Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com

Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com
[ Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com ]

Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by Dylan Thomas on January 26, 2025, 10:52 am

We have a long way to go until club season kicks back up in June, but based on what we know, who would be in your Top Ten Club Teams list at the 16U and 18U level? Midwestern states - let’s say Ohio to Iowa, and up.

I’m not looking to start fights over actual ranks (e.g. “should they be 3 or 5?”), but just a sense of what the top grouping looks like and who we should keep an eye on this summer.

(Related, can someone please put a bug in GameChanger’s ear about creating a composite ranking based on opponents W/L record and run differential? It would at least give us something to work with!)

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by Hello - anybody home? on January 30, 2025, 2:06 pm, in reply to "Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

Now starts the time of year where this board will be full of comments about HS ball.... Best HS teams have three good players and the coaching is crummy...

But nobody wants to talk about the club scene?! I don't know anything, but here's a shot to start

18U
Bandits (I'm guessing more than one)
Chill
IMG Green
Sparks Tholl
Cheetahs Connolly
GTS Gonzalez

16U... no idea

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by @Hello on January 30, 2025, 2:43 pm, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

These posts are always funny 18 & 16

Bandits
Chill
IMG
Iowa Premier

you can book that year in and year out......

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by @@Hello on January 30, 2025, 3:49 pm, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

Yes but post is about teams not programs. Those are the four best programs in the area, but there are great teams that are not from those four - and those four can have varying quality at different levels

kudos to those four for getting to and staying on top. Interesting, I don't think I see any other programs making a move up... if you asked me what the 5th best program is in our area, I'd really have to think - and it would be a big drop off from those four.

But teams... that's different

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by @@@Hello on January 31, 2025, 3:07 pm, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

So are you stating there 16u & 18u top teams aren't 1-4 for each level, that there is an org with a one of team that is better?

I dont see it.....

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by @@@@Hello on January 31, 2025, 4:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

I'm saying... maybe. And on any given day, certainly.

So far, we've got the following in this chain:

Bandits (unknown # of specific teams)
Chill (only one 18U, right?)
IMG Green
Sparks Tholl
Cheetahs Connolly
GTS Gonzalez
Stars (Pusateri?)

That's at least 7 teams...

If 10 games are played between a Bandits or Chill team and any of the others, maybe they win at least 6-7 versus any of those other 5 teams... but they don't win 10/10. Those are some good teams listed.

(From a program perspective, I bet Bandits and Chill beat any OTHER teams from those five other programs at least 9/10 times)

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by @@@@Hello on February 1, 2025, 4:12 pm, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

They win 9 out of 10, you must be a parent on one of those other teams listed, some of those teams they win 10/10

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by Well that’s just nutz on February 1, 2025, 7:27 pm, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

Maybe OP is a parent, but to think that every non-Chill/Bandits 18U team couldn’t win but more than 1 in 10 against them is some serious Kool-Aid drinking!!!

Chill was 11-6-1 in the fall. Bandits Conroy was 20-1-2.

That’s a combined winning percentage of 80%. You sayin that all their losses are to team worse than those others listed?

Come on. Who ya crappin?!

Also funny that OP specifically said they didn’t want to rank teams or get in fights, just get a list of top ten teams. And here we are talking Bandits and Chill till we all puke!

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by @well on February 3, 2025, 8:20 am, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

you are aware fall is more showcase then play to win, and kids miss for visits, and other things.

Since you are aware of there records who did they lose to, mine as well take the next step....

We talk about them because they are the best in the area same with IMG and IPF

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by SMH on February 3, 2025, 3:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

Yes, they are the best programs.

But this board can barely name the next 5 teams after them… shows what this board is all about. Very little interest or knowledge of the area

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by @@smh on February 4, 2025, 10:12 am, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

The original post asked about TEAMS.

Specific teams, NOT programs.

We’ve thrown roses at four programs, but no one can name the best TEAMS.

SMH indeed

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by @@smh on February 5, 2025, 7:54 am, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

18u IPF Dickle
18u Bandits Conroy
18u Chill
18u IMG Green

16u any of the bandit teams
16u chill
16u Dickle
16u IMG Moore

Everyone else which changes yr in yr out.....above is in no order

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by Tiger on February 4, 2025, 6:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

Chill 18u = OVERRATED

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by @smh on February 4, 2025, 7:49 am, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

I’d disagree. After the top four programs, teams at other orgs are very age group and coach dependent. Hence the lack of consensus.

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by 18U add on January 30, 2025, 2:11 pm, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

Add Illinois Stars to that list.

Not picking their rank, but they're top ten in our area

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by Illinois Stars on January 30, 2025, 5:25 pm, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

Saw this team in the fall a few times and they kept winning games. They need to get in the Bandit Not-so-Friendly to prove themselves.

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by Dirt Devils on January 31, 2025, 2:14 pm, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

Is that Stars team part of the Dirt Devils? That GoPro Dome is awesome. I saw some of them there for lessons recently... place is state of the art... great location... and a resturant and bar... wow

Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest

Posted by Prove It! on January 31, 2025, 1:24 pm, in reply to "Re: Top Ten 16U and 18U clubs in the Midwest"

Yes - all these teams should prove it!

No reason why the top ten 18s in our area can't be in the same tournament this summer - LP4U, Not-s-Friendly, Demarini, somewhere...

Far too many times you'll see only maybe 2-3 of our top areas teams in the same IL/IN tournaments.

Let's get these teams facing each other! What are invites for if you can't manufacture some great match-ups?!

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