18U ASA Gold Fastpitch Junior Olympic Softball             

Welcome to the Michiana Cruisers Gold website!!

2012 MICHIANA CRUISERS GOLD SUMMER SCHEDULE SHOWCASES

JUNE 15-17 32nd ANNUAL PENNSBURY ANNUAL INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania (One of the Top Showcases in the US)

JUNE 28-JULY 1   TNT SHOWCASE CLASSIC Quakertown, Pennsylvainia, Spy Softball has listed TNT and Independence Day, Boulder as the top showcases near July 4th holiday)

JULY 19-22 20th ANNUAL SPARKS SOFTBALL COLLEGE EXPOSURE, Elgin,

WE MAY ADD 1 MORE SHOWCASE

ASA GOLD AND PREMIER QUALIFIERS

JUNE 21-23 PREMIER QUALIFIER, Indianapolis, IN or JUNE 22-24 ASA GOLD NORTHERN QUALIFIER, Bloomington, IN

Additional qualifiers may be added

JULY 29-AUG 4 PREMIER NATIONALS, Huntington Beach, California (qualification required)

JULY 23-29 ASA GOLD NATIONALS, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (qualification required) 

Rising Stars Winter Showcase Event

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida January 5-8, 2012 Sara Curry from Triple Crown Sports informed me that the Michiana Cruisers Gold are in one of the power pools at this years Rising Stars Winter Showcase.

 CONGRATULATIONS TO

Jenn Woolard '12        Committed to Aquinas College 

Taylor Hansen  '12      Committed to North Dakota    

TEAM NEW JERSEY FALL CLASSIC

CRUISERS BEAT NEW YORK CONKLIN RAIDERS 3 TO 1(RAIDERS WERE THE 2011 EASTERN TERRITORY GOLD QUALIFIER,ONLY TEAM FROM NY TO ATTEND GOLD NATIONALS)

Christina Gillis led the Cruisers with 2 hits. K'ya Burton doubled. Amanda Nelson pitched a 3 hitter.

CRUISERS BEAT HOUSTON POWER GOLD KORIOTH 2-0

Tyler Marone's double scored Lacee Mulcahey and Jenn Woolard for the Cruisers.

CRUISERS BEAT PHILADELPHIA LOWER SOUTH LIBERTY 11-2

Taylor Hansen led the Cruisers with 3 hits. Christina Gillis, K'ya Burton and Julia Hayes paced the Cruisers with 2 hits each. Burton had 3 rbi's and Gillis 2 rbi's.

CRUISERS LOST TO OREGON SILVER BULLETS 0-2

Maggie Gillis had 2 hits for the Cruisers

CRUISERS LOST TO THE TEXAS STORM  1-5

Amanda Nelson had 2 hits for the Cruisers. Nikki Caicedo doubled. 

CONGRATS CRUISERS NICE JOB AT SPARKS 2011 PUMPKIN FEST

MICHIANA CRUISERS GOLD   5

ILLINOIS TREVIANS               2

Amanda Nelson pitched 9 strikeouts for the Cruisers Jenn Woolard hit a grand slam.

Taylor Hansen homered.  Christina Gillis and Nikki Caicedo each doubled.

MICHIANA CRUISERS GOLD   3

ELMWOOD PARK                        1

Jenn Woolard and Amanda Nelson combined to pitch 8 strikeouts.  

Christina Gillis , K'ya Burton and Taylor Hansen paced the Cruisers with 2 hits each.

Amanda Nelson tripled.

SUNDAY GAMES CANCELED DUE TO RAIN

Please click on "Try Out" link at left for tryout details, including directions to the park and registration forms. We attend some of the top National and Regional Showcases which are attended by many college coaches. College exposure tournaments are in the Midwest, California, Florida, Colorado, Premier Qualifiers and ASA Gold qualifiers. Looking for 2015 through 2012 players, but will consider other ages.  

574-329-0308  or email: gillisrealty@sbcglobal.net

BETHEL COLLEGE 

From the East on Indiana Toll Road 80/90

* Exit at Mishawaka Exit #83 * At stop sign, turn right on Capital Ave. and continue .3 miles following signs to SR 23. * Turn left on SR 23 (traffic light) and proceed West 1.6 miles. * Turn left on Main Street (traffic light) and continue South 3.2 miles. * Turn right on McKinley Avenue (traffic light) and proceed West .8 miles. * Turn left on Logan Street (traffic light). * The main entrance will be on your left.

 From the West on Indiana Toll Road 80/90

* Exit at the South Bend/ Notre Dame Exit #77. * At the light, turn right on Bus 31/933 and continue South 1.1 miles. * Turn left on Angela Boulevard (traffic light) and continue East approximately 3 miles (Angela becomes Edison Road). * Turn right on Hickory Road (traffic light) and continue South 1 mile. * The main entrance will be on your left.  

From the South on US 31

* Take the US 20 bypass East toward Elkhart and continue 4 miles. * Exit at the Mishawaka/Bremen-331S exit. * At the exit ramp light, turn left and travel North 4 miles on Union Street (which becomes Church Street and then becomes Main Street). * Turn left on McKinley Avenue (traffic light) and continue West .8 miles. * Turn left on Logan Street (traffic light). * The main entrance will be on your left.

From the North on US 31

* Exit at the Cleveland Road exit #72. * At the exit ramp, turn left on Cleveland Road and travel East 5.6 miles. * Turn right on US 33 (traffic light) and continue south 2 miles. * Turn left on Angela Boulevard (traffic light) and continue East approximately 3 miles (Angela becomes Edison Road). * Turn right on Hickory Road (traffic light) and continue South 1 mile. * The main entrance will be on your left.  

From US 31 alternative

* Exit US 31 at the Indiana 80/90 toll road. * Follow 80/90 East 5 miles. * Exit at the South Bend/ Notre Dame Exit #77. * At the light, turn right on Bus 31/933 and continue South 1.1 miles. * Turn left on Angela Boulevard (traffic light) and continue East approximately 3 miles (Angela becomes Edison Road). * Turn right on Hickory Road (traffic light) and continue South 1 mile. * Turn right on Hickory Road (traffic light) and continue South 1 mile.  

From the North - Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing

* Follow the Indiana Toll Road 80/90 West. * Exit at the Mishawaka Exit #83. * At the stop sign, turn right on Capital Avenue and continue .3 miles following signs to SR 23. * Turn left on SR 23 (traffic light) and proceed West 1.6 miles. * Turn left on Main Street (traffic light) and continue South 3.2 miles. * Turn right on McKinley Avenue (traffic light) and proceed West .8 miles. * Turn left on Logan Street (traffic light). * The main entrance will be on your left 

Michiana Cruisers Gold    3     Ohio Wolpack   1   

K'ya Burton homered for the Cruisers. Shelby Jones pitched a 2 hitter, with 5 strikeouts.                          

Michiana Cruisers Gold   4      Illinois Bash  3   

Taylor Stoltz and Maggie Gillis lead Cruisers with 2 hits each.

RAIN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MORNING

   Oakpark Windmills 7        Michiana Cruisers Gold  5  

Christina Gillis pounded 3 hits. Bethany Stoltz and K'ya Burton had 2 hits each.                       

SUMMER 2011 SCHEDULE

ASA Gold Territory Qualifier(June 17-19, Bloomington, IN);

Premier Girls Fastpitch Qualifier(June 23-25, Indianapolis);

TNT College Showcase Classic(June 29-July 3,Quakertown, Pa);

Orland Park Sparks College Exposure(July 21-24,Elgin, Ill.);

ASA Gold Nationals( July 24-30, San Diego, Ca)

Premier Gold National Championship(July 31-Aug. 6, Huntington Beach, Calif.)

IMPORTANT NOTE ON GAMES NOVEMBER 20, 2010:

The Batbusters Surf City Games are canceled today due to rain, but our team will instead be using the batting cages of USA Athletics at 2:00 PM so that college coaches can still see our skills today. Their cages are at 2499 Willow Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755, 20 minutes from Huntington Beach.

Our schedule for the remainder of other games is below:

All games are at Huntington Beach Sports Complex:

Friday Nov 19

4:00 PM Lake Breeze (ML) v. Michiana Cruisers Gold, Field 5

5:30 PM Lake Breeze (Bi) v. Michiana Cruisers Gold, Field 7

Saturday Nov 20, Field 1 all games Rain out, see us at batting cages noted above

1:15 Artesia Punishers v. Michiana Cruisers Gold

4:45 Michiana Cruisers Gold v. USA Athletics

6:30 Michiana Cruisers Gold v. SGV Velocity

Sunday Nov 21, Field 1 all games

8:00 AM WA Acers v. Michiana Cruisers Gold

9:30 AM Pasttime Gold v. Michiana Cruisers Gold

18u GOLD 2010/2011 TEAM TRYOUTS

Michiana Cruisers to hold private tryouts.  Several positions still needed.  Please call 574-329-0308 or email gillisrealty@sbcglobal.net

  2010 SPARKS PUMPKIN FEST ELGIN, ILLINOIS

Saturday, Oct 2 11:00am Cruisers vs Homer Hawks Gold

                         3:30pm Cruisers vs Elwood Park Tigers

Sunday, Oct. 3 8:00am Cruisers vs Northern Illinois Lightning

                    12:30pm Cruisers vs Warren Wave

Elgin is Central Standard Time.  Elgin Sports Complex is located at the corner of McLean Boulevard and Sports Way.
 

 2009 Fall-Winter Exposure Invitational Tournaments:

• Ball State Exposure Invitational Tournament & Team Camp
• Homer Hawks Invitational Exposure (Chicago - Elgin, IL)
• Orland Park Sparks Invitational Pumpkin Fest (Orland Park, IL)
• Rising Stars Invitational Exposure (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Oct 
• OC Batbusters Surf City Invitational Exposure (Huntington Beach, CA)
• Central Michigan Indoor Classic, (Central Michigan University)
• Rising Stars Invitational Exposure (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Jan - tentative
• Indiana Univ Indoor Classic (Bloomington, IN) Nov or Feb  

• Boulder Independence Day Invitational Exposure (Boulder, Colorado)
• Orland Park Sparks Invitational Exposure (Chicago - Orland Park, IL)
• **Also will attend Gold Sector & Regional Qualifiers, goal - Gold Nationals!!
• Others still to be added 

 __________________________________

 CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR PAST PLAYERS:

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to these past players for Cruisers, all of whom have gone on or will be going on to play in college:

Darcy Sapp  '11  -   Purdue University

Shelbie Jones  '11  -  Marian University

Carlie Miller  '11  -  Hesston College

Ashleigh Blovsky  '11 - Davenport University

 Kara Boyd '09 - Fairleigh Dickinson University

 Maria Gillis '09 - Indiana University, Indiana 

Jessica Martinez '09 - Indiana University

Sarah Patterson '08 - Central Michigan University

Tara Buchanan '08 - Kankakee Valley

                                                Western Michigan University

Angela Gillis '08 - Saint Mary's College

Ashley Gates '08 - Northern Kentucky University

Alex Dunfee '08 - Southern Indiana University

Jaimee Works '08 - Indiana University

Ashley Ellis '08 - Chipola College, FL

Megan Olson '08 - Purdue University North Central

Alexa Jack '08 - Lake Michigan College

Jessie Creakbaum '08 - Tiffin University

Cricket Fisher '08 - Kalamazoo

Nichelle Sandivol '08 - Cisco College, Texas

Alli Catanzarite '08 - Indiana Tech

Michelle Bendewald '07- Western Michigan University

Morgan Hackman '07- Parkland College

Libby Romstadt '07 -Wabash Valley College

Heather Collison '07 - East Texas Baptist University

For game schedules & full results, see "Tournaments" at the left.  ___________________________________

2010 Sparks Summer Showcase

Elgin, Illinois 18u

Michiana Cruisers Gold 9 St. Louis Spirit 6      Taylor Stoltz had 3 hits for the Cruisers.

Michiana Cruisers Gold 4 New Lenox Lightning 4      Bethany Stoltz had 2 hits. K'ya Burton Homered

Michiana Cruisers Gold 3 Miami Valley 2     Taylor Stoltz, Bethany Stoltz, Christina Gillis and Maggie Hildebrand had 2 hits each.

Michiana Cruisers Gold 4 Chicago Outburst 4    Bethany and Taylor Stoltz with 2 hits each.

Michiana Cruisers Gold 0 Michigan Compuware 2

Michiana Cruisers Gold 7 Illinois Bash 3   Taylor and Bethany Stoltz with 2 hits each.

Michiana Cruisers Gold 1 Illinois Chill 7   Christina Gillis had 2 hits for the Cruisers

Congratulations on the MANY SUCCESSES for the Fall 2007 Season so far --  Record 19-6-2 after Cal OC Batbusters, Rising Stars, Orland Park, Homer Hawks, Ball State & Central MI Invitationals!!  Cruisers beat 3rd & 33rd placed 2007 Gold National teams at Batbusters/Surf City, undefeated at Rising Stars, won pool at Orland Park!!

• Cruisers OVER NJ Breakers Gold, 20-0 (January)
• Cruisers OVER Gold Coast Hurricanes Gold, 2-1 (January)
• Cruisers OVER AZ Pride Golds, 3-2 (January)
• Cruisers OVER MI Batbusters, 5-0
• Cruiseres OVER MI Breeze, 6-1
• Cruisers OVER MI Waterford, 2-0
• Cruisers OVER MI Farwell, 10-0
• Cruisers OVER Cal Choppers, 3-2 (2007 3rd Place Gold)
• Cruises lose to Worth Firecrackers, 5-2 (2007 Gold National Champs)
• Cruisers OVER NW Glacier, 2-1 (2007 33rd Place Gold)
• Cruisers lose to NW Lady Sharks, 1-2
• Cruisers OVER Cal Breeze, 3-0
• Cruisers lose to So Cal Pumas, 0-2 (2007 13th Place Gold)
• Cruisers lose to Cal Raiders, 2-5 (2007 33rd Place Gold)
• Cruisers OVER FL Gold Coast Hurricanes Gold, 2-1 (2007 3rd Place Gold)
• Cruisers OVER FL Caloosa Lightning, 5-1
• Cruisers OVER Canada Mississauga Tigers, 1-0
• Cruisers tie Pennsylvania East Norriton Heartbreakers, 5-5  
• Cruisers OVER Illinois Oak Park Windmills, 9-0  
• Cruisers OVER Indy Dreams, 1-0
• Cruisers OVER Illinois Barrington Hurricanes, 7-1
• Cruisers OVER Orland Park Sparks, 4-3
• Cruisers lose to Minnesota Blizzard, 6-4  
• Cruisers OVER Homer Hawks Gold, 2-1
• Cruisers lose to Beverly Bandits Gold, 5-3 (2007 17th Place Gold)
• Cruisers OVER Lemont Rockers (Oz), 3-0 (ended early due to rain)
• (Cruisers rainout with New Lenox Lightening)
• Cruisers OVER Midland Magic, 4-1
• Cruisers OVER IN Earthquake Gold, 8-1
• Cruisers OVER ECI Dynamite, 8-0
• Cruisers tie Indy Dreams, 2-2 (but we got them the 2nd time, at Orland Park!) 

Congratulations, Girls, for 2006-2007 Achievements --

• Silver Runners-Up for 2007 Toledo Great Lakes ASA 18U A/Gold Invitational/NFCA Exposure of 44 teams!!  Great job!!
• And for the great job at Orland Park Sparks, placed 2nd in pool, record 4-2 against some tough teams!
• Congratulations on being accepted into the 2007 Boulder Independence Day Invitational!!
• Qualified for 2007 "A" Nationals at first qualifier attended!!!
• Further Congratulations -- after successful competitions playing at the Gold level for exposure tournaments, the team was officially declared ASA "GOLD" Summer 2006 onward!!

Way to go, your hard work pays off!! _________________________
See Tournament schedule, at left, which is always revised as schedules are received.
__________________________________
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to our 2007 Seniors who played for Cruisers who have ALL BEEN SIGNED!!! --MICHELLE BENDEWALD, 2007, who signed with Western Michigan!!!
--And to MORGAN HACKMAN, 2007, who signed with Parkland College!!!
 --to LIBBY ROMSTADT, 2007, who signed with Wabash Valley College
 

-- to HEATHER COLLISON, 2007, who signed with East Texas Baptist University
_____________________________
Thank you to those who attended 2007 try-outs at St. Mary's College at Notre Dame, Indiana, and to those who attended 2006 try-outs Aug 26 & 27, 2006, at Notre Dame Ivy Field Softball Stadium.  We have had outstanding players trying out, and the coaches had great difficulty in choosing the members of our team.  Thank you for your interest in our team.
____________________________
We are always interested in learning of standout players who may want to try out for our team.  If interested, inquire by phone with Coach Gillis at 574-329-0308 to arrange private try-outs, and send your profiles and stats to our e-mail address. As to out of state players, you need not be from the Indiana/Michigan area as long as you are committed to traveling to the tournaments, and as long as we can verify you are practicing and conditioning regularly in your home town to our satisfaction and under the supervision of experienced coaches.


Players, many college coaches continue to respond that they will be at our tournaments and want your profile information. Please continue to e-mail us updates!!!! Please also keep the college coaches informed of your schedules for travel and school ball. Travel ball tournament game schedules are posted on this website as they become known.

 

General Overview

 

18-Under Elite Fastpitch Travel Team coached by Pete Gillis and Meagan RuthrauffJuly, 2006.  Pete Gillis, head manager/coach of the 2004 World Champs of the 14U Junior Softball Division, 2006 4th in World 16U Senior Division (of approximately 2500 teams), and former baseball player at Indiana University; along with nationally known Meagan Ruthrauff, the recent Notre Dame Softball Team Captain and exceptional Notre Dame Softball Player who just graduated, and 2 time 18U ASA Gold National Champion, will be coaching an elite 18U travel team starting fall of 2006.

The team composition will be completed with the tryouts to be held August 26 & 27 at Notre Dame Ivy Field. The team will travel primarily to ASA sanctioned tournaments, will be highly competitive, with no lower than an "A" classification, will likely declare "Gold" classification by summer of 2007, and will begin traveling to some exposure tournaments in the fall of 2006.

The team members will be expected to attend mandatory practices throughout the winter months on Sundays, condition on their own time according to a set schedule, and the team will attend some mandatory winter indoor tournaments. Upon passage of the IHSAA release date in June of 2007, the team will be attending approximately 3 tournaments per month through summer of 2007 season, primarily national qualifiers and exposure tournaments, with the goal of ending the 2007 season at the 2007 ASA Nationals. While some tournaments will be within driving distance in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Missouri, the team will also be attending exposure tournaments in 3 of these states, Michigan, Colorado, Florida, and California.

The team will consist only of highly motivated athletes who have a strong commitment to softball, who take their softball seriously, who have a love for the game, and who also want to continue their softball careers at the college level or beyond. The goal of the Michiana Cruisers will be to maximize the abilities of each player to their full potential, fine-tune the players' skills to the highest playing levels, compete at the top levels, and communicate with and expose each player to scouts from the colleges in which each player has an interest in furthering their education and playing softball.

There will be a fee for this travel team. There may also be some mandatory fundraisers to assist with some costs for the team members. For further information on coaches, see "Coaching Resumes" below. For try-out info and forms, please see link at left, or contact:

 

Coaching Resumes:

Manager Pete Gillis at 2002 World Series