The snow is finally almost gone and ASA coed games start this week with full schedules of ASA and NSA games next week. Get a leg up by visiting The Cage before your season starts. They're currently open:

3-8pm...........Monday through Friday
Noon - 8pm...Saturday
Noon - 6pm...Sunday

Also teams can reserve time by calling 344-7628, 1/2 hour is $20, 1 hour is $35.

One mile south of Dimond on King Street.

Anchorage Sports is offering two new leagues this summer, here are the details:
Mens Masters: 6 teams of 40+ players. Must turn 40 in the 2008 calendar year to qualify.
Wood Bat League: 6 teams that want to play using wood bats exclusively.

If you may be interested in playing or putting together a team please call Don Brooks at 562-1504.

Here are the two 2008 changes to the rules that will affect Alaska softball the most:
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Rule 3, Section 1 G: The bat barrel shall be free of audible rattles when shaken. The bat barrel shall not have signs of excessive wear.
Comment: Bat manufacturers suggested that this rule would help identify bats that have started to break down internally.
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Rule 8, Section 4 F: Slow Pitch Change Women's Open to Women's Slow Pitch
Comment: ALL women's slow pitch classifications are allowed to steal
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A full list of changes can be found here.

This year there will only be a coed snowshoe tournament during Fur Rondy, it will be Feb. 23-24. Cost is $225, games will be played at the Kosinski fields in midtown and players have to wear the snowshoes provided. For more information contact Donnie at Anchorage Sports, 562-1504.

On Oct. 20th ASA held their annual state meeting in Anchorage. Representatives from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai, Homer, Mat-Su and Southeast were in attendance. During the state meeting members tackle classification, state and invitaional tournament schedules, proposed codes changes and more. This year there were some major changes that require some explanation. click the headline to read more!

Last week was the opening of The Dome and the start of indoor softball in Anchorage. Check out the 6 team Coed and 6 team Men's league results on the AnchorTown league page.

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association will hold its Coaches College in Anchorage October 26-28.

The deadline for early registration is October 12 (save $25 off the registration fee).

The first forty registered Alaska coaches receive a $100 scholarship.

Course 402 - “Advanced Analysis of Hitting, Pitching & Short Game Skills”
October 26-28, 2007
University of Alaska - Anchorage

Instructors: Kirk Walker, head coach at Oregon State University; Margie Wright, head coach at Fresno State University; and Cindy Bristow, former ISF Director of Development

Course Overview: This course teaches coaches how to analyze and teach fundamental individual skills. Coaches will learn and examine:
- The mechanics of hitting, pitching, bunting and slapping;
- Skills through video and photo analysis;
- Tips and adjustments to hit a variety of pitches thrown to a variety of locations; and

The Alaska Pride Men's C team from Anchorage went down to Reno for the ASA Balloon Race Tournament the weekend of Sept. 8-9. There were teams from California, Oregon and the host Nevada. The Pride placed 7th out of 30 teams here's Matt Sugita's recollection of how the weekend unfolded for them :
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Gm 1) 18-10 Win
Gm 2) 32-14 loss from a Nevada team that put 16 runs up in the first inning before we even got to bat. They base hit us like crazy and we just didn't hit.
Gm 3) 16-13 win
Gm 4) 15-3 win
Gm 5) 18-14 win
Gm 6) 10-16 loss to a team from California

So, our experience down there has made at least me, appreciate our fields here in Anchorage. The fields down there are solid clay, with a bit of gravel on top of it so footing was horrible. We later found out that short and third would play in the grass so that they have lateral ability. Oh well. The fields were not soft because they were not allowed to use water for that purpose.

Three teams from Alaska traveled to the ASA Men's D Nationals in Portland Oregon over Labor Day Weekend. There were 42 teams and the winning team, Hara's from Salem, OR, lost their first game 17-11 to TAI and then went through the loser's bracket and beat TAI twice in the championship to win it all. The Alaska teams finished:

13) Soland Contracting-Anc., 3-2
Won 19-17 over Team Christopher, MN
Lost 25-5 to Oswego Drywall, OR
Won 23-3 over RallytimeCDA, ID
Won 25-11 to Fattboys, MT
Lost 19-8 to Major Leaguers, AZ

25) Zoobar-Anc.(Warriors), 1-2
Lost 16-9 to KTI, WA
Won 15-1 over Evans, WY
Lost 12-11 to Cheerleaders, OR

33) Floors Galore-Juneau, 0-2
Lost 22-10 to Team Gold, CA
Lost 17-7 to Integrated, OR