Enviro-Vac Marauder 50’s Softball

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When the Enviro-Vac Marauders senior slow pitch team signed up for the world championship slow-pitch softball tournament in St. George, Utah this year, team officials made the unusual request of being placed in the AAA division after winning the AA in 2001. “Last year was the Marauders first at world championship play and definitely the first in St. George as a team and well, we kind of put the boots to everyone in AA last year” said team manager, George Masters.” Once we get on a roll, we just keep on going.” And going and going. In fact, they won seven of eight games in the four-day competition and came home world champions. Their only loss was to a team from California, by a score of 12-11.

Not bad, especially considering the team members range in age from 50 to 58. But when it was over, the team looked more like a bunch of school kids, said Ex-Pro outfielder Rick Houghton when interviewed after the game. “We started playing and we scored double digits every game, just about,” Houghton said. “And everybody from the first man to the last man started hitting the ball, and when that happens, you have a good chance of winning.”

Houghton singled out out-fielders Jim Klassen & Dave Docksteader as a couple of guys who had it going leading the team with a hitting average of over.800 for the tournament.

The team scored a total of 156 runs and pounded out 12 home runs and 25 triples in the tournament, which drew 247 teams from 50- to 70-year-old age brackets from throughout North America.

The Marauders also had the pleasure in the final game to defeat their California rivals, 15-5 in five innings due to the mercy rule.

The Marauders team is part of the New Westminster Senior Softball Association, in British Columbia, Canada, comprised of about 220 men ranging in age from 50 to the late 60s. League members play Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights at Queens Park Stadium in New Westminster, BC, Canada.

Second baseman and clean-up-hitter Dave Bomber said he’s been waiting all year to win another world championship. “I’ve been playing for about 40 years,” said Bomber, 52. “I played with the Barons which was fun but this is what it’s all about. And to play with these guys with their teamwork, the camaraderie, the discipline — it just was marvelous to be a part of the whole group and to feel you were a part of something really big.”

Pitcher and catcher, New Westminster Alderman, Gordon Campbell said he didn’t play for about 3 years, but took up the sport again two years ago because he wanted to stay active and out of the New Westminster casinos. “We are just proud of everything that happened,” Campbell said. “We’re looking forward to coming back next year and to the SSUSA next year in Winnipeg, Canada in September of 2003.”

That is where the team hopes to expand their resume’ but first, the team needs to play a qualifier and to do that the players would like to find a sponsor to defray the costs of badly needed uniforms and travel expenses. They are also looking for funding to purchase each player a t-shirt, jacket or ring to remember the 2002 championship year.

“We had the chemistry, we had the desire, we had the motivation,” Mike Iverson said. “The guys just jelled. This team was surreal, we just stuck together like glue, it was like a jigsaw puzzle. Everything just fit into place. It was such a wonderful, emotional thing for us to win this thing.”

Other team members are infielders Don Freund, Keith McMitchell & Randy Yeo and out fielders Al Heath, Rick Moore, and Doug Armstrong. 

Those interested in sponsoring the team can call Jim Klassen @ 604-594-7490 TF 1-888-296-2499 or George Masters at (604) 599-1555.