After four seasons, the Verdasys Softball organization has announced that the team will be disbanding, effective immediately. The news comes after the team struggled for a second season to retain a viable roster.

“The only reason why we still have a team this season is because of all the hard work the website staff and myself have put into this team to make it fun, “ said Coach Wolan. “If we did not pour in all of that extra energy, the team would have collapsed after our second game in which only 4 people showed-up.”

According to Coach Wolan, the only way that the team could return in 2012 would be by merging with some other team. But if this were to happen, the new team will unlikely be the same Verdasys Softball team to which we have grown accustomed.

Regardless of what happens, Coach Wolan has also said that he will not be returning as team coach. “I would like to step down and let someone else drive the team, so that I can focus on developing my playing abilities.”

As for the team’s media department, this may have very well been their last season as well. The “writing staff” has stated that regardless of what the team does next season, the writing staff will not be returning to the capacity that they maintained this year. According to an inside source, this means that the public can expect coverage that focuses solely on A-WOL, with extremely limited coverage of the team in question.

“It was fun sticking around and watching A-WOL in his quest to earn a second playoff win,” said an anonymous member of the writing staff. “Now that the second playoff win has been accomplished, we’ll be taking a step back just to focus on the player himself.”

Teams stats*:

Record:	1-5 (1-0 post-season)
Forfeits:	1 / 2
Team batting avg:	0.562
Runs per at-bat:	0.281
Runs scored:	50 / 115
Double plays:	1 / 3
Triple plays:	1 / 0
Outs at home plate:	0 / 1
1-2-3 innings:	1 / 4

* (Made by Verdasys / Made by opponents faced)

Batting stats**:

Most Games Att:	A-WOL (8) , Pete V. / Kristen S. (7)
Most Hits:	Pete V. (17), Naren P. (12)	Kristen S. (15), Usha / Karina S. (2)
Most Runs:	Pete V. (11), Ryan G. / Eno (8)	Kristen S. (7), Kariana S. (1)
Most RBIs:	Ajeet B. (9), Pete V. / Ryan G. (8)	Kristen S. (5), Yo (2)
Most SACs:	Ajeet B. (2), A-WOL (1)	Yo (5), Usha / Ms. S.B. / Katie C. / Karina S. (1)
Most Doubles:	Pete V. (3), A-WOL / Naren P. / Ryan G. (2)	Kristen S. (1)
Triples Club:	Ryan G. (2), A-WOL / Eno / Naren P. / Pete V. (1)
HR Club:	A-WOL / Pete V. / Ryan G. (1)
Season-long hit streak:	Pete V. / Kristen S. (7 GA), Eno (6 GA) (6 Game min)

** (Men - Women)

Miscellaneous Stats:
Number of words written for website: 16,500
Number of photos and video clips taken: 222
Photos of A-WOL raking: 9
Tropical storms encountered: 2 (directly or indirectly)
Certified Falls On Field: Eno (1)
Games attended by A-WOOF Fan Club: 2
Number of times videos viewed by fan club: 4,962,840

The team statistician has announced changes to how cumulative statistics are tallied. Below is a summary of these changes:

1. If a scheduled game is forfeited, and a scrimmage game between the two originally scheduled teams is played, the stats from the scrimmage game will count towards the seasonal cumulative stats. Otherwise, the contest is an "exhibition game," and its stats will not count.
2. Players attending either a game that is forfeited, or the scrimmage game that follows a forfeited game, or both, will receive credit for attending only one game.

Unlikely Win:
When it was announced that Verdasys Softball would face Racepoint Group (RPG) in the opening round of the playoffs, sports analysts predicted that unless something "dramatic" happened, Verdasys was expected to lose. After all, RPG easily defeated Verdasys 16-4 during the regular season with solid hitting and fielding. But all of that talk was before Irene.

Around 24 hours before game time, Hurricane Irene struck the northeast, causing wind damage and widespread power outages. On game day, with many people still dealing with the storm's aftermath, many assumed the playoff game would be postponed. It wasn't.

With a game to be played, the Verdasys Softball team managed to assemble a team of 10 players for the contest. Their opponents, however, had trouble rounding up players, and by game time had only 8 players. Since RPG did not have enough players, they were forced to forfeit, giving Verdasys Softball the unlikely win. The playoff win is the first in Verdasys Softball history and the first for Coach Wolan as a team captain since 2004. It’s also the team’s second consecutive win, the first such win streak in club history.

After the decision was made, the two teams played a scrimmage game. RPG won that non-binding game 13-6.

Championship Round Skipped:
As for the championship round of the playoffs, the Verdasys Softball team made a surprise announcement by stating that the team would NOT be participating in the championship game. Instead, RPG would be allowed to advance to the championship round in place of Verdasys. The team made this surprise move for two reasons:

1. Verdasys is not likely to have enough players to participate in the contest.
2. Racepoint Group is expected to have enough players for the game.

Coach A-WOL and A-WOOF president “Ms. S.B.” got a chance to play in front of a unique audience this afternoon, as the duo participated in a softball game over at Soldiers Field in Harvard. This was the first-ever appearance at the collegiate level for either player.

On defense, the duo started at shortstop and “free infielder”, respectively. For the day, A-WOL made 1 putout and had 2 assists, while Ms. S.B. collected an assist. Batting wise, A-WOL was 2 for 5 (3B), with 2 RBIs and 1 run scored. Ms. S.B. was 1 for 3 with one run scored, the first of her career.

The duo made a memorable play at second base in the first inning. With Ms. S.B. position behind 2B, a ground ball was hit up the middle and at Ms. S.B. As she tried to field the ball, the ball deflected off of her body and rebounded towards A-WOL, who recovered the ball in time to record a force-out at 2B.

As for the game itself, the contest ended in a 12-12 tie.

As the season comes to a close, the league’s teams set their sights on the playoffs. Today, the commissioner has announced the playoff structure, along with each team's seed. The playoff structure will be the same as years past: The top 4 teams in each division will play in the “Divisional Tournament” while the remaining teams will play in the “Consolation Tournament”. (Or, as Aleksey so affectionately calls it, “The Losers Tournament.”) The tournament is single elimination.

Since each division has contracted by a team, the “Consolation Tournament” will have the #6 and #7 seeds square off first, with the winner playing the #5 seed. This gives the #5 seed a virtual “bye” week.

As for Verdasys, the team will enter the tournament as the #7 seed, and go up against hallway rival “Racepoint Group”, the #6 seed. Their game is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 29th, with the championship round against #5 seed Mass Medical on Wednesday, Aug 31st.

To view an image of the Middlebrook Division Consolation Tournament playoff bracket, click on the image at the right or click here instead. Fans can catch every Verdasys Softball playoff game on TV38-WSBK.

After being denied their only win of the 2010 season because of a technicality, the Verdasys Softball team turned the tables this season to claim their first win in two years.

In last year’s match-up against Mass Medical, Verdasys attended the game with 9 players, a considerable amount for a team whose 2010 season was marked by forfeits due to weak player attendance. Though the Verdasys team only had one woman play at the field, it is not uncommon for a team short of one or two players to play the game legally with a handicap (Click here to read a case in point.) Their opponent Mass Medical, however, was only able to round-up 5-6 players by game time. Since M&M did not have enough players to start the game, Verdasys convinced the opposing team to accept a forfeit.

But after the game, M&M rescinded the forfeit, and convinced the commissioner to declare the game a “double forfeit”. The M&M team used the rules in their favor; the team cited rules which stated that a full team needs at least 10 players, 3 of them being female. This ruling denied Verdasys Softball their only win of 2010.

Unwilling to let history repeat itself in 2011, the Verdasys team rallied to attend today’s game en masse. At game time, the Verdasys team had assembled 7 men and 4 women. After the 10-minute wait-period had elapsed, M&M had assembled 7-8 players. And by the rules, the M&M players were forced to accept a forfeit, giving Verdasys their first win since 2009.

Afterwards, the two teams agreed to play a non-binding exhibition game. Verdasys won that game 19-14, giving Verdasys an “undisputed” win. Ryan single-handedly made a triple play, A-WOL hit the cycle, and Kaveesh showed off his cricket skills by catching balls barehanded at first base. For more information of that exhibition game, please view the game notes for “Game 08s: Scrimmage Game”.

To celebrate the win, a flock of geese performed a fly-by in a “V” formation over the field after the game. We are assuming that the “V” stands for Verdasys of course!

Per league regulation, the Verdasys Softball organization has released the following injury and roster report for the 2011 season as it stands after Game 6.

Injury Updates:
Stephen Gregorio is out for the season due to injuries suffered during practice. The team has not released any details, but his return next season is probable.

Roster Contractions:
Steven Bergstein has resigned from the team due to nagging injuries from last season. He is not expected to make a come-back.

Ron "Guns" Smith (right) has left the team to join the Texas Tornados softball club in Texas. Though he will be in and out of the greater Boston area until the fall, he is not expected to participate on the Verdasys Softball team.

Theo Emmett left the team following the 2010 season for an undisclosed reason. Equally mysterious, Ashish Singh, Misha Elfimov and Alexei Kvasov have all reported that they lost interest in softball and will not be returning.

Richard Moffitt, the official team photographer, had to resign from the photography core at the start of the season, due to an increased demand for his photography skills. He is rumored to be working on some interesting photography work overseas. There is a small chance that he may return to do some photography work for the team in 2011, but the team admits that it is unlikely.

Colby, the most eccentric person ever to play on the team, is unlikely to participate this season after relocating to a greater distance away from the Waltham area. The team has kept her in the loop in case there may be a game in which she could participate.

Both Avi Potluri and Ankitha Garapat are not expected to play this season after contract negotiations failed with them once again. Both players failed to participate in 2010 after negotiations collapsed that season as well.

"Kung Fu" Lijun (right) has left the team to join a mixed martial arts / softball team in NYC. We are told that scouts were impressed with his ability to fuse table tennis, softball and karate into one art form.

As for Don Muldoon, he has reported that his ability to commit to the team is "shaky" at best. Though sports analysts interpret this to mean that he will, at best, play in one game, some fans of the team are quick to point out that there is still a chance the former softball star will participate in the team.

Roster Additions:
Despite the negative roster moves, the team does have some positive roster moves to announce.

At the start of the season, the team signed rookies Yulinna Huo and Karina Salas to the team. The addition of these female players will strengthen the depleted female core of players. In addition, Pete Vallieres and Kristen Sinitski, who were pivotal in keeping the 2010 season alive, have re-signed with the team for the 2011 season.

Returning to the team after his departure in 2010 is Ajeet Bhoyar. Ajeet left the team near the beginning of the 2010 season, sparing himself from the multiple forfeits that the team endured that season. Looking to make a possible come-back is Bhavani, who retired following the completion of the 2010 season.

During the course of the 2011 season, the team has acquired former cricket great Kaveesh Mishra. The team is also in continued negotiations with Sujana Subedi, who expected to play in the final game of the regular season.

In an attempt to improve the team’s image, the Verdasys Softball team has ordered a new batch of game t-shirts. These new t-shirts are expected to replenish the team’s depleted supply, which was last replenished in 2008. Since so few players still have their old game t-shirts, the team has drawn criticism from the team co-captain for looking like a “ragged-tag bunch of players” out on the field.

The new game shirts will look identical to the original t-shirts from 2008, but with the following changes:

-	The team logo will have a brighter shade of maroon red.
-	The jersey numbers on the back of each shirt will be maroon red instead of black.

Some effort was made to ensure that each returning player received a jersey number equal to the number on the corresponding old jersey. However, most players are expected to receive a new number. Refer to the "Uniform Number Index" page for a list of jersey numbers for players past and present.

The new t-shirts are expected to début at Game 6 Game 7.

From Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, Verdasys Inc. will be sponsoring their first-ever Walking Challenge. For 9 weeks, participants will be placed into groups of four, to compete and determine which team accumulates the most number of steps. Pedometers will be used to count steps. Steps from any sort of physical activity are eligible, whether it is mowing the lawn, playing with the kids at the park, shopping at the mall or walking around the office. There is no need for a formal route for steps to be counted.

The goal of this challenge is to improve awareness of how much walking each individual does, while encouraging additional physical activity. As with the softball team, each participant will earn 1 Wellness Initiative Credit, which can be redeemed for a wellness day off.

Stepping-up to the challenge from the Verdasys Softball team are many players including, Alexey Kireyev, Bhavani, Naren P., Ryan G., Kaveesh M., Yuliana H., Karina S., Usha S., Eno, and A-WOL. Also stepping-up to the challenge are former team members Alexei Kvasov, Misha E., Don M., Stephen G., Ashish S. and Avi P. Good luck to all participants!

Verdasys, Inc, and the Verdasys Softball Team have announced an exciting new initiative for employees. Verdasys employees who play on the company team for most of the season will now earn a "Wellness Initiative Credit". These credits can then be applied towards a day off.

"It's a win-win for everyone," said Coach A-WOL. "We already have a functioning team and a mechanism to track game attendance. Officially crediting participation on the team adds a fun and exciting activity to the growing list of credited activities. It also encourages people to play, which will hopefully translate to better game participation.”

To receive credit, a player will need to play in at least four games in the season. Participation in Game 3 and beyond will count.

For more information, please go to the "Wellness Initiative Credit" section of the site.

Over the weekend, Yankee shortstop Derik Jeter reached a personal milestone of 3,000 career hits. Though not as dramatic, a player on the Verdasys Softball team hit reached a personal career hit milestone as well.

During Game 3, team skipper Andy Wolan collected career hits number 150 and 151, with the 150th hit being an infield single. To make the occasion special, A-WOL hit the ball while batting left handed.

To celebrate, A-WOL hoisted a banner over his head that read "150" as he stood near first base.

When asked about the accomplishment, the team mentioned that "Andy is the only person who cares, but it's still a big moment for him, a career highlight". A-WOL did not respond to the press about his accomplishment as he was too busy posing for photos with the "150" banner. A-WOOF (the Andy Wolan Official Organization of Fans) will be hosting a private party in A-WOL’s honor, to celebrate the milestone.

Verdasys would go on to lose the game to Up-To-Date, 16-28.

Roman V, an avid fan of the Verdasys Softball team, has been caught on film misbehaving in public. This incident occurred during the Rosol/Meltzer tennis match at the French Open.

After a set was completed, the players retreated to their corners to catch a breather. One of the cameras was fixed on Lukas Rosol as he went to his seat. In the background of the shot were a few tennis fans, including the mischievous Roman V, who planted some bunny ears on the tennis star. Rosol was apparently unaware of Roman's antics and did not respond.

When asked about the antics of their fans overseas, the Verdasys Softball team asked the fan to "save some of that for the softball season!"

Click on the link below to see a video clip of Roman in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIdcK0AWVLk

In a press release, the team has announced that star outfielder Elliott Eno has been named the team's new co-captain.

Eno, playing in his fourth year with the team, has been a major contributor to the team; among his many contributions, Eno has been credited with recruiting enough players to help salvage the 2010 and 2011 seasons. At the very least, the team will expect Eno to lead the team in the event of a Coach A-WOL absence.

Elliott will be taking over a position once held by Usha Shama, who has asked to step down due to increasing pressures from her personal life. Usha has told the press that she will not be playing this season either, "unless there is an immediate need for [one] player."

Verdasys, Inc. has announced that their softball team, Verdasys Softball, will participate in the 2011 summer softball season. This announcement comes after a difficult and tumultuous 2-week span for the team, which at one point saw the team delisted from the league. But thanks to some wheeling and dealing, and a late recruiting push by Elliott Eno and Andy Wolan, the team’s 2011 season was successfully salvaged.

As was the case for the past three seasons, the team will play in the Recreational Co-Ed Softball League (WRCS) in Waltham, MA. This will be the team’s fourth season in the league. The league itself has announced that due to reduced participation levels, both of its divisions have contracted by one team. Games originally scheduled against the now contracted team will instead be replaced with a “free play” session, where the team will be allowed to use the field however they see fit.

Returning to lead the team for the fourth year in a row will be Coach Andrew Wolan (A-WOL). Wolan, who is 3-something-1 lifetime with team, returns after managing the "Indies #1" to a winning season during the winter indoor softball season. When asked about his goals for 2011, he said, "We have one goal this season, and our goal is simple: zero forfeits."

On the media front, the team also announced that the critically acclaimed “writing staff” will return to cover the team in 2011. This will be the staff’s fourth season covering Verdasys Softball, and their eighth year covering a softball team overall. A listing of the staff’s previous work can be found under the Softball Stories section of the site. Over the past three seasons, this staff was credited for creating “one of the best softball team websites on the Internet” whose coverage “is the envy of even some minor league teams.”

However, with the departure of a veteran writer and the veteran photographer, the team is warning that this season’s coverage will be reduced. “We simply will not be to match what we’ve done in past seasons; we just don't have the manpower.” said writer Andrew Wolan. “We're going to do whatever we can with the resources we have, and nothing more."

The staff is expected to replace the “Game Summaries” with a reduced “Game Notes” feature, while eliminating the “articles” section entirely. Photography-wise, the lack of a dedicated photographer will undoubtedly mean less action shots, but not their elimination. The team’s ever popular statistician remains with the staff.

In an unprecedented display of loyalty, the A-WOL fan club has announced its plans to relocate to Cambridge MA. The fan club, whose formal name is the Andy Wolan Official Organization of Fans (A-WOOF), was created in Wilmington DE during A-WOL’s visiting season with the 356-er’s. Since its initiation in summer 2010, the fan club has been active in promoting A-WOL’s accomplishments through game attendance, photography, and post-game celebrations. The club will move both its membership and its headquarters from DE to MA; the action will allow the fan club to more closely follow the career of the softball superstar.

“The fan club is thrilled to come to Massachusetts to participate in A-WOL’s 2011 season,” stated a fan club representative. “A-WOL is a unique softball player and coach; he is one-of-a-kind and well worth the move.”

As a result of the fan club relocation, A-WOL can expect a personal cheering section during each of his softball games.

About: A-WOOF is an officially recognized fan club of Andy Wolan. The club is comprised of at least a dozen members. With membership limited to an "invite only" basis, little information about the club is known publically. The club’s leader is a mysterious person who goes by the initials "S.B." Many believe the initials are an alias, being a play on the word "softball".