Blackhawk Athletic Club Wins USSSA D State

Sixty-four Teams Participate In Rain Shorten Tournament In Rockford

2007 Illinois USSSA Men's Class D State Champions - Blackhawk Athletic Club

Photo by - ?

ROCKFORD: Blackhawk Athletic Club from Rockford won the rain shortened Illinois USSSA Men's Class D State Tournament held in Rockford on August 18th & 19th with a perfect 6-0 record. Heavy rains hit the Rockford area shortly after noon on Saturday forcing play to be halted at the seven diamond Sportscore Complex until six PM (lights must be off by 10:00 PM by city ordnance at the Sportscore Complex) while the other two complex experienced shorter delays due to the weather. When play was resumed with off and on showers passing through the area tournament director Mike Peura shorten all games to five innings with a one pitch format. The winner's bracket was played down to one team at the Forest Hills Diamonds site and the Harlem Community Center North site while everyone else (the entire loser's bracket) was sent to the Sportscore complex to play. This kept everyone in the loser's bracket playing until they received their second loss and shortly before 10:00 all but three of the scheduled Saturday games had been completed. The plan was to resume play on Sunday with normal games being played but mother nature did not comply bringing heavy rains and forcing the teams to move off of the Sportscore Complex on Sunday morning. Just as play was about to resume at the other two sites another round of heavy rains hit turning the infields into ponds and leaving the fields unplayable. After consulting the local weather radar on television and seeing band after band of heavy rain lined up to come through the Rockford area tournament director Peura decided to send all the remaining teams home.
Blackhawk Athletic Club was the only unbeaten team left so they were declared the winner with Neighbors Bar & Grill (5-1) from Rockford receiving the second place trophy after losing to Blackhawk Athletic Club in the winner's bracket undefeated game. Blackhawk Athletic Club also took home the coveted 2007 USSSA Men's Class D World Tournament berth to play in Sterling Heights, MI in September. A coin toss took place to separate the two losing teams from the semifinal as Schoenholtz Trucking (4-1) from Paw Paw won that coin toss and received the third place trophy with Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors (4-1) from Plano taking home the fourth place trophy. Four more team trophy were decided by coin toss with the four losing teams from the quarter final game of the winner's bracket taking part in these coin tosses . Fifth place tie went to both McGaffer's / Caps / Fury (3-1) from Lombard and High Rollers (3-1) from Rockford. The two seventh place trophies went to both Paradise Motor Group / Young Guns (3-1) from Joliet and Wheels By RT / LT's Bar & Grill (3-1) from Rockford.
The Blackhawk Athletic Club was led to the championship by the play of their pitcher Mike Norris who was named as the 2007 Illinois USSSA Men's Class D M.V.P. of the Northern State Tournament. Andrew Walter (SS) from Blackhawk Athletic Club was named as the 'Defensive MVP' of this years state tournament. Joining both Norris and Walter on the 2007 Illinois USSSA Men's Class D All-State Tournament team were their teammates from Blackhawk Athletic Club, Chad Barger (2B), Bryan Kuhrt (3B), Jeremy Mitchell (OF), Mitch Hildon (OF), and Steve Moraska (AH).
Blackhawk Athletic Club opened play on Saturday morning with a first round 9-4 win over Fubars from Elgin to open their tournament action. In the second round of play early on Saturday afternoon Blackhawk Athletic Club and C.A. Bruckner from Aurora played one another with Blackhawk Athletic Club posted an impressive 17-7 win onto the bracket board to advance into the third round of play. C.A. Bruckner had defeated Big Ox Softball from Peoria in the first round of tournament play 15-9 to advance into this second round match up against Blackhawk Athletic Club.
Blackhawk Athletic Club and Mutts hooked up for a contest and Blackhawk Athletic Club continued to hit the ball scoring in double figures and winning 14-8 over Mutts to advance into the fourth round of play in the winner's bracket. Mutts had defeated Comatose from Beloit 13-10 in the first round of play before stopping C & C Plumbing from Rochelle 11-4 in the second round to earn the right to face Blackhawk Athletic Club in the third round of play of the winner's bracket.

Continued: