Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame

TEAM

1970 Saskatoon Imperial's Senior Women's Softball Team
Softball (1988)

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Back row: Gil Strumm (Head Coach), Gail (Hopkins) Cooper (Manager), Sheila Rowan, Joan Drummond, Judy Jenkin, Nancy Stanley, Judy Knoll, Judy Garman, Clifford “Porky” Hulme (Assistant Coach).
Front row: Joy Barrie, Marlene Ackerman, Val Jensen, Joan (Duprey) Cunningham, Illa Shore, Jean Seabrook, Phyllis Funk.
Missing: Ann (Hopkins) Hanson.

CANADIAN SENIOR WOMEN’S SOFTBALL CHAMPIONS

The Canadian Championships were held in Saskatoon in the middle of August 1970. The format was a six-team, four-day, round robin tournament. The Saskatoon Imperials romped through the tournament in probably one of the most one-sided playdowns in history. They played five games and outscored their opposition 55 runs, to three. They defeated Toronto 4-0 in their final game before a capacity crowd of 2,750 fans to win the title.

Val Jensen was selected the most valuable player in the tournament. Joan (Duprey) Cunningham won the top pitcher award for the second successive year. Both of these players were selected to the All-Star team along with catcher Anne (Hopkins) Hanson and head coach Gil Strumm.

The team travelled to Osaka, Japan for the second world championships. Although the team did not reach the medal round it is interesting to note that the World Champion Japanese team defeated the Imperials 2-0; the second place U.S. team beat them 2-1; and the Imperials whipped third place Philippines 8-1.

The Imperials, who proved that they were a talented and determined softball team that could compete at the international level, were inducted to the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.