By IAN WILSON
The trilogy of postseason matchups between the Okotoks Dawgs and Sylvan Lake Gulls is complete, but Western Canadian Baseball League fans are ready for another sequel.
For a fourth straight summer, the two Alberta rivals will meet in the West Division playoffs and the Gulls are hoping to change the script, which has seen them lose to the Dawgs each time. Following sweeps in 2022 and 2023, Sylvan Lake pushed the best-of-three series against Okotoks to a third game in 2024 but lost on home soil. The Dawgs, meanwhile, have a three-peat of championship titles in that time.
The top-seeded Dawgs – who went 40-16 in the regular season and have won 10 of their last 12 regular season and playoff games – eliminated the Brooks Bombers with 11-4 and 9-2 victories in the opening round of the WCBL Postseason.
Okotoks has been led at the plate by first baseman Nash Crowell, who has six hits, six runs batted in (RBI), four runs and two homers in nine at bats. Other offensive leaders include middle infielder Ricardo Sanchez (five hits, two doubles, two runs, one RBI), outfielder Barry Eiseman (four hits, four runs, one double, one RBI), and infielder Leo Cote (three hit, three runs, two RBI). Third baseman Connor Crowson – the 2024 WCBL Playoff MVP – continues to have a flair for the dramatic. He hit a grand slam in the early stages of the first game against the Bombers and was walked five times in that series.
On the bump, southpaw Ryan Rembisz was outstanding in his start against Brooks, going seven innings and striking out 12 Bombers while walking no batters and allowing only one earned run to pick up the Game 2 win. Starter Brady Baltus nabbed the victory in the opener by allowing four hits and two earned runs over five innings. Chase Tucker, Reid Madariaga, Ryan McFarland and Brody Forno allowed a collective two hits and no runs out of the bullpen for the Dawgs.
The Gulls are the second seed in the West Division after going 36-20 in the regular season. They’ve won nine of their last 12 games. Sylvan Lake took out the Lethbridge Bulls with consecutive 8-0 and 6-2 wins.
The Lake Boys have received offensive contributions from infielders Ty Yukumoto (three hits, one double, two runs, one stolen base) and Jaden Flores (three hits, two doubles, two runs, three RBI, one stolen base), as well as Cleary Simpson (two hits, three runs, three walks). Antony Gilbert, who was the batting champ with the Bombers in 2024, has been a good fit as a late-season addition to the roster. In the postseason, Gilbert has three hits, one triple and four RBI.
The pitching staff of the Gulls has been led by lefty veteran Joshua Tucker, who struck out eight batters, walked one and allowed no runs over seven innings to get the win in the series opener in Lethbridge. Tucker is the first pitcher in WCBL history to record more than 300 strikeouts over the course of his summer collegiate career, including both regular season and playoff innings. Righty Josh Doelitsch followed up his heroics by logging five innings and allowing just one unearned run during the clinching game. Relievers Jakob Rochelle, Leeroy Taverez and Mickey McClaskey allowed no runs out of the bullpen.
Can the Gulls flip the script or will the Dawgs represent the West Division in the WCBL championship for a fourth straight summer?
Game 1 takes place on Sunday, Aug. 10th at Seaman Stadium at 2:05 p.m., with the second game set for Gulls Field at 7:05 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 11th. If necessary, a third and deciding game would take place at Seaman Stadium at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12th.
