It's easy to get caught up in the drama, especially if you feel your child has been treated unfairly. It's only a game, and we have to support our boys and encourage them to play their best... especially when challenged.  

As the name implies, you'd expect to see the top 12 teams in Central Florida at this annual event. Perhaps some were recovering from a long week in Cooperstown, but only 3 teams committed to play in the 10:U division.  The Jacksonville Jackets backed out when the slim schedule was released, leaving only us and one other 10:U team.  

Rather than spending $450 per team, and hotel rooms for 2 nights for those travelling from Jacksonville, we opted to play a double-header with Team Mizuno on Saturday. 

The Bobcats are headed to Altamonte Springs this weekend for the 2nd annual Director's Cup, hosted by USSSA. Look for us to make some noise in the 11:U division!

Game One: Bobcats vs. Inverness Crackers Sat 5:00pm win by forfeit

Game Two: Bobcats (3) vs. Lakeland Tigers (11)

Game Three: Bobcats (10) vs. North Florida Thunder (8)

Game Four:  Bobcats (6) vs. West Volusia Vipers (16)

Save the date!  The Bobcats will be competing at the USSSA Elite 24 as Disney's Wide World of Sports, August 3rd - 10th.  Check back soon for more details...

The Bobcats are celebrating three powerful championships this weekend! Not only did the Cats bring home the hardware at the Super NIT, but Coach Doug's family were 2-time winners! Congratulations to Hunter's team, the 11:U Florida Fire for taking top honors on the adjacent field.

As the Bobcats clinched the Elite 24 berth, Coach Mervyl was leading his B-CU Wildcats to their third consecutive MEAC Baseball title in Norfolk, VA. Coach Mervyl also collected his fifth MEAC Coach of the Year honor. You can catch all the details on Bethune's baseball homepage.

Who would have thought that a scrappy little team could compete with an elite hand-picked group? The Bobcats did just that, and did it with more heart and hustle than words can express! These boys came with the intention of earning a berth to the Elite 24, and left with much more. The experience of facing top competition and doing what others deemed "impossible" will only make them stronger young men.

Game One: Bobcats (1) vs. Leon Medical Centers Baseball (9)

Game Two: Bobcats (5) vs. Tampa Crush (3)

Game Three: Bobcats (6) vs. Clermont Outlaws (3)

Game Four: Bobcats (6) vs. Leon Medical Centers Baseball (4)

Championship Game: Bobcats (7) vs. Tampa Crush (2)

The following recap is from www.travelballselect.com:

10U

Of the five teams entered in the 10-U tournament, only one team finished pool play lower than the Central Florida Bobcats.  But Coach Mike Harkcom gave his squad quite a pep talk after pool play, however, and the kids responded with a tournament championship.  "This is probably the biggest win we've had in a long time," said Harkcom.  "We don't use kids picked from all over the state.  We're just a team with local kids who work hard and play hard," he added.  One of the Bobcats coaches was unable to be with them in this event.  Mervyl Melendez, head coach of Bethune Cookman Wildcats, was leading his team to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship in Norfolk, VA.  "We told our kids to win it for the coach who couldn't be here," continued Harkcom.  The Bobcats have been together for three years now, having started playing together in the 8-U division.  They entered the tournament play after finishing pool action as the fourth seed out of five teams.  Their win over LMC in the semifinals was likely just as large as the win over the Tampa Crush in the finals. 

In loving memory of Charles Buddy Collins

4/13/1933 - 5/20/2008

Your Bobcat family loves you!

So, it's still unclear what the "invitational" meant. The tournament was "open" to all teams, and no berths were awarded. Perhaps when you play baseball year-round, it's possible to simply run out of names for tournaments. Maybe there will be a contest to "Name Your Own Tournament" sometime in the future.

The Bobcats brought a strong squad and dominated in pool-play, earning the #1 seed "bye" in bracket play. Semi-Final play was over in just 5 innings, as the Cats moved on to the Championship. This was a battle to the end, with both teams standing tough. Our boys played through some intense defensive situations, taking the lead with a 2-out rally in the fifth. Clermont answered with 5 of their own, bringing us to the bottom of the sixth, down 9-7. We threatened to come back, but with runners on hit into the 3rd out to end the game. Congratulations to the Clermont Outlaws team for a well-played match.

Game One: Bobcats (10) vs. O.C. Outlaws (2)

Game Two: Bobcats (13) vs. Lady Lake Legends (1)

Game Three: Bobcats (8) vs. O.C. Outlaws (0)

Championship Game: Bobcats (8) vs. Clermont Outlaws (9)

The USSSA Conference State Championship 10:U was played at the Osceola County Softball Complex, April 11-13, 2008. Perhaps the most meaningful event of the weekend was the return of the Clermont Outlaws, after losing their team mom, Tish Rayburn, earlier in the week. Our thoughts and prayers have been with the entire family throughout this journey. Clermont took the field immediately following our first game, and "Drove On" to the victory.

Game One: Bobcats (10) vs. O.C. Outlaws (2)

Game Two: Bobcats (13) vs. Pirates (13)

Game Three: Bobcats (7) vs. O.C. Outlaws (4)

Championship Game: Bobcats (2) vs. Bulldogs (10)

The third annual Duel at Daytona, hosted by the Ormond Beach Golden Spikes brought all the excitement of a competitive tournament only minutes from the beach... now that's a good weekend of baseball!  The 2008 Duel attracted 12 top teams (6 Fire, 6 Ice) competing for the 10:U championship, and the shorter fields provided for lots of Homerun opportunities all around!  

Game 1: Bobcats (18) vs. N.F. Hurricanes (1)

Game 2: Bobcats vs. Renegades

Game 3: Bobcats (13) vs. Tampa Titans (7)

Championship Game: Bobcats (0) vs. Juice (11)

The Bobcats are kicked off the Spring season with a victory at Sleepy Hollow. After last season's injuries and illness, it was nice to see the boys back on the field at full-strength. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a safe and fun season with no casts or orthopedic visits!

Game One: Bobcats (12) vs. Central Florida Hurricanes (4)

Game Two: Bobcats (0) vs. Avalon Park Wolves (0)

Game Three: Bobcats (5) vs. Orange County Blaze (1)

Championship Game: Bobcats (11) vs. Clermont Outlaws (3)

This year's USSSA President's Day Challenge is one of the biggest ever, drawing 12 competitive 10:U teams from the Central Florida area. The Bobcats faced two familiar teams Saturday morning, capturing back-to-back wins and advancing as the #2 seed out of pool play. We played 3 back-to-back-to-back on Sunday, meeting up with the Clermont Outlaws once again for the championship. A few too many errors and we fell short of the win. Congratulations to the Clermont Outlaws for earning the win.

Game One: Bobcats (4) vs. OC Outlaws (3)

Game Two: Bobcats (8) vs. Future Stars (0)

Game Three: Bobcats (10)vs. OC Outlaws (3)

Game Four: Bobcats (8) vs. Team Mizuno (7)

Championship Game: Bobcats (6) vs. Clermont Outlaws (13)

After extreme thunderstorms passed over Central Florida Friday evening, the USSSA officials quickly reorganized and got all the games in on Saturday. Despite the gusting winds blowing in, the Bobcats scored early and often. Congratulations to Michael on the GRAND SLAM in Game One! 

Throughout the weekend, everyone had dealt with tornado watches, downpours, game delays, wind gusts over 40mph during gameplay and some were even splitting their time between other sibling's games.  The weather Sunday was perfect for baseball, and we couldn't have asked for a nicer group to face for the Championship game.  The Pirates organization embodies true sportsmanship and the parents lead the boys by example.   How refreshing! 

Game One: Bobcats (10) vs. Future Stars (1)

Game Two: Bobcats (8) vs. Ocala Crocs (3)

Game Three:  Bobcats (6) vs. Team Mizuno (2)

Championship Game:  Bobcats (11) vs. Pirates (1)