18U softball regionals start today
COEUR d'ALENE - The Coeur d'Alene Crush, the Northwest Wildfire and the Northwest Athletics are the local teams competing in the ASA 18-and-under "A" and "B" regional softball tournaments, which begin today and run through Sunday at Ramsey Park.
The Crush and Wildfire, both of Coeur d'Alene, are playing in the 18U "A" regional, which features 11 teams, and the Northwest Athletics, with players from throughout North Idaho, are entered in the 18U "B" regional, which has six teams.
The Crush open today at 2 p.m. vs. the Oregon Silver Bullets (Warren, Ore.), The Wildfire play the Washington Explosion-Warriors Softball winner at 6 p.m., and the Northwest Athletics face the Yakima Stealers at 2.
The "A" regional title game is Sunday at 11:45 a.m. The "B" regional title game is set for Sunday at 10:45 a.m.
The winner of the "A" regional qualifies for ASA/USA "A" nationals in Normal, Ill. By playing in the "A" regional, all 11 teams are eligible to play in the Western "A" nationals in Portland. The winner of the "B" regional qualifies for the "B" nationals in Prescott, Ariz. All three tourneys are the first weekend in August.
The "A" regional includes the Magic Valley Sooners of Twin Falls, which won the state 18U tournament last weekend in Boise, and boasts several players from the College of Southern Idaho.
Teams with college players have to play in the "A" regional; teams without college players can play in the "B" regional.
Here are the opening games for each team:
18U "A" REGIONAL
Friday
2 p.m. - Oregon Silver Bullets (Warren, Ore.) vs. Coeur d'Alene Crush.
4 - Washington Thunder (Seattle) vs. Montana Dirt (Butte); Washington Explosion (Richland) vs. Warriors (Milton-Freewater, Ore.); Magic Valley Sooners (Twin Falls) vs. Menace Northwest (Richland, Wash.).
6 - Tri-City Fillies (Kennewick, Wash.) vs. Washington Thunder-Montana Dirt winner; Northwest Wildfire vs. Washington Explosion-Warriors winner; and Spokane Storm vs. Magic Valley Sooners-Menace Northwest winner.
18U "B" REGIONAL
Friday
2 p.m. - Northwest Athletics (North Idaho) vs. Yakima Stealers.
4 - Perfect Storm (Lewiston) vs. Washington Mustangs (Omak).
Saturday
8:30 a.m. - Liberty Lake (Wash.) Lightning vs. Northwest Athletics-Yakima Stealers; Selah (Wash.) Softball vs. Perfect Storm-Washington Mustangs winner.