Houston Banditos and the runner-ups West Covina Bombers.