UNITY — The Saskatchewan Baseball Museum has announced the 2026 Hall of Fame inductees, with a very familiar name that has strong ties to Unity.
Troy Winterhalt, son of Fred and Bernie, will be inducted for his contributions to the sport and the Lloydminster Twins senior team during the annual event Aug. 15 in Battleford.
Growing up in a sporting community like Unity gave Winterhalt many options to participate. As a kid, Winterhalt played many sports on top of baseball, including hockey until the age of 12, before trading his hockey jersey in for a striped black and white one.
“I wasn’t the most skilled player and didn’t get a lot of ice time once I got to peewee. I wanted to stay in hockey, so I started to officiate and have done it ever since. It was one of the best decisions I ever made, and I often say I’ve officiated better hockey than I ever would have played,” laughed Winterhalt.
During his high school days, Winterhalt joined the basketball team, finishing third in the province 3A boys in 1996. He also joined the volleyball team in his Grade 12 year due to a shortage of players, placing fourth in the province. Even as an adult, Winterhalt continues to stay athletic by golfing, and playing tennis and backyard football.
“Basically, if it was a sport, I would play it. I just loved competing, and playing all the different sports was really helpful for my athletic growth,” said the inductee.
But baseball was always the sport he loved the most. It was all he wanted to do each summer, whether it was on the diamond with his minor ball team, playing with his father in the backyard or by himself, bouncing a tennis ball off the roof of the house.
“I liked everything about it. Hitting the ball far and running bases. Playing catch, throwing the ball and trying different pitches. Working to learn how to catch fly balls or just playing with friends. It’s all a part of it,” said Winterhalt.
At the plate, Winterhalt was known to have a good eye and a swing that could drive the ball all over the field, often wearing out the opposing team’s left-centre field. As a left-handed hitter, he always found a way on base and could steal bases to get into scoring position.
While on the field, Winterhalt played outfield and corner infield positions and took a spot on the mound as a pitcher. And if he wasn’t busy playing the game he loved, he was still at the diamond either as an umpire or helping the younger minor ball teams as a coach.
During his midget year, Winterhalt played for the Unity Cardinals, being coached by Mike Douglas, who showed the team how the work, repetition and dedication not only made strong players, but a great team, and Winterhalt found Douglas to be an inspiring figure to help him become the player and leader he would be for his teams.
“Mike always told us the three D’s that I will always remember: dedication, determination and discipline. Those were what he expected out of us when we played for him. It is something I won’t forget for sure and can be useful in everyday life, not just baseball,” said Winterhalt.
In 1996, Winterhalt played his final year of minor ball. At the zone playdowns, he threw a complete game one hitter against Meadow Lake, leading to him being picked up by North Battleford for the Zone 7 representatives at the Saskatchewan Summer Games in Moose Jaw. The following two years, Winterhalt played for the senior Wilkie Brewers team as the ace of the pitching staff.
In 1998, Winterhalt was added to the Midwest White Sox junior team roster. During that season, the White Sox finished runner-up at the Junior AAA provincials and Winterhalt won not only the North Saskatchewan River Baseball League (NSRBL) title, but also the provincial championship with the Brewers.
Winterhalt then moved to Lloydminster to pursue a career as a butcher in 1999. Although it was difficult to balance work and the extra travelling to Unity to play for the senior Cardinals, Winterhalt was able to help the White Sox win the junior provincial championship by pitching a complete game shutout at the start of the tournament.
In 2000, Winterhalt joined the Lloydminster Meridian Twins, donning the number 22 jersey and helped the team win their first NSRBL title, followed up with another league title and a provincial championship two years later. The Twins were also named Saskatchewan Baseball’s senior team of the year, and Winterhalt was a key contributor on the field.
“He held every role with the team and did so much that many did not ever see. He was crucial in the team’s success and longevity. Managing, coaching, field maintenance, fundraising and anything else that could be done to help the team thrive, he did it,” said nominator, Kevin Payne, who also said in his nomination that the Unity native won multiple team awards and was voted by his teammates for the league all-star games numerous times while with the Twins.
Winterhalt’s last season on the senior team was 2021, spending a total of 22 years with the team. In that time, the team played in the NSRBL final 18 times, winning 11 of those games, including back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2010 and 2011. The team won six league trophies in a row from 2009-2014, and won numerous tournaments as well. In 2023, the Twins 2000-2014 teams were inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame under the team category.
Before Winterhalt officially hung up his cleats and ball glove, he played with the Macklin Lakers in 2018, helping the team win their first senior provincial championship, followed by another in 2019. He also played with the Macklin Lakers 35+ team from 2017 to 2022, with that team winning two mini-provincial championships in 2021 and 2022.
“I was a part of 12 NSRBL championship teams and seven provincial championship teams over the years. I was fortunate to have played with great teammates. They have all meant a great deal to me,” said the inductee. Since retiring from the sport, he added that he misses getting together with his teammates and spending time with his family at the ballpark.
His wife Jasmine and daughters Casey and Dawsyn spend many summers watching Winterhalt play ball and said they have many special memories. Although his daughters prefer to play basketball, they did try playing baseball when they were younger.
“Baseball is a hard game. I tell kids to practice and play as much as they can. The more reps, the better when learning the game. The basics are key to being a good, consistent player. Remember to be a good teammate and most importantly, make sure they have fun,” said Winterhalt.
He said being inducted as an individual is a huge honour for him.
“I certainly put a lot of hard work into my baseball career, on and off the field, and it is nice to be recognized for it. My family is proud because they know how much baseball has meant to me for so long. They were a part of it, and their support has meant a lot over my career. This is not something I ever thought about trying to accomplish, so to be inducted is very humbling.”
