Softball brought Noreen Murphy to Saskatoon in 1980 and she has made Saskatchewan her home ever since. Murphy was recruited to join the women’s national softball champions, the Saskatoon Harmony Centre team, after her Toronto team played them in 1978 Read more →
Jacki Nichol is no stranger to championships. With 14 provincial softball titles to her name, Nichol accomplished more in her home province than most people do in the entire world. Fortunately, she didn’t let the Saskatchewan borders stop her. Nichol Read more →
Photo Credit: Cindy Moleski Photography Donna Veale was a fierce competitor who always understood the value of hard work. After graduation from Yorkton Regional High School, she enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan as a member of the Huskiette basketball Read more →
In 1927, Kenneth “Ken” More’s sport involvement flourished and he began coaching softball at a local level. Following this, Ken turned his energies to executive duties. In 1949, he was president of the Saskatchewan and the Western Canada Softball Associations. Read more →
Accomplishments: Canadian Junior Men’s Softball Champions, 1989. This Melfort team had been put together in the early eighties and experienced some great successes, winning the provincial championship in bantam competition in 1984, midget in 1985 and 1986, and the junior Read more →
Accomplishments: Canadian Junior Men’s Fastball Champions, 1978. In 1975, under head coach Bill Gautschi and Team Managers Laura and Cec Thompson, a core group of Saskatoon Imperial 400 players focused on capturing a Canadian fastball championship. Three years later they Read more →
Accomplishments: Softball Gold Medallists, Jeux Canada Games, 1973. In 1972, a group of young female softball players came together under the guidance of Frank O’Donnell and Andy Messner and achieved immediate success by winning the Women’s Division II Championship in Read more →
Accomplishments: Canadian Men’s Fastball Champions, 1972. The Weyburn Canadians were part of the Inter-city Softball League consisting of five teams from Regina, Moose Jaw and Weyburn. The competition was well-balanced in the league and well supported by the fans. It Read more →
Accomplishments: Canadian Senior Women’s Fastball Champions, 1970. Coming off a great season in 1969, the Imperials were focused on winning another national title with new coach Gil Strumm. At the national championships, the Imperials faced an undefeated Calgary Timac in Read more →
Accomplishments: Canadian Senior Men’s Fastball Champions, 1969. The lead paragraph appearing in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix on June 9th, 1969 stated, “It could be the year of the Merchants” – and it was! From humble beginnings of indoor workouts in an Read more →
Accomplishments: Canadian Senior Women’s Fastball Champions, 1969. In 1967 the Saskatoon Imperials moved up to the Senior “A” division. Coach and Manager who formed the team, Gail Hopkins, stepped back from coaching and brought in Bob Stayner as coach. It Read more →
Saskatoon’s Bob Van Impe has had a long-standing association with the sport of softball in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and the world. His initial involvement was as a recreational player during World War II with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Following Read more →
While Gil Strumm enjoyed a successful playing career as a centre fielder, spanning twenty-two years playing with Saskatoon, Regina and Swift Current ball teams, it was his ability and record as a coach that will long be remembered. Gil started Read more →
Brenda Staniforth began her softball career in 1969 as an outfielder with the Lashburn Bluebirds. She played on teams that competed in the Canadian Softball Championships every year from 1974 to 1987. Brenda pitched and played outfield for the 1978 Read more →
Darlene Solie was born in Saskatoon, spent time in Sedley and then was raised in Regina. She played her minor softball with the St. Patrick’s Redwings, O’Neill High School, and in the Regina Northside Girls Softball League. She led her Read more →