Player of the Year: Eric Theiss New York Hounds

Eric Theiss has been nothing short of a player to watch on the field. He is a middle infielder for the NY Hounds and the Captain of the team. He hits for average and power and is staple in infield of one top infields in the country. He continues to have season after season of high-level play and has led the NY Hounds to one of top teams in country. His energy on the field is second to none as he can be seen constantly firing up his teammates and keeping them up and focused! These honors are long overdue for this great player. Eric is the oldest son of former NY Metro player Eric Theiss, Eric also has 2 brothers that play with him on the Hounds. It is apparent that Police Softball runs through the family’s blood. Eric has been key in the NY Hounds success helping them win many tourneys over the past few years while being MVP or All Tournament in all.

Defensive Player of the Year: Matt McKinney MO50

Matt is a tremendous talent and a rising star on the police circuit. Matt is a major caliber player and he is currently in his third season on the PS circuit. In this short time Matt has earned multiple all-tourney selections, leads the team in multiple hitting categories year after year, and plays stout, error free defense. Matt is a major player, and a corner stone player that MO50 is building around on our journey to the major division.

Matt is a dedicated member of MO50, only missing tournaments due to recovery from knee surgery. Last season, Matt played with a torn knee and was a standout on the field. Matt makes the most difficult defensive play seem routine; from diving stops, to chasing down punch-n-judy hits in the short field, to hits in the gap, Matt can do it all. The consistency he brings to the field has been noticed by major teams and they are often trying to lure him to their team. Matt has a lot of softball experience and he is often seen helping the new players with their fielding positions and hitting. He has established himself as a leader on the team and he has embraced this role.

Matt is agile with good speed. He has a cannon for an arm that is also accurate. This allows him to play many positions for us. He most often plays second, middle, and short, but, will play the outfield and catcher when needed. In a pinch he will pitch too. He is unselfish and often approaches me and lets me know he will play wherever he is needed to make the team better. His high level of play and his unselfish attitude is recognized by his teammates and coaching staff. Each year he receives MVP votes towards the team award which is voted on by his teammates. Matt McKinney will be a name the players and administration will come to know on the PS circuit.

Manager of the Year: John Erven Maximum Elite

John jumped in when Maximum Elite’s manager retired at the end of 2018. He has added a few new faces and has had his team in the top 3 of every tournament so far this year. He takes advice from his players and uses it if he feels it’s necessary. He always puts a team on the field that will compete with anyone in the country.

Sponsor of the Year: Buds Gun Shop- Louisville Metro

Buds fully sponsors Louisville Metro, paying for hotels, travel, and tournament fees. Buds has also provided funds to sponsor the complete purchase order for the Policesoftball Hall of Fame challenge coins. Buds also donates items to any tournament that has giveaways as a part of their tournament. Buds gives a law enforcement discount to police across the country and continues to be a champion for our profession and our sport. Wait until you see what they have in store for the World Series Home Run Derby!

Shevy Wright Sportsman of the Year: Eddy Leal Border Patrol Arsenal

When you consider the spirit of this award, few in our brotherhood represent the image of a “sportsman” at the same level that Eddy Leal does. Eddy runs the Border Patrol Arsenal team, and despite all the roster antics that has been going on in California the past few years, Eddy has consistently run a “drama free” program. For tournament directors, Eddy is what you consider a “low-maintenance” manager. If he verbally commits to a tournament, his word is as good as gold. If you ask him what division he wants to play in, he confidentially answers, “wherever you need us.” You will never hear Eddy complaining about the caliber of umpires, bad calls costing him a game, or fretting about provided bats etc. His dugout is filled with laughter and camaraderie. That doesn’t mean they are not intense, because they are, but this is a reflection of his personality. On top of all that, Eddy is very involved with different fund raisers for fallen Border Patrol Agents and community events.