D-M men's varsity softball team enjoys success Published May 20, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Michael Kaczmarek 355th Fighter Wing ALS instructor DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- As the Air Force prepares for the 101 critical days of summer, many of us will relate to the smell of cooking hot dogs and burgers on a grill, the sound of a ball cracking off a bat, and the loud cheers. These sounds can be heard at Tucson Electric park watching the Tucson Sidewinders or at Chase Field in Phoenix watching the reigning National League West Champion Arizona Diamondbacks. However, a team more local to the D-M community will be experiencing the same sounds while chasing after the right to qualify for their World Series. The D-M men's varsity softball club has been playing in leagues and tournaments since the first week of January. The team, which goes by two names (DM Mustangs and Desert Dawgz), is currently Arizona's No. 2 ranked softball club in the USSSA Men's D division. The team started their season by getting first place in the winter league hosted by the City of Tucson with a perfect 10-0 record. In tournament play the team has spent many weekends representing the base and Tucson in Phoenix's metropolitan area, to include playing at the new $36 million Big League Dreams Sports Complex that features eight replica fields. Additionally, the team has traveled to Palm Springs, Calif., and Las Vegas to represent the state of Arizona in regional and state level tournaments respectively. Every time the team steps on the field the goal is obvious, win ballgames. The team has already qualified for the Military World Series held August 14-17 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. Continued success (earning 1,000 points or winning a National Invite Tournament) will qualify the team to participate in the USSSA Men's Slowpitch D Class World Series September 18-21 also in Orlando, Fla. You can catch your D-M Mustangs in the upcoming weeks: May 31 Papa Bear Fund Raiser Golf Links Park (Corner of Golf Links and Craycroft) June 28 Stealth Classic Alamogordo, N.M. July 12-13 Bobby Felix Memorial Tucson Sportspark (I-10 and Ina Rd.) July 18 Last Chance Qualifier Ruidoso, NM August 2 Arizona Men's D States Big League Dreams, Gilbert, Az. August 14-18 Military World Series Disney, Orlando, Fla. Representing Team D-M are: Master Sgt. Wendell Hill 43 ECS Tech. Sgt. Phillip Stevens 355 EMS Tech. Sgt. Justin Adams 355 CMS Tech. Sgt. Craig Havelis 355 CS Tech. Sgt. Billy Dunn 612 ACOMS Staff Sgt. Ryan Schnyders 355 LRS Staff Sgt. Michael Kaczmarek 355 MSS Staff Sgt. Chester Daffern 355 SFS Staff Sgt. Gregory Purnell 355 MDOS Staff Sgt. Justin Newton 355 CMS Staff Sgt. Todd Caddell 355 CMS Staff Sgt. Aaron Fenton 355 CMS Staff Sgt. Jeremy Griffin 355 EMS Staff Sgt. Timothy Hoffma 355 EMS Staff Sgt. Anthony Elevi 42 ECS Staff Sgt. Ramiro Garza 12 AF Senior Airman Darick Cailing 355 EMS Senior Airman Justin Grubbs 563 OSS Airman 1st Class Shamond Hoskins 355 SFS Mr. Bob Rice MSgt(ret) Mr. Adam Smith TSgt(ret) Tryouts for next year's team will be held the first two weeks of December. If interested please call Sergeant Kaczmarek at 228-3052 or Sergeant Griffin at 228-8280.