MLP San Diego: Columbus Dominates Day 1, Ben Johns' Group Debuts Today
The seventh event of the MLP regular season kicked off Thursday at the Barnes Tennis Center, and Day 1 left a clear picture: Columbus Sliders didn't come to play, they came to send a message.
How Group B stood after Day 1
Only Group B saw action Thursday — Group A, which includes Ben Johns' Mad Drops playing in their home state, debuts today, Friday. Here's how the standings looked after the first day. A quick clarification on the format: the number in parentheses next to each team is their record of completed matchups won-lost, not a points scoreline — since the tournament runs on a round-robin format across three days, not every team played the same number of matches on Thursday, which is why some show two matches played and others only one:
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Columbus Sliders (2-0) — won both of their matchups
SoCal Hard Eights (1-0) — won their only match of the day
Orlando Squeeze (1-1) — won 1, lost 1
Phoenix Flames (1-1) — won 1, lost 1
California Black Bears (0-1) — lost their only match
Florida Smash (0-2) — lost both matches they played
Columbus arrived at this event as the clear favorite of the group, and the perfect start confirms why — some are already predicting the pair could close out the entire weekend without dropping a single game.
The streak to watch: Alexa Schull and Daria Walczak
Beyond the team results, there's an individual storyline that's getting hard to ignore. Alexa Schull and Daria Walczak, of the Phoenix Flames, reached five straight wins as a women's doubles pairing after going 2-0 on Thursday — this despite their team finishing the day just 1-1. When a duo keeps winning consistently even as their team fails to close out a perfect weekend, it's a sign something special is being built there.
What's coming today: Group A's debut
This Friday, Group A finally enters the picture — and with it, some of the event's most anticipated storylines:
Los Angeles Mad Drops arrive playing at home, with Ben Johns leading MLP's strongest roster this season. After being eliminated in the bronze medal round of the Mid-Season Tournament by Columbus, this is the moment to regain momentum ahead of Orlando and the push toward the playoffs.
Utah Black Diamonds need Tama Shimabukuro, their young phenom, to find his best level. He's had a more inconsistent season than expected following a strong 2026 on the PPA circuit, and hasn't looked comfortable playing the right side in men's doubles — Utah needs to fix that now.
Atlanta Bouncers have a lot riding on this: they're just three points behind Utah in the playoff race, and finishing third in Group A would guarantee them at least eight standings points — a result that could determine whether their season stays alive heading into the final stretch.
What's on the line this weekend
Zooming out: St. Louis Shock and New Jersey 5s have already mathematically clinched their playoff spots. Columbus Sliders (65 points) and LA Mad Drops (61) are on the doorstep of locking theirs up too — the magic number is 68. San Diego could end up settling both of those spots before the weekend is over.
Action continues today, Friday, at 9:30 AM Pacific Time, streaming live on Pickleballtv.
The seventh event of the MLP regular season kicked off Thursday at the Barnes Tennis Center, and Day 1 left a clear picture: Columbus Sliders didn't come to play, they came to send a message.
How Group B stood after Day 1
Only Group B saw action Thursday — Group A, which includes Ben Johns' Mad Drops playing in their home state, debuts today, Friday. Here's how the standings looked after the first day. A quick clarification on the format: the number in parentheses next to each team is their record of completed matchups won-lost, not a points scoreline — since the tournament runs on a round-robin format across three days, not every team played the same number of matches on Thursday, which is why some show two matches played and others only one:
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Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
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Columbus Sliders (2-0) — won both of their matchups
SoCal Hard Eights (1-0) — won their only match of the day
Orlando Squeeze (1-1) — won 1, lost 1
Phoenix Flames (1-1) — won 1, lost 1
California Black Bears (0-1) — lost their only match
Florida Smash (0-2) — lost both matches they played
Columbus arrived at this event as the clear favorite of the group, and the perfect start confirms why — some are already predicting the pair could close out the entire weekend without dropping a single game.
The streak to watch: Alexa Schull and Daria Walczak
Beyond the team results, there's an individual storyline that's getting hard to ignore. Alexa Schull and Daria Walczak, of the Phoenix Flames, reached five straight wins as a women's doubles pairing after going 2-0 on Thursday — this despite their team finishing the day just 1-1. When a duo keeps winning consistently even as their team fails to close out a perfect weekend, it's a sign something special is being built there.
What's coming today: Group A's debut
This Friday, Group A finally enters the picture — and with it, some of the event's most anticipated storylines:
Los Angeles Mad Drops arrive playing at home, with Ben Johns leading MLP's strongest roster this season. After being eliminated in the bronze medal round of the Mid-Season Tournament by Columbus, this is the moment to regain momentum ahead of Orlando and the push toward the playoffs.
Utah Black Diamonds need Tama Shimabukuro, their young phenom, to find his best level. He's had a more inconsistent season than expected following a strong 2026 on the PPA circuit, and hasn't looked comfortable playing the right side in men's doubles — Utah needs to fix that now.
Atlanta Bouncers have a lot riding on this: they're just three points behind Utah in the playoff race, and finishing third in Group A would guarantee them at least eight standings points — a result that could determine whether their season stays alive heading into the final stretch.
What's on the line this weekend
Zooming out: St. Louis Shock and New Jersey 5s have already mathematically clinched their playoff spots. Columbus Sliders (65 points) and LA Mad Drops (61) are on the doorstep of locking theirs up too — the magic number is 68. San Diego could end up settling both of those spots before the weekend is over.
Action continues today, Friday, at 9:30 AM Pacific Time, streaming live on Pickleballtv.
