July 11, 2024

Ian Wilson

Alberta Dugout Stories

It's almost time to shine.

The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) has made its selections for the 2024 All-Star Game.

The East and West Division rosters will suit up at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks for a full slate of baseball festivities, including a home run derby, on Saturday, July 20.

Let’s take a closer look at each lineup, breaking down the rosters by position.

WEST DIVISION

There are six Alberta teams in the West Division, including the Okotoks Dawgs, Sylvan Lake Gulls, Lethbridge Bulls, Fort McMurray Giants, Brooks Bombers and the Edmonton Prospects.

Lou Pote, the skipper of the Dawgs, will lead the coaching staff as a result of Okotoks being the defending WCBL champions.

CATCHERS

Logan Grant will represent the Dawgs behind the dish after batting .268 with 21 runs scored and 10 stolen bases in his first 19 WCBL games this summer. The Chestermere, Alta., native is a veteran player, capable of serving as an outfielder, who suited up for Okotoks last season, as well as the Gulls and 57's in previous seasons.

Kyle Yip is also available to mask up behind the plate for the West Division. The Lethbridge Bulls slugger is another versatile player who can play the outfield when needed. Through 27 games in 2024, Yip has a .345 batting average, 24 RBIs, 21 runs and 10 doubles.

Rounding out the collection of backstops is Adam Thuss of the Fort McMurray Giants. Thuss has a .302 batting average over the first half of the season.

INFIELDERS

The fans in Okotoks will see two familiar faces digging balls out of the dirt for the West squad, including middle infielder Brendan Luther and corner infielder Connor Crowson.

Luther is the defending back-to-back WCBL Playoff MVP, having led the Dawgs to consecutive titles the last two summers. This season, the Mississauga, Ont., native is batting .351 with 20 runs and 14 RBIs in his first 18 contests.

Crowson has suited up for the Dawgs since 2021. During his 26 games with Okotoks this year, the righty slugger has a .349 batting average, 32 runs, 30 RBIs and six homers.

Joining the Dawgs in the infield is Gavin Roy from their rival, the Sylvan Lake Gulls. The Washington State University sophomore has been exceptional over 33 games and it shows in his .378 batting average, 40 runs, 30 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.

Hard-hitting Antony Gilbert joins the All-Star team from the Brooks Bombers. The shortstop has been a menace against WCBL pitchers, posting 10 long balls, 39 RBIs, 33 runs and a .414 batting average through 28 contests.

The Edmonton Prospects have two infielders on the team, including Timo Aracena and Zach Barnao. In 21 games with the Prospects, Aracena has hit five homers, scored 19 runs, collected 15 RBIs and batted .308. Barnao, a native of California, has 20 RBIs and a .272 batting average in 30 outings.

Scott Hansen of the Bulls, Jun Ho Son of the Giants will round out the infield selections.

Hansen is a junior out of Bellevue University who has a .374 batting average, 16 stolen bases, 31 runs and 22 RBIs in 27 games for Lethbridge this year.

Son is a third baseman who registered a .400 batting average, 26 runs and 19 RBIs over his first 25 games for the Giants in 2024.

OUTFIELDERS

Every West Division club has a representative in the outfield at the 2024 All-Star Game.

The Dawgs are sending Barry Eiseman, who joins the WCBL out of Tampa, Fla. In 24 games this season, Eiseman has 22 RBIs and a .326 batting average.

Jouseph Gelpi will rep the Bombers after hitting .363 with 13 steals, 26 runs and 16 RBIs over 19 games.

Noah Brooks of the Prospects is batting .349 with 21 runs and 15 RBIs through his first 26 games in the WCBL.

Fans traveling from Sylvan Lake can cheer on Colorado's Cooper Ciesielski. During his 29 games for the Gulls, Ciesielski has clubbed 10 long balls, smacked 16 doubles, produced 41 RBIs and scored 28 runs.

The Bulls will send Josh Kabayama to the All-Star team. The veteran has been suiting up for Lethbridge since 2021 and this season he has produced 30 runs, 21 RBIs, seven stolen bases and a .316 batting average through 26 games.

Oklahoma City's Gage Ninness will join the roster for the Giants. With Fort McMurray this summer, the returning player has appeared in 15 games and batted .361 with 14 runs scored.

Tucker Zdunich, who is listed as an outfielder on the Okotoks Dawgs roster, will serve as the West's designated hitter. The Reinhardt University slugger is batting .354 with 23 RBIs, 16 runs, four homers and four steals in 19 games this year.

PITCHERS

The Dawgs have three hill toppers who were selected for the All-Star Game, including Garrett Maloney, Chase Tucker and Seth Thompson.

Maloney - who pitched for the Dawgs in 2023 - is a right-handed starting pitcher who has posted a 4-1 record, 2.55 earned run average (ERA), and 26 strikeouts over 24-plus innings for Okotoks this year.

Tucker hails from St. John's, Nfld., and has been excellent out of the bullpen. In 17 appearances, he is 1-0 with a 1.96 ERA and 15 Ks over 18 1/3 innings.

Thompson is another reliable reliever. He has played for Okotoks since 2021 and this season he has two saves and 16 strikeouts in his 11 1/3 innings for the Dawgs.

Sylvan Lake is also sending a trio of moundsmen to Seaman Stadium for the big game.

University of British Columbia (UBC) sophomore James Brock has worked as both a starter and a reliever for the Gulls the last two summers. The righty is 3-0 with two saves, a 2.33 ERA and 28 Ks in 27 innings this year.

In 19 innings for the Gulls, Finbar O'Brien is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA and 27 strikeouts.

Californian Joshua Perez has a 3-1 record, a 3.44 ERA and 15 Ks over 31-plus innings with Sylvan Lake.

The Lethbridge Bulls will be represented by a lefty pitcher and a righthander.

Southpaw Javier De Alejandro - who tossed a no-hitter for the Bulls in 2023 - is 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 30 innings and five starts.

New Brunswick's Drew Lenehan is 3-2 with a 3.90 ERA and 29 Ks through 25 1/3 frames and five starts for Lethbridge.

Matt Whitney, a lefty starting pitcher with the Fort McMurray Giants, has put together a solid campaign. The Floridian is 4-2 with a 2.33 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings.

He'll be joined on the All-Star Game roster by Fort Mac teammate Rob Schmidt. The Arizona righty has two saves and eight strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings and nine outings out of the bullpen.

The Prospects have a number of pitchers on the squad - Brandon Russell, Josh Higgins and CJ Lewis.

Russell is a righty from the Bahamas with a 1-1 record, 4.19 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 19-plus innings.

Higgins is a starting pitcher from Nevada with a 1-3 record, 6.27 ERA and 21 Ks in 33 innings.

Lewis is another righthander with a pair of saves this summer, and the product of Bloomington, Ill., is a K-per-inning pitcher.

The Bombers complete the pitching staff for the West Division with a trio of arms, including Devin Jennings, Tyson Kilbreath and Zander Bretza.

Kilbreath has worked as both a starter and a reliever, posting a 2-1 record with a 5.97 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 34-plus innings.

Jennings has nine strikeouts in his nine-plus frames of work out of the bullpen, as well as a 2.79 ERA over six appearances.

Bretza has primarily served as an infielder for Brooks the past two seasons, but he has plenty of college experience on the mound. Last year, the Californian picked up a save and had a 3.85 ERA for the Bombers in four appearances. This season, Bretza has pitched in seven WCBL contests, going 1-2 with 18 Ks in 11 1/3 innings.

EAST DIVISION

There are six WCBL clubs in the East, including five from Saskatchewan and one based in Alberta. They include the Moose Jaw Miller Express, Regina Red Sox, Swift Current 57’s, Weyburn Beavers, Medicine Hat Mavericks and the expansion Saskatoon Berries.

Kevin Mitchell, the head coach of the Mavs, will lead the East Division coaching staff. Mitchell helped guide Medicine Hat to a divisional crown in 2023 and was named the WCBL Coach of the Year.

CATCHERS

Diego Aragon is slotted in for catching duties on behalf of the Red Sox. In his 22 games with Regina this season, the Colorado backstop is batting .293 with 22 runs and 18 RBIs.

Ontario's Nick Thibodeau has swatted seven long balls, produced 36 RBIs, scored 22 runs and posted a .355 batting average over 27 contests with the Mavericks.

Australian Marcus Graham is representing the 57's behind the plate. The lefty hitter is batting .322 with 16 RBIs and 23 runs in 31 games.

Halen Otte, meanwhile, joins the roster from the Weyburn Beavers. The Whitman College sophomore sports a .290 batting average and has 14 RBIs in his first 22 games of the season.

INFIELDERS

The Miller Express have three infielders on the East Division squad, including Nathan Houston, Thomas Soto and Austin Gurney.

Houston is a product of Melville, Sask., with a .389 batting average, 25 runs and 23 RBIs in 33 games this summer.

Soto is a returning player with a .313 batting average, 18 stolen bases and 39 runs over 32 WCBL contests in 2024.

Gurney is a corner infielder and outfielder who has suited up for Moose Jaw since 2022. In 32 games this year, the B.C. native has eight homers, 40 RBIs, 27 runs, eight steals and a .312 batting average.

The Mavericks are sending a pair of infielders to Seaman Stadium to take part in the festivities.

Returning third baseman Tyler Vanneste has been scorching baseballs through his first 25 games of the 2024 campaign. The Warman, Sask., product has a .402 batting average, 25 runs and 17 RBIs.

His teammate, Marshall Burke, is a Texan with a .316 batting average, 26 runs and 21 RBIs over 33 games.

Speedster Justin Carinci joins the star-studded infield from the Regina Red Sox. He's batting .357 with 15 steals, 37 runs, 10 doubles and 22 RBIs in 30 games, while Kody Hanna (.370 average, 39 RBIs, 21 runs, eight steals in 31 games) also made the cut for the Red Sox.

Ethan Menard, a catcher and first baseman for the Berries, has had a strong first half for Saskatoon. Through 31 games the Louisiana native has 30 RBIs, 22 runs and a .333 batting average.

Meanwhile, Demetrio Archuleta has been a dependable presence for Swift Current. In his 26 games with the 57's, Archuleta has 21 runs, 16 RBIs and a .287 average.

Rounding out the East Division infield is Ryan Muizelaar, who is batting .326 with 22 RBIs, four homers and seven steals in 30 contests.

OUTFIELDERS

Red Sox boosters will want to scan the outfield for Jackson Syring, who was the top hitter in the WCBL over the first half of the season. In 32 games, the Kansas product has a .429 batting average, 42 runs, 32 RBIs, 11 doubles and five round trippers.

He'll be joined on the East Division roster by Carter Beck of the Berries. The Carnduff, Sask., slugger is batting .391 with 38 runs, 26 RBIs, seven homers and 10 stolen bases in 32 games played.

McGwire Turner, who can slot in as an infielder or an outfielder, is another representative of the Berries. He's hitting .343 with 20 RBIs and 19 runs in 25 games.

Kai Gray joins the team out of Swift Current. With the 57's, Gray has 27 runs, 24 RBIs and 15 steals over 32 WCBL contests.

The Miller Express will have Nate Mensik roaming the pastures on their behalf. The Doane University senior has been a fixture at Ross Wells Park since 2022. This season, he's scored 28 runs, compiled 26 RBIs and smacked six homers in 32 games.

Texan Jordan Phillips, a junior at William Jewell College, has been selected as a rep for the Mavericks. During 33 WCBL games this summer, Phillips has 37 runs, 32 RBIs and a .361 batting average.

Getting the call to the outfield for the Beavers is Niko Kekatos, who has a .400 batting average and 14 runs in 24 contests.

PITCHERS

Two-way player Ian Heck will also suit up in Okotoks for the East squad. As a hitter, the Californian has 20 RBIs and 18 runs in 30 games. When he's worked as a starting pitcher, Heck has posted a 3.77 ERA and racked up 30 Ks over 31 innings.

UBC sophomore Owen McConnell will be a right-handed pitching option at the All-Star Game. The Weyburn hurler has 22 strikeouts over 36-plus innings with the Beavers.

The Swift Current 57's have had a pair of pitchers granted All-Star status. Strikeout artist Kenny Jinks was an easy choice for the team. The southpaw is 2-3 with a 4.65 ERA and 51 Ks in 38-plus innings. One of his starts was an 18-strikeout performance earlier this season.

Joining Jinks is teammate Klevert Martina of Kanga, Curacao. With the 57's this summer, Martina has 38 strikeouts and a pair of saves in 36 innings.

Two Saskatoon pitchers have also been named to the East Division pitching staff.

Nick Nolan has worked as both a starter and a reliever for the Berries. He's 2-0 with a 3.53 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 28 frames.

Fellow Texas teammate Wyatt Wiatrek has made five starts and is 2-0 for the Berries with a 2.42 ERA and 26 Ks in 26 innings pitched.

Lefty Colton Anderson and righty Daniel Crabtree will represent the Red Sox. Anderson has been stellar this season, going 4-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 46 strikeouts over his 35 innings and six starts. Crabtree pitched for Regina last season and this year he is 3-2 with a 3.14 ERA and 32 Ks through 48-plus innings.

Pitching selections from the Miller Express include Takao Cookson and Matt Vasquez. Cookson is a Regina native with a 3-1 record, a 2.76 ERA, three saves and nine strikeouts in his 13 innings of relief work. Vasquez has worked as both a reliever and a starter, posting a 4-1 record with a 3.78 ERA and 29 Ks in 33-plus innings this season.

The Mavericks are sending Jack Novak and Jacob Petershiem - who are teammates in Medicine Hat and at Colorado State University (CSU) Pueblo - to the big event. Novak is 4-0 with a 5.45 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 33 innings for the Mavs, while Petersheim is 2-0 with 26 Ks and a 3.02 ERA in 38-plus innings, most of them coming as a starter.

ALL-STAR GAME DETAILS

Both rosters are expected to have at least three catchers to handle the steady stream of pitchers who will take the mound.

Each pitcher will throw a maximum of 30 pitches or one inning, while position players will play a minimum of two innings or long enough to get one plate appearance.

In the event that All-Star players are unable to attend or participate, teams must select someone to replace them on the roster.

The WCBL All-Star Game and SR Bats Home Run Derby takes place at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks on Saturday, July 20.

Autograph sessions will take place with former Major League Baseball (MLB) star Matt Stairs, several WCBL mascots will be in attendance, and the matchup will be followed by fireworks displays.