2015 Softball NL Award Winners
The following 2015 Softball NL Awards were presented at the 2016 Softball NL Annual General Meeting held on Saturday, April 30th at Mount Pearl Senior High School in Mount Pearl.
2015 Umpire of the Year
Len King (St. John’s, NL)
2015 Coach of the Year
Mark Dwyer (Torbay, NL)
2015 Minor Female Player of the Year
Reagan Myers (Chapel’s Cove, NL)
2015 Minor Male Player of the Year
Mark Stack (Petty Harbour, NL)
2015 Junior Female Player of the Year
Kaitlyn Harris (St. John’s, NL)
2015 Junior Male Player of the Year
Mitch Stack (Petty Harbour, NL)
2015 Senior Female Player of the Year
Coolene Brake (Corner Brook, NL)
2015 Senior Male Player of the Year
Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, NL)
2015 Bob Whelan Memorial Award
David Kennedy (Carbonear, NL)
Softball NL would like to Congratulate All of the 2015 Award Winners!
Congratulations!
Softball NL 2015 Award Winners Bios
2015 Umpire of the Year Award
Len King (St. John’s, NL)
Len King can certainly be referred to as a man of principle. A number of years ago when he was selected to umpire a National Tournament he was told that he would have to shave off his beard. As he didn’t feel that his beard would impair his judgment on the field, he refused to do so and was subsequently taken off the Umpire Roster. Needless to say word of this situation spread and it was carried in a newspaper article of the day. Since that time the requirement to be clean shaven has been removed, probably due in large part to his stance on the subject.
While away from the Province for a number of years due to work commitments he also put his umpiring career on hold. When he returned home again approximately five years ago, he resumed his umpiring career. He has been involved in most Minor and Adult Provincial tournaments, the Constable William Moss Memorial Tournament, and is a fixture at Lion’s Park in both the Intermediate and Senior Leagues.
In 2015, Len umpired at the U21 Ladies Nationals in Prince Edward Island, the Constable William Moss Memorial tournament, both Minor and Adult Provincial tournaments, the Intermediate Men’s and Senior Men’s leagues and the Ladies league.
He was responsible for conducting umpiring clinics and also looked after most of the affairs of the Provincial Umpires Association.
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2015 Coach of the Year
Mark Dwyer (Torbay, NL)
Mark coached the following teams in 2015
-NTV Hitmen (Senior League)
-Galway Hitmen (Senior Nationals)
Mark Dwyer had a solid 24-Year (1987-2001 & 2003-2011) playing career in the St. John’s Senior Men’s Fastpitch League.
Senior League Awards
1 Batting Title (2007)
1 Comeback Player of the Year Award (1997)
3 Golden Glove Awards (2003, 2005 & 2007)
4 All-Star Selections (1999, 2004, 2006 & 2007)
As a player he represented Newfoundland Labrador at two Canadian Senior Men’s Fastpitch Championships in 2004-Labatt Grumpy Stump & 2007-Impact Signs.
Mark’s passion for the game didn’t end after his playing days as he jumped right into coaching in 2012. It is clearly evident that the competitiveness and passion he displayed as a player has carried over into coaching.
Has coached in the St. John’s Senior Men’s Fastpitch League the last 4-seasons (2012-2015) and in that short time has coached two Newfoundland Labrador teams at the Canadian Senior Men’s Fastpitch Championship; winning two medals: Bronze in 2012 with ICA Mark’s Hitmen and Gold in 2015 with Galway Hitmen.
On the local diamond in 2015, Mark coached the NTV Hitmen Senior Men’s Fastpitch team to a 14-9 Regular Season Record (3rd Place), a 6-5 Playoff Record (2nd Place, a tough 7-game series against the Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs) and a 1-2 Provincial Record (3rd Place).
At the 2015 Senior Men’s Nationals, he (along with his coaching staff) guided the Galway Hitmen (7-1) to the Provinces 4th Consecutive Canadian Senior Men’s Fastpitch Crown.
In The History Of The Canadian Senior Men’s Fastpitch Championship (1965-2015) There Have Only Been Two Provinces (BC 1975-1978 & NL 2012-2015) That Have Captured 4 Consecutive Canadian Senior Men’s Fastpitch Championships.
Mark was one of eight nominees for the 2015 Sport NL Coach of the Year Award and was named a Finalist for the Sport NL 2015 Coach of the Year Award.
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2015 Minor Female Player of the Year
Reagan Myers (Chapel’s Cove, NL)
Reagan was a member of the following teams in 2015
-CBC U16 Girl’s (Moss Tournament & U16 Girl’s Provincial)
-Marina Shore NL Selects (U16 Girl’s Eastern Canadian)
-Impact Signs (Ladies League & Ladies Provincial)
In Local play, Reagan helped her CBC team capture the U16 Bantam Girl’s Division of the Constable William Moss Memorial Tournament. Her team finished the tournament with a perfect 5-0 Record. On the mound, she went 4-0, with a 0.00 Earned Run Average and 38 Strikeouts in 19 Innings. At the plate, she went 9-for-13 for a .692 Batting Average.
She played her first season in the Ladies Fastpitch League, helping Impact Signs capture both the Regular Season and League Titles. In the playoffs, she went 2-0, with a 0.00 Earned Run Average and 21 Strikeouts in 13 Innings. Was named the Ladies Fastpitch League Rookie of the Year, named Most Outstanding Player for Impact Signs and was named Playoff Most Valuable Player.
In Provincial play, Reagan helped her CBC team capture the U16 Bantam Girl’s Fastpitch Provincial Championship. On the mound, she went 6-0, with a 1.17 Earned Run Average and 51 Strikeouts in 30 Innings. At the plate, she went 10-for-16 for a .625 Batting Average.
She helped her Impact Signs Ladies team capture the Ladies Fastpitch Provincial Crown. On the mound, she went 3-1, with a 3.77 Earned Run Average and 37 Strikeouts in 26 Innings. For her efforts, she was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player.
At the U16 Girl’s Eastern Canadian Softball Championship in Iberville, QC; Reagan helped the Marina Shores NL Selects to a 5th Place Finish (2-3 Record). It was one of the stronger showings in years for NL at a female Eastern Canadian Softball Championship. The team came to within 1-out of making it to the Semi-Final losing 3-2 to eventual finalist Cole Harbour Comets in 9-Innings. She contributed on the mound, at the plate and in the field. On the mound, she finished the tournament with a 2-3 Record, an impressive 1.31 Earned Run Average and 39 Strikeouts in 32 Innings. At the plate, she went 6-for-17 for a .353 Batting Average.
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2015 Minor Male Player of the Year
Mark Stack (Petty Harbour, NL)
Mark Stack Played At The Local, Provincial & National Levels In 2015.
Mark was a member of the following teams in 2015
-Goulds U16 Boy’s Team (U16 Boy’s Provincial)
-Eastbound Speedway Selects (U16 Boy’s Nationals & Eastern Canadian)
-Rob Roy (Intermediate League)
-Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs (Sr. League & Provincial)
Mark can be described as a quiet individual, but his drive and determination for the game is fearless and he would play softball 12 months of the year if afforded the opportunity. His willingness to listen, learn and jump into the line-up are clearly evident by his actions both on and off the field.
Locally, he played with the Rob Roy Intermediate Men’s Fastpitch team during the Regular Season, Swing Into Summer and Playoffs. He finished the Regular Season with a .231 Batting Average.
At the Senior level, Mark was a member of the League and Provincial Champion Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs.
Senior League Career 1st (Regular Season)
1st Career Senior League Game
Tuesday, June 9th (3-2 Win vs. Dance Academy Dodgers)
Entered The Game As Pinch-Runner In Bottom of the 6th
1st Career Senior League At Bat
Thursday, June 11th (13-11 Win vs. KPJC in 8-Innings)
Flied Out to CF in the Top of the 5th
1st Career Senior League Hit
Tuesday, September 1st (13-6 Loss vs. NTV Hitmen in 5-Innings)
2-Out 3B to RF in the Top of the 2nd
1st Career Senior League Triple
Tuesday, September 1st (13-6 Loss vs. NTV Hitmen in 5-Innings)
2-Out 3B to RF in the Top of the 2nd
1st Career Senior League Run
Tuesday, September 1st (13-6 Loss vs. NTV Hitmen in 5-Innings)
Scored On Daniel Dalton 2-out 1B to CF in the Top of the 2nd
In Provincial play, he was a member of the Goulds U16 Bantam Boy’s Fastpitch team that finished in 2nd Place (Silver Medal) and was a member of the Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs Senior Men’s Fastpitch team that captured the Senior Men’s Provincial Crown.
Mark had a whirl-wind schedule in August playing in three tournaments from August 5th to August 30th.
U16 Bantam Boy’s Nationals from August 5-9 in Prince Albert, SK
U18 Men’s Nationals from August 10-16 in Fredericton, NB
U16 Bantam Boy’s Eastern Canadian from August 27-30 in St. Croix, NS.
At the U16 Bantam Boy’s Nationals, he helped his team to a 4th Place finish and finished the tournament with a .357 Batting Average.
At the U16 Bantam Boy’s Eastern Canadian Championship, Mark helped his team to a 5th Place finish.
At the U18 Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship, he finished with a .200 Batting Average.
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2015 Junior Female Player of the Year
Kaitlyn Harris (St. John’s, NL)
Kaitlyn was a member of the following teams in 2015
-Diamonds (Ladies Provincial)
-NL Selects U21 Women’s (U21 Women’s Nationals)
Kaitlyn is described as a highly versatile player. Her hard work and dedication had a positive impact on the dynamics of every team she played for in 2015. She is goal-oriented and willing to put in extra work to improve on areas of her game that need attention. Her work ethic rubbed off on many of her teammates who admire her dedication to individual and team performance.
Provincially, she helped her Diamonds team to a 2nd Place (Silver Medal) finish at the 2015 Softball NL Coors Light Ladies Provincial Championship. At the plate, she finished the tournament 6-for-14 for a .429 Batting Average, with 6 Runs Scored, hit 1 Home Run and collected 5 Runs Batted In. On the mound, she finished the tournament with a 2-0 Record, a 3.82 Earned Run Average and 14 Strikeouts.
At the U21 Women’s Canadian Championships, Kaitlyn played numerous positions (Pitcher, Outfield, Infield & Designated Player) and led her team in batting with a .357 Batting Average.
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2015 Junior Male Player of the Year
Mitch Stack (Petty Harbour, NL)
Mitch Stack Played At The Local, Provincial & National Levels In 2015.
Mitch was a member of the following teams in 2015
-Rob Roy (Intermediate League, Swing into Summer & Provincial)
-Dance Academy Dodgers (Senior League)
-U18 Goulds (U18 Men’s Provincial)
-U18 NL Selects (U18 Men’s Nationals)
In Local Play, Mitch was a member of the Rob Roy Intermediate Men’s Fastpitch team. He finished the season with a .319 Batting Average and was a finalist for the All-Star Team Selection (Infield) and helped his Rob Roy team to a 3rd Place finish in the Swing Into Summer Tournament.
As an U18 player, he played 13 games overall with the Dance Academy Dodgers and finished with a stellar .969 Fielding Percentage.
In Provincial play, Mitch helped the Goulds U18 Men’s team to a 2nd Place (Silver Medal) finish at the U18 Men’s Fastpitch Provincial and led his Rob Roy team in Hits, At Bats, Batting Average, Runs, Triples, Home Runs, Runs Batted In and Slugging Percentage at the Intermediate Men’s Fastpitch Provincial Tournament.
At the National level, he was a member of the U18 NL Selects that participated in the U18 Canadian Men’s Fastpitch Championship. Was named to the Tournament All-Star Team (SS) and finished the tournament with a .286 Batting Average and a .968 Fielding Percentage.
Mitch was 1 of 24 players from across Canada that was invited to attend the 2015 Junior Men’s National Team Development Camp that was held from August 17-20 in Fredericton, NB.
Was named to the 2016 Softball Canada Junior Men’s National Team Athlete Pool (December).
Mitch was 1 of 11 Nominees for the 2015 Provincial Annual Awards (Sport NL) Junior Male Athlete of the Year Award.
Overall Batting Stats for the 2015 Season
Batting Stats: 26-for-87 .299BA, 20R, 1D, 3T, 3HR, 1SB, 8BB, 8RBI
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2015 Senior Female Player of the Year
Coolene Brake (Corner Brook, NL)
Coolene was a member of the following teams in 2015
-Whelan’s Gate Gators (Corner Brook Ladies League & Ladies Provincials)
Coolene is described as an all-around player and a fierce competitor with the skill and ability to play any position on the field with success.
She is an admired player and considered a pillar in the Corner Brook Ladies Fastpitch League and exemplifies sportsmanship and leadership on her team, as well as the League. She is a team player who regularly attends practices and helps assist new players with skill development.
Off the field, Coolene volunteers her time on the League Executive as the Treasurer and organizes fundraising activities for the League. She is always ready to help out the League in any way needed.
In Regular Season play, she proved to be an asset on the mound and had an outstanding year at the plate. She finished the season with 35 Hits in 43 At Bats for an .814 Batting Average, smacked 12 Doubles, legged out 2 Triples, cracked 1 Home Run and finished with 28 Runs Batted In.
In Playoff action, Coolene was instrumental in leading her team to the League Championship. With her team down 2-0 in the Best-of-5 Semi-Final, she led her team to three straight wins to advance to the Final. She was the driving force behind her teams four-game sweep of the Best-of-7 Final. In the first two games of the League Final she went 9-for-9, with 7 Runs Scored and 4 RBI and pitched the wins and she also pitched the win in the series clinching game. For her efforts, she was named Playoff Most Valuable Player.
In Provincial play, she played strong defensively and continued to produce at the plate. She finished the tournament with 5 Hits in 11 At Bats for a .455 Batting Average, had 4 Runs Scored, 3 Stolen Bases and 5 RBI.
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2015 Senior Male Player of the Year
Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, NL)
Sean Cleary Enjoyed A Golden Year On The Softball Diamond & In The Pitching Circle At The Local, Provincial, National & International Levels in 2015.
Sean was a member of the following teams in 2015
-Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs (Senior League & Provincial)
-Galway Hitmen (Senior Men’s Nationals)
-Team Canada (WBSC World Championship & Pan American Championship)
-Toronto Gators (ISC & Travel League)
In League play, Sean helped his Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs team to a 1st Place Regular Season finish and led his team to their 3rd straight Senior Softball League Playoff Crown. He finished the Regular Season with the Lowest Earned Run Average (1.48) and was named Senior League Playoff Most Valuable Player.
In Provincial play, he turned in a dominating performance, being named tournament Most Valuable Player and tournament Top Batter, as his Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs went a perfect 4-0 to capture their 3rd straight Senior Provincial Crown.
At the 2015 Canadian Senior Men’s Fastpitch Championship, Sean was instrumental in Galway Hitmen capturing the provinces 4th straight Senior Men’s National Crown. He went a perfect 3-0 in the playoffs, with a miniscule 0.70 earned run average and 40 strikeouts in 20-Innings. For his efforts, he was named Playoff Most Valuable Player for the 2nd straight year.
Was a member of the Softball Canada Senior Men’s National Team that captured the Gold Medal at the WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship in Saskatoon, SK and the Gold Medal at the Pan American Games in Ajax, ON. On the mound, he went a combined 9-0, 62IP, 18ER, 2.03ERA & 87K.
Sean toed the rubber for the Toronto Gators in the ISC World Tournament and ISC Travel League. His club finished 2nd Place at the ISC World Tournament and he was named to the 2nd Team All-World (Pitcher) and his team captured the Ed McCormick Tournament Crown and finished 4th Place at the Cephas Roth Memorial Tournament. In 68.1 Innings of work, he finished with a 7-4 Overall Record, a 1.95 Earned Run Average, 126 strikeouts, 1 No-Hitter and 1-Perfect Game.
Other 2015 Awards & Accomplishments
Molson/Coors St. John’s Senior Men’s League Player of the Month (August)
Molson/Coors Athlete of the Month (September)
Telegram Athlete of the Week (September 5th & 26th)
Named to 2016 Softball Canada Men’s National Team Athlete Pool (December)
Named 2015 St. John’s Molson-Coors Male Athlete of the Year (February)
Named 2015 Sport NL Senior Male Athlete of the Year (April)
Overall Pitching Stats and Batting Stats for the 2015 Season
Pitching: 34-10, 285IP, 88R, 2.16ERA, 509K, 8SHO, 1NH, 1 Perfect Game
Batting: 22-65 .338BA, 6HR, 20RBI
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2015 Bob Whelan Memorial Award Recipient
David Kennedy (Carbonear, NL)
David Kennedy’s softball involvement dates back to the mid 1980’s when he first started playing softball as a teenager in the Carbonear Men’s Fastpitch League.
After Carbonear won the championship at the 1992 NL Summer Games, he was one of a core group of Midget and Junior aged players who got together and formed a team which joined the St. John’s Junior League in 1995.
After graduating from Junior, David continued on as a coach of the team. When the Intermediate League replaced the Junior League in 2005 he became a player/coach. Those familiar with the game, particularly his teammates, will attest to the fact that he is the main reason the team continues to exist.
For quite a number of years Junior and Intermediate teams traveled to Carbonear to play in their home games. David organized all of these games and it wasn’t uncommon to arrive at the field to see him raking the infield and doing other preparations for the game. There was one particular game when he organized both teams to clear away bales of grass that were left on the outfield by the field workers so the game could be played.
He was the main organizer of the Carbonear league in the 1990’s and continued on until the league folded in 2002.
David coached both the Bantam and Midget teams that participated in that league as well as the Provincial Bantam and Midget Championships. His Midget team won the Silver Medal at the 1999 Provincials in C.B.S.
He has been a driving force behind a Carbonear based squad that has participated in 6 Eastern Canadian Championships of which two were hosted in Carbonear. He was also one of the organizers who entered teams from Carbonear in the Provincial Senior tournaments for a number of years.
His team won the Intermediate Eastern Canadian “C”Championship when they hosted the tournament in 2009.
His team won the Intermediate League Championship in 2013.
In an effort to keep the game of softball alive, David, along with Chris Doran and David Doran, formed the Carbonear Minor Softball Association in 2008.
The Association started with the under 10 age group and it concentrated on fundamental skills and fair play with an emphasis on the love of the sport being more important than winning. Each year since that, the Association attracts more than one hundred participants in a region with a small population base and many other sports and community programs.
In their third year of operation Carbonear Minor began participating in Provincial tournaments in the Mite, Squirt, and Pee-Wee divisions and has continued ever since.
As a means to ensure that players are given every opportunity to participate, David and his group of volunteers regularly send multiple teams to the Mite Ballistic Tournament, the Squirt slo-pitch tournament, and last season sent two teams to the Pee-Wee division.
As the players progressed, Fastpitch was introduced with an emphasis on skill development. A Squirt team was entered into the 2014 and 2015 Provincials and in 2015 they competed in their first ever Moss Tournament winning the Squirt title.
His U12 team competed in their first ever Atlantic Cup Challenge in 2014 where they placed 3rd Overall. In 2015, his U12 team won the tournament at C.B.S. that replaced the Atlantic Cup Challenge.
Not one to take credit for his efforts, David credits the success of the Carbonear Minor Association to the fact that they have been able to attract great volunteers who regularly help with games, practices and coaching in various tournaments in which they participate. He heaps great praise on people such as Charlie Deering, Nic Saunders, Paul Underhay and the many other volunteers who have made the organization what it is today.
Anybody who has ever attended a Provincial Tournament in Carbonear, and they have hosted many over the last number of years, will attest to the fact that the organizational efforts of the Carbonear Minor Softball Association, led by David Kennedy, are second to none.
