McFarland: From Dawg to Dragon, speedy Griffin excelling in first college season
“Leo Griffin was undoubtedly going to play baseball.
With a family heavily involved in the game, the challenge was actually in deciding where on the field he wanted to play.
Playing the utility role throughout his youth baseball career, the Boucherville, Quebec native moved with his family to Okotoks after his older brother joined the Dawgs Academy program.
Even then, the younger Griffin was torn on his position on the field, until deciding that his most dangerous skill, his speed, needed to be exploited.
His career took off with a move to the outfield and is now enjoying a breakout freshman campaign at Hutchinson Community College.”
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McFarland: Noga, “Iron Lady” AAGPBL standout, elected to Canadian ball hall
Former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League infielder and Saskatchewan softball legend Arleene Noga (Ogema, Sask.) has been elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Joe McFarland, of Saskatchewan Dugout Stories, writes about the durable infielder’s trailblazing baseball odyssey.
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McFarland: Five names for Canadian ball hall consideration
Joe McFarland, of Alberta Dugout Stories, offers five candidates who have had a significant impact on baseball in the prairie provinces that he believes are worthy of Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction.
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McFarland: Newly engaged Macko close to achieving big league dream
“A promotion to the big leagues is so close, Adam Macko can almost touch it.
And if everything goes according to plan, the young left-hander would like to do it sometime in 2025.
The highly touted Toronto Blue Jays prospect is coming off a year which saw him play at three different levels, with his final start coming for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons.”
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McFarland: Despite detours, Lloyd’s big league dream still alive
“Unlike a ball diamond’s basepaths, a journey in professional baseball is never a straight line.
No one knows that more than Matt Lloyd, who has endured more than his fair share of detours over the past few years as he looks to fulfill the dream of making it to the big leagues.
He’s been released, played independent ball, represented his country, suited up internationally, almost quit the game, signed a new professional contract, and is now coming off a solid season with the double-A Springfield Cardinals.
The dream is still very much alive.”
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McFarland: See Her, Be Her Soon
“Hockey has one. So does basketball. Soccer as well. And now, it’s baseball’s turn.
The Women’s Pro Baseball League is set to take to the field in 2026 with six teams in the northeastern United States.
The circuit was founded by the first female coach employed by a Major League Baseball team and Baseball for All founder Justine Siegal, along with Keith Stein, a Canadian businessman and owner of the Intercounty Baseball League’s Toronto Maple Leafs.”
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McFarland: Wapella's near-perfect summer
“It was one of the most impressive performances the province of Saskatchewan has ever seen on a baseball field.
A team based out of Wapella, with a population of just 400, nearly ran the table for the entire summer of 1924, winning 16 of 20 tournaments they played in.
They won 51 times, were defeated on five occasions, and took home a total of $2,600.”
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McFarland: Soroka bets on himself with one-year deal with Nats
Calgary Redbirds and Junior National Team alum Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) has chosen to bet on himself with his recent one-year, $9-million deal with the Washington Nationals, writes Joe McFarland, of Alberta Dugout Stories.
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McFarland: Regina Dusters’ upcoming trip to Cuba “bigger than baseball”
“It is shaping up to be an experience the Regina Dusters won’t soon forget.
Created in 2020 to help give kids the chance to play baseball for a while longer, the Dusters have traveled to Las Vegas and Arizona for winter tournaments in the past.
But nothing will compare to what they have planned when the board the plane for Cuba in February 2025.
It’s an idea they have been tossing around for a few months, and once they received confirmation and commitments from the team, they started pushing ahead with the logistics.”
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McFarland: Two-sport star Marien headed to Hutchinson College
“When Aidan Marien isn’t collecting hits on the diamond, he is delivering them on the gridiron.
During the summer months, the Saskatoon product has been found in a variety of ballparks plying his trade as a catcher and pitcher.
Once the fall arrives, he’s on the football field as an outside linebacker for the St. Joseph High School Guardians.
Marien is coming off a banner year in both sports, representing his province at the Baseball Canada Cup and heading to Toronto for the Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase before helping the Guardians claim the 6A provincial football championship.”
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McFarland: WCBL returns to its rural roots
The Lethbridge Bulls and Sylvan Lake Gulls will face off at Doug Lehman Field in Oyen, Alta., on June 8, 2025 in the Western Canadian Baseball League’s first Rural Roots Game. Joe McFarland, of Alberta Dugout Stories, is excited about the game and hopes it will become an annual contest in different communities in the future.
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McFarland: Doing “little things right” major reason for Puhl’s long career
Joe McFarland, of Saskatchewan Dugout Stories, recently caught up with Canadian baseball legend and Houston Astros Hall of Famer Terry Puhl (Melville, Sask.). Puhl talked about his playing career which began in Saskatchewan and ended after parts of 15 seasons in the majors.
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McFarland: Baseball Saskatchewan announces award winners
Baseball Saskatchewan recently announced their 2024 award winners. Joe McFarland, of Saskatchewan Dugout Stories, has the details.
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McFarland: Dream come true for Dawgs’ Thierman to play for Junior National Team
“Getting a call from Greg Hamilton at Baseball Canada is a pretty good reason to be late for class.
Already running behind, Taye Thierman was walking the halls at Foothills Composite High School in Okotoks about to walk into class when his phone started ringing.
Even with Alberta’s new cell phone policies in place, the Dawgs Academy product couldn’t help but look at the phone as he knew the Hamilton was making phone calls for the upcoming Junior National Team’s trip to the Dominican Fall Instructional League camp.”
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McFarland: Hard-working Tetreault commits to Cloud County
“Miguel Tetreault couldn’t help but smile as he glanced around Legacy Dodge Field.
Playing in Team Alberta’s first game of the 2024 Baseball Canada Cup in Fort McMurray, the starting shortstop was living every Canadian baseball player’s dream of representing their province on home turf.
While Alberta fell 3-0 to Manitoba in the opener on their way to a sixth-place finish in the national championship, Tetreault says he will never forget the emotions of the opener.
“That first pitch, I was looking up in the crowd and it was a surreal moment,” the infielder told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast. “Playing in front of friends and family, it was definitely a blessing to represent not only my hometown but my home province, too.”
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McFarland: Yeager prepares for next step in baseball journey
“Merek Yeager can’t help but laugh about his first experience in Toronto.
Invited to the 2023 Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase, he checked into his hotel then tried to figure out how to get to Rogers Centre.
With all of the skyscrapers, traffic, train stations and tourist attractions in front of him, Yeager started zig-zagging through a 20-minute walk which felt more like an hour.
It didn’t take long for the young hurler to realize he was a long way from home.”
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McFarland: Dawgs’ Poirier headed to Miami
"After seeing all that Western Canada has to offer, Max Poirier is ready for something different.
In fact, the young hurler is heading to the opposite coast to continue his baseball journey.
After living and playing the game in Canada’s three western-most provinces – suiting up in some major tournaments and playing for Baseball Canada’s Junior National Team – the 17-year-old has committed to the University of Miami."
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McFarland: Red Deer Braves “scratched and clawed” their way to 18U provincial and national championships
"When the Red Deer CarStar Braves clinched the Baseball Alberta Elite League championship this summer, a massive weight came tumbling off their shoulders.
Feeling like they were a favourite heading into each of the last three seasons, the Braves had great regular seasons only to have the playoffs end in heartache.
Little did they know, bigger things were on the horizon as the team would run the table to capture the Baseball Canada 18U National Championship in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador."
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McFarland: Jesson's no-hitter at Ray Carter Cup highlight of successful year
"It wasn’t until after the game that Tucker Jesson realized what had happened.
With the goal of getting Saskatchewan into the semi-finals at the Baseball Canada 15U Ray Carter Cup in Laval, Quebec, the Regina product was focused solely on getting the win.
As the innings rolled along in a tight baseball game, he was completely oblivious to an extra zero on the scoreboard, under the hits column for their opponents for Ontario.
When Jesson struck out Sam Thiessen in the bottom of the seventh to secure the 1-0 quarterfinal victory, his teammates and coaches swarmed the pumped-up Jesson, who had thrown a complete-game no-hitter."
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McFarland: Morgan draws inspiration from Sabrowski heading into Canadian Futures Showcase
AHP Academy and Junior National Team catcher Dominik Morgan (Sherwood Park, Alta.) will compete in his first Canadian Futures Showcase at Rogers Centre this week. He will draw inspiration from current Cleveland Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) whom he was catching at the AHP Academy earlier this year. Joe McFarland, of Alberta Dugout Stories, spoke to Morgan before the young catching prospect headed for Toronto.
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