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Casey Softball Hall of Honor celebrates new inductions  Share
Highlights Popcorn Festival The Casey Softball Hall of Honor will celebrate the induction of new members at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, September 6 at Fairview Park near the Casey Softball Museum and Hall of Honor. Master of Ceremonies John McDaniel will host the affair with assistance from President LeRoy Staley. Illinois ASA Commissioner Don Brewer will be the honored guest. Central Illinois has always been a leader in fast pitch softball activities, and Casey has been the center of it. A softball program has been in continuous operation since the early 1930s. The idea for a Casey Softball Museum originated with Joe Snedeker, LeRoy Staley and Moe Ashley back in the mid '70s with a grand opening on July 3, 1976. In 1982 a Fast Pitch Hall of Honor committee was selected with the approval of the Illinois Amateur Softball Association. The purpose was to select people who have made outstanding contributions as a player, umpire, sponsor, commissioner, announcer, sports writer, sportscaster, manager or other official designation.
Last year's Popcorn Festival included a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Grand Re-Opening of the Casey Softball Museum. The city donated $1,500 to get things started, and Snedeker and Staley took it from there to find an economical way to revitalize the museum. They got the job done. Including the nominees for 2009, 104 men and women have been selected for entry into The Casey Hall of Honor. The following six people will be inducted on September 6: Buster Fuller, Mark Fuller, Mike Nichols, Dave Sparks, George Easton, and Dara Throneburg Updegraff. Buster Fuller played with Casey Dillier Oil from 1989 through the 1997 season. Possessing great speed, he was a fixture in centerfield and as a lead off batter for the next 9 years. Using his speed, he stole as many as 34 bases in 1992 and hit as high as .389 in 1989. In 1989 he also showed he could hit for power when he hit 14 home runs. For his Dillier Oil career, Buster hit .343. In 8 regionals he hit .405, and had a .302 average in 9 state tournaments. Mark Fuller joined brother Buster on Casey Dillier Oil in 1990 and played through the 1997 season. Mark was a very versatile ballplayer playing first base, second base, and third base before settling in at shortstop. During his 8 years, Mark twice hit over.400, with a high of .411 in 1991. For his Dillier Oil career he carried and average of .347. Mark also hit .375 in regional play and .298 in 8 state tournaments. In the period that Mark and Buster Fuller played with Casey Dillier Oil, the team won 8 of 9 regionals and placed in the top 10 of the 50 plus team state tournament 4 times, highlighted by a 4th place finish in 1992. To top off the 1992 season, Mark and Buster were both awarded All-State honors. Mike Nichols played with the AA Casey Truckers, as a strong and accurate armed outfielder, in 1983 and 1984. In 1984, with the Truckers, Mike .356 and earned All-State honors in the AA State Tournament by hitting an impressive .757. After the 1984 season, due to job responsibilities, Mike had to relocate out of the Casey area. Mike returned to Casey and played third base for Dillier Oil from 1993 through 1997. During that time, he had a career average of .335, with a high of .408 in 1994. Mike earned All-State honors again in 1994. While Mike played with Dillier Oil, the team advanced to the state tournament every year. Dave Sparks, a sports writer for the Casey Reporter in the '70s, Dave covered all local teams with great detail and added human interest stories. His coverage of the Ft. Worth, Texas game was very entertaining and is on display at the museum. Dave later moved on to the Bristol, Tennessee area. George Easton was a first baseman on the original Tracy Truckers and continued for seven years. He maintained a .270 batting average and was a fine defensive player. The team won 16 league and tournament trophies with 272 wins and 112 losses during his tenure. Dara Throneburg Updegraff was a very versatile athlete who played many positions. Dara holds 7 State Tournament records. She has been around softball most of her life and realized a dream of winning a State Championship while her father was coaching. Dara played college ball at Missouri and later joined her father as assistant coach at Lake Land Junior College. Presently, she is the coach at Casey-Westfield High School. The committee invites all past fans, players, members, families and the entire community to this event. Sharon Durham is a staff reporter for the Casey Reporter.
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