September 17, 2024

By Ian Wilson

Western Canadian Baseball League

After guiding the Sylvan Lake Gulls to a regular-season wins record, Jason Chatwood has been named the Western Canadian Baseball League's Coach of the Year.

The head coach of the Gulls earned the award after leading the central Alberta club to a 44-win season and a President's Trophy. Sylvan Lake went 44-12 in their 56 games and finished first overall in the WCBL regular season standings in 2024. Their victory total established a new regular-season wins record.

"This is very special to receive an award like this and I am extremely honoured. I honestly don't want to take too much credit as I feel it's a team award and a testament to the group that we had and how hard they worked," said Chatwood, a product of Innisfail, Alberta.

The skipper gave a nod to his coaching staff - including pitching coach Matt Hape and assistant coach Wyatt McKnight - as well as the "Lake Boys" who suited up at Gulls Field over the summer.

"A huge amount of credit goes to my assistants Matt and Wyatt. I wouldn't be able to do this without them. From the day the guys showed up they seemed to become really close and embrace the community of Sylvan Lake and played hard day in and day out," he said.

Chatwood has been the head coach of the Gulls since the team entered the WCBL in 2021. During his tenure, the team has won 143 contests and lost 65 games during the regular season. Sylvan Lake has advanced past the first round of the postseason over the last three years.

Outfielder Cooper Ciesielski - who was named a First Team All-Star by the WCBL after hitting 13 homers and batting .382 over 47 games - praised Chatwood and the coaching staff for allowing him to thrive this season with the Gulls.

"Huge shout out to coach Chatwood, coach Hape and coach McKnight for welcoming me as a new player and developing my performance to get to the next level. This coaching staff was great to play for as they were supportive and understanding," said Ciesielski.

"They were very welcoming as I connected with the coaches and players right away."

Chatwood grew up in central Alberta, where he played minor baseball in Innisfail and Red Deer.

After graduating from high school, he attended Colby Community College in Kansas and set career and single-season records for hits and at bats. Chatwood also played great defence as a second baseman and he was inducted into the Colby Community College Alumni Hall of Fame along with his wife, Heather Chatwood, in 2018.

The Sylvan Lake field boss suited up for Gonzaga University, which is a NCAA Division 1 program, in 2008 and 2009. Chatwood was named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic Team as a member of the Bulldogs.

When he returned home to Alberta, Chatwood remained active in baseball as a player, coach and president of the Red Deer Riggers senior men's team.

In 2018, he became the lead instructor and coach at St. Joseph High School's baseball academy. In addition, Chatwood is an associate scout with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The WCBL Coach of the Year Award was voted on by coaches across the league. Chatwood finished ahead of Lou Pote (Okotoks Dawgs), Joe Carnahan (Saskatoon Berries) and Ryan MacDonald (Lethbridge Bulls) in the voting. Kevin Mitchell of the Medicine Hat Mavericks won the award in 2023.