Sorcerer 18 Gold - Mumma

TEAM OF THE YEAR 18 Again: Two-Time Champ Sorcerer is Best Again in 18U By Jim McCurdy Sorcerer holds the ASA 2003 National Champions Banner. They had to know something was coming. Even if they didn’t, the Sorcerer Softball coaches had no option but to accept the whitewash that welcomed them when they opened the door. What a door they cracked. After the Northern California team won the 18U ASA National Championship for the second straight year, some of the girls formed a new sorority called, "Team Scheme" and began plotting against their coaches. Try a room full of toilet paper in the Garland, Texas, hotel. "They didn’t say anything until we got back," teammate Julie Stauder said. "They kind of laughed about it afterwards." There’s reason for good cheer and a Charmin-like prank when you’re the champs. For two years in a row, that’s the label Sorcerer Softball has worn. Pretty impressive considering the Bay Area team, which will become an 18U Gold squad this season, is in only its fourth year of existence. Earning back-to-back titles is magical in itself. But it’s what Sorcerer whipped up in 2003 that earned them Softball Today’s 18U Team of the Year honor for the second straight year. Sorcerer Softball went 48-4-1 in 2003 and two of those losses came in the prestigious Colorado Fireworks tournament minus a few of the team’s veterans. Sorcerer won a combined 28 games in national tournament competition over the last two years. A loss in the first game of the 2002 National Qualifier in Rockford, Ill., was preceded by 10 straight wins. In 2003, Sorcerer reeled off eight straight wins before a 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Irish eventually set up the championship game rematch between the two teams. Sorcerer prevailed 12-0 in five innings. "We feel pretty good about going from non-existent to winning twice," Sorcerer coach Phil Mumma said. "When we started the program, we were begging people to play. The hardest thing is starting from scratch. There’re a number of teams that have been together for a long time. They have their reputations. That was hard to overcome." Consider it conquered. Showtime - the team takes the field for the Champion Game. In the last three years, Sorcerer has sent more than 20 players to the college level. In girls softball, where politics are as rampant as undertakings in Washington, D.C. and everyone believes they are entitled to a scholarship if they put on a uniform in the summer, the whole process of getting to the next level sometimes clouds the fun of the game. At least that’s the way some see it. "I think parents everywhere are trying to turn youth sports into something more professional," Mumma said. "I think that’s unfortunate. (A scholarship) isn’t the be-all and end-all. Some of the ugly stuff I see, I honestly do shake my head and I honestly do feel fortunate. "I think parents and some clubs have put so much emphasis on getting a scholarship. If a kid gets a scholarship, you’ve already fulfilled your goal. There’s no incentive after that. That kind of individual thinking is detrimental." While some take their scholarships and plant seeds to further growth, Mumma has a point. But that doesn’t mean things will change. And as long as Sorcerer remains successful, its players will get noticed. Colleges aren’t going away. This year, Sorcerer will also field an 18U and 14U team. Yes, the expansion mode has already begun. They say success breeds success. In this case it also breeds multiplication. Now the trick is sustaining it. "Just like other teams, I think we’ll get better," Stauder said. "It doesn’t matter if we win or lose, as long as we play our best. Obviously everybody wants to go out and win, so I have a feeling we’ll do well as long as we keep our heads in it, and not get cocky." Mumma, like many other coaches before him, likened the ASA Nationals to a track meet. Nowadays with the field climbing seemingly each year, longevity is the name of the game. When Sorcerer won the 2002 title, there were 128 teams in Rockford, Ill. That number grew to 142 in Garland, Texas. No wonder pitching becomes even more of a premium. "I think it’s easier in an NCAA season than it is in an ASA season," Mumma offered. "You can use two pitchers in college." Some club teams have the resources to throw two aces in National competition. Stanford signee Becky McCullough carried the load for Sorcerer last year. "No one expected us to do what we did," Stauder said. "We had to keep our intensity and focus to win the game. We had to stay as a team. When we did play as a team, it was exciting because our tempo was up. We had to know no team was gonna let us play down to them because of our past. They all wanted to beat us. "It was an unforgettable moment. Winning it once is exciting alone. Winning it twice in a row, I will never forget that time. I never thought a day like this would come when I would win back-to-back National titles." Consider it conquered.