By IAN WILSON
He’s been a trusted member of the Okotoks Dawgs bullpen in the early stages of the Western Canadian Baseball League season.
Wyatt Sadleir, a towering right-handed pitcher from Calgary, has been racking up strikeouts and shutting down opposing batters in his 15-plus innings and nine outings with the Dawgs.
Used anywhere from one inning to three innings at a time, the 6-foot-4 reliever has allowed just six hits, four walks and three earned runs while registering 21 strikeouts, one win and a 1.76 earned run average (ERA).
The Ks are nothing new for Sadleir, who had 30 strikeouts in 36 innings for Dodge City Community College in 2025 and 17 punchouts in 16.2 innings at North Central Texas College in 2026.
But the reduction in runs, hits and walks allowed in the WCBL shows a refinement in Sadleir’s game.
The pitcher sat down with podcast host Joe McFarland recently to chat about his baseball journey on Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast. This edition of 7th Inning Stretch shares some of the highlights from that interview:
1. What has been the key to your success in the early going of the 2026 WCBL season?
I think we’re just playing all around good baseball. Our lineup, our offence, every game they’re going out there and they’re putting up 10 runs. As a pitcher that gives you a lot of confidence just to go out there and not worry about giving up hits or whatever, because your offence has your back.
I think just trusting what our catcher calls and, honestly, just trying to throw strikes, just trying to hit a bat and get something put in play. It’s a wood-bat league, so I’m not too worried about guys teeing off or home runs or anything like that, so just trying to pound the strike zone.
2. How cool is it to be pitching so close to home and have family and friends come watch you pitch?
Yeah, it’s really cool. It’s pretty cool having friends text me and be like, ‘Hey, can we get two tickets for a game next week?’ … And then my parents don’t get to see me pitch much, obviously, when I’m down in the States, so it’s cool that they can just come to a game whenever and see me throw.
Pitching in front of 5,000 fans is a pretty wicked experience, and I like to think that when those fans see me get fired up, they enjoy it, too. So, I kind of just go out there with a little intensity and get fired up.
3. What would it mean to you to help the Dawgs win a WCBL championship?
That would be really cool. I remember coming to a lot of Dawgs games when I was a little kid and seeing on social media that they won the WCBL. So, being able to just add my name to that list and get a ring would be an unreal experience.
4. Talk a bit about your background in the sport. How did you get into baseball?
I grew up in Houston. I lived there for about nine years and then I moved back to Calgary when I was 13 and I got into Little League a little bit and then moved to the Calgary Cubs and played there from when I was 14 until it was time to graduate.
Growing up in Houston, my parents didn’t want me to play football because I was too small to play football. So, it was that, volleyball or baseball and I chose baseball. It’s kind of just been something that’s been a part of my life and I can’t imagine not playing it right now.
5. We all know baseball is a game of failure. What’s been the biggest challenge or hurdle you’ve had to overcome that you’re proud of yourself for working through?
Staying out of my head, definitely. My mental game could use some work. I struggled this year a fair amount with that. So, it’s nice to just come into the Dawgs and kind of just be out of my head and not worry about my mechanics or worry about hitting my spots, just kind of getting up on that mound and just throwing without really thinking.
6. For young kids starting out their journeys in baseball, what’s one piece of advice you’d offer them?
Hard work pays off. Definitely, hard work pays off.
I blew up my knee in my Grade 12 year and had to have knee surgery for that, so I had to rehab and work really hard to get to the spot I’m at now. So, just grinding and working hard will get you to where you want to go.
I was playing basketball and tore my ACL, meniscus and MCL in December of 2023, so the year I was graduating, which was obviously a huge wrench in the plan.
I want to thank Cam Williams (head coach of Weyburn Beavers and University of Calgary Dinos) and all the guys in the U of C Dinos program. They let me rehab with them for a year and be a part of that program for a year, so if they don’t let me do that, who knows where I end up, because that helped me rehab my knee and then get my confidence back.
7. What does the game of baseball mean to you?
It means a lot. It’s something I’ve played my whole life. It’s definitely part of my identity and who I am. I think playing in Seaman Stadium really puts into perspective how lucky I am. It’s an incredible field, incredible fans, great teammates, so the game of baseball means a lot to me.
