In what turned out to be a thrilling, neck-and-neck clash between two of modern fastpitch ultimate heavyweights, the fans have officially spoken. The New York / Bear Creek Gremlins have captured the crown as the ISC Best Team of the 2020s.
The Voting Breakdown
According to the votes, the race for the decade’s top squad essentially became an epic two-team showdown. The Gremlins edged out their fiercest rivals, the Hill United Chiefs, by a narrow margin to secure nearly half of the global fan vote:
- 1. New York / Bear Creek Gremlins (Chippewa of the Thames, ON) — 49.1%
- 2. Hill United Chiefs (Six Nations, ON) — 41.5%
- 3. Bear Creek Express (Chippewa of the Thames, ON) — 5.3%
Leaving an Indelible Mark
The Gremlins’ dynastic run through the first half of this decade is nothing short of extraordinary. Even with the 2020 season completely cancelled due to the global pandemic, the team made the most of the 5 World Tournaments held across a 6-year span.
They consistently proved to be the standard-bearers of excellence, finishing in the top two in 4 out of those 5 years. The absolute pinnacle of this historic stretch came in 2023, when they captured the ultimate prize, winning the ISC World Tournament championship in Denmark, WI.
A Constellation of All-World Stars
The Gremlins’ sustained excellence is driven by a roster featuring some of the biggest icons in men’s fastpitch history. The sheer volume of individual accolades brought home by this star-studded lineup throughout the 2020s highlights why fans chose them as the decade’s best:
- Jack Besgrove: 2023, 2024, and 2025 All-World Selection; Cleo Goyette Award (MVP) winner in 2023 and 2024; and recently voted the 2020s Best Pitcher by the fans.
- Cole Evans: 2023 All-World Selection & 2023 World Tournament MVP.
- Jerome Raemaki: Three-time All-World Selection (2021, 2022, 2023).
- Mathieu Roy: Three-time All-World Selection (2021, 2022, 2023).
- Andrew Kirkpatrick: Back-to-back All-World Selection (2022, 2023).
- Erick Ochoa: Back-to-back All-World Selection (2021, 2022).
- Zenon Winters: Back-to-back All-World Selection (2021, 2022).
- Ben Enoka: 2023 All-World Selection.
- Ladislao Malarczuk: 2023 All-World Selection.
- Wayne Laulu: 2021 All-World Selection.
- Nick Mullins: 2021 All-World Selection.
- Josh Pettett: 2021 All-World Selection.
With a foundational culture built on winning and a relentless pipeline of talent, there is no doubt that more current and future Gremlins players will be adding their names to the All-World registry in the summers to come.
Congratulations to the entire New York / Bear Creek Gremlins organization, its management, and the players on being named the definitive team of the era!
