Wilson: Luther and Sanchez hope to lead Dawgs to three-peat
Brendan Luther (left) and Ricardo Sanchez (right) share a hug at first base during a 2024 regular season game at Seaman Stadium between the Okotoks Dawgs and Lethbridge Bulls. Photo: Ian Wilson
*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on August 15. You can read it here.
August 17, 2024
By Ian Wilson
Alberta Dugout Stories
They are middle-infield magicians and big-time batters.
The top two hitters in the Okotoks Dawgs batting lineup – shortstop Brendan Luther and second baseman Ricardo Sanchez – have been clutch performers at the plate and in the field, smacking out key hits and seamlessly converting double plays when needed.
As veterans, the pair have been entrenched in the winning culture of the Dawgs for years.
Sanchez followed in his older brother’s footsteps, taking over middle-infield duties at Seaman Stadium from Eddie Sanchez in the 2019 season. The brothers from Mexico City wore the same No. 8 for the Dawgs and both captivated fans with their hustle and smarts.
The younger Sanchez won a Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) championship that summer with the Dawgs, who defeated the Regina Red Sox in the best-of-three final. Playing shortstop and batting in the bottom of the lineup, Sanchez batted just .179 in that postseason, but he saved his best for the big moments. The 5-foot-8 righty batter went 2-for-4 with two runs and a run batted in (RBI) during the series-clinching 8-6 win in Okotoks.
Luther suited up for the Edmonton Prospects that year, and returned for a second season with the Prospects in 2021 before jumping ship to the Dawgs for the 2022 WCBL season.
When he arrived in Okotoks, the Mississauga, Ontario product got to see first hand the talents of Ricky Sanchez. In 52 games, Sanchez batted .342 with 46 runs, 39 RBIs, 15 doubles and 12 stolen bases. He was named the WCBL Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2022 regular season and he continued to perform in the playoffs, producing 10 runs, seven RBIs and a .345 batting average over seven games.
It was Luther, however, who would add those same MVP letters beside his name following a playoff run that culminated in a championship for the Dawgs, who defeated the Moose Jaw Miller Express in three games.
By this point, Luther had assumed shortstop duties and Sanchez shifted over to second base. The duo were quickly becoming an unstoppable one-two punch atop the batting lineup. Luther finished the postseason with 11 runs and 13 hits and was named the WCBL Playoff MVP.
Last year, the two were entrenched in their infield roles and on interim manager Lou Pote’s lineup card. The result was another title for the Dawgs. Sanchez collected five hits, four RBIs and three runs in the first four games of the 2023 playoffs but missed the final series against the Medicine Hat Mavericks.
Luther added to his lore, earning the nickname “Mr. August” and massive cheers from the crowds at Seaman Stadium. The lefty leadoff man had 11 hits, 10 RBIs, six runs and three homers over seven postseason games and earned his second consecutive WCBL Playoff MVP honour.
The pair have played more than 300 regular season and playoff games combined for the Okotoks Dawgs and are approaching 1,200 at bats between the two of them.
In the 2024 WCBL postseason, Luther and Sanchez have somehow managed to elevate their games to another stratosphere, even by their lofty standards.
“They’re our catalysts. We go as they go. Ricky, big hits, and Luther seems like he’s on base every time,” said Pote after the Dawgs defeated the Sylvan Lake Gulls 10-4 in Game 3 of the West Division championship series.
“They’ve been around. They’ve lost in the playoffs and they’ve also won. They know what it takes and they just seem to rise to the occasion every season.”
Through eight playoff games, Luther has a .429 batting average, 10 runs, three doubles, four RBIs and two stolen bases.
While Luther is maintaining his Mr. August reputation, Sanchez is possibly outperforming his stellar teammate. The duo are committed to completing the drive for a three-peat championship title for the Dawgs, but Sanchez could be the biggest challenger to Luther’s bid for a WCBL Playoff MVP three-peat.
In previous summers, the Dawgs breezed through the opening rounds of the playoffs and swept their way to the championship series. They had 6-1 postseason records in both 2022 and 2023, and only experienced losses when they were already up by a game in the final round.
This year has presented more adversity. Okotoks went the distance in their opening-round series against the Lethbridge Bulls, narrowly advancing with a 13-inning triumph in Game 3.
The trusted middle infielders of the Dawgs sparked the team in the first game of that series, picking up four hits, three runs and one RBI in a 7-4 win. Sanchez made a diving snag on a sharply hit ball to record the final out of that contest.
Luther and Sanchez scored three of the four Dawgs runs in a 5-4 loss to the Bulls at Spitz Stadium, before an epic extra-inning affair back in Okotoks vaulted the Dawgs to the next round of the playoffs.
Both players scored runs in Game 3, but it was Sanchez who delivered the knockout blow to Lethbridge with a suicide squeeze bunt single that plated pinch runner Leo Griffin from third base in the bottom of the 13th inning, sending the Seaman Stadium faithful into hysterics.
“It takes everybody to win a game, it’s about the little things. Sometimes people just notice the home runs, batting average, and all the stats, if everybody just do the little things they are supposed to, it’s going to be pretty hard to beat us,” said Sanchez in an interview with reporter Scott Savard earlier in the season.
During the West Division final against the Sylvan Lake Gulls, Sanchez had a hit, three walks and an RBI, while Luther went 3-for-5 at the plate in a Game 1 that was won 5-3 by the Gulls on a walk-off homer by second baseman Marques Abulhosn.
With their backs against the wall in a tight-scoring Game 2, it was the top of the order guys who responded yet again. Luther had a hit, a walk, an RBI and the winning run in the 3-2 victory for Okotoks. Sanchez contributed two walks, as well, but it was his seventh-inning triple to left field that scored Luther and secured the win.
Back at Gulls Field for the winner-take-all Game 3, the Dawgs fell behind 2-0 in the first inning. Okotoks responded in the fourth frame with an eight-run outburst and added another two runs in the fifth inning before cruising to a 10-4 win and punching their ticket to the WCBL championship for a third straight season.
Sylvan Lake head coach Jason Chatwood credited Sanchez with turning the game in favour of the Dawgs in the fourth inning.
“Ricky fighting with two strikes like he did, and then hitting that bases clearing double, kudos to him and that’s the type of player he is. I mean, he did it to us last night, too … that moment for Ricky got the momentum on their side,” said Chatwood, who guided the Gulls to 44-win regular season that set a new record for single-season victories.
Sanchez finished that game with two hits, four RBIs, a run and a walk. Luther added another two runs, two hits and an RBI to his postseason totals.
“I think I’m the best hitter in the world, but I also think Ricky’s the best,” laughed Luther after the Dawgs West Division clinching win in Sylvan Lake.
“I think Ricky is one of the best baseball players I’ve ever played with. He goes out and shows it damn near every night. You just watch him and you can tell, that’s a guy with some big league tendencies and he’s got a great future in baseball.”
When asked about playing alongside Sanchez, Luther said the pair are a natural fit.
“It just works, we’re always on the same page. Both of us play a very similar style of baseball and for us, all we want to do is win. We’re going to do whatever we can and I think that’s what makes us so good together,” he said.
Okotoks outfielder Tucker Zdunich also took notice of how in sync the two are at the ballpark.
“They have great chemistry together and they’re major leaders on our team. Having them start our lineup off, it’s so fun to watch,” said Zdunich.
Luther, who is a graphic designer away from the ballpark, has been creating and posting playoff and game day images on social media. He also did up a graphic for Sanchez announcing the second baseman’s commitment to play at Lamar University. Not surprisingly, Sanchez has been sharing Luther’s work on social media. That’s a pretty good one-two punch.
For the past two nights, the Dawgs have been battling the Moose Jaw Miller Express in the 2024 WCBL Championship series. The teams have split the first two games with Luther going 3-for-9 and Sanchez 3-for-6.
The Dawgs and Miller Express will face off in the third-and-deciding game at Seaman Stadium on Saturday night. With Luther and Sanchez at the top of their order, the Dawgs will attempt to capture the team’s second three-peat in franchise history.
The winner of Saturday’s game will hoist the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the WCBL champs.