Record-breaking Saskatoon Berries set to kick off WCBL playoffs as top seed
Even if that includes a dramatic grand slam in extra innings on Sunday afternoon at Cairns Field, a walk-off moment courtesy of infielder Mason Roell that has set the table for the Western Canadian Baseball League playoffs for Saskatoon.
'We're ready to go,' Berries outfielder Jalen Freeman said following a 7-5 victory in the team's regular-season finale on Monday against the Medicine Hat Mavericks. 'We've trained all season, we've worked all season, we've shown it and we're the team for it.'
Roell's walk-off home run on Sunday not only gave the Berries a standout moment from the 2025 WCBL regular season, but it also helped vault the team into the league's single-season record books.
After back-to-back losses to the Regina Red Sox, Roell's grand slam brought the Berries to a final mark of 46 wins, passing the previous record for most in WCBL history, held by the Sylvan Lake Gulls.
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'I've never broken a record myself,' Freeman said. 'It's a blessing to be a part of it and do it for the last of my college career, so it's pretty cool to do that.'
The Berries finished off the regular season with a 46-9 record, with a game in Medicine Hat on July 14 ultimately being cancelled following several rainouts.
Comfortably earning the top seed in the league's East Division, Saskatoon's playoff run begins on Wednesday night as the Berries will kick off a best-of-three divisional semi-final series against the Moose Jaw Miller Express.
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Despite the Berries winning seven of eight meetings this year against Moose Jaw, head coach Joe Carnahan said it's a toss-up once the post-season arrives, with teams only needing two victories to advance.
'They have a good team,' Carnahan said. 'They're scrappy, they play hard, it's going to be a good series. Like we've seen last year, they're a good club and they leave it all out on the field.
'It will be a fun series.'
No decision has been formally announced with regard to a Game 1 starter on the mound for Saskatoon, however, likely candidates to get the ball include starting pitchers Matthew Whitney, Merek Yeager, Diego Quinonez and Michael Sall.
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Saskatoon Berries approaching WCBL wins record with playoffs looming
Showcasing remarkable consistency over 55 regular-season games, that commitment to both sides of the ball will be key for the Berries entering their series with Moose Jaw, according to infielder Cooper Wesslund.
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'It's about moving runners when you have to, being solid defensively, throwing strikes, sticking to the basics of baseball and not worrying about too much else,' Wesslund said.
For the Berries' group of returning players, of which Freeman is one, there is a level of unfinished business against the Miller Express.
Saskatoon's East Division final series loss from last summer is still fresh in their minds, as the Berries were unable to eliminate Moose Jaw after taking a 1-0 series lead and would see their inaugural season come to an end with a 5-3 loss in Game 3.
'I mean, if somebody gets me, I want to get back at them,' Freeman said. 'They got us last year. I'm going to have to get my revenge somehow, someway.'
While acknowledging a desire in the dressing room to make good from last year's defeat, Carnahan said the focus is on matching up against whatever opponent they'll face in these playoffs.
'I'm sure the guys are excited to play them,' Carnahan said. 'I'm just ready to get going with the playoffs here, it doesn't really matter who we face. We just want to get some wins and keep them advancing.'
Saskatoon will look to deal with a two-headed monster in the lineup for Moose Jaw in William Edwards and Austin Gurney, who are able to break games open despite the team's run-of-the-mill 27-29 record.
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Counting the Miller Express out will be a mistake, according to Wesslund, however, and the Berries will have to carry over their dominance from the regular season for a shot at competing for the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy in a few weeks' time.
'It's going to take a whole team effort,' Wesslund said. 'We're just going to have to keep playing together, just trust each other and trust what we've built here.'
Game 1 between the Berries and Miller Express is set for 7 p.m. at Cairns Field on Wednesday, with the series shifting south to Moose Jaw on Thursday with a 7 p.m. opening pitch for Game 2.
If necessary, a winner-take-all Game 3 will be held on Friday night in Saskatoon to decide who will advance to the East Division final.
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