AZ Pinball Heats Up: Shopple, Carter, Pinney at The Bat

Heat, Flippers, and 101 Competitors

Electric Bat League Series 17- Part 1 #4 lit up Tempe on August 12, 2025. Even with the thermometer screaming 108°F, 101 players still showed up ready to sweat it out under the neon glow of 66 machines. Organizer Rachel Bess kept the five rounds of group matchplay humming along, wrapping in just under three hours — a small miracle given the size of the field.

This wasn’t just a local Tuesday night knock-around. With 31 players traveling in from outside the Phoenix metro, the tournament had a regional pull that speaks to Electric Bat’s growing reputation. Furthermore, the crowd was a fascinating mix: only one global top-100 player, but 15 players inside the top 500 and nearly two dozen inside the top 1000. In other words, this was a night where no game was easy and no opponent could be underestimated.

Where Monsters and Multiballs Collide

Electric Bat Arcade (29 W. Southern Ave, Tempe) once again proved why it’s the heart of Arizona pinball. Tucked next to the Yucca Tap Room, the arcade runs 6 AM to 2 AM every single day, giving locals and diehards alike ample flipper time. The walls drip with monster movie posters and spooky vibes, and the pins themselves — from Stern’s newest releases to Bally and Williams classics — are kept in immaculate shape. Consequently, whether you’re chasing achievements on Stern Insider Connected games or trying to best Twilight Zone, the Bat delivers the goods. Parents appreciate the kid-friendly hours before 7 PM, while league regulars know Tuesday nights here are as close to sacred as it gets.

Spotlight Match – David vs. Goliath on World Cup Soccer

Round 2 gave us the story of the night on Bally’s World Cup Soccer (1994). Themed around the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the game asks players to string together passes and build toward global domination — but in this case, it became a stage for a real-life upset.

Top-seeded Fae Ashley (ranked 699 IFPA) seemed like the favorite. However, Scottsdale’s Travis Yoder (ranked a whopping 23,216) played like he was channeling a Cinderella team. Yoder held his nerve, scored first place, and left Fae down in fourth. Michael Bougher and Valerie Doucette filled out the middle of the pack, but the takeaway was clear: in a field this deep, rankings don’t guarantee survival. It was the pinball equivalent of a last-minute underdog goal in overtime.

Machines That Made the Night

With 66 machines in play, the lineup spanned decades of pinball history. For tournament players, each table came with its own quirks, strategies, and reputations:

• Iron Man (Vault) (Stern, 2014) – Designed by John Borg with software by Lyman Sheats, this stripped-down fan layout is notorious in competition. The Iron Monger rises from the playfield for multiball, but outlanes and short ball times keep scores razor-tight. On IPDB, it holds a respectable mid-7 rating, with players praising the speed and brutality — two things that make or break a league night.
• Aerosmith (Stern, 2017) – A John Borg design with art by Dirty Donny Gillies. The Toy Box mechanism steals the show, physically locking and then blasting balls across the playfield. Competitive players know it as a feast-or-famine table: survive long enough to start Toy Box multiball and you can leapfrog opponents in one ball. IPDB ratings hover around the high 7s.
• No Fear: Dangerous Sports (Williams, 1995) – Steve Ritchie and Dwight Sullivan cooked up a game themed on extreme sports. Callouts taunt you to “Play better!” while ramps loop and criss-cross. IPDB ratings average around 7.6, with strong marks for flow. In tournaments, jackpot control during multiballs is key, but the center shots are risky — drain city if you’re off.
• John Wick (Pro) (Stern, 2024) – Still fresh on the circuit, John Borg’s latest design leans on smooth ramps and combo play, with modes echoing Wick’s precision. Tournament chatter is still forming, but early impressions are that its scoring balance rewards accuracy over survival. Having it in the mix gave this event a “new car smell” factor few tournaments can boast.
• Sorcerer (Williams, 1985) – Steve Ritchie’s brother Mark Ritchie designed this System 9 gem with art by Python Anghelo. Hypnotic audio and eerie fantasy artwork set the tone. The IPDB community gives it strong marks for atmosphere. In competition, the center drop targets can be lucrative but dangerous, leading to a love-hate relationship with players.
• Jack•Bot (Williams, 1995) – A Barry Oursler/Larry DeMar collaboration closing out the Pin-Bot trilogy. A casino theme overlays the familiar visor shots, with double-or-nothing mechanics that can flip standings in one risk. IPDB ratings typically land in the mid-7s, with tournament players appreciating the ruleset’s mix of risk and reward.
• Galaxy (Stern Electronics, 1980) – An early solid state Stern with a wide-open layout. Rated around 6.7 on IPDB, it’s a fast, unforgiving table where control is everything. In this event it doubled as a stage for a family-style showdown — living proof that old classics still pack plenty of drama.
• The Mandalorian (Pro) (Stern, 2021) – Designed by Brian Eddy with art by Randy Martinez. Insider Connected integration makes it a fan favorite, but in tournaments, stacking Razor Crest multiball with missions is the big scoring path. On IPDB it pulls ratings in the 7.8–8.0 range.
• Pulp Fiction (SE) (Chicago Gaming, 2023) – Mark Ritchie returned after a long hiatus with a machine styled like a late-70s solid state: big drop target banks, old-school spinner fun, and simplified rules. Players love the retro aesthetic (IPDB scores in the 8s) and its short, sharp games keep matches moving briskly in competition.

Surviving the Field – Tournament Winners

Outlasting 101 players is no small feat, and the top four proved they had the stamina and skill to thrive in Tempe’s pinball furnace:

1. John Shopple (Mesa, AZ) – Arizona’s #1 player and the only top-100 IFPA competitor on site showed why he’s the benchmark. With 472 events under his belt, Shopple cruised through the chaos with veteran confidence.
2. Kevan Carter (Tempe, AZ) – On his home turf, Kevan turned experience (64 total events) into a breakout performance, landing a career-highlight second place.
3. Brian Pinney (Mesa, AZ) – Arizona’s #2 player held steady, even squaring off on Godzilla (Premium) during the night, before locking in a podium finish.
4. Jeff Wegener (Gilbert, AZ) – With over 100 events played, Wegener leaned on consistency to secure fourth, adding yet another strong finish to his growing resume.

In addition, Mark Pearson deserves recognition. With more than 670 lifetime events, the most wins (159), and the most top-3 finishes (106), he continues to be a cornerstone of Arizona competitive pinball. Meanwhile, Shaniya Lee made headlines with a jaw-dropping leap of more than 32,000 spots in the IFPA rankings, a clear signal that fresh talent is on the rise.

Arizona IFPA Pinball Top 10

Wrapping It Up in Tempe

From scorching heat outside to sizzling play inside, this event had everything: upsets, family-style face-offs, ranking shakeups, and top-tier Arizona talent flexing their flipper skills. Overall, it highlighted not only the veterans who continue to dominate but also the new names making moves. Huge kudos to Rachel Bess for running a smooth, three-hour tournament with over a hundred players — no small feat — and to Electric Bat Arcade for providing one of the best competitive pinball backdrops in the country.

If you find yourself near ASU’s Gammage Auditorium, follow the sounds of flippers down Southern Avenue. Chances are, you’ll stumble into the next great Arizona pinball showdown.

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