Wessel's heads to Kansas for NAFA World Series

Wessel’s Coors Light will begin the NAFA (North American Fastpitch Association) World Series Fastpitch Tourney in Topeka, Kansas Thursday, August 9.  The tourney runs August 9-12.

Wessel’s will compete in the A-Major division. The World Series will consist of 32 teams from 15 different states and three teams from Canada competing for the title. Teams from New York, California, Pennsylvania, Texas, North Dakota, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan highlight the field. There are six teams from Illinois. NAFA will use Shawnee North and Rueger Complex in Topeka, a total of eight diamonds to complete the double elimination tourney. The finals are scheduled for Sunday, August 12.

In 2007, Wessel’s Coors Light competed in the A Major World Series and finished fifth and in 2010 &and 2011 they finished tied for 13th. Coors Light will play its first game at 12:30 pm Thursday against IWS from Ohio. If the local squad wins that game they will play at 9 a.m. Friday versus the winner of Kelso, Mo. and Dragons Rage out of Colorado.

Wessel’s Coors Light NAFA roster includes: John Niebrugge, Josh Pruemer, Chad Buehnerkemper, Kris Zalman, Jaden Widderscheim, Sean Lee, Tim Schumacher, Marcus Millsap, Cole Koester, Brent Bohnoff, Gary Niebrugge, Paul Mersman. Wessel's has added pitcher abd catcher, Darren Zerrussen to bolster its roster that can include eight or more games in three days.

Manager Buehnerkemper added, “We look forward to competing in the NAFA World Series against teams from all over the country. This is the best post season tournament in the U.S. To do well in this tournament it will take a total team effort, great pitching, and hitting. We are playing well at the right time and we hope to continue that this weekend. We'd like thank our sponsors Wessel’s Grocery and Koerner’s Distributing."