November 16, 2023

Official Western Canadian Baseball League News Release

The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) has officially unveiled its much-anticipated schedule for the 2024 season.

The WCBL will kick off the 2024 campaign on Friday, May 24, igniting another summer of compelling collegiate baseball. The regular season will wrap up on Monday, Aug. 5, promising fans an action-packed season from start to finish, as teams seek to dethrone the Okotoks Dawgs as back-to-back league champions.

“The league continues to grow and thrive, and we’re thrilled to announce the 2024 schedule. Welcoming the expansion Saskatoon Berries, as well as the return of the Edmonton Prospects, will give us 12 dynamic teams competing this year,” said WCBL president Kevin Kvame.

“The upcoming season promises to be our best yet, as we build upon the record-setting attendance of 2023.”

SEASON AND HOME OPENERS

Opening Day takes place on May 24, with the Brooks Bombers visiting the Okotoks Dawgs; the Fort McMurray Giants kicking off a season/home opening three-game series against the Edmonton Prospects; and the Moose Jaw Miller Express traveling to Weyburn to take on the Beavers.

As mentioned, the 2024 campaign will bring with it the league’s newest team, the Saskatoon Berries. The Berries join the East Division and will see their first action at Currie Field in Regina, where they square off against the Red Sox for two weekend games on May 25-26. The home opener for the Berries happens on Tuesday, May 28 with those same Regina Red Sox paying a visit to Cairns Field in Saskatoon.

The defending WCBL champion Okotoks Dawgs face three separate opponents at Seaman Stadium to start the year. After their season/home opener against Brooks on May 24, the Dawgs roll out the red carpet for the Lethbridge Bulls on May 25, and the Sylvan Lake Gulls on May 26.

The Bombers’ home opener is set for Wednesday, May 29, when the Miller Express take to Elks Field for the first match of a two-game series.

After facing the Dawgs in the Okotoks home opener, the Bombers will also be a part of home-opening ceremonies at Gulls Field on Saturday, May 25 when they do battle with Sylvan Lake.

The Miller Express season opener in Weyburn will be followed by their first pair of home contests against the Medicine Hat Mavericks on May 25-26. Meanwhile, the Mavs give Athletic Park fans their first taste of WCBL play when the Berries visit May 29-30.

For the Swift Current 57’s, they open up the campaign at Tom Laing Park in Weyburn on May 25 and then welcome the Beavers to Mitchell Field for their home opener as part of a season-starting home-and-home series.

On Friday, May 31, the Sylvan Lake Gulls travel to Sherwood Park to take on the Prospects in Edmonton’s home opener.

The Lethbridge Bulls begin their summer with a lengthy nine-game road trip. Their season opener happens in Okotoks on May 25 and they don’t welcome fans to Spitz Stadium until Wednesday, June 5 when the Medicine Hat Mavericks go to Lethbridge. That date marks the 25th anniversary of the Bulls entering the league.

“Opening week should be a great showcase of our 12 franchises and give fans plenty to cheer about,” noted Kvame.

SPECIAL DATES

Father’s Day takes place on Sunday, June 16 and all WCBL teams will take the field that day. The Prospects host the Bulls, Swift Current welcomes Brooks, the Giants are in Okotoks, Sylvan Lake takes on the Red Sox at Gulls Field, the Mavs square off against the Miller Express at Athletic Park, and the Weyburn Beavers hit the road for Saskatoon.

A 2023 championship rematch between the Medicine Hat Mavericks and Okotoks Dawgs occurs at Seaman Stadium on June 28-29 when the Mavs visit for a two-game series.

Canada Day is another hugely popular day on the WCBL schedule. The Bulls and Gulls will face off in a double-header on Monday, July 1 at Spitz Stadium, while the Dawgs duke it out with the 57’s at Seaman Stadium, the Bombers head north to Fort McMurray, the Prospects are in Moose Jaw, the Mavs visit Tom Laing Park to take on the Beavers, and Regina hosts Saskatoon.

The WCBL All-Star Game is scheduled for July 20 at Seeman Stadium in Okotoks. Fans can look forward to an incredible display of talent on the diamond and fun-filled events off the field. Further details regarding the All-Star Game & Home Run Derby will be disclosed in the weeks and months ahead.

The Heritage Day long weekend will mark the conclusion of the regular season, with a full day of final games slated for Monday, Aug. 5. The Dawgs are in Lethbridge, the Bombers go to Sylvan Lake, the Prospects host the Giants, the Mavs play the 57’s at Mitchell Field, the Berries welcome Moose Jaw, and the Red Sox visit Weyburn.

There are 336 games scheduled for the 2024 regular season, with each WCBL club set to host 28 home dates and play 56 games this coming summer.

WCBL PLAYOFFS

The Western Canadian Baseball League postseason gets underway with best-of-three conference semi-finals set for Aug. 7-9, the conference finals scheduled for Aug. 11-13, and the WCBL Championship Finals happening between Aug. 15-17.

Stay tuned for the release of the WCBL schedule online, as well as promotional schedules that are being unveiled by each team. The full schedule can be viewed below.

About the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL)

The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) is Canada’s premier summer collegiate league, featuring a dozen teams from all major markets in Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 2024, the wood-bat league will welcome back the Edmonton Prospects as well as a new expansion franchise, the Saskatoon Berries.

The Okotoks Dawgs are the defending WCBL champions, coming off back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. The WCBL experienced record-breaking attendance in 2023, with 305,425 fans attending 275 regular-season games and another 40,370 spectators showing up to 16 postseason contests.

Rosters include elite college players from across North America and WCBL alumni have gone on to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) and other professional baseball leagues.