SNL 2010 Award Winners

Softball Newfoundland and Labrador honoured its best for 2010 at the recent Annual General Meeting that was held on Saturday, March 5th, 2011 at Holy Cross Elementary on St. Clare Avenue in St. John’s.

Senior (Male) Player of the Year: Brad Ezekiel

There wasn’t much Ezekiel didn’t do in 2010. As the starter for both the Kelly’s Pub Junior Canadians and 3Cheers Pub Bud Light teams, Ezekiel was named All-Star Outfielder at both the Canadian Junior and Senior Men’s Championships. Locally, he led the St. John’s Molson Senior Men’s Fastpitch League in Batting with a .451 average and home runs with seven. He won the Sportsmanship and Ability Award.

In Senior Provincial play, he was the Top Batter in the All Newfoundland Championship with a .545 average. In the Intermediate Provincials, Ezekiel was the Top Batter with a .667 average and led the local Intermediate League with five home runs.

Ezekiel was also selected to attend Team Canada Identification Camp.

Senior (Female) Player of the Year: Stefanie Walsh

Walsh pitched for the St. John’s Coors Light Ladies Fastpitch Champions and was one of the Top Hitters in the League. She pitched for Placentia in the Provincial Ladies Championship and was the MVP leading her club to the All Newfoundland Championship. She also pitched for Placentia in the Eastern Canadian Tournament in P.E.I.

Minor (Male) Player of the Year: Shane Boland

Boland starred at every level of play he played despite being just 19. He helped Newfoundland to a fourth-place finish at the Canadian Midget Nationals where he was named All-Star Shortstop with a Batting Average of .611. He was MVP and Top Batter at the Provincial Midget and Intermediate Championships and helped Goulds win the Provincial Midget title and West Side Charlies capture the Provincial Senior crown.

Boland has played Senior Softball since he was 16 and represented the Province this year at the Senior Men’s Nationals, where he played every inning for West Side Charlies at the shortstop position.

Minor (Female) Player of the Year: Amy Corbett

The Chapel’s Cove native was a key member of the Newfoundland Selects program last year. In her final year of Midget play, Corbett led the club to an eighth-place finish at the Montreal International Challenge, making the Tournament All-Star Team. Despite still being midget-aged, Corbett also played in the Coors Light St. John’s Ladies Fastpitch League, registering a 9-3-1 pitching record for first-place Impact Signs. Because of her numbers, Corbett was Named her team’s Most Outstanding Player.

Senior Executive of the Year: Kathy Lukeman

Lukeman has been President of the Corner Brook Ladies’ Softball League for the past number of years, and has also served as Secretary and Vice-President. Playing since she was nine, Lukeman was instrumental in bringing the Provincial Senior Women’s Championship to Corner Brook last summer.

Minor Executive of the Year: Sandra Parsons

“Without Sandra Parsons there would be no Softball in Bay Roberts” according to Softball Newfoundland and Labrador Hall-of-Famer Glenn Littlejohn.

Umpire of the Year: Floyd “Bud” Sullivan

Sullivan umpires games in both the Corner Brook Men’s Leagues, as well as the Women’s Fastpitch League. Sullivan began umpiring more than 20-years ago and is a registered Level IV umpire by Softball Canada. He has participated in five National Championships.

Rookie Umpire of the Year: Bryan Clarke
(Home Run Sports)

One of the better active ball players in the Province, Clarke has displayed the same dedication to umpiring as he does playing the game. His knowledge of the game has certainly helped him make the transition to umpiring.

Bob Whelan Memorial Award: Sherry Maher

Maher serves on the Provincial Softball Executive as Minor Director, is involved with the Constable William Moss Memorial Minor Tournament and was instrumental in the success of two teams at National Championships last summer.

She served as manager for the Newfoundland Midgets and West Side Charlies Senior Men’s team. In that role, she was instrumental in fundraising enough to get both teams to Canadian Championships.

In addition, she ran skills clinics over the winter that were offered to young players. She has made countless trips to smaller centers over the summer continuing with these clinics and used her holiday time to run the Provincial Softball Office voluntarily throughout the summer.

Softball Newfoundland and Labrador would like to Congratulate all of the 2010 Award Winners!