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HALL OF FAME

New Carlisle boasts one of the richest Wiffle®Ball traditions in the country with the illustrious histories of The Wiffle®Ball Championship and Old Republic Wiffle®Ball League. Established in 2020, the New Carlisle Wiffle®Ball Hall of Fame honors the most impactful figures in the sport.

The Hall of Fame museum and exhibit is typically open in Memorial Park during the Hometown Days festival.

2024 Hours (Eastern Time):

The Hall of Fame will be closed for the 2024 festival, as we partner with Historic New Carlisle to re-imagine a new exhibit in 2025 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Hometown Days.

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Inductees

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2005: Team 23
2006: The 4 Amigos
2007: Stingers
2008: Multiple Scorgasms
2009: Thick Stix
2010: We’ve Got the Runs
2011: Wills Township Federalists
2012-2013,15-16,19-22: Maple City Magic
2014: Maple City Magic #2
2017: SpeedKills
2018: Maple City Purple

ORWBL
2010-2011: Wills Township Federalists
2012-2016, 2018-2022: Maple City Magic
2017: Jet City Junkballers

Shane Anderson

Inducted in 2020

One of only two players to participate in The Wiffle®Ball Championship every year since 2005, Shane Anderson has been a model of consistency regardless of the team he has suited up for.
At the time of his induction, no player has played in more Hometown Cup Finals, as Anderson has made eleven appearances at Migley (2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). He finally broke through with a title in 2020, followed by a successful defense in 2021.

As a 14-year old, he helped lead The 4 Amigos to a runner-up finish in 2006, and he returned to Wiffle®Ball's Grandest Stage in 2008 again as a teenager with Multiple Scorgasms. More recently, he has made several trips to the Final Four with the Maple City Magic franchise.

Known most for his pitching, he won ORWBL Cy Young awards in 2010 and 2013. He has been selected an All-Star seven times (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2020). A three-time World Series champ, Anderson sat atop the all-time career list for pitching wins and strikeouts at the time of his induction.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2010-2012, 2020-2021: Looney Wifflers
2013: Yhung Dipset
2014-2015: Jet City Junkballers
2016-2017: Maple City Magic
2018-2019: Maple City Purple

ORWBL
2007: Big Uglies
2010: New Carlisle Newts
2011-2014: Wills Township Federalists
2016: Jet City Junkballers
2016-2021: Maple City Magic

John Arndt

Inducted in 2020

John Arndt has made his name in wiffleball mostly outside of New Carlisle. The slugger is most well known as the captain of the Looney Wifflers, champions in Mishawaka in 2000.

But John has also been a prominent figure in his hometown. Most notably, he was the winner of the inaugural Home Run Derby in 2005, and has won four more titles (2008, 2009, 2013, 2016).

He made three consecutive trips to the Hometown Cup Finals with the Maple City franchise (2016, 2017, 2018), including a runner-up finish in 2017.

Arndt has sporadically appeared for various teams in ORWBL since the league's founding in 2007. The majority of his playing time came between 2011-14 as a member of the Wills Township Federalists, where he led the Feds to a 2011 National League pennant and was later named an All-Star in 2012.

Since 2016, he has been on board for all four Maple City World Series titles.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2005-2006: Violent Vipers
2007: The Actual
2008: Cubs
2009-2011: Ballz Deep
2012: Yhung Dipset

ORWBL
2011-2013: Wills Township Federalists
2015: Bourissa Hills Pterodactyls

Nick Arndt

Inducted in 2020

With one of the purest home run swings the game has ever seen, Nick Arndt was the preeminent power hitter in the first part of the last decade.

Arndt was the first to three-peat in the Home Run Derby, winning in 2010, 2011, and 2012. After a year hiatus, he returned to win his fourth Golden Bat in 2014. He made a cameo at the 2016 Derby, but has largely stepped away from wiffleball for the past several years.

Beginning his career as a 10-year old with the Violent Vipers, Arndt's best Championship finish came in 2009 when he captained Ballz Deep to a Final Four run.

A three-time ORWBL All-Star (2011, 2012, 2013), Arndt was a mainstay of the juggernaut Wills Township Federalists. Later, he would serve as a ringer for the Pterodactyls. In 2012, Arndt belted out a single-season record 110 home runs, an ORWBL record that will likely stand the test of time.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2005: Cougar Football Seniors
2006: Sultans of Swing
2007-2022: New Carlisle Newts

ORWBL
2007-2022: New Carlisle Newts

Garrett Curless

Inducted in 2020

Known in Migleyville as "Mr. Newt," Garrett Curless has defined New Carlisle wiffleball for the past 15 years. He has played in every Hometown Days tournament and in every season of ORWBL.

Curless contributed to the Sultans of Swing title run in 2006 before helping form one of wiffleball's most famous franchises, the New Carlisle Newts in 2007.

Since then he has led the hometown team to three Championships (2007, 2008, and 2018) and a record eight trips to the Hometown Cup Finals. His legendary performance in 2018 carried the Newts to the Cup, ending a 10-year drought and earning him the Kaylor Trophy.

In league play, Curless has brought three ORWBL World Series titles to New Carlisle (2013, 2014, 2016). He was the league's Most Valuable Player in 2007, 2016, and 2022.

An 14-time All-Star (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022), Curless is one of just five players in the 300 home run club.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2009-2010: Banana Slugs
2012: G-Slugs
2013, 2019-2022: Maple City Magic
2014: Maple City Magic #2
2015-2018: Cult West Warriors

ORWBL
2009-2012: Banana Slugs
2013-2022: Maple City Magic

Wes Ellis

Inducted in 2020

A career defined by winning, Wes Ellis has been the star for three different teams in his career. After emerging on the scene with the now defunct Banana Slugs, Ellis has reached the pinnacle of the wiffle world with the Cult West Warriors and has established his ORWBL legacy with the Maple City Magic.

Ellis first found Migley Field in 2013 with the Magic, but his greatest success came after being picked up by then two-time defending champions Cult West in 2015. He was on board for two Cup wins with the Warriors in 2015 and 2017. He led the Magic to the top in 2020 and 2021, taking home the Kaylor Trophy in the for Maple City's first title run.

In ORWBL, Ellis is a ten-time All-Star (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022) and was named the league's Most Valuable Player in 2012 for the Slugs.

He led the Magic to four consecutive World Series titles (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), a run that included being named 2018 World Series Co-MVP. He won back-to-back Cy Young awards in 2017 and 2018.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2005: Pioneers
2007: Shockers
2009-2011, 17-18: Pterodactyls
2012: Taco Punchers
2013: New Carlisle Newts
2020-2021: C-Team
2022: C-Slugs

ORWBL
2007-2011: Bourissa Hills Pterodactyls
2012-2015, 2022: New Carlisle Newts
2016-2017: Galena Marsh Dabbers
2018: Rolling Prairie Emery's Army

Jared Emmons

Inducted in 2020

A true pioneer of the game, Jared Emmons is the co-founder of ORWBL, helping to establish New Carlisle's enduring wiffleball legacy.

While he is most known for his long, distinguished ORWBL career, Emmons has also made a few magical tournament runs at Hometown Days. He led the Pterodactyls to a runner-up finish in 2009. In 2012, half of his Taco Punchers roster failed to show up, forcing Emmons to cobble together a squad on site. The team would pull off a Cinderella run to The Wiffle®Ball Championship Game.

Emmons founded New Carlisle's American League franchise, the Pterodactyls, and led them to a World Series title in 2009. One of ORWBL's top pitchers, the southpaw took home Cy Young honors in 2007 and 2016.

A journeyman since he sold his franchise following the 2011 season, Emmons has been an ORWBL All-Star eight times (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017).

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2005, 2015-2016: Late Arrivers
2007-2012: New Carlisle Newts

ORWBL
2007-2012: New Carlisle Newts

Matt Flagg

Inducted in 2020

One of the craftiest wiffleball vets to ever take the field, the late Matt "X-Factor" Flagg was an invaluable figure in The Wiffle®Ball Championship's formation and growth. In addition to helping manage the pool play schedule, he also served as the umpire of the Hometown Cup Finals.

Flagg captained the ship of the inaugural tournament's championship team, appropriately named the Late Arrivers. With Hometown Days needing a 16th team to fill out an even bracket, the team was formed in the wee hours on the eve of the first tournament.

Flagg would go on to win two more titles with the New Carlisle Newts in 2007 and 2008 before retiring after the 2012 season. He later made a few appearances with the revival of the Late Arrivers franchise.

The original ace of the Newts staff in ORWBL, Flagg won the Cy Young in 2007 and was an All-Star each of the first three years of the league.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2007: Shockers
2010-2011, 17-18: Pterodactyls
2012: Taco Punchers
2013: New Carlisle Newts

ORWBL
2007-2011: Bourissa Hills Pterodactyls
2012-2014: New Carlisle Newts
2016-2017: Galena Marsh Dabbers

Denis Jedrysek

Inducted in 2020

The most feared hitter of Wiffle®Ball's Golden Age, Denis Jedrysek made opposing pitchers wish for an intentional walk rule.

Alongside longtime teammate Jared Emmons, Jedrysek led the Taco Punchers to an appearance in The Wiffle®Ball Championship Game in 2012. His walk-off home run in the semifinals against Cult West remains one of the most legendary moments in tournament history.

Although most of his ORWBL career occurred before the stat-keeping era, Jedrysek's accolades are impressive nonetheless. Named Most Valuable Player in 2007 and 2009, he led the Pterodactyls to the 2009 World Series title.

He was selected an All-Star in all five seasons he played for the 'Dactyls (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) and made a sixth appearance in 2016 with the Galena Marsh Dabbers. Twice he was the All-Star Game MVP in 2007 and 2010, and he also won the first ever ORWBL Home Run Derby in 2007.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2005-2019: Staff

Bob Keck

Inducted in 2020

The owner and head groundskeeper of Migley Field, The Wiffle®Ball Championship at Hometown Days would not have been possible without Bob Keck.

In addition to the countless hours he has spent building and maintaining the ballpark at the corner of Bray and Dunn, he has painted miles of foul lines at The Championship's expansive 20-field complex at the New Prairie Little League fields.

He has been a major part of a family effort to organize the tournament every year, providing a fun summer activity for thousands of participants over 15 years.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2007-2014: New Carlisle Newts
2015: Beef Barn

ORWBL
2007-2014: New Carlisle Newts

Kaylor Keck

Inducted in 2020

Contributing both on and off the field, The Wiffle®Ball Championship and ORWBL would not exist without the late Kaylor Keck.

In 2007 and 2008, he feasted on the foul ball home run and helped the Newts win back-to-back Championships. In his final tournament appearance with the club in 2014, the Newts returned to Migley Field with a Final Four run. He came out of retirement in 2015 to fill in for Beef Barn, carrying them to a Sweet Sixteen berth.

Kaylor was a four-time All-Star in ORWBL, and he won the National League Cy Young in 2008. He was a member of New Carlisle's first two World Series championship teams in 2013 and 2014.

A talented artist, Kaylor constructed and painted the Migley Field manually operated scoreboard and famous marquee. Awarded annually to the Marquee Player of the Hometown Cup Finals, the Kaylor Trophy is named in his memory.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2005: Team 23
2006: The 4 Amigos
2007: Stingers
2008: Team Infuego
2009: Rated RBI
2011: Wills Township Federalists
2012-2013: Yhung Dipset
2014: Maple City Magic #2
2015, 2019, 2020: Maple City Magic
2016: Jet City Junkballers
2017: SpeedKills
2018, 2022: Maple City Purple
2021: Oddballs

ORWBL
2010-2011: Wills Township Federalists
2012-2016, 18-22: Maple City Magic
2016-2017: Jet City Junkballers

Drew Luther

Inducted in 2020

A New Carlisle kid that grew up with The Wiffle®Ball Championship, Drew Luther has been one of the most reliable and sure-handed players in the lineup for each of his teams.

First reaching Migley in 2006 with The 4 Amigos, Luther returned to Wiffle®Ball's Grandest Stage in 2015, 2018, and 2019 before ultimately winning The Cup in 2020 with teammate Shane Anderson and the Maple City franchise.

A seven-time All-Star (2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021) he captured his first ORWBL World Series title with the Magic in 2018 and was on board for two more in 2019 and 2020. At the time of his induction, Luther ranked fifth on the ORWBL all-time hits list, as he is one of just six players who have eclipsed 600.

His role in the only known game-fixing scandal in wiffleball history did not affect his consideration for the Hall of Fame. During pool play in 2006, Luther agreed to purchase an elephant ear from Memorial Park for Tyler Cox of Great Balls of Fire in exchange for Cox throwing the game.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2011: Mega Powers
2012-2022: Cult West Warriors

ORWBL
2012-2015: Cult West Warriors
2016-2022: New Carlisle Newts

Jay Ryans

Inducted in 2020

In an offensive-dominated game, Jay Ryans is the great equalizer on the mound. The ace of the Cult West staff has a vicious knuckleball which can silence even the loudest bats in the game.

Ryans has been a centerpiece of the Cult West dynasty, leading the Warriors to four titles at The Wiffle®Ball Championship (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017). He took home the Kaylor Trophy in 2017 for his prowess on the mound and performance at the plate.

Ryans was also a dominant force for the Warriors during their run in ORWBL. For the squad's first league season in 2012, he was named Most Valuable Player while leading the club to the World Series title. He also brought the team another title in 2015. In 2016, along with his Cult West teammates, Ryans won a third World Series Championship with the Newts.

A five-time All-Star (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018), he was the All-Star Game MVP his rookie year.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2007-2020: Speedy’s Chickenheads
2021: The Muffs

ORWBL
2010-2012: South Bend Sour Wowers
2013-2014: New Carlisle Newts
2015, 2017, 2020: Rolling Prairie Emery’s Army
2016: South Bend Muffs

Matt Serge

Inducted in 2020

A fierce competitor on the field and the face of sportsmanship off the field, Matt Serge has led Speedy's Chickenheads out of Diamond Lake, Michigan, to the top of wiffleball's highest mountain.

No team means more to The Wiffle®Ball Championship than Speedy's Chickenheads. An annual contender since 2007, Speedy's was the first team outside of the New Carlisle area to make Hometown Days a wiffleball destination.

Final Four, runners-up, and Champions were the results for Speedy's in their first three years in New Carlisle. Serge led the team back to Migley in 2017.

Taking over the ORWBL franchise known as the South Bend Sour Wowers in 2010, Serge guided them to consecutive World Series titles while earning MVP, Cy Young, and Manager of the Year honors.

He crossed over to the rival Newts in 2013, leading New Carlisle to consecutive World Series titles as well. A six-time All-Star (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), he held a .575 career average at the time of his induction.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2005: Little Leaguers
2006: Pistle Whippers
2007: No Name
2008-2009: Northsiders
2010-2016: The Muffs
2019: Hotel Tango
2020-2021: C-Team
2022: C-Slugs

ORWBL
2010-2011: Wills Township Federalists
2012: Heston Gangster Slugs
2013: Toll Road Rebels
2014-2015: New Carlisle Newts
2016: South Bend Muffs

Seth Shail

Inducted in 2020

A great two-way player, Seth Shail has been a fixture in New Carlisle wiffleball from its founding in 2005.
As a youngster, Shail created multiple teams in the tournament's early days. In 2009, he teamed up with Allen Ament to form the Northsiders, advancing to the Elite Eight.

The following year, the duo created one of The Championship's perennial powerhouses, The Muffs. Although they have not made a Final Four appearance since their debut in 2010, The Muffs continue to be a title contender year in and year out.

Shail broke into the ORWBL with the Wills Township Federalists, playing for the back-to-back National League Champions in 2010 and 2011. He made a third consecutive trip to the World Series in 2012 with the Slugs.

Shail finally got his ring in 2014, anchoring the Newts pitching staff and leading New Carlisle to a World Series title.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2011: Mega Powers
2012-2022: Cult West Warriors

ORWBL
2012-2015: Cult West Warriors
2016-2022: New Carlisle Newts

Scott Soos

Inducted in 2020

One of the most decorated wifflers of all-time, Scott Soos of the Cult West Warriors has dominated the game's landscape for the past decade.

Captain of the four-time Champions of Wiffle®Ball (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017), Soos has gained the reputation as "Home Run Guy."

In 2011, Soos brought the Mega Powers to New Carlisle for the first time. After an early playoff upset, the team returned in 2012 as the Cult West Warriors, and the wiffle world has never been the same.

Cult West also began ORWBL play in 2012. Soos, winning Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year, led the squad to the World Series title. After Soos won MVP awards in 2013 and 2014, Cult West would claim another championship in 2015 before disbanding from league play.

Continuing his ORWBL career in New Carlisle, Soos has been an All-Star in all 11 seasons (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). He is the all-time ORWBL Home Run and hits leader.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2011: The Mega Powers
2012-2021: Cult West Warriors

ORWBL
2012-2015: Cult West Warriors
2016-2019: New Carlisle Newts
2020: Rolling Prairie Emery's Army
2021: Maple City Magic
2022: Bourissa Hills Wildcards

Danny Hernandez

Inducted in 2021

Danny Hernandez is a four-time Champion of Wiffle®Ball with the Warriors, playing a vital role in both Cult West’s three-peat (2013-15) and the redemption tour in 2017.

Although best known as a member of Cult West, Hernandez has played for five different Old Republic Wiffle®Ball League (ORWBL) teams thus far in his ten-year career. He has won three ORWBL World Series titles, two with Cult West in 2012 and 2015, and his third with the New Carlisle Newts in 2016. A six-time ORWBL All-Star, Hernandez was seventh all-time in career hits and ranked eighth for both home runs and RBI at the time of his induction. He was the 2015 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.

CAREER TIMELINE

The Wiffle®Ball Championship
2011: Mega Powers
2012-2022: Cult West Warriors

ORWBL
2012-2015: Cult West Warriors
2016-2022: New Carlisle Newts

Matt Soos

Inducted in 2022

A clutch-hitting utility player, Matt Soos has played every position on the field, proving himself to be a reliable outfielder and an effective pitcher. His adaptability at the plate has made him a valuable part of any lineup. Joining his brother Scott, along with Jay Ryans and Danny Hernandez, he is the fourth player inducted as a Cult West Warrior. The Cult West dynasty began with a 2012 World Series title in the Old Republic Wiffle®Ball League, followed by another league title in 2015 and most notably, four Hometown Cups in five years (2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017). A 4-time All-Star, he was named All-Star Game MVP in 2021 for his late game heroics, a staple of his 10-year career. His numerous postseason walk-off hits contributed to 3 World Series titles in 6 appearances

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