Rob Guenter

Athlete (1997)

Softball

Rob Guenter, a Saskatoon-born pitcher, achieved his greatest softball dream when he pitched Canada to a 1-0 victory over the United States in a 14-inning gold medal game at the 1979 Pan-American Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

One of Rob's early successes was in 1972 when he pitched the Saskatoon Roadrunners to victory at the Saskatchewan Summer Games.

As a rookie in the Saskatoon senior men's league, Rob pitched three no-hit games in 1973 and led K&K Olson to the provincial title. He also won Saskatchewan championships with Olsons in 1976 and Saskatoon All-O-Matics in 1978 and 1979.

He was picked up by Victoria to pitch at the Pan-American Games and he allowed only five hits and struck out 18 in beating America's top pitcher, Ty Stofflet, in the final.

Rob pitched in five Canadian finals, winning with Victoria in 1981 and 1982. In 1977, he pitched for the Interstate Batterymen of Worcester, Mass., winning 33 and losing nine in the Atlantic Seaboard League.

In 1980, Rob pitched for Team Canada at the world championships and pitched three victories, striking out 40 and giving up only two runs in 24 innings. After retiring from competitive softball in 1990, he joined a Canadian team in 1994 for the world masters and pitched his team to a gold medal.

In 1979, he was selected Saskatoon's athlete-of-the-year and twice since, has been selected Victoria's athlete-of-the-year.