Their practice field adjoining a local church is functional at best. Yet the results from hours of work on that tiny diamond has transformed the Grand Valley Crush to one of the best 14-year-old club softball teams in the West.

A fact the Crush can back up after finishing ninth in a field of 48 teams who played at the ASA West National Tournament in Salem, Ore. To qualify for the National event, the local squad had to win a regionally held tournament.

The team accomplished that goal four months ago when they won the U14 championship in the USSSA-sanctioned April Fools tournament held in Grand Junction.

Earlier, the Crush won a Triple Crown tournament in Mesquite, Nev. After the April event, the 10-member team won tournaments held in Louisville and Boulder.

In between those events, to further hone their softball skills for national play, the Crush participated in a 15-16-year-old summer league. When they arrived in Oregon, the team was well prepared.

Over the span of four days, the Crush won seven of nine tournament games against teams from California, Oregon and Washington, which included a 11-0 no-hitter over 2007 champion Bonita Valley from San Diego.

Although the were the only Colorado-based team in the tournament, the Crush knew they fit it.

“We knew we were good when they called us out at opening ceremonies and said our record,” said Ashleigh Wissel, one of team’s original members in 2004. “That boosted our confidence a little bit more. Being the only Colorado team there, we represented all of Colorado.”

The Crush’s performance in Oregon changed how far West club teams look at Colorado squads, team members said.

“I feel we get dissed because we only play half a year. We played against California teams and they play year-round. So they looked at us and they kind of look us down,” infielder Brittany Hoppe said.

“We went in to this tournament to kick butt. We just wanted to get in the top 10 was our goal. When we came out of pool play undefeated that really helped us a lot,” added Hannah Mahnke.

Advancing to the championship bracket, the Crush won four games, losing only to fifth-place Laguna Niguel, Calif., before getting eliminated from further play from the double-elimination bracket when they Pleasanton Phantoms from Northern California gave the Crush their second tournament loss.

While most of the trip to the Emerald State was enjoyable, it took some adjusting by the Crush to get used to some of the fans the tournament attracted.

“There were about 350 homeless people who live in the forest by the fields,” Hoppe recalled. “It was kind of scary. You would see them sitting outside of the fields. It was creepy.”

Especially creepy for one Crush player who said one of the homeless fans approached her for a handout.

Overall, the Crush ended the 2008 club season with a 44-10 record and are looking ahead to equally successful 2009 campaign, despite moving up to 16-and-under level play.

“I think it’s going to be better,” Wissel said. “We’re going to see a lot better pitching and more competition.”

“We’re going to be a young team,” Hoppe added. “But a good, young team. We want to stay together.”

Reach Phil Sandoval at psandoval@gjfreepress.com.