Air Force set to defend three-peat as Armed Forces champions

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Mike Meares
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Nine all-Air Force softball team veterans and six rookies will help their service vie for a four-peat at the Armed Forces Softball Championship tournament at Foster Stadium here Sept. 12-14. 

With four of the last five championships in their dugout, the all-Air Force team feels their Army, Navy and Marine Corps competition has placed a huge target on their backs.

"The heat is on every year for us to win it," said Steve Shortland, all-Air Force team coach. "We have a lot of young, good talent mixed with a lot of experience out of the veterans."

A total of 26 men from around the Air Force turned out for the all-Air Force team's tryouts, which began Aug. 24 at Foster Stadium. The team was chiseled back to fill the 15-man roster. Although he has a veteran squad, he taking nothing for granted as they defend their title.

"We had bragging rights for the past year," Coach Shortland said. "But it's a new year.

During the tournament, each game is critical since they will play the other service teams three times. Coach Shortland is "cautiously optimistic" about his team's chances.

"It's only nine games and anyone can beat anyone on any given day," he said.

The coach went on to say that the team is only as good as the last game played. That is takes more than just talent to win it all.

"It takes talent to win, but it also takes luck," the coach said. "A lot of times it comes down to luck."

One play here or there can change the outcome at anytime. "We don't count on luck because you can't teach that," he said.

To ready themselves for the tournament, the all-Air Force team scrimmaged against a team of people from around the area Sept. 4 beating them in two separate games. The team will take on an all-star cast from the Eglin area in another round of scrimmage Sept 6 at Foster Stadium.

"The scrimmage games will give us a chance to gauge how we are with the final 15 players," the coach said, who is in his sixth year as coach.

The Army and Marine Corps will open the tournament Sept. 12. This is the last year Eglin will host the Armed Forces softball tournament. The Navy will host the tournament for the next five years, reportedly at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fla.

After the tournament, the service sports directors will pick an all-Armed Forces team to compete in the Amateur Softball Association's National Championships later this year in Oklahoma City at the ASA Hall of Fame Field Sept. 27-30. 



All-Air Force Team roster
Christopher Bast, Kunsan Air Base, Korea (#25)
Robert Chastain, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas (#4)
Stephen Copes, Lackland AFB, Texas (#19)
Dexter High, Spangdahlem AB, Germany (#24)
Michael Horton, Tyndall AFB, Fla. (#11)
Ryan Kueger, Buckley AFB, Colo. (#23)
Gary Lafon, Ramstein AB, Germany (#1)
Chadd Malin, Kadena AB, Japan (#10)
Christopher Markey, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (#2)
Richard Mercer, Hurlburt Field, Fla. (#3)
Anthony Patrick, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. (#5)
Michael Schlauch, Dyess AFB, Texas (#6)
Zach Turissini, Hurlburt Field, Fla. (#30)
Joshua Wiggs, Keesler AFB, Miss. (#22)
Randy Wilhide, Seymour-Johnson AFB, N.C. (#14)
Randall Raper, Buckley Air Force Station, Colo. (#20) Assistant Coach
Stephen Shortland, Randolph AFB, Texas (#35) Coach 



2007 Armed Forces Men's Softball Championship schedule
Sept. 12 (away vs. home) 
Opening ceremony - 8:30 a.m. at Foster Stadium
Game 1 - 9 a.m. Marine Corps vs. Army
Game 2 - 10:30 a.m. Navy vs. Air Force
Game 3 - 2 p.m. Navy vs. Army
Game 4 - 3:30 p.m. Air Force vs. Marine Corps
Game 5 - 7 p.m. Army vs. Air Force
Game 6 - 8:30 p.m. Marine Corp vs. Navy

Sept. 13 (away vs. home)
Game 1 - 9 a.m. Marine Corps vs. Air Force
Game 2 - 10:30 a.m. Army vs. Navy
Game 3 - 2 p.m. Air Force vs. Army
Game 4 - 3:30 p.m. navy vs. Marine Corps
Game 5 - 7 p.m. Army vs. Marine Corps
Game 6 - 8:30 p.m. Air Force vs. Navy

Sept. 14 
Game 1 - 9 a.m. Air Force vs. Army*
Game 2 - 10:30 a.m. Navy vs. Marine Corps*
Game 3 - 2 p.m. Army vs. Marine Corps*
Game 4 - 3:30 p.m. Air Force vs. Navy*
Game 5 - 7 p.m. Army vs. Navy*
Game 6 - 8:30 p.m. Marine Corps vs. Air Force*

*The home team will be determined by a coin toss.
The closing ceremony will immediately follow the final game.