Saskatoon Berries star slugger Beck returns to WCBL after standout collegiate season
Walking up to home plate for the first time this Western Canadian Baseball League season, Carter Beck wasn't the only one taken aback by the raucous reaction from Saskatoon Berries fans at Cairns Field on Wednesday.
Especially following a conversation with Fort McMurray Giants catcher Solomon Harwood.
'I even had the catcher go, 'Holy that's a lot of claps,'' said Beck. 'I'm like, 'I don't know what to say.''
Finishing out his collegiate season at Indiana State University, the WCBL's reigning Most Outstanding Canadian and Rookie of the Year returned to the Berries on Wednesday for his second season with the team.
Ending his night with a pair of hits, four runs and an RBI, Beck provided an immediate punch of offence which didn't come as a surprise to Berries head coach Joe Carnahan.
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'He walked his first at-bat and a triple his second at-bat,' said Carnahan. 'So he's kind of just rolling right where he left off.'
Beck became a star in Saskatoon in 2024, leading the team with a .374 batting average, while also contributing the 77 hits and 11 home runs which ranked first on the Berries in both categories.
Named to the WCBL's first all-star team, Beck also became a household name around the league with his performance at WCBL All-Star weekend in Okotoks, where he finished second in the home run derby and was named All-Star Game MVP.
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Compared to last season, it's a much different scenario that Beck is walking into as he helped the Berries win their fifth game in a row 14-6 over the Giants.
2:08
Off-season splash Whitney shoring up Saskatoon Berries rotation in 2025
It's a far cry from the team's 0-5 start to their inaugural season in 2024.
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'A complete 360 [degrees] to what we had last year for sure,' said Beck. 'It was getting tense in there trying to figure it out and get it turned around. It's a 5-1 start now, it's really nice to see for the guys and it's going to make meshing a lot easier this year too.'
The Carnduff, Sask., product is coming off a wildly successful first season at the NCAA Division I level with the Indiana State Sycamores, leading the team in batting average, hits and RBIs, just as he did in his first season in Saskatoon.
That experience facing some of the best pitchers in all of collegiate baseball provided valuable experience for the soon to be 20-year-old, which he hopes will lead to even bigger performances in his WCBL season.
'I learned a lot more about what it takes to be at the highest level,' said Beck. 'Just going out and competing with the best guys every day, it was really a lot of fun and I think it made me a lot better over the year too.'
Counting on second-year players like Beck to help drive the bus when it comes to leadership this summer, Carnahan added Beck has been the model of consistency since the day he arrived to the team in May of 2024.
'He comes to the park the same every single day,' said Carnahan. 'That's the mentality we want to have, just stay level every single day and be the same person every day. It's nice to have it in a leadership role from him and just trickle down on everybody.'
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The Berries' first true star in franchise history, Cairns Field has seen more and more number 20 jerseys dotting the stands with his first year play resonating with Saskatoon supporters.
Now the work begins, with the Berries this summer to repay that support and chase a WCBL title with one game under his belt.
'It's so cool to see that,' said Beck. 'It's what keeps me going when I don't want to go sometimes. Just seeing all the fans back in Saskatchewan who just love to tag along, it's almost surreal to see how much people are invested in what I'm doing.'
Rolling to begin the season with a 5-1 record, the Berries will go for a sixth consecutive win on Friday night with a road tilt against the Moose Jaw Miller Express.
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