Top Gun Pool Play — Game Plans

TPA Nationals 10u Elite · Sat 2026-06-20 · G1 Savage 8:00am · G2 CDH 9:45am · weather mild (≤80°) · all 12 available
Top Gun pitching rule (not USSSA): a 10U pitcher may throw 6 innings per calendar day — and that cap spans both games. It's inning-based, not pitch-count: any part of a defensive half-inning counts as one full inning. This plan uses 8 different arms and tops out at 3 IP for any one pitcher (James), so we finish the day with everyone well under the cap. This is a two-day event — pool Saturday, bracket Sunday — and innings reset after a day off, so Saturday's usage does NOT carry into Sunday. No need to save arms for bracket; use the best matchup for each pool game today and everyone is fresh for Sunday. Pool games are 7 innings or a time limit (1:30 for a one-day event, 1:45 for a two-day pool) from the home-plate meeting. Run rules: 12-after-3, 8-after-4. At 10u expect ~4–5 innings, so the Inning-5 arm may not be needed.

Batting Order same both games · continuous (all 12 bat)

#BatterWhy here
1#3 Jed Packham.538 OBP · 7-for-8 SB (87.5%) · 91% contact, 3 K — on base in front of the 3-4-5
2#22 Parker Reeke94% contact · 7-for-7 stealing · low K — table-setter
3#44 Cooper JohnsonNo. 1 bat: 1.884 OPS · 10 XBH · 15 RBI · 75% QAB
4#33 Benjamin BaileyCleanup — 1.797 OPS · .750 RISP (team-best) · 7 XBH
5#5 James Cooper1.724 OPS · .643 RISP · 0 K (100% contact) — protects the 3-4
6#28 Michael Thomas82% QAB · 100% contact · 5 XBH — middle-order production
7#7 Waylon ReekeBest BB:K on the team (8:2) · 90% contact · .607 OBP — high-OBP turnover
8#17 Thomas Mantzouris1.225 OPS · .600 OBP / .600 RISP — keeps the line going
9#67 Owen Robey.593 OBP — a second leadoff back to the top
10#24 Carson Biggs.469 OBP on a team-high 9 BB — value even through a cold stretch
11#54 Fletcher Smith.368 OBP · 9 RBI when he connects
12#10 William Findley3 XBH — pop at the bottom of the order
Continuous order — everyone bats. Same order both games.

Game 1 — vs Savage 8:00am

Relentless run game, no power. Win the bases and throw strikes — a walk here becomes a double.

Pitching plan — lead with strike-throwers

InnPitcherWhy
1Benjamin Bailey (#33)61.96% FPS, 19.1 IP. Strikes early vs a team that turns walks into steals.
2Benjamin Bailey (#33)Stays in — pound the zone, let the defense hold runners.
3Jed Packham (#3)Highest first-pitch-strike rate on the roster (70.6%). One clean strike-throwing inning.
4Waylon Reeke (#7)67.4% FPS and 0 BB on the year — fills the zone, won't hand Savage free bases.
5James Cooper (#5)Closes — 9 K in 10 IP misses bats if it's tight late.
Sequenced by first-pitch-strike rate on purpose: vs a team that steals at will, walks and wild pitches are how they score. High-FPS arms (Bailey 62%, Jed 71%, Waylon 67%) keep them from getting free bases; James closes with swing-and-miss if it's tight.

Defense & bench rotation

I1I2I3I4I5
PBaileyBaileyJedWaylonJames
CParkerMichaelParkerMichaelFindley
1BFletcherJohnsonJohnsonJohnsonFletcher
2BCarsonWaylonCarsonBaileyBailey
3BJamesCarsonJamesJamesCarson
SSJedJedWaylonJedWaylon
LFFindleyFindleyFindleyOwenOwen
CFOwenOwenMichaelMantzourisParker
RFMantzourisFletcherMantzourisFletcherMantzouris
BenchWaylon, Johnson, MichaelParker, James, MantzourisBailey, Owen, FletcherCarson, Findley, ParkerJed, Johnson, Michael

Field diagrams

Inning 1

BaileyPParkerCFletcher1BCarson2BJames3BJedSSFindleyLFOwenCFMantzourisRF
Bench: Waylon, Johnson, Michael

Inning 2

BaileyPMichaelCJohnson1BWaylon2BCarson3BJedSSFindleyLFOwenCFFletcherRF
Bench: Parker, James, Mantzouris

Inning 3

JedPParkerCJohnson1BCarson2BJames3BWaylonSSFindleyLFMichaelCFMantzourisRF
Bench: Bailey, Owen, Fletcher

Inning 4

WaylonPMichaelCJohnson1BBailey2BJames3BJedSSOwenLFMantzourisCFFletcherRF
Bench: Carson, Findley, Parker

Inning 5

JamesPFindleyCFletcher1BBailey2BCarson3BWaylonSSOwenLFParkerCFMantzourisRF
Bench: Jed, Johnson, Michael

Game 2 — vs CDH 9:45am

Top-heavy — #3 Garrard is the offense; the 4–9 hitters strike out. Pitch carefully to #3, attack everyone else.

Pitching plan — lead with swing-and-miss

InnPitcherWhy
1James Cooper (#5)Swing-and-miss (9 K/10 IP) vs a strikeout-prone 4–9. Attack the zone behind #3.
2James Cooper (#5)Stays in — keep challenging; CDH's bottom of the order chases.
3Thomas Mantzouris (#17)Best contact-suppression on staff — .350 BAA, 2.70 WHIP.
4Carson Biggs (#24)53% FPS — strike-thrower for a middle inning; banks reps.
5Fletcher Smith (#54)Closes a likely-short game; Bailey held in reserve (4 IP of cap left).
James opens because CDH's bottom of the order whiffs (Gause #15: 7 K in 8 AB) — challenge them. Mantzouris (.350 BAA) follows. Bailey is the break-glass: he threw 2 in G1, so he has 4 innings of cap left if #3 Garrard starts doing damage.

Defense & bench rotation

I1I2I3I4I5
PJamesJamesMantzourisCarsonFletcher
CParkerMichaelParkerMichaelFindley
1BJohnsonJohnsonFletcherJohnsonJohnson
2BBaileyWaylonBaileyBaileyWaylon
3BCarsonCarsonCarsonJamesJames
SSJedJedWaylonJedJed
LFFindleyOwenFindleyFindleyOwen
CFMichaelParkerOwenOwenParker
RFFletcherMantzourisMichaelFletcherMantzouris
BenchWaylon, Mantzouris, OwenBailey, Fletcher, FindleyJames, Jed, JohnsonParker, Waylon, MantzourisCarson, Bailey, Michael

Field diagrams

Inning 1

JamesPParkerCJohnson1BBailey2BCarson3BJedSSFindleyLFMichaelCFFletcherRF
Bench: Waylon, Mantzouris, Owen

Inning 2

JamesPMichaelCJohnson1BWaylon2BCarson3BJedSSOwenLFParkerCFMantzourisRF
Bench: Bailey, Fletcher, Findley

Inning 3

MantzourisPParkerCFletcher1BBailey2BCarson3BWaylonSSFindleyLFOwenCFMichaelRF
Bench: James, Jed, Johnson

Inning 4

CarsonPMichaelCJohnson1BBailey2BJames3BJedSSFindleyLFOwenCFFletcherRF
Bench: Parker, Waylon, Mantzouris

Inning 5

FletcherPFindleyCJohnson1BWaylon2BJames3BJedSSOwenLFParkerCFMantzourisRF
Bench: Carson, Bailey, Michael

In-game triggers & day notes

Bench is even at 2–3 sits per player across the day, with no back-to-back innings (including the G1→G2 turnover). Pitching innings do not count as bench time.