Baseball fans at Athletic Park witnessed a wild ride of a season for the Medicine Hat Mavericks in 2023.
The campaign – which marked the 20th anniversary of the Mavericks playing in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) – included a mid-summer coaching change, the return of the team owner in a baseball uniform, and a playoff run that fell just shy of a championship title.
Crowds at the Gas City ballpark also grew from 32,986 in 2022 to a total of 35,449 in 2023, resulting in an average attendance of 1,266 per game.
It was a glorious summer along the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, with some of the magic of the WCBL club captured in this 30-card set.
Let’s take a look at the baseball collectibles in this edition of In The Cards:
Kevin Mitchell (middle right) started the season as the pitching coach for the Mavs, but took over the head coaching reins from Mark Goodman in late June when Goodman left to pursue a professional opportunity in the Pioneer League. Mitchell guided Medicine Hat to a 30-26 record in the regular season, including a 7-3 run in the final 10 games, but the Mavericks really hit their stride in the postseason. The Mavs eliminated the Regina Red Sox and Moose Jaw Miller Express before meeting the Okotoks Dawgs in the WCBL championship. The final series went the distance and Medicine Hat handed the Dawgs their only loss of the postseason before ultimately losing the best-of-three at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks. MItchell was named the WCBL Coach of the Year after the season and he has already committed to return as the skipper of the Mavericks in 2024. Brody Gardner (top middle) was named the Most Valuable Player on the team for his outstanding season. The outfielder from North Carolina had a .352 batting average over 54 games and 236 at bats, while recording 83 hits, 41 runs, 36 runs batted in (RBI) and 10 stolen bases. In his eight playoff games, Gardner batted .333 with eight runs, three RBI, a homer and a pair of stolen bases … Infielder Tyler Vanneste (bottom left) was announced as the Top Canadian on the Mavericks. The Saskatchewan infielder posted a .286 batting average, 32 runs and 21 RBI in 44 games. Vanneste led the Mavs in postseason RBI with 12, while collecting four doubles, a round tripper and scoring five runs. Nathan Tarver (top middle) was a consistent hitter in the Mavs lineup, finishing tied for the club lead in RBI with 36. The Phoenix, Arizona native was also tops in the most painful statistical category: hit by pitch. Tarver was plunked 13 times in his 193 at bats during the regular season. The third baseman produced solid numbers across the board in his 52 games, including four long balls, 23 runs and 10 doubles … Andrew Savage (middle right) was one of a number of players to suit up behind the plate for Medicine Hat. Dominic VanDoorne (27 runs, 19 RBI in 46 games) handled the bulk of the pitch-framing duties but Savage – a product of Woodstock, Ontario – also geared up for dish detail in 36 contests. Savage contributed 19 runs and 19 RBI offensively and another nine runs and eight RBI in the playoffs. Also donning the mask and chest protector for the Mavs was local backstop Zach Stark, who has appeared in 69 playoff and regular season games for Medicine Hat since 2022. Stark won a Gold Glove for his catching work with the Williston State College Tetons in 2023.Bryce Libke (bottom right) was a workhorse for Medicine Hat in 2023. The righty led the Mavs in innings pitched (60.2) and was the only pitcher to turn in a complete game for the team this summer. The Saskatoon hurler, who also suited up for the Mavericks in 2022, finished second on the squad in wins (five) and strikeouts (53) while registering a 3.85 earned run average (ERA). Gas City baseball fans are familiar with the Libke name. Bryce’s brother, Jared, pitched for the Mavs for three summers before joining the club as a pitching coach … Matt Krall (bottom left) was the primary closer for Medicine Hat. The Texan picked up five saves in his 16.2 innings, while posting 23 Ks along the way. Dylan Weaver (top right) and Kyle Calzadiaz also nabbed a pair of saves in the regular season and were key members of the bullpen.Brady Bean (top left) was selected as the Unsung Hero by the team following the season. The WCBL All-Star second baseman led the Mavs in home runs (six), stolen bases (21), runs (46), doubles (11), walks (30) and games played (55). The pride of Kennewick, Washington also finished second in hits (66) and third in batting average (.313) and RBI (35). In addition, he posted a .949 fielding percentage at the keystone position. Bean was also clutch in the playoffs, leading the Mavs in batting average (.355), runs (12), walks (seven) and swiped bags (five) in his eight postseason contests.Nova Scotian Garrett Nicholson (bottom right) has been an innings eater for the Mavericks over the last two summers, logging 107-plus frames over the regular season and playoffs. Of his 28 games, 22 have been starts, including 10 in 2023. The southpaw, who plays for Minot State University, has recorded a 5.79 ERA and 87 strikeouts in his two summers with the Mavericks.Dylan Esquival (top left) was simply electric when he climbed atop the mound for the Mavs. The team’s Top Pitcher award winner led the squad in strikeouts, with 67 Ks, and finished second in the WCBL in that statistical category. In 12 regular-season games and 53.1 innings, the freshman went 6-2 with a 3.54 ERA. The Californian was even better in the postseason, going 2-1 in his trio of starts with 19 Ks and a 2.36 ERA in 19 innings. Is there anything Greg Morrison (top middle) won’t do to help out his ball club? The team owner – who goes by “Mo” – took his keen eye for talent to field level after the coaching shakeup, putting on a Mavericks uniform and working with the players like he did as the squad’s head coach from 2009-2012. Before he became the owner of the team, Morrison was a professional player in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays organizations. The Saskatchewan-born first baseman and outfielder was a Triple Crown winner in the Pioneer League with the Medicine Hat Blue Jays in 1994. He also played indy ball with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, Calgary Vipers and Edmonton Cracker-Cats in the mid-2000s.
If you’d like to see more Alberta baseball card sets that we’ve reviewed, check out our In The Cards page, which we continue to add to periodically.
If you have a set of cards you would like to share with us, email us at albertadugoutstories@gmail.com or drop us a line on any of our social media accounts.
And as always, if you have some favourite memories of the players in this or any other set we have highlighted, leave us a comment.
