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USHSL June Box Score
June 6, 2009
It’s been an interesting
start to the season as the
first quarter of the season
comes to a close. Capitol
Lounge joined the League as
its inaugural sponsor. Roll
Call launched their
first-ever softball sports
section (http://sports.rollcall.com/softball/),
and even an unofficial House
Softball League blog (http://hillsoftball.blogspot.com/)
cropped up. Softball is
alive and well – now if only
the rain would hold off so
we could get in a few more
games!
Half the teams in the Top 20
are new from 2008, and three
of those didn’t make the
tournament (Suspicious
Packages, 2 Drink Minimum,
and Cap City Flyers). We
also have a number of
perennial powerhouse teams
on the outside looking in.
And we still have 25
undefeated teams at this
stage in the game.
Top 5 Surprises
5. Texas Republic (4-0,
#19) – Granted, they
haven’t had a tough road,
but all you can do is beat
the teams that take the
field. And beat them they
have – putting TX Republic
on pace to crush a number of
all-time league scoring
records. They have plenty
of challenges ahead though –
don’t worry.
4. Suspicious Packages
(5-0, #15) - Finishing
#51 last season, few
expected to see the Packages
at 5-0, and in commanding
fashion. They have not
really been tested yet, but
may see a good game this
week against the
Moonshiners. Definitely a
team to watch over the next
month.
3. Licensed to IL (3-0,
#4) - By this time in
the season, the Top 10 has
historically looked rather
familiar - but not this
year. LTI, looking to get
to the Sweet 16 for the
first time in team history
find themselves peering down
on their longtime IL
Delegation rivals, DGS. With
a big win over tournament
perennial Keystoners to kick
off the season, and a tough
schedule, LTI could be
looking at a first round bye
come tournament time.
2. Natty Boh All Stars
(4-0, #30)– If not for
their schedule, the All
Stars would’ve registered at
#1 on this list. Still,
while their schedule hasn’t
been the toughest, they are
taking care of business.
They have more wins now than
in their entire history
combined and we looked
forward to their matchup
with Licensed to IL this
week, but the rain had other
plans.
1. Dragon Slayers (4-0,
#1) – The question
around the League is no
doubt whether the Slayers
are for real. Looks like
it. They have the 2nd
toughest Strength of
Schedule in the Top 10, and
knocked off three 2008
tournament teams, including
#1 ranked DGS from 2008.
Word has it they absorbed
some of the disbanded
Chilidog team, and it seems
to have really put them over
the top thus far.
Top 5
REAL Surprises
5. Milestones (0-3, #92)
– The Milestones were a
last-minute addition to the
tournament last year and
have been part of the
tourney each of the last 3
seasons. Right now, they
have a lot of work to do if
they want to keep that
streak alive. Their
strength of schedule down
the stretch probably means
they will have to win a
majority of those games to
have a shot.
4. Destroyers (3-2, #48)
– The underdog everyone
wanted to pick in 2008
quickly find themselves with
two losses and on the
tournament bubble. The
Moonshiners surprised them
early, and then no shame in
falling to the Pups.
There’s plenty of time to
right the ship, but the
number of runs they are
giving up has to be a cause
of concern.
3. Potomac Fever (2-1,
#66) – The rank is
probably the most surprising
– easily the worst the Fever
have been ranked in League
history. Still, despite a
hiccup against Moderately
Sober, the Fever have pasted
their other two opponents,
only giving up 2 runs total
in those wins.
2. Owego Fire Department
(3-2, #43) – After a 3rd
Place Tournament finish last
year, most people expected
big things from OFD this
year. We didn’t expect them
to drop two games at this
stage, but they were by a
combined 3 runs and to
perennial powerhouse
Insliders, and Keystoners,
another tournament team.
Little surprising to see
them at #43 but expect to
see them move on up over the
next month.
1. Resolutionaries (1-2,
#65) – Two-time champs
of the Congressional League,
the Resolutionaries find
themselves in a tough spot,
having dropped 2 of their
first 3 games, with a number
of tough games yet to be
played. They may find
themselves in a real
struggle to qualify for the
tournament if they don’t
turn things around here in
the next month.
Top 5 Things to Watch
5. The Don Johnson’s.
That’s right – just when
you thought it was safe to
go back in the water, the
team no one wants to play in
the tournament just
registered for this season
last week….
4. Can Potomac Fever,
with a manageable schedule
over the next 4 games, be
back among the Top 20 with a
6-1 record?
3. Season Records.
At this point, a few records
seem to be within reach.
Texas
Republic is setting a blistering pace in many of them. Right now they are
ahead of record pace in Avg.
Runs Against (2.5 to 4.93),
Avg. Runs Scored (23.5 to
21.74), and Run Differential
(21 to 15.43). That said,
they do have the 99th
ranked Strength of Schedule
– so we’ll see how the pace
holds up as their schedule
gets much tougher.
The Natty Boh All Stars are
also within reach of the
seemingly impossible record
for Most Improved Team Rank
which the Hired Guns
shattered last year with an
87-rank jump. They
currently sit 73 spots
better (#103 to #30), and
need to finish 16th
or better to get it.
2. Can the Dragon
Slayers stay undefeated,
including a June 25th
date against the defending
Champion Blue Pups?
1. At 1-2 and ranked 65th,
the Resolutionaries
are in a difficult
position. Two of their next
five are against Sweet 16
teams from 2008 (Saints
and Dukes of Haphazzard).
If they can win four of
five, they could be in good
shape, but entering the
Recess at 5-5 with a very
tough schedule down the
stretch could put them in
jeopardy of not making the
tournament.
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