I.S.C. From The Ballpark

Twins set for another season: Prepare to host ISC World's in 2002
By Christine Rivet, RECORD Staff

The host team for the 2002 world fastball championships, the Waterloo Hallman Twins, will have a place to play next season and players with which to play. Considering the flood of Ontario's top fastball talent heading south in pursuit of the all-mighty greenback, getting the senior men's league and member teams off the ground each year is hardly a given.

So the announcement that the Molson International Softball Congress Alliance will field five teams next season, including the Twins, was greeted with unbridled optimism by the Twins manager.

"All in all, it's shaping up pretty good," said Larry Lynch. "We are going to have an improved team from last year and I'm quite positive that the other teams will be competitive. There won't be any pushovers out there."

While the Elora Lumber Kings have withdrawn from the MISCA, the league will welcome the Innerkip Eagles this season.

League entries to return from last season include: the Owen Sound Selects, the Pickering Heat, the Palermo (Oakville) Athletics, along with Waterloo.

The Twins open their 32-game schedule on May 10 when they entertain Innerkip, the reigning Ontario and Eastern Canadian intermediate champs.

In preparation for the ISC worlds in 2002, Lynch has received two-year commitments from the cornerstones of his 2000 team including: pitcher Trevor Wardell, designated player Brian Stere and a couple of national team members, second baseman Adam Smith and catcher Craig Crawford, who led the MISCA in three offensive categories last year.

Last year, Wardell helped steer the Twins to their best season in the club's 34-year history. Thanks to the durable workhorse from Chatsworth, Ont., the Twins collected a silver at the nationals, and four tournament wins, including the Ontario championship.

Landing Wardell was obviously the key component of the Twins' two-year plan.

"A lot of (American) teams were interested in Trevor. But I know he wanted to stay in Ontario. For some reason people never looked at him as being the ace of their staff. He proved himself as our ace last year. I think he had fun with us, too," said Lynch.

Foul tips: The New York Smokers and the Summerside, P.E.I., Twins will be among the competitors at the Twins Classic tournament at Waterloo's Hillside Park on June 1-3 . . . The ISC area qualifier for the 2001 worlds in Eau Claire, Wis., will be held in Innerkip on June 23 and 24 . . . The Twins are in negotiations to bring back Kitchener's Schnarr brothers, infielder Jay, outfielder Jodie and pitcher Jim, for the next two seasons . . . Retired City of Kitchener parks and rec boss Tom Clancy has agreed to head up the 2002 Kitchener-Waterloo world championship host committee. . . The intermediate and senior men's OASAs will be held in Owen Sound in 2002.

Christine Rivet
mailto:crivet@therecord.com
http://www.therecord.com/sports/index.html