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: Owen Steele

He was the Man of Steel on the cellar-dwelling Yorkton Cardinals last year, but now he’s one of several masters on the mound in Medicine Hat.

With the Cardinals in 2018, Owen Steele had a minuscule 1.46 earned run average (ERA) and 46 strikeouts through 49 innings of work for the 14-33 Eastern Division squad.

Since joining the defending Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) champion Mavericks this summer, the Calgarian has a perfect 6-0 record, 49 Ks and a 4.37 ERA in 59.2 frames.

He’s been a reliable presence in Medicine Hat’s starting rotation and we caught up with the 5-foot-10 hurler to spotlight him in our 7th Inning Stretch series.

7th Inning Stretch: Flynn Ridley

Coming off of a Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) title win, Flynn Ridley set his sights on a summer season in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL).

When it came time for the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) pitcher to find a team to play for, another championship squad – the Medicine Hat Mavericks – seemed like a perfect fit.

In his first season in the WCBL, the right-handed reliever from Vancouver has delivered an effective campaign thus far. The 18-year-old has a 3-1 record, two saves, a 2.49 earned run average (ERA) and 17 strikeouts through 21.2 innings pitched.

We spoke with the 6-foot-4 mound manager as part of our 7th Inning Stretch series.

7th Inning Stretch: Austin Sojka

After a sluggish start to the 2019 season, the defending Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) champion Medicine Hat Mavericks needed a spark.

At the plate, that has come in the form of infielder Austin Sojka, who leads the Mavs in home runs (5), RBI (25), and batting average (.368) through his 30 games of play for the red and white.

With the Californian pacing the offence, the Mavericks are now in the thick of the playoff chase and looking to defend their championship crown. Sojka is the subject of our latest 7th Inning Stretch feature …

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.