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2018 Hall of Fame Class


The 2018 Class of the NWLA Hall of Fame has been voted on and we are so excited to announce this year’s very talented class. The three players and one team were voted on by the Hall of Fame committee, being selected on 75% of the ballots. There were 7 players and 1 other team that received votes as well.

Congratulations to this year’s 2018 Hall of Fame Class. Below is a write up from the person who nominated them or a league rep:

2018 Player Hall of Fame Selections:

Brett Bigler, OCWA

“The newest crop of Wiffle stars has probably never heard his name. But Brett Bigler was one of the first true stars on a national scale. He only played 50 career regular season games in OCWA. He never played in a full season. This mans greatest accomplishment came when it mattered. While he was no slouch in the mound (4th player in OCWA history to log a no-hitter), he was known for his prowess at the dish and in the field. In 16 playoff games he batted an unheard .446, with 16 HR and 60 RBI. Half of his homers came in either elimination or clinching games. He was just as clutch in the NELA Tournament, as he was the first truly game-changer in the field and he hit the mercy-rule championship clinching home run in 2012. He’s still in the top 15 all-time in NWLA Tournament home runs, and he’s only been to half of the tournaments. He was a key cog in the formative years of the Freaky Franchise, and during his tenure, all they did was win 3 titles, have a 20-0 season, and win the inaugural NWLA Tournament. Then, he moved out of state, and briefly reappeared in 2017. Bigler made a huge impact on the early years of the NWLA Tournament era, and also helped bring the OCWA into the forefront of the Wiffle world, and for that, I can’t thank him enough, and I emphatically welcome him to the NWLA Hall of Fame!”

-Justin Tomkins

Austin Bischoff, WSEM

“It’s safe to assume Austin Bischoff is in the NWLA Hall of Fame because of his play on the field. It’s not a bad assumption. The 2nd ballot Hall of Famer was the face of Wiffle in Southeast Michigan (WSEM) in 2012-13, which at the time had some of the deepest talent in league history. To be more specific, Austin Bischoff is known for his pitching. Career wise in WSEM on the mound, he went 35-8 with a 0.76 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. He struck out 664 batters and had two perfect games. He was the ace for his team that won both the 2012 and 2013 WSEM titles. That is a decent assumption, but it’s not the full story. Austin, his brother and his friends had their own league in his backyard. He turned his league, the Whiteford Wiffle Association (WWA) into the Whiteford Wicked Aces (WWA), and he turned his backyard into one of the premier wiffleball fields in the country (see below). The Wicked Aces won three titles, two with Austin, and their namesake took down a title last year. If you want to call them a dynasty, you wouldn’t be wrong. You put all of that together, and you have quite the wiffleball resume. You don’t need to, but you can also throw in his NWLA Tournament career. It shined the most in 2014, where he went 3-0 as the WSEM Dads #2 pitcher and helped them win their first national title. Austin Bischoff, stud pitcher, league commissioner turned founder of a dynasty team, architecture of a premiere field and national champ. Well done, Austin.”

-Carl Coffee

Bryan Jennings, KWL

“We’re very proud to have Bryan Jennings inducted into the NWLA Hall of Fame. BJ has been a stellar player, teammate, and competitor for more than a decade. While he is primarily know to be a big slugger, holding the KWL single season home run record and winning 13 offensive awards, he is also a highly decorated defensive player. Bryan won the KWL’s White Glove award 4 times. Pitchers have reported he’s has always been the toughest out because of his tremendously quick hands. Quoting KWL ace and NWLA veteran AJ Tate “I don’t F*$%ing get how he does it. He stands at the plate twirling his bat to get his timing down. I start my pitch mid his pansy twirl, a hard slider that breaks 2 feet from the board, and he can get his hands around to bomb it 135 feet.” Bryan’s career has also been plagued by knee injuries. He’s had reconstructive surgery twice which has caused him to wear a knee brace for the last 7 seasons. He attributes he pre, mid, and off season soccer play as the reasons he’s able to bounce back from the injuries. In the 2014 season his batting average ranked second at .452 even though his speed down to first was clocked at “half Pujols speed” due to the bum knee. Bryan is a quiet competitor. He always wants to win but he will be the first person to shake hands after a hard fought defeat. During his career when he’s not on the field he’s seen as strategist and a coach. This guiding spirit is seen more strongly now that he and his wife Sarah have start to bring their young son Aiden to the fields in Kalamazoo. An observant fan could see father and son both tracking the pitchers motions in the same calculating way. Bryan Jennings has long had the tag of ‘greatest all around hitter in KWL history’, this tag is well earned and he lives up to it each time he steps to the plate. A final quote from AJ Tate “The dude started with a tuxedo jersey and now he wears neon green. He can’t pick clothes but he can definitely hit.” That’s right AJ, he can’t pick clothes.”

-Brian Lewis

2018 Team Hall of Fame Selection:

SWBL Rockies

“The Rockies franchise from the Skibbe Wiffleball League in St. Louis, MO are one of the original 8 franchises in the SWBL, which include players who have been around for a close to a decade or longer. They are one of two franchises that have multiple championships in the Franchise Era, winning in 2015 and 2017. They also have 4 division titles and have been ranked as high as #2 in the NWLA Team Rankings. Led by captain and two time MVP, Blake Spencer (who has a future NWLA Hall of Fame resume in his future), their roster has included players such as 2018 National Fielder of the Year, Brian Kenney and NWLA Hall of Fame member, Brett Spencer. The Rockies have dominated the SWBL regular season and are the only team in the franchise era to make the playoffs in every single year. Past roster members have also included: 2012 Rookie of the Year, Grant Boyd (Current Roster), Kyle Breda (Current Roster), Evan Close (SWBL Expos), Dave Menne (Retired), and Scott Sommerfield (Retired). They have had players play in the NWLA Tournament and London Slow Pitch Tournaments, along with local other leagues in St. Louis. Despite being overlooked in many preseason power rankings by the SWBL Front Office, they continue to prove that they are one of the best teams not just in the SWBL, but in the country; continuously in the National Rankings.“ -Sam Skibbe


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