   The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Association is proud to announce the selection of Hohenlohe to be inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, Community Category, Saturday, August 19, 2017, in Battleford, Saskatchewan.
     In the early 1950’s there were more men that wanted to play baseball than there were baseball teams. Spearheaded by Robert [Bobby] Fieseler, Ruben Hartung and Gerard Severin a baseball team named the Hohenlohe Hornets, was made up of farm boys from the Hohenlohe School District. The team practiced on a ball diamond on a farm 2 miles north of Langenburg, Saskatchewan, then played in the Hohenlohe school yard and sports grounds in Langenburg, Sask. The team did not make money their first year, but their expenses were $37.75. They collected $21.00 from each player to buy new uniforms and 4 of the players went to Minot, North Dakota, to purchase uniforms and equipment. Uniforms were around $20.00, a catcher’s mitt was $18.95, a body protector $6.95, a bat $3.25 and a baseball $2.15.
     Original players were Robert [Bobby] Fieseler, Manager, Rueben Hartung, Assistant Coach, Gerard Severin, Captain and Rudy Severin, Coach, players Harold Schultz, Robert Schultz, Gordon Frick, Walter Frick, Percy Kotzer, Ronald Kotzer, Herb Haberstock, Lloyd Werle, Norman Fieseler, David Mund and Kenneth Mund. Later players were Gerard Werle, Leroy Walz, Peter Vandenameele, Paul Borchardt, Carl Borchardt, Herb Scholz, Jim Petz, Dave Besharah, Victor Russin and Jim Mitschke.
     On Easter Monday, 1952, the Hornets held a dance clearing $81.11. It was a start. At a meeting April 16, 1952, they set some bylaws. Expenses for 1952 totaled $103.78 with income $112.50 from tournaments. In 1953 income was $210.00 at tournaments and $121.41 at the dance. In 1954 the Hornets held the first of 4 tournaments, with 14 teams competing. Echo, Binscarth, Churchbridge, Saltcoats, Russell, Langenburg, Foxwarren, Yarbo, Ingleside, Bavlaw, Angusville, Holar, Shellmouth and Hohenlohe. The Hornets were beat 1-0 by Holar in the semi-finals. Holar and Binscarth split 1st and 2nd money. In a tournament in Gerald, Saskatchewan, in 1958, Lloyd Werle pitched a no-hitter in the final against the team from Hamiota, Manitoba. The Hornets played in many tournaments in Manitoba. In the final against Stockholm at the Langenburg Sports Day, Willy Wickberg hit an extremely hard line drive, hitting our pitcher, Lloyd Werle on the side of his head, bouncing the baseball against the screen between 3rd base and home plate. After a few minutes delay, Lloyd continued to pitch the remainder of the game. We won! Then at a Sports Day at MacNutt, our 3rd baseman, Ruben Hartung slid into home plate catching his spike on the plate resulting in a broken leg. His playing days were over.
     In 1980, Langenburg celebrated Saskatchewan’s 75th year as a province on the August long weekend. Holar All Stars and Hohenlohe Hornets were invited to play 2 exhibition baseball games, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Hohenlohe won both games. A lot of reminiscing went on and there were a lot of sore muscles for the next few days.
