Area Players To Enter Softball Hall Of Fame

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Published on March 21 2017 1:26 pm
Last Updated on March 21 2017 1:26 pm
Written by Millie Lange

The Illinois Amateur Softball Association will conduct the 2017 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Reunion Dinner Saturday, April 8 at the Decatur Conference Center & Hotel, beginning at 5 p.m. Eleven individuals and three teams/organizations will be inducted.

Strasburg's James Noffke and Shumway's Terry Pruemer will be entering the Hall of Fame from this area along with Mike Bohannon, Ron Ohnesorge, Tracy Petersen, Jerry Detloff, John Ashburn, Ken Thaxton, Mike Hayes, Marty Cloe and Brad Sturdy. Teams/organizations entering will be Casey Stingers, Champaign IGA and Alton Kohlers.

Noffke was a catcher, third baseman and outfielder  for Stewarsdon-Strasburg Tate Farm Equipment in ASA fastpitch softball. Noffke competed from 1976 to 1983 on Tate Farm Equipment along with 1990, 1993-1995. He also competed for Decatur ADM in 1984 and 1985 and the Decatur Pride from 1986 to 1989. He spent two years with Effingham Niebrugge from 1991 to 1992.

He was a left-handed hitter and statistics for Tate included 621 games played, 2,017 at bats, 473 runs, 741 hits including 138 doubles, 86 triples and 64 home runs. He stole 42 bases, drew 136 walks, struck out 81 times and finished with 399 RBI. He had a .367 average.

He was a 1982 class A All-Star at third base and a 1983 Class AA All-Star, also at third base. He held the single season batting average for Tate at .415 in 1983 and .411 in 1977. He was second in games played with 106 in 1980, first in at-bats with 359 in 1980 and first in doubles with 32 in 1983. He was second in triples with 20 in 1983.

Pruemer played for Tate Farm Equipment from 1981 to 1993 and on Effingham Bonutti in 1994. He was named Class A State Tourney Most Valuable Pitcher and Class A All-Star Pitcher in 1989. He played in 560 games for Tate pitching 3,315.1 innings. He had a 346-152 win-loss record which is 69.5 percent. He had a 2.62 career ERA.

He is fourth on the single season wins with 39 in 1988 and sixth with 37 in 1989. He's also fourth in shutouts with 11 in 1988. He holds the single season record in games with 59 in 1988 and second in complete games with 47 in 1983. He pitched in the 1989 Class A National Tournament and the 1992 Class AA Nationals.

Pruemer ended his involvement in ASA softball as a business manager of Tate Farm Equipment. He also served in that role for Effingham Bonutti.

Bohannon was a slowpitch softball player and an outfielder for Effingham Turner Trucking. Turner Trucking finished in the Final Four in the ASA State Tournaments in 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1996. He began playing for Toledo Bank but moved to Depoister Drilling/Turner Trucking in 1989. He played nine years, compiling a .657 batting average. In 1996, he had a single-season high of 175 home runs, 410 RBI and a .764 batting average.