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Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Peeping Tom on October 27, 2025, 3:28 pm

Going to be interesting to see how three Chicago based teams fare at the biggest tournament of the fall - Top 25 in Dalton, GA.

The 18U division is once again LOADED with 34 of the best teams in the country. Good luck to Bandits Meredith/Trackwell, Cheetahs Connolly and Chill Gold!

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by @Scenic City Top 25 on October 28, 2025, 8:39 am, in reply to "Scenic City Top 25"

It is an amazing tournament having been at this event previously. Good luck to the Chicago teams.

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Chicago? on October 27, 2025, 10:03 pm, in reply to "Scenic City Top 25"

That Bandits team has girls from 6 states.

The Chill have girls from at least 3 states.

Cheetahs’s roster is all Chicago and in-state suburbs.

Not saying it’s good or bad, but saying all three are “Chicago based” is a bit misleading. Makes it hard to really know who the best of the area is, as other recent posts about the old Metros tournament was reminiscing about.

I would bet dollars to donuts that Cheetahs will be the only team with a roster from one state at Top 25. Total outlier.

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Welcome to today on October 28, 2025, 10:47 am, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

Cheetahs are not virtuous because they are Chicago kids, and Bandits are not swindlers because they attract national talent.

Yes, Cheetahs are an outlier - but let's see if they can sustain it given their size and reach. Chill is the only program that has done it at a small size, and no one has sustained as a national program drawing from one state.

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by @welcome to today on October 28, 2025, 9:30 pm, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

Precisely
Well said!

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by One State on October 28, 2025, 11:15 am, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

Correct.

There are only 3 kids from Illinois on the new Top 100 list from Softball America.

You might be able to do a one state team from California (25 players on the list), Texas (23) or Georgia (18)... but not "Up North"!

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Local yocal on October 28, 2025, 1:48 pm, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

The Cheetahs MC team has found success by stacking wins against mediocre teams. When they travel cross country, they stack wins against organizations 3rd and 4th teams.
She has found the formula for this one-state short term success.
When you have a team built like that, you have to choose your tournaments very wisely.
The Bandits and Chill go toe-to-toe with the top teams in the country every weekend.
Kudos to the Cheetahs for finding a way to get it done, but make no mistake, their method is a short term one.

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by @Local on October 28, 2025, 3:05 pm, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

I really hate to go any further down a Cheetahs rabbit hole, but you've made a great point.

One thing I've liked about Alliance is their leaderboards. They at least try to create an RPI-like rating system. (I'm not aware of anything similar with PGF, but would like to be educated if I'm wrong.)

Here is the Alliance methodology: "The Alliance Rating System represents your team’s current rating, similar to RPI in college softball. Teams exchange rating points based on the outcome of games. A team that performs better than expected gains rating points. A team that performs worse than expected loses rating points. Teams are incentivized to play stronger opponents. Stronger teams must consistently beat weaker teams to maintain or improve their rating. Weaker teams can improve their rating by playing stronger teams, even without winning many games."

For 2026 (fall 2025 through summer 2026), Cheetahs MC is 14th nationally in the Super (higher) division. In 2025, they were 28th nationally. This is 18U.

Unfortunately, neither Bandits nor Chill play Alliance, so you can't compare them there.

Without doing a forensic analysis, it doesn't look like there are any "one state" teams ahead of Cheetahs MC so far in 2026. Other Midwest teams appearing are IN Gators Meyer (6th), IMG Moore (8th), and IMG Green (10th).

The Alliance ranking system would seem to address your point about them playing mediocre teams as the rating system would take that into account (and "punish" them if that was the case?

But I'd agree with your point that their method is likely a short-term path. The org doesn't have the ability to reload when they age out.

I really wish there was a combined PGF/Alliance rating system... GameChanger would have the ability to do this right away!

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by local yokel on October 28, 2025, 2:57 pm, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

Pay no mind to Cheetah - MC's huge commits while you dis the W/L formula. Make no mistake, that trend is probably not a one off. Thanks for your insight.

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by @yokel on October 28, 2025, 9:28 pm, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

Huge commits? If MC was sincere about those “huge commits”, she would have had those kids playing with the Birmingham Thunderbolts or the EC Bullets, or the Tampa Mustangs, or the RI Thunder, to get them ready to play ACC/SEC competition.
Not playing sub-standard TCS “Super 72” teams or a PGF Crown Point watered-down field in order to stack wins.
Hopefully, MC hasn’t led her kids into a portal situation because she was worried too much about Ws and Ls and snubbing her nose at Conroy then actually doing what was best for her players!
But, time will tell…

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by HUH? on October 29, 2025, 9:53 am, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

I am not going to name call on your post and I do not have a kid on MC's team, however I do know a lot of those players and the absolute last thing they need to do is spend great deals of money to go travel and play on teams that YOU think are going to prep them for the ACC/SEC.
SC's current pitcher is also from the area and did not play with those teams and is doing just fine (came through with Wasco and played with Chill for a couple weeks). At this point you either got it or you dont.

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Ridiculous on October 30, 2025, 9:03 am, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

Ridiculous statements by this parent or parents talking about the Cheetahs team. Seriously get a life ripping on a really good team, coach and organization because they are doing well? Only the Bandits and Chill are allowed to do well from the area? Get a life, and go find something else to do besides being a little angry keyboard troll trying to diminish accomplishments by mostly 16 year old girls. You expect MC to recommend they go play for the Thunderbolts if she really cared about them? LOL might be the most ridiculous thing I have heard yet.
I'll say it again... take a look at your life dude. You need another hobby. And no I do not have a kid that plays for MC or any Cheetah team, but have played them enough to know they are really talented and well coached.

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Just Saying on October 30, 2025, 9:30 am, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

You are right, but I do wish their lefties would stay in-the-box!

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Well on October 30, 2025, 8:09 pm, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

That’s loser talk for we can’t get them out.

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Nope on October 31, 2025, 8:55 am, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

That’s code for “you can’t do that in college”.

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Well on October 31, 2025, 3:32 pm, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

Then practice more, push yourself, and maybe you’ll be able to get a slapper out.

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Florida Trip on November 2, 2025, 5:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

It appears the teams in Florida practiced their “slapper-out-of-the-box” defense.

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Glad on November 2, 2025, 6:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

Glad to hear they are playing defense instead of crying to the umpires. Nicely done.

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by @@yokel on October 29, 2025, 8:51 am, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

Absolutely

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Sensitive on November 5, 2025, 7:44 am, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

This Cheetahs’s group is always so sensitive

Re: Scenic City Top 25

Posted by Hilarious on October 28, 2025, 8:29 pm, in reply to "Re: Scenic City Top 25"

This shits hilarious over a game statisticians lol

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