Top Five WCBL Moments from 2021

We take a look at the Top 5 Moments from the 2021 Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) season …

Five Storylines We’re Watching in 2022

It will come as no surprise that the developments around COVID-19 will continue to dominate the sports headlines in the months ahead.

But assuming we can have a normal(ish) summer, what other storylines should we be watching?

We take out our crystal ball to look at the five stories that we expect will have local, provincial and national implications.

Running of the Bulls

“Definitely the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

Bryce Oriold-Fraser turned 23 on the night his Lethbridge Bulls clinched the Western Canadian Baseball League championship. He was also named the WCBL Playoff MVP after two great appearances on the mound.

We take a look back at the Bulls’ journey to the final and the aftermath of winning it all.

No Flocking Way

Not everyone was able to comprehend what transpired at Pogadl Park in Sylvan Lake on August 15th.

Even some of the players weren’t aware that Evan Wilde, Brett Higgins and Zane Pollen had combined to throw a no-hitter in a 9-0 win over the Lethbridge Bulls.

It was the first no-hitter in the WCBL since 2019, but also had some mystery for many in attendance.

3 UP, 3 DOWN WITH LEVI ABBOTT

If you’re scanning the strikeout leaderboard for Levi Abbott’s name, check at the top before working your way down.

The 6-foot-3, right-handed pitcher for the Lethbridge Bulls leads the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) in Ks, with 66, through his first 43.2 innings of work this summer and his other statistics have not suffered during his eight appearances.

We caught up with Abbott to pick his brain on the summer he’s having in the WCBL for a segment we like to call 3 UP, 3 DOWN.

2021 MLB Draft Review

A total of 17 Canadians were chosen in the 2021 MLB Draft.

While none hailed from Alberta, several trained here or have connections to this province.

We run down those connections and highlight some of their accomplishments.

3 UP, 3 DOWN WITH NOAH OR

Catcher Noah Or is like your favourite playlist right now … he’s offering up all the hits.

Through nine games in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL), the Richmond, British Columbia native is leading the pack in batting average (.486), and on-base percentage (.568). His 15 runs, 17 hits and nine runs batted in (RBI) are also near the top of the leaderboard.

Get to know Or a bit better in our latest edition of THREE UP, THREE DOWN …

The Green Light

It feels like we’ve been running the bases for a while now.

We’ve been caught in some rundowns, and have been desperate to stay safe for what feels like an eternity.

But with Alberta entering Phase 3 of its “Open For Summer” plan, Canada Day baseball provided a little more reason to celebrate as we rounded third and it felt like we made it home.

WCBL Opening Weekend: Photo Gallery

It was a beautiful and historic weekend in Alberta.

The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) returned to action for the first time since August of 2019.

The comeback was significant for many reasons, some baseball related and some not.

Check out some of the images we captured from a full weekend of baseball …

WCBL Season Preview

The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) is all about the “Canadian” this summer.

With the 2021 WCBL season set to get going on June 18th in Sylvan Lake and Lethbridge, players from the Great White North will be on full display across Alberta. For the first time in the summer collegiate baseball circuit’s history, rosters of each of the five teams will be 100% Canadian.

With that in mind, let’s take a tour around the league, check out some of the players, and see what we can expect from each team during their 40 games of regular-season action.