New fastpitch softball league in Poway open to men

There was nothing Jay Crawley could do. The men’s fastpitch softball league he was part of in downtown San Diego in 2008 dwindled to three teams and eventually became extinct.

“The city wouldn’t do it with three teams,” said the 44-year-old Crawley, who added that to his knowledge it was the last men’s fastpitch softball league in the area. “Basically, they said they are going to give it to slow pitch and they never gave it back because they can do four games in the time we can do two.”

So, Crawley, who moved to Rancho Bernardo in 2000 and has been playing in men’s fastpitch softball leagues since he was 16, traveled nearly every week to the Los Angeles area to play in the Southern California Independent FastPitch League.

But now, seven years after the league in downtown San Diego distinguished, Crawley is trying to put a sustainable league back together in the county. And he is doing it at the Poway Sportsplex.

A four-team recreation league, dubbed “San Diego Independent FastPitch League,” was formed by Crawley and had its opening day Dec. 19. The six-week season will be ending in February and a new season is scheduled to start on Feb. 27.

Crawley is hoping to spark interest in the area and eventually expand the league and create divisions based on competitiveness. But right now he just wants to educate people about fastpitch softball (the game follows nearly all the rules of baseball, but is played on a softball diamond with underhand pitching).

“I think the biggest thing is that a lot of people just don’t know that men’s fastpitch softball exists,” Crawley said. “Our main purpose is to educate, inform, and develop men’s fastpitch in the San Diego area and all of Southern California.”

Despite advertising it as a men’s fastpitch league, women can also join. The age requirement is 16 years and up (must have parental permission if 16 or 17). Those who wish to register a whole team or as an individual for the upcoming season in February can do so by contacting Crawley at jcrawley07@sbcglobal.net.

“We want to open this up to people whether it is a team or an individual,” Crawley said. “We can find pitchers to pitch, if that is the issue. We have a couple guys learning to pitch and some of the other managers have already said they would be willing to give up a few pitchers to add a team to the league.”

Games are played Friday nights at 7 and 9 p.m. The season is six weeks long and will have a single elimination tournament at the end to crown a champion. Cost is to be determined.

“Cost depends on the number of teams we have, but on average it is about $50 per player, which covers the entire season,” Crawley said.

For more information about the San Diego Independent FastPitch League, you can visit the following websites: scifastpitch.com, nafafastpitch.com, sportsplexusa.com.