By: Madison Feldhahn
This weekend, Top Gun Events is hosting the Top Gun KC Fall Futures Invite. This is the event’s second year, and it brings in 24 teams from across Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa in the 12u and 14u age divisions. The 12u age division will play at Central Bank Sporting Complex, and the 14u age division will play at Mid America Sports Complex.
Gate Fees:
Children $5
Teens & Adults: $10
Senior: $5
Military: $5
Pool play will begin for both age groups on Saturday at 10 AM. This tournament has a double elimination bracket. Bracket play will begin Saturday at 4:00 PM for both age groups. Bracket play will resume on Sunday at 8:30 AM.
Take a look at some of the teams joining us below!
12u
Aces Fastpitch National Lowry
Coaching Staff: Curt Lowry & Tiffany Lowry
Team Social Media Handles: Aces 12u National 2012 (FB)
2024 Summer Successes: We are a brand new 2012 National Team looking to build a team that can compete at the highest level and begin to prepare/develop players for college if that is their long-term goal.
Expectations for 2024 Fall Season: We aim to build a team of motivated girls focused on competing at the highest level, developing a strong understanding of the game, and improving each player’s fundamental skill set. We strive for both individual growth and the success of the team as a whole.
Louisville Lady Sluggers 12u VanBoxmeer
Coaching Staff: Ashley VanBoxmeer & Andy Paalhar
Team Social Media Handles: louisvilleladysluggers12u_vb (Instagram)
2024 Summer Successes: We are a new team.
Expectations for 2024 Fall Season: We hope to compete at a high level in all 12u tournaments and qualify for Nationals.
Nebraska Gold 515 Futures Lincoln
Coaching Staff: Tad Lincoln (HC), Cory Dawson, Brian Ladehoff & Kyle Johnson
Team Social Media Handles: @NE_Gold_515 (X) & NE Gold 515 2012 (FB)
2024 Summer Successes: Top 2 teams in Iowa based on USSSA points and rank. Top 15 finish at Nationals out of 66 teams.
Expectations for 2024 Fall Season: We feel good about our additions this fall and are excited to see where we stack up against the best competition in the Midwest.
Nebraska Gold Naughton 11u
Coaching Staff: Kyle Naughton (HC), Anthony Muck (AC) & Ben Grojean (AC)
Team Social Media Handles: @NEGold2012s (X), Nebraska Gold 12u (FB) ne_gold_2012s (Instagram)
2024 Summer Successes: USSSA Midwest Nationals 11 open gold bracket runner-up (9-2-1)
Expectations for 2024 Fall Season: Compete in all phases of the game, physically and mentally. Work harder than everyone else. Build character, develop into better teammates, on and off the field.
Nebraska Thunder Bails
Coaching Staff: Ashley Bails (HC, Iowa State softball alum), Dough Kinsel (AC, Iowa State baseball alum) & Brian Duensing (AC, Nebraska baseball alum)
Team Social Media Handles: @UFAThunder (X)
2024 Summer Successes: 40 win season as a young, first-year team. A few local tournament wins, also competed well in bigger, regional tournaments in KC and Des Moines
Expectations for 2024 Fall Season: We have everyone back and are excited to compete at a higher level. This is our first Top Gun tournament and want the girls to be challenged as well as gain the confidence that they belong in these bigger tournaments.
Select Fastpitch Adams
Coaching Staff: Brandon Adams, Nate Gamet & Britnee Weber
Team Social Media Handles: @SelectFP09, @316eliteSB, @cnote1616
2024 Summer Successes: 39-12 this summer at 12A as a true 11u roster. Had a 21-game winning streak. Top 4 finish in a Top Gun spring event at the end of April. USSSA KC tourney champs. Undefeated and one seed at Memorial Day PGF prior to tornadoes ending the event. 3rd place finish in the USSSA nationals in Des Moines.
Expectations for 2024 Fall Season: We added some players from 316 Elite Weber who joined Select as well as a couple others. So fall is all about us finding out identity and development. Our main goal as a coaching staff is to help have this team prepared for 14s next year and ready to compete at the highest levels come that time. We have a ton of talented players. We look forward to watching them compete and learn. A couple of our bigger events we plan to play in the Top Gun Futures, PGF in September, and Top Gun Select Invite to finish up in November.
14u
Team Kansas Gaughan
Coaching Staff: Doug Gaughan (HC), Chris Harper (AC), Ryan Hassett (AC) & Adam Hill (AC)
Team Social Media Handles: Team Kansas Gaughan 14u (Facebook)
2024 Summer Successes: 1st place Rawlings Mantra Tour, 3rd place Road to the Show, 3rd place Season Opener, 5th place 16B MoKan Border War
Expectations for 2024 Fall Season: We added depth to our pitching rotation. We plan to compete at the highest level we can for the girls. We want to challenge the girls by playing good competition like we are going to see in this tournament. We are off to a good start, winning the Silver Bracket at a 14A season opener last weekend.
Team Kansas Hays
Coaching Staff: Patti Hays, Sheena Brown, Willie Nealy & David Kistner
Team Social Media Handles: @TeamKansasHays (X), Team Kansas-Hays 13u (FB)
Expectations for 2024 Fall Season: Based on a pretty competitive schedule and the amount of hard work these ladies put in, this team should be able to surprise quite a few people and pull off some close games.
Good luck to all of the teams competing this weekend!
