En Fuego
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En Fuego was a popular men’s softball team from Northeast Texas from 1996-2004. En Fuego has been very successful since their formation. The team was known as a defensive and offensive powerhouse but also a classy bunch of guys. All of the members played high school baseball, 12 of the 15 members played college and 3 played minor league baseball.
En Fuego was the 1998 U.S.S.S.A. and N.S.A. State champions going undefeated in both tournaments. They also placed 2nd in the N.S.A. National tournament losing to Mizuno in one of the talked about games of that year. They Placed 4th in the 1999 U.S.S.S.A. state tournament and the 1999 A.S.A. class C state tournament. They returned to the final four in the U.S.S.S.A. State tournament in 2002 for the last time.
Most of the members of En Fuego were originally from a town in East Texas called Mt. Pleasant, population 13,000; but it is a town that supports Baseball and Softball (some of the members of En Fuego played on the Mt. Pleasant 1993 class 4A state champion baseball team). Being from a smaller town helped En Fuego become a tight, well-oiled softball machine because the same guys, who have grown up together playing ball, are still playing ball together.
In bigger cities teams have trouble keeping the same guys together from week to week because of the temptation to join one of the many other teams. En Fuego did not have that problem. They have proved that you do not have to be from a big city to be the best. The team played tournaments (in big cities) all over the Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas areas and have shocked the “big city” teams, and sponsors, by their continued success.
En Fuego played over 160 tournaments since 1996 (averaging over 20 per year) and has managed to have consistent success: placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd 90 percent of the time. En Fuego was led by player/coaches Jim Richey and Jason Hammonds. The team called it quits for good in 2004 but not before leaving their mark on the world of men’s softball. Yep
