ISC Announces 2025 Hall of Fame Nominees
Six To Be Inducted at 2025 Hall of Fame Breakfast
The International Softball Congress is pleased to announce the players, administrator and three recipients for the Bob Welby Dedication Award that have been nominated for induction into the ISC Hall of Fame at the 2025 ISC World Tournament in North Mankato, MN.
Congratulations to pitchers Jeremy Manley and Brent Stevenson, long-time ISC administrator Keith Erkenbrack as well as Robert (Bob) Otto, Jon Kegel and the Hill Family.
Jeremy Manley arrived in Pueblo, CO with the Bandits in 2001 as a young man and instantly elevated the Bandits. A power pitcher with terrific movement on his pitches, Jeremy was a threat to beat any team single-handedly. He was named to three ISC All World First Teams and one ISC All World Second Team during his 16 ISC World Tournaments. He notched 33 wins, which places him in the top 20 all-time. Always a high strike-out pitcher, he fanned 27 in one 12-inning game and took 37Ks in one 16-inning game.
Previously announced in 2023, Brent Stevenson was a star for the Decatur ADM teams in the 1980s making ISC All World First Team in 1984 and 1985 and ISC All World Second Team in 1987 with Decatur Pride. He won 12 games in a row at the World Tournament from 1981-1984 and finished with 23 career ISC wins. Brent went on to star in the Legends division with another 20 career wins.
Keith Erkenbrack, Deer Park, WA, first joined the ISC as a commissioner for three years in 1980-82, before returning for a 10-year stint from 1999-2008 and most recently has served as a commissioner and then U.S. Vice President from 2013 to present. Keith was a key man in the strong NorWest league, creating a presence for the ISC running qualifiers and affiliating the league. Today, he serves as the Tournament Director for the ISC Legends 50+ division which has grown both in stature and quality under his direction. In total, Keith has been active in the game for more than 50 years and continues to give his time to promoting fastpitch.
Originally hailing from Minnesota, Robert (Bob) Otto, Yucaipa, CA, is a longtime fastpitch pitcher, photographer, writer and newspaperman. In the late heyday of the game in 1990s through the early 2000s, Bob was fastpitch’s most prolific writer, and published articles and game photos regularly at his own website Otto in Focus. His photos have graced the cover of the ISC Guide and many websites, including FastpitchWest and Al’s Fastball. In 2011, he published a book of fastpitch memoirs entitled “We Play It Fast”.
Jon Kegel, Fargo, ND, has been managing and sponsoring men’s and youth teams in North Dakota for more than 35 years - among them the Kegel Black Knights and Kegel Signs - winning multiple state and regional championships along with a coveted national championship in 2020. His U23 teams also won multiple ISC Development tournaments in the 90s and 2000s. Jon was instrumental in bringing the ISC World Tournament to Fargo in 2004 and for many year’s was the tournament director for the Holme Classic and Memorial Day Classic tournaments, also in Fargo.
The Hill Family, Ohsweken, ON, founded the Hill United Chiefs in 2012 and nearly won the ISC World Tournament in their inaugural season. Since then, the Chiefs have become one of the most successful teams in the history of the ISC. The extended Hill family helps to support local teams and tournaments across southern Ontario to assist in promoting the sport. Their love of the game goes back many years prior to the Chiefs and their support of athletics in the Six Nations community expands beyond fastpitch to include lacrosse and hockey as well as the Dreamcatcher Foundation which assists aboriginal families and communities across Canada.
The annual ISC Hall of Fame Breakfast and Induction ceremony will be on the first Sunday of the 2025 ISC World Tournament in North Mankato, MN. A reminder that the 2025 ISC World Tournament dates are July 26-August 2 to accommodate men’s fastpitch being a medal sport at the World Games.
