Champion Goldeyes re-sign top hurler Rusch

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John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press archives Matt Rusch was 10-4 with a league-best 2.40 ERA last season. (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

THERE was a Rusch of talent rejoining the Winnipeg Goldeyes on Wednesday.

Right-hander Matt Rusch, who led the American Association champion Goldeyes and the entire league with a 2.40 ERA last season, has been signed by the Fish for the 2013 season.

Rusch, 29, was the pitcher of record when the Goldeyes clinched a playoff spot, when they defeated the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in the deciding Game 3 of their American Association Divisional Series and when they won the AA championship in Game 3 against the Wichita Wingnuts.

"We are thrilled to have him coming back," Goldeyes manager Rick Forney said in a release. "He certainly executes pitches at a higher level than most guys that you see in this league. Hopefully he can come in, make 20 or more starts and log 120 or more innings. If he's able to do that, then I am sure he'll have the opportunity to win 10 ball games again for us."

Rusch, a native of Schenectady, N.Y., who now resides in Winnipeg, made 21 starts for the Goldeyes and posted a 10-4 record. He struck out a league-leading 113 hitters in 139 innings.

Bombers hand off $24K

THE Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced Wednesday the football club has donated $8,000 to each of Siloam Mission, the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame, and Hunger for Hope through Winnipeg Harvest.

Jim Bell, the Bombers' vice-president and COO, said the total donation of $24,000 was made possible by the success of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame weekend last November.

Boxer wins in France

KATIE SAULL, a 48-kilogram pugilist from Winnipeg's United Boxing Club, won her bout last weekend in an International Dual Match held in Toulouse, France, that saw Canada's elite women's national team beat France's elite women's national team 5-4.

Saull is a member of Canada's Elite Women's National B team, which was in France as part of a training camp Feb. 1-9.

Ryan Savage, Saull's coach, said she had one bout and won 16-7 on points. A dual match is a competition featuring two countries' boxers against one another.

Hall of a day April 13

THE Manitoba High School Sports Hall of Fame announced its class of 2013, to be honoured on April 13 at the Holiday Inn South.

The athlete category will include multi-sport athletes Gord Patterson (1968 graduation-basketball, track, football) and Jamie (Hancharyk) Jones (1983-volleyball, basketball, field hockey, track, badminton) who both attended Grant Park High School; Daniel McIntyre athletes Joe Ogoms (1983-basketball), Janet (Maddin) Neale (1966-track and field) and Ken Opalko (1976-basketball) as well as multi-sport athlete Ron Hinkewich of Miles Macdonell Collegiate (1973-track, basketball and volleyball).

Inducted in the builder category will be the former physical education director for the Department of Education, Dick LaPage, former coach, official, board member and MHSAA president Peter Dick of Steinbach and longtime Dakota Collegiate coach Jerry Ilchyna.

The Hall of Fame team award will be presented to the 1975-1979 provincial champion Lord Selkirk Royals female volleyball teams, coached by Barry Miller and then Mike Burchuk.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 14, 2013 D4