Fort William Americans Senior Little League (1967)
Fort William Americans Senior Little League (1967) was a youth baseball team from Fort William that won the Canadian championship and represented the country at the World Series. The team was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.[1]
Overview
- Sport: Baseball
- League or level: Senior Little League
- Season: 1967
- Achievement: Canadian Champions
- Inducted: 28 September 1996[1]
Season
The 1967 Fort William Americans entered their season following a period of local dominance, as teams from Fort William had secured the national title twice in the preceding three years. After claiming their local league title, the Americans moved into the District No. 3 playdowns. They secured a 2-1 victory over the Fort William Nationals in extra innings before defeating a team from Port Arthur by a score of 9-3 to qualify for the provincial level of competition.[1]
At the Ontario provincial championships, the club earned a 5-4 win against Kirkland Lake to advance to the national stage. Competing in the Canadian Senior Little League Championships, the Americans shut out Stoney Creek 2-0 in the semi-final round. They met Edmonton in a best-of-three national final, winning two consecutive games with scores of 6-0 and 2-0 to be crowned Canadian champions.[1]
As the national title holders, the team traveled to the Senior Little League World Series in West Des Moines. The tournament followed a double-knockout format. After an initial loss to a team from Westbury, the Americans made history by defeating Matamoros, Mexico, with a 2-0 shutout. This victory marked the first time a Canadian representative had ever won a game at the Senior Little League World Series.[1]
The team's tournament run ended in a closely contested game against the host team from West Des Moines. Although Fort William took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, their opponents hit a two-run home run in the fourth and added another run in the sixth. The Americans were eliminated following the 3-1 loss, concluding their historic season as one of the top youth baseball programs in North America.[1]
Roster
The names below come from the Hall of Fame profile and its team photograph caption.[1]
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Busniuk | player | P |
| Rick Bragnalo | player | LF & SS |
| Ron Compardo | player | OF |
| Stephen Gain | player | OF |
| Barry Hauta | player | 3B |
| Randy Howe | player | C |
| Igor Kacerik | player | SS |
| Mike Kachur | player | CF |
| Joseph Lipinski | player | OF |
| Lorne Roneki | player | 1B |
| Doug Smith | player | OF |
| Jim Szturm | player | 2B |
| Tom Wiegand | player | P |
| Henry Wojda | player | OF |
| Tony Delvecchio | manager | |
| Maurice Sawchuk | coach |
Honours and achievements
- 1967 Canadian Senior Little League Champions
- First Canadian team to win a game at the Senior Little League World Series
- District No. 3 Champions
- Ontario Provincial Champions[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Fort William Americans Senior Little League", team profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/team-profile/c3753fdf-32de-498d-be5d-3b215dd5acd4 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.