Softballers Among Finalists – SportNL 2024 Annual Provincial Awards
Softball NL is pleased to announce that Colin Walsh (Senior Male), Loyola Power (Male Coach), Galway Hitmen (Senior Male Team), NL1 U15 Selects (Youth Male Team) and Sean Cadigan (Executive) have been named Finalists for the SportNL 2024 Annual Provincial Awards.
Colin Walsh has been named a Finalist for the Senior Male Athlete of the Year Award. The winner will be presented with the Ferd Hayward Memorial Award.
Colin Walsh had a successful year in 2024, achieving notable accomplishments at the local, provincial, and national levels in softball. At the local level, he led 3 Cheers Pub Miller Lite to championships in both the Regular Season (17-5 record) and Playoffs (6-0 record) of the St. John’s Senior Men’s Fastpitch League. He earned awards for Pitching Wins (10), Most Strikeouts (154), All-League Team selection (Pitcher), and Player of the Month honors (August and September). On the provincial level, Colin was named Tournament MVP as he guided 3 Cheers Pub Miller Lite to the Senior Men’s Fastpitch Provincial Championship (4-0 record). At the national level, he helped NL1 Galway Hitmen win Gold at the Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship (9-0 record) and was named Top Player of the Championship Round. In December 2024, Colin was named to the Softball Canada 2025 Men’s National Team Athlete Pool.
Loyola Power has been named a Finalist for the Male Coach of the Year Award. The winner will be presented with the John Drinkwater Memorial Award.
Loyola Power had a successful 2024 season in softball, leading 3 Cheers Pub Miller Lite to first-place finishes in both the St. John’s Senior Men’s Fastpitch League Regular Season (17-5 record) and Playoffs (6-0 record). His team earned 17 awards, including 6 All-Star Selections, 5 Statistical Awards, 2 MVP Awards, 3 Player of the Month Awards, and 1 Top Batter Award. At the Provincial level, Loyola guided the team to a 4-0 record and the Senior Men’s Fastpitch Provincial Championship. On the national stage, he led NL Murno Mariners to a gold medal at the 2024 U23 Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship in Kitchener, ON, with a 6-2 record. His athletes earned two awards: Top Player of the Championship Round and All-Star Team Selection (Utility).
Galway Hitmen has been named a Finalist for the Senior Male Team of the Year Award. The winner will be presented with the Edward P. Browne Memorial Award.
The Galway Hitmen clinched the 2024 Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship in Saskatoon, finishing with a perfect 9-0 record and outscoring opponents 77-17. The team posted an impressive .339 batting average (87-for-257) and a 2.10 earned run average (15 earned runs in 50 innings pitched). Individually, Brad Ezekiel earned MVP honors in the preliminary round, while Colin Walsh was named MVP in the championship round. Three players earned All-Star selections: Blair Ezekiel (Infielder), Nick Shailes (Infielder), and Jordan Pomeroy (Outfielder). This victory marked the Galway Hitmen’s 9th Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship title.
NL1 U15 Selects has been named a Finalist for the Youth Male Team of the Year Award.
The NL1 U15 Selects Softball Team earned a Bronze Medal at the 2024 U15 Male Canadian Fastpitch Championship in St-Leonard-d’Aston, QC. The team finished the 11-team tournament with a 5-5 record. They posted a .242 batting average (80-for-330) and a 4.10 earned run average (41 earned runs in 70 innings pitched). As the 8th seed, the team made a playoff run, winning three straight games before falling in the semi-final. While no individual awards were given, the team prioritized collective success. Their performance was a strong showing, and the future of softball looks promising for this group.
Sean Cadigan has been named a Finalist for the Executive of the Year Award. The winner will be presented with the Graham Snow Memorial Award.
Sean Cadigan has been involved in Minor Softball for the past eight years (2017-2024). He contributes to grassroots development through the Timbits Program and his work with Timbits Softball with Softball Canada. In 2024, Softball NL Minor Membership Registration reached 3,318 (1,957 males, 1,361 females), with the highest female registration in eight years. In addition to his role as Minor Director, Sean serves on the Softball NL Coaching Committee, Finance Committee, High Performance Program Committee, Host Committees for National and Eastern Canadian Championships, and the Performance Plan Project Sport Excellence Committee. He also coaches at the Minor level, winning a Gold Medal at the U15 Female Fastpitch Provincial with Outer Cove, a Silver Medal at the NL Summer Games with St. John’s North (Outer Cove), and represented the province at the U15 Female Canadian Fastpitch Championship with the U15 Female NL Selects.
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Softball NL Would Like To Take This Opportunity To Congratulate Softballers Colin Walsh (Senior Male), Loyola Power (Male Coach), Galway Hitmen (Senior Male Team), NL1 U15 Selects (Youth Male Team) And Sean Cadigan (Executive) On Being Named Finalists For The SportNL 2024 Annual Provincial Awards!
Congratulations Colin, Loyola, Galway Hitmen, NL1 U15 Selects And Sean!
