So Cal Athletics Mercado/Smith no surprise at top of US Club Rankings

While the 2017 season didn’t go down as a perfect success for the 16u So Cal Athletics Mercado/Smith team, it makes perfect sense where they ended up in the final 2017 US Club Rankings.

The Athletics won just about everything in sight this season, continuing their long run of success since hitting the scene before their teenage years. The Mercado/Smith squad took first place at both Colorado Fireworks and the Triple Crown World Series, while taking second place at PGF Nationals.
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US Club Rankings uses bracket results, with more weight awarded to events with stronger competition), for the 16u layout.
It was the third age-group title won by this Athletics roster at Colorado Fireworks Super 64.

The rest of the top 10 for the final 16u 2017 US Club Rankings are as follows:

T2. Beverly Bandits (Ohio) – Ketelhut (beat Mercado/Smith at PGF and also won TC/USA Nationals)
T2. Beverly Bandits (Illinois) – Tyrrell (co-champ at  Boulder IDT and took third at PGF Nationals)
T4. Beverly Bandits (Ohio) – RD (co-champ at  Boulder IDT)
T4. East Cobb Bullets – Biele (second at Colorado Fireworks, seventh at PGF)
6. Vision Gold – Poole (placed third at TC/USA Nationals)
7. Georgia Impact – Stewart (placed fifth at Boulder IDT and USA Softball Gold)
T8. Firecrackers – Brashear (placed fifth at PGF Nationals)
T8. Tennessee Fury Platinum (took third at Colorado Fireworks)
T8. Texas Glory – Adkins Gold (placed second at TC/USA Nationals)

“With the inception of younger age divisions (16 & Under and 14 & Under), US Club Rankings has been able to follow teams through the years,” said director Alyson Morgenstern. “The So Cal Athletics Mercado/Smith team has been exciting as they have been able to dominate at every age division thus far; it will be fun to see how they fare in the rankings in the years to come.”