Wednesday Kickball - Random Preseason Notes

We're only three Wednesdays away from the beginning of the 26th season of CLUBWAKA Wednesday Night Kickball on the Peninsula! I've personally played in 25 out of 26 seasons and I'm just as excited for this upcoming Fall as I was when I first joined back in 2007. There is plenty to be excited about too. The incredible atmosphere at War Memorial Stadium. The upgraded party scene at Guy Fieri's. The history and competition. Seeing my friends back on the field having a good time. All of this has me in the mood to do a little blogging. Let's look at how Peninsula is shaping up...

PBJT

The Jelly have been on a good run the over the last year, going 12-4-3 in their last 19 regular season games. However, their regular season success has not translated into a Wentworth Trophy®. As they head into their 14th season in the league, will this be the year they break through? While talented veterans like Casey Heck, Karen Savell, and Brook Holloway are returning, Brent & Christina Obershaw will have some holes to fill. Free agent Alex Jackson has already signed with Boos on First and it remains to be seen whether or not Mike Ragin, Neal Fitzpatrick, and Dr. Adam Gold will return now that Foul Balls is officially returning to #WAKAWednesday. The Obershaws are incredible recruiters however so I wouldn't bet against them. 

FOUL BALLS

Who's Balls?! FOUL BALLS! After taking the Spring season off, the most tenured franchise in CLUBWAKA Hampton Roads history is returning for the Fall campaign. They are lead by captain Curtis Faubion who had previously played with the franchise in the Fall of 2015. Curtis brings a TON of experience in his leadership role. Not only is he a multiple time Wentworth Trophy Champion with The Situation and 5 O'Clockers. As a captain, he lead 5YP to a Wednesday title, Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship, and the finals of Founders Cup in 2017. More recently, he's co-captained Pitches Love Bunkbeds to 3 Friday Night York County championships. The Foul Balls are in good hands. 

The rest of the roster is being held close to the vest (i.e. procrastinating on registering) but we do see some familiar faces. Erin Small is making her return to the team for the first time since 2016. Brad Gault is transferring over from Pumped Up Kicks. Curtis also tapped his PLB network to bring Rachel Larson and Lee Craig over from Friday nights. No doubt we'll see more veterans and some new additions join the roster as the registration period continues. 

The Fouls Balls have always been a serious team. Super serious.

F3B

I mentioned PBJT's regular season success earlier, but there is one team that has been even better. Over the last calendar year, F3B has gone 14-4-1. As great as they've been in the regular season, it's not translated to the playoffs, as their record during that time has been 1-2. This season they're returning with a singular goal of reversing that trend. 

Continuity should be a strength of the team. In looking at their roster so far, there are not many differences from the Spring team. They look to be returning almost everyone from that squad, with one of the only confirmed loss being catcher Yani Borrero, who is on loan to the United States Navy. She was one of the best catchers in the league last season and will be missed. While that is a hole in their lineup, F3B will benefit from the addition of ace pitcher Ed Aaron. Ed had missed the last season while recovering from a knee injury. He immediately gives them some more power on the mound and in the middle of the order. With talent all around, black is back and will be a challenge to beat. 

BOOS ON FIRST

After an up and down sophomore season that saw The Boozy Bunch finish 3-6-2 in the regular season, they finished on a high note. Captain Peter Murray's squad(ron) made a run to the Wentworth Trophy® Finals and damn near came away with the title. BoF boasts perhaps the most athletic team in the league, with the youngest overall average age. Their lineup boasts a good combination of speed, with lead off Bryan Koscielny standing out, and power (see Tom Sullivan's gif above). As of right now, Regina Palmiter is the only woman on the roster, but assuming they bring back many of the same ladies as they had last year, they're going to be among the best female units in the league.

The biggest hole on this team last season was probably experience. Not only will they have one more season under their belts, but Peter & Tom tapped into their Friday night Pop Pop connection and have recruited Alex Noctor, AJ Jackson, and Eddie Lopez. It's still too early and there is a lot of registrations yet to happen, but Boos On First is a strong contender to make the leap to the next level.

PUMPED UP KICKS

Pumped Up Kicks was our rookie squad in the Fall and they certainly took their lumps. You wouldn't blame them for getting a little deflated, but they stuck with it. Although their record was a winless 0-11, they steadily improved and started closing the gap. In one late season match up, they kept it close narrowly losing by 2 runs to the eventual champions, Rumspringa. They do have some talented but raw players, including Megan Hine and CJ Whispell. Chris "The Iron-Man" Betcher also stood out after a short adjustment to east coast kickball coming from leagues in Minnesota. New head coach Troy Carter has some pieces to work with. 

Win or lose, one thing is for sure. Pumped Up Kicks will be well represented at Guy Fieri's each week. 

RUMSPRINGA

Rumspringa has been a staple of CLUBWAKA Wednesday Kickball since 2010. As they head into their 20th season, the word is that this may be the last one for the storied franchise. Of course, the last two were also rumored to be the final season as well, but we fucked around and won a couple championships. Be that as it may, with this being the possible last ride for 'Springa, players from past are coming aboard for the Fall. The Rumspringa roster may climb as high as the mid-20s. That's a lot of players for captains Mike Ramey and Brian Yohn to handle, but certainly no shortage of talent. More importantly, an awesome sideline to be a part of from a personality standpoint. 

In the previous two seasons, Rumspringa did not overly impress in the regular season, posting a 9-7-2 record. But when it comes tournament time, this crew has turned it on, going 5-0 and winning 2 Wentworth Trophies®. Can they do it one more time? 

ADDITIONAL TEAMS

Although we only have 6 teams registered currently, there have been rumors of more teams forming. Recently the intramural director of the Apprentice School reached out and it's possible we may see a group form there. Also some other players from our Summer draft league are considering continuing #WAKAWednesday in the Fall. Hopefully, one or two of these new teams shake out.

As noted in the opening, we're three weeks out from the opening night. It's time to get these rosters right. Erica will be ordering the bar logo shirts tomorrow and the price for registration goes up on 9/1. If you haven't signed up yet, please do so at https://www.clubwaka.com/hampton-roads/kickball/wednesday/6006. If you have signed up (THANK YOU) please keep spreading the good word.

I can't wait to get back out to the Stadium with you all! 

Brent