Published: June 22, 2009 12:21 am         

Softball Scene: Outkast men’s traveling team finding success in southern Indiana

Among the local men’s adult teams traveling throughout southern Indiana to participate in tournament play are Outkast, Crawlworks, 180 Energy Drink, Terre Haute Prescription Shop and Budweiser. Of these, the Outkast team has been the most successful.

Ending the 2008 season on a disappointing 0-2 showing at the Amateur Softball Association men’s Class C state tournament, the Outkast team has revamped its roster and adopted a more aggressive attitude for the 2009 season. It has, without a doubt, had very positive results.

During the 2009 season, the Outkast team has enjoyed top-10 finishes in several prestigious tournaments. Most notable was its 4-0 finish in the Ed Dukes Memorial at Vincennes earlier this season. In that tourney, Outkast defeated R&G Motors 12-8, Old Towne 25-8, Halter’s Tree Service 13-7 and Whittmer Brothers 26-22.

The Outkast squad also finished a strong 4-2 in Jasper’s Brad’s Brass Invitational and 5-2 in the Bedford All-Night Invitational. In the Bedford tourney, Outkast handed eventual tournament champion AJ Construction a 22-18 loss; the AJ Construction squad is presently one of Indiana’s highest-ranked Class B teams.

Leading the way for Outkast is one of Terre Haute’s rising young stars, Kevin Wilt. Wilt is presently hitting over .700 and has stroked 30 home runs in 26 games.

Other team members include Todd Hein, Dusty Sturm, Dusty Batchelor, David See, Eddie Bennett, Chad Cress, Mike Walker, Travis Sutton, Kevin Nichols, Bill Fredeking and Zach Morgan.

Outkast is playing this weekend in Bloomington at the Dudley ASA Challenger Series. Playing in the B/C division, it will be competing with several of southern Indiana’s strongest squads.

Another local team that has placed well in several tournaments is the Crawlworks squad. It is presently second in the D/E division of the ASA Dudley Challenge Series and is competing at Bloomington this weekend in hopes of improving that position.

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• Consistent winners — The longest current winning streak by a local adult team has to be the 59-game streak by the First Financial coed team. Playing in the Terre Haute Family Y league, the last loss by First Financial was in fall-league play in November of 2007. The current First Financial team is unbeaten and in first place in the Y’s Thursday night league.

Presently included on the First Financial roster are the following players: Jason DeSanto, Meagan Payne, Amanda Payne, Scott Boerner, Laura McCrea, Kevin Kull, Jackie Gustafson, Mickey Dunning, Shannon Reed, Erik Smith, Jeaninne Mellish, Billy Nevill, Lindsey Starwalt and Justin Thompson.

After finishing runner-up in the ASA Class D/E state tourney in 2008, the First Financial team will return to state tourney play in 2009 in hopes of • • • • •

• Tournament offered — The Terre Haute Family Y is hosting a coed tournament June 27. Cost is $110 per team. Those interested can contact Elle at (239-9039) or Fred at (812) 917-4677.

See you at the park.



John Benton can be reached at (812) 877-2566.