In this edition of In The Cards, Alberta Dugout Stories is actually in the cards … or on them, to be more specific. Eagle-eyed observers can spot our logo on several cards in this 35-card set from the Medicine Hat Mavericks.
The Mavs have made the set an annual part of their team promotions and marketing efforts, and the quality of the cards is top notch. The front of each cardboard collectible features an action shot of the player and the back includes a high-grade headshot and some basic information about each pitcher and hitter.
Medicine Hat was coming off a season that saw the Mavericks make a run to the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) championship final against the Okotoks Dawgs. They ultimately lost that 2023 title series, but it was a fantastic summer for baseball in the Gas City nonetheless.
In 2024, the Mavericks finished the regular season in second place in the East Division with a 33-23 record and an average crowd of 1,220 fans at Athletic Park. Medicine Hat was upset in the opening round of the postseason by the expansion Saskatoon Berries, who got an otherworldly performance from star slugger Carter Beck.
Despite that disappointment for boosters of the Mavs, it was a good summer for the team, one that included several superb performances from the players in red and white. Let’s get to know some of them a bit better:
Marshall Burke (centre) finished the season tied for the league lead in hits, with 85 in his 54 games played. Teammate Jordan Phillips also had 85 hits, but he had four more at bats to get to that mark. Burke, a 5-foot-7 infielder from Texas, had a team-best 56 runs and excellent offensive stats, including a .346 batting average, 18 doubles, 31 runs batted in and 15 stolen bases. He was named the team’s Rookie of the Year by the Mavericks after the season came to an end.Right-handed pitcher Braedon Davis (bottom left) had a strong summer on the mound for the Mavericks. In 54.2 innings, the product of Woodinville, Washington registered 48 Ks, the most of any pitcher on the team. Davis also went 4-0 with a save and a 4.61 ERA … Josh Landry (middle left) led the club in saves, picking up three during the regular season. Eight other pitchers had a save for the Mavs over the summer, but Landry was the most dependable closer. The southpaw from California also impressed in the postseason when he went eight innings in a start against the Berries, racking up a dozen strikeouts and the win while allowing zero runs in that game. Overall, Landry was 2-3 with a 2.25 ERA and 35 Ks through 13 games and 28 innings for Medicine Hat. Jacob Petersheim (bottom right) was a workhorse for the club, logging 63.2 innings over 11 games. Ten of those appearances were starts. In that time, the righty from Virginia went 5-1 with a 3.25 ERA and 43 strikeouts. The five victories made him the wins leader on the Mavericks and the team named him their Pitcher of the Year following the season. Righty pitcher Jack Novak (bottom middle) was one of four Medicine Hat pitchers to record four wins for the Mavericks in 2024. The Colorado native – a 6-foot-1 righthander – was 4-0 with 47 Ks in 47.1 innings and a 5.89 ERA. Novak was used as a starter and a reliever and he closed out one game during the summer. He pitched well for the Mavs in their final game of the season by allowing two runs over six innings, while registering six strikeouts and walking only one batter in the 6-2 loss to the Berries.Catcher Nick Thibodeau (centre) had a whale of a season in the Hat. The Burlington, Ontario product was tops on the Mavs in homers (11) and RBI (63) and he filled up the boxscores in other areas, as well. Thibodeau batted .332 with 42 runs and 16 doubles in 202 at bats over 50 WCBL games. Outfielder Jordan Phillips (top left) was a veteran leader on the Mavs. The lefty slugger appeared in 35 games with the Edmonton Prospects in 2022 before joining Medicine Hat last summer. He was an All-Star for both teams and represented each club in the WCBL Home Run Derby. In 2024, the Texan posted a .351 batting average, 55 runs, 85 hits, 19 doubles, 62 RBI and 10 stolen bases. His well-rounded game resulted in the team declaring him their Most Valuable Player at season’s end.Tory Nelson (top right) moved from the infield to the dugout for the Mavericks in 2024. The hometown product played in 93 regular season and playoff games for the Mavs in 2022 and 2023 before joining the team’s coaching staff. “I know I have a lot to learn and have some great mentors with great experience. I am excited to learn everything, I am just looking to improve in every area and helping the players out as much as possible,” said Nelson of the transition from playing to coaching. “Playing for the Mavs I had some of the most fun summers of my life. The teammates I had became lifelong friends, The fans and atmosphere gave me such a burst of adrenaline that I was lucky enough to experience for two summers.”Lefty pitcher Brett Getz (top left) is a Medicine Hat native who graduated from the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball. The 6-foot-4 hill topper got into nine games, eight of them out of the bullpen, with the Mavericks and went 0-2 with a 5.58 ERA. Getz picked up 20 strikeouts in 19.1 innings. “I was very excited, I had family in the stands watching and it was great to be here finally, I’ve been wanting to do it for my whole life and I finally accomplished that dream,” Getz told the Medicine Hat News. “It’s awesome, I get put in these tough spots and they’ll make me better. Even if I don’t perform how I want to, it’ll still make me better so I can learn for the next outing.” Getz has since signed on to play with the Lethbridge Bulls for the 2025 WCBL season.
Did you spot those Alberta Dugout Stories logos?! If you missed them, scroll up and check out the cards of Cody Henderson, John Walsh and Aidan Lenzen.
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.
