March 4, 2019

By Jonathan Hodgson

Okotoks Dawgs

The Okotoks Dawgs are very pleased to announce their first player signings for the 2019 Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) season.

The club has secured commitments from junior college powerhouse Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon, including the re-signing of 2018 infielder Richard Mascarenas and right-handed pitcher Brock Townsend, as well as the addition of two newcomers, right-handed pitcher Daniel Ferrario and outfielder Jacob Melton.

Richard Mascarenas, a native of Las Vegas, Nev., is a sophomore infielder at Linn-Benton who had an outstanding season for the Dawgs in 2018. Last summer, Mascarenas was coming off of his freshman season and hit .329 with a home run and 17 RBI’s while adding seven doubles and three triples, while placing second on the team with 16 stolen bases. He also helped to solidify the squad’s defence on the middle infield, primarily playing second base. For his efforts, Mascarenas was named the Dawgs’ 2018 True Grit Award winner.

Brock Townsend, a native of Eugene, Ore., will also return to Okotoks for his second season with the Dawgs following his sophomore season at Linn-Benton. Townsend, who stands 5’11’’, 175 lbs, was outstanding for the Dawgs in 2018, pitching to a 3-0 record in five starts with a 2.17 ERA. Townsend allowed just 23 hits and two walks against 32 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched.

In his first start of the spring for Linn-Benton, Townsend tossed five scoreless innings on just one hit and two walks with 12 strikeouts. He has committed to Cal State Bakersfield (NCAA Div. 1) for his junior year in 2020.

Daniel Ferrario, a right-handed pitcher who stands 6’2’’, will don a Dawgs uniform for the first time this coming summer at the conclusion of his sophomore season at Linn-Benton. A native of West Linn, Ore., Ferrario, appeared in seven games including three starts as a freshman in 2017 before redshirting last year, and is expected to step back in and make an impact on Linn-Benton’s pitching staff. Early on this spring, Ferrario has appeared in one game, pitching two scoreless innings of relief with a pair of strikeouts.

Jacob Melton is a native of Medford, Ore., standing 6’4’’, and is touted as an exciting young outfielder. He has come out of the gate strong in his freshman season, leading the team in hitting with a .471 average to go along with a double, two triples and four RBIs. He is also tied for the team lead with three stolen bases.

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Individual game day tickets for the Dawgs 2019 season go on sale in less than a month’s time. On April 1, fans can log on to dawgsbaseball.ca to purchase tickets. Many games sell quickly, particularly the annual highlight games on the regular season calendar such as Opening Day, Fathers Day and Canada Day, so fans will want to act quickly to secure their seats.