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Softball NL 2017 Award Winners

April 16, 2018

St. John's, NL - - Softball NL 2017 Award Winners


Softball NL 2017 Award Winners

The Softball NL 2017 Awards Presentation was held on Friday, April 13, 2018 at GlenDenning Golf.

The Softball NL Board of Directors & Softball NL Awards Committee presented Awards in the following categories: Umpire of the Year, Len King Memorial – Junior Umpire of the Year, Minor Coach of the Year, Minor Female Player of the Year, Minor Male Player of the Year, Junior Female Player of the Year, Junior Male Player of the Year, Adult Coach of the Year, Senior Female Player of the Year, Senior Male Player of the Year & Bob Whelan Memorial – For Outstanding & Significant Contributions to Softball.

The Softball NL 2017 Award Winners Are…

Umpire of the Year

KEARNEY O’KEEFE (SHEA HEIGHTS)
Kearney is actively involved in the Softball community as a player, coach and umpire and there is no denying that she loves the game of softball. Early in the 2017 season, Softball NL Umpire-in-Chief Keith Pender named Kearney as Deputy Umpire-in-Chief Female Officiating. Locally, she umpired games in the Molson St. John’s Senior & Intermediate Men’s Fastpitch Leagues, the St. John’s Day Senior Men’s Tournament and the Swing Into Summer Intermediate Men’s Tournament. At the Minor Provincial level, Kearney was named Deputy Umpire-in-Chief for the U14 Girl’s Fastpitch Tournament and officiated games at the U16 Girl’s Fastpitch Provincial. At the Adult Provincial level, she worked both the Senior and Intermediate Men’s Fastpitch Tournaments and was a member of the umpire crews assigned to work the Finals of both tournaments. Kearney was selected to attend the 2017 Canada Summer Games to officiate in the Women’s Division. She worked 13-games during the week and worked the Semi-Final and Final of the event. In September 2017, Kearney was one of 34 Umpires across Canada to achieve Softball Canada’s National Level IV Certification. She is now 1-of-4 Level IV Umpires in Newfoundland Labrador and the lone female to hold that distinction.

Len King Memorial – Junior Umpire of the Year

LOGAN POWER (CBS)
Logan was actively involved at various levels of softball in 2017, both as a player and umpire. He played in the U18 Men’s Provincial with CBS, the Molson St. John’s Intermediate Men’s Fastpitch League, the Swing into Summer Tournament and the Intermediate Men’s Provincial with CBS Storm and played a few games in the Molson St. John’s Senior Men’s Fastpitch League with 3Cheers Pub Bud Light Dodgers and Canada Games. He also represented the Province at the U18 Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship as a member of Newfoundland Labrador #2. Logan umpired 30-plus games during the 2017 season. He umpired during the Constable William Moss Memorial Softball Tournament, as well as officiated at the U12 Girl’s Fastpitch Provincial and the U16 Boy’s Fastpitch Provincial. In 2017, Logan received a formal evaluation where upon he was Certified as a Level II Softball Canada Umpire.

Len King Memorial Award

Len King passed away on Thursday, January 25, 2018. The Umpires Association, with the full support of Softball NL, introduced the Len King Memorial Award that would focus on acknowledging the accomplishments of the Junior Umpires in the Province. Len was a member of the Metro Umpires Association for 14-years (1976-1982 & 2011-2017) and over those years he worked games in the Constable William Moss Memorial Tournament, Softball NL’s Minor & Adult Provincial Tournaments, the St. John’s Senior & Intermediate Men’s Fastpitch Leagues and the St. John’s Ladies Fastpitch League. Len umpired at two National Tournaments, the U18 Women’s in 2013 and the U21 Women’s in 2015, both in PEI. Len held a Level III National Umpire Designation, was a member of the Metro Umpires Executive as Treasurer in 2014 & 2017 and was named 2015 Softball NL Umpire of the Year.

Minor Coach of the Year

JOHN FARRELL (HOLYROOD)
John coached at the Local, Provincial and Eastern Canadian levels in 2017. Locally, John led his Conception Bay Central teams to Gold Medals at the U14 & U16 Girl’s Divisions of the Constable William Moss Memorial Tournament and helped guide the U16 Girl’s NL Selects Fastpitch team to a 2nd Place Finish in the St. John’s Ladies Fastpitch League. Provincially, John led his CBC teams to a Silver Medal at the U14 Girl’s Fastpitch Provincial in Outer Cove and Gold Medals at the U14 Girl’s Slo-Pitch Provincial hosted by CBC, the U16 Girl’s Fastpitch Provincial in Gander where his team went a perfect 6-0 and the U16 Girl’s Slo-Pitch Provincial in Shea Heights. At the Eastern Canadian level, John was a member of the coaching staff for the U16 Girl’s NL Selects team that represented the Province at the 2017 U16 Girl’s Eastern Canadian Softball Championship in O’Leary, PEI. The team finished 1-4 Overall, but were competitive in most of their games and their win came against Ontario who finished 3rd Place in the tournament. John was competitive as a player and he brings that characteristic into coaching and there is no denying that his players are prepared to play the game the right way. Not only has John immersed himself into coaching, but he is also interested in the overall state of the game, especially at the Minor level and is currently a member of the Softball NL Minor Committee.

Minor Female Player of the Year

KARLEE FARRELL (HOLYROOD)
Karlee enjoyed a successful season at the Local, Provincial and Eastern Canadian levels in 2017. Locally, she led the Conception Bay Central U16 Girl’s Fastpitch team to a Gold Medal at the Constable William Moss Memorial Tournament and she was an integral part of the U16 NL Selects Fastpitch team that finished 2nd Place in the St. John’s Ladies Fastpitch League. At the Provincial level, Karlee enjoyed tremendous success and had a Golden Season as her CBC team went 11-1 Overall and captured 2 Gold Medals. At the U16 Girl’s Fastpitch Provincial, she led her team to a perfect 6-0 Overall Record. She went 3-0 on the mound, batted 4th in the line-up, had an outstanding game in her teams opener going 3-for-3, with 3 Runs Scored, 2 Inside-The-Park Home Runs and 5 Runs Batted In and ended the tournament by pitching the win in the Championship Game. At the U16 Girl’s Slo-Pitch Provincial, Karlee and her CBC teammates went 5-1 to capture the tournament title. At the Eastern Canadian level, Karlee was a key member of the U16 Girl’s NL Selects Fastpitch team that represented the Province at the 2017 U16 Eastern Canadian Softball Championship in O’Leary, PEI. She hit 4th in the batting order, logged the most innings pitched and played a utility role when not pitching. Her team finished with a 1-4 Overall Record, but more importantly they were competitive in most of the games and their win came against Ontario, the eventual Bronze Medalists.

Minor Male Player of the Year

MARCUS PITTMAN (FOX HARBOUR)
Marcus enjoyed success on the softball diamond on the Local, Provincial & National levels in 2017. At the Local level, Marcus turned in a dominating performance to lead Placentia to the championship in the U16 Boy’s Division of the Constable William Moss Memorial Tournament. He finished with 4 Wins, 67 Strikeouts and a miniscule 0.53 Earned Run Average. His tournament highlight was a 5-Inning 13K No-Hitter. Marcus was also a member of the CBS Storm team that participated in the Molson St. John’s Intermediate Men’s Fastpitch League. At the Provincial level, Marcus led Placentia to a 2nd Place Finish at the U16 Bantam Boy’s Fastpitch Provincial. He finished the tournament with a 3-1 Pitching Record, 46 Strikeouts, an impressive 0.70 Earned Run Average and finished with a .750 Batting Average on 12 Hits in 16 At Bats. Nationally, Marcus represented the Province at the U16 Boy’s & U18 Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championships. At the U16 Boy’s Nationals, he was the ace of the pitching staff and led his team to a playoff berth. Marcus finished with 2 Wins, 28 Strikeouts, an impressive 2.67 Earned Run Average and a .417 Batting Average. He received 2 Player of the Game Awards at the U16 Nationals and not many people know this, but Marcus gave one of his Player of the GameP Awards to team bat boy Tommy Dyson, a 13-year old from the Cobourg Legion Minor Softball Organization. At the U18 Men’s Nationals, Marcus pitched in very difficult situations and handled each opportunity with poise well beyond his years. He pitched against Ontario 1 (Gold Medalists), Ontario 2 (Silver Medalists) and an extremely scrappy Nova Scotia team. Marcus pitched the Newfoundland Labrador Playoff Game against Ontario 2 and he matched the U19 National Team Ace pitch-for-pitch, but came up just short in a 2-0 loss. Marcus’ pitching line in the game was 5IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 10K. It is worth noting that Marcus’ performance on the mound as a 15-year old was the talk of the U18 Men’s Nationals. Junior Men’s National Team Head Coach Jeff Ellsworth added Marcus to the Tryout Roster for the Junior Men’s National Team Selection Camp.

Junior Female Player of the Year

REBECCA MAHER (PETTY HARBOUR)
Rebecca was a member of the Impact Signs Ladies Fastpitch Team and captain of the NL Women’s Softball Team that competed at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In preparation for the Canada Games event, Team NL competed in several tournaments, including the Ontario Pre-Canada Games tournament in Kitchener, as well as a local U16 Boy’s Invitational and Provincial Tournament. Despite playing through a serious shoulder injury all season, Rebecca’s strong work ethic and experience made her the most valuable player and leader on a team that often struggled against some of the best U21 teams in Canada. At the Pre-Canada Games tournament in Kitchener, Rebecca played 5-games and finished the tournament with a .333 Batting Average (5-for-15). At the Canada Summer Games tournament in Winnipeg, Rebecca played 8-games and finished the tournament with a .313 Batting Average (5-for-16). Defensively, she held her own at first base and at the plate, she lead by example never taking a pitch off and was one of the teams’ top offensive players during the season while batting in the middle of the line-up. Whether she was successful or not, her focus at the plate and commitment to learn from each at bat made her a tough out against any pitcher she faced. Rebecca’s ability to lead by example or say the right things to keep the team focused was instrumental during the 2017 season. As a returning player from the 2013 Canada Summer Games, her previous experience helped her to not only set goals for herself, but also mentor her teammates who were preparing for the greatest sporting event of their lives.

Junior Male Player of the Year

JORDAN POMEROY (PLACENTIA)
Jordan enjoyed a successful season on the softball diamond at the Local, Provincial & National levels in 2017. The most impressive thing about his season was his consistent play throughout the entire year. He was an impact player on all of the teams that he suited up for in 2017. Locally, Jordan played in the Molson St. John’s Senior Men’s Fastpitch League with the Canada Games Team and in the Molson St. John’s Intermediate Men’s Fastpitch League with the U18 Chayee Bourras NL Selects. He finished the Intermediate League Regular Season with a .400 Batting Average (14-for-35) and was named to the All-League Team (Outfield) and in the Playoffs he finished with a .333 Batting Average. He finished the Senior League Regular Season with a .366 Batting Average (15-for-41) and was named Senior League Rookie of the Year at the Leagues Year End Awards Banquet. Provincially, Jordan participated in the Senior & Intermediate Men’s Fastpitch Provincials with his respective clubs. On the National stage, Jordan represented the Province at the U18 Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship in O’Leary, PEI, the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, MB and the Senior Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship in Saskatoon, SK. He finished the U18 Men’s Nationals with a .391 Batting Average (9-for-23), the Canada Games with a .474 Batting Average (18-for-38) and the Senior Men’s Nationals with a .250 Batting Average and 6 Runs Scored and came away with a Silver Medal. Jordan was invited to the 2017 Junior Men’s National Team Selection Camp from August 21-25 in O’Leary, PEI and his performance throughout the year and at the selection camp secured him a spot on the Softball Canada Junior Men’s National Team that will be competing in the 2018 WBSC Junior Men’s Softball World Championship in Prince Albert, SK from July 7-15. At the Softball Canada AGM held in St. John’s, NL in November Jordan was the recipient of the Claude Deschamps Memorial Award. Jordan Pomeroy’s Overall Batting Statistics for the 2017 Season: 69 Games Played, 70 Hits in 186 At Bats for a .376 Batting Average, 56 Runs Scored, 13 Doubles, 1 Triple, 4 Home Runs, 12 Stolen Bases, 16 Walks, 34 Runs Batted In, .976 Fielding Percentage, .426 On Base Percentage and .522 Slugging Percentage.

Adult Coach of the Year

JIM DUNPHY (HOLYROOD)
Jim Dunphy’s coaching resume speaks for itself and that was evident with his induction into the Softball NL Hall of Fame in 2014 in the Builder Category. For some an entry into a Hall of Fame marks the end of a career, but not in Jim’s case, as he has continued to guide his Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs to successful season after successful season and 2017 was definitely a successful season. He guided his team to a 1st Place finish during the Regular Season (16-8 Record), a 1st Place finish during the Senior League Playoffs (7-2 Record) – a record tying 5th consecutive Senior League Playoff Title (2013-2017), a 1st Place finish in the St. John’s Day Tournament (4-0 Record) and a 1st Place finish in the Senior Men’s Fastpitch Provincial (4-0). To guide a team to one championship during a season is an accomplishment, but to capture the Triple Crown of Championships – League, St. John’s Day & Senior Provincial – is extremely impressive. His team played 41 Games and finished with a 31-10 Win-Loss Record and a .756 Winning Percentage. Jim has devoted much of his life to the game of Softball and his 33-years of coaching demonstrates his dedication and passion for the game.

Senior Female Player of the Year

BRITTANY MCCARTHY (PLACENTIA)
Brittany was a member of the Diamonds Ladies Fastpitch Team that participated in the St. John’s Ladies Fastpitch League and a member of the 2017 NL Women’s Softball Team that competed at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Diamonds finished 3rd in the St. John’s Ladies League Playoffs. In preparation for the Canada Games event, Team NL competed in several tournaments, including the Ontario Pre-Canada Games tournament in Kitchener, as well as a local U16 Boy’s Invitational and Provincial Tournament. Additionally, Brittany looked to enhance her skills by joining the very experienced and highly successful Lafontaine Club Intermediate Men’s Team that competed in the St. John’s Intermediate Men’s Fastpitch League, the Swing Into Summer Tournament and the Intermediate Men’s Provincial. On Wednesday, June 21, 2017 Brittany became the first female player to play a complete game in the Intermediate Men’s Fastpitch League when she played the entire game in right-field against CBS Storm. Brittany and her Lafontaine Club teammates captured the Swing into Summer Tournament Championship, the Intermediate League Championship and finished 2nd in the Intermediate Men’s Provincial. Brittany’s strong work ethic and versatility allowed her coaches to count on her in key defensive positions throughout the season. She is described as a hard worker who teammates hold in high regard for her focus and commitment to the game and her team.

Senior Male Player of the Year

SEAN CLEARY (HARBOUR MAIN)
Sean turned in a dominating performance in the pitching circle on the Local and Provincial scene in 2017. He also enjoyed success as a member of Softball Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team at the Bob Law Memorial Challenge and the WBSC XV Men’s World Championship and with the Can-Am Twins, his ISC travel league team, at the ISC World Fastball Tournament. Sean played a key role in the Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs capturing the Triple Crown of Championships in 2017 – Senior League, St. John’s Day Tournament and Senior Provincial. He was named Senior League Regular Season MVP, named to the All-League Team – Pitcher, captured the Triple Crown of Pitching with 9 Wins, 144 Strikeouts & 1.55 Earned Run Average and became the 11th pitcher in Senior League History to record 100 Career Regular Season Wins. Sean won his 5th consecutive Playoff MVP Award, as the Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs captured a record tying 5th consecutive Senior League Championship. He led the Bulldogs to the St. John’s Day Tournament Championship and was named Tournament MVP. Sean led the Bulldogs to the Senior Provincial Crown and was named Tournament MVP. He helped Team Canada capture the Bob Law Memorial Challenge in Vancouver and a Bronze Medal at the WBSC XV Men’s World Championship in Whitehorse, Yukon. At the ISC World Fastball Tournament in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Sean tossed a perfect game and was named 2nd Team All-World Pitcher. Sean Cleary’s Overall Pitching Stats in 2017: 31-6 Win-Loss Record, 245 Innings Pitched, 63 Earned Runs, an impressive 1.80 Earned Run Average, 453 Strikeouts, 8 Shutouts and 1 Perfect Game.

Bob Whelan Memorial Award

DERM CROKE (MARYSVALE)
Derm has been involved with Softball for many years and he has spent countless hours giving back to the game at the Local, Provincial, Eastern Canadian and National Levels. He has been a volunteer and coach from the time he got involved with Conception Bay Central Softball and if that wasn’t enough he made a decision a number of years ago to get involved with the Executive. Word has it that if he had not stepped forward some years ago that the CBC Association would have been on shaky ground and there was a real possibility that it may not have even survived. It is true that Derm is only one member of the CBC Executive, but he has been involved with all aspects of the association from Registration, Scheduling, Hiring Students, Coordinating various levels of House League, Organizing Teams for Tournaments, Communicating with Softball NL, Communicating with Parents and on top of that full-filling his role as Coach for House League and Tournament Play for multiple age groups. Over the years he has held regular training sessions over the winter months for minor players. With all of his commitments to Minor Softball, Derm still found the time to preside over the CBC Men’s Fastpitch League in Avondale. He was instrumental in bringing Men’s Fastpitch back to the Conception Bay Central area and the League completed its 7th season in 2017. Ask anyone involved with that League and most, if not all, will agree that without Derm the CBC Men’s Fastpitch League would not exist. He is the heart and soul of the CBC Men’s League, from playing to coaching to executive duties and the enormous amount of time that he has put into the League can be directly contributed to the League success. If that wasn’t enough, he sponsors the Marysvale entry in the League. As well, he was the driving force behind a team from his League competing in the Intermediate Men’s Provincial. The contributions that Derm has made have stabilized and excelled the CBC Minor Softball Association and brought life back to Adult Fastpitch in CBC. His contributions to the CBC Minor Softball Association and the CBC Men’s Fastpitch League are both Outstanding & Significant and his overall contributions will have a positive impact on Softball in the Province for years to come.

Bob Whelan Memorial Award

Bob Whelan Passed away peacefully and suddenly on Friday, October 30, 2009. Softball NL introduced the Bob Whelan Memorial Award at the 2009 Softball NL Annual General Meeting. Bob contributed so much to the game as a Builder for more than 25-Years. He served on the Softball NL Executive for four years: Junior Chairman (1964), Treasurer (1965), Eastern Vice President (1969-1970), was named Male Executive of the Year (1964), was named a Life-Member of Softball NL (1971) and was inducted into the Softball NL Hall of Fame in the Builder Category (1976). Bob provided valuable and vast contributions to the softball community at large and softball youth in particular. Strictly on a volunteer basis he devoted tremendous amounts of time to benefit other people. During the 1960’s, 1970’s and into the 1980’s it was Bob Whelan’s leadership that made it possible for hundreds and hundreds of young people from the Kilbride area of St. John’s to enjoy and benefit from a full summer recreation program, especially a minor softball program. The Bob Whelan Memorial Award is presented to a member of the Softball NL membership who has made an Outstanding & Significant Contribution To Softball.

Cheers,
Gerald
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