Fryers competing in AAU Softball tourney in Orlando

BY DEAN GREENAWAY

The Fryers and the St. John Ambassadors are among 28 teams that began play yesterday, in the 2005 AAU men’s international fast pitch softball tournament at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex, in Orlando, Florida. The tournament runs through Sunday.

The Fryers who placed fifth last year from a field of 24 teams, will meet Stix at 11 a.m. today, while the Ambassadors who were knocked out in the consolation game a year ago, will play the New York Gremlins also at 11. Both are among 28 teams from the United States, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean entered this year

With a year of experience under their belt, Fryers founder and manager Renee Jeffers said his team is better prepared for the tournament than last year when they entered the for the first time. They are in better physical condition too, Jeffers noted. “We are hoping to do a lot better than we did last year, but anything can play,” Jeffers said with a bit of caution and hopes to improve on last year’s fifth place position. “I feel that the competition will be a lot better this year. They didn’t expect us to play so well when we entered last year for the first time, so this time I know they will put us up against some of the best.”

The composition of the team, Jeffers said, is slightly different to last year’s as he has added several younger players to his squad and they are faster. He was satisfied with their play against the St. Croix All Stars in a tune up game late last year on Tortola. “The competition was very tough against St. Croix,” Jeffers recalled. “Cedric Smith went 4 for 4 and Kyel Rhymer was 3 for 4. We hope they will have good performances when they go to Orlando.”

Jeffers said while he lost two players from last year’s team, the defense is better. “I feel good about the team because we have good speed on the bases,” he said. “I feel we can do a lot better overall.”