For this Father’s Day weekend, we kick it off with a fun first-person recap of last weekend’s Top Gun Invitational through the eyes of Ryan Wardinsky, a father of two daughters who has a very strong background in baseball.

He’s now front and center in softball as his daughter, Paige, is one of the top players in the Class of 2030 and plays for the Hotshots National 14U Torres/Seneca team.

Focusing on the background of the relatively new “softball dad” for a moment, Ryan was drafted out of high school by the Colorado Rockies before playing shortstop at Texas A&M and then playing in the minors up through the High-A level.

After his playing career ended, the Montana native nearly two decades with the Miami Marlins organization, serving as an Area Scout and later as the Central U.S. Scouting Supervisor.

Today, the Wardinsky family lives in The Woodlands, Texas, and we look forward to having Ryan write for Line Drive Media frequently in the future!

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The Club Softball Experience… A Whole Different World!

After 20 years of MLB scouting, I was accustomed to the grind of certain events. The Area Code Games in Southern California and the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Championship in Jupiter, Fla. immediately come to mind.

But the softball grind is unlike any other I have experienced.

Sure, there were long days on the scouting trail, like an early morning rental car drop at LAX before flying cross-country to catch a 7 pm Cape Cod League game in Chatham, Mass., but that was nothing like watching your daughter’s team playing their way through to the Sunday title game of a summer club softball tourney.

A major summer softball tournament may be one of the greatest endurance tests in amateur sports for players and their parents!

This past week at the Top Gun Invitational in Kansas City was a reminder that the club softball world operates on a different level for players, coaches, and families alike.

My daughter, Paige, is fortunate to play for the Hotshots National Torres/Seneca 14U team, a group made up of talented players from across Texas. The Hotshots ultimately captured the championship in extra innings, but I’ll get to that in a minute…

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The Road Trip

The trek began with an 11-plus hour drive from The Woodlands, Texas to Olathe, Kan. Stops included the mandatory Buc-ee’s visit, dinner at a favorite pizza place in Edmond, Okla., and ice cream at Braum’s in Wichita, Kan.

By the time we arrived at the hotel, checked in, and got settled, it was nearly 11pm.

Tournament week at Top Gun had officially begun.

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Thursday: A Strong Start

The Hotshots opened pool play with a pair of wins at the impressive Mid-America Sports Complex. It was hot outside, especially on the turf, but nothing like the South Texas heat and humidity these girls are used to.

The Hotshots National 14U team—coached by Joe Torres (note: his daughter Isa was the D1 Softball Player of the Year for Florida State, a 1st Team All-American and is now with the Texas Longhorns), Terry Seneca, Chris Dove, and Chuck Miske—is made up of players from all over Texas.

I’m biased, I know, but they are good… potentially, really good!

Outstanding leadership from Nathan Nelson at the top and the org and a roster of excellent coaches who know the game, understand how to teach, and care enough to connect with each girl define the team.

Add to the mix terrific parents and a group of highly skilled, determined, and athletic players and this all should make for a great summer.

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Friday: The Grind Continues

Friday brought another doubleheader and a split.

The bats were a little quiet, but the defense remained strong. We reached the end of Day 2 without any weather interruptions, logistical issues, or injuries. Always a bonus!

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Saturday: Welcome to Tornado Alley

The weekend took an unexpected turn Saturday evening.

The Hotshots were protecting a 1-0 lead behind standout right-handed pitcher Avery Dunlap when tournament officials suddenly cleared the complex due to impending weather and a tornado warning (tornado on the ground!).

Within minutes, hundreds of players, coaches, and parents were quickly heading to the parking lot.

As a lifelong weather enthusiast, I made the decision to drive toward the storm even though the sky had become dark (actually very dark).

Jodi, my wife, quickly voiced her displeasure with that decision and implored me to turn around and drive away from the wall cloud, lightning (and twister?).

I complied and we sped off to the south, ending up at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant in place called Lone Jack.

As the rain pounded the building, we reviewed the day over a great meal, keeping one eye on the local news monitoring the weather. The storm eventually passed and we discussed the events that had just transpired as we made the 40 minute drive back to the hotel in Olathe, Kan.

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Sunday: Championship Sunday

Like a big Midwest storm, this was one of those days you know is coming a couple times a summer but are never quite prepared for it.

We had to resume the previous night’s game at 8 am. That means on the field at 7 am, which means, arrival at 6:45 am, which means in the car at 6:12 am, which means alarm at 5:12 am.

You know the day is going to be long, but you don’t know just how long.

The Hotshots resumed Saturday’s suspended game at 8 a.m. and secured the victory. They then proceeded to win three more games, resulting in a Final 4 matchup with USA Prime.

USA Prime is a well-rounded squad and proved to be one of the tournament’s toughest opponents, but the Hotshots got another great pitching performance from Avery (Dunlap) and perfectly executed a first and third play which scored the go-ahead run to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory.

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The Championship Finale: Hotshots vs. Top Gun National

This was a back-and-forth game which ran into extra innings due to the time limit. Neither team scored in the first extra frame, but the Hotshots scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the 5^th to secure an exciting win.

Thus, after a six-game day which included contributions from every player on the roster, and some clutch defensive and offensive play, the Hotshots had won the Top Gun Championship!

It was an awesome day, tourney, and moment to celebrate as a team unit—players, coaches, and parents.

After a late and lengthy team dinner to celebrate, we arrived back at the hotel at 12:30 in the morning, exactly 17 hours after our alarms had gone off the day before.

After about five hours of sleep, we were on the road for an 11-hour drive back to Houston at 5:30 am, but overall, what a great weekend!

As we traveled south on I-35, I found myself thinking about all the baseball players I’ve evaluated over the years and how unique softball athletes truly are.

The travel, the schedules, the pressure, the weather, the expectations—it takes a special kind of competitor to embrace it all and keep showing up ready to play.

After five days in Kansas, I left even more impressed than when I arrived.

We had about two days to recover and catch up on life before we hit the road for Oklahoma City where we’re at this Father’s Day weekend.

And after this weekend, we’ll have two more tournaments on the road.

Years ago, my summers were spent on baseball fields evaluating future professionals; today, they are spent watching these talented young athletes chase their dreams on softball fields across the country.

It is a different journey, yes, but one I’m very grateful to be part of!

— Ryan Wardinsky/Line Drive Contributor