2022 Male Player: Curtis Stewart

Curtis Stewart, Plainfield, IL

Curt “Stew” Stewart was born and raised in Joliet, IL. He spent much of his childhood at the ballfield, playing little league and watching his dad Jim Stewart, play softball for teams like Malnar’s Tap and the FOP. Curt learned early on that there is no substitute for hard work. His upbringing taught him the importance of preparation and effort, things that helped him earn a scholarship to play NCAA Division I baseball at the University of Louisville and later became a nationally renowned softball player.

Dave Catalani (Cat), the manager of Ken’s Beverage, Inc. (KBI) and fellow Hall-of-Famer, first asked Stew to play for his softball team in 2010. That invitation led to a ten year run that saw Stew go from playing locally at the D level to being classified as a Major Player and competing nationally at the highest level. After beginning his career as an infielder, primarily playing first base, he moved to catcher in recent years. Cat described Stew’s approach to the game as “100% commitment” and “always prepared”.

An imposing offensive player with excellent base hitting ability and prolific power, Stew has accumulated a lifetime OBA of .725 and over 1000 home runs in tournament and league play. He has numerous All-Tournament and MVP accolades at the conference level, following All-State and All-National honors earlier in his career. Stew has been recognized as an All-World Series team member at the A, AA, and Major levels and is a two-time All-Conference USSSA honoree. Beyond the awards, Stew was recognized by Bryan Voss, a Conference USSSA umpire, as “One of the genuine players I have ever met and umpired. He has a respect for the game and those around him. A flat-out gamer!!! Plays big when it’s big. Period”.

Over the years Stew has played for teams such as KBI (IL), H-Auto, LLC (MN), Precision (IL), Eurotech (MN), OA Apparel (IL), TDB (NC), and Xtreme (MN). He recognizes his managers and sponsors for giving him the opportunity to compete at this level. In his opinion, KBI is the premier sponsor in Illinois USSSA history. Ken Reimer’s generosity has provided countless players - many of whom are now Hall-of-Famers - a place to play for decades. To simply thank Ken and Cat would be a massive understatement. Stew might not be speaking about his IL USSSA Hall of Fame induction today.

In addition to the franchises that helped him to thrive in the softball world, Stew is thankful for his wife Jen, and mom Amy, who offer unwavering support in all he does. He is especially appreciative of HOF’er Jim “Tank” Kersten for endless hours of batting practice, advice, and encouragement. Tank is the best teammate a player could ask for. After years spent together on and off the field, Tank calls Stew “[a] true professional from his preparation to game performance Curt Stewart exemplifies the embodiment of what every athlete strives to become: A Player!”

Stew looks forward to making the next decade of softball even more successful than his first.