Month: April 2025

Four Top Gun squads earned championship titles at the Southwest Championships held this month in Las Vegas, one of the premier tournaments on the Senior Softball USA (SSUSA) calendar. With 231 teams competing across age divisions, the event is second in size only to the World Championships—and champions secure a coveted invitation to the Tournament of Champions in Florida next January.

This year, Top Gun teams stood tall, combining dominant performances with camaraderie and grit. Here’s a look at the championship runs:

Top Gun Blue Angels (85+ Major)

The Blue Angels soared through the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record, going undefeated in both seeding and bracket play. Their campaign included wins against younger teams from Hawaii, Las Vegas, and Git-R-Done before sweeping Scrap Iron in the championship bracket—mercy-ruling three of their five opponents.

But this championship was about more than the wins. It was dedicated to the memory of beloved teammate Bill Gaynor, who passed away last month peacefully in his chair, wearing his Top Gun hat and shirt. Between games, both Colorado and Top Gun teams gathered for a prayer to honor Bill and others recently lost or facing health battles, living the SSUSA motto: “It’s more than just a game.”

Led by Hall of Fame coach Red Simmons, the team managed a 14-man rotation—eight of whom often required pinch runners—showing impressive depth and flexibility. All players contributed on the field during the tournament. All-Tournament selections included Jerry Adams, Bob Fontaine, Ronnie Guest, Franch Seaberg, and Tom Grubb. Special kudos to Terry, who twice set the table for in-the-park grand slamsby selflessly giving up the glory to the hitters behind him!

Next up: a bit of rest, recovery, and preparation for Reno in late May.

Top Gun Gold (80+ Major)

Coach Frank Mazzeo and the Gold squad also went 5-0, unleashing a well-rounded, powerful lineup of 16 players. The team overwhelmed their opponents with a combination of timely hitting and sharp defense, including a 20-run explosion in four innings to mercy-rule a strong Hawaii team behind the pitching of Bob Jackson.

Standout individual performances included:

• Jerry Callahan – 13 for 15 (.867) with six RBI
• Al Galaviz – 15 for 17 (.882) with 10 RBI, 12 runs, two doubles, and three triples
• Jerry Herling – 13 for 15 (.867) with 15 RBI, 10 runs, three triples, and four home runs, including a game-winner
• Roy Rodriguez – 11 for 13 (.846), solidifying the defense at second base
• Dewey Williams – 11 for 11 plus three walks (1.000 OBP), 10 runs, 12 RBI, four triples, and a double, while also shining at rover

Several others came just shy of all-tournament honors, including Herman Vaught (.800), BJ Jackson (.750 with a stellar pitching performance in the title game), Jeff Millard (.727 average), Russ Young (8 RBI), and Jerry Wilson (9 RBI).

The team finished with an incredible .755 on-base percentage and .714 batting average—a true collective effort.

Top Gun Strike Force (70+ Major)

Though new this season, Strike Force, captained by Hall of Famer Rich Pratt, is composed largely of experienced Top Gun veterans who have been building chemistry over recent tournaments. At the Southwest Championships, they showed just how quickly that bond has solidified.

In a deep 12-team bracket, Strike Force went undefeated in two seeding games to earn the #2 seed, then stormed through bracket play with four more wins. After dispatching KC Kids and Samurai, they dominated the Bulldogs 24–7 in the A-side final. Their scheduled opponent in the championship—Steel, who had fought through five straight games in the loser’s bracket—forfeited the final due to heat, injuries, and the formidable challenge of having to double-dip Top Gun.

All-Tournament honors went to:

• Tom Steinhauer (RCF) – .727
• Mario Aguinaga (2B) – .800
• Ken Kowalsky (LF) – .682
• Bob Raasch (SS) – .727
• Wayne Wilcox (C) – .818

This championship could be just the beginning for this newly assembled but seasoned team.

Top Gun Storm (55+ AAA)

Coach Dave Alofaituli guided the Storm through a dramatic turnaround in their extremely competitive 14-team division. After dropping both seeding games by wide margins and entering bracket play as the #12 seed, the team responded with four straight wins against higher-seeded teams to reach the championship.

There, they edged SoCal Guys 21–20 on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Tony Poulin, eliminating the need for an “if” game and completing a stunning reversal. Ironically, SoCal had routed Top Gun earlier in seeding, but the Storm returned the favor twice in bracket play.

Perhaps fate—and a change of uniforms—was on their side: all their losses came wearing their brand new red jerseys, before they switched to blue and white and went undefeated on the weekend.

Top contributors included:

• James “Judge” Horan (LF) – .941
• Sean Jones (C) – .786
• Kirk Dean (OF) – .789
• Anthony Smith (LCF) – .710
• Doug Marconet (RCF) – .625

A championship earned through resilience, chemistry, and clutch hitting.