Southern California ASA has announced that Phil Gutierrez has been named commissioner. Gutierrez, a Marine veteran, replaces D. Stephen Monson. Gutierrez states, “It is a huge honor to be appointed the commissioner for this very prominent association. It’s a challenge I look forward to.” Look for a complete story in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.

Jessica Jobes, a Redmond, Wash. Inventor has come up with the MittMate. “I could never find my glove,” laughed Jobes. Her solution…a colorful neoprene wrap that fits around one finger of a softball glove which helps players easily identify their gloves from the pile in the dugout.” It’s a fun and easy way to keep track of your glove. Look for the complete story in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.

The Greater San Joaquin ASA Hall of Fame will be holding its 2008 Induction Ceremony on Feb. 2, 2008 at the Memorial Hall in Micky’s Grove Park, Armstrong, Road in Lodi, California. For tickets or other information contact Matt Pfeifer, ASA Commissioner at 209-484-5036. Look for a list of award winners and a complete story in the next issue of Softball West Magazine

Softball players and fans will be excited to hear that they will be able to use the new Golden Eagle Park facility very soon. Stan Sherer, director of Sparks’ Parks and Recreations, was quoted in the Reno Gazette Journal as saying players should be able to use the complex in March. The park already has turf down on all the softball fields and buildings are partially constructed. The complex will include two youth softball/baseball fields, six adult softball fields and two baseball fields including other athletic sports fields. The park will also have three concession stands and large structure that will be a concession venue and hold offices. Golden Eagle Park is located south of Vista Blvd. in Sparks, NV.

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Mizuno is launching the new bat line, “Frenzy” next month. The Frenzy is faster and will provide more consistency for the ideal batting average everyone wants. The Frenzy comes in fast pitch and slow pitch models featuring a thinner grip and four layers of carbon for durability. Look for Frenzy pictures and more details in the Feb/March issue.

International Softball Federation Director of Umpires, Merle Butler passed away January 6. A service was held in Oklahoma City and a January 26th memorial will be held in Los Gatos, CA. Butler was remembered for his many years of service to both ASA and ISF as well as his dedication and love for the sport of softball. Read the full article in the Feb/March issue.

Phil Gutierrez is replacing Stephen Monson as the Southern California ASA Commissioner. Monson is retiring, but Gutierrez has plenty of experience. Gutierrez is hopeful that he will continue to improve ASA softball. Read more about his goals in the next issue.

A new website, Back Softball has been created to help reinstate softball back into the Olympic Games after this year’s Games. The website is a part of an international campaign to promote the sport and prove its popularity. Read about it in the Feb/March issue of the magazine.

Kasey King is the new Triple Crown National softball director. His primary goal is to prove to softball participants that Triple Crown is “the best.” He also wants to increase the number of participants. Learn more about King in the next issue.

In the Feb/March issue, Softball West Magazine will be the first to inform readers of the newest and hottest bat manufacturer in the country. This awesome new company has created the most modern technology that will make irresistible bats. Check it out in the next issue.

If you can’t wait for another Big 12 Season, then look no further. It’s coming faster then you think, and SWM has the latest preview from a new writer who is in the center of it all. Mayble Watson lives in Oklahoma and has the latest news on which players are returning from all the hot schools. Read the article in the Feb/March issue.

Yes, the Oregon Beavers have already signed four new players for their 2009 season. The four talented players include Mary Brenner (Portland, OR), Paige Hall (Portland, OR), Nikki Chandler (Houston, TX) and Ashley Sanchez (Alameda, CA). Check out their softball resumes in the Feb/March issue.

A Walla Walla High School student signed with the University of Houston last fall. Kaela DeBroeck is excited to play for the Division I team. Read more about her letter of intent day in the Feb/March issue.

Xtreme Point Challenge (XPC) is returning for the 2008 season in the Pacific Northwest. The series will consist of three men's division, and director, Jeff Harbison, is excited for the new season. Find out what major companies will be sponsoring the series in the Feb/March issue.

It's almost time for the Spring Adult Softball League in Sparks, NV starting in April. Any adult 18 and older can participate at the Shadow Mountain and Golden Eagle Sports Complexes. Registration for returning teams begins January 28 through Febrary 17 and for all new teams, February 18 through March 2. Call (775) 353-7780 for more information.

Photos of the 2008 Sno Ball Tournament from South Lake Tahoe are now on www.GetHotShots.net.

If you’ve been looking for a quick and simple shade to set up for those weekend tournaments, look no further. Sports Shade can be set up in 30 seconds and attaches to SUV’s, fences and trees. Look in the Feb/March issue for a special discount.

USSSA held their On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! tournament on Jan. 19 in Tucson, AZ. Find out who won in this issue’s article by Greg Harris.

The Holiday Wrap-up tournament in Tucson, AZ on Jan. 5 was an exciting youth tournament between Arizona Heatwave Creed and Team Velocity. Find out who won in the story by Greg Harris.

The winner of the Southern Arizona Mizuno Classic in Tucson, AZ on Jan. 25 took home $500 worth of gear. Read more of Greg Harris’ story in the next issue.

Softball West Magazine will be giving away an awesome Junior Hack Attack Pitching machine to one lucky new subscriber. Look for contest details in the April issue of the magazine.

When old gloves wear-out, now there’s a way to rejuvenate them. Hot Glove Restore Pocket is a great product to fix up that old mitt. Check it out in the April issue of SWM.

For the first 2008 season Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week, University of Nevada Reno’s Tyler Schafer and Katie Holverson were named hitter and pitcher of the week respectively. Schafer is a senior and led Nevada’s softball team to a 3-2 start while Holverson is a sophomore and has played in four games with a 1.56 earned-run average.

On March 25, the Portland Metro Softball Association is hosting the 2008 Manufacturers Meeting and Sports Expo at the Holiday Inn/Airport. The event will feature scorekeeping and hitting clinics as well as some of the top softball uniform and equipment managers.

The Long Haul Bombers kicked-off the 2008 season in San Bernadino, CA with their media day. Las Vegas' Denny Crine along with four others has joined the Bombers for this season's tour. Check out the April issue of SWM to find out more on the Bombers tour.

The Bound 4 Beijing tour made its second stop in Palm Springs, CA on Feb. 21-24 to compete against some of the top college teams in the country. Read about how they did in the next issue of SWM.

On Feb. 21-24, 24 of the top collegiate softball teams competed against each other and Team USA in the Palm Springs Classic. The tournament is important every year for colleges, but it doesn’t feature a winner. Find out why this tournament is so important in the April issue.

Arizona State is still holding on to the number one spot on the USA Today/NFCA poll as well as the ESPN college ranking poll. The Sun Devils have a 27-1 record. In the USA Today poll, Alabama follows Arizona State with a 20-2 record and UCLA comes in third. The ESPN poll ranks UCLA in second place and Alabama in third.

The African Softball Confederation is holding the next meeting April 18-20 in Zambia, Africa. The meeting will go over operation information as well as appoint officers and schedule events. The African Softball Confederation was created last fall at the International Softball Federation congress.

Softball West Magazine's annual equipment preview was photographed at the new Golden Eagle Park in Sparks, NV. The April issue of SWM has four pages of the latest gear.

The International Softball Federation just released the 2008 Olympic Games softball schedule. Team U.S.A. will play its first game on August 12 against Venezuela. Eight softball teams will compete in round-robin play for the first seven days. Playoff games will begin on August 20 with the final game on August 21. Also, the final 15-player U.S.A. roster will be announced on March 28.

With the international tie breaker rule in effect, Reed High School was able to move their runner from second to third on a sacrifice bunt, but they weren't able to push the run across in their half of the inning. In the bottom of the 8th, Logan High's runner advanced from second to third on a passed ball and they scored the winning run on a wild throw to first. See the complete story in the next issue of Softball West Magazine.

Local team, BFC proved their talent by competing in their first-ever wood bat tournament on March 15 in Sparks, NV. Coach, Ben Ross, said their team had a great time and they will definitely play in more. Read more about the wood bat tournament in the May issue of SWM.

New Balance has quite a few multi-purpose turf shoes out on the market; and they’re aggressive and lightweight. Find out which ones you should pick out in the May issue.

It’s time to say goodbye to slow pitch softball in Triple Crown sports. Triple Crown recently made the decision to eliminate slow pitch softball in 2009 because of advancements in the sport. Find out how Triple Crown will extend its appreciation to slow pitch players in the May issue of the magazine.

The 2008 Olympic Softball Team has just been announced and SWM has the latest on who’s playing and who’s not. It will come to a surprise for many on who’s not, but perhaps it’s because of recent, talented, graduates like Monica Abbott, Caitlin Lowe and Cat Osterman who are participating in Beijing. Read the entire list of the team and replacements in the May issue of SWM.

The Helping Hands Tournament held on March 29-30 in Sparks, NV is a wonderful tournament that benefits the March of Dimes. This year’s tournament was filled with a lot of aggressive play from King 888, FDI and American Truck & Trailer. Read more about game highlights in the May issue.

Locals from Reno and Sparks, NV are excited because of the opening of the new Golden Eagle Park sports complex. The complex opened on April 14 and cost $30 million. Read about how the city celebrated the opening day in the upcoming May issue.

The ASA Spring Shootout in Tucson, AZ was a successful event for youth tournament play, with 37 teams participating. Catch up on the aggressive play in the next issue of SWM.

The Pueblo Bandits, from Colorado, have come along way over the past twenty years. Without uniforms, or much of a budget for that matter, the Bandits started out like any brand new softball team. Now, the Bandits are much more experienced and mature. Read about their succession and accomplishments in the May issue.

Softball West Magazine publisher Tom Smedes has announced that the Softball West Challenge to be held June 21-22, 2008 will now be a 3 game guarantee. The extra fields at the new Golden Eagle Regional Park will allow them to have a bigger event and allow teams to play more games.

The brand new Golden Eagle Regional Park opened this month and it will become the home of both Softball West events this season. Read more about the park on page 7 of the May issue to see the Sparks Mayor throw out the first pitch and come visit us at the park this season!

International Softball Federation President, Don Porter visited Venezuela at the end of April for the Pan American Softball Confederation congress. Porter met with Minister of Sports for Venezuela, Victoria Mata and Vice President of the Olympic committee, Elida Parraga de Alvarez. They held discussions about developing softball in Venezuela schools and interest in hosting a new ISF Beach Softball World Cup in Venezuela.

A Golf Tournament will be held on May 17 in Prescott, AZ to benefit softball. This is the first time the event has ever been held, and all proceeds will support the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame. For more information, call (602) 438-2928.

The Dirtbags and team Demolition proved to be the best-of-the-best in the NSA Men’s Beat the Heat Tournament in Washington. The Dirtbags and Demolition stomped the competition. Find out what the championship scores were in the June issue.

The ASA Girl’s Sportsplex Invite in Walla Walla, Washington had skillful girls competing in April. These girls will be tough competition in future tournaments. Check out how all the teams did in the June issue of SWM.

Talented teams competed in the Xtreme Point Challenge recently in Walla Walla, Washington to earn a berth to the Western National Tournament in September. Read about the competitive play in the next issue.