‘Authors of our story': Cinderella Red Sox bring WCBL championship back to Regina
The Regina Red Sox returned to Regina Sunday morning as the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) champions for the first time since 2012.
'It feels pretty good,' manager Rye Pothakos told CTV News. 'A lot of emotions after the game with a nice celebration on the field. I'm so happy for [the players], all the work they put in this summer, it came together at the right time and they're very, very, very happy.'
Regina was crowned champions Saturday night, defeating the Sylvan Lake Gulls in a winner-take-all Game 3 on the road. Winning 5-4 to clinch the series.
Regina Red Sox
The Regina Red Sox are the 2025 WCBL Champions (Source: X/@wcbleague)
Ayden Page finished the game on the mound.
He says it was the first time he closed out a game to win a championship.
'I can't really describe the feeling,' Page said. 'I just threw strikes and was trying to do anything but walk guys.'
'With Page on the mound, I knew that we had that in the bag,' catcher Brady Bye said. 'They got that last kid up there, and he hit that ball, I knew right away Montz was going to get it. I just got filled with a bunch of joy and emotion and it was awesome.'
The final out was caught by centre fielder Ian Montz, who also said it was the first time he made the final out to clinch a championship win.
'The ball was hit pretty hard and it was hit on a low line drive. So as soon as it was hit, I was like, 'Oh, I got to get to the spot,' Montz explained. 'This was my first summer playing while I've been in college. And it's crazy that the first time I play, I get to do something like this.'
The 2025 championship is the third time Regina has won the WCBL's Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy since joining the league in 2005.
Road Warriors
After finishing third place in the East Division in the regular season, Regina did not have home-field advantage for any of their three playoff series.
Sweeping the Medicine Hat Mavericks, taking two of three against the record-breaking Saskatoon Berries before defeating the Gulls.
The Sox lost just twice in the playoffs, but did not lose a single game on the road.
'About two weeks ago, I started to feel it,' Pothakos said. 'We had a team meeting and told the guys, 'Let's write our last chapter of this season. Let's be the authors of our story and don't let anyone else hold the pen.'
'The guys took that to heart and they finished it off with a great ending [to] the season,' the skipper added.
Facing elimination in Game 2, Regina was down to their final out, down two runs.
A 2-RBI double by Justin Simard tied the game before Rafael Jackson would bring in the go-ahead and winning runs a batter later.
Then in Game 3, Regina fell behind in the 5th inning. Coming back in the 7th to seal the deal.
Few around the league gave the underdog Red Sox a chance to win going into the playoffs.
'They believed in themselves and it didn't matter what anybody else thought,' Pothakos said. 'Everybody in the room believed in each other. We have that culture, we have that character, and it carried us through. They're a scrappy bunch.'
Brady Bye
Regina Red Sox catcher Brady Bye was named the WCBL Finals MVP (Source: X/wcbleague)
Hometown MVP
Bye, who is from Regina, led the Red Sox through the postseason. In eight games, the catcher bat .333, going 12/36 with 2 extra-base hits, striking out just seven times and driving in a team-leading 10 runs.
Earning himself WCBL playoff MVP honours to cap it off.
'My teammates did it all for me,' Bye said, quick to deflect credit. 'They got on base to allow me to score some runs. I'm so grateful for [them].'
'[He] put the team on his back,' Pothakos said about Bye. 'We relied on him to catch most games and he showed up to hit a well. He's a great player, character guy and was a leader on this team.'
Upon returning to Regina, the team was met by some local fans.
Hometown kids Bye and Zander Oudie-Senger remembered back to when they were young, watching the Sox win in 2011 and 2012.
'I watched those guys growing up and winning championships,' Oudie-Senger said. 'Being able to win now feels surreal.'
'I hope this [win] goes a long way [to growing baseball in Regina],' Bye added. 'I hope the city can enjoy this one.'
For Jesse
Earlier this year, tragedy struck the Red Sox organization.
Local pitcher Jesse Lubiniecki was killed in a car accident June 3 while travelling back to Regina to join the club for the summer.
'You guys all got behind Jesse, even the guys who didn't know him,' President Gary Brotzel told the team when they returned to Regina. 'And you brought the trophy home.'
The team says their late teammate was on their mind throughout the season.
Before each game, the Red Sox would join together on the field arm-in-arm. They would say a prayer and then chant 'three-three' in a huddle to remember Lubiniecki.
For one final time before each player left back to their college teams, they did the chant above the trophy in the team's clubhouse.
'This was awesome,' infielder Justin Simard said in the huddle. 'This is the best time I've ever had in my life.'
'It means so much,' Oudie-Senger said. 'I know he was watching down on us all year long. Being able to pull that out him is amazing.'
'He was taking care of us,' Bye said. 'Just a really good and awesome feeling to be able to go out there and do that for him.'
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