By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

This really is Wild Rose country.

It says so on every license plate in the province.

And it has said so for years at Seaman Stadium, home of the Okotoks Dawgs.

Aidan Rose plays second base for the Okotoks Dawgs in the Western Canadian Baseball League. And before that Rose (Calgary, Alta.) joined the Dawgs Academy at age 12 from the Rocky Mountain Little League. So, this season with the college team represents his 11th in a Dawgs uniform.

Before that his older brother, Jeremy Rose, pitched for the Dawgs Academy for six seasons.

And before that his eldest brother Brendan played outfield for the Dawgs summer college team and the academy for nine seasons.

So, if you’re counting rosebuds along the side of the Highway 2-A that’s 26 seasons of Roses wearing Dawgs uniforms.

Wild, huh?

Rose had a memorable spring with Chris Pritchett’s University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, who won the NAIA opening round tournament at Hattiesburg, Miss. UBC beat the Indiana Southeast Grenadiers 7-4 in 11 innings to advance to Lewiston, Id.

In the championship game, Mitchell Middlemiss and Kyle Yip scored on a Rose double down the left-field line to give the T-Birds a 2-1 lead. It was one of his two hits in the contest.

Both teams had chances in extras. The T-Birds had a runner thrown out at the plate in the 10th and the Grenadiers loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half.

Then came the 11th …

“We loaded the bases and scored on a wild pitch,” Rose said. “We scored on a wild pitch, then a couple of run-scoring singles (Trent Lenihan and Jaden Lamothe).

“That was pretty special, winning in Hattiesburg, which is a long way from home,” Rose said. “It was something to reach the World Series in Lewiston.”

It was even wild … like the official floral emblem of Alberta

At Lewiston, UBC fell 11-1 to Georgia Gwinnett and Loyola New Orleans 12-9. Rose hit .229 with UBC with five doubles, 12 RBIs and a .607 OPS in 40 games. Rose said, “Coach Pritchett is quiet, he’s secretly funny … like Lou Pote here.”

And so was the finish of the 2024 WCBL championship final when Connor Crowson homered leading off the bottom of the ninth against the Moose Jaw Miller Express for the walk-offs of all walk-offs. Like Blue Jays slugger Joe Carter and Pittsburgh Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski.

“I was in the hole, he hit it to the left of the scoreboard (in right) more towards centre,” Rose said. “And then he almost tripped over first base.”

Just like Carter when broadcaster Tom Cheek commanded from above “Touch ‘em all Joe …”

* * *

Studs he played with: Seated outside the spanking brand new weight room with a storey and a half picture window, Rose was asked who was the best player he ever played with?

“Probably (shortstop) Brendan Luther, he had such a mature approach at the plate,” said Rose. “He was so serious about his business, like Rickey Sanchez and Connor Crowson on this team. And a guy who would be one of my best friends, Vic Domingo, who played for both the Dawgs and UBC. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres last July.

“Hopefully, we can win another championship this year.”

Rose played for Okotoks coaches Tyler Hollick and Scott Smith his first year. Then, it was Lou Pote and Allan Cox. Cox for two more seasons. Next for Brett Guthro, Aaron Ethier and Curtis Taylor, then Jeff Duda, Val Helldobler and Hollick.

Okotoks is the biggest dog in the league. Like the New York Yankees. Like the Montreal Canadiens. Or Ric Flair in the squared circle. The Dawgs have won eight times since 2004. And like the Yankees, the Habs or The Nature Boy, every opponent wants to beat the Dawgs.

“The other teams usually bring their ‘A’ game when they come to play us,” Rose said. “Not only because of us, but to play in front of the big crowds.

“This place, Seaman Stadium, it keeps expanding and getting better each year. It’s quite something what John Ircandia and everyone has done with our facility.”

Seaman Stadium is named after Don Seaman and on opening night the Dawgs celebrated Seaman’s 100th birthday by lining up and tipping their caps to Seaman, who waved from Ircandia’s private box behind home plate.

“We draw fans from Calgary, it’s not far, I get in my car and the map shows 24 minutes to Seaman Stadium,” Rose said, “and there is a great success in town.”

The Fort McMurray Giants thought they had the Dawgs beaten on Tuesday night at Seaman before 3,306 Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Dawgs fans as the Edmonton Oilers lost the Stanley Cup to the Florida Panthers. Fort Mac was up 7-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Okotoks scored six to take the lead, the Giants tied it in the eighth and in the bottom half No. 9 hitter catcher Chase Logan homered to right. Alex Oliver shut down the Giants for the save in a 9-8 win.

Darcy Barry had two homers and Zach Cavanagh went deep once for Fort Mac.

* * *

Ah, about your relative: Post game we asked Rose about his cousin.

“My cousin?”

Yes, your distant cousin … Pete Rose.

Rose explained that he owned a yellow Lab which he named Pete Rose.

What about the hitter? Does he belong in Cooperstown?

“I think he should be there, he should be in the Hall of Fame,” Rose said. “He’s the all-time hit leader and my dad’s favourite player.”

* * *

Papa Rose: Ah yes, the father of the wild Roses has also been a Seaman regular as well. In fact, Mike Rose was inducted in the Okotoks Hall of Fame Feb. 2, 2019.

We would like to tell you how he gave a wonderful speech that night.

However, he never got the chance at the podium.

Someone collapsed on stage and the remaining speeches were canceled.

For that we apologize once again.