The Bag Brawl: Singles preview

The American Cornhole League’s (ACL) Third National of the year looks to conclude next weekend. The stage has been set and the Singles Final Four is upon us. Unlike the last National event (which featured three of 4 previous bracket winners), the “Bag Brawl” resulted in 4 new players who will face off in the broadcasted matches. Trey Burchfield, Cheyenne Bubenheim, Ryan Traiteur, and Alex Rawls, will all be vying for Title of National Champion. Let’s take a look at each player as we prepare for the matches:

Trey Burchfield: The Robot is back

Hailing from the cornhole hotbed of Ohio, Trey Burchfield is one of the most well-known players in the game. After a lackluster year in 2023, the Robot has recalibrated his game and is back to his winning ways. Although most recently Burchfield has found success on the Pro/Open level in Doubles competitions, Burchfield is no stranger to winning on the Singles stage **dusts off his World Championship trophy**. Amassing 28 wins through three National events, Burchfield finds himself currently ranked 6th in the Pro Standings. A Singles title this weekend would move Trey into a first place tie with the legend, Matt Guy, with 20 overall titles (currently sits T-2nd with Jamie Graham).

 

Cheyenne Bubenheim: Can SHE do it??

Years from now when you look back on dominant runs in the game’s history, it would be hard to find one more so than Cheyenne Bubenheim’s. Cheyenne is the current BACK TO BACK Women’s Singles National Champion and has a total of SIX Women’s World Championship titles. She has widely been regarded as the most dominant female professional cornhole player for the last 3 years…and it hasn’t been that close. The translation from Women’s competitions to Open (“gender Neutral”) events has been solid, but not dominant. Her deepest run was at the World Championships 3 years prior where she lost to Trey Burchfield in the finals. With 29 wins already this season, she finds herself ranked 22nd overall in Pro standings. A win this weekend would be a monumental moment in the game as she would be the first Women to win a Pro Single’s event.

 

Ryan Traiteur: Another Rookie?!?

Ryan Traiteur, ACL Rookie, has made a name for himself in the Cornhole World early into his career. Entering the 2024 ACL season, Traiteur was among the preseason favorites to win the Rookie of the Year award. Through nearly 3 Nationals, Ryan finds himself sitting in 2nd place overall in the Pro Standings. Not only did he make the Pro Singles final four, but also the Pro Shootout (round limited event). This young gun has all the shots and when he gets rolling, it’s tough to imagine a situation where he comes up short. We could very well see a Junior player win a National Event for the first time….dare I say he is the favorite going in?

 

Alex Rawls: Steady as they come

Rounding out the final four lineup is Alex Rawls, a name every fan of the ACL would know by now. Over the last 3 seasons, you just won’t find anyone as consistent as Alex, finishing 2nd overall in Pro Singles standings the last two seasons (currently sits 12th). Rawls isn’t flashy but hits timely shots and makes his opponent work for points. He plays a similar game to his former pro partner, Trey Burchfield (who he plays in the semi-finals), albeight a bit better (depending on the day I suppose).  Rawls will look to solidify himself in yet another MVP discussion with a win this weekend.

You just have to love how the match-ups work out sometimes. Burchfield vs Rawls, a battle between two former pro partners. Bubenheim vs Traiteur, a guarantee we could see either a female or junior win a National for the first time.  

Predictions?

 I think Trey Burchfield finding his groove again is great for the game. The guy has been under the bright lights for years and typically performs well….but Alex is a top 5 singles player in the world for a reason. I’ll take Rawls in that match.

Bubenheim vs Traiteur is a contrast of styles. While they are both capable of “running bags”, Traiteur has more shots in his arsenal. For Cheyenne to win, she has to push through bags at a high success rate (she said so herself in this Interview). IF Ryan’s game is on point though…it might not matter. I think this match will be close….. I am going with the young gun to pull this win off.

In the finals….theoretical match-up: Rawls vs Traiteur. I think it’s time for a little history to be made. A win for Traiteur would mean a Junior has won for the first time…and it puts him firmly back into the ROY and MVP discussion!! And…if he wins the Pro shootout too…Cover your Eyes “Ellies”…we will have a NEW number 1 ranked player in the world.

Thanks for reading!! Check out our most recent interviews with Ryan Traiteur and Cheyenne Bubenheim below!! And don’t forget to register for the BIG ASP OPEN!!

As always, I hop you throw it straight and it’s nothing but four baggers from here on out! Cheers!

Big Asp Cornhole Podcast ft Cheyenne Bubenheim

Big Asp Cornhole Podcast ft Ryan Traiteur, Kelly Traiteur and Wally Kassler

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