Simi Youth Softball teams prepping for national championship tournaments
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

This week two Simi Youth Softball teams will start their summer vacations.

A week ago the Simi U-12 Gold team finished second in the state championships, while the Simi U14 Gold finished third. The results earned both teams the right to compete in the national championship tournaments this week.

The U-12 team, managed by Mike Burgmeier and assisted by Matt Fillmore, will travel to Las Cruces, N.M., while the U14 squad, managed by Diana Poff and assisted by Nancy Cheek, will play in Stockton. Each team's pool-play bracket will lead to a double elimination tournament later in the week.

"I went to the nationals last year with the U-16 team, and the one thing a trip like this does is bring the team close together," Burgmeier said. "I take pride in the fact that the team is going to remember this trip for the rest of their life."

Burgmeier's club lost the state championship game, 95, to Westlake-Agoura Girls Softball last week in Lancaster, but the coach feels that the team can win at nationals.

"The only thing that needs to get better on this team is the coaching," Burgmeier said, with a laugh. "We're stacked. Our pitching is amazing, we are very fast, we hit for average and we hit for power."

The U-12 team's pitching is led by Jennifer Soria, who Burgmeier called, "the ace, and someone our team has leaned on all year."

The hitting is led by Jenny McNeill, who bats leadoff and, according to Burgmeier, is hitting over .500. Ali Cook is also getting the job done for Simi Valley by leading the team in RBI and fielding percentage.

While the U-12 team doesn't yet know their firstround opponent, the U-14 squad will take on a team from Spokane, Wash., on Aug. 1.

Manager Poff has been coaching since her daughter, Jessica, was 5 years old. With Jessica going to high school next year, Diana Poff said this team will be the last one she coaches.

"It's exciting to go to nationals, but at the same time, a little bittersweet because it will be the last time I coach," Poff said. "I have always been an assistant coach until this year when I became a head coach. I guess I picked the right year, and what a way to go out."

Poff's team is powered by pitcher Kasey Dunn, who Poff described as "a phenomenal pitcher that has been the team's workhorse." The hitting is led by Marghie Bowling and Callie Grant.

"Callie is our leadoff hitter who is very dangerous to other teams because of her speed," Poff said. "She can turn a bunt into a triple very easily because other teams will rush their throw to first, throw wildly, and before you know it Callie is standing on third."

While each team is excited to be making their respective trips, both coaches acknowledged the great support from the league.

"The Board of Directors in this league has been great, and if it wasn't for them I don't think we would be as good as we've been," Burgmeier said.

Both tournaments begin Aug. 1 and run through Aug. 5.