by Jim Flanagan, Editor, photos (including cover) by Maddy Flanagan

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3 by Jim Flanagan, Editor, photos (including cover) by Maddy Flanagan [Portland, Oregon June 26, 2005] Geographically, the Vancouver Grey Sox are far removed from the hotbeds of men s fastball in Ontario, Canada, and the Midwestern United States. But at this year s Rose Cup Tournament in Portland, Oregon, they found themselves right in the thick of things. After falling short in earlier Rose Cup competitions, they reached the top of the mountain, capturing the 2005 title over the weekend of June 25-26, 2005, with a 9-1 run rule win in the championship game over host Portland CR/DeMarini. Vancouver's Rick Smith was named the Most Valuable Pitcher picking up three wins, including a 9-0 whitewash in the championship game. Rick, 34, is a resident of Duncan, British Columbia, and was a member of the Canadian National Team that won Gold at the Pan Am Games in He has been a member of 3 championship teams at the Canadian Sr. Men's Open Championships, and pitched for some of the best teams in the world before coming to Vancouver in 2004, pitching the Grey Sox to the title game there, last pitching for Vancouver rival Victoria, Canada. Perhaps the player fans will most remember from the 2005 Rose Cup though, is 5 7 shortstop Kevin Schellenberg, who homered in both the semi-final and final, and was the easy choice for the tournament s Most Valuable Player. Schellenberg provided the tournament s defining moment with one swing of the bat, a huge 3-run homer against Broken Bow, that turned a 3-1 deficit and possible elimination into a 4-3 lead in the semi-final game that catapulted Vancouver to the championship game. Vancouver s Kevin Schellenberg attended high school in Squamish, British Columbia, was a baseball player before converting to fastball at age 16, and joined the Vancouver Grey Sox for the Canadian Nationals in 2003 while still a Junior player, becoming a full-time player with the Sox in At the age of 24, Schellenberg made the Canadian National team, competing in the ISF World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand. In a few short years, he has become one of the rising stars in men s fastball. Vancouver pitcher Nick Underhill, Dan Whiteford, Evan Potskin and Scott Newitt were also named to the 2005 Rose Cup All Tournament team for their contributions. Like Schellenberg, pitcher Nick Underhill is also a member of the Canadian National team, and was given the unenviable task of holding down the offensive juggernaut that is Broken Bow. Underhill delivered when his team needed it most, going the distance against Broken Bow in the semi-final and picking up his biggest win of the year. Appropriately, Underhill is a fire fighter away from the diamond as well as on it, in his hometown of Campbell River, British Columbia. There is also a bit of the hockey player that he was in his approach to pitching. Underhill is regarded as a true power pitcher, and at age 27, is just hitting his prime. Pitching since the age of five, Underhill is already the owner of two gold medals with Team Canada, one from the 1997 Jr. Men s World Championships and the 2003 Pan American Games. Vancouver Unranked, but Well Respected In the world of men s fastball, the rankings from the ISC (International Softball Congress) are akin to the NCAA football rankings. Everyone follows them, touts them, and argues them. This year s Rose Cup tournament hosted teams ranked #3 (Broken Bow), #19 (So Cal Bombers), #20 (Team Rainey) and #21 (Pueblo Bandits). Rose Cup champion Vancouver Grey Sox entered the tournament unranked, but hardly unrespected. The Grey Sox were unranked only by virtue of the fact that they have elected not to compete in the ISC World Tournament in 2005, and concentrate on the Senior Canadian Championships. Despite being unranked, Vancouver was among the pre-tournament favorites, having bolstered their 2004 roster with top players from former rival Victoria, which ceased operations after last season. Page 35 Softball Magazine September 2005

4 Semi-final Win Over Defending ISC World Champions Proves Key to Title Win To get to the championship game, Vancouver had a huge hurdle -- they had to get past defending ISC World and Rose Cup champions, the Broken Bow Spirit of Amsterdam, New York. In the semi-final game against Vancouver, Broken Bow scored three runs in the third inning. After the first two Broken Bow batters were retired in the third, catcher Darren Box singled and scored on a double by Jordan Taveras. After a walk to Omar Moraga, Steve Schott doubled both home for the 3-0 lead. With last year s Rose Cup Most Valuable Pitcher (and ISC MVP Pitcher) Gerald Muizelaar on the mound, the Bow appeared to be cruising, with Vancouver mustering just two hits through the first three frames. Trouble started in the fourth for Broken Bow when Vancouver s Scott Newitt drew a lead off walk. Brian Mayson singled, putting runners at the corners. The next batter, Kawaguchi, reached on an infield error, giving Vancouver its first run, and cutting the Bow lead to 3-1. Up stepped shortstop Kevin Schellenberg, the leadoff hitter, who, at 5 7 or thereabouts, does not look like the prototypical power hitter. But it was Schellenberg who drilled a three-run homer well beyond the centerfield fence and over the slo-pitch fence beyond that stunned Broken Bow and gave the Vancouver Grey Sox a 4-3 lead. Ironically, the home run was hit off of Schellenberg s teammate on the Canadian National team, Gerald Muizelaar. Broken Bow battled right back in the next inning, the fifth. Broken Bow catcher Darren Box singled, and went to third on a Jordan Taveras double, putting the tying and go ahead runs in scoring position with nobody out. A fielder s choice ground ball put runners at the corners, with one out, Box tagged out at the plate by catcher Craig Horsewell. Moments later, the bases were loaded when Bow s Steve Schott was safe at first on shortstop Schellenberg's fielding error. Bases loaded, one out, and a precarious one-run lead. The moment of truth had arrived for Vancouver pitcher Nick Underhill. Underhill, like teammate Schellenberg, is a member of the Canadian National team. The hard throwing right hander came through when his team needed it most, striking out the next two batters, to escape the jam. It was almost as if Underhill wished to return the favor of Schellenberg s home run, and pick his teammate up after the error that loaded the bases. For Broken Bow, it was an opportunity lost, and Vancouver would not relinquish the lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Grey Sox Evan Potskin led off the inning with a solo home run. For Underhill and the rest of the Vancouver team, it was all they would need, as they wrapped up the 5-3 upset win, and headed into the championship game. Championship Game 9-0 Run Rule Win over Host Portland Fresh off the big win against Broken Bow, Vancouver rolled into the championship game with plenty of momentum. Eventual Most Valuable Pitcher Rick Smith brought his A game, striking out the first six batters he faced, and surrendered only two hits, striking out 10 in five innings. Portland s Terry Luster started out nearly as flawlessly, striking out 5 through the first two innings. But Vancouver exploded for 6 runs in the third inning, and never looked back. In the championship game win, it was Schellenberg again, with a two-run homer that kicked off a 6 run inning, and Grey Sox pitcher Rick Smith shut down the Portland offense, surrendering only two hits, and striking out 10 in 5 innings, including 6 strikeouts in the first two innings alone. Vancouver closed out Portland in a run rule win for the 2005 Rose Cup title. Third Time the Charm for Host Portland This year s tournament marked host Portland s first trip to the championship game, after coming up just one game short the last two years, running into the buzz saws of two defending ISC World Champions in 2003 and 2004, St. Joe s and Broken Bow. Portland pitcher Terry Luster was added to the Portland CR/DeMarini roster for this year s event and combined with Mark Bennett and Mike Warren to give the hometown Portland fans plenty to root about. Though they fell short in the title game against Vancouver, Portland was justifiably proud of their accomplishments in the 2005 tournament. Runner-up Portland placed three players on the All Tournament team, Kent Zweifel, Brian Ree and John Tallmon, while Final Four teams Broken Bow and Castlewood had three and two respectively. For Broken Bow, it was pitcher Gerald Muizelaar, Steve Schott, and Darren Box, while for Castlewood it was Steve Morgan and Jason Nelson. It was the second trip to the Final Four in a row for Castlewood, outpacing three ISC ranked teams in the process. Vancouver s Road to the Title Game 1: Vancouver River City Rocker, Sacramento CA W-Rick Smith (12 K s). Vancouver scored 4 times in the first. Jeff Kawaguchi paced the offense with 3 RBI, Kevin Schellenberg had 2 hits and drew a walk. Game 2: Pueblo, Col Vancouver W-Jeremy Manley, L-Nick Underhill. Vancouver gave up 2 runs in the first 4 innings and suffered their only loss of the tournament at the hands of Pueblo ace, New Zealander Jeremy Manley. It was the first tournament out for Manley, who was sidelined with a tendon injury to his arm for the first half of the season. Scott Newitt had 2 hits for Vancouver, including a laser-like home run in the 7th. Vancouver Grey Sox pitcher Nick Underhill came up big in the semi-final game, going the distance for a 5-3 win over ISC #3 ranked Broken Bow, NY. Game 3: Vancouver , Bodle Chiropractice, Seattle WA WP Rick Smith was the stopper surrendering only a 2 out single in the fourth and striking out 9. Darin Strang took the loss. Vancouver mercied their opponent on the strength of a six run fourth inning. Dan Whiteford, who blasted a third inning homer, scored 3 runs for the Sox. Newitt, who was perfect at the plate, also took one out of the yard. The Grey Sox finished Page

5 the round robin portion of the tournament with a 2-1 record, good for a #2 seed in their pool, with Pueblo, CO, entering the single elimination bracket as the #1 seed and earning a first round bye. Single Elimination Games Game 4: Vancouver Clippers, Boise, ID WP-Underhill. This was the Evan Potskin show as he laced 4 consecutive balls to the 285 foot barrier. Two went for triples and 2 were caught at the base of a 12 high fence. Spectators reported that all would have been homers in a regulation size park. Game 5: Vancouver Pueblo W-Smith. The Grey Sox avenged their only loss of the tournament, needing only 5 innings to dispose of Pueblo, in a game that proved to be a far cry from the tough 2-1 loss suffered the previous day. Scott Newitt homered again as did Ryan Marklinger. Game 6: (Semi-Final) Vancouver Broken Bow, NY WP- Underhill, L-Gerald Muizelaar, Piechnik (5). The Bow scored 3 runs with 2 out in the third, with all the damage coming from batters who were facing 2 strike counts. Vancouver had a 4 run fourth, again the scoring all came with two out. Kevin Schellenberg drilled a 3 run homer in the fourth inning to put Vancouver ahead by one. In the fifth, Potskin added insurance with a homer. Underhill survived a one-out bases loaded jam in the fifth, and retired the last 8 batters in a row. Game 7 (Championship Game): Vancouver Portland W- Smith, L-Luster. Smith struck out the side in the first two innings, and Schellenberg s 2 run homer in the third launched a 6 run rally in a one-sided final that ended in 5. Rain hit the Rose Cup tournament for the first time in three years, in the title game, but did nothing to slow the Grey Sox s title run. The tournament wins ran the Vancouver Grey Sox 2005 record to 24 wins, 4 losses and 1 tie. Four Teams Unbeaten in Round Robin Saturday The format of the Rose cup tournament has a round Robin Saturday, with Jim Flanagan, Editor of Flanagan s Fastpitchwest.com calls selected games live via the Internet over Ballpark Radio at the Rose Cup. To catch all of the men s fastpitch action including audio, news, Maddy Flanagan s excellent photography and more, check out each team playing three games and a single elimination bracket on Sunday. Top seeds from the four pools were the unbeatens, Broken Bow NY, Pueblo, CO, Portland, OR and Prince George, BC, with two earning first round byes, Broken Bow and Prince George. The Prince George Black Bears team was a perfect 3-0 Saturday, bolstered by the addition of two pitchers well known in the Pacific Northwest, Kevin Careless and Colin McKenzie. The two combined for one of the most remarkable games in Rose Cup history, striking out 26 (yes, that s twenty-six, no typo). Careless struck out 23 in his 9 innings, while McKenzie added three in the 10th, picking up the win as it took 10 innings to top JRW & Associates, by a 5-3 score. (JRW & Associates nearly matched this feat at last year s ISC II Tournament, winning a playoff game despite 20 strikeouts.). Single Elimination Sunday, June 26, 2005 First round games saw Team Rainey, last year s runner-up top Bodle Chiropractic, 10-5, the Vancouver Grey Sox beat the Boise Clippers 5-0, Underhill picking up the win, the Pueblo Bandits squeaking out a 5-4 win over the So Cal Bombers, host Portland picking up a 14-4 win over local rival JRW & Associates, the River City Rockers, of Sacramento, CA, eliminating Meraloma Club of Vancouver, BC, and Castlewood Utah ousting the Nor Cal Mavericks in a 10-7 slugfest. One of the second round quarterfinal games was a rematch of last year s title game between Broken Bow and Team Rainey. Bow won this one as well, 8-3, behind the pitching of lefty Mike Piechnik. Rod Rainey homered in the loss for his team. In other quarterfinal games, Vancouver avenged its loss to Pueblo with a 12-0 whitewash, Portland eliminated River City, Sacramento, CA, and Castlewood Utah surprised previously unbeaten Prince George, 7-3, Vancouver upset Broken Bow 5-3 in one semi-final, while Portland made it to the title game with a 9-3 win over Castlewood Utah. For Castlewood, it was another good Rose Cup outing, their second Final Four finish in the last two years. Portland Rose Cup One of the Premier Tournaments West of the Rockies In just five years, the Portland Rose Cup has become one of the premier tournaments west of the Rockies. It combines a first rate five diamond complex at Delta Park, the amenities of the city of Portland, great organization, and a top flite field of teams to become a don t miss event for the elite men s teams out west. For the second year in a row, selected games were broadcast live on the Internet, on Ballparkradio.com, with a worldwide audience. Listeners logged in from as far away as New Zealand. The tournament was established by Tom Ree of Portland, OR, who ran the first four and served as an advisor to this one. Roger Jones and John Fitzgerald assumed the reins this year, handling things capably, with plans for the Sixth Annual Rose Cup Tournament already underway. Page 37 Softball Magazine September 2005