Fort William Nationals Senior Little League (1968)
Fort William Nationals Senior Little League (1968) was a youth baseball team from Fort William that won the Canadian championship and competed in the Senior Little League World Series. The team was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.[1]
Overview
- Sport: Baseball
- League or level: Senior Little League
- Season: 1968
- Achievement: Canadian Champions
- Inducted: 26 September 1998[1]
Season
The 1968 Fort William Nationals advanced through local and district competition to reach the provincial finals. Despite several players suffering from injuries, the squad secured the Ontario title by defeating a team from Windsor with a score of 12–8 in the championship game.[1]
The Canadian championships took place at Port Arthur Stadium in Port Arthur. The Nationals competed against North Burnaby in a best-of-three series to determine the national title. After winning the second game 5–2, the Fort William side took the deciding third game 7–1 to become the Canadian champions.[1]
As the national representatives for Canada, the team traveled to the Senior Little League World Series. In their opening match against the Western United States champions from Sacramento, the Nationals scored three runs in the third inning to level the score. However, Sacramento secured a victory with a tie-breaking run in the final inning. The double-elimination tournament concluded for the Canadian team following a second loss against a representative from Ohio. Upon their return to Fort William, the players were honored with a parade ending at City Hall.[1]
Roster
The names below come from the Hall of Fame profile and its team photograph caption.[1]
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jerry Adduono | player | Short Stop |
| Brian Bickerton | player | Right Field |
| Ron Campigotto | player | Pitcher |
| Ken Coran | player | 1st Base |
| Sandy Kachur | player | 2nd Base |
| Joe Kompon | player | 2nd Base |
| Bill Krezonoski | player | Pitcher |
| Louis Nistico | player | Centre Field |
| Peter Novak | player | Pitcher |
| Darrell Penner | player | Catcher |
| Francis Puchalski | player | Pitcher |
| Robbie Robertson | player | 3rd Base |
| Mike Skuta | player | Pitcher |
| David Vescio | player | Left Field |
| Art Puchalski | coach | |
| Tom Lane | manager |
Honours and achievements
- 1968 Canadian Senior Little League Champions
- 1968 Ontario Provincial Senior Little League Champions
- Represented Canada at the 1968 Senior Little League World Series[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Fort William Nationals Senior Little League", team profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/team-profile/aa7bbff0-6e0e-4402-9f27-73347e75a0bb (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.