By IAN WILSON

The postseason is no longer foreign territory for the Brooks Bombers.

The “Bomb Squad” has qualified for the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) playoffs the last two years and they’ll look to make it three in a row in 2026.

Despite the postseason appearances, the Bombers are still looking for their first playoff victory in franchise history. They were swept by the Okotoks Dawgs in 2022 and 2025 best-of-three series, and they dropped two straight against the Sylvan Lake Gulls in the opening round of the 2024 postseason.

The Bombers also have yet to put together a season of .500 or better baseball.

Let’s take a closer look at the team in Brooks and see if this roster can break through when the games get more meaningful.

BATTING

Calgary infielder Deri Steiert-Couture has re-signed with the Bombers. He appeared in 20 games, including two playoff matchups, for Brooks in 2025 and scored 10 runs in that time. Steiert-Couture also made two relief appearances and allowed no runs while striking out three batters over 2.1 innings.

A new arrival to the infield is Gage Perri of Andrews, Texas. Through 42 games at Indian Hills Community College, the freshman has a .351 batting average, 10 long balls, 30 runs and 46 RBI.

Two other new members of the infield are Maverick McAllister, a freshman from Thrall, Texas who studies at West Texas A&M University, and Lucas Munns of McCook Community College. Munns has a .400 on-base percentage and 11 RBI in 14 games this season.

Eric Mora comes to the Bombers from the Simpson University Red Hawks. The infielder hit .347 with 37 runs, 35 RBI and four homers in 47 games this season.

Added to the roster out of the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) is Daylon Jefcoats, who was named the Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Year and a First-Team All-Lone Star Conference player this season. The infielder/outfielder batted .365 with 49 runs, 11 stolen bases, 32 RBI and nine homers in 50 games for the Falcons.

Available as both a right-handed pitcher and an infielder is Owen Fernandes, who hails from Maple Ridge, B.C. Fernandes is a sophomore at Yavapai College.

Emerson Fleck is also a new two-way player with the Bombers. The righty batter and hurler from Spokane, Washington had 18 RBI, 15 runs and three round trippers in 23 games with Whitworth University, a Division 3 NCAA program. Fleck, who plays in the outfield for the Pirates, also made four relief appearances.

Look for Zack Bretza to gear up behind the plate with the Bombers this summer. As a freshman at Bossier Parish Community College this season, Bretza has played in 19 games, registering 10 RBI and eight runs in 43 at bats.

Other backstops with Brooks include Amir Pineiro and Ben Simmons.

Simmons is a Vauxhall Academy graduate attending Eastern Arizona College. In 23 games with the Monsters, the Ottawa, Ontario lefty slugger is batting .400 with 22 runs and18 RBI during his freshman year.

Pineiro is a product of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico who is coming off his senior season at Lindsey Wilson University, where he has served as both a starting pitcher and a catcher.

PITCHING

A number of familiar moundsmen have signed on for a return to Elks Field in 2026.

Lucas Mahoney is a 6-foot-4 righthander from Revelstoke, B.C. who took the bump in 13 games with the Bombers last year. Six of those appearances were starts. Mahoney went 1-2 with 39 strikeouts and a 6.69 earned run average (ERA) in 40-plus innings.

Aidan Maxwell is a local product who appeared in two games for the Bombers in 2023 before getting into 14 WCBL contests last year. The reliever is 1-1 with 16 Ks in 26 innings pitched for Brooks. Maxwell is having a strong season in the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) with the Okanagan College Coyotes. The righthander is 1-0 with 14 strikeouts and a 2.29 ERA in nine relief appearances and 15-plus innings.

Hudson Groh was a steady performer for the Bombers last season. He pitched in 11 games, including seven starts, and went 3-6 with a 4.60 ERA in his 43 innings of work. The 6-foot-2 Madera, California native also recorded 40 strikeouts in the WCBL.

Fellow Californian Alex Hernandez is a 6-foot-3 righty who got into three games for the Bombers in 2025. The Fresno City College sophomore will look to build on his seven-plus innings for Brooks last year.

A lefty added to the Bomb Squad is Kade Adams, a 6-foot-3 freshman at UTPB who has pitched in 11 games, mainly as a reliever. He is a K-per-inning pitcher.

Rafa Echeverria is also a lefty option for Brooks. At Cerro Coso Community College, the southpaw has appeared in 15 games and made nine starts. Echeverria is 5-4 with a save and 65 strikeouts in 56.2 innings.

New to the club is Cole Patrick, who has logged 24.2 innings with Bossier Parish Community College this season. The righty from Waco, Texas has appeared in nine games, five of which were starts. In that time, he’s 2-1 with a 5.11 ERA and 12 strikeouts.

Williston State College is sending a pair of pitchers to Elks Field.

Alexander Kienberger is originally from Austria. The righthander has taken the mound in 10 games for the Tetons and made five starts. Kienberger is 4-1 with a 5.13 ERA and 25 punchouts in 26-plus innings.

His teammate, Tyler Morales, has also pitched in 10 games at Williston State, logging 21.2 innings and make three starts in those appearances. The Colorado native is 2-2 with a save and 23 strikeouts.

Walker Kokotailo, a former member of Canada’s Junior National Team, has signed on with the Bombers. The righthander is a White Rock, B.C. product.

Paulo Martell has pitched for two seasons at El Paso Community College, where the righty is 3-3 with 35 Ks in 34.2 innings and 21 games. He’ll make the trek north to southern Alberta this year.

Australian Raul Romero has 37 Ks in 33 innings with McCook Community College this season. The sophomore took the mound in 10 games and made seven starts.

Rounding out the pitching staff is Cesar Morales, a righty who was a starting pitcher with the Central Methodist Eagles in 2025. He’s now attending St. Thomas University.

COACHING

The Bombers have qualified for the WCBL postseason the previous two seasons and in three of the last four years.

If they hope to make the playoffs for a third straight summer, it will be with a new head coach guiding them.

Skipper Dylan DeBrouwer led the club to a 22-34 record in 2025, which was good for the final playoff berth.

Justin Gomez will take over from DeBrouwer for the 2026 season, according to a team announcement in December.

“Gomez brings a wealth of baseball knowledge and experience to the Bombers,” said the club in a social media post.

“His passion for player development and advancement will serve our players and organization well as we look to build upon a strong 2025 campaign. He brings an offensive mindset, competitive drive, and is focused on bringing a winning culture to the City of Brooks.”

Gomez was a 2019 draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds and played professional baseball as a catcher for five seasons.

Home Ballpark: Elks Field

Home Opener: 7:05 p.m., Friday, May 29th vs. Medicine Hat Mavericks

2025 Regular Season Results: 4th place in West Division with 22 wins & 34 losses

2025 Playoff Results: Swept in opening round by Okotoks Dawgs; 0-2 postseason record