Tournament History
20
1982-1988 - The North Carolina Wiffle Ball Tournament began as the Kenly Wiffle Ball Tournament in the summer of 1982. Ten kids, ranging from ages 9-19, got together on a saturday in the yard of Kenly resident Ray Ballance and played a two-on-two version of the game. The Dream Team of Mike Grizzard and Chris Davis won that first affair, besting the Wiffle Kings of Jeff Davis and Ken Ballance in the title game. Those two teams met again the next two years, with the Wiffle Kings winning both times.
The two-man tourney had a six year run, and the Kings won three of them and finished second in two others. However, as everyone grew, two-on-two got tougher, and in 1985 a three-on-three tourney was also held. Thus for three years (1985-1987) there were two tournaments in Kenly on back to back weekends.
Grizzard and Chris Davis teamed with Tony Richardson as the Three Man Gang to win the first three-man tourney, and in 1988 that event was the only one held, as the two man bracket was stopped. Pine Level, made up of Stevie Edwards, Shane Coates and Jeff Johnson won the final championship of the Kenly Wiffle Ball Tournament, with Edwards garnering the MVP award.
1989 - Tournament founders Jeff Davis and Mike Grizzard got together the next year, and at Grizzard's urging, move the tourney up to the town's ball field and renamed it the "North Carolina State Wiffle Ball Tournament". With Grizzard's aide as a sportswriter for the Greenville Daily Reflector, the inaugral tourney had 16 three-man teams, and was won by the Crush Crew of Kenly, made up of Tommy Williams, Doug Narron, and former ECU shortstop Berry Narron, who brought home the MVP. Ken Ballance bombed 11 homers, a record that would stand until 1999.
1990 - Pinetops' "Southwest Edgecombe All-Worlds" lived up to their name in 1990, besting 19 teams as Obie Thompson was MVP. This tournament also had the event's only bench clearing brawl, as Jeff Davis and Paul Lynn Willoughby collided at home plate, sparking a pile up that was more wrestling than punching. It underscored, however, just how seriously this tournament is taken. The tourney goes to the 4-on-4 format it still utilizes today. Slugfest Inc. drops 18 runs on the Naturals in the first inning, a record that still stands.
1991 - A record 23 teams compete and the Brand Nubian dynasty is launched. The Nubians, led by Duane Pittman, win their first of four titles in a six year span, but Young Guns IV William Rhodes gets MVP in a losing cause.
1992 - Brand Nubian wins again, and 18 year old Joey Creech becomes the youngest MVP ever. Home run bomber John Daughtry joins Pittman on the Nubians, and they are unbeatable. The Squad pours across a tourney record 26 runs in a game, beating Jerry's Kids 26-8.
1993 - The Boys of Corinth-Holder win the title in their only appearance, and the Nubians are runner up, as John Daughtry gets MVP. "Slam" (Tony Hamm, Chris Davis, Billy Whitley, Chuch Aycock) scare everyone to death while finishing fourth, as they wear doo-rags and generally look like they are out on parole. The Raleigh Gamers make their tourney debut, finishing fifth.
1994 - Brand Nubian recovers and wins it again, but Paul Lynn Willoughby becomes the first player in tournament history to win MVP from third place, further cementing to the Nubians' Duane Pittman that the world is against him.
1995 - The tourney is moved to September - dumb decision. A torrential downpour and hurricane force winds allow bombs left and right, and Unfair Advantage make their tourney debut, as Jeff Davis finally gets his MVP award. Of course, he has an unfair advantage.
1996 - Brand Nubian gets their fourth title in six years, and Duane Pittman finally gets his MVP award. He continues to whine, however, even to this day.
1997 - Unfair Advantege wins it again, defeating The Legends, who will later become Chase Flooring. Former N.C. Wesleyan All-American Doug Flowers gets MVP in a losing cause.
1998 - The tourney's first decade ends with the Ghetto Superstars winning the championship. Jeff Finney wins MVP in his first tourney appearance. Chris Cuddington becomes the youngest All-Tourney selection ever at age 13.
1999 - The No-Names, made up of many of the former SWE All-Worlds, win the event. Duane Pittman becomes the second player in history to win MVP while finishing third. Pittman puts on the greatest display of power in tourney history, hitting three homers in a game against the Gamers and topping that by drilling a tourney record four dingers versus the No-Names. Pittman's 12 home runs in the tournament are still a record. The first All-Decade Team is announced, with Jeff Davis (38 pts.) and Pittman (37 pts.) leading it. Davis gets his award and promptly retires, continuing to direct and umpire the tourney for the next six years along with co-director Stevie Edwards and umpire Tony Hamm. The Inaugral Class of the North Carolina Hall of Fame is inducted, and its sole honoree is retired co-founder and player, Mike Grizzard.
2000 - 2001 - 2002 - The Chase Flooring era spans three years, as Charlie Flowers, Doug Flowers, Jay Lamm and Travis Matthews winning three consecutive championships. Matthews and Charlie Flowers are history's only Co-MVP's in 2000, Charlie Flowers gets it to himself in 2001, and Charles Baker of runner-up Organized Konfusion wins it in 2002. Luckily for all, Chase Flooring breaks up after 2002, giving everyone a chance again. The Hall of Fame grows, as Ken Ballance, Jeff Davis and Chris Davis are selected in 2000, Duane Pittman becomes the youngest inductee ever at 27 in 2001, and player/director/umpire/media giant/etc. Stevie Edwards enters in 2002.
2003 - AND 1 wins their first of back to back crowns, as rookie Johnny Baker explodes on the scene to win MVP. He teams with Duane Pittman, Paul Lnn Willoughby and Ritchie Willoughby. The Ghetto Gamers, a combination of the Ghetto Superstars and the Raleigh Gamers, finish third.
2004 - Johnny Baker makes it two for two, winning MVP as AND 1 goes back to back. The Ghetto Gamers, none of whom are from the ghetto, creep up to second. Tony Hamm and Paul Lynn Willoughby enter the Hall of Fame.
2005 - The Ghetto Gamers finally win it, as twins Kelly and Chris Edwards team with Jeff Finney and Jon Moore to get their first title after playing in the tourney for 13 years. Finney wins his second MVP award, and the G-Nats signal their arrival, finishing second.
2006 - The biggest move in history is made, as the tournament is moved to Smithfield after being in Kenly since 1982. Touch 'Em All, who had finished fourth the previous two seasons, win it, and Johnny Baker becomes the only player in tournament history to win three MVP awards. Baker did not play in 2005, so he is three for three. Legendary Lumber (Jeff Davis, Duane Pittman, Chris Davis, Ritchie Willoughby) put four Hall of Famers on the field but can only finish second, as their walkers and canes slow their baserunning. Four new Inductees bring the Hall to twelve members: Ritchie Willoughby, Charlie Flowers, Joey Creech and John Daughtry.
2007 - Legendary Lumber comes back from the loser's bracket and beats Touch 'Em All two in a row to get the title, topping an 18 team field. Jeff Davis gets his second MVP award 13 years after his first, becoming the oldest MVP ever at 38.
2008 - The G-Nats break through, sweeping unbeaten Legendary Lumber in the title game, as 19 year old Jake Austin becomes the second youngest MVP ever. This is the 20th Annual North Carolina Wiffle Ball Tournament, ending the second decade. Jeff Davis gets his 12th All-Tourney selection at a record age of 39.
2009 - The G-Nats win their second straight title, and do it with noone older than 28. Austin becomes the sixth player to win at least two MVP's, and he's only 20. The 1999-2008 All-Decade Team is announced, and Duane Pittman leads the points with a record 39. he also makes All-Tournament for the 16th time in 21 years. 23 teams participate, tying the record set back in 1991.
2010 - Johnny Baker wins an unprecedented fourth MVP award as the Hand-Picked J's wax everyone, including a 19-4 win over the G-Nats in the title game. The J's (Johnny Baker, Joey Creech, Jeff Finney, Jon Moore) are all tourney vets who played together as a foursome for the first time. The Clique's Robbie Adams becomes the oldest All-Tournament selection ever at age 40.
2011 - The Hand Picked J's make it two in a row, as Johnny Baker wins ANOTHER MVP (his fifth), and also becomes the 13th inductee into the NC Wiffle Ball Hall of Fame. Robbie Adams of the Clique breaks his own record by being All-Tourney at 41, while his son Tanner joins him on the All-Tourney team. All-Time Great Duane Pittman announces his retirement after this team loses out, ending (we think) the greatest career in tourney history. The Scrubs finish second, and have noone over 19 years old, signalling them as a team to watch in the future.
2012 - For only the second time a team threepeats, as the Hand Picked J's go unbeaten again, with baker winning his SIXTH MVP. The J's are riding a three year unbeaten streak, and are looking to do whats never been done and win a fourth straight in 2012. The string of old man All-Tourney appearances continues, as Jeff Davis is selected at age 43. Hall Of Famer Paul Lynn Willoughby comes out of a short retirement and gets 8th All-Tourney selection, as does Jeff Finney. The J's outscore their opponents 46-7.
2013- The G-Nats ruin the Hand Picked J's chance to become the tourney's first four-peat champions, double dipping the J's in the championship after losing to them earlier on Sunday. Jake Austin wins his third MVP at the ripe old age of 24.
2014-2015 In It To Win It finally breaks the stranglehold that G-Nats and J's have on the tourney, winning back to back titles. Craig Harden is named MVP both years, and the Silver Anniversary Team is named in 2014.
2016- Too Much Talent battles its opponents and the elements as torrential rains cause wreak havoc. 8 teams have to come back Sunday for 7 hours as Tanner Adams gets MVP.
2017- Jordan Adams gets MVP as Uncensored outscores it opponents 37-4 in 5 games to dominate the tournament, hitting 8 homers in their title game win.
2018- The Rays, who are very young but have been playing for several years, break through and defea defending champions Uncensored in the championship 18-3. In an early round game,they also break an old tourney record for runs in an inning(22), and biggest shutout (22-0). Uncensored hits 14 home runs in one game in what is believed to be another record.
2019= Uncensored recaptures the crown. Jordan Adams, only 6 months removed from a liver transplant, amazingly wins MVP. 2018 MVP Caleb Byrd sets a tourney record with 15 RBI in a game.
2020-2021- The Hit Men top defending champs Uncensored in a rain-soaked Sunday in 2020. The tourney is played outside Johnston County for the first time, at Miffly Field in Spivey's Corner, prompted by the Covid epidemic. The Hit Men, all 23 or younger, are led by 19 year old MVP Ty Narron, who joins Joey Creech(18 in 1992) and Jake Austin (19 in 2008) as under-20 MVP's. Ty's dad Berry won the MVP in the first State Tournament in 1989, so they become the first (and only) father/son MVP duo.
In 2021, the Hit Men go back to back, with Narron again winning MVP. The tournament returns to Kenly for the first time since 2005.Jake Austin is Inducted into the Hall of Fame.
2022- Uncensored rebrands back to "In It To Win It" and it does the trick, as they return to championship form. Newcomer Harrison Grady wins MVP, while teammates Craig Hardin and Jordan Adams are inducted in to the Hall of Fame