Twelve of the top 15 club teams in the nation will be among the loaded 15-team field at the So Cal A's Invitational, a PGF-sanctioned event, Friday through Sunday at Harvard Park in Irvine, California.

Watch the So Cal A's Invitational LIVE only on FloSoftball June 17-19



Fourteen of the 15 teams in the tournament are ranked in the latest FloSoftball Fab 50 national rankings, including No. 1 OC Batbusters-Stith, No. 2 So Cal Athletics-Richardson, No. 3 Beverly Bandits-Tyrrell/Conroy, No. 4 Birmingham Thunderbolts, No. 5 Firecrackers-Rico, No. 6 Corona Angels-Tyson, No. 7 All American Sports Academy, No. 8 PA Chaos, No. 10 Explosion-Denio/Wilson, No. 11 Sorcerer, No. 15 Georgia Impact Premier, No. 21 So Cal Choppers, No. 27 Jersey Intensity-KOD and No. 48 DeMarini Aces, and they are all eager to show they belong on top.

"Our goals for this weekend are to come out and show everyone who the Bolts are," Auburn-bound infielder KK Crocker of the Birmingham Thunderbolts said. "We want to represent our organization and Alabama well. We work day in and day out to be the best in the country and we have the all the ability and talent to compete with anyone.

"We know who all is in this tournament, it's the best of the best. We are going to have to come out and play our game, knowing that these are the teams that we will face at nationals at the end of the summer."

Bruce Richardson's So Cal Athletics don't want to be shown up in their own backyard.

"Our goals as a team are to dominate this tournament," Arizona-committed third baseman Peanut Martinez of So Cal Athletics said. "We have good competition this weekend and have to come out ready to compete. We have to be strong on defense and limit the errors and make sure our bats are hot. These teams have some great pitchers. We just have to keep things simple and play 110 percent. These teams are very different from the high school games we play. We just need to be ready to play."


Demarini Aces pitcher/first baseman Olivia Kinsey, the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year, is eager to see where her team stacks up against some of the elite club teams in the nation.

"As far as our goals for this tournament, we want to play hard and compete with the best teams in the nation," said Kinsey, who has committed to Oregon. "I would say that with this level of play we're going to see the best of the best."

All of the teams at the So Cal A's Invitational have PGF National Championship aspirations.

"If you look at the lineup of the teams participating, these are all teams that are playing to compete at the highest level," said Explosion pitcher Alyssa Loza, who has signed with Arizona State. "All of these teams have the goals of winning a national championship, so all of these games will be tough games where teams are trying to make their run for a national championship."

The teams play four pool play games on Friday and Saturday before the tournament turns into single-elimination bracket play for the final game on Saturday night and all day Sunday. The championship game is Sunday at 6 p.m.

"We are a team that is looking at this tournament as preparation for the bigger tournaments ahead in Boulder Colorado and the PGF Championships in July," Loza said. "So we are looking forward to the matchups against the big-time teams. These games will only make our team better and prepare us for our quest for a national championship."

UCLA-committed infielder/outfielder Kinsley Washington said Marty Tyson's Corona Angels want to be battle-tested by the end of the summer.

"I think it's a great opportunity for my team to be a part of the invitational," Washington said. "To be the best, we have to go against the best. That is the only way to really prepare us for PGF later this summer."

TEAMS TO WATCH AT THE SO CAL ATHLETICS INVITATIONAL

See the Ultimate Streaming Guide for the So Cal Athletics Invitational

Who: No. 1 OC Batbusters-Stith

Why: Florida-committed right-hander Natalie Lugo got a lot of experience pitching for the OC Batbusters last season on their run to the PGF national title and she figures to play a major role in the circle this summer.

Who: No. 2 So Cal Athletics-Richardson

Why: The So Cal A's are deep at every position and they have a fantastic infield that features Arizona-committed 3B Hannah "Peanut" Martinez and South Carolina-bound SS Mackenzie Boesel.

Who: No. 3 Beverly Bandits-Tyrrell/Conroy

Why: The Beverly Bandits are led by Oregon-bound Miranda Elish, the three-time Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year.

Who: No. 4 Birmingham Thunderbolts

Why: The Bolts have Auburn-bound right-hander Ashlee Swindle, the Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year, in the circle.

Who: No. 5 Firecrackers-Rico

Why: The Firecrackers lineup features Oregon-committed catcher Mary Iakopo, who is one of the top power hitters in the nation.

Who: No. 6 Corona Angels-Tyson

Why: The Corona Angels lineup is loaded with speed and has UCLA-committed Megan Faraimo in the circle.

Who: No. 7 All American Sports Academy

Why: AASA's ace is UCLA-bound right-hander Madilyn "Bubba" Nickles, who was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year and the only high school-aged player invited to train with the 2016 USA Softball Women's Elite Team.

Who: No. 8 PA Chaos

Why: Chaos will be a factor this summer with Oregon-bound right-hander Maggie Balint, the three-time Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year, in the circle.

Who: No. 10 Explosion-Denio/Wilson

Why: Arizona State-bound right-hander Alyssa Loza led North Torrance to a CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship during the high school season and now she will try to help Explosion make a run at the PGF title this summer.

Who: No. 11 Sorcerer

Why: UCLA-committed shortstop Brianna Perez is an outstanding defensive player with speed that can slap or hit for power and gives Sorcerer a shot against anybody.

Who: No. 15 Georgia Impact Premier

Why:  Alabama-committed Skylar Wallace, South Carolina-commit Jana Johns and Tennessee-committed southpaw Gabby Spring will help Impact leave their mark this summer.

Who: No. 21 So Cal Choppers

Why: With players such as Fresno State-bound catcher/shortstop Schuylar Broussard in the lneup, the So Cal Choppers will be as competitive as ever.

Who: No. 27 Jersey Intensity-KOD

Why: Jersey Intensity features South carolina-committed right-hander Kelsey Oh, the two-time New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year, in the circle.

Who: No. 48 DeMarini Aces

Why: Oregon-committed right-hander Olivia Kinsey, the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year, is the DeMarini Aces' ace in the circle.

Who: Irvine Sting

Why: UC Riverside-committed outfielder Kaitlyn Lim had an outstanding freshman season for Woodbridge High of Irvine and will help the Sting this summer.

See the Ultimate Streaming Guide for the So Cal Athletics Invitational