Northeastern Saskatchewan Baseball League

Northeastern Saskatchewan Baseball League Champions

 
1930  Hyas  
1931 Stenen  
1932 Stenen  
1933 Stenen  
1934 Stenen  
1935 Canora  
1936 Hyas  
1937 Stenen  
1938 Canora  
1939 Hyas  
1940-1945 No League  
1946 Canora  
1947 Canora  
1948 Preeceville  
1949 Stenen  
1950 Pelly  
1951 Preeceville / Donwell  
1952 Donwell  
1953 Donwell  
1954 Preeceville  
1955 Canora  
1956 Stenen  
1957 No League  
1958 Stenen  
1959 Stenen  
1960 Stenen  
1961 Stenen  
1962 Stenen  
1963 Stenen  
1964 Stenen  
1965-1972 No League  
1973 Preeceville  
1974 Stenen  
1975 Stenen  
     

 

The tiny community of Stenen (population 152 in 2002) was quite a power in local baseball as a member of the Northeastern Saskatchewan Baseball League. 

The club won four straight championships in the early 30s, then eight consecutive titles starting in 1956 before winning two more in the 70s.

NE Saskatchewan League map

Gust KorolulThe circuit was based on communities along the old CNR lines in the eastern part of the province. 

There were 31 seasons of baseball from 1930 to 1975 and Stenen captured 16 titles. Canora  took five and Preeceville four.

Gust Koroluk (left), who suited for his last season at age 49,  was one of the most prominent of the local stars winning a spot in the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame.  Koroluk was inducted in 1994.  The team itself won a berth the following season.

Koroluk was a key player on Stenen clubs which won 10 NESBL titles from 1956 to 1975.  He captured another in 1965 with Preeceville.  

We are indebted to Gust's son Bob Koroluk for his work in compiling a history of the NESBL. 

Koroluk 1994(Right : Gust Koroluk in a 1994 photo displaying NESBL championship trophy, championship crests, Stenen uniform)

Stenen's most impressive run -- eight straight titles -- began in 1956.  The team had a 19-game winning streak that season and captured first prize money in tournaments at Hudson Bay, Preeceville, Canora, Stenen and Swan River. The club finished in the money in the tournaments at Pelly, Preeceville and Sturgis.  

Harry KrotenkoBob's research identified the following as the nucleus of the club during the record-setting run :

Isaac Kurulock, Gust Koroluk, Mike Doroschuk, Walter Zubko, Dan Bazanski, Robert Washburn, Russell Vodden, Alexander Fedorchuk, Harry Krotenko (left), George Bellows, Mervin Secundiak

Some of the others who made an impact during various seasons :

Buck McGergle, Danny Secundiak, Stanley Bromwell, Don Kachman, Eddie Pelechaty, Adrian Sunduk, Alexander Kurulok, Greg Kurulok, Leon Fiala, Ron Steranko , Steven Steranko, Alex Surcon, Ron Tanton Detrolit Giants

1933 ad on the front page of the August 3rd Canora Courier announcing an exhibition double-header between the Detroit Colored Giants and the NE Saskatchewan All-Stars. 


There was so much interest in 1950 that the league had three divisions to accommodate thirteen teams!

No ringers allowed!  The NESBL Constitution made it clear the circuit would be a local loop without pay-for-play imports.  Section 13a :

No player shall either directly or indirectly receive any pay for playing in a league game.

Rain (or snow) might be a reason to postpone a game but not cold or wind.  Section 18a :

No league game shall be postponed by reason of cold or wind ...

And, in keeping with the times, the constitution had a section on impassable roads.  The rule stated that teams had to call by noon on game day to inform they couldn't make the trip because of road conditions.


(July 28,1933)  Stenen won its third straight NESBL title winning a four-team tournament played at Hyas. The top four teams of the eight team loop staged a final playoff to decide the winner of the Morken Cup. Stenen defeated Pelly in the first game and Buchanan followed with a victory over Hyas.

" ...  The final game in the evening was of exceptional interest. Stenen, winners of first money at Yorkton tournament and second money at Melville against a team plugged from Winnipeg and Russell, won from Buchanan 12-2. After the conclusion of the final game, the Cup was formally presented to the Stenen team as holders for the season."  (Canora Courier, Aug 3, 1933)

(July 24, 1935)   In a four-team playoff tournament, Canora scored a pair in the 7th inning to top Hyas 3-1 in the final to capture the league championship and the Morken Cup. Skywork held Hyas to five hits in going the route for the winners.

Skywork (W) and Keller
Rewakowski (L) and G.Lissoway

In the opening game, Hyas upset Stenen 7-5.

Bailey (L) and Stevenson
Rewakowski (W) and G.Lissoway

Canora reached the final by defeating pennant winning Buchanan 4-0 as Chopty fired a four-hit shutout to beat Nick Dergousoff.

Chopty (W) and Keller
Dergousoff (L) and Plaxin

(July 24, 1936)   Hyas shaded Stenen 3-2 Friday in the playoff tournament to capture the Moken Cup, emblematic of baseball supremacy in the Northwestern Saskatchewan League. Hyas shutout Sturgis 4-0 in the first game and Stenen took 10 innings to elimiante Pelly 4-3.

(July 16, 1937)   Stenen regained possession of the Morken Cup and the Northeastern Saskatchewan title defeating Pelly 2-0 in the playoff tournament final.  Stenen had earlier beaten Sturgis 2-1. Pelly reached the final virtue of a 6-2 win over Canora.

(July. 1946)  Kamsack Cyclones and Yorkton split first and second money in the baseball tournament at the Legion sports at Kamsack on Wednesday, playing to a 3-3 tie in the final game.  Yorkton had defeated Gilbert Plains in their preceding game, and Kamsack had ousted Togo. (Kamsack Times, July 4, 1946)

(July, 1946)  Re-union of the Gold Seal baseball team at Verigin sports on Sunday provided much interest and speculation for spectators.  The Gold Seal team was a pre-war all-star team organized by D.J. McDonald, then C.N.R. agent at Runnymede, and now at Verigin.  The re-union, arranged by Mr. McDonald, included all of the original members of the team that were able to be present.  The line-up for the day was as follows:  Lloyd Vogeli, Pelly, catcher; M. Keaschuk, Norquay, J. Skywork, Canora, pitchers; Stan Clark, Kamsack, first base; Lefty Shostal, Stenen, second base; V. Lisoway, Stenen, third base; Fred Chernoff, Verigin, centre field; Mervin Campbell, Yorkton, right field; Walter Stern and Peter Timolin, Verigin, left field. (Kamsack Times, July 18, 1946)

(July, 1946)  Canora took first place in the North-Eastern Saskatchewan Baseball league, winning the Morken Cup, when they defeated Kamsack Cyclones 11-7 in the third game of the final series here on Friday night.  In the first game the teams played to a tie and in the second game Canora emerged victorious.  Kamsack represented the eastern half of the league, having met Norquay in the semi-finals.  Canora represented the western division.  (Kamsack Times, July 25, 1946)

(April, 1947)  North-Eastern Saskatchewan Baseball League has been re-organized for its second post-war season.  Decision to operate during 1947 was reached at a meeting held at Canora on Thursday evening of last week.  Though it was not been definitely settled, it is probable that the league will again operate as a two-division league ... Fee was raised from $3.00 to $5.00 for each team entered.  While the financial statement showed that the league has a bank balance of $147.66, the league broke even on last year's operations.  The additional amount is intended to take care of the purchase of crests for the members of the winning league team.  (Kamsack Times, May 1, 1947)

(July, 1947)  Canora baseball team tops the North-Eastern Saskatchewan Baseball league and wins the club crests and the Morken Cup for the second year in succession.  Top place came fro this western division winner without a final struggle, the eastern division winners, the Pelly nine, withdrawing from the final series scheduiled to be played last week and this week.  (Kamsack Times, July 24, 1947)

(July, 1947)  Baseball prize money amounting to $375 was divided amongst five teams at Verigin sports on Sunday, when games were called by darkness.  Prize money was paid out as follows:  Gilbert Plains $117, Stenen $117, Saltcoats $58, Cote Indians $58, Willowbrook $25 ... No fewer than 16 baseball teams started. (Kamsack Times, July 24, 1947) 

(May, 1948)  Membership for 1948 of 16 teams pushed the N.E.S.B.L. into a three-division league at the annual meeting of the league in Kamsack on Sunday.  Enthusiasm shown by the delegates and others promised a most successful year for the league ... membership is as follows; North, Arran, Pelly, Hyas, Pelly Indian agency, Kamsack Kolts; East, Togo, Runnymede, Kamsack Cyclones, Stoney Creek, Verigin; West, Stenen, Sturgis, Preeceville, Canora, Buchanan, Mikado.

(June, 1948)  Kamsack Cyclones soundly whipped the Togo nine when they made runs at random, hitting the ball all over the field on May 26 at Kamsack's Memorial Park ... Final score was 26-2. (Kamsack Times, June 3, 1948)

(June, 1948)  A knockover for the Cyclones was the Runnymede nine on the day, when the Kamsack team walked away with the lop-sided score of 41-5 effortlessly. (Kamsack Times, June 10, 1948)

(July, 1948)  Muskogee Cardinals, an all-colored team from the United States, will be in Kamsack July 23 to play an exhibition game with the Kamsack Cyclones.  This Negro team is at present touring the prairies, and this week is in southern Manitoba ... This is the first exhibition game of its kind scheduled for Kamsack in many years, and the hearty approval of local fans indicates a heavy gate for this game. (Kamsack Times, July 15, 1948)

(July, 1948)  All-colored baseball teams drew large crowds to Kamsack's Riverview Park on Friday and Tuesday, when the Muskogee Cardinals from Texas and the Ligon All-Stars of Los Angeles respectively met the Kamsack Cyclones in exhibition games.  Crowd of 1500 watched the first game and 900 the second. (Kamsack Times, July 29, 1948)

(July, 1948)  Playing in Roblin spots baseball tournament on Wednesday, Kamsack Cyclones took a share of a four-way split of prize money when rain stopped the play.  Other three teams in the split were Grandview, Gilbert Plains and Roblin. (Kamsack Times, July 29, 1948)

(July, 1948)  Preeceville baseball team took a 6-0 victory in the final game of the two-out-of-three series with Kamsack Cyclones to win first place in the N.E.S.B.L. and take the Morken Cup.  (Kamsack Times, July 22, 1948)

(August, 1948)  Kamsack Cyclones returned home Monday night from Winnipeg where they were entered in the second annual Osborne stadium baseball tournament.  Though defeated 5-2 in the first game with Poplar Point, the team is reported to have improved tremendously since leaving last week. (Kamsack Times, August 5, 1948)

(October, 1948)  Executive was elected and plans laid for the 1949 baseball season by the Kamsack Cyclone club on Thursday, October 21 ... Considerable discussion on the possibility of hiring a Negro coach for the coming season took place.  Club was agreed that the coach should train all baseball teams in town including the collegiate where the ground work could be laid for future baseball material.  Special committee was appointed to investigate the possibility of hiring a suitable person, if available. (Kamsack Times, October 28, 1948)

In 1949, in the fourth season of the NESBL, the league had 15 teams !
                    
South                East              North
Kamsack Cyclones     Kamsack Kolts     Norquay      
Canora               Arran             Hyas         
Mikado               Pelly             Stenen       
Veregin              Cots Indians      Sturgis      
Buchanan                               Preeceville  
* 4th season                           Usherville   

(May, 1949)  Jesse Bradley, colored Cyclones coach, arrived in Kamsack last week from the States.  He has been putting local players through their paces, and is optimistic about the chances for a good team in Kamsack this year. (Kamsack Times, May 19, 1949)

(June, 1949)  San Francisco Sea Lions, colored baseball team, will play the Cyclones at Kamsack on June 23.  Billed for 6:30, the game will be played at the exhibition grounds.  The team features "Little Sammy", without hands or feet, catching and batting a ball.  The team is at present touring the west. (Kamsack Times, June 16, 1949)

(June, 1949)  Despite a constant drizzling rain, almost 400 people turned out to witness the opening game, Sunday, June 19, at the new baseball park at Madge Lake resort.  Featured in this opening event were Kamsack Cyclones, the home team at the park, and the visiting team from Dauphin.  Cyclones made good in a ninth inning rally to edge out Dauphin 6-5 ... The diamond, which is located along the east side of Ministik beach is quite sandy and any surface moisture readily escapes into the lake. (Kamsack Times, June 23, 1949)

(June, 1949)  An estimated crowd of more than 1200 spectators was on hand to see San Francisco Sea Lions beat Kamsack Cyclones 11-5 in nine innings of exhibition ball.  Little Sammy Workman, Negro without hands or feet, exhibited his prowess at batting, catching and pitching a ball before a very pleased audience. (Kamsack Times, June 30, 1949)

(July, 1949)  Kamsack Cyclones met defeat at the hands of Delisle on Saturday, July 9, in the $3,000 Nipawin two day baseball tournament.  Delisle, with four Bentleys in the lineup, was knocked out in a thrilling 2-0 game by Sceptre in the final game. (Kamsack Times, July 14, 1949)

(July, 1949)  Ligon All-Stars, popular colored baseball team, is billed to play Kamsack Cyclones on July 21.  The team, which is now touring the province, was in Kamsack last year.  Ligon has been entered in several of the major baseball tournaments, including the Nipawin tournament in which the Cyclones were also entered. (Kamsack Times, July 14, 1949)

(July 22, 1949)  At Mikado Friday, Stenen evened the final series at a game apiece with a 6-3 victory.  Stenen scored a pair in the opening frame as Tanton led off with a double and Kurliak and Shostle followed with singles.  Mikado got on the scoreboard in the second when Mike Gabora doubled to bring in Koroly and added another in the third as Horkoff belted a triple and scored on an overthrow to third based. Stenen took the lead again in the third with a singleton and plated two more in the fifth which saw Albert Gabora being replaced on the mound by brother Ernie who took over with the bases loaded an only one out and allowed just one run to score.  Mikado fans let out a roar in the sixth inning when Metro Prokopetz slammed a homer.  Stenen had 12 hits to 8 for Mikado. 

(July 26, 1949)  Stenen won the N.E.S.B.L. finals and the Morken Cup by defeating Mikado 13-0 in the third of a two-out-of-three series. Stenen broke a 2-2 tie with an 8-run outburst in the 5th inning.

M.Gabora, L.Horkoff and F.Sopkow
Psansky, Monette and Chonsky

(August, 1949)  Kamsack uncovered a brilliant colored battery of Jim Hester and Travis Taylor but loose infield support lost the game with St. James at John Petersen's $2,500 ball tournament Saturday in Winnipeg.  Hester and Taylor, borrowed from the Muskogee Cardinals, were the outstanding attraction offered by the Kamsack Cyclones.  St. James dropped Kamsack 5-2 but not one run was earned as Kamsack bobbled six balls.  Kamsack managed two tallies on four hits but seven errors in the first four innings cost Kamsack the game ... In an exhibition senior game Sunday, five runs scored in the ninth inning gave Kamsack a 5-3 victory over Transcona.  Singles by Jim Sparkman, Jim Hester, Jack Clark and an error and Travis Taylor's triple accounted for all of Kamsack's scoring in the final frame ... Sunday evening Cyclones again pulled the hat trick when they trounced C.U.A.C. 15-5.  Returning home on Monday, Cyclones staged an exhibition game with Dauphin.  Hard-luck hit the Cyclones when a car broke down delaying the arrival of Jim McIsaac, Jackie Clark and Dave Wakley.  Kamsack was swamped 5-0 by the Dauphin array by the time the rest of the Cyclones arrived in the ninth inning. (Kamsack Times, August 4, 1949)

(August, 1949)  Muskogee Cardinals chalked up a 7-3 win against the Cyclones on Tuesday evening at Memorial park in an exhibition fixture.  Muskogee established a three run lead in the first and from there on in, nobody appeared very serious about playing baseball.  Jesse Bradley put on a real show on the mound for Kamsack. (Kamsack Times, August 11, 1949)

(May 11)   The Kamsack Times reports 13 teams will play in three divisions of the Northeastern Saskatchewan Baseball League.  The schedule calls for the season to run from May 14th to June 10th. 

Southwest : Canora, Kamsack, Donwell, Stoney Creek
East : Arran, Pelly, Norquay, Hyas, Stenen
North : Sturgis, Endeavour, Usherville, Preeceville

(May, 1950)  The Kamsack Cyclones are all set to play baseball this season according to the president, Wes Allan.  Travis Taylor has arrived to take up a position behind home plate for the Cyclones.  He caught ball for the Muskogee Cardinals last year.  Along with Travis there is Dave Whatley who played for the Cyclones last year.  They are the only colored players on the team. (Kamsack Times, May 24, 1950)

(June, 1950)  At an exhibition game at Roblin on Monday, June 3, Kamsack Cyclones trimmed the Roblin nine 9-2 in a nine inning baseball fixture that was strictly one-sided after the first two innings. (Kamsack Times, June 8, 1950)

(June 1950)  Kamsack Cyclones trounced Muskogee Cardinals 7-1 in an exhibition baseball encounter in Kamsack on Monday evening.  Cardinals made their sole run in the first inning but the superb pitching of Jackie Eisner kept the visiting team off the bases throughout most of the seven innings played.  Eisner, pitching his best game to date, allowed only two hits while he tallied for nine strikeouts.  (Kamsack Times, June 15, 1950)

(June, 1950)  Kamsack Cyclones won the Saskatoon exhibition baseball tournament when they defeated Sceptre 8-3 in the final game Saturday night.

(June 20)  Kamsack Cyclones edged Yorkton West Ends 2-1 as Ken Mohr pitched a five-hitter to best Merv Campbell for the win.  Dave Whatley led the offense with three hits and made a pair of outstanding plays in the field.

(July, 1950)  A record crowd was on hand at Madge Lake last Sunday to see the Cyclones win one and drop a game to Gilbert Plains in a doubleheader bill.  Both teams appeared in good form playing exhibition baseball that kept the 3,000 fans cheering throughout the entire tilt.  In the afternoon encounter, Gilbert Plains left the field victorious with a 6-4 count.  In the evening match, Cyclones retaliated with a 7-5 win. (Kamsack Times, July 13, 1950)

(July, 1950)  Kamsack Cyclones are continuing to add lustre to their season's record of wins by taking games from a number of the better teams.  Over the weekend they took two games out of three from one of the top colored teams touring the province, the Nashville Stars.  In two of the best games of the season, the Cyclones turned back the Stars 3-2 and 4-3 at Madge Lake on Sunday.  In Kamsack on Monday the visiting team took some revenge by defeating the Cyclones 7-0. (Kamsack Times, July 27, 1950)

(August, 1950)  In a high calibre final game ending in a score of 3-2 Holar baseball team took first money at Verigin sports on Wednesday of last week, taking the game from the Bowsman aggregation.  Spectators were treated to an unusually fine match. (Kamsack Times, August 10, 1950)

(May, 1951)  Stoney Creek Sparks trounced Togo 9-3 behind the five-hit pitching of Clifford Kraft who fanned six while allowing just one base on balls.  Sparks had 14 hits against three Togo hurlers, Poitra, Nabe and RossJack Strelioff, Sparks new first baseman, broke the game open in the 6th inning with a bases loaded single driving in three runs.  

(May 20, 1951)  Togo took advantage of six Stoney Creek errors to eliminate an 8-1 deficit and edge the Sparks 12-11 on Sunday.  "Scotty" Ross cooled off the Sparks after the club had run up eight runs in the first two frames. Bill Chypyha knocked in seven runs for the losers with two doubles, a single and a walk.  Togo had nine hits off Clifford Kraft and Mike Berezowski.

(April 27, 1952)  Ten teams will compete in the senior section of the North-Eastern Saskatchewan Baseball League this season.  Nine teams will play in the junior section.  This is the news from the annual organization meeting of the league held at Norquay on Sunday April 27 ... Last year there were 13 teams in the senior section of the league and three divisions operated. (Kamsack Times, May 1, 1952)

(August 30, 1954)  Striking out 17 batters out of 20, Jimmy Hagemeister led the Preeceville team to a 2-0 victory over Stenen on August 30 to win the North Eastern Saskatchewan Baseball League Championship and the Quist-Messner trophy, in a sudden death final.  In semi-finals Preeceville had swamped Pelly 12-1 and Stenen had won over Canora Caps 12-5. (Kamsack Times, Sept 16, 1954)

(June 13, 1956) "Stenen Baseball team took first prize at the Hudson Bay Sports on Wednesday, June 13 when they defeated Kelvington in the final game.  They also remained undefeated in the North Eastern Saskatchewan Baseball league taking five straight games as follows: Preeceville 14-4 and 15-1; Canora 9-3 and 17-6; Kamsack 7-3."  (Canora Courier, June 28, 1956)

(Aug 21, 1956) Stenen Jets became the 1956 champions of the NESBL (senior) when they defeated Kamsack Cyclones for the second time Tuesday night in the two-out-of-three finals. (Canora Courier, Aug 23, 1956)

(July 20, 1958) In spite of the hot weather, a large crowd attended Lady Lake Sports last Sunday, and the day was a financial success.  Stenen won the baseball tournament, defeating Yorkton in the finals. (Preeceville Progress, July 23, 1958)

(July, 1958)  Congratulations to Stenen Warriors Ball Club for winning the North Eastern Saskatchewan League Quist-Messner trophy and championship for 1958.  Results of the best two-out-of-three series were as follows: first game, Stenen 6 Kamsack 6; second game, Stenen 9, Kamsack 8; third game, Stenen 10 Kamsack 4. (Norquay North Star, Aug 1, 1958) 

Stenen followed up their 1958 championship with victories in both 1959 and 1960 to begin a string of seven consecutive NESBL titles. 

1959 Stenen

The 1959 NESBL Champs. Front row - Buck McGergie, Bob Sundeen, Mervin Secundiak. Back row - Mike Letwinka, Don Kachman, Alex Fedorchuk, George Bellows, Harry Krotenka, Gust Koroluk, Isaac Kurulok.

Gust Koroluk 1959(Aug, 1961) Stenen Warriors won the Quest Mesner trophy for the fifth year in succession by taking Kamsack to town in three straight games ... Stenen were worth their wins in all three games taking the first 10 to 4; the second 12 to 8 and wrapping it up in the third game by soundly trouncing Kamsack 21 to 9. During the season, the Warriors won twenty-two out of thirty-two games, tied three and lost the other seven.  (Canora Courier, Aug 23, 1961)

(Aug 27, 1961) :  D'Arcy Loster pitched Stenen to top prize of $200 in the Yorkton tournament. Loster allowed just one run in 15 innings, including a five-inning one-hitter in the final, a 2-1 victory over Melville.  Stenen had earlier downed the Combines 4-1, Hohenloe 7-0 and Kihaly 4-0.  A crowd of 1,350 watched the final. 

Stenen 4 Springside-Theodore Combines 1
Hohenloe 9 Calder 6
Kihaly 2 Yorkton Red Sox 1
Kronau 4 Yorkton Phillies 0
Moosomin 12 Weekes 8
Melville 7 Donwell 2

Stenen 7 Hohenloe 0
Kihaly 6 Moosomin 3
Melville 2 Kronau 1

Stenen 4 Kihaly 0

Stenen 2 Melville 1

(May 27, 1962) "The baseball team played in Bowsman, Man. on Sunday, May 27.  Score was 11-8 in favor of Stenen." (Preeceville Progress, June 14, 1962)

(August, 1963) Stenen won the Quist Messner trophy for the seventh year in a row by defeating Preeceville to games to none in N.E.S.B.L. finals. Stenen trounced Preeceville 15-0 in the first game and turned them back again in the second game by a close 5-4 margin to the the two-out-of-three series.  Winning pitcher was Gust Koroluk ... Satchel Paige's All-Stars defeated Stenen All-Stars 7-0 in an exhibition game Sunday, August 11.  Over 600 fans attended the game. (Canora Courier, August 21, 1953)
  


Paige in Stenen1963 poster advertising the exhibition game between the Satchel Paige All-Stars and the Stenen All-Stars.  Paige's nine won, 7-0.

(August, 1974) The Stenen senior baseball team bombed Burgis Lakers 25-9 Monday in the fourth game of the best-of-five North-Eastern Saskatchewan Baseball League final series to win the championship three games to one.

.. Stenen brook the game wide open in the fourth inning with ten runs on four hits and seven walks.  Burgis replied with five runs in the bottom of the four but eight Stenen runs in the fifth gave the winners a 22-7 lead and assured them of the championship.

Dean Doroschuk belted a three-run homer in the sixth to conclude Stenen's scoring.  Gust Koroluk picked up his third win of the series as he went the distance on the mound. (Canora Courier, August 14, 1974)

(Aug 27, 1975)  "Stenen captured the championship of the Northeastern Sask. Baseball League for the second straight year, with an 11-6 victory Sunday at Canora.  The fourth and fifth games of the series were played on the weekend, with Canora Supers scoring a come-from-behind 7-6 win at Stenen Saturday.

Perry Doroschuk pitched for Stenen on Sunday and Arnold Makowsky, Glen Leson and Randy Anderson for the Supers. Arnold Makowsky and Glen Leson and Gust Koroluk and Dean Doroschuk combined on Saturday ... Canora finished first in regular season play and Stenen, third."  (Canora Courier)

Preeceville

An early Preeceville baseball team.  (Saskatchewan Council for Archives and Archivists)

1910 Buchanan

The 1910 Buchanan baseball team. The championship team is reported to have won all its games that season.  Some of the players were - Mr. Walker, Art Lynch, Henry Byhoffer, Bill Long, H. Hopkins, Dr. Cox.  (Photo courtesy of Lorne Plaxin)


Bob Koroluk also put together some highlights of the Hyas baseball club, the NESBL champs in 1930 and 1936.

"For many years a baseball rivalry existed between the Stenen Baseball Team and the Hyas Baseball Team. That rivalry was never as strong as it was in the 1930 season. Hyas had a group of baseball players which were so overwhelmingly strong that no baseball team in the league or area were able to overcome them. Hyas won the NESBL Championship hands down in the 1930 season. Hyas would also enter and win most of the tournaments in the area that year. The players which made up the core nucleus of the Hyas team were:

Anton BelousAllen Yewel coach/manager, Anton Belous pitcher, Eric Quist catcher, Matty Gibney 1st base,  E. Quist 2nd base,  Russell Johnson 3rd base, Steve Yurkiw short stop,  Jim Lisoway left field,  Ted Fiala center field,  Andrew Bellous right field, Alf Hanson batboy.

Following the 1930 season, strong Stenen teams were able to capture the league championship 4 seasons in a row, then in 1935 Canora stole the championship away from the dominant Hyas and Stenen teams.

In 1936 Hyas again dominated baseball in the area and were unbeatable as they again claimed the NESBL Championship.

Other baseball players who were instrumental in Hyas's success were:  Geo Lisoway catcher,  Paul Kalturnyk catcher,  Pete Kukura pitcher,  Pete Yatsura short stop,  Vic Lisoway 3rd base,  Nick Yatsura Center field.

The key to the Hyas Team success was the balance in all areas of the game. They had strong leadership from Allan Yewel. Pitching was next to none in the league along with strong catching from Eric Quist. What held the defense together were two outstanding outfielders in Jim Lisoway and Ted Fiala. Lisoway would catch everything and anything that came into his domain even making the impossible catches running between parked cars. Fiala could pick off runners coming home firing the ball like a bullet from center field. All in all, Hyas had the balance and talent to win many tournaments and championships. It is a wonder why the team did not win many many more championships in the 30's and 40's. The reason may well be the fact that the league folded during the war, from 1938 to 1945, which would undoubtedly have been the "Hyas Glory Years of Champions". We will never know!" (Bob Koroluk)