The game didn’t end the way he would have wanted, but Logan Colville will always remember this year’s Edmonton Riverhawks home opener.
For the first time in three seasons, the St. Albert native was on the West Coast League team’s roster to start the season and he was determined not to relinquish it.
After allowing a leadoff solo home run to Joseph Coupland, Colville settled in to induce a groundout, then issued a walk before another groundout and ended his one inning out of the bullpen by striking out Terrell Scott-Romain.
While the Riverhawks fell 6-2 to the Wenatchee AppleSox, the righthander couldn’t get over seeing 6,700 fans in the stands on a sunny May afternoon.
“Being able to get into game one of the season and just taking the minute to soak in everyone cheering you on in that environment was just really special,” Colville said.
“It takes you a couple of games to really get used to it, but having all those people behind you the whole game and locked in every inning is amazing.”
He rewarded the fans with a memorable performance during the season, capped off by being named All-WCL Second Team, and hungry to be an even bigger piece for the ‘Hawks in 2027.
CLOSE TO HOME
It shouldn’t be any surprise that Colville grew up wanting to play baseball.
His childhood home is just a 10-minute walk to Legion Memorial Ballpark in St. Albert, so every sunny day was spent on the diamonds.
Originally into softball, he jumped into baseball after aging out of coach-pitch and he never looked back.
The Paul Kane High School grad went through virtually every level with the St. Albert Minor Baseball Association before heading to the University of Alberta to pursue a Bachelor of Kinesiology.
During the spring baseball season, he’s become a regular with the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks of the Canadian College Baseball Conference.
Not only does he get to be teammates with several other local players, but Colville is coached by a familiar face with both the CCBC and WCBL Hawks: Jake Lanferman.
“He just wants to help you become the best person you can be, not only a baseball player, but as a man as well,” said the 6-foot, 175-pound hurler.
“He’s done a fantastic job with not only me, but other guys who have come through the program. He just cares so much and it’s awesome having a coach who treats you like a family member.”
SPREADING HIS WINGS
Heading into his junior year, Colville says his focus was simple: work on his craft.
He did that in spades as he helped the Collegiate Hawks make it to the CCBC World Series for the first time, where they fell to Prairie Baseball Academy.
Colville was named the team’s pitcher of the year, compiling six wins in 11 starts, striking out 57 to go along with a 4.50 earned run average.
That led him back to RE/MAX for his third tour of duty in the WCL, albeit this time he was sticking around for good, and he rewarded the Hawks with an outstanding summer.
Colville made 23 relief appearances, posting a 1-1 record with a 1.96 earned run average and 20 strikeouts as the team went 28-26, falling just short of the postseason.
After the league’s awards and all-star selections were named, Lanferman had nothing but good things to say about his reliever’s continuous development and maturation.
“Logan was tested early in high-leverage situations and consistently proved to be the guy we wanted on the mound when the game was on the line,” he said.
“This summer was especially rewarding to watch, as he consistently performed at a high level every time he took the mound. His growth and success this season were truly special to witness.”
SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS
Now into his fifth year at the University of Alberta, the work has already begun for Colville and his Collegiate Hawks teammates.
They took part in their annual intrasquad Fall World Series, where he was named the tournament MVP thanks to a pair of outstanding performances totaling 15.2 innings, where he allowed just one earned run while striking out 11.
More importantly, it was a good way to get everyone on the same page ahead of a spring where expectations will be high.
The veteran twirler says accountability will be key to bringing home the program’s first-ever championship.
“I think, from day one, it’s about competing every single day,” Colville said. “I think that mindset helped us win a lot of games last year and come as close as we did.”
Last year’s run to the final has stuck in every veteran’s mind over the summer and fall, and will invariably light a fire under them when the spring season gets going.
While he’s not sure if he’ll be suiting up with the WCL Hawks in the summer, Colville says it would mean the world to win a championship for the hometown team in his final collegiate season.
So his focus right now is solely on the CCBC season.
“I know that we’re a team that can do it … that can win a title,” he said. “I’m hoping that we keep that same mentality that we took throughout the spring and just ride it a little harder to eventually get that big win.”
The Canadian College Baseball Conference regular season is set to begin in March.
