Double Trouble: ACL KICKOFF BATTLE

Is this the best sports weekend of the year? Forget March Madness….we have the Masters, MLB home openers and of course the ACL kickoff battle. Yesterday we got our first taste of the ACL action as the singles event rolled through. Devon Harbaugh, Justin Burton Jr, Alan Rawls and Jakob Gore each won their respective brackets in convincing fashion. The ESPN broadcast (airs on ESPN3 Live 9:00 pm est) will feature the singles semi-finals/finals and the finals of the Doubles event.

ACL doubles has always provided valuable entertainment. Last year we saw the reigning world champs, Rubin/Power, make an epic comeback to solidify their place in history. Seemingly each National, the doubles event provides s great story lines, new faces and (when we get luck) a little competitive chirping. Let’s take a look through the four Doubles brackets and I’ll drop my thoughts along the way…

Bracket A

Thursday night rounders kicked off and we were left with one team standing at 8-0. That team? The Texas squad of Eddie Grinderslev and Kaleb Batson. They started off hotter than any other team and earned the overall number 1 seed. Their reward? Having to play a PDC team in the first round. That’s great!! Right? Well…..I am not going to lie…their draw isn’t easy. Mason Morgado and Vincent Frisch team up to take on the boys from Texas. Morgado and Frisch are widely recognized as top junior players and, had it not been for age restrictions when selecting pros….these two would most certainly be in on skill alone.

Corey Morrison and Austin Schlobolm are an intriguing pair. Austin had previously found success on the collegiate circuit, but has yet to really burst onto the scene despite playing with the future HOF member, Frank Modlin. Morrison is extremely steady and if they both play to their potential they could make a run to the finals. I think they make it interesting, but when it’s all said and done, I like the winner of Grinderslev/Batson v Morgado/Frisch to win this sub section.

The next subsection has three teams I like that could all very well make a run Turpin/Franklin are loaded with talent..but their draw is a tough one.  The obvious pick is Guy/Graham. The proverbial favorite coming into the tournament, I cannot imagine either Guy or Graham were thrilled with losing in singles yesterday. Perhaps this powerhouse team shows up to work today with something to prove. IF that happens….we can just call it. But that is boring. Let’s play a more fun hypothetical game….

TWO twin brothers…14 years old…nicknamed the “twin terrors”..Jackson and Jakob Gore are MUST SEE TV. They play with passion, have skill to match their swagger and aren’t afraid of the big moments. Jakob was one of the best players in Singles yesterday as he won his bracket and will be making an appearance on ESPN. You know what he’d want even more?? TO win doubles with his brother. I LOVE their draw…I like their chances. Fingers crossed the world gets to experience them BOTH on the main stage together.

            On the right side of the bracket we find Fischer Hamilton and Gavin Cano; two of the top rookie players of the 2023 class. NEITHER one threw well yesterday which is concerning, but they are young so hopefully they bounce right back. I think the best matchup of the first round, bracket A, is Goette/Troxell v Jones/Purser. Both teams have an early season, under the radar type feel. I have a strong feeling that by the end of the year, most people will realize just how good each team is. Another Texas team, Sims/Sanchez could certainly make a run!! It’s a loaded subsection and one I will certainly be keeping an eye on.

Parent and Valdivia have been a solid doubles team over the years. They tend to start the seasons well, then taper off. Fortunately for them, this is the first National of the year. Round 1 they face off against Cleveland local Kevin Allen and Ohio Native, Jacob Beamer. The latter of the two is so crazy talented…but we just never know which version of Beamer we will see. Those closest to him hope he pulls it together to show the world what he can do. Ultimately, in this section, gimme Derek Holland and Justin Reul. Derek, obviously upgrading his doubles partner from last year (relax…it’s a joke), has been throwing well all season.

Bracket B:

Bracket B is highlighted by one of the top teams returning from the 2022 season, Richards/Lopez Jr. If we are being honest, losing that last game in rounders seemed to be a blessing in disguise. They earned a much more favorable draw that the overall number 1 seed. One of the best first round matchups has to be Hissner/Henderson vs Bella/Kingfisher. Cameron Kingfisher’s talent was on full display yesterday in singles as he made an impressive run at his first National event. Bella has been considered one of the top female talents and is coming off recent success. Their opponents are OG’s. Hissner/Henderson are a staple of the game at the professional level. Uber consistent, fiercely competitive and quiet are all synonymous terms that could be used to describe this duo. We can only hope that this match is live streamed (hint hint ACL).

Schermerhorn and Kniesteadt have publicly said (when they joined the Big Asp Cornhole Podcast) their goal was to bring the winning ways to Michigan. This duo has high personal expectations and I fully expect them to finish as a top 15 team this season. Perhaps the most hype in the offseason was when Ryan Windsor decided to mix things up and left his long time partner Isidro Herrera and switched bags to BG. Now joined by the “Baby Goat” Alex Hicks, the talent level for this team is unreal. I like the winner of the potential quarterfinal match to challenge for the bracket win and a coveted broadcast spot.

THE right side of the bracket is much more open in my humble opinion. Highlighted by newly formed Ultra team, Clemmer/Almanza, the Right side is tough to predict. No one would be surprised if Dennis/McGuffin airmailed their way into America’s heart…or they could go 0-2. Will the Trevor Brooks/Steven Bernacet experiment work out? Stylistically it just doesn’t make sense to me…but they are both titan like competitors (see what I did there?).  Selfishly, for fantasy terms…I hope to see Williams/Labrador make a run to the bracket finals. Playing a 2nd year together, these two are looking to establish themselves as THE team to beat in California.

Bracket C

Justin Burton Jr/Logan Chamberlain sit as the top of Bracket C with an impressive performance in Rounders. These Texas rookies aren’t a stranger to the spotlight and have Top 10 potential. The most interesting other pairing in their subsection is Morse/Walker. Ethan Walker has displayed his abilities throughout various open events this year and I have been impressed. Pair him with a very solid David Morse…could be a recipe for success.

If history repeats itself then we should all just pack up and stop now. KYLE Malone is at the First national with New bags, new partner and a chip on his shoulder. This former doubles champion has been among the HOTTEST player in the world. Can the real Jimmy Youmans please stand up?? PLEASE??

Tony Smith is playing with fellow Northeast young gun, Jacob Trzcienski. These two are considered by most to be a top 5 team…and well…we will find out right off the bat. Their first matchup is a brutal one as they face Alan Rawls and Chris Kingsbury. On paper, Tony and Jacob win…but as the saying goes, “it’s why you play the game”.

The Kuhfuss brothers, Trevor and Jared were impressive in rounders and very much got my attention. Their subsection isn’t easy, as Eric Anderson and Timmy Jonas are lurking. Rejoining as a doubles team, EA/Jonas have more than enough talent to win an event. Zaft/Hadley are also present and are a tough out each and every tournament. Oh and don’t forget about Erick Davis and Bret Guy. Weird we don’t hear of them often anymore. All they did was win back to back pro shootout championships…. Both players struggled in singles yesterday, but anytime these two step up to the board together, they can win.

Bracket D

Burchfield and Rawls look to continue their successful partnership in 2023. They are perhaps the most consistent of the “big name” teams and it is truly hard to imagine them not wining their bracket at every event they play. But for the sake of this article…lets use our imagination.

In the same subsection stands a rookie duo of Bracey Blanton and Anthony Mayball. These two have all the talent, but experience matters. I think by the end of the year they will be a team most cornhole fans know. Harbaugh and King exceeded expectations last season with a top 10 finish in doubles…can they recapture the magic? Harbaugh has been playing with what should be considered illegal skills and Derrick King has been regaining confidence weekly.

Remember how I said a long time ago it was tough to imagine a scenario where Burchfield/Rawls didn’t win…well…..

Rubin and Power, current world champions grace us with their presence in Bracket D. Last season they were beating everyone not named Guy/Graham seemingly. Their draw isn’t as easy as they would have liked….along with them sits Smith/Wiedenfeld, Sutton/Frazier and Gustafson/Mireles (the latter two teams face off in rd 1). Any of these 4 teams is more than capable of winning an entire event.

What in the world happened to Halbert/Zocklein in singles…..let’s hope all they needed was to stare into each others eyes for performance boosting. Modlin/Cheyenne just feel like a perfect fit. Cheyenne looked good throwing Gamechangers in singles (a unique type of bag that Frank prefers) which is an excellent sign for both of them. Josh Hill and Nate Long had a nice rounders performance. Obviously super talented, but I need to see it translate to a solid bracket performance. Foreman/Creekkiller are in an excellent position this season…sitting under the radar. Another team to keep an eye out with potential….Mike Ferreira and Cody Johnson. The team with the most upside however, has to be Tyce and Tubby Cobb. Their familiarity with each other and having a year of experience should translate into wins.

Drop your predeictions in the comment section below!!

As always I hope you throw it straight and it is nothing but 4 baggers from here on out! Cheers!