June 3, 2025
More than 170 teams from the youth softball ranks ages 10u through 18u made sure to head to the heartland this spring at the 17th annual TC OKC tournament, a Triple Crown Sports event known for its remarkable mix of competitive programs, hailing this year from more than 20 states.
TC OKC also fortifies its affection in the sport by playing alongside the Women’s College World Series, making the grand stage of metro Oklahoma City the place to be as the next generation of softball players grow their skills and take inspiration from this remarkable environment.
Day 1 of the event saw the 18u Firecrackers HTX-Kay squad from Conroe, TX., work through mixed results with a tie and a loss, but the team enjoyed a 3-0 shutout win on Day 2. This is the fourth consecutive year head coach Joseph Kay has brought his team to TC OKC.
“Last year we brought a different group, and so these girls kind of got a little upset because they love the excitement of the College World Series and just being in Oklahoma,” said Kay, whose team reached the semifinals of the 18u Bedlam Bracket. “We’ll have to go to (a WCWS game) with this group, this year for sure. The (WCWS) is definitely a bonus … As I’m driving up here, looking at my daughter, I’m like, dude, we’ve been to the World Series four years in a row! That’s insane … it’s definitely something we look forward to every year.”
For an 18u group such as Kay’s team, the TC OKC event is a setting where longtime friends and teammates get another important bonding moment before everyone scatters after high school. On the other end of the spectrum, relative newcomers to competitive fastpitch start to get a look at how to have fun, measure up in competition and work through the details of a travel tournament.
“This is our first time out to OKC for the Triple Crown tournament,” said Derrick Aguilar, head coach to 10u Pueblo Heat from Colorado. “We started at 8u right off from T-ball and headed into our fourth season with this core group. We’ve never done a (trip) this extreme before.
“OKC has been awesome; we went to a couple of World Series games and really enjoyed ourselves, had a great time.”
No doubt, the thrills and compelling stories found at TC OKC tend to make teams circle other Triple Crown softball events on the calendar.
“We play in the Ronald McDonald (showcase) tournament every year, too – it’s in our hometown, so it’s awesome,” Kay said. “We’ve been to the (Colorado 4th of July) twice now, going to a different big showcase this year but overall, I mean we love Triple Crown events. Anytime we get a chance to play them, we’re looking to do so."
