ISC Welcomes New Personnel

Blair Setford • February 9, 2025

Three New Commissioners, Three Player Reps & One Specialist

 The ISC is pleased to welcome three new commissioners, three player reps and a new specialist to the organization as we continue to evolve to make the ISC World Tournament better than ever.


Chris Hopewell, Elmsdale, NS, joins us as Regional Commissioner for Atlantic Canada. Chris is currently president of Softball Nova Scotia and is active in the men’s game with the Shooters Bar & Grill Men’s League, the top league in the province, and also coaches the Nova Scotia Mastodons, the 2017 Canadian Champions. In his spare time, he co-hosts the popular Outside the Chute podcast.


Ferdi Nelissen, Portage La Prairie, MB, re-joins the ISC as a Canada West Regional Commissioner after serving a 17-year stint as a commissioner and VP through 1990s and 2000s. Ferdi, who was elected to the ISC Hall of Fame in 2018, is an active volunteer in Manitoba Hockey and in other organizations in his home province.


Scott Perry, Oshawa, ON, is joining the ISC as a Regional Commissioner in Canada East. Scott has previously been the coach of the Toronto Batmen and currently suits up for the Cobourg Force Legends team. Well known in one of the game’s hotbeds in Ontario, Scott will work with closely with Canada East personnel to continue the pipeline of teams in ISC.


Brian Eradus, Vancouver, BC, comes aboard as Communications Specialist and will apply his top-notch talents to expanding the ISC’s presence even further on social media, conducting additional out-reach to players and teams. If you saw any of the social media presence from Softball City for the 2024 ISC World Tournament, then you’ve seen Brian’s excellent work!


Shane Boland, St. John’s, NL, is the newest player representative from Atlantic Canada. Shane, currently a member of the defending ISC World Champions Hill United Chiefs, has been playing in the ISC since 2012.


Jeff Lyons, Glencoe, ON, joins as a player representative for Canada East. Jeff, who played with Bear Creek Express in 2024, has participated in the ISC for the last decade with multiple Ontario teams.


Chris Norris, St. George, UT, is joining the ISC as a player rep in US West. Chris has played for the Pueblo Bandits for many years and is the Director of Player Development for the softball team at Utah Tech.


Welcome aboard to all of our new personnel – we look forward to your contributions!


You can find all of the ISC commissioners, specialists and player reps on the ISC website Contact page at: www.iscfastpitch.com

Oregon Qualifier in May 2026

By Blair Setford • October 13, 2025
2nd Annual Clark Evans Memorial Tournament This is a qualifier for #ISCWT2026 DATES: May 23-24, 2026 LOCATION: Darnell Wright Softball Complex, 303 W. Foothills Dr, Newberg, OR 97316 ENTRY FEE: $450.00 FORMAT: Round Robin into single elimination CONTACT: Shayne Arndt UIC: To be determined ISC REP: Keith Erkenbrack

2025 ISC Board of Directors Summary

By Blair Setford • October 6, 2025
At the 2025 ISC World Tournament in North Mankato, MN, the International Softball Congress conducted its annual Board of Directors meeting. The following changes were made: 1. Long-time ISC Executive Director Larry Fisher resigned his position effective at the end of the 2025 ISC World Tournament. The ISC thanks Larry for his years of service. The ISC will continue its search for a new Executive Director to assume the role. In the interim, the duties of Executive Director will be shared amongst several in the organization. 2. Under Regional definitions, players from Oregon and Washington may play in BC in the Canada West region and be considered in-region and players from BC may play in Oregon and Washington in the US West region and be considered in-region. 3. An ad-hoc committee will be appointed to review the ISC World Tournament Host Committee contract to modernize and update the document. 4. A Legends Tournament standing committee will be struck with a mandate to oversee the ISC Legends Championship Tournament. Updated Legends rules for 2026 drafted by the Legends Committee have already been approved by the Board and posted. 5. For ISC World Tournament umpires, travel fees will increase from $2000 to $4000 for contracts starting in 2028. Similarly, game fees will increase by $5 per year starting in 2028. The ISC Umpire-in-Chief will also provide evaluations for umpires working their first ISC World Tournament. As previously announced: • The ISC will welcome Canadian players Jeff Ellsworth and Ian Fehrman, Argentine pitcher Lucas Mata, manager Jeff Borror, former ISC President Dean Oscar and long-time Gremlins sponsor Bruce Tanski to the Hall of Fame at the 2026 Induction Ceremony. For more information on the ISC, please visit www.iscfastpitch.com.