Reprint with permission by Press Publications
Written by J. Patrick Eaken     

 
The National Amateur Baseball Federation College Division World Series presented by Buckeye Cable Sports Network will return to Toledo August 6-9. Sixteen teams from across the country will qualify through regional tournaments and direct bids for the 31-game wood bat tournament.

Two teams will receive direct bids from the Toledo Amateur Baseball Federation, which has eight teams this year. Two of the teams represent the Oregon-based Ohio Monarchs (Gold and Blue teams), which also play in the Tri-State Baseball League (Northern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania), and a third team playing Fed ball this season is the Ohio Trojans, which were the 2007 Continental Amateur Baseball Association College World Series champion.

The other five teams playing in the now mostly wood-bat summer collegiate Toledo Fed league this summer are the Northwest Ohio Dirt Devils, the Ohio Tornadoes, Ohio Legends, Glass City Elite, and (Toledo) All-Americans (formerly All-American Coach).

The Ohio Monarchs Gold won the 2008 NABF College World Series by defeating the Long Island Astros in the championship. Youngstown State outfielder Cory Hornyak (Genoa) was named the tournament’s MVP.

Local players on the Gold team’s roster this summer include Hornyak, Ben Kauder (St. John’s Jesuit/Oberlin), and Casey Wincksowski (Clay/Owens CC). Playing for the Monarchs Blue are Alex Timofeev (Clay/Defiance), Cody Fisher (Gibsonburg/Ohio Northern), Cody McPherson (Lake/Bluffton), Shane McGaharan (Northwood/Olney Central CC), and Shane Pfouts (Lake/Urbana).

For information on the College World Series, call co-tournament director Shawn Sobel at 419-936-3887, CWS marketing director Dan Freiheit at 419-973-4653, or visit www.nabfcws.com.