A long-time Summerland baseball supporter was one of two people from the B.C. Interior recognized for dedication to the sport.
On Friday, Derrick Surowski of Summerland was honoured with an induction into the B.C. Babe Ruth Hall of Fame.
Peter Stoochnoff, the provincial commissioner for the league, was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken Hall of Fame.
Surowski has been involved with B.C. Babe Ruth/Cal Ripkin Baseball for 28 years while Stoochnoff has spent 59 years with the league.
For most of his life, Surowski has worked with minor baseball.
“I’ve been on the ball diamonds since I was two years old,” he said.
He is now the assistant provincial commissioner for B.C. Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken baseball and the district commissioner for the league’s Okanagan-Thompson zone.
“It’s the passion for the sport,” Surowski said, explaining why he has continued to work with minor baseball.
Over the years, while working as an umpire, he has watched many of the British Columbia players who are now in major league baseball.
He has also seen many young baseball players earn scholarships to colleges with strong baseball teams.
While there are top-level players within the league, Surowski said the league works to help all who are interested in the sport.
“We never turn anyone away from playing baseball,” he said.
From 1986 to 2007, Surowski was involved with the Penticton Minor Baseball Association (Babe Ruth Program.) He served with the British Columbia Baseball Umpires Association from 1995 to 2008 and has been an umpire and the umpire in chief with the Summerland Minor Baseball Association from 2005 to 2008.
Stoochnoff has worked with Babe Ruth baseball in numerous roles since 1956.