Sunday Bracket Play — Game Plans

TPA Nationals 10u Elite · Perfect Game · 2026-05-31 · 10 available (no William #10, no Mantzouris #17) · Single elimination, up to 2 games

Hidden Reads in the Numbers

Waylon hit 3-for-3 with 4 RBI yesterday from the 8-hole. Season line through 9 games: .462 / 1.170 OPS, 90% contact rate. Moves to the 2-hole today — the lineup recycles to James and Bailey faster with him there.
Michael's bat is producing in a small sample. 11 PA, .500 / 1.545 OPS, HR yesterday. Stays at 6 today — earned the protection slot behind Johnson, ride it until the sample says otherwise.
Pitcher fatigue inverted yesterday in Game 2. Fletcher 55% strikes (1 IP) → James 63% (2 IP, 4 K) → Carson 58% (10 R in 1 IP). James threw the most innings and the most strikes of the three relievers — that's why he's in the Game 1 rotation today, not in break-glass.
Two fully fresh arms come into Sunday: Bailey and Owen. Bailey threw 0 pitches yesterday despite being the season workhorse (1.80 ERA). Owen threw 0. Together they cover one full game between them.

How the Day is Structured

PG 9U–10U game length: 6 innings or 1:30, whichever comes first. Yesterday's 4-inning final scores were mercy-rule outcomes (8 runs after 4), not the scheduled length. Plan for the full 6 innings each game. Championship has no time limit if time allows — could go extra innings.
Bench equity spans both games — 12 bench-innings across 10 kids. Every kid sits at least once. Carson and Owen sit twice (priority — they played all 8 innings yesterday). No back-to-back sits anywhere, including across the G1→G2 boundary.
Bailey daily ceiling for safety: if G1 outing is ~6 outs (~35 P), his G2 close at ~3 outs lands the day at 9 outs total — right at the PG line. If G1 goes longer, swap Bailey out of the G2 close and lean on the available bench arms (Carson, Johnson, Fletcher all have event budget; Parker, James, Waylon, Jed have daily clock left).

Pitching Bank — PG Event Limits

PG 9U–10U: 18 outs / 75 pitches per day, 24 outs / 100 pitches per 2-3 day event. >9 outs in a single day triggers 2 days rest (next day).

#PitcherP used (event)P left (event)Outs left (event)Today's role
33Bailey010024G1 starter + G2 closer
22Parker010024G1 Inn 6
67Owen010024G2 starter
3Jed178320G1 Inn 4
7Waylon257521G1 Inn 5
5James435718G1 Inn 3 (4 K in 2 IP yesterday)
44Johnson415921Held — sits G2 Inn 4
54Fletcher425821G2 Inn 5
24Carson485221G2 Inn 3

Lineup (Both Games)

#PlayerPos (G1)Season statsWhy this slot
1Parker (#22)C.565 / 1.426 OPS · 9 RBIHighest-OBP contact bat on the roster
2Waylon (#7)2B.462 / 1.170 OPS · 5 RBIHigh contact, 3-for-3 / 4 RBI yesterday — moves the runner
3James (#5)3B.833 / 2.382 OPS · 8 RBIBest bat on the team in any sample size
4Bailey (#33)P.571 / 1.952 OPS · 6 RBIPower and contact behind James
5Johnson (#44)1B.550 / 1.471 OPS · 7 RBI.938 SLG protects cleanup
6Michael (#28)LF.500 / 1.545 OPS · 8 RBIHR yesterday; bat is producing in 11 PA
7Jed (#3)SS.429 / 1.167 OPS · 6 RBIDoubles power, keeps the order long
8Owen (#67)CF.571 / 1.238 OPS · 4 RBI.714 OBP — table-setter for the bottom-half RBI bats
9Carson (#24).429 / 1.150 OPS · 4 RBISteady bat keeps the bottom honest
10Fletcher (#54)RF.409 / 1.026 OPS · 8 RBI8 RBI in the 10-hole — order recycles to him with runners on
GAME 1 · 6 innings or 1:30

Game 1 Plan

Pitching (5 arms, ~105 P total)

InnPitcherTarget PWhy
1–2Bailey (#33)~35Fresh, 71.7% FPS — set the tone, cap to leave G2 close intact
3James (#5)~204 K in 2 IP yesterday; daily clock zero
4Jed (#3)~15Only 17 P yesterday, 70.6% FPS
5Waylon (#7)~20Daily clock fresh; event has 75 P left
6Parker (#22)~15Fresh; transitions from C with Michael taking over the dish

Fielding

PosInn 1Inn 2Inn 3Inn 4Inn 5Inn 6
PBaileyBaileyJamesJedWaylonParker
CParkerParkerParkerMichaelMichaelMichael
1BJohnsonJohnsonJohnsonJohnsonJohnsonJohnson
2BWaylonWaylonWaylonWaylonCarsonCarson
3BJamesCarsonCarsonJamesJamesJames
SSJedJedJedCarsonJedJed
LFMichaelMichaelBaileyOwenOwenFletcher
CFOwenOwenMichaelParkerParkerOwen
RFFletcherFletcherFletcherFletcherBaileyBailey
BenchCarsonJamesOwenBaileyFletcherWaylon
Priority three (Carson, James, Owen) sit Inn 1/2/3. James returns to pitch Inn 3 with Carson covering 3B. Parker moves from C to CF Inn 4–5 to spread catching load, then takes the mound Inn 6 with Michael catching.
GAME 2 · CHAMPIONSHIP — no time limit if time allows

Game 2 Plan

Pitching (5 arms regulation + extras available)

InnPitcherTarget PWhy
1–2Owen (#67)~30Fully fresh — let him work two innings per dev rule
3Carson (#24)~25Has 21 outs / 52 P of event budget left; daily clock zero
4Waylon (#7)~20Second stint (G1 Inn 5 was first); daily total ~40 P, well under 75 cap
5Fletcher (#54)~2521 outs / 58 P of event budget
6Bailey (#33)~20Second stint closer; daily clock lands at 9 outs if G1 was capped
EXParker, James, JedvariesExtras pool — Parker has most event budget (85 P left); James (18 outs event); Jed (20)

Fielding (regulation 6)

PosInn 1Inn 2Inn 3Inn 4Inn 5Inn 6
POwenOwenCarsonWaylonFletcherBailey
CMichaelMichaelParkerParkerParkerParker
1BJohnsonJohnsonJohnsonFletcherJohnsonJohnson
2BWaylonWaylonWaylonCarsonWaylonWaylon
3BJamesJamesJamesJamesJamesCarson
SSCarsonJedJedJedJedJed
LFBaileyCarsonBaileyMichaelMichaelJames
CFParkerBaileyOwenOwenOwenMichael
RFFletcherFletcherFletcherBaileyBaileyFletcher
BenchJedParkerMichaelJohnsonCarsonOwen
Michael catches Inn 1–2 so Parker plays CF, then Parker catches the back four. Inn 4: Johnson sits (his one), Fletcher slides from RF to 1B, Bailey to RF; Waylon pitches and Carson takes 2B. James moves SS → LF Inn 6 with Carson taking 3B so Bailey closes on a settled infield.
Extra innings (championship): Texas Tie Breaker rules apply after time expires — last 3 hitters load the bases, 1 out. Pitching order for extras: Parker (most event budget left) → James → Waylon → Jed. Catching extras: James is the third C option if Parker needs a break.

In-Game Triggers

Visual Field Diagrams

Game 1 (6 innings)

Inning 1

BaileyPParkerCJohnson1BWaylon2BJames3BJedSSMichaelLFOwenCFFletcherRF
Bench: Carson

Inning 2

BaileyPParkerCJohnson1BWaylon2BCarson3BJedSSMichaelLFOwenCFFletcherRF
Bench: James

Inning 3

JamesPParkerCJohnson1BWaylon2BCarson3BJedSSBaileyLFMichaelCFFletcherRF
Bench: Owen

Inning 4

JedPMichaelCJohnson1BWaylon2BJames3BCarsonSSOwenLFParkerCFFletcherRF
Bench: Bailey

Inning 5

WaylonPMichaelCJohnson1BCarson2BJames3BJedSSOwenLFParkerCFBaileyRF
Bench: Fletcher

Inning 6

ParkerPMichaelCJohnson1BCarson2BJames3BJedSSFletcherLFOwenCFBaileyRF
Bench: Waylon

Game 2 (championship — regulation 6, extras possible)

Inning 1

OwenPMichaelCJohnson1BWaylon2BJames3BCarsonSSBaileyLFParkerCFFletcherRF
Bench: Jed

Inning 2

OwenPMichaelCJohnson1BWaylon2BJames3BJedSSCarsonLFBaileyCFFletcherRF
Bench: Parker

Inning 3

CarsonPParkerCJohnson1BWaylon2BJames3BJedSSBaileyLFOwenCFFletcherRF
Bench: Michael

Inning 4

WaylonPParkerCFletcher1BCarson2BJames3BJedSSMichaelLFOwenCFBaileyRF
Bench: Johnson

Inning 5

FletcherPParkerCJohnson1BWaylon2BJames3BJedSSMichaelLFOwenCFBaileyRF
Bench: Carson

Inning 6

BaileyPParkerCJohnson1BWaylon2BCarson3BJedSSJamesLFMichaelCFFletcherRF
Bench: Owen