Gary Hargis, a very successful Georgia businessman, began sponsoring a big-time men’s team in 1981 and in his first year, the team led by Ricky Huggins, Paul Wright, Cecil Whitehead, Clyde Zachery and Ed Jones captured the ASA Men’s Major Championship, defeating Fred Weber Merchants in the Finals, the first year that the ASA created a Super Division. The next year, Elite moved into the ASA Super Division and the NSPC, adding Mike Nye and other star players but they didn’t quite catch the big 3 of Howard’s, Jerry’s and Ken Sanders.
The following year, after Ken Sanders disbanded his team, Elite picked up Craig Elliott, Charles Wright, Bill Pollock and Ronnie Ford and added Bill Gatti and Fred Trice to an already loaded line-up. They finished 2nd to Howard’s in the ASA Super Division Championship and 4th in the USSSA Major Championship.
In 1984, Elite added Dennis Graser and some additional firepower and finished 2nd to Howard’s in the ISA Championship, 3rd in the ASA Super Division and captured the USSSA Major World Series, led by Elliott who was MVP, Huggins, Pollock, Graser, Ford and Charles Wright. In 1985, Elite again was runner-up to Howard’s in the ISA Championship, having added Bruce Meade and Doug Brown from Jerry’s. Elite also was runner-up to Steele’s in the ASA Super Championship that year but captured its second consecutive USSSA World Series in its final tournament, defeating Capitol Insulation. Rick Wheeler was MVP.
Elite disbanded after that championship.
