KC’s Top Gun Invitational special for this Minnesota team: ‘Talent here is unmatched’

The first thing Minnesota Force coach Julie Standering said to her team before their warmup period was short, to-the-point and uniquely related to Kansas City.

“Barbecue,” she said. “They have really good barbecue here.”

Standering’s 16U squad was one hour from playing its first game at the city’s annual Top Gun Invitational. Its first opponent was USA Athletics from California, and second — set to begin just two hours after the commencement of Game 1 — were the Lady Dukes from Tennessee.

Over the course of four days, the Minnesota Force will face teams from all regions of the country. More than 300 teams, both local and from afar, made their way to the Midwest with hopes of taking home hardware — needing to beat the nation’s best softball teams to do so.

“We know the talent here is unmatched,” class of 2025 pitcher Jorey Fry said of Top Gun. “You have to compete against these big teams. Coming from Minnesota, we’ll hear (we’re) facing a team from California or Texas, and they’re going to be a team we have to fight and compete against.”

Fry, one of Standering’s best arms, spoke highly of the talent she and her teammates would be up against, while also representing that high level of competition themselves. Fry, Standering said, is among the top pitchers in the state of Minnesota.

And her teammates? Another pitcher, Carter Raymond, was named Gatorade Player of the Year in Minnesota not one week prior to the invitational.

In a way, there was a sense of pride about being one of the few Minnesota squads in attendance.

Especially because of the welcome changes it brings.

From Minnesota to Missouri

The biggest gripe Standering, Fry and Raymond have with their home state of Minnesota is the weather.

Being about as far north as possible in the continental United States, harsh winters bring harsh snow — and harsh conditions for outdoor play. Teams across the state are often forced to use domes, if they get that luxury.

The weather makes scheduling difficult and inconsistent, though Standering sees it as a testament to the talent of her squad that they persevere through the conditions.

“We’re limited to (maybe) 20 weeks outside,” the coach said. “Counting four weeks that it might be rained-out … that’s all we get. Everyone else can spend 52 weeks outside if they choose to, so we have to work twice as hard. … We’re self-made good.”

Being “self-made good” isn’t exactly new to Standering, who spent time with the Arizona Wildcats as an accomplished shortstop before switching to coaching and later being named to the university’s Hall-of-Fame. That’s why she’s been able to instill a strong work ethic with her players, both with the Minnesota Force and her self-founded Minnesota Fastpitch Academy.

“She definitely sets us up for what’s to come in the future,” Fry said. “She’s like ... a collegiate coach. She knows what she’s talking about. She cares about how we act and teaches us a lot of lessons.”

Choosing tournaments across the country each season serves as another way to give her players opportunities to learn. And this season, the first one happened to be Top Gun in Kansas City, which she had ample praise for.

“This Maverick (a tournament division of Top Gun) is the best at this,” Standering said. “That’s how we look at it. It’s money well-spent when you’re getting taken care of looking around the flat. You feel like this is a collegiate tournament.”

A complex boasting 10 softball fields certainly has the potential to feel that way, particularly in a location in the middle of the country where teams can come together.

For the players, there are even smaller details about the city’s layout that make it unique.

“There’s a lot of places that we can spend together as a team,” Raymond said. “(If) we need to take a break, if we need to cool down, there’s places we can go that aren’t that far away. I think that’s super nice, especially in this type of weather.”

“We all can be together and bond,” Fry added. “And there’s a lot of places to go eat or to just enjoy spending time with each other.”

Barbecue, maybe?

What makes Top Gun special?

In addition to the layout of the city, Standering listed other criteria for picking a tournament — all of which Kansas City and Top Gun met. Pretty easily, too.

That list:

• Umpires — two of them, and professionals at that

• Former and current college coaches in attendance

• The people who run the tournament

• The format of the event

• The maintenance of the fields

At Mid-America Sports Complex, the mounds are sharp, the fields well-kept and two umpires help officiate every game. It’s an ideal place to compete, Standering said, and a great place for her players to be noticed while knee-deep in college recruitment.

“I really care about my future,” Fry said. “I want to find a home for me, and these college coaches care. They search for kids that they can give opportunities to, and for me, that’s a big deal. Once we get exposure, (they) can help me find my future home.”

In other words, Kansas City isn’t the end destination, but it certainly serves as a launchpad for players like Fry and Raymond to find one at the next level.

“In these tournaments, it’s super important, especially for us as 2025 (graduates), to remember to relax and have fun,” Raymond said. “We’re just playing softball here. You’re going to find your home. So, it’s about staying comfortable and being yourself.”

Standering is certainly waiting for that day — a “big day,” she called it, for her players. It’s why she’s remained a coach all of these years, and why she’s such a big advocate for Minnesota softball.

“My favorite day is when they commit,” she said. “That’s what my passion is, for sure. I don’t need to do this. I just love it.”

Standering’s journey with high school coaching is still far from over, but as she looks ahead, she knows that Kansas City will play a role in her players’ success. That’s why, year after year, she’ll keep booking her trip.

That, and the barbecue.

“Getting back here … I just appreciate the invite every year,” Standering said. “I’m coming back every time that they’ll have us.”