POLK COUNTY, Fla. – History was made at the 2023 USA Softball Junior Olympic (JO) Cup as Strykers National Esparza became the eighth 16-Under Champion in event history while Strykers National and Tampa Mustangs Torres were named 18-Under Co-Champions after inclement weather in the area forced a cancellation of the final game.
The Houston-based Strykers National Esparza came out strong in the Championship contest – taking on the VSA Lady Lions ’25-’26 in a close two-run battle highlighted by a four-run first inning from the Strykers after getting down 0-2 in the top of the frame. Defense dominated the second before a walk followed by some situational hitting from the Lady Lions pushed a run across in the third – cutting the lead to one. The bats once again remained quiet until a leadoff double followed by two groundouts gave the Strykers an insurance run with a score of 5-3 after four innings of play. Refusing to back down, the Lady Lions answered with another run in the fifth thanks to a leadoff walk, a double and a sac bunt – but the Strykers quickly earned that back with a string of base hits to plate another run in the bottom of the frame. Each respective pitcher shut down the side in the sixth inning before heading to the seventh where a leadoff single would prove not enough for the Lady Lions, as the Strykers defense stayed sharp, making the final three outs to seal the 16U JO Cup Championship win with a score of 6-4.
Strykers National Esparza’s quest to the cup included an impressive overall record of 6-0-1 with a total of 47 runs scored while limiting opponents to a low of 16. After beginning the tournament with a tie in pool play, the Strkyers claimed six-straight victories – including two shutouts and a run-rule win – to clinch the 16-Under JO Cup title. The Stryker lineup was highlighted by Mia Montemayor, one of the tournament’s top leaders in doubles (4), playing a pivotal role in the team’s offensive success.
This year’s 16-Under Runner-Up, VSA Lady Lions ‘25-’26, rose out of pool play with a 0-1-1 record before sounding off with four-consecutive wins in bracket play to punch its ticket to the final game.
Due to inclement weather in the Central Florida area, the 2023 18-Under Junior Olympic Championship game was cancelled. As a result – for the first time in event history – Co-Champions were named as Strykers National and Tampa Mustangs Torres brought home 18-Under JO Cup Co-Champion honors.
Strykers National posted a pristine 7-0 undefeated record in Polk County, dousing out 66 runs while allowing just eight across the entire tournament and tallying two shutouts and three run-rule victories. Bailey Lindemuth was a key cog in the Strykers’ success at the plate, rising up as one of the tournament’s top players in RBIs (15), hits (15) and doubles (6.) Charleigh Esparza added additional help in the run department, bringing in 10 RBIs while Emma King assisted with 10 hits and Brianna Fontenot cranked out two home runs.
Tampa Mustangs Torres collected the Championship hardware following a 6-1 tournament record, highlighted by three come-from-behind victories in addition to a 13-1 run-rule win. Ella Torres contributed to the Mustang offense as one of the tournament’s leaders in doubles (5) while Angelia Discenza also brought a strong presence at the plate with a pair of home runs.
Since the inaugural 2015 competition, the Junior Olympic Cup has crowned a total of 22 champions in its nine years while taking place in seven states across the country. To learn more about the JO Cup, visit USASoftball.com.