Latest news with #SylvanLakeGulls
CTV News
15 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
‘Authors of our story': Cinderella Red Sox bring WCBL championship back to Regina
The Regina Red Sox are the 2025 WCBL champions, their first league title since 2012. 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.'
CTV News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Sylvan Lake Gulls 1 win away from championship
The Sylvan Lake Gulls are making their debut against the Edmonton Prospects on Friday, June 18, 2021. (Nav Sangha/CTV News Edmonton) The Sylvan Lake Gulls are one win away from the Western Canadian Baseball League championship. The Gulls are playing a best-of-three series against the Regina Red Sox. Sylvan Lake took Game 1 in Regina with a 3-2 win in extra innings Thursday night. If they win Game 2 at home Friday night, the Gulls will be champions. If Regina wins Game 2, there will be a deciding Game 3 in Sylvan Lake Saturday night. Game 2 starts at 7:05 p.m.
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
New York Yankees sign Sylvan Lake Gulls pitcher
Tyler Boudreau was signed by the New York Yankees. (Source: tylerboudreau27/Instagram) The New York Yankees have signed a Sylvan Lake Gulls player. The Yankees signed pitcher Tyler Boudreau as a non-drafted free agent following the 2025 MLB Draft earlier this week. 'I am very excited to announce that I will be starting my professional career as a New York Yankee,' Boudreau said on Instagram. 'I want to thank my parents, friends, and family for the love and support over the years. I couldn't have done it without y'all.' Boudreau, from Halifax, has played five seasons in central Alberta. He also played for Texas Tech and Williamsport Crosscutters in 2025. Further up north, three current and former Edmonton Riverhawks were taken in this year's MLB Draft.
CTV News
05-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Dawgs jump out early then hang on to defeat Gulls 8-5 in Sylvan Lake
The Okotoks Dawgs jumped ahead of Sylvan Lake Wednesday night, then withstood a late comeback to defeat the Gulls 8-5. Right fielder Barry Eiseman drove in three runs to lead the Dawgs, who scored five runs in the second and third innings to jump out ahead of the Gulls. Alex Oliver threw the last two innings, closing out the game in the ninth inning. Oliver struck out three, allowing one hit and one run to preserve the Dawgs' lead. The Gulls and Dawgs do it all again Thursday night in Sylvan Lake, then both return to Okotoks to play Friday night at Seaman Stadium. The Dawgs also added a pair of games this weekend against the Energy City Cactus Rats. One will be at 7:05 p.m. Saturday while the other will be played Sunday at 2:05 p.m. Both count as home games for the Cactus Rats, who are based in Spruce Grove. Earlier this week, the Dawgs announced that former Dawg Jacob Melton, who played for the club in 2019, has been called up to the Houston Astros. For more about the Dawgs, go here.
