Gaborone, Botswana – The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Congress concluded with a gala on Sunday to recognize the organization’s Annual Baseball and Softball Award Winners for the 2014-2017 quadrennial. Softball Canada was recognized in each of the four softball categories, with Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, N.L.) earning Player of the Year honours for 2015, John Stuart (Langley, B.C.) being named the Coach of the Year in 2015, Scott McLaren (Penticton, B.C.) taking the Umpire of the Year award for 2017 and Softball Canada picking up the National Federation of the Year award in 2015.
Player of the Year
Sean Cleary dominated from the pitcher’s circle in 2015 to lead Canada to double Gold at the WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship in Saskatoon and the Pan American Games in Toronto. He went 5-0 with 47 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched as Canada’s workhorse at the World Championship and followed that up by going 4-0 with 40 strikeouts in 29 innings at the Pan American Games a week later. Cleary has been a member of Team Canada since 2013 and has competed in three World Championships.
| Year | Player | |
 |
2017 | Nathan Nukunuku (NZL) |
| 2016 | Jessica Moore (USA) | |
| 2015 | Sean Cleary (CAN) | |
| 2014 | Yukiko Ueno (JPN) |
National Team Coach of the Year
John Stuart led the Canadian Men’s National Team to its best season ever in 2015 as the team won its first WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship Gold medal since 1992 and its eighth straight Gold medal at the Pan American Games. At the World Championship, Canada finished first in its pool with a 7-0 record and overcame a loss to New Zealand in the winner’s bracket playoff to defeat Venezuela in the Bronze medal game and overcame a 5-0 deficit to beat New Zealand in the Gold medal game. The following week at the Pan American Games, Canada went a perfect 7-0 to capture Gold.
| Year | Coach | |
 |
2017 | Mark Sorensen (NZL) |
| 2016 | Ken Eriksen (USA) | |
| 2015 | John Stuart (CAN) | |
| 2014 | Reika Utsugi (JPN) |
Umpire of the Year
Scott McLaren was selected as the Umpire of the Year following his excellent performance at the 2017 WBSC Junior Women’s Softball World Championship in Clearwater, Florida. Following a great week, he worked the plate for the Gold medal game between Japan and the United States. McLaren achieved his WBSC Certification in 2013, previously representing Canada as an umpire at the 2014 WBSC Junior Men’s Softball World Championship in Whitehorse.
| Year | Umpire | |
 |
2017 | Scott McLaren (CAN) |
| 2016 | Gianluca Magnani (ITA) | |
| 2015 | Jose Chaparro (PUR) | |
| 2014 | Hideko Okana (JPN) |
National Federation of the Year
Celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2015, Softball Canada successfully hosted the WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship in Saskatoon as well as the Men’s and Women’s Softball competitions at the Pan American Games in Toronto, capturing Gold medals in all three events on home soil.
| Year | Federation | |
 |
2017 | Botswana Softball Association / New Zealand Softball Asociation |
| 2016 | USA Softball | |
| 2015 | Softball Canada | |
| 2014 | Fédération péruvienne de softball (FDPS) |
Softball Canada congratulates all three individual award winners for their distinction at the international level.
