Spring into Action

We are on the cusp of the start of the Canadian College Baseball Conference season.

We take a look at what’s in store for the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks, University of Calgary Dinos and Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs, as well as the squads from B.C.

PBA Night to Remember

It was a February night to remember for the Prairie Baseball Academy.

Not only were they able to finally hold their first full pre-season banquet and awards night since the pandemic, but they were also able to induct three new members of their Hall of Fame.

Above all that, coach Todd Hubka announced they were getting a $500,000 donation to improve their facilities.

Earned The ‘A’

He’s been chomping at the bit to get back onto the field for a game.

Prairie Baseball Academy head coach Todd Hubka’s competitive spirit was in full display in talking about the start of the Canadian College Baseball Conference season.

In a recent chat on ADS: The Podcast, we talked about this year’s team but also about Hubka’s storied career and legacy in baseball.

Twin Will

It hasn’t been an easy road in life for Willy Diaz.

Moving to Edmonton from the Dominican Republic with his mother in search for a better life, there were no guarantees that he would find a career in baseball.

But after suiting up with Prairie Baseball Academy and garnering the attention of the right people, the young infielder has his sights set on the pros after signing with the Minnesota Twins.

1 Thru 9: Prairie Baseball Academy

One of the longest tenured baseball schools in Alberta is in Lethbridge, where the Prairie Baseball Academy (PBA) teaches student athletes about the sport and about life.

The team name at PBA is the Dawgs, but you’ll also find some bulls in the pack. That’s because several members of the coaching staff at the academy have played and coached for the Lethbridge Bulls of the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL). And if you check the Bulls roster each summer, you’re sure to find some PBA players on the squad.

You can count Ryan MacDonald among those who have close ties to both the Bulls and the Dawgs. Now in his 10th year of coaching at PBA, the Nova Scotian played five years for the Bulls and coached the Lethbridge team to their first WCBL title in 2015.

MacDonald made some time for Alberta Dugout Stories so we could learn a bit more about PBA and the school’s approach to baseball tutelage.

The Grande Gator

Escaping the Great White North for the sunny south of Florida, Grande Prairie’s Lars Davis is making a name for himself once again.

Once a highly-touted Canadian baseball prospect and taken in the third round by Colorado, Davis is hoping to help Florida State repeat as College World Series champions in his third season as volunteer assistant coach.