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Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Okotoks Dawgs' drive for fourth straight WCBL title ends at hands of Sylvan Lake Gulls
Article content The Okotoks Dawgs' season is over, as is their drive for a record fourth straight Western Canadian Baseball League championship. Article content A six-run second inning by host Sylvan Lake set the table for the Gulls' 8-4 win on Monday night to complete a sweep of the best-of-three West Division final. Article content After the clubs traded singles in the first inning, the Gulls broke it open in the second thanks to six hits and a costly Okotoks error at Gulls Stadium. Article content Article content The scoring dried up until the sixth inning when the Dawgs got one run back. They scored another two in the eighth to close the gap to 7-4, but the Gulls responded with one run in the bottom half of the frame. Article content Article content Okotoks starter Brady Baltus gave up two earned runs on six hits before being replaced in the second inning. Article content Brady Forno came on in relief and surrendered two earned runs on two hits in 0.1 innings of work. He was replaced by Garrett White, who also allowed two hits and committed an error that led to three more runs. Article content Offensively for the Dawgs, Logan Grant recorded two hits and a pair of RBI, and Nash Crowell had three hits and drove in a run. Article content
Global News
7 days ago
- Sport
- Global News
Record-breaking Saskatoon Berries set to kick off WCBL playoffs as top seed
As they've done all season long, the Saskatoon Berries have been finding ways to win baseball games. 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. Story continues below advertisement '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. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 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. 2:00 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. Story continues below advertisement '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. Story continues below advertisement 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.
Global News
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Saskatoon Berries awarded 2026 WCBL All-Star Weekend festivities
Even though the team has not yet finished their second season in the Western Canadian Baseball League, the Saskatoon Berries have caught the eye of the league with their ability to put on a show. That will be the case next summer at Cairns Field, as the WCBL and the Berries have announced the league's annual All-Star Weekend will be moving from Okotoks, Alta., to Saskatoon for the 2026 edition of the event. 'We have been working on this for a while,' said Berries president Steve Hildebrand. 'I appreciate the league and the governors of the league giving us this opportunity to host the 2026 All-Star Weekend. I think it's going to be a fantastic weekend and I'm really excited for our fans, but also all of Saskatchewan and Alberta coming out and enjoying a great day.' The announcement was made at the 2025 All-Star Weekend in Okotoks, which wrapped up on a rainy Saturday night at Seaman Stadium with the East Division earning a 10-3 victory over the West Division in a truncated seven-inning tilt. Story continues below advertisement Six members of the Berries played in the game, including infielder Ethan Menard, who was named the All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player with a solo home run in the sixth inning. It marked the second year in a row a Saskatoon player had picked up the award, following teammate Carter Beck in 2024. According to Hildebrand, Berries management has been discussing the possibility of hosting All-Star Weekend for at least a year and feels like next summer will be the perfect time to welcome the league to Saskatoon. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We actually looked at this for the 2025 (season) and felt it was just too quick,' said Hildebrand. 'We went through a lot in our first year to make sure everything was going well, we looked at the 2025 weekend and took a step back saying, 'Let's try to get it for the 2026 All-Star Game.' We came up with the idea of having a full weekend, having a two-day event rather than just one day and it was accepted by the league.' WCBL All-Star Weekend will be split into a two-day event for the first time, with the WCBL Home Run Derby being held on a Saturday night, followed by a 1 p.m. opening pitch on Sunday between the East and West Divisions for the All-Star Game itself. 1:38 Saskatoon Berries sending six to 2025 WCBL All-Star Game Hildebrand also mentioned there will be a community festival held over the weekend, with an emphasis on promoting baseball at the grassroots levels. Story continues below advertisement While Seaman Stadium is more than twice the size of Cairns Field in fan capacity, Hildebrand added discussions are ongoing to bring in more seating for the event. 'Okotoks has a beautiful facility and they have a lot of great seating areas,' said Hildebrand. 'We hope to do that as well and hope to expand a little bit, with the help of the guys at Gordie Howe (Sports Complex). Hopefully, we can find some space there that we can grow a little bit as well and have more people out to the games.' Through 20 home games so far this season, the Berries sit second place to the Okotoks Dawgs in overall attendance with nearly 32,000 fans through the gates this year and an average attendance of 1,599 fans per game. Combined with the team's success on the field this season leading the WCBL with a 34-7 record entering a double-header on Monday against the Weyburn Beavers, Hildebrand is encouraged to see the recognition of what the Berries have built over the span of just a few years. 'I think what we've done, not only on the field but social media-wise – all the tickets we've sold – they're really impressed by what we've done so far,' said Hildebrand. 'Like we do with our group, we just try to set the bar as high as we can.' The Berries will close out their season-long road trip with stops in Weyburn and Swift Current, before returning to Cairns Field on Thursday night to face off against the 57's at 7 p.m.
Global News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Extra innings comeback extends Saskatoon Berries' undefeated streak at home
Saskatoon Berries outfielder Jalen Freeman has shown bunt hundreds of plate appearances before in his career, but none were as dramatic as what he laid down on Wednesday night. His play in the 11th inning against the Medicine Hat Mavericks proved to the game-winning play. 'I'm fast and fast people, we use that you know what I'm saying,' said Freeman. 'It's to get hits, we want to get hits. So we're going to use that bunt and get to first.' Freeman's bunt was fielded by Mavericks pitcher Luke Barrientos, but he would sky his throw over top of first base to allow Berries runner Nomar Prieto to score the winning run in the 5-4 contest. Swarmed by his Berries teammates, Freeman was able to deliver the final nail in what marked Saskatoon's biggest comeback of the season yet, rallying from a 4-0 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning. Story continues below advertisement 'Had to get it down,' said Freeman. 'Coach called for me to put the bunt down in that situation and I had full confidence in doing so.' The win Wednesday allowed the Berries to sweep the Mavericks over their two-game set at Cairns Field, a team which came into the week sitting first place in the Western Canadian Baseball League. Now those standings have flipped, as the Berries have raced out to a 9-2 start to the season and now sit tops in the WCBL themselves. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'You got to be able to win games a bunch of different way and this year we've been able to do it a bunch of different ways,' said Berries head coach Joe Carnahan. 'We've been able to pitch it a little bit, we've been able to do it with our speed, been able to bang it around a little bit. It's good to have a couple different ways to win games and sometimes you need a little luck.' Rookie Merek Yeager threw six innings in the start for Saskatoon, while relievers Tanner Hosick and Zac Laird were able to get some big outs in the ninth and 10th innings to give the Berries a chance with the bats in the 11th. 2:04 Saskatoon Berries Academy grad Yeager makes historic jump to WCBL club According to Carnahan, the entirety of the Saskatoon roster has arrived into town and are now chasing a championship together. Story continues below advertisement 'This is the roster,' said Carnahan. 'Summer is always ever-changing with things that happen, but this is the roster we plan on having and we're happy to have everybody here.' Among that group is fan favourite Ethan Menard, who returned this week from the University of Texas at Tyler for a second summer in Saskatoon. Leading the Berries in RBIs last season, Menard picked things up right where he left off as he came through with a key RBI double in the eighth inning to drive in a pair of runs. 'Seeing the talent that we've brought in from Day 1 and the aggression we play with, just knowing that if we go and be the enforcer we're going to have a chance in any ball game we play in,' said Menard. 'It's amazing to watch.' The Berries have also proven to be kings of Cairns Field this year, defending their home diamond with an undefeated 6-0 record at home so far this summer. According to Freeman, the feeling around the team is there's plenty more in store this summer, with the hopes of keeping that dominance at home alive. 'We love fans coming out to support us and we're going to give them a show every time they come out here,' said Freeman. 'They're paying for a ticket, we're going to get them right, you know.' Story continues below advertisement The Berries were slated to visit the Brooks Bombers on Thursday night, but that game has been postponed due to rain and has been rescheduled to a double-header on Friday at Elks Field in Brooks.
