Session 3

ENTRY FEE INCLUDES:
- 4 or 6 Game Guarantee
- Gate Fee for all fields
- Gate Fee to the SlumpBuster Festival - (Inflatables, Vendors, Pin Trading & Bonfire)
- 1 dozen baseballs

EXACT PLAY DATES (Vary by Age Group) 9's, 10's, 11's and 12's:
4-Game Option: Friday, June 20th - Sunday, June 22nd (3 Days)
6-Game Option: Thursday, June 19th - Sunday, June 22nd (4 Days)

EXACT PLAY DATES (Vary by Age Group) 13's and 14's:
4-Game Option: Thursday, June 19th - Sunday, June 22nd (4 Days)
6-Game Option: Wednesday, June 18th - Sunday, June 22nd (5 Days)

Game Times Available: May 31st, 2025

Equipment: Bring 1 used and 2 new baseballs per game. Get your baseballs back after the game. All teams will receive 1 dozen baseballs during team check-in.

Baseballs will only be distributed at check-in (Embassy Suites La Vista, NE, 12520 Westport Pkwy, 68128). Baseballs will not be handed out at facilities.

Age Cutoff Date: May 1, 2025

SlumpBuster Awards: 1st Place Championship Brackets - Team Plaque and Championship Rings, 2nd Place Championship Brackets - Team Plaque and Runner Up Rings, Consolation
Winners - Team Plaque.

For general information about the CWS please visit www.cwsomaha.com. The Triple Crown SlumpBuster® and the NCAA® College World Series® are separate, non-related events that coincide in June.

SlumpBuster Lightning Round Bracket:
*Teams will be combined between D1/D2/D3
*13u & 14u Teams will play 2 exhibition games Wednesday, June 18th, while 9u-12u teams will play 2 games on Thursday, June 19th.
*All teams need to be prepared to play at 8am.
*The results of these games will NOT count toward pool play standings, but innings pitched WILL be recorded.
*Lightning bracket game times reduced (1hr 45min NO NEW INNING time limit for all ages).
*Lightning Round Bracket teams will merge into the same bracket as all 4-Game Bracket teams for Pool Play beginning Thursday, June 19th (13u/14u) and Friday, June 20th (9u-12u).

Please consider before signing up:
*Your team could play 4-9 games while in Omaha. Be aware of your pitching depth and overall wear and tear on the team.
*Extra travel days would be required. Factor in vacation time for parents, coaches and players.

Drive note: All teams may play up to 1 hour away from Omaha (Lincoln, Ft. Calhoun, Syracuse etc). Majority of the games will be in the Greater Omaha/Council Bluffs with possible overflow fields (depending on final team numbers).

REGISTER FOR SKILLS CHALLENGE

FRIDAY, JUNE 20

This event will include the Golden Arm (throwing), All IN (throwing), Pass the BATon (base running) and Bunting Challenge (bunting); all which will test your team’s baseball fundamentals.

Teams compete against each other to earn points in each of the four events. Teams will have their points tallied from each event to determine the winner in each age group. Fundamentals Team Challenge Champion Medals will be awarded to one team per age group. 15 minute time slots will be allocated for each team on a single field to complete all three skills challenges. This will allow teams the opportunity to coordinate their festival activities around their designated skills time. If your team would like to participate in the Fundamentals Challenge, you will need to pre-order on our tournament home page (to guarantee your team's spot - limited spots available) purchase a team package for $300.00 (if team spots are available). The tournament entry fee doesn't include participation.

Team Participation for the Fundamentals Challenge includes: 3 players for the Golden Arm , 9 players and 1 coach for All IN , 6 players for Pass the BATon and 3 players for the Bunting Challenge.

Event Descriptions

Golden Arm
Three players will test their throwing accuracy by throwing from different age appropriate distances. All participants will be given two attempts at each throwing distance to throw a total of 6 balls at a target to earn team points. Points will be awarded for throws making contact with a target as follows:
Ten (10) pts for a throw going in the target hole without bouncing
Five (5) pts for a throw going in the target hole with bouncing
Three (3) pts for a throw hitting the target without bouncing
One (1) pt for a throw hitting the target that bounces first
The length of the throws will be based upon the age grouping:
9U & 10U: 46ft, 80ft, 120ft
11U & 12U: 50ft, 90ft, 130ft
13U & 14u: 54ft, 100ft, 145ft

All In
All nine position players and their coach will participate in a competition that measures a team’s ability to hit the cut-off man and throw the ball around the infield. Each player must touch the ball by following the designated throwing sequence, described in the illustration below.

The pitcher is the only position player that is not required to touch the baseball. However, the pitcher will play a pivotal role in backing up any over-throws encountered during play. In the event of an over throw, the pitching position is allowed to retrieve the ball and return it to play by throwing it back to the mis-throw’s designated target position. The contest begins with a coach hitting a ball from home plate towards the left fielder. The left fielder then throws the ball towards home, hitting the cut-off man, and initiating the throwing cycle. Time will start once the coach makes contact with the ball. It will stop after the catcher retrieves the throw from the first baseman and swipes home plate with the ball in his glove. Teams will have two attempts to record their lowest time.

The team with the single lowest time will receive the most points. THROWING SEQUENCE Coach Hits Ball --> Left Fielder --> 3rd Baseman --> Center Fielder --> 2nd Baseman --> Short Stop --> Right Fielder --> 1st Baseman --> Catcher (Home Plate)

Pass the BatOn
Six players will test their base running ability in a relay-style competition by racing from Home Plate to 2nd Base, and 2nd Base to Home Plate.Three players will begin at Home Plate and three others will start from 2nd Base.The race will be a continual process with home base runners passing a miniature bat to runners at 2nd Base and 2nd Base runners passing the miniature bat to runners at home.The race will be completed once the final runner crosses home plate with the miniature bat in his hand.

Bunting Challenge
Three players will test their bunting skills by bunting for accuracy. Participants will be given 8 pitches or 5 bunts (whichever comes first). Participants will attempt to bunt into a grid mapped on the field with designated points. All balls must be fair to score points.

SLUMPBUSTER FESTIVAL - FRIDAY, JUNE 20TH: 5pm-9pm at the Council Bluffs Sports Complex in Council Bluffs, IA. The festival will include Fundamental Team Challenge, Giant Wooden Bat Bonfire, fireworks, pin trading, inflatables, tournament merchandise and vendor row.

‍Official Bat Signing Parties: Omaha SlumpBuster has joined forces with Spare Time Entertainment as the designated venue for our OFFICIAL bat signing parties! Contact Spare Time Entertainment today at (402) 378-9994 to arrange a unique team party experience while you're in Omaha. The ceremonial signing of the 10’ wood bat has become a tradition for players and coaches during the SlumpBuster.

Join us on festival nights (Thursday, June 12th, and Friday, June 20th) for the "burning of the bats," a ritual aimed at "breaking the players' slump,” giving the SlumpBuster its iconic name. Players are also welcome to bring their own wood bats to toss into the bonfire! During these Bat Signing Parties, your team can be part of a select group to leave their mark on the iconic 10' bonfire bat. Enjoy the excitement at Spare Time Entertainment in Omaha from June 10th to June 20th. Immerse yourself in the world of baseball and bring your competitive spirit and show off your skills on their luxury bowling lanes, featuring giant video screens and plush couches. Indulge in their drool-worthy food and drinks from the restaurant and bar (see packages below).

Visit their website at www.sparetimeomaha.com. Spare Time Entertainment is conveniently located at 17202 Lakeside Hills Plaza, Omaha, NE 68130 Tax and gratuity are not included. Join us for an unforgettable experience of baseball, good food, and arcade fun!

Pin Trading: All teams are encouraged to bring their team pins for trading. Event will feature teams from 35+ different states and will be a great opportunity to collect pins from various regions. Players from all ages will trade with each other, it's not limited to just your age group. The best day to trade will be during the SlumpBuster™ Festivities, Friday, June 20th from 5pm-9pm at Council Bluffs Rec Complex (2900 Richard Downing Ave). However, you can Trade pins before, after and in-between games during the event.

NOTE: Every year the tournament experiences a great deal of pin trading. Thousands of small, plastic pin bags are left scattered around the park and take days to clean up. Please do NOT leave your pin bags on the ground! Remove your pin bags before arriving to the park.

Check In: You may pick up your baseballs, Fundamental Skills Challenge team ticket and purchase merchandise at the Embassy Suites La Vista (12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, NE) during the following times: Tuesday, June 17th from 9am-5pm Wednesday, June 18th from 9am-5pm Thursday, June 19th from 9am-5pm, Friday, June 20th from 9am-2pm, after 2pm check-in will be at Council Bluffs Rec Complex during the festival. Players don't need to be present for check-in at the Embassy Suites La Vista (12520 Westport Parkway in La Vista).

After playing in the Omaha SlumpBuster in 2022, this event has become a must for all my players and parents. Between playing teams from across the country and getting to experience the College World Series first-hand, we planned our entire 2023 summer schedule around this event -- Scott Morgan, CT Sharks‍

We had many teams in Omaha for the Slumpbuster. It is one of the most enjoyable, well-run tournaments that Triple Crown offers. We plan to have some of our teams continue to play for years to come -- Melissa Johnson, Colorado Springs Mountain Lions We had a lot of fun. Well run tournament. Great communication prior to our arrival and throughout the tournament. Skills competition was organized and had enough events that everyone on our team could participate. Umpires overall were really good. Overall great experience. We are hoping to come back next year. Omaha is a great venue. – 10u Dynasty Black (TX)

Good, responsive communication. Fields were in good playable condition despite the weather. Hotel was in a great location for families, and schedule allowed time to catch a CWS game. Overall a great experience. – 11u Warhawks Baseball (CA)

Facilities were nice and communication excellent. – 14u Indiana Bulls Grey (IN)

Great event team had a blast. All good, CWS game was fun and tourney ran great! – 11u Tinley Park Bulldogs (IL)

Our team's experience with the SlumpBuster tournament was very positive. Great tournament! Wonderful memories for our players. Great job with the festival. Awesome hotel location. Solid competition with some great sportsmanship from teams all over the country – 12u Lake Elmo Lions (MN)

Very well organized and considering how the rain continually came down, the staff were on top of things. Fields we played at were in great shape. – 13u Palatine Legends (IL)

Facilities are very good. Fields are groomed well. We had rainout situations, but we still played games as event adjusted well. – 14u Wheaton Briarcliffe Blazers (IL)

Umpires were great … crews did a good job maintaining fields between games – 11u Colorado Crush (CO)

Well run event ... staff on site was knowledgeable and obviously had been prepared to handle questions. – 13u Scottsdale Firebirds (AZ)

TCS works very hard to make sure that all games get played. – 11u Premier (IL)

Going to Omaha was an experience the kids on the team will always remember. – 13u South Forsyth Giants (GA)

Playing surface was in excellent shape … staff and umpires were very good, acted professional and engaged with the kids. – 11u Colorado Rage (CO)

You guys have a great set-up here and get so much of this right. Brandon and Jason are organizational rock stars. Communication from these guys was 100% flawless for us both before and at the event, especially in the light of some challenging weather. – 11u DBI Bluesox (TX)

Love playing teams from out-of-state. With all the weather issues I was impressed with the communication with the teams. Not an easy thing to do considering all the fields and teams at the event. I appreciate that everything is updated quickly – 14u Bellevue Bruins (NE)

It was a great experience for my 12-year-old son. He had a blast, the CWS game was on the bucket list for all of us, the pin trading was so cool, and the tournament was extremely professional. Fields and umps were great. – 12u Chanhassen Storm (MN)

Fantastic event, great competition, facilities in Council Bluffs are wonderful. – 12u Millard United Elite (NE)

Great competition, field conditions and no more than two games a day! Quick updates and notifications! Very well organized, would definitely recommend. Great job! – 11u Naperville Renegades American (IL)

Overall, very good communication and well-run event, thank you. Kids and families enjoyed it. – 13u Lemont Lightning (IL)

Thank You for a wonderful tournament. Well done and please keep up the good work. – 12u PAL Vipers Black (MO)

We thought the tournament was very organized and the facilities were good. – 9u Texas Matrix (TX)

Great event, real professional umpires! - 14u SSC Cardinals (NE)

Top-notch every year. This is our organization's eighth time playing in this event. – 11u Lobos Baseball (TX)

SESSION #3

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