Okotoks Dawgs Red beat the Okotoks Black in the final of the 140-team 12U West Coast Premier tournament in Phoenix.

March 28, 2025

Dawg fight in the desert – An All-Dawgs matchup in Phoenix

The Okotoks Dawgs Academy sent two teams to the 12U West Coast Premier spring training tournament in Mesa, Arz.

And when the dust was almost cleared, it was the Dawgs playing the Dawgs in the championship final of the 140-team 12U tournament. Players flew down individually with their parents and were in different pools, but they were on the same field in the final.

The event drew teams from seven different states and three provinces in this the fourth year the youngest iteration of the Dawgs Academy teams has gone to Arizona. The tourney was primarily hosted at the Arizona Athletic Grounds, a $250 million complex, featuring eight full turf fields, amidst the plethora of soccer fields, basketball/volleyball courts and pickleball courts.

Seldom was either Dawgs team in a serious pickle.

The Dawgs started out their week training at Mesa Community College, home of Dawgs Western Canadian League seasoned bench coach, Dave Robb (Lac La Biche, Alta.). The following day saw both teams take the field, playing two games each against teams from Washington, Oregon and Utah.

Dawgs Red got started by winning both games 16-3 and 8-4 against Gametime Red and the Ellensburg Blues. Hudson Cox (Calgary, Alta.) and Keyen Hall (Okotoks, Alta.) sparked the offence, collecting three hits each and driving in three runs as well. Heath Formos (Calgary, Alta.) stood out on the mound, throwing three scoreless innings, with one strikeout.

Following Red’s doubleheader, the Black team took the field for their doubleheader, winning 16-4 against Seattle Select, and dropping a close one 10-9 to Thunder Baseball out of Utah. Declan Middlebrook (Calgary, Alta.) and Gibson Ulmer (Calgary, Alta.) led the offence with three hits each and driving in six runs collectively. On the mound, Black distributed their innings evenly, highlighted by Titan McRee (Okotoks, Alta.), throwing two innings, allowing only one baserunner.

In Day II of the tournament, both Dawgs teams took the field for another doubleheader. Red won both games 12-8 and 15-5 against New Level Jaxx and NWDS.

Brayden Lawley (Calgary, Alta.) and Camryn Courtorielle (Morinville, Alta.) collected five total hits and Lawley driving in five. Mason Champagne (St. James, Man.) started for the Red Army in Game 1, striking out five and stranding three baserunners.

On the other side of the complex, Black dropped a heartbreaker to Ellensburg in Game 1, 6-5, followed by a 9-3 win in the second over Dragons Elite. Easton Ference (Calgary, Alta.) and Mason Boettcher (Calgary, Alta.) led the offence, collecting three hits each, driving in four runs collectively. Kaelum Ogden (Calgary, Alta.) and Brodie Breault (Calgary, Alta.) shined on the mound, both throwing three innings, allowing one run each fanning 11.

After the games, the Dawgs teams went to the Kansas Jayhawks-Arizona State Sun Devils NCAA DI game. The Dawgs were on the field, prior to first pitch as ASU would won the Big XII matchup, 8-2.

Day III would be a pivotal one for both teams as both were looking to secure No. 1 spots in pool play and advance to the semifinals.

Red would jump out to a seven-run lead in the top half of the first. In true spring training style, their opponents from Utah tied the game late, for a 13-13 tie. The tie clinched the No. 1 seed in their pool. Ayden Docherty (Calgary, Alta.) led the offence going 2-for-2 with four RBIs. Zach Tkachuk (Okotoks, Alta.) threw an inning with one strikeout.

Black, needed a win to secure first place in their pool and turned to LHP JJ Heppner (Calgary, Alta.), who worked four innings, striking out nine and allowing one hit. Offensively, Lawson Miller (Calgary, Alta.) provided timely hitting, driving in two in the decisive 12-1 win.

Championship Sunday saw the Dawgs teams prove they weren’t more bark than bite. The Red team took on GameTime Gold in the semifinals. Riley Sherstabetoff (Calgary, Alta.) was dominating on the mound, fanning six while throwing 76% strikes leading to a 8-1 Dawgs victory.

Dawgs Black took on the Idaho Rampage in the semifinals, scoring a 10-5 win, as Titan McRee (Okotoks, Alta.) and Gibson Ulmer (Calgary, Alta.) allowed five hits over in their five innings. Emerson Harvey (Airdrie, Alta.) had two big knocks, including a double driving in two.

The matchup was set, a rematch from two weeks prior in Okotoks, the Dawgs against the Dawgs for the championship. Heading into the championship, Team Red was, coached by the son and father team of Tyler Milton (Okotoks, Alta.) and John Milton (Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ont.) was 4-2, while Black, coached by former Minnesota Twins minor leaguer Kareem Johnson (Calgary, Alta.) and Kobe Fredland (Grande Prairie, Alta. ) went 5-0-1. So, only two losses combined in 10 round-robin games.

The final saw a competitive game between both teams before Black pulled away for an 11-0 win, thanks to Mason Boettcher and Brodie Breault (Calgary, Alta.), who combined to throw five innings striking out eight. Aslan Uygur (Calgary, Alta.) drove in two on a double in the third inning. Red saw four different arms take the mound, featuring Keon Johnson (Calgary, Alta.), Will Whelan (Calgary, Alta.), Ayden Docherty (Calgary, Alta.) and Camryn Courtorielle (Morinville, Alta.).

Okotoks Dawgs Red’s Kaelum Ogden (Calgary, Alta.) voted MVP, with the tourney mascot.

Kaelum Ogden was selected as the MVP of the tournament, batting .533 with a 1.765 OPS, including two home runs and 12 RBIs. He also pitched three scoreless innings.