Wilson: Beck stars in WCBL All-Star Game and HR Derby
Former big league slugger Matt Stairs (Fredericton, N.B.) presents Saskatoon Berries slugger Carter Beck (Carnduff, Sask.) with the 2024 WCBL All-Star Game MVP Award. Photo: Ian Wilson, Alberta Dugout Stories
July 21, 2024
By Ian Wilson
Alberta Dugout Stories
Sweltering heat, a stuffed Seaman Stadium, and a star-studded cast of Western Canadian Baseball League talent punctuated the 2024 All-Star Game.
Despite temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius, an elated record crowd of 6,064 baseball fans showed up to take in the signature WCBL event in Okotoks.
They were treated to a competitive 12-person Home Run Derby. Hitters from the East Division and West Division piled up 75 homers in the first round of that contest, before a quartet of batters combined for 20 more long balls in the finals.
Peyton McDowall, an infielder with the Fort McMurray Giants, and his six dingers outlasted Austin Gurney (Campbell River, B.C.), Carter Beck (Carnduff, Sask.), and Zach Barnao to prevail as the SR Bats Home Run Derby champ.
The WCBL All-Star Game saw Graham Brunner (Sherwood Park, Alta.), a veteran southpaw with the Okotoks Dawgs, take the mound as the starting pitcher for the West Division, followed by Ian Heck, a two-way player with the Weyburn Beavers from California, who was the opening hill topper for the East Division.
Heck, who went yard six times in the derby and fell just short of qualifying for the final round, surrendered one run in the opening frame, as did Brunner.
From there, the East Division jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the first third of the game. That lead held steady at 6-3 through five innings before the East struck for five runs in the sixth inning, kickstarted by a solo homer from outfielder Jordan Phillips of the Medicine Hat Mavericks.
That was the only round tripper in the contest, despite both sides combining for 32 hits in the game.
It also continued a theme of Home Run Derby contestants carrying over their strong play into the game.
Phillips swatted two dingers in the derby before launching one in the All-Star Game.
Heck went from six homers in the derby, to taking the mound as the East Division starting pitcher, to finishing his night with a triple in the late innings on a hard-hit ball off the right-field wall.
"It was a super fun day. The experience is like no other and definitely trying to take advantage of the moment and doing anything I can to have the most fun and most success that I can," said Heck.
"I actually didn't think I was going to get an at bat today because I was supposed to be here as just a pitcher but I got told I was going to get one and I guess that happened."
In discussing taking the mound, Heck said: "It felt really cool, especially running out to the mound and I've never played in front of a crowd this big so seeing everybody in attendance and then realizing the moment I was in is definitely a special thing."
The East carried 13-4 lead into the final frame. West Division batters did not go quietly, adding two more runs, but the East would not be denied. A rope of a throw from right fielder Nate Mensik of the Moose Jaw Miller Express to gun down a runner at third provided one of the final outs of the game and helped preserve a 13-6 final score for the East Division, their first All-Star Game win over the West Division in three years.
Carter Beck, an outfielder with the Saskatoon Berries, was named the All-Star Game MVP after going 3-for-3 with a run scored and three runs batted in. It was an excellent night for the Carnduff, Sask., native, who was the runner up in the SR Bats Home Run Derby. His 11 dingers were the most in the first round and his total of 16 homers was the highest of any derby contestant.
“I just tried to what I do and keep it simple and it seemed to work out today,” Beck said. “The bat was feeling heavy, but it still managed to get the job done.”
Added Beck: “It was good to see us East guys beat the West ... West is always the premier side of the league so it was really good to beat them.”
The expansion Berries do not have a road game in Okotoks this season, so the All-Star Game marked the first visit to Seaman Stadium for the team's All-Star representatives from Saskatoon.
“I think we’ve shown as a first-year team, we’re not just a rollover, we’re here to play,” said Beck.
“All of us guys went out and played pretty well today and it shows we can compete with anybody in the league.”
Despite the high-scoring affair, several pitchers stood out with strong performances.
Brandon Russell of the Edmonton Prospects struck out three batters for the West Division in a scoreless top half of the fifth inning and lefty Josh Landry of the Mavericks struck out the only three batters he faced in the bottom of the sixth inning. Landry was one of four East Division pitchers to not allow a run in the contest - Daniel Crabtree (Regina Red Sox), Jaylen Gutierrez and his Swift Current 57's teammate Klevert Martina were the others.
After the win, the East Division All-Stars posed for a team photo on the field before joining their West Division opponents for a fireworks display over the left-field wall.