Wayne Pusch from Regina Beach will be inducted into the individual category of the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, as a player and builder, Aug. 17.
Pusch was born July 23, 1948 and his father Art claimed, "He was born with a baseball in his hand."
Pusch started playing catch with his mother Irma in preschool and continued from there to pitch for many southeast Saskatchewan towns throughout high school.
While completing a Bachelor of Education degree, he spent his summers in Ottawa, Ont. pitching for the Nepean Astros of the Interprovincial Baseball League. The left-handed pitcher garnered many newspaper headlines there. His accolades included throwing a no hitter, tying the shutout record and throwing a game with 19 strikeouts.
Returning to Saskatchewan to begin his school teaching career, Pusch played with the Swift Current Indians of the Southern Saskatchewan Baseball League and earned the rookie of the year award in 1972.
In 1973, Pusch helped the Indians to win the league pennant. He posted the lowest ERA (1.42) that year and was offered a tryout with Team Canada for the 1973 Intercontinental Cup. Pusch was the final player cut from the team, who went on to finish third in Nicaragua. Pusch was also athlete of the year and named most valuable player in 1974.
Throughout his teaching career, Pusch excelled at both academics and coaching a multitude of sports while remaining very active in baseball.
Pusch was the southern representative for the Saskatchewan Baseball Association from 1978-82. In this role, he worked on the coaching manual for amateur baseball in Canada.
Cogan's Syndrome, which causes inner-ear problems and dizziness, cut Pusch's playing career short, but medication later allowed him to return to playing senior baseball with Lumsden in 1989.
Pusch was picked up by the Moose Jaw Ol'Birds of the Qu'Appelle Valley League, and with Pusch, the team made two appearances in the Senior Men's World Series in Phoenix, Ariz. in 1991 and 1993. In their second trip, they placed fourth.
Pusch continues to play old-timers baseball in Arizona, returning to his home in Regina Beach in the summer, where he is an active community member, volunteer, and humanitarian.
