2020 Vision

Despite a summer that pretty much didn’t happen weather-wise, the Western Canadian Baseball League is touting it as a success.

Now all eyes are on the future, starting with a 2020 season that will feature two fewer teams.

As league president Kevin Kvame told us, 2021 will also be a season of change with expansion coming to Alberta.

7th Inning Stretch: Tanner Hess

It’s been a steady summer season of baseball for middle infielder Tanner Hess of the Fort McMurray Giants.

The 23-year-old from Victoria, British Columbia was a last-minute addition to the Fort McMurray roster and he ended up turning the opportunity into an All-Star calibre campaign.

Hess is the focus of this 7th Inning Stretch feature.

7th Inning Stretch: Will Langford

Towering right-handed pitcher Will Langford has established himself as the ace of the Fort McMurray Giants rotation this season.

Through eight appearances – seven of them starts – Langford is the team leader in strikeouts (36), innings pitched (42.1) and ERA (1.91).

The 6-foot-5 hurler also sports a 3-1 record and is helping the Giants make a push for their first ever playoff appearance in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL).

Langford is the subject of our latest 7th Inning Stretch profile.

WCBL All Star Teams Announced

The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) has unveiled its rosters for the 2019 All Star Game in Edmonton on Sunday, July 7th.

A full list of the Western and Eastern Division squads can be found here, as can a gallery of some of the players who will be representing their respective teams.

7th Inning Stretch: Richard Ortiz

Early in the 2019 Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) season, a scan of the power hitter statistics will show Richard Ortiz at or near the top of several categories.

Through the first nine games of the year, the catcher and first baseman with the Fort McMurray Giants is batting .324 with four home runs and 13 runs batted in (RBI). He’s also got three doubles and a walk-off triple in 37 at bats.

We caught up with Ortiz recently to ask him seven questions as part of our new player-profile feature called 7th Inning Stretch.