Fort Collins, Colo. -- The 16U Jacksonville Storm Girls Fastpitch Softball team was stripped of its National Championship within two hours after completion of the TC/USA Nationals 16 Open championship game in Cumming, GA., on July 12. Triple Crown Sports was contacted by team representatives following completion of the game notifying that they had played two age ineligible players in the semis and then one in the championship game.  Both were over the legal age to play in this age group.

The Scrap Yard Internationals and Glory Adkins Gold of Texas will be declared the Triple Crown USA National Champions in 16 Open.  All other teams will move up one spot.  The Storm will receive last place.    

Triple Crown CEO Keri King and Executive Director of Fastpitch at TC Elliott Finkelstein have handed down the following punitive course of action:

• The Jacksonville Storm organization will be banned from 2018-2019 Triple Crown events and will be reinstated only after TC’s review of future organizational controls.
• The coaches of that particular squad are subject to the same ban regardless of which organization they are coaching.
• The players who were not of age will be banned during the same period and may not play with any TC team.
• Triple Crown is asking other governing bodies to honor that same ban period.

“Sports are sacred ground to build character and resilience in individuals,” said King. “We hope other organizations will join us to immediately ban all ages of the Jacksonville Storm program from competing in any and all fastpitch events through August 2019. The ramifications for playing players over age should be loud and clear.” 

This year’s Champions are as follows:

•           East Cobb Bullets-Schnute: 18 Open Champions
•           ScrapYard International and Glory Adkins Gold: 16 Open Champions
•           So Cal Choppers-Faucett- 14 Open Champions

The Triple Crown USA Nationals is one of the most highly regarded season-ending Championships with more than 60 percent of the Top 50 Clubs participating based on USClubRankings.com.