Local men's fastpitch softball fans have the opportunity to watch some of the nation's best teams as the Fourth annual Ashland Invitational is set to take place Friday, July 19 through the 21.
All games will be played at the Brookside Park Main Diamond, with the opening game on Friday set for 7 p.m. between Midland, Mich. and the AWP Lumberjacks out of Ill.
It will be followed at 9 p.m. with a game featuring the New York Gremlins and Circle Tap out of Wisc.
The player-manager Midland is Craig Scott of Ashland, who is directing the tournament along with Mike Van Dine Jr., also of Ashland.
"Our Midland team, we've got probably 7-8 guys on the team who are involved in the men's national team pool, and I'd bet five of those guys will be on men's national team for the United States," Scott offered. "And we've got one kid from the Kitchener, Ontario area that just made the squad for the Canadian national team, Dallas Kipfer.
"And our pitching is just outstanding, we have four pitchers and Kyle Linton is our ace, he's been there, done that, won an International Softball Congress World Tournament, and he's a big guy and throws hard," Scott added. "We've got Jon Gwizdala and Jerlin Rutt, who both pitch for the U.S. National Team."
The New York Gremlins have been strong in recent years and nothing has changed.
"They're the cream of the crop this year, they're really good, from top to bottom" Scott noted. "They don't have a weakness. In the 20-some-odd years I've been playing, they're probably one of the best teams I've ever seen. They're just tremendous."
Headlining the Gremlins are hurling aces Jack Besgrove, Pablo Migllavacca, Kuba Osicka, and Daniel Chapman, along with outfielders Ben Enoka and Mathieu Roy
"Besgrove is a young Australian and he might still be 20 years old," Scott said. "He is smooth, lefthanded, and he throws hard. It's almost effortless and everything he throws moves a ton. And he's a good kid too. He strikes you out and smiles at you."
Gregg Leather remains as the head coach of the Gremlins with ageless Nick McCurry of Ashland as an assistant coach.
The opening game on Saturday at 9 a.m. will feature the other two teams in the tournament, the Ohio Bombers and NE Drillers out of W. Va., followed by six more games.
The second and third-place teams will play at 9 a.m. on Sunday, followed by a game between the first and fourth-place teams, with the championship game set for 1 p.m.
There is no admission fee thanks to the local businesses sponsoring the tournament.
"Ohio Fire, the South Street Grille, Wagon Wheel, they love it, they come out and support the tournament," Scott praised. "And the tournament supports them. All of the guys on the teams love coming to Ashland, they love playing at Brookside Park. We've got guys coming from New York City who love going to the South Street Grille.
"We have a crew coming in to put on a television broadcast of the games too, a YouTube channel, Softball Premier," Scott added. "And we get a ton of help from Mike Van Dine Jr. and MVD Sports, as always, and my parents."
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