Long Island, NY conquered by the Suffolk Lawmen
3rd Annual Long Island Summer Showdown – Tournament Recap
The 3rd Annual Long Island Summer Showdown kicked off on Thursday, July 10th at the historic Moriches Sports Complex—the birthplace of the original NYPD Blues Tournament—with a classic NYPD opening ceremony. The event began with the color guard and National Anthem, followed by remarks from Inspector Mark Wachter, Commanding Officer of the NYPD Health and Wellness Section, and Sergeant James Rogers. During the ceremony, we proudly honored two major sponsors of NY Police Softball: Miller & Caggiano, LLP and Bulovas Restorations Inc. whose continued support makes events like this possible.
The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Thomas Gray, in memory of his brother who tragically passed away by suicide last September. It was a powerful moment that reminded us all of the importance of mental health in law enforcement. Police softball provides not only competition, but also community—a safe space for our athletes to decompress and support one another off the job.
Day 1: Rain, Heat & Hustle
Thursday brought humidity and rain, but the fields held up strong, and pool play ran smoothly and on time. Thanks to efficient time limits, committed umpires, and a few run-rule finishes, downtime was minimal and energy stayed high throughout the day.
Pool Play Seeding:
Max Blues
NY Express
Missouri Lawmen
Suffolk Lawmen
Garden State
NY Empire
NYPD Finest
PAPD Twins
MDF
CBP JFK
Majors Bracket – Championship Recap
MDF, NYPD Finest and NY Express fought their way through the Majors bracket while Suffolk Lawmen held the king's seat, awaiting the winner of the Max Blues vs. NY Empire semifinal. NY Empire came out on top, setting the stage for a much-anticipated rematch with Suffolk.
Empire took Game 1 of the championship, forcing a winner-take-all final. But Suffolk came out firing in the "if" game and never looked back, dominating from the start and clinching the 2025 Summer Showdown title.
🏆 1st – Suffolk Lawmen
• MVP: John Gilliam
• All-Tournament: Jimmy Cummings, Kenny DeFelice, Alex Porcillo
🥈 2nd – NY Empire
• Defensive MVP: Kyle Greene
• All-Tournament: Tyler Theiss, TJ Montalbano, Michael Tansey
🥉 3rd – Max Blues
4th – NY Express
T-5th – NYPD Finest
T-5th -MDF
Gold Bracket – Championship Recap
The Gold Bracket brought just as much intensity and grit as the Majors, with several tightly contested games and standout performances. Missouri Lawmen battled through the bracket to claim the championship, but not without a serious challenge from a determined PAPD Twins squad.
Missouri played a very tough PAPD Twins team in the finals, and PAPD showed incredible resilience by fighting their way back from the losers bracket to force a rematch in the championship. Despite the long road, PAPD came out strong, but Missouri held their ground and sealed the win behind a well-rounded team effort.
🏆 1st – Missouri Lawmen
• MVP: Joey Gardner
• All-Tournament: Brendan Gilbert, Jeremey Brown, Dallas Johnson
🥈 2nd – PAPD Twins
• Defensive MVP: Dylan Chateau
• All-Tournament: Brandon Busch, Tim Pappas
🥉 3rd – Garden State
4th – CBP JFK
Thank You to Our Sponsors & Supporters
On behalf of NYPD Finest, thank you to every player, team, and supporter who made the 3rd Annual Long Island Summer Showdown another unforgettable tournament. Huge thanks to our sponsors—Miller & Caggiano LLP, Bulovas Restorations, NYC PBA, PAPD PBA, 1st Phorm, C4, Jones Beach Brewing Company, and Rocavaka—for their incredible support.
Special thanks to Scott Hartling for generously supplying all of the Louisville Slugger bats, and to Jason Kendrick from Easton for providing both bats and balls for the weekend. Your support helps keep these events competitive and high-quality, and we’re truly grateful.
🗓️ Tentative Dates for 2026:
Mark your calendars! Next year’s tournament is tentatively scheduled for July 16–17, 2026 — so plan early!
We’re already looking forward to another great year. See you in 2026!