By Andrew Hendriks

Canadian Baseball Network

The Canadian baseball community is mourning the loss of Colin Cummins, a devoted player, coach, and tireless advocate for the game, who passed away in Toronto on April 11th at the age of 55.

Colin’s journey in elite ball began on the national stage, where he represented his country as an outfielder for Team Canada’s Junior National Team in 1988. His pro career brought him to the Frontier League in 1995, where he showcased his talents over parts of two seasons with Johnstown, Springfield, and Evansville, posting a respectable career slash line of .277/.362/.434.

After retiring, The Toronto native dedicated his time to the development of young talent and became a fixture in Southwestern Ontario’s baseball scene, helping shape the careers of countless athletes.

His instructional credits include serving as the head coach for the York Lions (OUA) between 1997 and 2007, director of operations and 18U head coach for the Ontario Giants (Premier League of Ontario), and most recently, as the hitting and infield coach for Team Pakistan on the global stage.

Colin’s son RHP Logan Cummins (Mississauga, Ont.) listened well. Logan plays for the Ontario Blue Jays and made Greg Hamilton’s Junior National Team.

On a personal note, I worked with Colin in 2015 when he attempted to bring pro ball to both Welland and Waterloo as part of an upstart six-team independent circuit named the East Coast Baseball League. Though the ECBL ultimately failed to make it out of the gate, his passion for the game and unrelenting desire to create professional opportunities for local talent were prominent throughout our many interactions.

Remembered for his unparalleled positivity, infectious smile and deep understanding of the game at the elite level, Cummins leaves behind a legacy etched into ball diamonds across Ontario and the hearts of the players he mentored.

R. I. P. Colin Cummins

April 11, 2026

By Toby Kerr

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds (27-12, 21-6) defeated the College of Idaho Yotes (23-15, 14-13) twice on Saturday, sweeping their doubleheader and taking a 3-0 lead in their four-game series to clinch the series victory.

The 'Birds overcame a two-run deficit to take the opener 6-3, before eventually blowing open a pitcher's duel in game two to win 8-0.

"The starting pitching was really good, which takes a lot of pressure off of the offence," reflected UBC head coach Chris Pritchett, after game two. "I think it took us a while to adjust in the second game, there were a lot of changeups and we were out front of everything. But with a couple of good at bats, a bunt, we just manufactured a couple of runs, eventually got a bit of breathing room, and kind of coasted from there."

Both starters were outstanding for UBC, with James Brock (Burnaby, B.C.) going 7 2/3 innings in game one and allowing just two earned runs. Myles Chamberlain (Victoria, B.C.) followed that up with an even more impressive start in game two, scattering five hits across seven shutout innings without issuing a walk.

"I think overall the most solid part of our team is our pitching, as they go, we go," mused Pritchett. "They've been pretty good all year, so I'm hoping we can keep it up. Our offence keeps getting better, so if we can catch the ball we'll be in good shape."

Starter Calvin Euper took a no-hit bid into the fifth inning for the Yotes in game two, while Darren Smith was CI's most dangerous man at the dish on the day, notching multiple hits in game one and the only extra-base knock against Chamberlain in game two.

Game One

The Yotes got on the board first, scoring in each of the opening two innings. CI took advantage of a two-base error to tally on a sac fly in the first before stringing together a walk, hit by pitch and two infield singles in the second to take a 2-0 lead.

Contrasting the Yotes' small-ball scoring, the T-Birds answered in the bottom of the second with a massive, first-pitch, solo home run from Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) that slammed off the batter's eye in dead centre field.

The T-Birds took the lead in the bottom of the fourth, with Bourne being the catalyst once again. He singled through the right side to open the inning, stole second, and eventually came around to score on a Lou Fujiwara ground out. Another RBI ground out later, UBC was up 3-2.

With Brock keeping the Yotes' bats quiet after his tough-luck first two innings, the T-Birds added to their lead in the sixth. With two outs, Kansai Sugimoto won a seven-pitch battle with Kaydon Sandow by legging out an infield single to second base. Next up, Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) stroked a double to the right-center gap and a chugging Sugimoto got the wave home to try to score from first. The Yotes' relay was excellent, but in a bang-bang play at the plate the 'Birds' leadoff hitter was able to get his hand in just under the tag to put his team up 4-2.

The blue and gold built their lead in the seventh, with Jordan Stewart (Vancouver, B.C.) coming off the bench to knock a two-RBI single through the right side to make it 6-2.

The Yotes made it interesting by tallying three straight hits in the eighth, with Corbin Sterner scoring Bryce Mahlke on a double to left, which ended Brock's day. However, T-Birds' reliever Mason Chien (Langley, B.C.) immediately put down the threat by coaxing a soft grounder to third to end the inning, UBC still up 6-3.

Chien would close out the rest of the game without allowing a hit to earn his second save of the season.

Game Two

The T-Birds took the lead early on in game two, playing some small ball of their own to scratch across a run in the bottom of the first without the benefit of a hit.

That home side did not find that first hit against CI starter Calvin Euper until the fifth inning, as he was locked in a pitcher's duel with UBC starter Chamberlain, aided by spectacular defensive plays on both sides.

In the third inning, uber-versatile Yotes second baseman Caden Casagrande (who had caught game one) made one of the best catches imaginable from that position. On a dead sprint into right field, the senior made a seemingly blind over-the-shoulder grab to keep Euper's no-hitter intact.

'Birds' shortstop Lou Fujiwara made multiple standout plays of his own. In that same inning, Fujiwara dove to his right and picked the ball cleanly, before spinning and making a dead-on throw to second to get the lead Yotes runner. The play drew a huge reaction from the Tourmaline West crowd.

In the fifth, Fujiwara showed he can handle his bat as well as his glove. After back-to-back walks to open the inning, Matt Vrlak (Vancouver, B.C.) laid an attempted sac bunt down so perfectly along the third base line that it became a base hit to load the bases. It was also UBC's first hit of the game. Fujiwara then stroked a line drive into the left-centre field gap to clear the bases and put the T-Birds up 4-0. He would eventually come in to score on Midland, Ont., native Josh Cote's second sac fly of the game to push the lead to five.

The blue and gold's third hit of the game scored their sixth run, as Vrlak slashed an RBI triple to the right field corner with one out in the sixth inning. He would score on an RBI single from Sugimoto, who in turn came home on an RBI single from David Krahn (Langley, B.C.), putting UBC up 8-0.

Chamberlain was pulled from the game after throwing seven scoreless innings. Lukas Kaufmann (Regina, Sask.) entered in relief and tossed two perfect frames to close out the big win.

"Playing four games in two or three days is tough," said Pritchett. "It's an early one tomorrow, so it's about bringing energy. It's like game one, often all about how you come out here. We're getting pretty good at that, but it's hard to sweep a good team, so it'll be a lot of work tomorrow."

The series finale is set for 11:00 a.m. (P.T.) on Sunday back at Tourmaline West.

Calgary Redbirds alum Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) had his second 10-strikeout game of the season for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. Photo: MLB.com/X

April 12, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

Soroka dominating as a Diamondback

In his six major league seasons prior to this one, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) had struck out 10 batters in a game just once.

He has done it twice in three starts this season.

On Friday, he fanned 10 Philadelphia Phillies batters in the D-Backs’ 5-4 come-from-behind win. After allowing four runs in the first inning, Soroka held the Phils off the scoreboard for the rest of his outing, pitching 5 2/3 innings to earn his third win in three starts.

Soroka also struck out 10 Detroit Tigers batters in his first start of the season on March 30.

In total, the Calgary Redbirds and Junior National Team grad is 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA and has 23 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings this season.

Romano still perfect as Angels closer

I know it’s early, but Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) seems reborn as a closer with the Los Angeles Angels.

He is a perfect 4-for-4 in save opportunities this season, and even more impressive is that he has not surrendered a hit in five scoreless innings.

The 32-year-old right-hander signed a one-year, $2-million deal with the Angels in December after a rough 2025 with the Phillies.

Originally chosen in the 10th round of the MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014, the Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum is in his eighth major league season.

Sabrowski shining out of Guardians’ bullpen

Speaking of Canadian relievers who have been near-perfect this season, Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) has yet to permit a run and has six holds in eight appearances for the Cleveland Guardians.

He has surrendered just three hits and has 12 Ks.

Just how good has the 28-year-old left-hander been since making his MLB debut with the Guardians on September 4, 2024?

This good (This post was on X on Wednesday):

Miami Marlins: Canada’s “other” team

Six times this season three Canadians – Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.), Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) and Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) – have hit fourth, fifth and sixth in the Miami Marlins’ lineup.

I’m confident that this represents the first time three players with Canadian citizenship have hit back-to-back-to-back for the same major league team in multiple games.

In the Marlins’ 8-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, each of the Canadians had at least one run and one hit. Caissie led the charge, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.

The three Canadians have been top offensive contributors for the Marlins this season. Lopez is batting .327 and ranks second on the team with 17 hits and a .386 on-base percentage (OBP). Hicks tops the team in home runs (3) and RBIs (13), while Caissie is tied with Lopez for the team lead with four doubles and ranks second with 12 RBIs.

Julien red-hot for Rockies

Colorado Rockies infielder Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.) entered the week with a .091 batting average but has since gone 10-for-21 in a six-game hitting streak. This has lifted his average to .344.

The ABC and Junior National Team grad was moved into the leadoff spot by the Rockies on Saturday. He is seeing regular playing time at second base after being acquired from the Twins in January.

Selected in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Twins, Julien played parts of three seasons with the Twins. He made his big league debut four years ago today. Hitting eighth and starting at second base, Julien went 0-for-2 with a walk in the Twins’ 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox at Target Field.

Thirty-five years ago, Boucher made MLB debut

Thirty-five years ago today, Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.) made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays.

He started and allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers at SkyDome. The first three batters he faced were Paul Molitor, Robin Yount and Gary Sheffield and he retired them in order.

The Blue Jays won 5-4.

It was his first of seven starts for the Blue Jays that season before he was dealt to Cleveland along with Mark Whiten and Glenallen Hill for Tom Candiotti and Turner Ward on June 27, 1991.

Young has first three-hit MLB game

Last Sunday, New York Mets outfielder/first baseman Jared Young (Prince George, B.C.) had the first three-hit game of his major league career. He had two singles and a double in the Mets’ 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.

Signed by the Mets in December 2024, Young spent the majority of 2025 in triple-A but he also belted four homers in 22 games with the big league Mets.

Chosen in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs, the Okanagan Athletics alum also played parts of parts of two seasons with the Cubs in 2022 and 2023.

Remembering former Expo Carl Morton

Please take a moment to remember former Montreal Expos pitcher Carl Morton who died 43 years ago today when he was just 39.

Morton is best remembered for his 1970 season in which he went 18-11 with a 3.60 ERA and pitched 284 2/3 innings and became the first Expo to win the National League Rookie of the Year award.

He pitched two more seasons with the Expos before being traded to the Atlanta Braves where he had three strong campaigns from 1973 to 1975, never winning less than 15 games in a season. He posted a 4.17 ERA in 26 contests for the Braves in 1976 and then spent 1977 in double-A in the Phillies’ organization before retiring.

Fourth anniversary of Brash’s MLB debut

Four years ago today, Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners.

He started against the White Sox and allowed two runs and struck out six in 5 1/3 innings but the Mariners lost 3-2.

Brash has since been converted into a set-up man by the Mariners. Now in his fourth big league season, the Kingston Thunder alum is off to another excellent start. He has yet to allow an earned run in six relief outings and has fanned four batters in 5 2/3 innings.

Fryman would be 86 today

Please take a moment to remember former Expos left-hander Woodie Fryman who would’ve turned 86 today.

He died on February 4, 2011 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

The Kentucky native enjoyed two tenures with the Expos (1975-76, 1978 to 1983) and was the Expos’ Player of the Year as a starting pitcher in 1976. When he was brought back to the club in 1978, he returned to the rotation but was then used exclusively as a reliever in his final five seasons. In three of those campaigns, his ERA was 2.79 or lower.

In total, he pitched in 18 big league seasons and won 141 games.

Ward made MLB debut 40 years ago

It was 40 years ago today that Duane Ward made his MLB debut with the Braves.

He hurled a scoreless eighth inning against the Houston Astros in the Braves’ 4-3 loss at the Astrodome. Ward struck out the first batter he faced — Astros catcher Mark Bailey.

Selected in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1982 MLB draft by the Braves, Ward was dealt to the Blue Jays for Doyle Alexander on July 6, 1986. With the Blue Jays, he became one of the greatest relievers in franchise history, first serving as a set-up man for Tom Henke and then as the team’s closer in 1993.

In total, in nine seasons with the Blue Jays, Ward appeared in 452 games, the second-most by a pitcher in franchise history and earned two World Series rings. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.

1990s Olerud “Holy Grail” card

I was digging through the baseball card collection I put together with my dad in the 1990s earlier this week and found this card.

It’s a 1993 Donruss Elite John Olerud. This card was inserted in a limited number of packs.

When my dad and I got this card in 1993, we thought we had found the Holy Grail.

Just 10,000 were produced. That’s seem like a laughably high quantity today with cards often serial-numbered to 10 or less, but a warm wave of nostalgia came over me when I rediscovered this card.

Condolences to Michael Murray

I wanted to send my deepest condolences to my friend Michael Murray, who is a huge supporter of Canadian baseball history and this column. His wife, Di, passed away on Thursday night after a courageous battle with cancer.

I am thinking of you Michael and sending you love and strength.

*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on April 10, 2026. You can read it here.

April 11, 2026

By Joe McFarland

Alberta Dugout Stories

He has learned from some of the greatest baseball coaches Alberta has ever seen.

And for a moment on Opening Weekend of the Canadian College Baseball Conference season, University Baseball Club (based out of the University of British Columbia) head coach Devery Van De Keere decided to channel one of his favourites: his father, Keith.

Despite losing three of their four games against Prairie Baseball Academy, the Barrhead native was proud of how his team competed, keeping it close against a team viewed as a potential championship contender.

That gave Van De Keere the perfect opportunity to impart some wisdom he received from his dad: “Humble in victory, no excuses in defeat.”

He has no idea where it originally came from, but Van De Keere remembers hearing it during provincial championships and it always stuck.

“Baseball is going to humble you, and life is going to humble you,” he told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast.

“So when you are victorious, there’s no reason to rub it in people’s faces as it comes back at you quick.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Listen to Alberta Dugout Stories interview Devery Van De Keere here.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

As the inaugural season rolls along, Van De Keere says he will lean on more of the advice he received from his mentors, as well as his own personal experiences, to guide the new University of British Columbia team to future success.

BASEBALL BLOODLINES

Van De Keere doesn’t remember his dad sharing a lot of his baseball stories.

What he does remember is going to a cubby hole area in his childhood home and finding dust-covered boxes in storage.

The young boy opened the boxes to find pictures of his dad wearing a Team Canada jersey, which he did multiple times at the Amateur World Series (1974, 1978, 1980), the Intercontinental Cup (1977, 1981) and the Pan American Games (1979).

“He’s so humble, he never talked about his baseball experiences,” Devery said. “Every so often, you would get a little story here and there about playing in Nicaragua with officers holding semi-automatic rifles protecting the dugouts.”

It was eye-opening for the young athlete, as he quickly tried to learn as much as he could about all his dad had done.

The real turning point happened during a TV broadcast.

“There was this Toronto Blue Jays game on and there was a trivia question: ‘Who was the last Canadian pitcher to beat Team Cuba in international play?’” Van De Keere recalled.

“The answer was Keith Van De Keere.”

With his own emerging baseball career underway, he took every bullpen or batting session in the backyard a little more seriously, leaning on his dad for motivation.

PATH TO THE PROS

Van De Keere forged his own path quickly, representing his community and province on various stages.

He helped Barrhead claim provincial championships in 1998, 2000 and 2002, as well as a national bronze medal in the final year.

The talented infielder walked on at Phoenix College before landing at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, where he was named an All-Sun Belt Conference selection in 2006 with a .368 batting average, nine home runs and 41 runs batted in.

Despite some injury troubles, Van De Keere was selected in the 48th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Kansas City Royals.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Listen to Alberta Dugout Stories interview Devery Van De Keere back in 2020 here.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

He spent two years with their Pioneer League affiliate, the Idaho Falls Chukars, hitting a combined .282 with nine roundtrippers, 58 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 131 games.

Van De Keere then traveled the world to play and coach the game for seven years before coming back home to live in B.C.

“It’s incredible where baseball has brought me,” he said. “I am so unbelievably thankful to the powers of the universe, however this has happened, because it could have unfolded so differently.”

A NEW HOME

With his playing career in the rearview mirror, Van De Keere dedicated himself to giving back to the game in his home country.

After running baseball programming in Vancouver for a few years, he was brought on as a coach with the UBC Thunderbirds while he pursued his master’s degree in high performance coaching and technical leadership.

While the NAIA Thunderbirds have enjoyed success over the years under head coach Chris Pritchett, the program wanted to expand from a competition perspective for its junior varsity program.

Enter the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC).

With five of its eight teams already in B.C., it was a move that made logistical sense.

Van De Keere says everyone has been very supportive at every step along the way and, when they suited up for their first games in mid-March, it was a gratifying moment for him and the program.

“It’s been a big challenge with a lot of work – people don’t understand the amount of planning and administrative duties that go into coaching – but it’s really enjoyable work,” he said.

“I love going into work and love the position I’m in.”

Surrounded by several former collegiate and professional players who are also now coaches, Van De Keere says he wants to instill a sense of pride and respect in the program that he hopes will become the envy of everyone across Canada.

STUDENT OF THE GAME

Reflecting on the first weekend, Van De Keere was happy to learn that the players have already started to bring those values to the field.

He says they care about being in the league, about each other, and about their successes.

“I was not expecting that kind of intensity in the dugout,” Van De Keere said. “I’ve been coaching this program for around four years now and the level of intensity and excitement in the dugout after a big strikeout or after a big hit was incredible.”

He plans to keep taking the best advice and experiences shared by people like his dad, Ray Brown, Orv Franchuk and the many other mentors he’s had to keep building the program, as he sees it as his duty to teach the game the right way.

Van De Keere also believes in having an “athlete-centered approach,” getting to know and care for the roster of 44 players, checking in with them regularly and understanding that they are students in life and in the game.

Just like he once was – a young baseball player fighting his way through all the successes and failures the game provides.

“All these chances, all these things that went my way along this journey … it means the world to me to still be in this game,” Van De Keere said.

It’s the start of a new chapter in his book and this one is rooted, once again, close to home.

April 10, 2026

By Jeff Sargeant

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds put together one of their most complete games of the season Friday night to snap a four-game losing skid by way of an 11-4 win over the College of Idaho Yotes at Tourmaline West Stadium.

Every position player managed at least one hit while freshman second baseman Matt Vrlak (Vancouver, B.C.) went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

Defensively, it was a terrific outing for the blue and gold, highlighted by some athletic putouts at shortstop courtesy of Lou Fujiwara while starting pitcher Will Anderson (Delta, B.C.) collected his fourth win of the season allowing just one run while striking out five.

"I thought all week we've been really trying to tighten up defensively and I thought that looked really good from pitch one," said UBC head coach Chris Pritchett. "It was pretty much the difference in the game. Will gave us a solid start again, I didn't think he was quite as sharp as last week but he was able to make pitches when he had to which is awesome. We had some clutch hits too, so I thought the guys were having some pretty good at bats, and good two strike at bats – we were putting balls in play and putting pressure on them, so all around I thought it was pretty good."

The Yotes did manage to out-hit the 'Birds 13-12 on the night, but UBC limited damage effectively throughout the game.

After a James Hull RBI single opened scoring for the visitors in the top of the third, the T-Birds answered back with a three run bottom half including a Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) two-run homer to centre, his team-leading 11th long ball of the season.

Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) hit a leadoff homer in the fourth followed by a Vrlak base hit. The freshman got himself to second on a passed ball, got to third on another and managed to score on a wild pitch, expanding UBC's lead to 5-1 in a bit of a frightful inning for College of Idaho starter Jackson Cummings.

Another fielding adventure by the Yotes in the fifth allowed Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) to score when Bourne stole second, the throw from home sailing into shallow centre.

With the comfortable 6-1 lead, Owen McConnell (Vancouver, B.C.) entered in relief for the 'Birds and pitched two complete innings allowing just one hit.

Vrlak's three-RBI double in the seventh added some extra insurance before the Yotes put together a late rally attempt that saw the visitors score three of their own in the top of the eighth.

"That's a team that if you give them anything they can score points and surprise you so I thought it was really important to stay on top of them," Pritchett added. "I was really happy we could add on because I know what those guys can do over there."

A double steal put runners on second and third for College of Idaho. Connor Olsen pinch hit for Jack Ryan and promptly doubled to left, scoring a pair. Olsen later scored on a fielder's choice before Marcus Janovsky – spelling off Oliver Duthie who opened the inning on the mound – got Cody Guy to fly out.

Scott drove in two more T-Bird runs in the bottom of the eighth for good measure while Janovsky kept the Yotes off the board in the ninth to preserve the win, UBC's eighth straight on home turf.

The fact the 'Birds were able to get back on the winning track was hugely important for the blue and gold, but perhaps even more key was how composed and seamless the squad was on defence.

"I think in the beginning we knew our pitching was going to be strong and we needed to support it. When you make errors and give these teams more outs, it just adds to their pitch count and we have to get into the bullpen earlier – pitching and defence is kind of cornerstone of what we're doing. Four game weekends are a grind physically and it means everyone is going to have to pitch and throw well. We had that mid-week game as well and a lot of guys threw twice last week and so starts are huge. The further we can get in the game before we call on those guys the better off we'll be in the next couple days."

The T-Birds' penultimate home series continues Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. The final battle with the Yotes this regular season goes down Sunday at 11:00 a.m. at Tourmaline West Stadium.

April 10, 2026

By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

When you think of upper management with the Expos in their early years, majority owner Charles Bronfman, president John McHale and general manager Jim Fanning come to mind.

Filling out the famous quartet was a lesser known but important figure by the name of Harry Renaud, the franchise's vice-president, secretary-treasurer and chief financial officer.

When McHale and Fanning were taking care of the baseball-operations side of the franchise, Renaud looked after financing and was often consulted when it came to the money needed to acquire a free agent. He was an earlier version of Bill Stoneman, who worked for the Expos from 1983-1999 -- the money man.

Renaud, a Montreal native, was a chartered accountant who joined the Expos after a stint with prestigious accounting firm McDonald, Currie and Co., which later became Coopers and Lybrand.

Harry Renaud modelling an early Expos uniform.

In their first season, the Expos' marketing department asked Renaud to model their uniforms (see photo above).

Renaud is being remembered by Bronfman and friends following his March 28 passing at age 87 after a prolonged hospital stay in suburban Toronto.

"Dad wasn't part of the Expos' on-the-field management or player negotiations but he was a major part of the management team,'' his daughter Jennifer said.

Renaud told me years ago a funny story of how he, McHale and Fanning travelled to North Carolina in mid-December 1974 to meet with prized free-agent pitcher Catfish Hunter and his agent.

Hunter had spent 10 seasons with the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics but he had become a free agent. Every other team except the San Francisco Giants courted him. The Expos were hot on his trail.

"It's a great story,'' Renaud told me. "We took the Seagram jet (owned by Bronfman) we used to go and meet agents with. We go to this small town. We got into a room at 8 in the morning. There was this country type lawyer and he asked, 'Do you want a Coke?' There was no coffee.

"Catfish came in and was chewing tobacco and every few seconds, he was spitting tobacco juice into a styrofoam cup,'' Renaud said, laughing.

"We made a great presentation. We came out of the meeting very high. On New Year's Eve, we were getting dressed to go to a party and we heard the radio flash Catfish had signed with the Yankees.''

Two years later, Renaud was part of the entourage that tried to lure superstar free-agent outfielder Reggie Jakson to the Expos. Like Catfish, Reggie opted to go to the Yankees.

Renaud stayed with the Expos for 13 years. His death made Bronfman "very sad'' because they had known each other for so long. The Renaud family expressed thanks to Bronfman for making a donation to MS Canada in memory of Harry.

"Harry was an intricate part of the Expos, as you know,'' Bronfman, soon to be 95, said in an interview. "While he and I were relatively close, I spent much more time with John and Jim than I did with Harry. There are two things that are important to me - Harry was a gentleman first and foremost, and he was an unheralded but real partner of our senior management.''

In 1981, Renaud became general manager of B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver where he hosted events such as Expo '86 and over the years, he welcomed celebrities like Pope John Paul II and Queen Elizabeth II.

Renaud returned to Toronto in 1994 to become GM of the Boulevard Club and is the namesake of Harry's Bar at the famous jaunt on the waterfront. Later in life, he was the executive director of the Whitechurch-Stouffville Chamber of Commerce.

Renaud leaves his wife Barbara, his first wife Judy, daughters Jocelyn and Jennifer, grandchildren Nicole Sparrow and James Renaud and son-in-law Kevin Sparrow.

April 10, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Last Friday, Chicago White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters, who hails from Winkler, Man., delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Sox a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in their home opener.

It was also Peters’ first MLB RBI.

The White Sox later noted that this was the first time one of their players had recorded their first MLB RBI on a walk-off hit since August 4, 1950 when Joe Erautt, who was born in Vibank, Sask., hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Boston Red Sox. 

As a Canadian baseball history blogger, this piqued my interest.

Here we had two Canadians, each born in a prairie province, sharing a rare feat.

But who the heck was Joe Erautt?

Well, I did some research to find out.

Erautt’s background

Erautt was born on September 1, 1921 in Vibank, Sask., which today is a village of about 400 people approximately 50 km southeast of Regina.

Erautt’s father, William, was from Hungary and his mother, Katie, was from Russia and they came to Saskatchewan as part of a large wave of immigrants in the early 20th century. Through research on Ancestry.com, I discovered there were other Erautt families living in Saskatchewan prior to their arrival. So, it’s safe to say that Erautt’s parents followed relatives to the region.

Not in Canada long

But their time in Saskatchewan was short.

According to the U.S. Census, Erautt’s family had relocated to Portland, Ore., by 1923, meaning that Erautt spent, at the most, his first two years in the prairie province.

In Portland, Erautt’s father took a job as a janitor at a movie theater and was later promoted to doorman. His mother was a housewife.

In 1924, Erautt’s brother, Eddie, was born. The two grew up playing together and at Lincoln High School, they formed a dominant battery – with Joe behind the plate and Eddie blowing fastballs by hitters.

Eddie, who went on to pitch parts of six seasons in the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals, credited his older brother for helping him develop.

“My brother Joe was really helpful to me,” Eddie told author Dick Dobbins for his book, The Grand Minor League, An Oral History of the Old Pacific Coast League. “We played every day and night, broke every window in the house . . . He helped me to learn new pitches, and if I didn’t get the ball over, he’d fire it back and holler at me. Other than Joe and my dad, I didn’t have any real coaching.”

The Erautt brothers got their first taste of pro baseball when they served as clubhouse boys for the Pacific Coast League’s Portland Beavers.

Joe was also the catcher and team MVP on the local American Legion team that won city, state and Northwest sectional championships in 1937 and 1938.

Off to university

After graduating high school, Erautt attended the University of Portland where he was again a star on the diamond.

In the summer of 1939, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound sparkplug catcher led his local semipro team to state and Northwest sectional championships. His squad advanced to the national tournament in Wichita where his team finished third. At 17, he was the youngest player at the event and he was named to the All-American semi-pro team.

He also caught the eye of Detroit Tigers manager Del Baker who signed him for the Tigers.

Begins pro career

Nicknamed “Stubby” for his short, stocky build, Erautt endeared himself to fans at almost every minor league stop.

In 1940, he batted .266 in 102 games for class-C Henderson and was named an East Texas League All-Star.

This earned him a promotion to the Class-B Winston-Salem Twins, where he quickly became a fan favourite in 1941.

“Catcher Joe Erautt, age 19 and not much bigger’n a minute, is rapidly establishing himself in popular favor with the pep and enthusiasm he displays behind the plate,” wrote Nady Cates for the Winston-Salem Journal in April 1941. “The fans especially like the way he races down the first base line on every hit ball and backs up the throw to [first baseman] Gale Smith . . . and the way he keeps yelling words of encouragement and exhortation to the pitcher.

“Popularity is nothing new for Little Joe. He’s been a reigning favourite everywhere he’s played. He gets more mail than any three Twins players combined.”

Erautt batted .200 in 84 games for the Twins that season and enhanced his reputation as a scrappy, team-first catcher.

U.S. Army

He was promoted to play 79 games for Class-A Beaumont in 1942 before enlisting in the U.S. Army for World War II. He served as a staff sergeant in missions in Italy and Algeria and would miss three seasons.

Back to baseball

He returned from his military service in 1946 and split the season between the triple-A International League’s Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Bisons, hitting .222 with three home runs in 74 games.

The following year, he’d enjoy a breakout campaign with the double-A Birmingham Barons, batting .275 with a career-high six triples and 52 RBIs.

Unfortunately, he was also hit in the head by a ball twice.

The first instance came during a game on June 16 when he was beaned by a pitch from Chattanooga Lookouts right-hander Dick Weik above the left temple and knocked unconscious. He would spend several days under a physician’s care.

Just nine days later, he was hit in the left temple again when a ball came through the netting while he was standing behind the batting cage.

Best offensive seasons

But the beanings didn’t seem to slow him down. He put together his best offensive seasons with the double-A Little Rock Travelers in 1948 and 1949, batting over .300 each year and belting a career-high six home runs in 1949.

But Erautt had now played seven professional seasons and had yet to be called up to the big leagues.

Rule 5 draft

That would change after the journeyman catcher was selected by the White Sox in the Rule 5 draft on November 17, 1949. He’d serve as one of the big league club’s backup catchers for the next two seasons.

This made him the first position player born in Saskatchewan to compete in the big leagues (Pitchers Ralph Buxton (Weyburn) and Lefty Wilkie (Zealandia) had been major leaguers before him).

In total, in his two seasons with the Sox, Erautt went 8-for-43 (.186 batting average) in 32 games.

Back to minors

On July 22, 1951, the White Sox traded him to the triple-A Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League. He started the following season in Seattle before ending up back in the Tigers’ organization, splitting time between double-A Little Rock and triple-A Buffalo.

He returned to Buffalo in 1953 and then toiled in triple-A in the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City A’s organizations the next two seasons prior to finishing his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ double-A New Orleans Pelicans in 1956.

In total, Erautt played over 1,100 games in 14 pro seasons.

Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

A few years after hanging up his playing spikes, Erautt was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The doctors told him that the beanings he experienced as a player were a contributing factor.

By 1962, he was “disabled,” according to a newspaper report.

On May 26, 1964, a testimonial fundraising dinner was held in his honour in Portland. Four months later, the triple-A Portland Beavers honoured him between games of a doubleheader and encouraged fans to contribute to a fund they set up to help him with his medical expenses.

The financial support was appreciated and much needed. It appears that the twice divorced Erautt lived alone in his final years. He did not have any children.

He died on October 6, 1976 in Portland at the age of 55. He was survived by his parents and his brother, Eddie. He was buried in the Willamette National Ceremony in Portland.

Erautt was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 2015.

April 9, 2026

Official Ottawa Titans News Release

Ottawa, Ont. - The Ottawa Titans have agreed to terms on contracts with outfielder Myles Smith, two-way utility player Shane Stossel, and left-handed pitcher Dominic Puccetti for the upcoming 2026 Frontier League season.

Smith, 24, comes to Ottawa following his professional debut last summer in the Cincinnati Reds organization. Appearing in 79 games across two levels in the affiliated minor leagues, Smith slugged to a .153 average with six doubles, two home runs, and knocked in 16 runs.

The versatile offensive threat swiped a total of 14 bases while reaching base at a .300 clip. Smith appeared for both the Daytona Tortugas of the Florida State League and the Dayton Dragons of the Midwest League, the A-ball and High-A affiliates of the Reds.

Selected by the Reds in the seventh round of the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft, Smith attended the University of California, Irvine (Irvine, Calif.) from 2022 to 2024. During his final campaign, Smith posted outstanding offensive numbers – hitting .401 with 13 doubles, 10 home runs and 49 RBIs across 48 games. He walked 50 times, reaching base at a .533 clip.

For his efforts, the product of Burbank, Calif., was named to the ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-American, ABCA/Rawlings West All-Region First Team, the Big West Field Player of the Year, and to the All-Big West First Team. He was teammates with former Titans infielder Jo Oyama that season, who had his contract purchased by the Seattle Mariners organization in June of last year.

Over a 111-game collegiate career, Smith was a lifetime .316 hitter with 20 doubles, 12 home runs, and 80 RBIs for the Anteaters. He stole 16 bases and reached base at a .475 average.

Smith’s father, Ira, was the first collegiate player to win two consecutive NCAA Batting titles in 1989 (.488) and 1990 (.519 – the sixth highest in NCAA history). He enjoyed a 14-year professional baseball career with the Dodgers, Padres and Tigers organizations – and played five years of independent baseball, most notably with Bobby Brown on the 2002 Winnipeg Goldeyes.

Stossel, 24, signs his first professional contract following five years of collegiate baseball at both the D2 and D3 levels. Playing the 2025 season at Mansfield University (Mansfield, Pa.), he hit .300 with nine doubles, eight home runs, and drove in 31 runs across 42 games. He also appeared in nine games on the mound (eight starts), going 1-4 with an 8.24 ERA over 31 2/3 innings pitched – walking 15 and striking out 23 opposing hitters.

Hailing from Harrisburg, Pa., Stossel spent four seasons at Lebanon Valley College (Annville, Pa.), where he led the team with nine home runs, 40 RBIs, 27 walks, a 1.327 OPS, a .760 slugging percentage, and a .567 on-base percentage.

Stossel was named to the All-MAC Freedom Second Team, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings Region 4 All-Region Second Team, and the D3baseball.com All-Region Region 4 Second Team while with the Flying Dutchmen.

Puccetti, 24, joins the starting rotation after being acquired in a trade earlier this month from the Washington Wild Things. After making his professional debut in the Frontier League last summer, the 6-foot-2 southpaw went 2-5 with a 5.00 ERA over nine starts, tossing 45 innings – walking 31 and striking out 22. He tossed at least five innings in seven of nine starts, earning his first professional win on June 19 at Evansville, throwing six scoreless frames.

Hailing from Monroe, Mich., Puccetti was a D2CCA All-Southeast Region Second Team selection last season at Lander University (Greenwood, South Carolina) after serving as the team’s ace and finishing the season 10-1 with a 3.84 ERA in 91 1/3 innings pitched across 16 starts. He led the team and the Peach Belt Conference with 105 strikeouts, becoming the first Bearcat pitcher to eclipse the 100-strikeout mark since 2016.

The left-hander made his way to Lander from Lawrence Tech, where he spent five seasons, the first of which was the shortened 2020 season. He had appeared in five games that year and fanned 17 to six walks in 9 1/3 innings. He’d go on to punch out 21 batters in 19 2/3 innings in 2021 before jumping from 19 2/3 innings to 52 1/3 innings in 2022. That season, Puccetti allowed just 41 hits and struck out 93 batters, working his way to a 4.99 ERA for the NAIA school. In 2023, he was 3-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 72 innings across 12 starts. He struck out 98 and allowed 60 hits, and in 2024, he fanned 101 batters in 58 1/3 innings, allowing 44 hits and posting a shutout in 11 starts, going 5-3 with a 5.09 ERA.

His last three seasons at LTU are the top three single-season strikeout seasons in school history, and he holds the career strikeouts record at the school. He fanned 13 or more hitters in three games at LTU.

In other news, the Titans have announced the following roster transactions:

Acquired LHP CJ Blowers from the Joliet Slammers in exchange for RHP Alfredo Villa.

Traded LHP CJ Blowers to the Oakland Ballers (Pioneer League) for future considerations.

Acquired LHP Dominic Puccetti from the Washington Wild Things for future considerations.

Released UTIL Mason Collins.

The Ottawa Titans will open the 2026 season on Friday, May 8, at 7:00 p.m., hosting the Québec Capitales at Ottawa Stadium.

March 30, 2026

Official Toronto Maple Leafs News Release

TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs have released LHP Adam Marra and 2B Dan Marra, thanking them for their many years of contributions.

Adam (Toronto, Ont.), who spent parts of 10 seasons with the Maple Leafs organization, has been with Toronto since his debut in 2014. The 31-year-old has appeared in over 100 regular season games with the club, and posted multiple career-bests in 2024 when the veteran lefty pitched to a 3.48 ERA, going 3-1 and picking up a save over 20 2/3 innings.

Dan (Toronto, Ont.), who completed his 14th campaign with the club in 2025, hit .303 across 394 regular season games since his debut in 2011. A three-time All-CBL nominee and one-time CBL All-Star, Marra spent almost a decade-and-a-half as a starter on Toronto’s infield and was regularly one of the best contact hitters in the league on a year-to-year basis. Six of his seasons saw him post an average above .330, and he tied his career-high in regular season games played with 36 in 2025.

The Toronto Maple Leafs organization would like to with both Adam and Dan the absolute best, as well as their brother Justin. All three have made tremendous impacts during their times in Toronto, forever playing very large roles over the last two decades in blue and white.

March 27, 2026

Official Guelph Royals News Release

GUELPH - The Guelph Royals have re-signed outfielder Andy Leader for the 2026 season.

Leader, 28, returns for his third season with the team and for his ninth in the IBL/CBL.

Throughout his first eight seasons in the league, the Kitchener, Ont., native has been selected to the All-IBL Team three times (2021, 2022, and 2023) and has a lifetime average of .284 with 26 home runs and 33 stolen bases.

The Canisius alum joined the Royals during the 2024 season and made an immediate impact, hitting the biggest home run in two decades for the team in game five of the 2024 semifinals against the Welland Jackfish, when he hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the winner-take-all game.

Royals assistant general manager Ryan Eakin said he expects Leader to have a big year.

"What I love about Andy is no matter what was happening at the plate, he remained a great teammate throughout and gave us a ton of value defensively. It allows him to have such a high floor. This sport is a cruel game of failure at the plate, but the best part is he has the same batting average as everyone else in the league in 2026. I'm excited for Andy and the fresh start he'll have at the plate."

April 8, 2026

By Jeff Sargeant

UBC Communications

With only three series remaining in the Cascade Collegiate Conference schedule, the UBC Thunderbirds are entering crunch time as they look to reverse a brief losing skid, set to host the College of Idaho Yotes for a critical four-game series starting Friday, April 10 at Tourmaline West Stadium.

Having leapt out of the starting gate with a tremendous 18-3 conference record, the 'Birds have now lost four straight, including a 12-3 defeat Tuesday in a non-conference matchup with Seattle University.

"We're going through probably the most difficult part of our schedule in terms of the teams we're playing and now we're into final exams here and then also dealing with some health issues," said UBC head coach Chris Pritchett, who's looking at the positives to battling through some adversity. "We're calling on people to step up in these situations and there have been a lot of good things. This group is starting to believe they can play against any level of NAIA team, but at the same time we're seeing breakdowns in very fundamental things that are costing us."

Dropping last weekend's road series to Lewis-Clark State, the 'Birds are now two games back of the conference leading Warriors and five games ahead of the Yotes. By the time this weekend's series concludes Sunday, the T-Birds will either remain in striking distance of the conference lead or be in a fight for seeding going into the impending CCC championship tournament early next month.

But heading into UBC's penultimate home series of the conference schedule, the 'Birds remain focussed on the process.

"The goal has to be this team just worrying about taking care of business themselves and not so much about who we're playing," said Pritchett. "Yes the games are important, (the Yotes are) right behind us, we have similar records and we know they're going to be good. But we, as a coaching staff, are hyper-focussed on what we need to do to be successful not only this weekend but also the rest of the season."

Despite the recent skid, the underlying numbers for the T-Birds are good. Some untimely errors late in games have cost them, however. In their last five games, UBC has conceded a total of 30 runs in the seventh inning and beyond, all 12 of Seattle University's coming in the final two frames Tuesday.

"The score was not indicative of how the game was,” said Pritchett. “For six innings we saw how we can play and be successful, but then we also saw what happens when you make a mistake on a routine play, how quickly it can get away. It really highlights the need to play tight, especially defensively to come out on top in those games. We're learning we're capable of playing with anybody but also what it takes to beat good teams and we're not quite there yet, but we're working on it."

Any team, even championship winning squads, inevitably face a period such as this and there's every reason to believe the 'Birds will use their home cooking this weekend to pull themselves back onto the right side of the ledger.

If they need any positive reinforcement, the 'Birds continue to lead the Cascade Collegiate Conference with 402 hits while the team's pitching staff collectively boast a 4.28 ERA along with a conference leading 9.84 K/9.

As key as the weekend is for UBC, the Yotes enter the final three weeks of the regular season just one game ahead of Bushnell and two up on Oregon Tech, the Owls holding down the fifth and final conference championship tournament berth.

First pitch Friday for the series opener, and a chance to extend UBC's seven-game home win streak, is set for 6:00 p.m. at Tourmaline West Stadium. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1:00 p.m. with Sunday's finale scheduled for an 11:00 a.m. start.

April 7, 2026

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Don’t look now, but NJCAA’s Team Canada in Division III -- otherwise known as the SUNY Niagara TWolves -- sit No. 1 in this week’s college rankings.

One big reason is the performance of the 10 Canadians on the SUNY Niagara roaster.

Niagara won 17 straight before losing to Monroe and now has a 26-3 record under coach Matt Clingersmith.

The Big Dawgs for the TWolves have been RHP Keegan Bazinet and INF Cam Gravelle.

At the plate, Gravelle is hitting .470 with 15 doubles, four triples, a home run and 31 RBIs with a 1.251 OPS. The former Ontario Royals INF is from Smithville, Ont., home of former Canadian Thunderbirds C Bobby Killins.

Meanwhile, on the mound, RHP Bazinet (Windsor, Ont.) has been dominant. The Windsor Selects grad is 5-0 with a find-it-if-you-can ERA of 0.93. He has walked nine and fanned 39 in 29 innings.

Also key contributors at the plate include: INF Alexander Graham (Toronto, Ont.), an Ontario Nationals grad, who’s batting ,433 with three doubles, two homers and 16 RBIs with a 1.297 OPS and OF Luke Gigliotti (Toronto, Ont.), a former Ontario Royal, who owns an average of .431 with two doubles, two homers, 10 RBIs and an 1.111 OPS.

Nolan Bigras (Burlington, Ont.), a former FieldHouse Pirate, has made on appearance picking up a save in four scoreless innings.

Jackson Sheehy (Guelph, Ont.) has a 6.75 ERA in two outings walking four and striking out five in 2 2/3 innings. He is transferring to Kansas Wesleyan, an NAIA school.

RHP Austin Barton (Kitchener, Ont.), a former Fieldhouse Pirate, and C Carter McCormick (Oshawa, Ont.), an Oshawa Legionaires grad, have appeared in three games apiece.

RHP Austin Barton (Kitchener, Ont.), a former Fieldhouse Pirate, and RHP Charlie Chubak (Petawawa, Ont.) are also on the SUNY Niagara roster.

April 8, 2026

By Jason Young

Winnipeg Goldeyes

WINNIPEG, MAN. – The Winnipeg Goldeyes announced Wednesday the signing of Canadian rookie catcher Raphaël Pelletier.

Pelletier finished the 2025 season with the London Majors of the Intercounty Baseball League, where he batted .243 with two home runs and four runs batted in in 11 games.

The Repentigny, Québec native was chosen by the Texas Rangers in the 25th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft out of École Secondaire Édouard-Montpetit (Montréal, Qué.).

Pelletier attended Kansas State University (Manhattan, Kan.) from 2022 to 2024 and the University of Kentucky (Lexington, Ky.) in 2025. The 24-year-old hit .224 with 20 doubles and 19 home runs in 173 college contests. He drove in 70 runs.

A former member of the Junior National Team, in 2018 Pelletier competed at the Pan American Baseball Confederation (COPABE) U-18 Pan-American Championships, winning a bronze medal.

“We are excited to sign another young Canadian player in Pelletier,” said Goldeyes manager Logan Watkins. “He’s going to strengthen our catching situation and give us opportunities to mix up the lineup a little bit. Raphaël is the kind of player our pitchers will enjoy throwing to, and his ability to throw out base runners will be critical when we face division opponents who like to run.”

Pelletier is the seventh Canadian on the Goldeyes’ roster, joining pitcher Landen Bourassa (Lethbridge, Alberta), pitcher James Bradwell (North Vancouver, British Columbia), catcher/infielder Mason Dobie (Meaford, Ontario), infielder/outfielder Adam Hall (London, Ontario), pitcher Eli Saul (Vancouver, British Columbia), and infielder T.J. Schofield-Sam (Mississauga, Ontario).

Winnipeg now has 26 players under contract for the 2026 season. American Association clubs may carry up to 33 players during spring training, which begins May 3.

North Shore Twins grad and University of Michigan left-hander Shane Brinham (North Vancouver, B.C.) has been named co-NCBWA Pitcher of the Week. Photo: University of Michigan Athletics

April 6, 2027

Official NCBWA News Release

DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its Dick Howser Trophy National Player of the Week awards presented by The Game Headwear for the period ending April 5.

Kansas junior infielder Tyson LeBlanc was named National Hitter of the Week, while Grand Canyon junior left-handed pitcher Chase Frey and Michigan freshman left-handed pitcher Shane Brinham (North Vancouver, B.C.) were named National Co-Pitchers of the Week.

The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.

LeBlanc led the Jayhawks to a 4-0 week with an 11-8 midweek win against Missouri and a series sweep over Utah. The junior infielder homered in three of the four games, making him one of five Big 12 players who hit three or more home runs this week, and has now recorded nine home runs in his last 12 games. The Maurice, La., native started his week by hitting what proved to be the game-winning shot to left field with the score tied at 8-8 in the bottom of the eighth inning, to make it 11-8. In the series opener against the Utes, he hit a two-run walk-off blast to cap a 14-12 comeback victory. In the final game of the series, LeBlanc hit the go-ahead two-run homer to give the Jayhawks the lead in the bottom of the sixth. LeBlanc recorded at least one run and one RBI in all four games and finished the week with 10 RBI, nine hits, seven runs, five walks, three doubles, three home runs and a batting average of .529 (9-for-17).

Frey authored a dominant, complete-game shutout in GCU's Friday win at Fresno State. The Las Vegas native was nearly untouchable, throwing a two-hitter with eight strikeouts to one walk in GCU's 3-0 win. He faced 31 batters, threw 95 pitches and retired seven of nine leadoff hitters.

Brinham fired a complete-game 10-0 shutout over Oregon in game one of the weekend series. The freshman earned the win with seven strikeouts over his seven innings pitched, while allowing three hits and no walks in the run-rule victory. He faced just 24 batters and threw 96 pitches, allowing just three baserunners and retiring 16 straight batters at one point in the contest.

Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball.

April 7, 2026

Official Canisius Athletics News Release

Junior JC Spinosa, senior Felix Morin, and freshman Mark Rogers have earned Northeast Beef Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Baseball weekly awards, the conference office announced Tuesday.

Spinosa earned Player of the Week honours, while Morin was named the Pitcher of the Week and Rogers, the Rookie, after the Griffs swept Saint Peter's this weekend.

Spinosa was named Player of the Week after posting a strong performance in the weekend sweep, posting a 6-for-10 performance at the plate, highlighted by five RBIs and three runs scored. The junior delivered all four of his hits in Friday's doubleheader with two outs and registered three triples and a home run on the weekend.

Morin (Quebec, Que.), garnered Pitcher of the Week honours for a second time this season after getting the nod in game one of the series. Morin tossed seven innings, shutting out the Peacocks and allowing just two hits. The left-hander did not allow a base runner through the first three innings and faced the minimum batters through the game's first six innings en route to the win.

Rogers (Cambridge, Ont.), named Rookie of the Week, picked up his third straight win, going six innings, allowing just one run, while striking out six. His six strikeouts mark the most in his collegiate career.

Canisius travels to Olean N.Y., on April 8 to take on St. Bonaventure in a midweek non-conference matchup. First pitch for the Little Three matchup is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Handler Park.

*Catfish Hunter would’ve turned 80 today. He passed away in 1999. Here’s the story of the Montreal Expos’ pursuit of him in December 1974.

April 8, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

On December 23, 1974, Montreal Expos president John McHale and general manager Jim Fanning trekked to Ahoskie, N.C., to attempt to reel in a “Catfish.”

No, this wasn’t a fishing expedition, but rather a pitch by the Expos’ top executives to try to convince reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Catfish Hunter to toe the rubber at Jarry Park in 1975.

Earlier that December, the 28-year-old ace, who had won three consecutive World Series titles with the Oakland A’s and had registered four straight 20-win seasons, was declared a free agent after it was ruled that A’s owner Charlie Finley had violated the terms of his contract.

Hunter’s 1974 contract called for him to be paid $100,000 – $50,000 would serve as his salary, while the remaining $50,000 was to be placed in a deferred payment insurance plan. However, when Finley discovered that the deferred portion wouldn’t be tax deductible for him, he balked at paying it. The Major League Baseball Players Association took Hunter’s case to arbitration, where an arbitrator ruled in his favor and he became a free agent.

This landmark decision made Hunter the first major league player to truly have the liberty to chose the team he wanted to play for. It also inspired a bidding sweepstakes for his services unlike anything that major league baseball had ever witnessed.

Twenty two teams – including the Expos – called J. Carlton Cherry, Hunter’s lawyer/agent, to express their interest. Initially, Hunter thought he might be able to visit the cities of his suitors, but the list of interested parties grew so long that his agents asked teams to fly to Ahoskie, N.C. to meet with them.

A Montreal Gazette report indicates that after receiving the green light from McHale and Expos owner Charles Bronfman to pursue the all-star right-hander, Fanning called Hunter’s agent to express the club’s interest on the morning of December 18. Coming off a 79-82 campaign that saw them finish fourth in the National League East, the Expos were looking to bolster their starting rotation.

The Expos meeting with Hunter was set for the morning of Monday, December 23. By that time, however, 12 other big league clubs had already met with Hunter. The Expos were the first of four teams to sit down with Hunter on the 23rd. The Twins followed that morning, while the Yankees and Braves made their pitches in the afternoon.

“We’ll explain about Canada and Quebec offering something different for a sports superstar,” Fanning told the Montreal Gazette when asked how the Expos were going to woo Hunter. “I have some other things that I would like to discuss with them as well.”

But little did the Expos know, they were already at a decided disadvantage. In Hunter’s 1988 biography “Catfish: My Life in Baseball,” he indicates that his preference was to stay in the American League.

“I wanted to stay in the American League (where I knew the hitters) and away from the artificial turf (where ground balls turn into base hits),” wrote Hunter.

In his biography, Hunter also reveals that he was seeking at least a five-year deal with guaranteed money, with a substantial portion of his salary being deferred into the 1990s. He also wanted two $25,000 annuities for his children’s college educations.

At the time, Montreal Gazette scribe Ian MacDonald seemed dismissive of the Expos’ pursuit of Hunter.

“Parc Jarry’s limited seating along with undependable weather dictate that unless Bronfman wants to loosen the string on his holiday booze profits, the Expos’ hunt for the Catfish is a publicity ploy,” he wrote in the Gazette’s December 18, 1974 edition.

Publicity ploy or not, the Expos certainly gave the impression that they were determined to sign the 20-game winner. After meeting with clubs on December 23, Hunter’s camp took a three-day break for Christmas, and Fanning touched base with Cherry, Hunter’s agent, twice on December 28.

Though the amount of the Expos’ offer was never disclosed (some pegged it at $4.5 million over 10 years, which was an astronomical sum at the time), Fanning and McHale wowed Hunter enough to be one of the eight teams remaining in the running for Hunter’s services as of December 30.

“We still don’t know where we are,” an Expos spokesperson told the Montreal Gazette on December 27,”because we don’t know where the other clubs are. But we have to be encouraged a little bit by the fact that dialogue is going back and forth.”

The Expos’ optimism also had to be buoyed by a United Press International report that indicated that they could be one of Hunter’s preferred destinations because they were one of only three teams to have two separate meetings with the Cy Young Award winner.

But Hunter never seriously considered the Expos. In his biography, he describes how he almost signed with the San Diego Padres, Montreal’s expansion cousins. The Padres reportedly offered Hunter the most money (owner Ray Kroc essentially offered him a blank cheque and told him to write in the amount). The Padres also played on natural grass and their brass had wooed him with a steady stream of flattering letters.

“The only other National League teams (outside of the Padres) I seriously considered were Pittsburgh (superb offer, struggling team, fake turf) and the Mets,” wrote Hunter in his biography.

On December 31, Hunter decided to sign with the New York Yankees, not because they offered him the most money – in fact, the Expos likely offered him more – but largely because of the trust and friendship he had developed with Yankees scout Clyde Kluttz. Kluttz was the scout that signed Hunter for the Kansas City A’s in 1964 and had moved on to the Bronx Bombers. The two had remained fast friends. It also didn’t hurt that Hunter had grown up a Yankees fan.

“It’s great to be a Yankee . . . Ever since I was a little boy I wanted to be a Yankee,” Hunter said at his introductory press conference in New York on January 2.

His deal with the Yankees was worth approximately $3.5 million over 10 years and it guaranteed him a salary for five years. He would also receive $100,000 a year until 1994, as well as college endowments for his kids.

As a Yankee, Hunter won 23 and 17 games respectively in his first two seasons with the club before he was hampered by an arm injury. Despite stumbling to nine wins in 1977, he earned a World Series ring. He rebounded to record 12 wins the following campaign, as the Yankees won another Fall Classic. But struggling with diabetes and chronic pain in his arm, Hunter retired after posting a 2-9 record and 5.31 ERA in 1979 when he was just 33.

In all in 15 big league seasons, Hunter earned five World Series rings, recorded five 20-win seasons and notched 224 career wins – enough to earn him election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987.

After he hung up his spikes, Hunter settled back into farm life with his family in Hertford, N.C. Sadly, in September 1998, he was diagnosed with ALS, commonly called Lou Gehrig‘s disease, and he passed away on September 9, 1999 when he was just 53 years old.

April 7, 2026

Anderson wins McDonald’s Player of the Week

Presented by Urban Edge Network

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The following 11 Cascade Collegiate Conference student-athletes have been recognized as the McDonald’s Player of the Week, presented by Urban Edge Network, for their performances during competition from March 30 – April 5, 2026.

Baseball – Pitcher

University of British Columbia’s Will Anderson (Delta, BC) was named the CCC Baseball Pitcher of the Week. The UBC ace rose to the moment in the biggest game of the season so far, striking out 11 batters in 6 2/3 innings while allowing two runs. He departed with a 6-2 lead as UBC held on for an 8-7 win with Mason Chien (Langley, BC) picking up the save.

Beach Volleyball – Pair

No. 3-ranked Corban University’s Emmi Marks and Emma Bischoff were named the CCC Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week.

The first pair recorded a straight set sweep against opponents from Bushnell University (21-16, 21-13) to help secure the 4-1 team victory. The pair concluded the regular season leading the CCC with a 23-2 record, guiding the Warriors to the No. 2 seed in the postseason conference tournament.

Baseball – Player

The College of Idaho’s James Hull named the CCC Baseball Player of the Week.

Hull, a sophomore shortstop from Selah, Wash., had an outstanding week on the field for the Yotes, helping C of I to three victories in their series against Corban University. He recorded a .556 batting average and a .611 slugging percentage with 10 hits. He also added eight runs and two RBIs while earning a .579 on base percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .960 fielding percentage to cap off the terrific weekend.

Anderson, a junior from Delta, B.C., had a fantastic performance on the mound against No. 5-ranked Lewis-Clark State College, leading to an 8-7 victory. He allowed just three hits and two earned runs while striking out 11 batters across 6.2 innings for a 2.70 ERA and a .75 WHIP.

Softball – Player

No. 1-ranked Oregon Tech’s Nita Cook was named the CCC Softball Player of the Week. Cook, a senior second baseman from Vernonia, Ore., had a terrific weekend on the field as OIT swept Bushnell University. She recorded a .667 batting average and a .800 slugging percentage with 10 hits including two doubles. She also added nine runs while earning a .706 on base percentage. She did not strike out in 15 at bats and stole five bases, tying the OIT program record. Defensively, she recorded a .929 fielding percentage to round out her impressive weekend.

Softball – Pitcher

No. 1-ranked Oregon Tech’s Alli Parker was named the CCC Softball Pitcher of the Week. Parker, a junior from Bend, Ore., had a fantastic weekend in the circle for the Owls, helping lead to two shutouts over Bushnell University. She pitched 11 scoreless innings across two games, recording 12 strikeouts while allowing just seven hits and two walks for a perfect ERA and a .82 WHIP.

Women’s Golf – Golfer

No. 19-ranked Lewis-Clark State College’s Giulia Belfontali was named the CCC Women’s Golfer of the Week. Belfontali (80-80-73 – 233), a sophomore from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, had an excellent showing at the Roadrunner Spring Invite. She finished strong, shooting 1-over par in the final round to help LC State finish in ninth place as a team while defeating multiple nationally ranked opponents.

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Athlete

University of British Columbia’s James Kerr was named the CCC Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week. Kerr, a junior from Burlington, Ont., had a standout showing at the UNLV Rebel Elite Invitational. He finished second in the 400m hurdles, recording a time of 51.98 to reach an ‘A’ Standard and claim the second spot in the NAIA this season.

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Athlete

University of British Columbia’s Kayden U-Ming was named the CCC Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week. U-Ming, a sophomore from Courtenay, B.C., had a stellar showing at the UNLV Rebel Elite Invitational. He finished second in the javelin with a mark of 65.59m to reach an ‘A’ Standard and earn the No. 2 rank in the NAIA leaderboard this season.

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Athlete

University of British Columbia’s Haley Martin was named the CCC Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week. Martin, a sophomore from Nanaimo, B.C., had an outstanding weekend at the UNLV Rebel Elite Invitational. She finished second in the 400m hurdles with a time of 59:30 to set a program record and claim the No. 2 time in the NAIA this season. She then won the 400m with a time of 55.81 to reach a ‘B’ Standard and also ran the final leg of the 4x400m relay which reached a time of 3:44.74 and an ‘A’ Standard.

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Athlete

University of British Columbia’s Amelia Cha was named the CCC Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week. Cha, a junior from Calgary, Alta., had a standout showing at the UNLV Rebel Elite Invitational. She won the long jump, reaching an ‘A’ Standard and claiming the top mark in the NAIA this season at 6.25m while also breaking her own program record. She then reached a ‘B’ Standard in the 4x100m relay which set a time of 47.13.

Terriers alum Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) has been named the Canadian Baseball Network’s Minor League Player of the Week after he tossed five scoreless innings for the Texas Rangers’ triple-A Round Rock Express in his start on Saturday.

April 7, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Triple-A is not where Cal Quantrill wants to be.

But if his most recent start with the Texas Rangers’ Round Rock Express is any indication, the 31-year-old right-hander might not be there for long.

On Saturday, he started and hurled five scoreless innings to earn the win against the Atlanta Braves’ triple-A Gwinnett Stripers.

For his efforts, Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) has been named the Canadian Baseball Network’s first Minor League Player of the Week (March 30 to April 5) of 2026.

Quantrill allowed just three hits and struck out four, without walking a batter, in the start. He threw 49 of his 76 pitches for strikes.

The veteran righty was the only Canadian minor league pitcher to throw five innings in a start last week.

Quantrill, who owns a 47-46 record and a 4.35 ERA in 187 games (149 starts) in parts of eight MLB seasons with the Padres, Guardians, Rockies, Marlins and Braves, signed a minor league contract with the Rangers on February 1.

Last month, in a do-or-die contest for Canada at the World Baseball Classic, Quantrill started and held the Cuban squad to just two hits and one unearned run, while fanning five in five innings, to lead Canada to a 7-2 victory.

Top Canadian Minor League Batters - March 30 to April 5, 2026

Top Canadian Minor League Pitchers - March 30 to April 5, 2026

April 6, 2026

Official University of Portland Athletics Release

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Portland Pilots freshman pitcher Will Labonte earned his second straight WCC Freshman of the Week honour after a stellar start against the Seattle U Redhawks.

It's the fourth time a Pilot has earned WCC Player of the Week honours this season.

Labonte (Montreal, Que.) started and pitched well in Portland's lone win of the weekend against Seattle U. Labonte went six innings for the Pilots, matching a career high, and allowed no runs and just two hits. Labonte struck out six batters as well. It's the fourth time Labonte has allowed no runs in four innings or more.

Labonte has pitched like one of the best freshman in the country. He earned Perfect Game Midseason All-American Second Team honours as well as WCC Freshman of the Week last week after another strong start.

Labonte has gone 3-0 in eight appearances this year, throwing a team-high 42 1/3 innings with a 1.70 ERA and 36 strikeouts. Labonte's ERA leads the conference and ranks 20th in the nation.

Nationally, he ranks second among all freshmen. He's the only WCC player to allow fewer than 10 runs this season.

April 2, 2026

Official Guelph Royals News Release

GUELPH, ONT. - The Guelph Royals have re-signed outfielder Ashton Patterson for the 2026 season.

Patterson (Kitchener, Ont.), 21, returns for his fifth season with the team, joining Brandon Deans, Conner Morro, and JD Williams as the longest-serving players on the team.

Throughout his first four seasons with the team, Patterson has a lifetime average of .211, with his best stretch coming in the 2024 playoffs, where he batted .405 with more walks (10) than strikeouts (8).

Royals assistant general manager Ryan Eakin said there is a reason Patterson has been here as long as he has.

"Patty shows up, provides elite defence, and scraps at the plate, especially in critical, situational moments. Every championship team needs a player like him on their roster."

*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on April 3. You can read it here.

April 6, 2026

By Joe McFarland

Alberta Dugout Stories

Carter Claerhout always considered himself a “backside doubles” kind of guy.

The Red Deer native made a living through high school and the first few years of his college baseball career pulling the ball for power.

He says he had never hit a home run to the opposite field … until this year.

Claerhout has been on an absolute tear to start his debut season with Bellevue University, leading the Bruins in almost every offensive statistical category, including batting average (.443), home runs (13) and runs batted in (35) heading into the Easter long weekend.

His performances have been so good he’s captured three Frontier Conference Player of the Week honours and, most recently, the NAIA National Player of the Week on March 31.

The reason for his surge in power and productivity? Assistant coach Mitch Schmidt.

“Schmitty made two tiny changes as soon as I got here focusing on letting the ball travel a bit more,” Claerhout told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast.

“He just said, ‘Don’t touch a thing, I’m going to move you in the batter’s box,’ and that’s about it.”

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Listen to Alberta Dugout Stories interview Carter Claerhout here.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Not only has he hit double-digit home runs for the first time in his career, but Claerhout is also helping a Bruin team skyrocketing up the NAIA national rankings.

BECOMING A BRUIN

Everyone in Alberta baseball circles knows Claerhout is a very talented ball player.

A star with Red Deer Minor Baseball and a graduate of St. Joseph High School with head coach Jason Chatwood, the southpaw moved south to Prairie Baseball Academy, where he was named a Canadian College Baseball Conference second-team all-star in 2022.

He upped the ante in his sophomore season by earning first-team honours and was named the CCBC’s most valuable player after hitting .415 with four roundtrippers and 24 RBIs.

Those performances earned him a move to Southern Arkansas University, where he swatted five dingers, drove in 53 runs and sported a .294 average in 89 games over two seasons.

Going into his senior season, Claerhout knew he had more in the tank and got talking to a few people about heading to Bellevue.

Schmidt broke the transfer news to the baseball world when the Lethbridge Bulls slugger was being interviewed for the Western Canadian Baseball League All-Star Game broadcast.

ANSWERING THE BELL(EVUE)

While he knew what the Okotoks Dawgs co-head coach brought to the table, Claerhout couldn’t have imagined what was in store for him.

“The main thing was I just wanted to go out and have fun,” he said.

Knowing that former Dawg Logan Grant and current teammate Ayden Makarus had won several awards in previous years, Claerhout admits he had that in the back of his mind going into the year as something to aspire to.

Jam packed new episode of the Bullhorn up now on YouTube! Carter Claerhout, Gord Watt , Bulls owner/GM Kevin Kvame, and Will Turner with the Bulls Jr. Reporter all stopped by for a chat. Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel today! https://t.co/Q8XQHWbzHl pic.twitter.com/tktAIKupD2

— Lethbridge Bulls (@lethbridgebulls) February 12, 2026

He started his season on a four-game hit streak, had one hitless game, then came back with another nine in a row.

The first of his three conference player of the week honours came on Feb. 23 after hitting .875 with a 2.514 OPS, with four of his seven hits going for extra bases.

His hot streak didn’t flicker, as Claerhout had hits in all but three games in March, setting the stage for a monster weekend against Valley City State University.

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED

The Bruins, who are the No. 3 ranked NAIA program in the country thanks to a 28-3 overall record and 8-0 in conference play, put their offence on display against the Vikings.

Outscoring the opposition 62-17 in the four-game set, Claerhout says it showed how good of a team they are.

It also showed off his dominance this spring, as the senior first baseman collected 11 hits in 15 at-bats, including a home run in each game and a combined seven RBIs.

His first trip around the bases was also his 10th of the season, a first time he’s reached that milestone.

“I got a big hug from Schmitty and he said, ‘You needed me to get double digits,’” Claerhout laughed, adding it’s something he’s most proud of as he looks at his numbers.

The 6-foot-1, 240-pound Albertan was named the Frontier Conference Player of the Week for his efforts, then a day later was informed he was picking up the NAIA National Player of the Week as well.

⚾️ NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK! ⚾️

Carter Claerhout takes home the NAIA's top weekly honor after an unbelievable stretch at the plate. He hit .700, launched 5 home runs, and drove in 10 runs.

Read the full release ➡️ https://t.co/VHfaOsXth2#BUBruins #NAIA #TheRightWayToPlay pic.twitter.com/rXp1lgHJ5m

— Bellevue Bruins (@BUBruins) March 31, 2026

GOING OUT ON TOP

And now it’s onto April, where Claerhout hopes to keep the good vibes going, both personally and with the team.

He believes they are a force to be reckoned with as they head towards the Frontier Conference Tournament during the first weekend of May.

Despite being a newcomer to the team, Claerhout says it’s crazy to think about how tight-knit the group is.

“We’re really confident in how we are as a team and we’re never out of a game,” he said. “We’re just having so much fun and we’re very much like a family.”

If all goes according to plan, the Bruins will emerge from the conference to play in the NAIA Opening Round before the Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho starting May 22.

Claerhout says it will be important to “not get too high on our own supply” and take each game as it comes.

On a personal level, he doesn’t plan on making any adjustments to his approach at the plate – just have some fun and be a contributor to what he hopes is a championship-winning team.

“To help this team get over the hump and go to Lewiston and win it all would be phenomenal,” Claerhout said. “It would be a pretty sweet way to go out, for sure.”

April 5, 2026

By Jake McGrail

UBC Communications

LEWISTON, Idaho – It was not to be on Sunday for the UBC Thunderbirds as they fell in the final game of the weekend against the Lewis-Clark State Warriors, losing a conference series for the first time this year.

Despite out-hitting the Warriors 11-10, the 'Birds were only able to muster up three runs compared to nine for the hosts. The combination of a three UBC errors and seven walks drawn by Lewis-Clark State helped tilt the scales in the Warriors' favour, and the T-Birds were left to rue some missed opportunities as they left eight runners on the base in the game, four of them in scoring position.

While the Thunderbirds got a player to second base in each of the first three innings, they were unable to score until the top of the fourth, at which point it was 3-0 for Lewis-Clark State. The T-Birds' opening marker came from some heads-up baserunning by Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.), as after a leadoff single he took second on a wild pitch, third on a ground out and then came home in the wake of another wild pitch from Warriors' reliever Tyler Logan.

Unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, things came somewhat undone in the bottom half of that inning, when the Warriors had the bases loaded with two outs. At that point, Bryce Johnson hit a bouncing ball to short that was miscontrolled by the UBC infield, allowing two runs to score.

With their lead doubled, the Warriors were able to enjoy a little bit of breathing room, which was extended further in the seventh when Kooper Jones hit a two-run single.

Needing a big rally, the Thunderbirds looked like they might be able to start one in the eighth, when a Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) single was followed by a Yip RBI double and then an RBI single from Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) to make it 7-3 with no outs on the board. But that was as close as UBC would get, as back-to-back outs were followed by Scott getting gunned down at home by Warriors left-fielder Brandon Nguyen off a hard-hit single by Calvin Warrillow (Toronto, Ont.).

The Warriors were able to tack on two final runs in the bottom half of the eighth, and they now hold first place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference standings – boasting a two-game lead over the Thunderbirds with 12 more to go before the postseason.

There's not too much time for the Thunderbirds to dwell on this result, as they're back in action on Tuesday, April 7, on the road against NCAA Division I side Seattle University in a nonconference matchup. Then, they'll be back at home against the College of Idaho Yotes for a four-game series from Friday, April 10 through Sunday, April 12.

April 5, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Happy Easter to those who celebrate!

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

Remembering Luke Easter

It has become an Easter tradition in this column to pay tribute to ex-big league slugger Luke Easter on Easter Sunday.

“Luscious Luke” was a hulking, 6-foot-4, 240-pound slugger who became the 11th Black player to compete in the big leagues when he debuted with Cleveland on August 11, 1949.

Known for clubbing tape-measure homers – including a 477-foot blast that was the longest ever recorded at Municipal Stadium – Easter, due to segregation, didn’t make his big league debut until he was 34. After three seasons in which he never socked less than 27 homers for Cleveland, Easter, hobbled by knee and ankle injuries, was released, but he continued to belt moonshot round-trippers in the International League (IL) for the Ottawa Athletics in 1954. Later he starred with the IL’s Buffalo Bisons and Rochester Red Wings.

A jovial, easygoing man who rarely refused an autograph request, Easter was once approached by a fan who told him that he saw him hit his longest home run, to which Easter responded, “If it came down, it wasn’t my longest.”

Sadly, Easter was murdered in a bank parking lot in Euclid, Ohio on March 29, 1979.

Hicks’ historic start

In his first five games with the Miami Marlins this season, Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) went 7-for-15 (.467 batting average) with three home runs and 12 RBIs.

Those 12 RBIs set a record for most RBIs by a Canadian in their first five games of a major league season, surpassing the 11 Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) accumulated in 1997.

Hicks also became the first Marlins player to collect 12 RBIs in the team’s first five games.

The Toronto Mets grad’s hot start even earned him airtime on the MLB Network on Friday to explain the changes he made to his swing this off-season.

The 26-year-old added a single and a walk on Saturday and is currently batting an even .400.

Caissie right behind Hicks

And if you looked at the MLB RBI leaderboard after five games, you would’ve seen Hicks’ Marlins teammate and fellow Canuck Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) right behind him, tied for second with eight RBIs.

Caissie has gone 8-for-25 (.320 batting average) with two home runs and two doubles in the Marlins’ first eight games. The 23-year-old right fielder has been hitting sixth in the lineup behind Canadians Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que) and Hicks.

The Fieldhouse Pirates grad’s strong start comes after his outstanding performance for Canada at the World Baseball Classic in which he went 7-for-17 (.412 batting average) with a home run, three doubles and five RBIs in five games.

Caissie is in his first season with the Marlins after being acquired from the Cubs as part of the package for right-hander Edward Cabrera on January 7.

Peters records first walk-off hit

It was a week of firsts for Chicago White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.).

Just two days after collecting his first MLB hit last Saturday, Peters had his first two-hit game on Monday. The Okotoks Dawgs alum had two singles in three at bats in the Sox 9-4 victory over the Marlins.

Then on Friday, in the White Sox home opener, Peters hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning off Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman to give the Sox a 5-4 win. It was not only his first walk-off hit, but his first MLB RBI.

As the White Sox noted on X on Saturday, the only other White Sox player to have their first MLB RBI be a walk-off hit was Canadian Joe Erautt (Vibank, Sask.). Erautt recorded his walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning against Boston Red Sox left-hander Mel Parnell on August 4, 1950 to give the White Sox a 3-2 win.

Anniversary of Walker’s first three-homer game

Twenty-nine years ago today, Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) returned to Olympic Stadium and socked three home runs for the Colorado Rockies against the Montreal Expos to lead his club to a 15-3 win.

It was the first of three, three-home run games Walker would have in his career. None of them came at hitter friendly Coors Field.

You can watch footage of Walker’s first three-home run performance in the video below.

Pivetta rebounds with strong start

After giving up six runs in three innings in his Opening Day start for the San Diego Padres, Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) rebounded to permit just one hit, while striking out eight, in five scoreless innings to earn the win against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

It was his 70th big league win, which moves him to within one of Rheal Cormier (Cap-Pele, N.B.) and Erik Bedard (Napan, Ont.) for 10th most by a Canadian. Sitting just above them is Jeff Francis (North Delta, B.C.) with 72 MLB victories.

Sabrowski: four relief appearances, four holds

Left-hander Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) has been near-perfect out of the bullpen for the Cleveland Guardians this season. He has a major league-leading four holds in four appearances.

His most recent hold came on Wednesday when he was summoned into the game with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to face Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani with runners on second and third and the Guardians leading 4-0. Sabrowski promptly fanned Ohtani on three pitches.

Sabrowski has not surrendered a hit or a run and has struck out six in 3 2/3 innings this season.

Stieb’s first Opening Day start

Forty-three years ago today, Dave Stieb made his first Opening Day start for the Blue Jays.

Facing off against Boston Red Sox right-hander Dennis Eckersley, Stieb allowed just one run on three hits, while striking out seven batters, in six innings in the Blue Jays’ 7-1 win at Fenway Park.

Rance Mulliniks and Willie Upshaw homered for the Jays, while Ernie Whitt had a two-run single in the second inning.

Roy Lee Jackson took over for Stieb in the seventh and didn’t allow a hit in three scoreless innings to record the save.

Romano has three saves

I know it’s early but Los Angeles Angels closer Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) ranks second in the American League with three saves.

He picked up his third save of the season on Saturday when he hurled a scoreless ninth in the Angels’ 1-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.

The 32-year-old Canadian has looked strong this season. He has yet to yield a hit or a run in five appearances and has struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings.

The Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team grad is in his eighth major league campaign.

Orr made MLB debut on this date in 2005

Twenty-one years ago today, Pete Orr (Newmarket, Ont.) made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves.

The then 26-year-old Canuck entered the game as a defensive replacement for second baseman Marcus Giles in the sixth inning in the Braves’ 9-0 loss to the Marlins.

Orr grounded out in his first at bat in the eighth.

The left-handed hitting infielder collected his first two MLB hits the next day when he started at second base in the Braves’ 2-1, 13-inning win over the Marlins.

Clarke makes first home run robbing catch of the year

Oakland A’s centre fielder Denzel Clarke made his first home run robbing catch of the year in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Braves on Wednesday. Braves catcher Drake Baldwin led off the frame and launched a ball to left centre that look like a certain home run until Clarke made a leaping catch at the wall to bring it back.

You can watch it here:

If you have followed Clark since his MLB debut last year, you won’t be surprised by the play. After his promotion in late May 2025, he made several highlight reel catches in centre field for the A’s, which made him the first player to win the MLB Electric Play of the Week award in three consecutive weeks and earned him the Capital One Premier Play of the year at the MLB Awards.

Sixteen years ago, Stairs played for 12th MLB team

Sixteen years ago today, Matt Stairs (Fredericton, N.B.) pinch-hit for Padres pitcher Tim Stauffer in the top of the eighth inning and flied out to centre field against Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Aaron Heilman. With this at bat, Stairs had played in a regular season game for his 12th different MLB team, which set a new record for position players. He shared the previous record of 11 with Todd Zeile and Deacon McGuire.

Expos dealt Staub to Mets 54 years ago

It was 54 years ago today that the Expos traded Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Rusty Staub to the New York Mets for Ken Singleton, Tim Foli and Mike Jorgensen.

Staub, who had been the Expos’ first superstar, went on to enjoy four decent seasons with the Mets, including registering 105 RBIs for them in 1975.

But the Expos also fared well in the deal. Singleton had three strong years with the Expos. In 1973, he topped the National League with a .425 on-base percentage (OBP). Foli would be the Expos’ starting shortstop for six seasons, and though he was primarily known for his glove, he also became the first Expo to hit for the cycle when he accomplished the feat on April 21, 1976. Jorgensen also stayed with the Expos for parts of six seasons and posted career-highs in batting average (.310) and OBP (.444) in 1974. He also became the first Expo to win a Gold Glove Award when he was honoured for his work at the first base position in 1973.

Who hit the most home runs at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium?

Codify Baseball has the answer (I saw this on X):

April 4, 2026

By UBC Communications

LEWISTON, Idaho – After taking the series opener on Friday, the UBC Thunderbirds were beaten in both halves of Saturday's doubleheader by the No. 5 ranked team in the NAIA, the Lewis-Clark State Warriors.

The 'Birds fell behind early in both games and were unable to mount comebacks, meaning that they will need to bounce back on Sunday in order to avoid losing this crucial series between the top two teams in the conference.

GAME ONE

While it was UBC who scored the first run of the day - when a David Krahn (Langley, B.C.) sacrifice fly brought home Kansai Sugimoto in the top of the first - the trouble began right after as the Warriors put up seven runs in the opening frame.

The home team put up four more runs between the second and third innings, racking up seven RBI singles and two RBI doubles as they went up 11-1 in a great display of hitting. Homers from both Brandon Nguyen and Bryce Johnson in the fifth put the game solidly out of reach.

The 'Birds were able to get some more runs on the board in the seventh, when a Stephen Waters (Toronto, Ont.) RBI double was followed the very next at-bat by a deep shot from Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.). But that was only a consolation as UBC fell 15-4.

GAME TWO

It was another tough start in the second game for the Thunderbirds, as Izzy Madariaga homered for the Warriors in the opening inning before they scored another four runs in the second.

A Lewis-Clark fielding error scored Krahn in the fourth, and was followed by an RBI single from Waters to cut into the deficit further, but that was as close as the Thunderbirds were able to get as after a few innings of a tight game the Warriors were able to pull away with some more big offensive performances in the final two innings for a 12-2 win.

The two sides will face off one more time at 11:00 a.m. (P.T.) on Sunday, the eighth and final meeting of the regular season between the two rivals.

April 4, 2026

Official Toronto Blue Jays News Release

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired INF Tyler Fitzgerald from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations.

Fitzgerald has been optioned to the triple-A Buffalo Bisons roster.

Fitzgerald, 28, played 72 games with the San Francisco Giants in 2025, hitting .217 with 10 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 14 RBI, nine stolen bases, and a .605 OPS, while recording seven defensive runs saved at second base.

In 2024, Fitzgerald was tied for third in the majors (min. 50 opportunities) in average sprint speed (30.0 ft/sec), while batting .280 with an .831 OPS across 96 games.

The right-handed hitter from Springfield, Ill., was selected by the Giants in the fourth round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Louisville, making his MLB debut in 2023.

In three seasons with the Giants, he slashed .252/.309/.430 with 31 doubles, three triples, 21 home runs, 53 RBIs, 28 stolen bases, and a .739 OPS in 178 contests.

April 3, 2026

UBC Communications

LEWISTON, Idaho – The UBC Thunderbirds held on for a thrilling 8-7 win over the NAIA No.5-ranked Lewis-Clark State Warriors in the series opener between the two top teams in the Cascade Collegiate Conference at Harris Field on Friday night.

The victory breaks the tie between the two rivals for the conference lead. The 'Birds also take a 3-1 advantage in head to head conference games.

UBC ace Will Anderson (Delta, B.C.) rose to the moment in the biggest game of the season so far, striking out 11 batters in 6.2 innings while allowing two runs. Catcher Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) remained red hot at the plate for the Thunderbirds, slugging two home runs and driving in five runs on three hits.

The game sat scoreless after the first three innings before British Columbia struck for the first run of the contest in the top of the fourth, with David Krahn (Langley, B.C.) coming home on a Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) single.

Cote hit a solo home run in the fifth and followed that up with a two RBI bases loaded single in the six to help grow the margin to 6-0 through six innings.

LC State answered with a four-run bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to two runs. Izzy Madariaga and Sam Weber led off the inning with back-to-back singles before Payton Smith hit them both home. Brandon Nguyen and Jackson Jaha walked to load the bases ahead of Noah Weintraub sending a base hit up the middle to bring the score to 6-4.

In the eighth, Kansai Sugimoto worked his at bat to a full count before drawing a walk. Then Cote came through again, blasting a two-run shot to centre to expand UBC's lead to 8-4.

LC State neared a comeback in the bottom of the ninth but fell just short. Smith, Nguyen, Bryce Johnson and Madariaga all walked to bring in a run. Weber doubled to left to bring in two to make it a one-run game, but that is as close as the Warriors got.

The series continues on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon at Harris Field.

April 2, 2026

By Nicklaus Korim

Baseball Canada

OTTAWA — Baseball Canada is excited to announce that the Junior National Team (18U) will be heading to Dunedin, Fla., and the Toronto Blue Jays Player Development Complex (PDC) to compete in the annual Extended Spring Training Camp.

The camp will see the Junior team face Major League Baseball organizations, including the Philadelphia Phillies extended team, the Pittsburgh Pirates extended team, the Baltimore Orioles extended team and the Toronto Blue Jays extended team.

The camp serves as a key step in young players’ development, providing an opportunity to face professional competition while preparing to represent Canada internationally.

During their time in Dunedin, the athletes will practice daily while calling the Blue Jays PDC home. The training camp will also see the Junior National Team visit other Major League facilities, including the Carpenter Complex (Phillies), the Ed Smith Stadium (Orioles) and Pirate City (Pirates).

The 31 athletes invited will be in Dunedin for nine days, playing a total of eight games from April 15 to April 23. Notably, 28 of those players are returning Junior National Team members.

On the mound, returning players include RHP Calum Anderson, RHP/OF Austin Blair, RHP/INF Logan Cummins, RHP Cole Dorland, RHP Dominic Fiorenza, LHP/OF Oscar Leah, RHP/INF Zach MacDonald, LHP Josh Mills, RHP Max Nantais-Vlahovich, RHP Noach Powell, RHP Demarcus Rideout-Carter, RHP Julian Sabourin, RHP/INF Lucas St-Laurent, RHP Desmond Tregaskis, RHP/INF Will Zielinski and LHP Sean Duncan, who was recently featured on the MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects list.

Returning position players include INF Kadyn Armitage, OF Maxime Blain, OF Sam Ellis, OF Will Henderson, 1B Jalen Jacob, C/OF Aiden Kilshaw, INF Elliot Lascelles, INF Noah McIntosh, INF Cohen Miller, INF Robert Omidi, OF Rogan Rivard, C Taye Thierman and C Rhys Whiteford.

INF Joseph Pereira, RHP Gabe Fink and LHP Ethan Reason are new additions to the Junior National Team roster and will be looking to make their debuts.

Head coach Greg Hamilton will be joined by former National Team and professional players Mike Johnson, Pete Orr, Chris Reitsma, Rene Tosoni and Pete Laforest.

Extended Spring Training Roster

April 4, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

It’s the most dominant Opening Day performance in Toronto Blue Jays history.

On April 4, 1988, 38 years ago today, George Bell unleashed his frustrations and fury on Bret Saberhagen at Royals Stadium in Kansas City to become the first big leaguer to belt three home runs on Opening Day.

Almost as newsworthy was that the spirited slugger’s power barrage came with him as the Blue Jays’ designated hitter. Coming off his 47-home run, 1987 American League MVP season, Bell, the Blue Jays’ longtime left fielder, was informed by manager Jimy Williams that he’d be the club’s DH in 1988. In moving Bell to DH, Williams then shifted veteran centre fielder Lloyd Moseby to left field and inserted rookie Sil Campusano in centre.

It was a move that Bell refused to accept without a fight.

The feisty outfielder and Williams had warred all spring about the decision and the feud reached its climax on March 17 in a spring training game against the Boston Red Sox in Dunedin when Bell, slated to be the club’s DH, declined to walk to the plate when his name was announced in the first inning. Bell was suspended and fined for his actions.

In the following days, the two sides came to a truce, but Bell never embraced the idea of becoming a full-time DH. Fortunately for Bell, the experiment only lasted until April 17, when Campusano, who was hitting only .115, was benched and Moseby returned to centre field and Bell to left.

But getting back to Bell’s three-homer Opening Day outburst, here are some facts you may not have known about that game, which was a 5-3 Blue Jays’ win over the Royals:

– Bell clubbed all three of his home runs off of Saberhagen, a two-time Cy Young Award winner. It was the only time in his major league career that Bell socked three homers in a game and it was the only time that Saberhagen permitted three round-trippers to one batter in the same game.

– Royals Stadium was known as a pitchers’ park. Multi-home run games there were relatively rare during that era, but the last player to hit three taters at Royals Stadium prior to Bell was future Blue Jays great Paul Molitor. He smashed three balls over the fence there as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers on May 12, 1982.

– Here’s how Royals catcher Mike MacFarlane described Bell’s homers to the Toronto Star after the game: “He hit two fastballs and a curve. The first one was a fastball up and in and he tomahawked it. The second was breaking ball down and away, and he golfed it with one arm. The third was a fastball in and he turned on it.”

– The only two players to hit home runs in that memorable 1988 opener were DHs named George (also with the initials “GB”). Royals DH George Brett belted a two-run homer off Blue Jays’ lefty Jimmy Key in the first inning.

– Including Bell, six Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees appeared in that 1988 season opener. The others were Jesse Barfield, Lloyd Moseby, Tony Fernandez, Ernie Whitt and Tom Henke. Cito Gaston, a 2002 inductee, was also present as the Blue Jays’ batting coach.

– Speaking of Henke, he had the best line about Bell’s performance after the game. According to Bell’s excellent biography (co-written by Bob Elliott), Henke walked by Bell’s locker and quipped, “What’s the big fuss? You haven’t even got a hit inside the park yet.” Even Bell laughed. Henke loved Bell as a teammate and told the Toronto Star, “This guy (Bell) won the game by himself. The guy is amazing. He’s my man.”

-Amazingly all three of Bell’s home run balls were retrieved and they are now part of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s collection in St. Marys, Ont. (see photo above).

– Often forgotten is the fact that Bell went 5-for-5 (with two doubles and three singles) in the Blue Jays’ 11-4 romp over the Royals in the second game of the 1988 season. It was the first time that a Blue Jay had gone 5-for-5 in a game. After two contests, Bell was hitting .888 with six runs.

– Three other players have hit three home runs on Opening Day since Bell did it: Tuffy Rhodes in 1994 for the Chicago Cubs, Dimitri Young in 2005 for the Detroit Tigers and Matt Davidson in 2018 for the Chicago White Sox.

– Five other Jays have hit two home runs on Opening Day: Doug Ault (1977), John Mayberry (1980), Shannon Stewart (2000), Tony Batista (2000) and J.P. Arencibia (2011).

April 4, 2026

Official Toronto Blue Jays News Release

The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to terms with LHP Patrick Corbin on a one-year contract (US $1,000,000).

Corbin has been optioned to the class-A Dunedin Blue Jays roster.

Corbin, 36, started 30 games (31 appearances) for the Texas Rangers in 2025, posting a 4.40 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP across 155 1/3 innings.

Corbin is one of four pitchers in MLB to make 30+ starts in each of the last five seasons (2021-25), alongside Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, and José Berríos. Since 2017, he leads all MLB pitchers in starts (265) while ranking third in innings pitched (1491 2/3).

The left-hander from Clay, N.Y., was originally selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the second round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Chipola Junior College, before making his MLB debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012.

Across 13 MLB seasons, the two-time All-Star (2013, 2018) and World Series Champion (2019) has made 354 starts (373 appearances) between the Diamondbacks, Nationals, and Rangers, going 110-142 with a 4.51 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP, and 1,860 strikeouts over 2,047 2/3 innings pitched.

He ranks fourth among active pitchers in starts, fifth in innings pitched, and ninth in wins.

April 3, 2026

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

My first trip to Vancouver was in 1993 when the Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays played a pre-season high-school style tournament before Toronto opened the season in Seattle.

I remember sitting in Cito Gaston’s office at BC Place discussing newly acquired OF Darrin Jackson, when Sparky Anderson, smoking a pipe, knocked on the door. He had been watching the Brewers-Mariners game before the Tigers-Jays game.

“Cito, no stealing in our game, you OK with that? Edgar Martinez just had a serious injury trying to steal second,” Anderson said.

Gaston nodded yes.

It wasn’t until years later that I was invited to BC again by Mike Kelly, who was running a clinic at the Langley Events Centre. He had me booked for a Friday flight to Vancouver and an early flight home Sunday. That was too quick a turnaround for me. I asked him to add a day at the start or the end of the trip.

So, Kelly picked me up on a Thursday afternoon at the airport.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“You’re from Kingston, the home of Sir John A. Macdonald, I’m going to introduce you to the BC Premier League’s Sir John A [the father of Canadian Confederation] and show you one of our best parks,” replied Kelly, a former coach with the North Delta Blue Jays.

Ari Mellios and Kelly coached future major leaguers 1B Justin Morneau (New Westminster, BC), LHP Jeff Francis (North Delta, BC) and LHP James Paxton (Ladner, BC) as high schoolers.

Off we drove for a tour of Nat Bailey Stadium with Baseball Canada President Ray Carter. Then, it was north to Parksville and met Clyde Inouye, whom Kelly introduced as “the Premier League’s Sir John A.” Over the years credit for the first and most successful best-against-best league in Canada expanded to include founders Walt Burrows, Lowell Hodges and the late Dave Wallace, as well as Inouye.

After viewing the Parksville park, we headed for lunch with Wallace, a wonderful man, whom the Canadian Baseball Network named its Coach of the Year award after last season. The park is now called Inouye-Wallace Field. We have met a lot of great amateur coaches over the years, but we chose to name the award after Wallace.

Then, it was south to Nanaimo’s Serauxmen Stadium and to Victoria.

* * *

You might wonder where we are headed here.

Well, it’s back to the West Coast.

The Premier League’s Sir John A should be in the thoughts of every baseball man from coast to coast right now.

Inouye was diagnosed with some artery issues during a routine annual physical last fall and is now recovering from a successful five-hour bypass surgery in Victoria last month. Now, he is recovering from a post-op stroke and is in Nanaimo General working through a rehab program.

After retiring, he was very active and enjoyed golfing almost every day. He will be in the Nanaimo rehab unit for some time as he works on his mobility.

“As we know, Clyde is a very determined person,” said former Premier League president Ted Hotzak. “We all hope that he will recover over the coming months and be able to hit the links this summer. I’m sure his friends in the baseball community would like to know of Clyde’s status.

“He would love to receive messages from you.”

Would elite leagues be as popular in Canada without BC’s Sir John A?

We doubt it.

*This article was originally published on the WCBL website on April 2, 2026. You can read it here.

April 3, 2026

By Ian Wilson

Western Canadian Baseball League

The Saskatoon Berries are juiced to invite the best of the Western Canadian Baseball League to NexGen Patch at Cairns Field for a full weekend celebrating the top talent in the league.

For the first time in WCBL history, the All-Star festivities - presented by SIGA Rewards - are expanding to include an entire weekend of action, featuring live music, skills competitions and plenty of excitement.

The party gets started on Saturday, July 18, with doors opening at 3:30 p.m., followed by the WCBL All-Stars participating in a bunt competition, presented by Parktown Hotels, at 4 p.m.

Up-and-coming baseball stars will take the field at 5 p.m. to compete in the Little League Home Run Derby before making way for the top sluggers in the league, who will bash baseballs and compete in the WCBL Home Run Derby. That long-ball event gets underway at 6 p.m.

The first day of festivities will be capped off with a performance from Saskatchewan country music artist Jordyn Pollard, who will jam in the plaza at NexGen Patch at 7:45 p.m.

On Sunday, July 19, the doors open at 11:30 a.m., giving fans plenty of time to grab a drink, a hot dog, and find their seats for the main event, the WCBL All-Star Game, which starts at 1 p.m.

Fans can stick around after the star-studded matchup for autograph sessions, so bring a pen and a baseball and get ready to meet your favourite player.

"When planning the events for All-Star Weekend we wanted to do things differently. We love to add fun and flavour into everything we do. Having new events like the Bunt Competition and Little League Home Run Derby does this, while showcasing the additional talent of our WCBL stars, as well as the future stars in our province," said Allison Hlady, the brand and promotions manager with the Saskatoon Berries.

"The live Jordyn Pollard concert to top off an already juiced up first day is something we are really looking forward to sharing with the fans. For the All-Star Game itself we have a bundle of fun games and attractions for the fans to enjoy while catching some of the best baseball our league has to offer."

A reminder regarding tickets: the only way to get your All-Star Weekend pass early is by securing your spot by purchasing ticket packs here.

ABOUT THE WESTERN CANADIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE (WCBL)

The WCBL is Canada’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. The WCBL boasts a long-standing tradition of creating a showcase for top Canadian prospects, while at the same time offering American college players the opportunity to hone their skills in front of enthusiastic baseball fans in towns and cities throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan. WCBL rosters include elite college players from across North America and league alumni have gone on to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) and in other professional baseball leagues.

April 2, 2026

By Jason Young

Winnipeg Goldeyes

WINNIPEG, MAN. – The Winnipeg Goldeyes have signed right-handed Canadian relief pitcher Eli Saul.

The Vancouver, B.C. native split the 2025 season between the Hillsboro Hops of the Class-A Advanced Northwest League and the double-A Texas League’s Amarillo Sod Poodles. He compiled a 5-3 record with a 4.74 earned run average in 62 2/3 innings pitched over 53 appearances.

Saul was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 29th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft out of Prince of Wales Secondary School (Vancouver, B.C.) but opted to attend college. He was selected a second time by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 13th round in 2022 after three seasons at California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento, Calif.).

Over four seasons in the Diamondbacks’ chain, the 24-year-old went 8-8 with a 4.94 ERA and eight saves in 136 games.

“We’re excited to add another talented Canadian player to our roster,” said Goldeyes Skipper Logan Watkins. “Eli brings plenty of affiliated experience and a really strong arm. We expect him to be one of our power arms out of the bullpen and potentially a late-inning, high-leverage guy for us. I’m looking forward to seeing him throw in person and to seeing what he can do for our organization in 2026.”

Saul is the sixth Canadian on the Goldeyes’ roster, joining Landen Bourassa (Lethbridge, Alta.), James Bradwell (North Vancouver, B.C.), Mason Dobie (Meaford, Ont.), Adam Hall (London, Ont.) and T.J. Schofield-Sam (Mississauga, Ont.).

Winnipeg now has 25 players under contract for the 2026 season. American Association clubs may carry up to 33 players during spring training, which begins May 3.

April 2, 2026

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

Don’t bother trying to remind University of Portland Pilots right-hander William Labonté that he’s a freshman, because he doesn’t care.

And it shows.

The former Okotoks Dawgs Academy pitcher has looked more like a seasoned senior than someone in their first go-around in college baseball.

Labonté (Montreal, Que.) owns a team best 1.98 ERA to go along with a 2-0 record in seven appearances, six of which have been starts.

In his most recent start, he allowed one run on seven hits over six innings in 6-1 victory over Saint Mary’s to help his team win the three-game series. For his effort, he was named the West Coast Conference Co-Freshman of the Week.

Days later, he was named a Midseason Freshman All-American by Perfect Game.

It all followed a National Pitcher of the Year Watchlist nod from the College Baseball Foundation he received back on March 11.

So, how has he done it?

“I think what’s been the key to my success is the mental side of the game,” Labonté said.

“Obviously there’s a physical aspect, but I think the real key is in between the ears.”

He’s also focused on a pitch-by-pitch approach, forgetting whatever just happened whether it was good, bad or ugly.

Oh, and that whole freshman, sophomore, junior, senior stuff? He doesn’t worry about it.

“I think the other piece is to not worry about age or experience,” Labonté said.

“Everybody is competitive at this level, and we’re all here because we’re good. It doesn’t matter how old you are, and if it’s your first or 150th game. I think that mentality helps me being fearless on the mound.”

With a four-pitch mix that includes a 90-92 mile per hour fastball, cutter, slider and changeup, and the ability to throw any pitch in any count, it all comes down to execution. His focus going forward is making better pitches later in counts to avoid giving up hits in pitcher’s counts.

Just because he doesn’t think about age or class doesn’t mean there hasn’t been adjustments from high school to college. Time management being the biggest.

Fortunately, discipline was a main takeaway from his time in the Dawgs organization. That, and the importance of being a good teammate.

“It’s the key to having a good work ethic, and what allows me to stack good days,” Labonté said of his discipline.

“They also provided me with a bunch of brothers that I’m still very close with, which I’m extremely grateful for.”

With the pressure building as the season goes along and more eyes on his performances, don’t expect him to back down.

“When it comes to expectations, I’m really hard on myself,” Labonté said of his mindset upon arriving on campus.

“I wanted to excel in every facet of the game, as well as the classroom.”

April 2, 2026

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

It shouldn’t have been any surprise to see the sole Canadian on Rawlings/Perfect Game Senior Preseason All America team.

And it wasn’t.

That honour went to Langley Blaze LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) who is expected to be the top Canuck selected come this July’s draft. The Vanderbilt commit rated No. 1 Canadian on any prospect list you check out -- whether it be Baseball America, MLB Pipeline or Perfect Game.

The Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. and Perfect Game All-American and All-Region Teams annually recognize the top senior high school baseball athletes in the USA, Canada and Puerto Rico. Rawlings-Perfect Game Preseason All-American honorees are the top 150 players from the All-Region pool.

More than 450,000 players compete in high school ball. Mike Thompson, chief marketing officer for St. Louis-based Rawlings said in a statement: “Rawlings and Perfect Game are synonymous with the game and the preseason awards allow us to recognize and reward these elite athletes for their hard work and contribution to the game.”

The Rawlings-PG Preseason All-Region selections comprise players from nine regions around the country. Each recipient is named on one of three, 50-man roster national teams.

Established in 1887, Rawlings is an innovative leading global brand and manufacturer of premium baseball and softball equipment, including gloves, balls and protective head wear. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings.

Rawlings is the official base, baseball, helmet, face guard and glove of Major League Baseball, the official baseball of Minor League Baseball and the official baseball and softball of the NCAA and the NAIA. The company is headquartered in St. Louis. For more information, please visit Rawlings.com.

Duncan and another 50 were selected to the Canada/Puerto Rico regional Senior All-Star First Team. The Great Lake Canadians and the Ontario Blue Jays led the way with six named to the First Team All-Region Canadian team.

Great Lake Canadians players named to the First Team are OF Rohan Arnold (Chatham, Ont.), OF Tyson Borghese (Guelph, Ont.), who is faster than his father and is headed to Frontier Community College, OF Ryan Lehouillier (Belmont, Ont.), 3B Jamie Moore (Komoka, Ont.) who has a scholarship to Evansville University, RHP Jack Potts (London, Ont.) who has committed to St. John’s and RHP Nathan Wall (Leamington, Ont.).

The six Ontario Blue Jays include: 3B Zach Barker (Bolton, Ont,) who has a scholarship to North Dakota State, RHP Logan Cummins (Mississauga, Ont.) bound for Kansas State, RHP Charlie Firth (Ottawa, Ont.) Bryant bound, LHP Logan Forgie (Ottawa, Ont.) set for Dayton, C Gabe Larocque (Azilda, Ont.) headed to San Francisco and RHP Julian Sabourin (Ancaster, Ont.) off to Oregon State.

* * *

First Team Senior Preseason All America for all of North America

Name Position Hometown HS Summer Commitment Drafted

LHP Sean Duncan Port Coquitlam, BC Terry Fox Secondary School Langley Blaze Vanderbilt

* * *

Great Lake Canadians OF Rohan Arnold (Chatham, Ont.) made the Canadian/Puerto Rico Rawlings/PG All-Region Team.

Canada/Puerto Rico Senior All-star Senior First Team

Name Position Hometown HS Summer Commitment Drafted

Rohan Arnold OF Chatham, Ont. Ursuline College Great Lake Canadians

Aidan Asher C Toronto, Ont. St. Michael’s College Mississauga Tigers

Zach Barker 3B Bolton, Ont, Humberview Secondary Ontario Blue Jays North Dakota State

Charles Bernatchez RHP Québec, Que. Northern Pre-University ABC Iowa Western CC

Maxime Blain OF Repentigny, Que, Félix LeClerc ABC Wabash Valley College

Austin Blair RHP Victoria, BC St Andrews Regional Victoria Eagles

Tyson Borghese OF Guelph, Ont. Bishop Macdonell Great Lakes Canadians Frontier CC

Gavin Cambpell RHP Belle River, Ont, St Anne Catholic Windsor Selects

Logan Cummins RHP Mississauga, Ont. St. Joan of Arc Catholic Ontario blue Jays Kansas State

Cole Dorland RHP Langley, BC Walnut Grove Secondary Langley Blaze

Zach Duke RHP Burlington, Ont. Notre Dame Ontario Royals University of Connecticut

Sean Duncan LHP Port Coquitlam, BC Terry Fox Secondary School Langley Blaze Vanderbilt

Caine Fahrni SS Vancouver, BC Killarney Secondary NorthShore Twins Bossier Parish CC

Charlie Firth RHP Ottawa, Ont. St. Martin’s Ontario Blue Jays Bryant

Logan Forgie LHP Ottawa, Ont. Lawrence Academy Ontario Blue Jays Dayton

Nicholas Halcovitch RHP Waterdown, Ont. Waterdown Toronto Mets Evansville

Aidan Hartholt RHP Stittsville, Ont. Sacred Heart Canada Reds

Christian Iriotakis OF Toronto, Ont. St. Michaels College Toronto Mets Missouri State

Oscar Johnson RHP Puslinch, Ont. Dipping Springs Ontario Nationals San Jacinto CC

Hudson Kiss 3B Toronto, Ont. La Salle College Team Ontario Astros

Easton Kitura OF Spruce Grove, ALta. Vauxhall Academy Miami

Matthew Kolodziej SS Oakville, Ont. White Oaks Fieldhouse Pirates North Dakota State

Colton Lafleur SS Welland, Ont, Notre Dame Bulletproof Prospects

Luke Laird SS Langley, BC Brookswood Secondary School Langley Blaze

Zachary Landreville RHP Saint-Jérôme, Que. Northern Pre-University ABC

Gabe Larocque C Azilda, Ont. St. Charles College Ontario Blue Jays/Prime USA America San Francisco

Elliot Lascelles SS Toronto, Ont. Upper Canada College Toronto Mets Yale

Ryan Lehouillier OF Belmont, Ont. Lord Dorchester Great Lake Canadians

Zach MacDonald 3B Lacombe, Alta. Ecole Lacombe Composite Webber Academy Michigan

Lukas McDowell RHP Kingston, Ont. Northern Pre-University Canada Reds North Florida

Barrie Baycats RHP Ty McGuirk (Collingwood, Ont.) has signed to attend Bossier Parish

Ty McGuirk RHP Collingwood, Ont. Barrie Baycats/Canadian Bulldogs Bossier Parish CC

Mathis McKenna LHP Rigaud, Que. Northern Pre-University ABC Stetson

Matteo Mendes OF Mississauga, Ont., St. Joan of Arc Catholic Mississauga Tigers Illinois-Chicago

Cohen Miller SS Calgary, Alta, National Sport Webber Wildcats Kansas State

Jamie Moore 3B Komoka, Ont. St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Great Lake Canadians Evansville

Nathan Murphy OF Markham, Ont. Bill Crothers Toronto Mets

Matthew Neufeld RHP Kingsville, Ont. Windsor Selects Indiana State

Robert Omidi SS Mississauga, Ont. Fieldhouse Pirates Kentucky

Ben Paul OF Gloucester, Ont. St. Francis Xavier Ottawa-Nepean Canadians Midland College

Jack Perry LHP Mississauga, Ont. Streetsville SS Terriers Michigan

Jack Potts RHP London, Ont. Great Lake Canadians St. John’s

Noah Powell RHP Toronto, Ont. York Toronto Mets Missouri State

Aj Rogers RHP Dartmouth, NS Okotoks Dawgs Academy University of Houston

Julian Sabourin RHP Ancaster, Ont., Bishop Tonnos Catholic Ontario Blue Jays Oregon State

Adam Shelton OF Dorval, Que. Canada Reds Coastal Bend

Kenyon Sikkema OF Hamilton, Ont. Blyth Academy Fieldhouse Pirates LSU-Eunice

Matteo Stevenson RHP Ottawa, Ont. Ottawa Nepean Canadians

Alexander Tassopoulos SS Stouffville, Ont. Bill Crothers Team Ontario Indiana State

Desmond Tregaskis RHP Delta, BC South Delta Secondary Delta Blue Jays Sacramento State

Christopher Troyer LHP Mount Forest, Ont. Centre Wellington Team Ontario Astros Union University

Nathan Wall RHP Leamington, Ont. Leamington District Secondary Great Lake Canadians

Evan York C Waterloo, Ont. St. Joseph’s Fieldhouse Pirates Saint Joseph’s University

* * *

Canada/Puerto Rico Region Honourable Mention

Name Position Hometown HS Summer Commitment Drafted

Jordin Allen RHP Carlisle, Ont. Waterdown Ontario Royals

Adrian Alvarez C Woodbridge, Ont. Bill Cronthers Secondary

Gael Arias RHP Brossard, Que. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College

Jasper Bakker RHP Port Perry, Ont. Brooklin Toronto Mets Jefferson CC

Tayven Barned 2B St Thomas, Ont. Great Lake Canadians

Drédian Beaudin RHP Sainte-Julie, Que. Louis Riel Secondary Canada Reds

Massimo Benedetto RHP Concord, Ont. Thornhill Secondary School Team Ontario Astros

Elliot Bergeron RHP Saint-Janvier-De-Joly, Que. Cannonniers de Québec

Carter Bestebroer OF Chilliwack, BC Unity Christian Langley Blaze

Chika Boghean OF Calgary, Alt. National Sports School Calgary Bucks

Patriotes Rive-Sud RHP Olivier Boutin (Boucherville, Que.)

Olivier Boutin RHP Boucherville, Que. IMG Academy/Patriotes Rive-Sud

Nathan Chiasson RHP Toronto, Ont. Senantor O’Connor College Mississauga Tigers Parkland College

James Colella OF Woobridge, Ont. Ontario Royals Seattle University

Aiden De Leon SS Milton, Ont. Jean Vanier Catholic Fieldhouse Pirates

Maxime Décarie C Sainte-Julie, Que. Ecole Secondaire De Mortagne ABC

London Dingwell C Victoria, BC Lambrick Park Academy Langley Blaze Cloud County CC

Roen Douglas OF Petrolia, Ont. Lambton. Medium Great Lake Canadians

Jordan Doy-Yat LHP Gatineau, Que. Canada Reds Coastal Bend

Thomas Duarte RHP Laval, Que. St Gabriel Canada Reds

Ben Ellis SS Brantford, Ont. St. John’s College Ontario Nationals Ithaca College

Liam Fagan RHP Newmarket, Ont. Sir William Mulock Team Ontario Astros Barton County College

Jackson Feggi RHP Oro Medonte, Ont. Eastview SS Pratt College

Dominic Fiorenza C Bolton, Ont. St. Michael Catholic SS Ontario Astros

Victor Flanagan C Boucherville, Que. Ecole Secondaire Patriotes Rive-Sud

Evan Fornelli C Toronto, Ont. Northern SS Ontario Blue Jays

Alexis Gagnon RHP Otterburn-Park, Que. École Secondaire Fadette Canada Reds

Ashton Gaulton SS Mooretown, Ont. St. Patrick’s Catholic Great Lake Canadians

Aimerick Gauthier RHP Trois-Rivières, Que. ABC

Noah Glenn 1B Queensville, Ont. Sir William Mulock Toronto Mets

Xander Guedes RHP North Vancouver, BC Seycove Secondary North Shore Twins Portland

Aydan Hill SS Mississauga, Ont. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Ontario Royals

Maxwell Hillier RHP Toronto, Ont. Birchmount Collegiate Ontario Blue Jays

Brandon Hoo C Mississauga, Ont. St. Martin’s Terriers

Deacon Jones LHP Chesterville, Ont. St. Thomas Aquinas Canada Reds

Zac Karanopoulos RHP Bradford, Ont. St. Brother André Catholic Terriers

Aiden Kilshaw C Swift Current, Sask. Swift Current ‘57s Blinn College

Trentin Kooy OF Saskatoon, Sask. Marion Graham Collegiate Going Yard Goats

Adrian Krupka SS Toronto, Ont. Silverthorn Team Ontario Astros.

Louis-Charles Larouche OF St-Jean-Richelieu, Que. Okotoks Dawgs Academy San Jose State

Oscar Leah OF Maple Ridge, BC . Langley Secondary Langley Blaze

Team Ontario Astros RHP Mathias Lipka (Mississauga, Ont.)

Matthias Lipka RHP Mississauga, Ont. St. Martin’s Team Ontario Astros

Jérôme Lucas LHP Pointes-Aux-Trembles, Que. Ecole Edouard-Montpetit ABC

Joshua Machado OF Whitby, Ont. Sinclair Secondary Toronto Mets

Andrew Maltar RHP Halton Hills, Ont. Christ the King Catholic Ontario Royals

Alex Manuel RHP Abbotsford, BC Yake HS Abbotsford Cardinals

Cedrik Marchand RHP Trois-Rivières, Que. Estacades ABC

Thomas Marshall LHP Mississauga, Ont. Loyola Catholic Ontario Blue Jays Northeast CC

Dj Mazzaferro SS Uxbridge, Ont. Uxbridge Secondary Team Ontario

Henry Miller OF Burlington, Ont. Nelson Ontario Royals

Aaron Monterroza LHP Brantford, Ont. St Johns College,Great Lake Canadians

Adam Nasrallah LHP Quebec, Que, Northern Pre-University ABC Hutchinson CC

Dylan Nerlich C Toronto, Ont. St. Michaels College Terriers UBC

Jayden Pavao RHP Ancaster, Ont. Bishop Tonnos Catholic Hamilton Cardinals

Kristopher Pedrosa SS Toronto, Ont. Bishop Allen Academy Ontario Astros Clarke University

Joseph Pereira RHP Toronto, Ont. . St. Joseph’s Catholic Etobicoke Rangers

Matthew Perez Scott 3B Maple, Ont. St Joan of Arc Team Ontario Astros

Nolan Power-Neill 3B London, Ont. St Thomas Aquinas Great Lake Canadians

Gus Reid RHP Peterborough, Ont. Adam Scott CVI Toronto Mets

Nathan Roy OF Saint-Frédéric,, Que. Ontario Louis Riel Canada Reds

Elias Rubio-Reyes SS Toronto, Ont. St. Michael’s College Terriers

Emilio Saavedra 1B Gatineau, Que. Northern Pre-University Canada Reds Ottawa University

Simon Santos RHP Mississauga, Ont. St Martin’s Fieldhouse Pirates Odessa College

Wesley Saunders OF Ajax, Ont. Ecole Secondaire Saint Charles Garnier. Toronto Mets Southern Maine CC

Corson Scobie C Renfrew, Ont. St. Joseph’s Catholic Canada Reds

Nicholas Segaric RHP Mississauga, Ont. St. Martin Secondary Fieldhouse Pirates

Noah Simpson RHP Langley, BC Vauxhall HS Vauxhall Jets Cloud County CC

Tobias Skopelianos 2B Peterborough, Ont. Holy Cross Ontario Blue Jays Dodge City CC

Joshua Skuce SS Toronto, Ont. Michael Power-St. Joseph Terriers Monroe CC

Chad So RHP Maple Ridge, BC Maple Ridge HS Langley Blaze

Nicholas Szabo RHP Whitby, Ont. Sinclair Secondary Toronto Mets

Kyle Tamaki C Barrie, Ont. Wilfrid Laurier School Team Ontario

Matthew Tran RHP Regina, Sask. Campbell Collegiate Okotoks Dawgs Academy Portland

Dylan Tremblay OF Chatham, Ont. Chatham Kent Secondary Windsor Selects

Steven Trkulja 1B Toronto, Ont. Bishop Allen Terriers Bellarmine University

Cameron Tully 1B Mississauga, Ont. St. Martin SS Ontario Blue Jays Dodge City CC

Colin Walker C Brantford, Ont. Brantford Collegiate Great Lake Canadians

Alex Wallace OF Oakville, Ont. Garth Webb Secondary Fieldhouse Pirates

William Watson OF Ottawa, Ont. Nepean HS Canada Reds

Nolan Weinmeyer SS Sidney, BC Langley Secondary Langley Blaze Central Arizona CC

Jared Wellman OF Waterloo, Ont. Bluevale Collegiate Great Lake Canadians

Dylan Zaretsky C King City, Ont. King City Secondary Ontario Astros

April 2, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Former Team Saskatchewan player and Regina Red Sox coach Scott Douglas has died at the age of 57.

Greg Brons, Baseball Saskatchewan’s high performance director, shared the news of Douglas’s passing on the Team Saskatchewan Baseball Facebook page on Wednesday.

“Sad news in baseball circles as we mourn the loss of Scott Douglas,” wrote Brons. “Scott Douglas was a member of Team Saskatchewan that won a silver medal at [the] Canada Games [in] 1989. He played with the Moose Jaw Millers in the SMBL and then professionally in the Prairie Baseball League [with the] Regina Cyclones . . . Our prayers and condolences to family and close friends during this time.”

Douglas (Moose Jaw, Sask.) also coached at Trinidad State Junior College for a dozen seasons and at Colorado Christian University for one campaign.

His resume also included stops as an assistant coach at Hardin-Simmons University, Northern Iowa and Northern Colorado.

Douglas returned to Saskatchewan in the summer to lead the Regina Red Sox in 2006 and 2007 and again in 2014 and 2015.

“The Regina Red Sox are saddened to learn of the passing of former coach Scotty Douglas . . . Our condolences go out to his family, and those closest,” the team said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Moose Jaw Miller Express also added their condolences.

“Scott was a proud member of the Moose Jaw baseball community and a familiar face at local diamonds for many years,” the Express said in a statement. “Growing up in Moose Jaw, he suited up for the Moose Jaw Astros (now Miller Express) in the early 1990s and later played with the Diamond Dogs (professional team in Moose Jaw 1995 to 1997), leaving a lasting impact on those who had the opportunity to play alongside him and watch him compete.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Scott’s family, friends, and all who knew him during this difficult time.”

Douglas is survived by his wife Keri and two sons, Kade and Seth.

*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on April 1. You can read it here.

April 2, 2026

By Joe McFarland

Alberta Dugout Stories

The hosts of “Blue’s Clues” had their Handy Dandy Notebook.

Over the last couple of baseball seasons, Logan Rumberg has adopted a similar idea with his pitching journal.

After each outing, good or bad, he will write two positive things, two negative things, and two things he wants to work on before his next scheduled outing.

It’s his way of being accountable and charting his progress in certain aspects of his game, whether it be with the Okotoks Dawgs or at George Mason University.

Even after he threw six innings of a combined no-hitter earlier this spring, the righthander was back jotting down a few observations.

“Even on your worst outings, there’s still some positives you can take away and even on your best outings, there are a couple of things that were negative,” Rumberg told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Listen to Alberta Dugout Stories interview Logan Rumberg here.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

“I feel like everyone wants to focus on the positive stuff because it’s easy and makes you feel good, but the negative stuff or the stuff you can get better with is what’s going to make you the best ball player and best person you can be.”

The senior is off to a great start in his final college season as he hopes to help the Patriots claim a championship.

THE BASEBALL LIFER

To say Rumberg has been immersed in baseball from a young age would feel like an understatement.

While his family moved a few times in Alberta and Saskatchewan, the sport always seemed to be around, whether it be on the TV with Blue Jays games or in-person as his dad, Brian, played.

The younger Rumberg says he was always at practices shagging flyballs or at games as the batboy.

While he played other sports like hockey, baseball always seemed like the natural choice so he decided to focus solely on it as he became a teenager.

“I was always one of the better kids on the team and always was looking for the next challenge,” Rumberg said.

“I feel like baseball is a challenge every day and you’re always trying to get better.”

He started obsessing about it, creating pitchers in “MLB: The Show” to reflect himself and to dream bigger.

To make his real game better, he started going to Dawgs Academy in Okotoks, where he started learning from former MLB hurler Lou Pote and long-time pitching coach Jeff Duda.

TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

Rumberg showed early on that he would be an impact arm at the collegiate level in his first summer with the hometown Dawgs of the Western Canadian Baseball League.

Fresh off graduating high school, the righthander registered a 1-0 record in nine relief appearances, posting a miniscule earned run average of 0.90 while striking out 15 batters in just 10 innings.

He then took his talents south for his freshman season at George Mason, impressing a lot of people by going 4-2 with a 4.13 ERA in 16 appearances, including five starts.

Rumberg then returned to Okotoks, where he was a big part of the Dawgs’ rotation that won a second-straight WCBL title, as he recorded a 1-1 record with a 4.42 ERA in seven appearances during the regular season, then picked up the win in his lone postseason start – a 4-2 win over Fort McMurray where he went six innings allowing just two runs while striking out three.

Things seemed to be rolling well, until Rumberg returned to George Mason for the 2024 season, as he went 1-5 with a 10.65 ERA in 22 appearances.

“I got rocked,” he said. “It was super-humbling and it felt like, for the first time in baseball career, that I truly just failed day in and day out.”

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound twirler says instead of pouting about his performance or thinking he wasn’t good enough, he decided to keep showing up trying to get better.

BACK ON TRACK

After taking the summer off to really hone in on a few things, Rumberg returned to George Mason for the 2025 season ready to contribute again.

He was much improved, posting a 5-3 record with a 4.87 ERA in 18 appearances (including seven starts) and striking out 56 batters in just over 44 innings of work.

“It’s kind of like I flipped a switch almost, where everything started to connect and work out,” Rumberg said. “Just being able to be at the bottom of the bottom and then figuring it out, it was good for me to be okay with failure and learning from it.”

He switched things up during the offseason, heading to the Victoria Harbourcats of the West Coast League, going 2-3 with a 3.64 ERA in seven starts.

Then it was time to get ready for his senior season of college baseball.

Rumberg’s first start didn’t go exactly as planned, allowing six runs in under four innings of work in a loss to Oregon, before getting back on track with a scoreless six-inning performance against Ball State a week later.

That set the stage for the combined no-hitter against Lehigh, which he wasn’t even aware of what was on the line as he left the game after the sixth.

“I’m going to be honest – it probably wasn’t my best start,” Rumberg said. “I was walking guys, so there was still traffic on the bases, so I honestly didn’t notice until I think I got taken out.”

He looked up at the scoreboard, then started cheering on reliever Brant Ertle and his teammates, who finished the job.

It was the school’s third-ever no-hitter, and Rumberg’s second, as he says he threw one when he was a 12-year-old back home.

JOTTING IT DOWN

Being his final season of college baseball, Rumberg is determined to be a consistent presence on the mound for the Patriots.

He would like to post a 10-win season, which he believes would put the team in a good spot for a playoff push.

The 22-year-old would also like to hit the 100-strikeout plateau, a lofty total but one that he thinks he can achieve by continuing to do the little things right.

Part of that comes back to writing down observations and thoughts in his journal, then referencing it every day to get himself into the right mindset before he hits the mound.

“It’s like preparing for a test,” Rumberg said.

“I feel like every weekend is a test, so if you study from Monday to Thursday, you feel prepared for the game and don’t have any self-doubt or anything like that.”

Even though it’s something he only started about a year ago, it’s something that’s turned out to be quite handy as he continues chasing his professional baseball dreams.

March 30, 2026

Official Barrie Baycats News Release

Barrie, Ont. – The Barrie Baycats are pleased to announce the appointment of Todd Tuckey as chief executive officer of the organization.

Tuckey, who is also one of the owners of the Barrie Baycats, brings a deep passion for the game, strong leadership, and a long-standing commitment to the Barrie community. A highly community-focused individual, he currently serves as president of the Rotary Club of Barrie, where he plays an active role in supporting charitable and community initiatives across the region.

His appointment comes at a pivotal and exciting time for the organization. As the Baycats continue to build on their legacy as one of the most successful franchises in the league, they are also entering a new era as part of the newly rebranded Canadian Baseball League (CBL) — a fully professional league that marks a significant step forward for the sport in Canada.

Tuckey is looking forward to working closely with president and head coach Josh Matlow, along with the players, staff, and supporters who make the Baycats such an important part of the Barrie sports community.

“I’m incredibly honoured to take on this role,” said Tuckey. “The Barrie Baycats have a proud history and an incredible fan base. With the evolution of the league and the exciting opportunities ahead, I’m looking forward to working alongside Josh and the entire organization to continue growing the game, strengthening our community connections, and delivering an exceptional experience for our fans.”

Looking ahead, the organization is particularly energized by plans for a new stadium for the Barrie Baycats, which will elevate the fan experience and support the continued growth of baseball in the region. Planning for the project is currently underway, marking an important milestone for both the team and the broader baseball community.

With Tuckey’s leadership and the continued dedication of the Baycats organization, the future is bright as the team steps confidently into its next chapter — both on and off the field.

March 31, 2026

Official Bellevue University Athletics News Release

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bellevue University senior first baseman Carter Claerhout (Red Deer, Alta.) has been named the NAIA National Baseball Player of the Week, the national office announced on Tuesday.

This marks the second time this season that a Bellevue Bruin has secured the national weekly honour, as Ayden Makarus (Okotoks, Alta.) previously earned the award on March 3.

Claerhout anchored a dominant Bruin offence that helped the squad, ranked No. 4 in the latest NAIA top 25 poll, to a perfect 5-0 week. Bellevue outscored its opponents, 74-20, over the five games last week. The stretch included a four-game Frontier Conference sweep over Valley City State, extending the Bruins' active winning streak to 15 games.

At the plate, Claerhout was virtually uncontainable. He batted a blistering .700 over the five contests, amassing a 1.550 slugging percentage and a 2.277 OPS. He reached base at a .727 clip, drove in 10 runs, and launched five home runs. Impressively, the senior produced multi-hit performances and homered in every single game of the week.

For the season, Claerhout paces the Bellevue lineup in nearly every major offensive category. He leads the team in batting average (.449), OPS (1.375), slugging percentage (.864), hits (53), doubles (8), home runs (13), total bases (102), and runs scored (40). Furthermore, his .511 on-base percentage is second-best on the roster, while his 34 RBIs and seven stolen bases each rank third.

March 31, 2026

Official Guelph Royals News Release

GUELPH, ONT. - The Guelph Royals have signed infielder Kyle Kush for the 2026 season.

Kush (Guelph, Ont.), 27, and the brother of Royals ace Jacob Kush, played with the Royals from 2019-2023 before playing the last two seasons in Austria.

In his first stint with the Royals, the Canisius alum batted a lifetime .255, highlighted by a breakout campaign in 2023, when he batted .367 with two home runs.

Royals assistant general manager Ryan Eakin said he is happy to have Kush back in the fold.

"Kyle was a big part of our team in 2023, being one of the best stories of that season for us. We are so excited to have him back. He's a great locker room guy, adds to our infield depth, and will give us quality at-bats."

March 31, 2026

By Trevor Fitzpatrick

Canadian Baseball Network

As the Road to Okotoks draws closer and closer in the windshield, the Terriers have shifted gears in their preparation.

Under their director of player development Ben Abram (Georgetown, Ont.), the CPBL squad will play as one of the regional host teams for Ontario come May 28-31.

A total of 30 teams are entered to date across Canada in regional qualifiers set for B.C., Alberta and Ontario that will run from May 28-31. Ten teams are entered in the Ontario qualifier — the Ontario Blue Jays, Ontario Nationals, Mississauga Tigers, Ontario Giants, Etobicoke Rangers, North Toronto A’s, Cage Cobras, Frontier Atlantic Academy, Diamond Baseball and the Terriers.

“Everything’s been going the way that we were hoping for it to go right now,” said former Canadian National Team pitcher Abram, “I’ve tried to build the tournament up as much as possible, but when this gets going, it’s not going to feel like just another tournament.

“I think a few of them are going to be a little shell-shocked but that’s okay, let’s throw them into the fire and see what happens.”

Headlining the Terriers charge is University of Michigan commit Jack Perry (Mississauga, Ont.). The southpaw pitcher will be who the Terriers turn to in big spots, according to Abram, and it’s easy to see why with his heater that’s nearly touching 90 mph.

I am proud and excited to announce my commitment to further my academic and athletic career at the University of Michigan!

Thank you to my family, friends, coaches, and teammates for everything you’ve done to help me get to where I am today!#goblue〽️ pic.twitter.com/dqISz5TaJF

— Jack Perry (@JackPerry07) October 5, 2025

Two other names that Abram pointed out were Brett Crowley (Peterborough, Ont.) and Fairmont State University commit Baeden Agnew (Hamilton, Ont.).

“Agnew is a two-way guy we picked up in the fall and he’s been outstanding. His velocity has jumped, he’s got four pitches, and he’s playing some outfield,” explained Abram. “Then there’s Crowley. In terms of a competitor and work ethic, we don’t have anybody else like that.”

2027 LHP Brett Crowley
5-10/190Ibs@TerrierTeams

FB 82-83
SL 73-75
CH 74-75

Uncommitted#TBJFutures pic.twitter.com/Z7NpjY1T05

— Blue Jays Baseball Academy (@BlueJaysAcademy) September 18, 2025

So what was their coach’s advice for the upcoming opportunity?

The former University of Oklahoma hurler and current Welland Jackfish member has told them to keep things simple.

“Just slow down, take it pitch by pitch, and take a moment to look around and appreciate it,” he said, “If you’re in the moment, you can enjoy it and execute what you’re trying to do, so be where your feet are.”

“Our players will need to be prepared to sacrifice their at-bat, get a bunt down, and move a runner if needed. This is going to be an opportunity to learn how to play baseball at the highest level the right way.”

The scale of the event should serve to attract even more eyes to Canadian talent – a more competitive and club-focused alternative to the Canadian Futures Showcase.

As Canadian baseball continues to flourish on the international stage with the recent successes of the WBC and the Toronto Blue Jays, the ultimate goal appears to be to continue to ride the momentum.

As Abram puts it, “If we start to build this, this could be the biggest event of the year. This is all for the greater good of Canadian baseball at the end of the day.

“The hope is that when those same guys are done playing one day, they come back and decide to coach. If all those guys buy in, that’s when we’re really going to see an improvement in Canadian baseball.”

*This article was originally published on the WCBL website on March 30, 2026. You can read it here.

March 31, 2026

By Ian Wilson

Western Canadian Baseball League

We've seen dugout departures, coaching promotions and managerial musical chairs.

Such is the coaching carousel in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL).

While several teams have largely left their dugout designations intact, others have made major changes during the offseason.

Here's a closer look at the coaching staffs across the WCBL:

WEST DIVISION

Sylvan Lake Gulls

The biggest shakeup in the West Division took place in central Alberta, where Jason Chatwood has moved on from his role as head coach of the Sylvan Lake Gulls. Coach "Chatty" was named the franchise's first head coach in March of 2020 and guided the club through their inaugural 2021 season during a COVID-19 shortened campaign. He has been at the helm since that time and added the responsibility of general manager to his workload in 2022. During the regular season, Chatwood compiled a record of 179 victories and 85 losses over five years. In the postseason, he had a 12-10 record that included a run to the league championship final in 2025. The Innisfail product was named the WCBL Coach of the Year in 2024 when he led the Gulls to a 44-12 record.

"Jason is the main reason that the Gulls have been competitive right from that first season," said Aqil Samuel, the president and chief operating officer of the Gulls in a press release.

"We appreciate everything he has done in the early years of our franchise, not only winning baseball games on the field, but helping build our culture, representing us in our community, and developing the young men that come through Sylvan Lake the last five years."

While Chatwood will remain with the team as the general manager of baseball operations, the man he recommended as his successor, Matt Hape, will enter the 2026 season as the head coach. The Bozeman, Montana native has served as the pitching coach for the Gulls over the last four years.

"We have witnessed Matt grow as a coach in his time in Sylvan Lake and feel he is ready for the next step in our organization. His dedication to winning, recruiting, developing players, and being part of this community make him a perfect fit as the second ever head coach of the Gulls," said Samuel.

Wyatt McKnight will also return for a fifth season as an assistant coach with the Gulls.

"We have witnessed Wyatt's dedication to player development, his tactical knowledge of the game, and his positive impact on the team environment. His commitment to excellence and familiarity with our organization make him a valuable asset," said Samuel.

The Gulls fill out their coaching staff by adding Andrew Parks, a coach from Arizona Western College who has also worked with the Minnesota Twins as a hitting coordinator.

Fort McMurray Giants

The Giants have also made some major moves over the offseason.

Ray Brown guided the team as head coach for a third summer in 2025. The former skipper with the Edmonton Prospects, who led the Giants to their first playoff appearance in 2022, narrowly missed the postseason last summer. Fort McMurray went 20-35 during the 2025 season, finishing just behind the fourth-seeded Brooks Bombers, who claimed the final playoff spot in the West Division.

Taking over from Brown in 2026 is Dylan Cooper, who was a member of Fort McMurray's coaching staff last season. The assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at West Virginia Wesleyan College has been with the Bobcats since 2023 and specializes in working with catchers and infielders. Prior to his time at Wesleyan College, Cooper was an assistant coach at Richland Junior College in 2022 and he spent four years at Arlington Baptist University (ABU) as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. The ABU graduate also brings summer collegiate baseball experience to the Giants. Cooper worked as a head coach in the Metro Summer Collegiate League for four summers, and as an assistant in the Cape Cod League for two years.

"I am excited to begin working with the outstanding group of players we have brought in, along with our excellent coaching staff," said Cooper.

"I am also grateful for the opportunity to coach within the Fort McMurray Giants organization and look forward to the season ahead."

Joining Cooper is new pitching coach Omar Rosado, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico. The former draft pick of the Montreal Expos has worked as a GM, head coach and pitching coach in Double-A baseball in Puerto Rico.

Tanner Hess, who was an All-Star infielder with the Giants in 2019 and an assistant coach in Fort Mac in 2025, is back with the coaching staff this year.

Lethbridge Bulls

While some Alberta clubs are making moves among their coaching ranks, others are standing pat, believing that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Lethbridge Bulls, a team that went 33-22 and finished third in the West Division in 2025, has re-upped its coaching staff for 2006.

Ryan MacDonald is back for his third straight season as the head coach of the Bulls, after serving as an assistant coach with the team for three consecutive summers before that. The Nova Scotia native played five seasons with Lethbridge and coached with the Bulls during their championship seasons in 2015 and 2021.

"We're pretty excited with the guys we have coming in this year. We kind of filled some spots that we felt were lacking last year, so we're pretty excited about the group we have coming in," said MacDonald during an interview on The Bullhorn.

"Last year we felt we were kind of down in the stolen base department, so we tried to add some speed."

Also back with the Bulls is pitching coach Josh Burgmann, a Vauxhall Academy of Baseball grad who was a fifth-round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in the 2019 MLB Draft. He has been a part of the coaching staff in Lethbridge since 2023.

Myles Fletcher, a member of the Lethbridge Bulls during their inaugural season in 1999, returns as bench coach for a third straight summer.

Carlin Dick is another former Bulls player who is an assistant coach with the club. This is his second season coaching with the team.

Okotoks Dawgs

The Dawgs, who fell short of a title in 2025 following a three-peat of championships, also kept their coaching staff intact.

Mitch "Big Bear" Schmidt is expected back as manager after helping Okotoks finish atop the West Division standings with a 40-16 record in the regular season.

The Dawgs led the division in runs scored, hits, homers, RBI and total bases while posting the best fielding percentage in the WCBL last summer.

Joining Schmidt once again is skipper Lou Pote, who brings major league experience and a World Series ring to the home dugout at Seaman Stadium. The 54-year-old Chicago product pitched in the majors for the Anaheim Angels and professionally for the Edmonton Trappers, Cracker-Cats and Capitals.

David Robb - also known as "DR" - will serve as the hitting and bench coach. Robb is a member of the Okotoks Dawgs Hall of Fame, whose time coaching with the team extends back to when they first joined the league as a Calgary franchise.

Returning as well is pitching coach Joe Sergent, who was a draft pick of the Florida Marlins in 1999. The lefty moundsman took the bump for the indy league Calgary Vipers for three seasons and won a Golden League championship with them in 2009.

Rounding out the staff are infield coach Andy Peterson - an Oregon State University alum who was drafted in the 27th round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners - and athletic therapist Savannah Blakley, who has been with the team since 2012.

Brooks Bombers

The Bombers have qualified for the WCBL postseason the previous two seasons and in two of the last three years.

If they hope to make the playoffs for a third straight summer, it will be with a new head coach guiding them.

Skipper Dylan DeBrouwer led the club to a 22-34 record in 2025, which was good for the final playoff berth.

Justin Gomez will take over from DeBrouwer for the 2026 season, according to a team announcement in December.

"Gomez brings a wealth of baseball knowledge and experience to the Bombers," said the club in a social media post.

"His passion for player development and advancement will serve our players and organization well as we look to build upon a strong 2025 campaign. He brings an offensive mindset, competitive drive, and is focused on bringing a winning culture to the City of Brooks."

Gomez was a 2019 draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds and played professional baseball as a catcher for five seasons.

Energy City Cactus Rats

Jordan Blundell remains the head coach and assistant general manager of the Energy City Cactus Rats.

But he'll have some new faces in the dugout helping him out.

Blundell - who joined the Edmonton Prospects in 2018 and was named the league's coach of the year in 2008 as the skipper of the Sherwood Park Dukes - will no longer have Nick Salahub to lean on. Salahub had been the pitching coach with the team since 2022, but he is not returning this summer.

Filling in for Salahub is Ruddy Estrella, who spent the last two summers coaching with the Swift Current 57's. Estrella has also worked as a coach with the Brooks Bombers and Regina Red Sox.

Also joining the coaching staff of the Cactus Rats is Dion Wintjes, a former catcher with the Edmonton Prospects. Wintjes will work backstops on the team and serve as an offensive coach.

The rebranded Energy City Cactus Rats - who played in previous seasons as the Edmonton Prospects - had a 20-35 record during their first summer in the WCBL.

EAST DIVISION

Moose Jaw Miller Express

Veteran bench boss Eric Marriott accepted a professional coaching position with the Ottawa Titans of the Frontier League, opening up a spot for one of his top lieutenants in 2026.

Over four seasons as the head coach of the Miller Express, Marriott assembled a regular season record of 124 wins and 99 losses, while leading Moose Jaw to two WCBL finals appearances as East Division champs.

"Thank you to everyone in the Millers organization who believed in me as a player, coach, and most importantly as a person. The community of Moose Jaw has helped raise me and will always be my second home. It’s time for me to take the next step in my career," said Marriott in a media release from the team.

"I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and the support I have around me. Moose Jaw, this is not good bye, but simply see you later.”

Taking the baton from Marriott is Michael Gonzalez, who has been a long-time assistant coach and first base coach with the club.

“Becoming the head coach of the Millers has been a dream of mine since I became a part of the organization in 2022. Being able to maintain what Marriott and I built means a lot to me," said Gonzalez.

“Taking the next step in my coaching career, with this community behind me, is very comforting. I know they expect great baseball, and with the roster coming along nicely, I feel we will be in for an exciting summer.”

Joining Gonzalez is Geoff Freeborn, who will serve as the pitching coach in Moose Jaw. The founder of Sidearm Nation has coached with the Edmonton Prospects and the University of Calgary Dinos. Freeborn was an All-Star pitcher with the Calgary Dawgs in 2003.

Saskatoon Berries

The reigning WCBL Coach of the Year will be back in the dugout with the Saskatoon Berries this year.

Joe Carnahan led the Berries to a record of 46-9 in 2025, his second season with the team. That wins total established a new high for regular-season victories in the WCBL, eclipsing the 44 wins the Sylvan Lake Gulls registered in 2024.

"The organization and front office holds a high standard in how we operate on and off the field. They provide our coaching staff and players with resources to be successful, and everything they do is first class. Mix all that in with the support we receive from the fans and the city, it makes Saskatoon a special place for players and coaches," said Carnahan, who was also a winner of top coach in the league honours multiple times when he was the skipper of the Swift Current 57's.

"Very fortunate to have a great coaching staff that not only did a good job with the players day-to-day, but also made it a lot of fun."

Ryan Olchoway, who pitched for the Berries in their inaugural season in 2024, is back as the team's pitching coach. He has also worked with pitchers in the Saskatoon Berries Baseball Academy program.

Olchoway will have the expertise of former MLB pitcher Dustin Molleken at his disposal. The Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Famer, who took the mound with the Detroit Tigers and in Japan with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, has signed on with the Berries as a pitching consultant. Molleken held a similar role with the Miller Express in previous seasons.

Chance Wheatley - who won a WCBL championship as the head coach of the Lethbridge Bulls in 2021 - is returning as an assistant coach in Saskatoon for a third summer.

Regina Red Sox

After delivering the first WCBL championship to the Queen City since 2012, Rye Pothakos has signed on for another season with the Regina Red Sox.

The team made the announcement in December that Pothakos will return as the director of baseball operations and field manager with Regina.

“Rye has been a major part of our organization for more than a decade.,” said Gary Brotzel, the president of baseball operations for the Red Sox.

“His ability to consistently recruit a strong lineup has kept our club in contention year after year. That was never more evident than last season, when he stepped in late to fill key holes in our lineup and ultimately helped bring a championship back to Regina.”

The Red Sox went 29-27 during the 2025 regular season and late summer roster churn made them heavy underdogs in the playoffs. Despite the loss of key players heading into the postseason, Regina upset the Mavericks, Berries and Gulls on their way to a championship title.

“I’m looking forward to another exciting year at Currie Field and working hard to provide our fans and community with another quality, talented team that we can all be very proud of," said Pothakos.

Other personnel moves by the Red Sox include the return of Mitch MacDonald as assistant general manager. It's his 12th season with the club after previously serving as a player, coach and GM in Regina. MacDonald remains the only player in WCBL history to win the Triple Crown after batting .476 with eight home runs and 48 RBI in 2010.

“Having Mitch MacDonald return with his experience is a valuable part of our team and management group,” said Pothakos.

“He brings a deep understanding of the organization and will be a great resource as we continue to build our program.”

Zane Pollon, a product of Wilcox, Saskatchewan who took the bump for the Red Sox in 2022 and 2023, has been signed as the pitching coach.

Rounding out the stable of dugout leaders are assistant coaches Jackson Alaniz and Braydon Cobb, as well as team trainer Todd Stewart.

“They all know this league and understand what it takes to be successful, including the culture and commitment needed day in and day out," stated Pothakos.

Medicine Hat Mavericks

Ryan Reed has received a promotion in Medicine Hat.

The assistant coach with Mid-America Christian University also took on the role of assistant coach with the Mavericks in 2025. Following the playoffs, he was named as the head coach of the Mavs for this upcoming season.

“I’m looking forward to being back up in Med Hat and hopefully bringing back a majority of the guys to have a chance to make a special run,” Reed told Medicine Hat Newsreporter James Tubb.

The Mavericks went 34-21 during the regular season, the team's highest wins total since 2018, before being swept by the Regina Red Sox in the opening round of the postseason.

“Obviously the postseason run was pretty disappointing, we had a very talented group that competed with every team in the league ... we handled a majority of the Western Division, now it’s just taking that next step in the playoffs because that’s two years in a row we’ve been knocked down the first round," said Reed.

"We really just have to emphasize depth on the mound and offensively, just a little more timely hitting in the postseason.”

Andrew Bench has been inked as the pitching coach for the 2026 campaign. The graduate assistant with the Milligan University Buffaloes in Tennessee pitched for two years with the Carson Newman Eagles.

David Dell, who was an outfielder with the Mavericks in 2022, has also joined the coaching staff as an assistant.

“He was a gritty player who will put the work in to help our players enjoy themselves while improving this summer,” said Greg Morrison, the owner and general manager of the Mavs.

Swift Current 57's

When it came time to find a new head coach for the 57's in Swift Current, the team called on Harv Martinez for help.

The legendary skipper from the days when the club played in the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL), the predecessor of the WCBL, was happy to lend a hand.

"Harv was great," said 57's President Jamie LeBlanc in an interview with Swift Current Online.

"He came in and helped with the interview process."

The result was the hiring of Jared Franklin as the new head coach and general manager of the club.

"His extensive experience, leadership, and dedication to developing players on and off the field align perfectly with our vision. Jared's passion for community engagement and his focus on building a championship-calibre culture will help us continue growing as both a team and a cornerstone of the Swift Current community," stated LeBlanc in a news release.

The 57's had the worst record in the WCBL in 2025, going 10-45 under head coach Ruddy Estrella.

Franklin, an assistant coach with the Yorkton Cardinals in the WMBL in 2011, is hoping to turn the page on those last-place results.

"Recruiting successfully is having the contacts ... but then also, when we do get those guys that they have a good experience and they go back to their universities and say, man, that was awesome, send more guys up there. Hopefully with some of my connections, I can get some of those guys right away with that," said Franklin during an October press conference.

Franklin has decades of coaching experience, including a recent tenure as the head coach at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, where he helped launch a new baseball program in 2022. He has been running baseball camps in Saskatchewan for several years, as well.

"My hope is that I'd like to see some consistency with this position," said LeBlanc.

"We were very fortunate for 20-plus years to have Harv and then for 10 or 12 years to have Joe (Carnahan). It feels like every year after that, we've kind of just been, a new guy, a new guy, a new guy. I ultimately hope that this works out and Jared likes it where he works out well for the program, and this is our next long-term coach."

Weyburn Beavers

The Beavers are maintaining a consistent approach in their dugout.

Cam Williams is being welcomed back to Tom Laing Park for his fourth season as head coach in 2026.

Williams - who played for the Beavers as a corner infielder and pitcher from 2015 through 2018 and set a number of offensive team records - posted a 16-40 record with Weyburn in 2025. The team finished in fifth place in the East Division and has not qualified for the postseason since 2019.

Williams is also the head coach at the University of Calgary. He led the Dinos to the program's first ever Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) championship title in 2023.

Joining Williams is Jaxon Henderson, who is taking on the role of pitching coach. The native of Snohomish, Washington appeared in nine games as a right-handed pitcher for the Beavers in 2025.

Meanwhile, John Prette serves as the play-by-play voice of the Beavers during home games and as the bench coach when the team hits the road.

March 31, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Michael Soroka tossed an immaculate inning for the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Detroit Tigers in his regular season debut with the club on Monday.

The 28-year-old right-hander struck out Javier Báez, Kerry Carpenter and Gleyber Torres on nine pitches in the fifth inning to close out his outing.

IMMACULATE INNING FOR MICHAEL SOROKA!

10 strikeouts through 5 innings in his @Dbacks debut! pic.twitter.com/M9hopu3jxN

— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2026

The D-Backs eventually won the game 9-6.

Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) became the first MLB pitcher in 2026 to throw an immaculate inning and just the third Canadian to do so. Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) tossed an immaculate fourth inning for the Miami Marlins against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 18, 2025.

The first Canadian to throw an immaculate inning was Rich Harden (Victoria, B.C.). He did it with the Oakland A’s in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels on June 8, 2008.

There have been just 120 immaculate innings in MLB history.

Soroka also matched a career-high with 10 strikeouts and set a D-Backs’ franchise record for most strikeouts by a pitcher in their debut.

The Canuck righty limited the Tigers to four hits in five scoreless innings to pick up the win. It was the D-Backs’ first victory of the season.

Earlier this month, Soroka made two starts for Canada at the World Baseball Classic, including registering the win in their opening game against Colombia.

Soroka signed a one-year, $7.5-million contract with the Diamondbacks in December.

The Diamondbacks are his fifth major league team.

In 2025 with the Washington Nationals, Soroka posted a 3-8 record and a 4.87 ERA, while striking out 87 batters in 81 1/3 innings. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs on July 31 and made one start with them before suffering a shoulder strain which sidelined him for almost six weeks. Upon his return, the Cubs used him exclusively as a reliever.

In all, Soroka has pitched in parts of seven major league seasons.

March 30, 2026

Official Toronto Maple Leafs News Release

TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed right-handed pitcher and outfielder Kyle Poapst for the upcoming 2026 season.

Poapst (Stettler, Alta.), who joins the Maple Leafs with an extensive track record in both domestic and international play, has most recently appeared alongside fellow Leaf Cooper Tomkinson with the UWA Magpies of the Harcher State League (HSL). He led his squad with 72 ⅓ innings, posting a 3.68 ERA while leading the league in strikeouts with 131 during that stretch.

At the plate, Poapst slashed .360/.440/.553 with four home runs and 23 RBIs in 29 games - leading the Magpies in the latter two categories.

Prior to playing in Australia, Poapst has also appeared with seven other teams - the Brooks Bombers (2017), Lethbridge Bulls (2018-2021), University of Antelope Valley (2021-2022), Edmonton Riverhawks (2022), Park University Gilbert (2022-2023), Neustadt Diving Ducks (2023), and the Calgary Rockies (2025).

Poapst has also spent time coaching within a variety of sports and capacities, at the youth, high school, and adult levels. He is the head coach of the UWA Magpies in addition to being on their active roster, while also spending time with various schools in Western Australia. The 6-foot-6 righty is now the 10 member of the Maple Leafs’ pitching staff.

March 29, 2026

Official Okotoks Dawgs News Release

The Okotoks Dawgs continue to add pitching depth ahead of the 2026 season with the addition of three right-handed arms: Blake Smith (Seattle University), Brody Burnette (Bellevue University), and Joe McBride (Campbellsville University).

Smith brings a strong collegiate pedigree from Seattle University, where he has developed into a reliable option on the mound.

Burnette arrives from Bellevue University with a reputation for attacking hitters and generating weak contact, while McBride adds further depth from Campbellsville University.

With the trio of right-handers joining the roster, the Dawgs continue to emphasize pitching depth as a cornerstone of their 2026 campaign.

March 29, 2026

By Toby Kerr

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds won both games of a doubleheader against the Warner Pacific Knights on Sunday to sweep the four-game series at Tourmaline West Stadium.

The T-Birds pulled away late to win Sunday's opener 11-1 in eight innings, before holding on to an early lead to take a 4-1 victory in the finale.

UBC's pitching was elite all day, with starters Myles Chamberlain (Victoria, B.C.) and Daniel Orfaly (White Rock, B.C.) giving up one run each, and the 'Birds bullpen near perfect in relief. Catcher/DH Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) also had another great day at the dish, swatting a home run and a double, driving in three, and scoring two runs.

"Anytime you come home, you want to make sure you take care of business, and I thought our guys did that," reflected UBC head coach Chris Pritchett. "The pitching today was outstanding. I thought that really carried us, only giving up two runs in two games. You've always got to be happy about that."

Both Warner Pacific starters, Jaxon Hamada and Mason Deverna, were strong in their losses, giving up two earned runs each. Mitchell Thoma-Britt stood out for the Knights, driving in one of WPU's runs and scoring the other, while getting a key outfield assist to keep game two close.

GAME ONE

The Knights wasted no time starting the scoring on Sunday, taking the lead in the top of the first. Haden Mirante led off the game with a swinging bunt single on the seventh pitch of the at bat, stole second, and eventually came around to score on a single by Thoma-Britt.

The T-Birds answered in the bottom of the third, scratching across a pair of unearned runs on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to take a 2-1 lead.

Both starting pitchers kept the bats quiet from there until the bottom of the fifth, when red hot T-Birds catcher Cote came through again, knocking a double into the left field corner to score Matt Vanslyke (Whitby, Ont.) and put the 'Birds ahead 3-1. UBC would add another run on an Oliver Clements (Vancouver, B.C.) single, but the Knights stymied what could have been a bigger inning for the home side by making a nice out at home on an attempted squeeze, keeping their deficit at 4-1.

The 'Birds blew the game open in the seventh. After Clements was balked in from third, Lou Fujiwara launched a three-run line drive homer to left before Cote followed up with a two-run blast. That put UBC up 10-1, which became 11-1 when a Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) double in the eighth invoked the mercy rule and became a walk-off.

Cote was 7-for-9 with two home runs and two walks through three games in the series.

"We thought he'd be a middle of the order bat we could rely on and he's starting to really look like the guy we saw in the fall," said Pritchett, on the senior transfer from the University of Toledo.

"We're happy about that and we need other guys to get going just like him. Sometimes hitting's contagious, so whatever he's doing right now, we're hoping it spreads."

Both starters were solid in the blowout, with WPU's Hamada pitching into the fifth and allowing two earned runs while UBC's Chamberlain put together a quality start in his second win of the year, spinning six innings of one-run ball.

GAME TWO

Game two started out with some odd, sloppy baseball. The T-Birds scored four runs over the first two innings without the benefit of a hit, stringing together walks and hit batters while taking advantage of a key error, wild pitch, and failed fielder's choice.

Staked to a 4-0 lead, UBC starter Orfaly cruised through three innings before the Knights found some success against him in the fourth. After giving up a double to Donny Tober and three walks within the first five batters of the frame, Orfaly wriggled out of a one-out bases loaded jam to limit the damage to one run.

As Warner Pacific starter Deverna settled in, following a difficult start that was largely due to defensive miscues, Mason Chien (Langley, B.C.) entered the game for the T-Birds in the fifth and looked comfortable stymying the Knights through three scoreless innings to earn his second win of the season.

Deverna lasted into the seventh, throwing 124 pitches before being lifted. Hank Kern then came in with the bases loaded and was able to put down the threat, with a little help from left fielder Thoma-Britt. UBC first basemen Stephen Waters (Toronto, Ont.) lifted a fly ball to Thoma-Britt in left, seemingly deep enough to comfortably score his teammate from third. However, Thoma-Britt cleverly threw a laser to third base and the Knights tagged out an advancing UBC runner there before the other T-Bird crossed the plate, keeping the game at 4-1.

Neither team could mount any offence the rest of the way, with Oliver Duthie coming on to retire six straight Knights in just 15 pitches for a two-inning save, his first of the year.

"When you play two games you're out here all day, it's tiring, but you just gotta give 'er," said Pritchett, about a UBC bench that was notably more vocal in picking up its hitters on Sunday compared to the day before.

"I don't know who was responsible for reminding them but they got after it. It was some pretty good energy in here, people having a good time, and that's all we can ask for. Give it everything you got, even if you're not in the game."

The T-Birds now hit the road for undoubtedly the most hotly anticipated series of the Cascade Collegiate Conference season. They take on perennial rival Lewis-Clark State, who sport an identical 18-3 conference record, leaving the two teams tied for first in the CCC and a full seven games ahead of anyone else. The rivals will play a four-game series over three days in Lewiston, starting Friday, April 3 at 6:00 p.m. (P.T.).

"It's always fun, we love playing them," added Pritchett, with a grin.

The Knights return to Portland to host the Oregon Tech Owls in back-to-back doubleheaders next Friday and Saturday. First pitch on Friday is set for 11:00 a.m. (P.T.).

March 29, 2026

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

The games were played at Plainsmen Park in Sterling, Colorado.

Yet from all the familiar faces the four-game series could have been played at Martin Dobkin diamond in Mississauga.

The Dawson Community College Buccaneers of Glendive, Mont. were visiting the Northeastern Community College Plainsmen in JUCO play.

Former Mississauga Southwest Twins and Mississauga Majors INF Jackson Irving (Mississauga, Ont.) and C Elijah Morales (Mississauga, Ont.) were in the Dawson dugout, while RHP Noah Hipolito (Mississauga, Ont.), a former Brampton Royal, was with the host Northeastern team. How the series unfolded ...

_ C Morales doubled in three runs and Irving singled and scored in a 7-5 loss to Northeastern in the opener of the doubleheader.

_ Jackson singled and knocked in a run in an 11-5 loss in the second game of the doubleheader.

_ Irving, the son of former Toronto Maple Leaf 2B Mike Irving, who now lives in Glenwood Springs, Colo., knocked in a run in a 15-4 loss to Northeastern in the opener of the doubleheader the next day.

_ Morales singled in the second game of the double dip, a 12-2 loss. Hipolito took over with two out in the sixth, walked the first hitter he faced, went to a 2-0 count and was removed.

Northeastern is 24-7 and Hipolito is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in four games, striking out one and walking four.

Dawson has a 5-22 record. Irving is hitting .200 with five doubles, a homer -- which would have been out at Dobkin -- 24 RBIs and a .618 OPS in 30 games. Morales, who spent part of this winter as a bullpen coach with the Nicaraguan senior team, owns a .159 mark, with a double, four RBIs and a .530 OPS in 25 games.

March 29, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

Peters collects first MLB hit

Congratulations to Chicago White Sox centre fielder Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) who recorded his first regular season MLB hit on Saturday. It was a double in the top of the fourth inning off Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Chad Patrick.

Peters finished 1-for-2 in the contest that the Brewers won 6-1.

It was the Okotoks Dawgs alum’s first start of the regular season.

Sold to the White Sox by the Tampa Bay Rays on December 18, 2025, Peters excelled with his new club in Cactus League action this spring.

He made his big league debut with the Rays last season and went 0-for-12 in four games with them.

Selected in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, Peters is in his sixth pro season.

Hicks becomes first Canadian MLBer to homer in 2026 regular season

Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) belted a two-run home run in the fifth inning off Colorado Rockies right-hander Michael Lorenzen on Saturday to become the first Canadian major leaguer to hit a regular season home run in 2026.

Hicks, a Toronto Mets alum, added another RBI on a sacrifice fly to lead the Marlins to a 4-3 win.

Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) also had three hits – including his second double of the season – and an RBI for the Marlins.

Romano, Smith pick up Opening Day saves

Right-hander Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) became the first Canadian to register a major league save this season when pitched a scoreless ninth for the Los Angeles Angels in their 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Opening Day on Thursday.

Later that night, Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.) tossed a scoreless ninth to notch a save in the Cleveland Guardians’ 6-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

In that same contest, Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) registered a hold for the Guardians. The Canuck lefty entered the game with two outs in the seventh and retired all four Mariners batters he faced. He struck out three of those batters.

O’Neill’s Opening Day homer streak ends at six

Baltimore Orioles slugger Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) went 1-for-2 with a single, a run and a walk in the O’s 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Opening Day, but he failed to homer. That ended his MLB record streak of homering on six consecutive Opening Days.

Pivetta becomes first Canadian pitcher to start on Opening Day for Padres

Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) became the first Canadian pitcher to make an Opening Day start for the San Diego Padres when he did so against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

It was also the first Opening Day start of his big league career.

Unfortunately, the start didn’t go well. Pivetta surrendered six runs on seven hits in three innings and was saddled with the loss in the Tigers’ 8-2 victory at Petco Park.

The 33-year-old right-hander earned the Opening Day start after his excellent 2025 campaign with the Padres in which he topped all Canadian big league pitchers in wins (13), starts (31), innings pitched (181 2/3), strikeouts (190) and WAR (5.3).

In case you were wondering how many Canadian major league pitchers have started on Opening Day, here’s a list (dating back to 1893), courtesy of the Padres and the Elias Sports Bureau:

Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.), Atlanta Braves, 2020

Erik Bedard (Navan, Ont.), 2007 (with Baltimore Orioles), 2008 (with Mariners), 2012 (with Pittsburgh Pirates)

Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, B.C.), 2001-02 (with Marlins), 2011-12 (with Chicago Cubs)

Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.), 1967-73, 1983 (with Chicago Cubs), 1975, 1979 (with Texas Rangers), 1976-77 (with Boston Red Sox)

Dick Fowler (Toronto, Ont.), Philadelphia A’s, 1949

Oscar Judd (Rebecca, Ont.), Philadelphia Phillies, 1946

Phil Marchildon (Penetanguishene, Ont.), Philadelphia A’s, 1942, 1947-48

Clarence Currie (Windsor, Ont.), St. Louis Cardinals, 1903

Win Kellum (Waterford, Ont.), Boston Americans, 1901

Zastryzny begins season on IL

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, Alta.) has started the season on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder strain he suffered while pitching for Canada at the World Baseball Classic.

Zastryzny made one appearance at the WBC for Canada, pitching a scoreless eighth inning in their 4-3 loss to Panama.

In total in 26 appearances with the Brewers last season, Zastryzny went 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA and struck out 20 in 22 innings.

The 34-year-old southpaw has pitched in parts of seven major league seasons with the Cubs, New York Mets, Angels, Pirates and Brewers. He earned a World Series ring with the Cubs in 2016.

Hazel Mae memoir to be released in fall

Harper Collins has announced that they will publish a memoir by Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae on November 10.

The memoir is called Before I Let You Go: My Life in Broadcasting, Baseball, and Beyond.

“From her early days in the Philippines to her arrival in Canada and her rise through the ranks of sports journalism, Mae offers a candid, behind the scenes look at her life,” reads the Harper Collins promotional blurb about the book. “With warmth and wit, she reflects on breaking into broadcasting, navigating the US sports media scene, returning home to cover the Toronto Blue Jays, and mastering the art of the post game interview—often while dodging celebratory Gatorade showers. Open, honest, and insightful, Mae’s memoir offers a fresh, intimate glimpse into the life of one of Canada’s most recognizable broadcasters.”

In May, Mae will be presented with the Gordon Sinclair Award for Broadcast Journalism by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television as part of their 2026 Canadian Screen Awards. The following month, she will be honoured with the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Jack Graney Award for excellence in broadcasting.

You can pre-order her memoir here.

Blue Jays celebrate their history throughout Rogers Centre for 50th season

If you’re a Canadian baseball history buff like me, you’re in for a treat when you visit Rogers Centre this year.

On Opening Day at the Rogers Centre, fans discovered numerous new displays around the concourse that shine the spotlight on Blue Jays’ history. The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame contributed to many of these.

The Blue Jays have also created giant posters that highlight the best players at each position over the course of their history. Here are some examples:

Happy 50th Birthday to Kevin Nicholson!

Happy 50th Birthday to national team alum, former Padres infielder and Vancouver native Kevin Nicholson!

Selected in the first round (27th overall) by the Padres in 1997, the switch-hitting shortstop suited up for 37 big league games with the club in 2000.

Nicholson also competed for the national team on several occasions, including at the 2004 Olympics, where he almost hit a game-tying three-run home run in the semi-finals against Cuba. Pinch-hitting for Simon Pond (North Vancouver, B.C.) in the top of the ninth, Nicholson belted a ball deep to left field that outfielder Frederich Cepeda tracked at the wall. If Canada had tied it up and beat Cuba, they would’ve faced Australia for gold. Instead, Canada ended up with a fourth-place finish at the event.

Nicholson is now a head coach and director of player development for the Abbotsford Cardinals.

Sad day to be an Expos fan

March 29 is a sad day to be a Montreal Expos fan.

It was 21 years ago today that Andres Galarraga, who played his first seven big league seasons with the Expos, retired.

On this date the following year, Gold Glove centre fielder and longtime Expo Marquis Grissom officially hung up his spikes.

And it was eight years ago today that Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer and the Expos first superstar Rusty Staub passed away at the age of 73.

Happy Birthday Jesse Hodges!

Former Junior National Team MVP Jesse Hodges (Victoria, B.C.) turns 32 today.

After honing his skills with the Junior National Team, Hodges was signed as an amateur free agent by the Cubs in 2012. The right-handed hitting third baseman would play parts of seven seasons in the Cubs’ organization rising as high as double-A. He finished his pro career with tenures with the independent Quebec Capitales in 2019 and 2021.

He has since turned to coaching. He is currently the director of hitting and player development for the Doghouse Baseball Academy in Scarborough, Ont.

Remembering Cy Young

Here’s more evidence of just how hard it is to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame: Cy Young, who was born on this date in 1867, didn’t get elected until his second year of eligibility.

Yes, the man who won a record 511 big league games and has MLB’s annual pitching awards named after him was a second ballot inductee.

He missed out in his first turn on the ballot in 1936 when Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson were elected. Young finished eighth in the voting that year. His name was only checked on 49.1% of the ballots.

He was elected the following year when he finished third in the voting (76.1%) behind Nap Lajoie (83.6%) and Tris Speaker (82.1%).

Great Cooperstown tradition

The National Baseball Hall of Fame has a great tradition of having all of their employees wear their favourite team’s jersey on Opening Day.

That’s Canadian Claudette Scrafford (Hawkesbury, Ont.), a highly respected manuscript archivist at the Hall, sporting the Toronto Blue Jays jersey in the bottom left of the photo below.

Adam Hall back with Winnipeg Goldeyes

Former Baltimore Orioles prospect Adam Hall (London, Ont.) is back with the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

The versatile Canadian went 10-for-19 (.526 batting average) in six games with the Goldeyes to start 2024 before he was signed by Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers assigned him to the double-A Biloxi Shuckers where he had a .377 on-base percentage and 10 stolen bases in 53 games.

He split 2025 between the Shuckers and the triple-A Nashville Sounds and hit a combined .232 with 25 stolen bases in 75 games.

Earlier this month, he was on Canada’s World Baseball Classic roster.

The Great Lake Canadians and Junior National Team grad was selected in the second round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Orioles.

He played parts of six seasons in the O’s system, reaching as high as triple-A with the Norfolk Tides in 2022.

Remembering Juan Bell

Please take a moment to remember former Montreal Expos infielder Juan Bell who would’ve turned 58 today.

He passed away in 2016 after battling kidney disease.

The brother of Blue Jays legend and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee George Bell, the younger Bell played parts of seven big league seasons with the Orioles, Phillies, Brewers, Expos and Red Sox.

He batted .278 with two home runs in 38 games for the Expos in 1994.

March 28, 2026

By Jake McGrail

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER – Back at Tourmaline West Stadium for their third home series of the year, the Thunderbirds took both wins against Warner Pacific in their Saturday doubleheader.

"I thought we just found a way to win the first game," said UBC head coach Chris Pritchett. "Their pitcher is one of the better ones in the league, but we found a way to get one more run than they did and that's the name of the game … I thought it was a little loose in the second game but we were able to get it done."

Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) had a big game at the plate, hitting a combined 4-for-5 between the two games in addition to drawing four walks. He, Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) and Calvin Warrillow (Toronto, Ont.) all went yard, with Bourne doing so twice for five RBIs on the day.

Haden Mirante led the Knights in hits on the day with three, and scored twice. Mitchell Thoma-Britt and Anthony Zisa both had multiple RBIs.

GAME ONE

It was the Knights who started off the day hot, with Mirante hitting a lead-off single and Thoma-Britt bringing him home with a single of his own two batters later. Trenten Lowe then homered with an emphatic shot to left field the following inning, putting the Thunderbirds in a small early hole.

With one out in the bottom of the second, Warrillow launched his first home run as a Thunderbird to cut the lead in half, hitting the ball close to the same spot that Lowe did.

The 'Birds then took the lead in the third thanks to some strong baserunning. After Matt Vrlak (Vancouver, B.C.) stole second after coming in as a pinch-runner, he was brought home by a Kansai Sugimoto single.

Sugimoto then repeated the same pattern, stealing second himself before racing home and just barely beating out the tag on an Oliver Clements (Vancouver, B.C.) hit that looped over the second baseman. Not to be outdone, Clements proceeded to steal both second and third on the same at-bat, before scoring thanks to a fielding error by a Warner Pacific infielder.

"We do have team speed – we're faster than we were last year. But their pitcher was a little slow to home, and I thought we took advantage of that," remarked Pritchett on what led to his team successfully stealing seven bases in game one.

The Knights responded by getting two more tallies on the board in the top halves of the fourth and sixth, with Zisa firing an RBI single on both of them to tie the game. Any further damage in the sixth was prevented when Cote threw out Zisa as he attempted to steal second, firing a bullet to Matt Vanslyke (Whitby, Ont.). Cote then threw out another baserunner in the seventh, preserving the tied score.

The winning run came across the plate in the bottom half of that same inning, when another Knights fielding error allowed Clements to scamper home to make it 5-4. While Warner Pacific put plenty of pressure on late – including getting runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth – the T-Birds shut the door. The biggest defensive highlight came when Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) made a fantastic diving catch on a ball popped up into foul territory early in the final inning.

GAME TWO

The 'Birds got the scoring underway in the second game of the day when Jordan Stewart (Vancouver, B.C.) brought home Cote on an RBI ground out after UBC had loaded the bases. The Knights then answered back in the top of the third, scoring a pair of runs of their own to take a slim lead.

The T-Birds didn't allow that lead to last for long, however, as after getting a pair of runners on with no outs in the bottom half of the frame, David Krahn (Langley, B.C.) cleared them both with a double. Bourne then brought home both Krahn and himself with a homer that nestled under the scoreboard, opening up a 5-2 lead.

Warner Pacific had a chance to answer back immediately when they loaded the bases, but the T-Birds escaped with no more runs against them when James Brock (Burnaby, B.C.) induced a fly ball for the third out of the frame.

Cote hit a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth to extend the UBC lead, one that Thoma-Britt nearly robbed at the wall but the ball bounced off the glove of the Knights' left fielder and over the fence.

Bourne provided the exclamation point for the night in the eighth, launching his second home run of the game on a shot to left-centre, bringing home three more runs and putting the 'Birds into double figures for the fourth time in their last five outings.

Linden Happell (Maple Ridge, B.C.) closed out the game on the mound, with the first-year pitcher throwing four fantastic innings in relief as he allowed just three walks and zero hits while striking out six, to give no chance of a comeback.

The two teams will be right back at it on Sunday with games at Tourmaline West beginning at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (P.T.).

March 27, 2026

Official Okotoks Dawgs News Release

The Dawgs continue to sign impact pitching ahead of the 2026 season, announcing the addition of three arms who bring a mix of collegiate experience and upside to the roster.

Right-hander Nolan Jackson (Grimsby, Ont.) returns to the club from McCook Community College, where he developed into a frontline arm. Known for his command and ability to attack hitters, Jackson is expected to be big impact arm for the Dawgs.

Left-hander Max McCraray arrives from the University of Houston, bringing Division I experience and left-handed arm talent. His versatility and ability to handle high-leverage situations should make him a valuable asset in multiple roles.

Rounding out the trio is right-hander Alex Garcia from Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Garcia adds another proven college arm to the staff, with the potential to make an immediate impact.

March 29, 2026

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Former Cy Young award winner Pat Hentgen never forgot his scout -- buying the man who drafted and signed him, Don Welke, a personally engraved Rolex.

Future Hall of Famer Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) never forgot his mentor/coach/tutor Bob Smyth (Ladysmith, BC) sending him framed jerseys and flying him to a golf tournament in Cooperstown on Father’s Day.

And the Seattle Mariners never forgot their employee Wayne Norton (Port Moody, BC). Nether have the Langley Blaze, run by Doug Mathieson, a former Arizona Diamondbacks scout, who is now in the employ of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Each spring on their March trip to Arizona, the Blaze play the Mariners first and second-year pros. This week was the fifth annual Wayne Norton memorial game, a tribute to the former Seattle searcher for talent.

As they don’t often say after each ball game “a good time was had by all.” The young Mariners edged the younger Blaze 2-1 in 14 innings as plenty of arms -- even two rehabbing double-A Seattle arms -- got their work in. Spring games often proceed without a clock.

Norton had scouted Canada since 2000 for the Mariners, was part of the Canadian Hall of Fame in St. Marys class of 2016 with former Expo pitcher Dennis Martinez, Blue Jays executive Howard Starkman, ex-Jays TV analyst Tony Kubek, pioneer William Shuttleworth and Hentgen.

* * *

“It was a real treat for the Mariners to play the Langley group all those years,” said retired veteran Mariners scout Ted Heid, from Utah, after returning home for Arizona. “Then, we lost Wayne and it became the Wayne Norton game. We even had Wayne’s wife Trudy to the game one year.

“Wayne was a brother in the trenches with me. It was honour for me to work alongside him all those years. Pat Gillick (when he was the Mariners general manager) and scout Bob Engle too.”

Heid was most impressed with the Blaze catchers, saying “Doug Mathieson always runs a good program, but the catchers he ran out there were impressive. I’m not sure who is teaching them, but they are doing a good job.”

Looking after instructing the Langley catchers are Kayden Beauregard (Abbotsford, BC), who attended Illinois State, and former Blaze Zach Mihic (Langley, BC), who went to Mayville State. and is in his 10th year coaching. The pair work with the Premier and junior Blaze.

Former Canadian Baseball Network player of the year Aaron McRae (Surrey, BC), who played for the LSU-Shreveport Pilots and two seasons in the Detroit Tigers system, provides a foundation with the Blaze bantams.

Playing 30 games in 11 days with 70 players, Mathieson’s catching corps included Lucas Wheeler (Surrey, BC) of the Blaze, Gabe Laroque (Azilda, Ont.) of the Ontario Blue Jays, Taye Thierman (Calgary, Alta.) of the Okotoks Dawgs, Sam Sugden (Langley, BC) of the Blaze, Will Dolphin (Langley, BC) of the Blaze and Lucas Carroll (Calgary, Alta.) of the Webber Wildcats.

Wheeler hit a pair of homers on the trip.

In no particular order, the best players were INF Easton Kitura (Spruce Grove, Alta.) of the Vauxhall Academy Jets, OF Finn Hochsen (North Vancouver, BC) of the North Shore Twins, OF Rogan Rivard (Bonnyville, Alta.) of the Vauxhall Academy Jets and LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC), of the Blaze, who is expected to be the top Canadian high schooler drafted come July.

* * *

As for the game itself ... the Mariners broke the 1-1 tie in the bottom of the 10th ... Langley managed three singles by Joe Manco, Wheeler and Sugden ... RHP Kiefer Rabie-Jones (Victoria, BC) of the Blaze, RHP Sam Craven (Victoria, BC) of the Victoria Mariners and RHP Daxton Vanderkooi (Chilliwack, BC) of the University of Fraser Valley each had scoreless outings against the pros … Luke Laird (Langley, BC), of the Blaze, hit a scoring fly ball for the only run that the Blaze managed.

* * *

Norton, named Canadian Baseball Network scout of the year both in 1998 and 2013, scouted and signed numerous Mariners, including OF Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC), OF Michael Saunders (Victoria, BC), RHP Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) and OF Tyson Gillies (Vancouver, BC). One off-season, a Mariners’ Baseball America top 10 list included Dutch OF Greg Halman, Italian 3B Alex Liddy and Aumont. All Norton signees.

Today was the 5th Annual Wayne Norton Memorial Game vs the Seattle Mariners. Thank you to the @Mariners organization for continuing this special tradition & keeping Wayne’s legacy alive year after year.

Here is a wonderful message from Michael Saunders of @saundoathletics. pic.twitter.com/I1solHFaox

— Langley Blaze 🇨🇦 (@Langleyblaze) March 24, 2026

Before that John Haar and Norton established the National Baseball Institute (NBI) in Vancouver. The NBI grads to play in the majors include OF-DH Matt Stairs (Fredericton, NB), 3B Corey Koskie (Anola, Man.), LHP Denis Boucher (Montreal, Que.), INF Stubby Clapp (Windsor, Ont.), RP Steve Sinclair (Victoria, BC), RP Paul Spoljaric (Kelowna, BC), OF Rob Butler (East York, Ont.), RHP Jason Dickson (Miramichi, NB), OF Aaron Guiel (Vancouver, BC) and RP Derek Aucoin (Lachine, Que.).

An inductee into the BC Sports Hall of Fame, Norton played more than 1,200 games in the minors as an outfielder in the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals and Oakland A’s from 1961-70. He then founded and established Baseball Canada’s Junior National Team doubling as a part-time scout for the Montreal Expos and later the Baltimore Orioles.

March 27, 2026

By Jason Young

Winnipeg Goldeyes

WINNIPEG, MAN. – The Winnipeg Goldeyes announced Friday the signing of Canadian outfielder Adam Hall.

Hall recently represented Canada at the World Baseball Classic as the team reached the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time.

The 26-year-old began the 2024 campaign with the Goldeyes before his contract was transferred to the Milwaukee Brewers. He was ultimately assigned to the Biloxi Shuckers of the double-A Southern League, where he hit .262 with three doubles and 16 runs batted in.

Hall split last season between the Shuckers and the Nashville Sounds of the triple-A International League, hitting a combined .232 with nine doubles, three triples, one home run, and 21 RBIs. He also stole 25 bases and was caught just once.

Born in Hamilton, Bermuda, Hall’s parents relocated to southern Ontario to further his development as a baseball player. He was selected in the second round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft by the Baltimore Orioles out of A.B. Lucas Secondary School in London, Ontario.

Hall played parts of six seasons in the Orioles’ organization, reaching as high as triple-A with the Norfolk Tides of the International League in 2022.

A member of Canada’s Junior National Team from 2015 to 2017, Hall also participated in the 2015 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup.

“Bringing Adam back is huge news for us. He got off to a hot start with us two years ago before being picked up, and we believe he can bring that same impact again in 2026,” said skipper Logan Watkins. “We know he’s motivated to put together a successful, healthy season, and we’re excited to have him back.”

Hall is the fifth Canadian on the Goldeyes’ roster, joining Landen Bourassa (Lethbridge, Alta.), James Bradwell (North Vancouver, B.C.), Mason Dobie (Meaford, Ont.), and T.J. Schofield-Sam (Mississauga, Ont.).

In a separate transaction, right-handed starting pitcher Ben Kowalski was traded to the Kane County Cougars in exchange for a player to be named later. Kowalski was re-signed on December 22 after making his professional debut with the Goldeyes in 2025. The 26-year-old split last season between Winnipeg and the Dorados de Chihuahua of the Mexican League. He went 3-1 with a 3.58 earned run average in seven games with the Goldeyes.

Winnipeg now has 24 players under contract for the 2026 season. American Association clubs may carry up to 33 players during spring training, which begins May 3.

March 27, 2026

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

With over 42,000 fans at the Rogers Centre for opening night, it’s safe to say that the majority of the crowd was cheering on the hometown Blue Jays.

But there was also a healthy dose of Athletics fans cheering on one player on their roster.

Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) was in centre field and hitting ninth in the lineup in his opening night debut for the AL West squad. And it just so happened to be in his own backyard.

Clarke went 0-for-2 -- with a strikeout and a ground out against Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman -- before being pinch-hit for by Carlos Cortez against submariner Tyler Rogers with two out in the eighth.

“My first Opening Day, to have it in Toronto is pretty crazy,” Clarke told the Canadian Baseball Network prior to the game. ”I am super excited to be playing in front of family and friends and just playing with my teammates in what will be a crazy atmosphere.”

Clarke got a taste of the majors in 2025. The 6-foot-3 centre fielder was part of a flurry of transactions in mid-May, which saw the club call him up from triple-A Las Vegas. He played in 47 games, posting a .230/.274/.372 slash line with a .646 OPS while making highlight reel grabs on a routine basis. His home run robbing grab against the Angels earned him Play of the Year.

He also made his mark at the Rogers Centre last summer, smashing his first big league home run in front of the Blue Jays faithful while also making a highlight reel grab in centre field that could have netted him the Play of the Year Award as well.

His season was cut short in mid-July with a right adductor strain, an injury that kept him off the roster for the remainder of the campaign.

With Clarke now finding a spot on the A’s Opening Day roster, he is looking to start a new chapter in his career that will likely be the first of many. For it to be at the Rogers Centre is just that much sweeter.

“A lot more people will be here compared to when I was in Toronto last year, but we’re keeping it low key,” explained Clarke. “Just family and friends, nothing too crazy when it comes to supporters.”

Clarke is one of 20 Canadians who will be starting the campaign in the big leagues, and one of 12 who played for Canada at the World Baseball Classic a few weeks ago. Canada won Pool A and advanced out of Pool play for the first time in the nation’s history since the WBC began back in 2006.

Clarke played alongside his cousins – Bo and Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) – and found himself starting all five games in centre field. Across 16 at-bats, he collected three hits, two RBIs, one stolen base, and two walks in the tournament

“It was super special,” said Clarke. “It was the farthest we’ve ever gotten for our country, and from Day 1, you could feel the vibe from the team and could tell that this group was locked in. We would have liked to have gone further, but we know what we got for the next tournament and take things to that next level.”

This wasn’t Clarke’s first foray at the WBC – he appeared in three games for Canada in 2023 – but the Athletics centre fielder was proud to be able to wear the red and white again and represent his country in a tournament that means so much to most players.

“Being in Puerto Rico was awesome, sharing the field with Bo and Josh for the first time was special too,” said Clarke. “Hopefully, adding Myles to the next one will be great. I love that ‘winner take all’ environment.”

With the WBC in his back pocket and a full season ahead in the big leagues, Clarke is taking things one day at a time, starting with opening night at the Rogers Centre against the Blue Jays.

A product of the Toronto Mets, Clarke knows the stadium well from his high school days, and he’s looking to start the 2026 season on the right note as the Athletics look to put a losing record behind them from 2025.

“Just going out there and enjoying myself,” explained Clarke on the opening night of the 2026 season. “Going out and doing my job, executing the way I know how. That’s what I want to accomplish today and get the season started on the right foot.”

March 27, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Who has been in the Toronto Blue Jays’ Opening Day lineup the most in their 49-season history?

With today being Opening Day for the Blue Jays, I did the research to find out.

It turns out that three players are tied for the most Opening Day starts with nine: Ernie Whitt, Lloyd Moseby and Vernon Wells.

Whitt made nine starts as a catcher (1980 to 1984, 1986 to 1989) and Wells made nine consecutive starts in centre field for the Blue Jays from 2002 to 2010.

Moseby, meanwhile, started in centre field eight times (1981 to 1987, 1989) and in left field once (1988).

Here’s a complete breakdown by position of Blue Jays’ players who have made more than one Opening Day start with the club:

Pitcher

7 – Roy Halladay

4 – Dave Stieb

3 – Jimmy Key

3 – Jose Berrios

2 – Dave Lemanczyk

2 – Jim Clancy

2 – Jack Morris

2 – Pat Hentgen

2 – Ricky Romero

2 – R.A. Dickey

2 – Marcus Stroman

2 – Hyun Jin Ryu

Catcher

9 – Ernie Whitt

5 – Darrin Fletcher

4 – Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.)

4 – Danny Jansen

3 – Pat Borders

3 – Gregg Zaun

3 – J.P. Arencibia

3 – Alejandro Kirk

2 – Rick Cerone

2 – Greg Myers

First Base

7 – Carlos Delgado

6 – Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

6 – Willie Upshaw

5 – Lyle Overbay

4 – John Mayberry

4 – John Olerud

3 – Fred McGriff

3 – Edwin Encarnacion

2 – Adam Lind

2 – Justin Smoak

Second Base

7 – Damaso Garcia

6 – Aaron Hill

5 – Roberto Alomar

4 – Homer Bush

3 – Orlando Hudson

3 – Devon Travis

3 – Cavan Biggio

2 – Dave McKay (Vancouver, B.C.)

Shortstop

8 – Alex Gonzalez (the first Alex Gonzalez to play shortstop for the Blue Jays)

6 – Alfredo Griffin

6 – Tony Fernandez

6 – Bo Bichette

3 – Jose Reyes

2 – Manuel Lee

2 – Chris Woodward

2 – Russ Adams

2 – Yunel Escobar

2 – Troy Tulowitzki

Third Base

7 – Rance Mulliniks

6 – Ed Sprague

4 – Josh Donaldson

3 – Roy Howell

3 – Kelly Gruber

3 – Eric Hinske

2 – Tony Batista

2 – Troy Glaus

2 – Edwin Encarnacion

2 – Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.)

2 – Matt Chapman

Left Field

6 – George Bell

6 – Shannon Stewart

4 – Joe Carter

3 – Travis Snider

2 – Reed Johnson

2 – Melky Cabrera

2 – Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

2 – Daulton Varsho

Centre Field

9 – Vernon Wells

8 – Lloyd Moseby

5 – Devon White

4 – Jose Cruz Jr.

4 – Kevin Pillar

3 – Rick Bosetti

3 – Colby Rasmus

2 – Otis Nixon

2 – Randal Grichuk

2 – Kevin Kiermaier

2 – George Springer

Right Field

8 – Jesse Barfield

8 – Jose Bautista

4 – Shawn Green

4 – Alex Rios

3 – Raul Mondesi

3 – Teoscar Hernandez

2 – Bob Bailor

2 – Joe Carter

2 – Randal Grichuk

2 – George Springer

DH

3 – Otto Velez

3 – Paul Molitor

3 – Rowdy Tellez

2 – Rico Carty

2 – Cliff Johnson

2 – John Olerud

2 – Brad Fullmer

2 – Josh Phelps

2 – Shea Hillenbrand

2 – Frank Thomas

2 – Adam Lind

2 – Edwin Encarnacion

2 – Dioner Navarro

2 – Kendrys Morales

March 26, 2026

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Get ready.

It won’t be long now ...

Highlight after CBC highlight of the Blue Jays’ first game in franchise history, played at Exhibition Stadium on April 7, 1977, will be shown when the Jays open Friday against the Athletics at Rogers Centre.

In case you haven’t seen the highlights, you will see the Zamboni cleaning snow off the artificial turf, Chicago White Sox Wayne Nordhagen shushing across the field in “snowshoes” custom-made from catcher’s Rawlings shin guards.

No doubt, you’ll also see Doug Ault hit two homers, future Cy Young award winner Pete Vuckovich work two innings for one of his eight saves and reliever Jerry Johnson earn the victory, one of two he had in 1977.

But you may have to look hard — as hard as Blue Jays fans have over the years — to spot the man voted player of the year that season by the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Bob Bailor didn’t see any action in that memorable first game but there are shots of No. 1 holding a hockey stick in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse.

Bailor cut his hand opening a can of oysters during spring training in Dunedin requiring stitches. He didn’t make his first start until the 17th game of the season. As difficult as Bailor was to spot in those first 16 games -- aside from appearing in two games as a defensive replacement -- he’ll probably be just as hard to find in this anniversary season.

He was the Jays’ first pick in the expansion draft, No. 1 in the program, and No. 1 with many Exhibition Stadium fans from 1977 to 1980.

He then managed in the Jays’ system for five seasons, earning “manager of the future” tag.

He coached the Jays for four seasons.

Yet, Bailor has not been seen either in a baseball capacity or in person in Toronto since the end of the 1995 season, when then-general manager Gord Ash and manager Cito Gaston replaced him as the first base coach, hiring Alfredo Griffin. Fans complained Bailor didn’t argue enough on bang-bang plays at first. Halfway through the next season, they were upset that Griffin made the safe call when a Toronto hitter was out by three steps.

Let’s see we’ve talked to Bailor three times -- usuallly when we phoned former pitching coach Galen Cisco --- when he is hunting in Pennsylvania and he’ll pass the phone over to Bailor. Yet, Bailor knows when opening day is and zero calls this week were returned. In 2010, we took Bailor and his wife, Jamie, plus Cisco and his wife Martha, to Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Safety Harbor, near Dunedin.

That was only 16 seasons ago. Back when the 85-win Jays opened with a loss in Arlington and the lineup consisted of leadoff man RF José Bautista, 2B Aaron Hill, DH Adam Lind, CF Vernon Wells, 1B Lyle Overbay, C John Buck, 3B Edwin Encarnación, SS Álex González, LF Travis Snider and starter Shaun Marcum.

Bailor turned down Flashback Friday invites, is mentioned often in “Where are they now?” columns and chose not to return when the 1992-93 World Series winners were honoured. During those championship-winning seasons, he served as a first base coach -- and called Jumpin’ Joe Carter back to touch first base in Game 6 of the 1993 Fall Classic after Carter took Mitch Williams deep.

Hard feelings?

Like when George Steinbrenner fired manager Yogi Berra, leading to a 14-year snit? He is after all a PPM -- a Proud Pennsylvannia Man.

“No, no hard feelings, not at all,” Bailor said during that night at dinner. “As a player or a coach, I never liked those things. When you were in uniform you have to do them. Now, I don’t have to, I mostly hunt in Colorado or fish or hunt in Pennsylvania.”

Bailor’s rookie season saw him play 122 games, mainly at shortstop and in centre. He missed a month with torn knee ligaments, returning for the final seven games. He finished that season with a .310 batting average, best among all big-league rookies and still a record for expansion teams.

* * *

On a personal note I was supposed to attend that snowy season opener. My uncle Sam Sheridan in Kitchener was going to take his son, Geoff, and myself to the game, which was a Thursday.

I flew home from Sweden after covering the Air Canada Silver Broom. Landing at Pearson I was awaiting a shuttle to Kitchener when I phoned my Aunt Lorraine.

There would be no trip to Exhibition Stadium. While training to run in the Boston Marathon -- one of the first to do so with a pacemaker -- Uncle Sam had collapsed and passed.

* * *

Once we asked Todd Stottlemyre about the angriest he had ever been on the mound.

He had the answer. It was pitching at Syracuse in a seven-inning doubleheader. Two were out. Stottlemyre had the hitter 0-2 and was at 97 pitches -- he has three pitches to get a shutout.

“So, the guy goes foul ball, foul ball, foul ball, now I am at 100 and out comes Bailor,” Stottlemyre recalled. “One more pitch, Skip, I can get him.’”

At the time, Stottlemyre was a prized prospect.

Bailor said, “I really like you, but I like my job. If I let you throw your 101st pitch, I’m probably fired. We’re going to a reliever.”

* * *

There was a time when Bailor was in the picture to replace Jimy Williams after a 12-24 start in 1989. New York Mets coach Buddy Harrelson declined. New York Yankees broadcaster Lou Piniella flew from Seattle to Toronto to be interviewed. The Jays were interested. Except Yankees owner George Steinbrenner wanted two bullpen arms of David Wells, Todd Stottlemyre and Mike Timlin for Piniella’s services. Would you trade two of those arms for Jerry Howarth and Joe Siddall?

Bailor, triple-A manager with Cisco as his pitching coach, had done an excellent job in his post, earning International League manager of the year in 1989. At the time. president Paul Beeston, Pat Gillick and assistant GM Gord Ash were doing the interviewing.

Bailor told Al Ryan of the Toronto Star he was asked by someone if “when on the road he would take a struggling player out fishing to try and talk him out of his troubles?”

The prospective manager answered yes. Then he added “it would depend on who was paying to rent the boat and who was buying the beer.”

It was an answer that baseball people loved. They laughed at his sense of humor. Finally, after 14 games as interim manager, Beeston said “Let’s go with Cito Gaston.” And the Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series in 1992-93, with Bailor as the first base coach.

* * *

We remember one night in Milwaukee in 1989, right-handed hitting 1B Bob Brenly hit his first homer as a Blue Jay.

In the clubhouse, coach Mike Squires approached us to say, “I called that -- just so you know”.

Now Squires could pull a leg quicker than anyone, so we looked to the other coaches dressing nearby. Old County Stadium and Shea Stadium were the only clubhouses where the coaches dressed with the players -- without a separate change room at the time.

“It’s true,” Bailor said, “of course, Mike says it every time Brenly comes up.”

It was Brenly’s 76th plate appearance of the season when he homered off Mark Knudson in a 6-1 win in support of Dave Stieb. Ten games later in Seattle, the Jays released Brenly and his .173 average.

* * *

Bailor told us that night at dinner that he keeps in touch with former coaches Rich Hacker who showed up at his door with a shotgun in one hand and two gloves in the other (“half expected the SWAT team to come around the corner,” Bailor said), Rocket Wheeler, who was managing in the Atlanta Braves’ system and is now retired, former coach Cisco and John Sullivan before he passed.

Bailor had a dry sense of humour. Maybe only Mike Flanagan was funnier.

Dinner at Carrabba’s turned into an old-fashioned baseball night.

Bailor: “Galen, remember how wild Juan Guzman was at Syracuse?”

Cisco: “Usually I would take two balls to the bullpen to warm up a guy. For him, I’d take six. He became a different pitcher when he got to the big leagues.”

Bailor: “We knew he was ready when he’d hit that tin sign on the fence.”

After losing his first two starts in 1991, Guzman went 45-10 in his first 90 starts with the Jays, including post-season.

One image we have of Bailor 45 minutes after Joe Carter’s homer, with the SkyDome replay button on non-stop, we looked into the dugout.

There was Paul Molitor sitting with daughter, Blaire, explaining how she should remember this moment.

Bailor sat alone a few feet away.

How was the view?

“Not bad,” Bailor said. “Ball clears the fence every time.”

Bailor recalled lefty Balor Moore, who joined the 1978 Jays.

“When we were young, he’d say Jamie and I should have a son, he’d have a daughter, name her Balor, they could marry and wind up being Balor Bailor,” Bailor said.

The Jays dealt Bailor to the New York Mets for Roy Lee Jackson in 1981. Bailor told of two New York Post back covers he still has.

The first was the day after a Mets win in extras at Candlestick Park, thanks to pinch-hitter Rusty Staub. The headline read: “Rusty does it again!” A week later, the Mets were home and in the 14th (“we had to be out of players, if I hit.”) Bailor hit a ball into the corner and the Mets won. The head read: “Miracle at Shea!”

Bailor looked his playing weight, sported a two-tone moustache and we’re told he hasn’t changed much since 1995.

Bailor explained he was on a deer and elk hunting trip to Colorado and returned with a snow-white beard.

“I shaved the beard, but there was a little brown in the mustache, so I kept it,” Bailor said. “You, you haven’t changed much either.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“Hold on,” Bailor said, “I didn’t say it was a compliment.”

That was Bailor. There may have been better Jays, but none had more fun. None was better liked.

March 27, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

How did Canada’s greatest major league pitcher fare on Opening Day?

Pretty darn well.

Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) posted a 2.58 ERA and threw three complete games in 11 Opening Day starts during his major league career.

Seven of those starts came with the Chicago Cubs, two with the Texas Rangers and two with the Boston Red Sox.

Here are some fun facts and statistical highlights about Jenkins’ Opening Day starts:

-Though he posted a superb 2.58 ERA in 11 Opening Day starts, he was again (like he was for much of his big league career) a victim of poor run support. His record in his Opening Day starts was just 3-4.

-His seven Opening Day starts with the Cubs remain a franchise record.

-His 11 Opening Day starts are tied for the 11th most in major league history with Dennis Martinez, Felix Hernandez and CC Sabathia. Tom Seaver holds the record with 16 Opening Day starts.

-In his first Opening Day start for the Cubs on April 11, 1967, he tossed a complete game, allowing just two runs on six hits, while striking out five, in the Cubs’ 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field.

-In his fourth Opening Day start for the Cubs on April 6, 1971, he threw a 10-inning complete game to earn the win in the Cubs’ 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Jenkins outdueled Bob Gibson, giving up just three hits while fanning seven.

-On April 6, 1973, Jenkins pitched against the Montreal Expos in his sixth Opening Day start for the Cubs. He permitted just two runs on five hits in eight innings but settled for a no-decision. The Cubs eventually won 3-2 at Wrigley Field.

-On April 9, 1976, in his first Opening Day start for the Boston Red Sox, Jenkins allowed an unearned run on three hits in eight innings but suffered a tough-luck 1-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Memorial Stadium.

-In his second tenure with the Rangers, Jenkins got the Opening Day start in 1979 and tossed a complete game in the Rangers’ 8-2 win over the Detroit Tigers at Tiger Stadium (the closest he’d ever pitch to his hometown of Chatham, Ont., on Opening Day). Jenkins allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out five.

-Almost 16 years after his first Opening Day start for the Cubs, a 40-year-old Jenkins got the nod in the Cubs’ opener on April 6, 1983 at Wrigley Field. Facing the Expos, the veteran right-hander permitted just two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings but was saddled with the loss when Steve Rogers hurled a six-hit shutout in the Expos’ 3-0 win.

March 26, 2026

Official MLB News Release

After helping lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a second consecutive World Series championship and electrifying crowds in the Tokyo Dome at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Shohei Ohtani’s global superstar status continues as he opens his third straight MLB season with the most popular player jersey in the Majors.

Since 2023, fans have purchased Ohtani’s Nike jersey more than any other in the U.S., Japan and worldwide.

Immediately following Ohtani on the most popular player jersey list, released jointly today by MLB and MLB Players, Inc. (MLBPI), is his Dodgers and Team Japan teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto (No. 2). This marks the first time that two Japanese-born players top the most popular player jersey list entering a season.

This list accounts for sales of Nike jerseys from the Fanatics network of sites, including MLBShop.com, since the culmination of the 2025 World Series presented by Capital One. Immediately following Ohtani and Yamamoto are the 2025 AL MVP and runner-up, Aaron Judge (No. 3) and Cal Raleigh (No. 4).

Most Popular MLB Player Jerseys

Based on sales of Nike jerseys from the Fanatics network of sites, including MLBShop.com,
since the culmination of the World Series

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers

2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers

3. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

4. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners

5. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers

6. Nolan Arenado, Arizona Diamondbacks

7. Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers

8. Pete Alonso, Baltimore Orioles

9. Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox

10. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs

11. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies

12. Kiké Hernández, Los Angeles Dodgers

13. Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies

14. Juan Soto, New York Mets

15. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays

16. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets

17. Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves

18. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates

19. Josh Naylor, Seattle Mariners

20. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers

March 26, 2026

Official MLB Release

A total of 247 players represented 16 different countries and territories outside of the 50 United States on 2026 Opening Day rosters and inactive lists, Major League Baseball announced today.

The 247 players born outside the U.S. (26.1%) come from a total pool of 948 players (780 active 26-man roster players and 168 Major League players on injured or restricted lists).

As it has each year since MLB began releasing this annual data in 1995, the Dominican Republic again leads the Major Leagues among countries and territories outside the United States with 93 players. The World Baseball Classic Champion Venezuela ranks second with 60 players, while Cuba places third with 20. Canada has 17 players on Opening Day rosters, matching its most since 2013 and marking the second-highest total since 1995 (19 in 2007).

With the additions of Tatsuya Imai of the Houston Astros, Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox, and Kazuma Okamoto of the Toronto Blue Jays, Japan features 14 players on Opening Day rosters, matching 2010 for their second-most all-time behind only 2008 (16). Rounding out the totals are Puerto Rico (14); Mexico (7); Curaçao (4); Panama (4); Colombia (3); South Korea (3); Aruba (1); the Bahamas (1); Honduras (1); Nicaragua (1); and Taiwan (1).

The Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres have the most internationally born players with a total of 15 each on their respective rosters, snapping a five-year run in which the Astros led the Majors. The Astros have 14 internationally born players and are followed by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins (13 each); the Seattle Mariners (12); and the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants (11 each). The Braves have players from eight different countries and territories outside the U.S., marking the most in the Majors among the 30 Clubs. They are followed by the Astros and Padres (7 each); and the Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, Mariners and Blue Jays (6 each).

Among the 780 players on active 26-Man Opening Day rosters, 145 players (18.6%) appeared in at least one game during the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Available in over 203 countries and territories, Major League Baseball games will be broadcast by 162 media outlets in 16 different languages during the 2026 MLB season.

Please click here for the complete list of internationally born players on 2026 Opening Day rosters and inactive lists.

March 26, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

There are 17 players born in Canada on MLB rosters to open the 2026 season.

Three others – Jameson Taillon (Chicago Cubs), Freddie Freeman (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Otto Lopez (Miami Marlins) – have suited up for the Canadian national team at the World Baseball Classic.

Here’s a rundown of the Canadians playing in the majors to open the 2026 season:

American League East Division

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) – Toronto Blue Jays

In 2025, this Toronto Blue Jays slugger topped Canadian-born major leaguers in home runs (23), on-base percentage (.381), OPS (.848), hits (172), runs (96), doubles (34) and walks (81). Overall, his on-base percentage was the sixth-best in the majors, while he ranked 10th in hits.

In 18 games in the postseason, Guerrero Jr. batted .397 and topped all batters in home runs (8 tied), RBIs (15) and OPS (1.289). For his efforts, he was named the MVP of the American League Championship Series. He was also a finalist for the American League’s Hank Aaron Award and for the AL Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards at first base.

Guerrero Jr., who recently turned 27, continued to swing a hot bat in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic. In five games, he went 8-for-18 (.444 batting average) with three doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs.

He is entering his eighth MLB season.

Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) – Baltimore Orioles

O’Neill will be looking to rebound after a rough first season with the Orioles in 2025.

After signing a three-year, $49.5-million contract with the O’s on December 10, 2024, O’Neill batted .199 and clubbed nine home runs and had 26 RBIs in 54 games in an injury-shortened season.

Fresh off suiting up for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, the 30-year-old slugger will be looking for his trademark fast start. He has homered on Opening Day an MLB record six consecutive times.

The Langley Blaze and Junior National Team alum belted 31 home runs for the Boston Red Sox in 2024 and played his first six big league campaigns with the St. Louis Cardinals. During his career, he has collected two Gold Glove awards (2020, 2021) for his defence in the outfield.

American League Central Division

Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) – Cleveland Guardians

In 2025, Naylor set career-highs in home runs (14), doubles (22), RBIs (47) and walks (45) for the Guardians. The 25-year-old catcher also posted a career-best 1.1 dWAR.

He was at his best in the season’s final month when he batted .290 with three home runs, 16 RBIs and an .872 OPS in 19 games.

Naylor, 26, was one of Canada’s most valuable players at the WBC earlier this month. He went 6-for-17 (.353 batting average) with a home run and a team-leading five runs. He also shone defensively in the tournament.

This will be his fourth full season as the Guardians’ main catcher.

Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) – Cleveland Guardians

After missing the first three months of the 2025 season with left elbow inflammation, Sabrowski returned to become a key member of the Guardians’ bullpen.

In 33 relief appearances, he posted a 1.84 ERA and fanned 42 batters in 29 1/3 innings. That was good for a 12.9 K/9 rate. He permitted just one earned run in his final 11 regular season appearances.

That performance came on the heels of his MLB debut in 2024. In eight appearances, spanning 12 2/3 innings with the Guardians that season, the 28-year-old left-hander didn’t allow a run.

Sabrowski will be relied upon to get key outs for the Guardians in the late innings this season.

Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.) – Cleveland Guardians

Smith continued to be an extremely valuable member of the Guardians’ bullpen in 2025.

In his second big league season, the 26-year-old right-hander posted an 8-5 record and a 2.93 ERA in 76 relief appearances and struck out 104 batters in 73 2/3 innings. This made him just the third Canadian reliever to have back-to-back 100-strikeout seasons (joining John Hiller (Toronto, Ont.) and Eric Gagne (Mascouche, Que.)).

Smith took over as the Guardians’ closer in late July and finished with 16 saves, which was the most by a Canadian major leaguer last season. His 76 games were the fifth-most by a major league reliever.

The 6-foot-5 right-hander was sharp this spring, allowing just two runs on three hits, while striking out six, in 7 1/3 innings. He’ll be the Guardians closer to start the season.

Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) – Chicago White Sox

Sold to the White Sox by the Tampa Bay Rays on December 18, 2025, Peters excelled with his new club in Cactus League action this spring.

In 16 games, he went 10-for-37 (.270 batting average) with two doubles, two triples and a home run, while also dazzling defensively to earn a back-up outfielder’s job with the Sox.

In 2025, thanks to his defensive heroics in the outfield with the Rays’ triple-A Durham Bulls, Peters became a regular on the minor league highlight reels.

The 26-year-old Okotoks Dawgs Academy alum was also a strong contributor at the plate for the Bulls, hitting .266 with a .355 on-base percentage with 15 home runs, 76 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. For his efforts, he was named the Bulls’ MVP.

He also made his big league debut with the Rays last season, getting into four games with them in August.

Selected in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, Peters has played parts of five pro seasons.

Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) – Los Angeles Angels

Romano is hoping to rediscover the form that made him a dominant closer with the Blue Jays a few years ago

The 32-year-old right-hander signed a one-year, $2-million deal with the Angels in December after a rough season with the Philadelphia Phillies.

After inking a one-year, $8.5-million contract with the Phillies in December 2024, the ex-Blue Jay proceeded to post an 8.23 ERA and record just eight saves in 49 relief appearances before he was sidelined by a season-ending finger injury in late August.

Prior to his tenure with the Phils, Romano recorded 105 saves and was a two-time All-Star in his six seasons with the Blue Jays.

Originally chosen in the 10th round of the MLB draft by the Blue Jays in 2014, the Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum is entering his eighth major league season.

Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) – Athletics

Clarke, who made his big league debut in 2025, will be the Athletics’ centre fielder to start the 2026 season.

In 31 games for the A’s triple-A Las Vegas Aviators prior to his call-up on May 23 last year, the speedy outfielder batted .286 and posted a .436 on-base percentage.

After his promotion, he made several highlight reel catches in centre field for the A’s, which made him the first player to win the MLB Electric Play of the Week award in three consecutive weeks and earned him the Capital One Premier Play of the year at the MLB Awards.

In total in 47 major league contests, he batted .230 with three home runs, eight doubles and two triples.

Earlier this month, the 25-year-old Toronto Mets grad was a key member of Canada’s WBC squad. He started in centre field in all five games and scored three runs, while also knocking in two.

Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) – Seattle Mariners

In 2025, Brash served as a key setup man for the Mariners after his return from Tommy John surgery in early May.

He’ll be expected to perform in a similar role for the AL West favourite M’s in 2026.

In 53 relief appearances in 2025, the 6-foot-1 right-hander posted a 2.47 ERA and had 21 holds and four saves. He fanned 58 batters in 47 1/3 innings. He also recorded a 2.00 ERA in eight postseason appearances, striking out 10 batters in nine innings.

The M’s were cautious with the 27-year-old right-hander this spring after he experienced some mild inflammation in his throwing arm early in the off-season. More recently, he had to recover from a tooth infection.

This will be Brash’s third season with the Mariners.

Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) – Seattle Mariners

Naylor re-signed with the Mariners on November 18, receiving a five-year contract, $92.5-million contract.

The 28-year-old slugger quickly became one of the M’s best hitters and most popular players after being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 24, 2025.

After arriving from the D-backs, the 5-foot-10, 235-pound Naylor not only pounded the ball with the M’s – hitting .299 with nine home runs, 10 doubles and an .831 OPS in 54 regular season games – but he also tore up the base paths. He had 18 stolen bases with the M’s to finish with a surprising 30 on the season.

His strong performance carried over into the postseason in which he batted .340 and had a team-leading 16 hits (three home runs) in 12 games.

Combining his numbers between the D-Backs and the Mariners, Naylor topped all Canadian major leaguers in batting average (.295), RBIs (92) and stolen bases (30) in 2025. He also finished second among Canuck big leaguers in hits (160), runs (81), home runs (20), doubles (29) and walks (48). For his efforts, he was voted the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Tip O’Neill Award winner.

Naylor, who served as Canada’s captain in the WBC, is heading into his seventh MLB season.

National League East Division

Zach Pop (Brampton, Ont.) – Philadelphia Phillies

Pop posted a 3.86 ERA in nine relief appearances for the Phillies this spring. That was enough to convince Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) to reward him with a spot on the Phils’ Opening Day roster.

The Phillies had signed Pop to a major league contract in December.

The 29-year-old right-hander split the 2025 season between four different major league organizations.

He spent spring training with the Blue Jays before he was shelved with elbow discomfort and then subsequently released and signed by the Mariners. He made just four relief appearances for the M’s and 11 more in their minors before he was let go on July 2.

Three days later, he was signed by the New York Mets where he was roughed up for three runs in 1 1/3 innings in his sole appearance with them prior to be released.

The 6-foot-4 right-hander was then signed to a minor league contract by the Chicago Cubs on July 22 where he made nine relief appearances with triple-A Iowa to close out the season.

Despite making only five big league appearances in 2025, Pop was a durable reliever in previous seasons. In 2024, he made a career-high 58 relief appearances for the Blue Jays. It was his third season with the Blue Jays after being acquired from the Miami Marlins on August 2, 2022.

Chosen in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Toronto Mets alum owns an 8-6 record and a 4.88 ERA in 163 relief appearances in parts of five big league seasons.

Jared Young (Prince George, B.C.) – New York Mets

Signed by the Mets in December 2024, Young batted a combined .303 with 18 home runs, 52 RBIs and a .969 OPS in 79 games with the Class-A St. Lucie Mets and the triple-A Syracuse Mets in 2025.

He also belted four homers in 22 games with the big league Mets.

Chosen in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Cubs, the Okanagan Athletics alum played parts of six seasons in the minors before he made his MLB debut with the Cubs in 2022, going 5-for-19 (.263 batting average) in six games that September.

He returned for two big league stints with the Cubs in 2023 in which he had eight hits – including three triples and two home runs – while scoring eight runs.

Earlier this month, Young, 30, played for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, going 1-for-6 in two games.

Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) – Miami Marlins

In his rookie season with the Marlins in 2025, this 26-year-old catcher batted .247 with a .346 on-base percentage with six home runs and 45 RBIs in 119 games.

His 43 walks were the fourth-most by a rookie and his on-base percentage ranked eighth among first-year players. His 45 RBIs were the fourth-most by a Canadian in the majors in 2025.

The Marlins selected Hicks in the Rule 5 draft from the Detroit Tigers in December 2024. The Toronto Mets alum was originally chosen in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Texas Rangers.

He made his national team debut with Canada at the WBC earlier this month.

Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) – Miami Marlins

Caissie was an offensive star for Canada in the World Baseball Classic this month. In five games, he went 7-for-17 (.412 batting average) with three doubles, a home run and five RBIs.

He’ll start in the outfield for the Marlins this season after being dealt to them by the Cubs as part of a package for right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera in January.

In 99 games with the Cubs’ triple-A affiliate in Iowa in 2025, Caissie batted .286 and posted an .937 OPS with 22 home runs, 55 RBIs and five stolen bases.

For his efforts, he received his first big league call-up on August 14. He belted a home run and had four RBIs in 12 major league games.

Following the season, the left-handed hitting slugger was named a Triple-A All-Star by Minor League Baseball.

Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.) – Colorado Rockies

Julien was dealt to the Rockies by the Minnesota Twins on January 28.

The hitter friendly Coors Field should help Julien who struggled at the big league level in 2025, batting .220 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 64 games. He did, however, have a promising finish to the season. He hit .310 in his final 16 games.

The 26-year-old infielder also had 11 home runs and a .415 on-base percentage (OBP) in 70 games for the triple-A St. Paul Saints.

Julien will be looking to recapture his 2023 form. In 109 games with the Twins that season, he batted .263 with 16 home runs and a .381 OBP and finished seventh in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Selected in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Twins, the ABC and Junior National Team alum spent parts of three seasons in the Twins’ minors before making his big league debut.

Earlier this month, Julien played for Canada in the WBC. In five games, he went 3-for-19 with a double and four walks.

Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) – Arizona Diamondbacks

Soroka signed a one-year, $7.5-million contract with the Diamondbacks in December.

The Diamondbacks will be the fifth major league team he has suited up for during his big league career.

He spent parts of four seasons with the Atlanta Braves before being dealt to the White Sox on November 16, 2023. Following one season with the Sox, the 6-foot-5 righty signed with the Washington Nationals and made 16 starts for them prior to being traded to the Cubs at the deadline last July.

In 2025 with the Nationals, Soroka posted a 3-8 record and a 4.87 ERA, while striking out 87 batters in 81 1/3 innings. He then made one start with the Cubs before suffering a shoulder strain which sidelined him for almost six weeks. Upon his return, the Cubs used him exclusively as a reliever.

Soroka started two games for Canada in the WBC and the D-Backs plan to use him as a starter.

In all, Soroka, 28, has pitched in parts of six major league seasons. In 91 games (69 starts), he owns a 20-26 record and a 3.85 ERA. He has struck out 379 batters in 415 2/3 innings.

Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) – San Diego Padres

Pivetta will make his first MLB Opening Day start today when the Padres face the Detroit Tigers.

After signing a four-year contract with the Padres in February 2025, Pivetta proceeded to lead all Canadian big league pitchers in wins (13), starts (31), innings pitched (181 2/3), strikeouts (190) and WAR (5.3).

He was also fourth among all major league pitchers in opponents’ batting average (.195), fifth in WHIP (0.985) and hits per innings pitched (6.39), ninth in ERA (2.87) and 10th in quality starts (19).

His regular season performance earned him the start in the first game of the Padres’ Wild-Card series against the Cubs. In that start, he allowed just two runs on three hits in five innings and struck out nine batters, which tied a single-game Canadian postseason record (set by James Paxton with the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the 2019 ALCS). For his efforts, he finished sixth in the National League Cy Young Award voting.

The 33-year-old Victoria Eagles and Junior National Team grad is entering his 10th MLB season.

*It should also be noted that Milwaukee Brewers reliever Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, Alta.) is starting the season on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder strain.

March 25, 2026

Official Okotoks Dawgs News Release

The Okotoks Dawgs continue to build momentum heading into the 2026 season with the signing of three new players: infielder Sawyer Fech from Cochise College, left-handed pitcher Ty Manuel from Odessa College and right-handed pitcher Emmett Stacher from Linn-Benton Community College.

Fech (Calgary, Alta.) brings versatility to the Dawgs’ infield after developing into a reliable contributor at Cochise College, a program known for producing high-level collegiate talent. His defensive consistency and ability to contribute offensively make him a valuable addition to the Dawgs’ lineup.

On the mound, Manuel adds left-handed pitching depth to the Dawgs’ pitching staff. The Odessa College product has shown the ability to attack hitters with command and poise, giving the Dawgs another quality arm capable of working in multiple situations.

Stacher rounds out the trio as a right-handed pitcher from Linn-Benton Community College. Known for his competitiveness and ability to generate swings and misses, Stacher provides added depth and strength to the Dawgs’ pitching rotation.

March 24, 2026

Official Barrie Baycats News Release

Barrie, Ont. – The Barrie Baycats have re-signed infielder Brandon Hernandez to a two year contract, covering the 2026 and 2027 Canadian Baseball League (CBL) seasons.

This is the first multi-year contact in CBL history.

Hernandez (Montreal, Que.) returns to Barrie after two strong seasons with the club, where he has been one of the Baycats’ most consistent offensive contributors. Across 83 career games with the team, he has posted a .323 batting average with 111 hits, 59 RBIs, and 60 runs scored, while showing the ability to produce in key moments.

His impact has been especially noticeable in the postseason. During the 2024 playoffs, Hernandez hit .533 with 24 hits in just 10 games, driving in 21 runs and playing a major role in the Baycats’ championship run. He followed that up with another productive 2025 campaign, hitting .268 across the regular season while continuing to provide reliable defence at shortstop and timely hitting.

Prior to his time in Barrie, Hernandez spent four seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He saw action primarily at second base and third base, while also gaining experience at shortstop. Across his minor league career, he demonstrated strong defensive consistency, including a .973 fielding percentage at second base over 95 games.

Hernandez also brings additional professional experience from the Frontier League, where he suited up for Trois-Rivières in 2024. In 30 games, he recorded a .256 average with a .727 OPS, adding extra-base ability and on-base production at the independent level.

The Baycats open up their 2026 Canadian Baseball League campaign on May 14 at 7:38 pm at Athletic Kulture Stadium against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

March 25, 2026

By Jason Young

Winnipeg Goldeyes

WINNIPEG, MAN. – The Winnipeg Goldeyes announced the signing Wednesday of left-handed relief pitcher Ryo Kohigashi.

The 28-year-old most recently played with the Australian Baseball League’s Brisbane Bandits, where he appeared in eight contests and posted a 1-0 record with a 7.45 earned run average. It was his third season in the Australian circuit, having also pitched for the Auckland Tuatara and the Canberra Cavalry.

The bulk of Kohigashi’s professional experience came with the Québec Capitales of the Frontier League with whom he won championships in 2024 and 2025. Over those two seasons, the Kyoto, Japan native saw action in 51 regular season games, going 8-3 with a tidy 2.67 ERA.

“Acquiring Ryo was a little off our radar, as we were already nearing the maximum number of pitchers we expected to sign this offseason,” said Goldeyes manager Logan Watkins. “But after taking a closer look, he was simply too good to pass up. He has been one of the top arms on a very strong Québec club over the past few years, and we’re fortunate he became available to us. I expect his success in the Frontier League to carry over to the American Association and for him to become one of our more reliable options out of the bullpen.”

In a second transaction, the Goldeyes re-acquired right-handed pitcher James Colyer. The 26-year-old reliever originally signed with the club in November, and his contract was subsequently transferred to the Washington Nationals organization.

Winnipeg now has 24 players under contract for the 2026 season. American Association clubs may carry up to 33 players during spring training, which begins May 3.

2026 Winnipeg Goldeyes Player Signings

RHP Landen Bourassa (Lethbridge, Alta.)

RHP Luke Boyd

RHP James Bradwell (North Vancouver, B.C.)

IF Ramón Bramasco

RHP Derrick Cherry

RHP James Colyer

IF Ray-Patrick Didder

IF/OF Mason Dobie (Meaford, Ont.)

RHP Arij Fransen

C Kevin García

LHP Ryo Kohigashi

RHP Ben Kowalski

LHP Mitchell Lambson

LHP Weston Lombard

IF Keshawn Lynch

OF Noah Marcelo

RHP Noah Millikan

OF Max Murphy

IF T.J. Schofield-Sam (Mississauga, Ont.)

LHP Tasker Strobel

RHP Willian Suárez

OF Jiandido Tromp

LHP Kevin Vaupel

LHP Quinn Waterhouse

The Goldeyes will begin the 2026 schedule Friday, May 15 against the Milwaukee Milkmen in Franklin, Wisconsin. The home opener at Blue Cross Park versus the Kane County Cougars is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m.

March 26, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

The Toronto Blue Jays are celebrating their 50th season, but professional baseball was being played in Toronto long before Bill Singer delivered the first pitch in Blue Jays’ history on April 7, 1977.

Harvey Sahker makes this abundantly clear in his superb and meticulously crafted new book, Before the Blue Jays: Professional Baseball in Toronto Prior to 1977.

His 312-page volume is chock full of fascinating details about the old ball parks, storied teams and colourful players that put baseball on the map in Toronto.

A longtime baseball writer, Sahker attended the first Blue Jays game in 1977, but by that time he had already been regaled with stories about Rocky Nelson and Mike Goliat, of the International League’s Toronto Maple Leafs, by his mother.

With Sahker’s lively prose and the years of research he devoted to this book, you can feel the passion the author has for this project – one that covers more than a century of pro baseball in Toronto.

Pro baseball comes to Toronto

Early in the book, Sahker shares that the first professional baseball game was played in Toronto on August 12, 1871 when Cap Anson and his Rockford Forest Citys came to town to play against the Guelph Maple Leafs. Anson’s club routed the Leafs 38-3, but that contest helped whet the city’s appetite for pro baseball.

Sahker notes that the city would not have its own professional team until 1885 when the “Torontos” played in the Canadian League at the Jarvis Street Lacrosse Grounds.

Toronto ballparks

The author also documents the different parks where pro baseball has been played in Toronto, beginning with Sunlight Park, which was built in 1886 on land south of Queen Street East, west of Broadview Avenue and north of Eastern Avenue.

Sahker also highlights Toronto’s most fabled field, Island Park (later Hanlan’s Point Stadium) that was originally opened on Toronto Island in 1897. This park burned down in 1903 and 1909 but was resurrected. It’s best known as the stadium that Babe Ruth, then a young pitching prospect with the Providence Grays, clubbed his only minor league home run in on September 5, 1914.

But architecturally, Toronto would make its first big splash in professional baseball circles with the construction of Maple Leaf Stadium at the foot of Bathurst Street on the south side of Lakeshore Boulevard. With capacity for 23,500 fans, it opened in 1926 and was considered a state-of-the-art facility.

In that first season at Maple Leaf Stadium, the International League’s Maple Leafs club featured a promising young left-hander named Carl Hubbell, points out Sahker. Though Hubbell went just 7-7 in 31 appearances that season, he would go on to win 253 games for the New York Giants and earn induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Cooperstowners in Toronto

Hubbell is just one of the many Hall of Famers to spend time with the Leafs. Sahker shares that Detroit Tigers legendary second baseman Charlie Gehringer starred for the Leafs in 1925, while New York Yankees distinguished second baseman Tony Lazzeri managed the Leafs in 1939, where one of his outfielders was fellow future Cooperstowner Heinie Manush.

Three years later, the Leafs were managed by Hall of Fame spitballer Burleigh Grimes.

And two decades after that, two future Hall of Fame skippers, Sparky Anderson (1964) and Dick Williams (1965), began their pro managerial careers with the Leafs.

Legends that came to Toronto in exhibition games

Through his outstanding research, Sahker uncovered details about more than three dozen exhibition games played by major league teams in Toronto between 1885 and 1966.

Among the legends that participated in these contests over the years were Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, George Sisler, Rogers Hornsby, Ty Cobb, Satchel Paige, Warren Spahn and Hank Aaron.

Sahker points out that when a 41-year-old Cobb had two hits for the Philadelphia A’s in their 3-1 win over the Leafs at Maple Leaf Stadium on September 14, 1928, it was likely Cobb’s final game in an MLB uniform.

The author also shares that on July 7, 1927, the Maple Leafs defeated the Murderers’ Row Yankees, ranked by some as the best MLB team ever, 11-7, in an exhibition game at Maple Leaf Stadium. In that contest, Gehrig had three hits and Ruth had a double and a single.

Robinson excels in Toronto

Sahker also devotes a chapter to the games Jackie Robinson played against the Leafs in Toronto while he was a member of the Montreal Royals in 1946.

In 12 contests against the Leafs at Maple Leaf Stadium that year, Robinson led the Royals to nine wins and a tie. He had 15 hits – including five doubles – scored 10 runs and batted .369.

First major league game in Toronto

One of the biggest revelations in the book is that the first major league regular season game in Toronto was not played on April 7, 1977. In December 2020, MLB ruled that Negro League games would be counted as big league games.

With this change, Sahker points out that the Cuban Stars defeated the Homestead Grays 5-2 in a Negro League game at Maple Leaf Stadium on June 18, 1932, and that this now represents the first major league contest played in Toronto.

Local legends

Another strength of the book is the stories Sahker has dug up about local legends. He devotes a chapter to the Maple Leafs’ trainers, including Bill Smith, whose tenure spanned 42 seasons with the club.

One of the kids Smith mentored was Ron Stead, who grew up in Little Norway, located just beyond the outfield fence of Maple Leaf Stadium. As a young boy, Stead would help Smith and eventually became the team’s bat boy. Stead then started throwing batting practice and the Leafs were so impressed by his arm that they signed him. Stead, of course, later became a superstar in the Intercounty Baseball League and was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. Sahker interviewed Stead before he passed away in 2011.

Players from Toronto

Sahker also shines the spotlight on a number of Toronto-born or Toronto-raised players – some of whom lived sordid lives. For example, the author shares that Arthur Irwin, a longtime big league player and manager, had two wives and is believed to have jumped off a ship to his death in 1921.

Sahker also highlights the life of former Chicago Cubs slugger Vince Barton, who was born in Edmonton, but raised in Toronto. He belted 13 home runs in 66 games for the Cubs in 1931. But he ended up starring in outlaw leagues, largely due to his “rambunctious behavior.” This behavior got him shot in the side during a poker game prior to the 1937 season.

Trivia

And for a Canadian baseball history nerd like me, this book is overflowing with fascinating tidbits.

For instance, did you know that it was Toronto-born right-hander Alex Hardy who was pitching for the Chicago Cubs on September 14, 1902 when the first Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance double play was completed?

Or that Toronto-born, New York Giants outfielder Bill O’Hara became the first major league rookie to steal second, third and home in the same inning on August 8, 1909?

I certainly didn’t.

And Sahker deftly ties everything together in his Epilogue when he reveals that the only two players to have played for both the Maple Leafs and the Blue Jays are Rico Carty and Phil Roof. He then goes a step further to add that two Blue Jays coaches – Jackie Moore and Galen Cisco – also played for the Leafs. 

This is great trivia, and it’s part of what makes this book a must-read for Canadian baseball history buffs. 

So before you get too wrapped up in the Blue Jays’ 50th anniversary season, I suggest you read, “Before the Blue Jays.”  

You won’t regret it. 

You can buy it from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame here.

March 24, 2026

Official Guelph Sports Hall of Fame News Release

Guelph, Ont. – The Guelph Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors is pleased to announce the names of the five 2026 inductees who will be celebrated at the annual Guelph Sports Celebrity Dinner and Induction Ceremony on Wednesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. at the Italian Canadian Club in Guelph.

The class of 2026 inductees are:

-Doug Risebrough, Athlete (Hockey)

-Dino Roumel, Builder (Baseball)

-Paul Devorski, Builder (Hockey)

-Jenifer Nadalin, Athlete (Basketball)

-Ron Nicol, Builder (Fastball)

“We’re excited to welcome our local athletes and community members to celebrate these outstanding achievements and the advancement of sports in Guelph,” said Carolyn Lee, chair of the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame Board. “Each of these inductees have a wonderful legacy with commitment and dedication to their respective sports, and to induct these five outstanding recipients who have impacted the local sports scene is a wonderful testament to our sports culture here in Guelph in so many ways.”

Attend the Kiwanis Sports Celebrity Dinner

The induction ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 20 during the annual Kiwanis Sports Celebrity Dinner at the Italian Canadian Club. Tickets are available online by visiting www.guelphsportshalloffame.com for $120 per adult and $50 for students 17 years of age and younger.

2026 Inductee Bios

Doug Risebrough (Athlete – Hockey)

Doug Risebrough enjoyed a remarkable 31-year career in the National Hockey League as a player, coach, and executive. Drafted 7th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 1974, he won four consecutive Stanley Cups (1976–1979) and later captained the Calgary Flames, leading them to the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals. Known for his grit and leadership, Risebrough played 740 NHL games, recording 185 goals and 471 points.

After retiring in 1987, he transitioned seamlessly into coaching and management. He helped guide Calgary to the 1989 Stanley Cup championship as an Assistant Coach, then served as the Flames’ General Manager. Risebrough later held senior roles with the Edmonton Oilers before becoming General Manager and president of the Minnesota Wild, overseeing the franchise’s first playoff run in 2003.

Across his career, Risebrough was part of the Stanley Cup Playoffs 25 times in 31 seasons, a testament to his enduring impact on the game. He continued to contribute to hockey as a pro scout for the New York Rangers until his retirement in 2023.

Dino Roumel (Builder - Baseball)

Dino has been a fixture in Guelph sports throughout his life. In 1989, he took on the role of manager for the Jr. Royals Intercounty Baseball team, guiding them to their first championship in 30 years. From 1992 to 1994, Dino managed the Guelph Royals Intercounty team, leading them to three consecutive finals appearances and capturing the title in 1993, ending a 28‑year championship drought. Dino was also the general manager of the 1997 IBL Champion Guelph Royals Team.

His success extended beyond Guelph. In 2007, Dino managed the Toronto Maple Leafs IBL team to a championship victory, and in 2012 he repeated the feat with the Brantford Red Sox. Remarkably, Dino remains the only coach or manager in the 102‑year history of the IBL to win championships with three different teams. He also holds the distinction of being the youngest coach to win an IBL championship and the only coach to capture both a Junior and IBL title. In total, Dino is a three-time IBL Manager of the Year and two-time Junior IBL Manager of the year.

Roumel returned to the Royals in 2022 and was named IBL Manager of the Year in 2024.

Beyond coaching, Dino built a long career as the play‑by‑play voice for the Guelph Platers, Guelph Storm, and Gryphons basketball and football programs. He also hosted Sports Zone, a popular Rogers Cable phone‑in show, for 18 years, where he promoted both local and professional sports.

Paul Devorski (Builder – Hockey)

Paul was an accomplished and successful NHL referee from 1989-2015. He officiated in the Stanley Cup Finals seven times during 2001 and 2009. Paul officiated several games at the 2006 Winter Olympics, including men’s Gold Medal Game between Sweden and Finland and at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, including the bronze medal game. Paul also officiated the 1999 NHL All-star game in Tampa, Florida.

Along with his 1978 Centennial Cup winning teammates, Paul was inducted into the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame, having served as team captain of the Guelph Holody Platers when the team defeated the Prince Albert Raiders 4 game to none to win the Centennial Cup Championship.

Jenifer Nadalin (Athlete-Basketball)

Jenifer, born and raised in Guelph, attended Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School, where she excelled in track and field, volleyball and basketball. A three-time District 10 basketball All-Star, she helped lead her team to the CWOSA finals in her senior year. In 2001, she was nominated as Senior Athlete of the Year.

Her basketball talent drew attention from both Canadian and American universities, ultimately leading her to Furman University in South Carolina. There, she majored in Health and Exercise Science and graduated in 2005 while earning recognition on the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll. During her time at Furman, she was selected to the Southern Conference All-Star team in three of her four seasons and served as team captain in her senior year.

Following graduation, Jenifer signed with UMANA Reyer Venezia in Venice, Italy, where she played from 2005 to 2010 in both the Italian League and EuroLeague. In 2008, she contributed to the team’s victories in the Super Cup and Italian Cup.

In 2010, she joined Famila Schio as a free agent, winning her first Italian League Championship title. Over the next four years, she added three Italian Cup titles, three Super Cups, and three Italian League Championships to her résumé, and was named League MVP for the 2012–2013 season.

Jenifer moved to Ragusa, Sicily, in 2014, where she captained the team during her final season (2015–2016). She capped her career with another Italian Cup title before retiring and returning to Canada.

Of Italian heritage, Jenifer also proudly represented the Italian National Team. At the 2009 Mediterranean Games in Pescara, she helped secure the country’s first-ever gold medal in basketball.

After retiring from professional play, Jenifer returned home to Guelph and served as an Assistant Coach for the University of Guelph’s women’s basketball team in the 2016-2017 season.

Ron Nicol (Builder – Fastball)

Ron was born and raised in Guelph and was involved with Guelph sports all his life. Ron represented the city in running, hockey, baseball and intercity fastball.

Ron coached Intercity Fastball for 10 years and won three Intercity Championships with the Guelph Ingram ball team. He was Head Coach from 1980-83.

He coached at the World's Fastball Championships twice with the Owen Sound Fastball Team and won Coach of the Year in 1989.

Ron also coached the Guelph Girls Gator Rep. Fastball for 10 years (1992-1994, 2001-2003 and 2010-2013). In 2011, with the Guelph Bantam A Team, his team won the provincial championship and went on to win the silver medal at Nationals.

Ron was a carded fastball umpire for many years and continued in the recreational leagues in Guelph until the age of 80.

He volunteered in the community for many years at the Guelph Curling, Kia Cup, Seniors Games coordinator, Senior Men`s World Fastball Championship, Canadian Midget Championship and an Umpire for the Special Olympics.

About the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame

Established in 1992 by the City of Guelph and the Kiwanis Club of Guelph, the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization that recognizes and honours the achievements of Guelph individuals and teams who have attained prominence and distinction in any field of sport, and who have made a major contribution to the development and advancement of sports in Guelph. Each year inductees are celebrated at the Kiwanis Sports Celebrity Dinner, and their achievements are permanently recorded in a public display at the Sleeman Centre.

The Guelph Sports Hall of Fame is managed by a Board of Directors and funded by the Kiwanis Club of Guelph through its annual induction dinner, and from grants by the City of Guelph.

March 23, 2026

Official Kitchener Panthers News Release

KITCHENER - The Kitchener Panthers are proud to announce the signing of local pitcher Gavin McLean (Elmira, Ont.).

The 6-foot-3 righty is coming off his second year with the Laurier Golden Hawks (OUA), where he had 14 strikeouts in just two appearances last fall.

Previously, he played two seasons as a relief pitcher with Graceland University in Iowa.

It won't be his first foray with the Panthers, as he made two appearances with the club in 2024.

"I was able to watch Gavin closely with our U22 team last season, and he definitely put himself on our radar," said general manager Shanif Hirani.

"He's had a strong offseason so far, and I am looking forward to seeing it translate onto the mound with us this year."

March 24, 2026

Official Bellevue University Athletics News Release

HELENA, Mont. -- Bellevue University senior Carter Claerhout (Red Deer, Alberta) has been named the Frontier Conference Baseball Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday.

Claerhout anchored the Bruins' lineup during a four-win weekend, at first base as the Bruins downed Dickinson State, Mayville State, Bismarck State, and Valley City State.

Claerhout hit .500 with two extra-base hits, including a double and a triple, five RBIs, and four runs scored while stacking up a 1.447 OPS in the four-game span. He drew five walks (including a pair of intentional free passes) and swiped four bases in five attempts.

His most efficient outing came on March 22 against Bismarck State, where he reached base in every plate appearance and drove in two runs.

On the week, Claerhout posted a .647 on-base percentage and an .800 slugging percentage while remaining perfect in the field with 36 putouts and 11 assists. He tallied multi-hit games in back-to-back contests to close out the weekend, including a 2-for-3 performance against Valley City State where he recorded three RBIs and a triple.

March 24, 2026

By Rich Leitch

Canadian Premier Baseball League

Canadian Premier earned a 5-3 win on Tuesday, using timely hitting and a strong all-around pitching performance to secure the victory.

Canadian Premier opened the scoring in the third inning, taking advantage of an error to grab an early lead.

After briefly surrendering the lead, Canadian Premier responded immediately in the fourth, putting together quality at-bats to regain control. RBI singles from Mikey Batiste (Mississauga, Ont.) and Sam Ellis (Ottawa, Ont.) highlighted the inning and helped spark a four-run push.

The pitching staff took over from there and set the tone. Damarcus Rideout Carter (Brampton, Ont.) earned the win with two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out one. The right-hander showcased a fastball that topped 93 mph, complemented by a sharp slider at 78–81 mph.

Adam Nasrallah (Quebec, Que.) delivered a dominant outing in relief, striking out four over two hitless innings.

Gavin Campbell (Belle River, Ont.) showed an impressive mix, working with a 91-mph fastball and a 75-mph breaking ball while punching out two hitters.

Xavier Brault (Blainville, Que.) closed things out with authority, recording three strikeouts over two innings while sitting 88–92 mph and mixing in a 76–78 mph curveball.

Offensively, Ellis and Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.) each collected two hits to lead the way. Ellis, Zach Barker (Bolton, Ont.), and Batiste each drove in a run as Canadian Premier consistently applied pressure.

Defensively, Canadian Premier was clean and efficient, turning two double plays and committing no errors. Evan York (Waterloo, Ont.) led the way with seven chances in the field.

March 24, 2026

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

It’s hard to find an organization that doesn’t have a Canadian either on their big league roster or in the upper levels of the minor leagues.

This influx of Canucks is a testament to the talent coming from north of the border, which was on display earlier this month at the World Baseball Classic.

Entering the 2026 season, there were a handful of Canadians looking to secure a spot on an Opening Day roster – some were successful, some will have to wait their turn for a spot.

Owen Caissie – OF

Miami Marlins

Entering the 2025 season, outfielder Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) was one of the top Canadian prospects in all of baseball and was projected to make his major league debut at some point that season. A groin injury during Spring Training and a stacked Chicago Cubs outfield saw him land in the minors for most of the season. But he eventually made his debut in Toronto on August 14 against the Blue Jays. He played a handful of games with the Cubs but finished the year on the IL after a collision in the outfield.

Caissie was moved to the Miami Marlins this past winter, and the Fieldhouse Pirate alum is slated to be a key cog in the Marlins machine for the foreseeable future. He joins fellow Canucks Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) and Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) on the squad that could shape up to be a contender in the NL East. With Kyle Stowers landing on the IL to begin the season, the club will depend even more on Caissie, who should be a top name in the NL Rookie of the Year consideration.

Denzel Clarke – OF

Athletics

Baseball runs in Denzel Clarke’s blood. The Pickering, Ontario product is a cousin of the Naylor brothers. This season, Clarke is going to be a key figure in the Athletics’ outfield.

He made his debut on May 23, 2025 and posted a .230/.274/.372 line with a .646 OPS across 148 at-bats and 47 games. Clarke missed a good chunk of the last half of the season with an adductor strain. While his stats at the plate were not eye-popping, Clarke makes up for it with his outstanding defence in centre field, which includes numerous wall grabs and home run-robbing snags that earned him some hardware at the end of the season.

Similar to Caissie, the former Toronto Met is going to be a key figure in the Athletics’ outfield for a club that should be on the rise in the AL West standings.

Tristan Peters – OF

Chicago White Sox

Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) is finally getting the opportunity to contribute in the big leagues.

The Tampa Bay Rays stashed the outfielder in the minors for most of the 2025 season despite being a better option than many of the players they promoted instead of him. They only gave him a short window to compete in the big leagues. I will die on the hill that the Rays did not give Peters a fair shot last season, and after being traded this past offseason to the Chicago White Sox, it might be the right opportunity for the Canuck to prove the doubters in the Rays’ organization wrong.

This spring, he stayed behind from the World Baseball Classic and impressed in the White Sox camp, posting a .270/.333/.514 slash line with two doubles, two triples, and a home run in 37 at-bats. He walked three times compared to eight strikeouts and stole one base and registered seven RBIs. On top of his impressive numbers in the batter’s box, he also made impressive plays in the outfield, including a home run-robbing grab against the Dodgers on March 14.

Peters should be breaking camp with the White Sox this season, at least in a bench capacity. At the time of writing, the decision is still up in the air, but he had a solid spring, and the White Sox need some outfield help given their current construction.

Jonah Tong – RHP

New York Mets

Jonah Tong (Markham, Ont.) was dominant in 2025.

The right-hander bull-rushed his way to the big leagues last season, beginning the year in double-A and spending little time in triple-A Syracuse before the Mets called him up. He made five starts to the tune of a 7.71 ERA and a 4.31 FIP amidst the short sample size, but continued his high strikeout ways, posting a 10.6 K/9 through 18 2/3 innings.

Tong stayed behind from the WBC to compete for a spot in the Mets’ rotation and things did not go well for the Ontario product this spring. He made two starts and allowed nine hits and six earned runs through seven innings, striking out seven with one walk. The Mets optioned him to the minor leagues early in March, ending his bid for the 2026 Opening Day roster.

The 22-year-old was in a tough spot with the emergence of fellow pitching prospect Nolan McLean and with the Mets’ acquisition of Freddy Peralta this offseason. But Tong should be in a spot to contribute later this year.

Mitch Bratt – LHP

Arizona Diamondbacks

Bratt was in a similar position to Tong entering the 2026 season. The Newmarket, Ontario product was dealt at the 2025 trade deadline to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Bratt was looking to crack the Opening Day roster after being added to the 40-man this past winter. He even stayed back from the WBC to improve his chances.

Bratt made three appearances this spring for the D-Backs and allowed seven hits, six walks, and six earned runs through six innings of work. He struck out six, but Arizona optioned him to the minors in early March. The additions of Zac Gallen and fellow Canuck Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) didn’t help Bratt’s chances either.

The left-hander will likely begin the season in triple-A where he will get a chance to showcase his skills at the top level and try to build upon his strong 2025 season.

Tyler Black – INF

Milwaukee Brewers

There might not be a tougher organization to crack through than the Milwaukee Brewers, and Tyler Black (Toronto, Ont.) learned that the hard way this spring.

Despite posting a .550/.522/.1000 slash line this spring across six games, collecting two doubles, two triples, and a home run with 14 RBIs, Black still did not make the Opening Day roster. He cooled down a bit at the World Baseball Classic, but he was still posting strong numbers in the Cactus League.

Primarily working at first base, he sits behind Andrew Vaughn and Jake Bauers in the depth charts, and it gets even more complicated in the outfield, where Black will suit up on occasion in the corner outfield spots. He’s played sparingly in the big leagues over the past two seasons, and Black will likely need to start strong in triple-A to put himself on the map for a call-up in 2026.

Garrett Hawkins – RHP

San Diego Padres

The 2025 season was the Garrett Hawkins awakening in the San Diego Padres system.

After missing 2024 due to Tommy John, the Saskatoon, Sask. native split the 2025 season between high-A and double-A, pitching to a 1.50 ERA and a 2.22 FIP through 60 innings and 45 outings. Hawkins finished the season with a 0.850 WHIP and a 4.2 H/9, limiting opponents to a .221 BABIP while striking out 80 batters to the tune of a 12.0 K/9. The impressive campaign saw Hawkins added to the 40-man roster and earn the Padres’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award.

Hawkins entered big league camp looking for a spot on the Opening Day roster and pitched to a 4.50 ERA through six innings, allowing seven hits, five walks, and three earned runs with seven strikeouts. He was optioned to the minors in mid-March and will likely start the campaign in triple-A to begin the year. The Padres' 14th ranked prospect will look to bust through the big league door this season.

March 23, 2026

By Rich Leitch

Canadian Premier Baseball League

Canadian Premier couldn’t keep pace with the Los Angeles Angels in a 16–5 loss on Monday, despite showing early promise at the plate.

Canadian Premier struck first in the opening inning when Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.) singled to bring home a run. They added to their lead in the second, as Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.) lined a single to centre field to score another.

On the mound, Lucas St. Laurent (Ascot Corner, Que.) got the start and delivered a solid outing, allowing just one hit and one run over two innings while striking out two and walking one. He worked his fastball at 87–89 mph, mixing in a 75–77 mph slider and an 80 mph changeup.

Logan Cummins (Mississauga, Ont.) followed and showed strong stuff, topping out at 93 mph with his fastball while flashing a quality slider and changeup. Despite his effort, he was hurt by defensive miscues during his two innings of work.

Caleb Dupuis (Georgetown, Ont.) handled the next two innings, sitting 88–90 mph with his fastball and striking out two. He complemented it with a 78–80 mph slider and an 80–82 mph changeup.

Elliot Malo (Contrecouer, Que.) closed out the game and stood out in the eighth inning, striking out two hitters while working 87–88 mph. His slider was particularly sharp, spinning at 2880 rpm.

Offensively, Lascelles led the way, going 2-for-4 with a team-high two RBIs. Both Lascelles and Blain recorded two hits apiece, while Ben Paul (Ottawa, Ont.) demonstrated strong plate discipline by drawing three walks. As a team, Canadian Premier showed patience at the plate, collecting eight walks in the game.

Canadian Premier will look to bounce back on Tuesday when they take on the Los Angeles Dodgers to wrap up their trip.

*This article was originally published on Saskatchewan Dugout Stories on March 23, 2026. You can read it here.

March 24, 2026

By Ian Wilson

Saskatchewan Dugout Stories

The Western Canadian Baseball League is going to be rooting around in southeast Saskatchewan this summer.

Carnduff, Saskatchewan – the hometown of one of the league’s biggest star players in recent seasons – will play host to the annual Rural Roots Baseball Classic on Friday, May 29.

Highlighting the event will be a regular-season WCBL game between the Saskatoon Berries and the Weyburn Beavers, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. in the agricultural town of 1,150 people.

“We are very excited for the second ever Rural Roots Baseball Classic. This is our version of Major League Baseball’s Field of Dreams game,” said WCBL President Kevin Kvame in a press release.

“We will move this game around each year to a historical baseball location in our footprint and put on a regular-season WCBL game with two of our franchises. We were thrilled to kick this off in Oyen, Alberta last year and we cannot wait to show off our league to Carnduff in 2026.”

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Listen to the Alberta Dugout Stories podcast about the 2026 Rural Roots Classic here.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

The Berries are tied to Carnduff through hard-hitting outfielder Carter Beck. The lefty slugger was raised in Carnduff and has suited up in 106 games for Saskatoon since the Berries inaugural season in 2024. In that time, Beck has a .400 batting average, 121 runs, 25 doubles, 24 home runs, 96 RBIs and 36 stolen bases over 435 at bats. He was named the WCBL Rookie of the Year, Most Outstanding Canadian and All-Star Game MVP in 2024, as well as a WCBL First Team All-Star in both 2024 and 2025.

“It means a lot. I think it is super cool that Carnduff has been granted this opportunity. It will really be the first time the far southeast corner has an opportunity to watch some WCBL action. I think it will open some eyes of kids to what baseball can look like and what you can do with it. So, I am super excited that Carnduff will host this game, and I know that it will be run very well,” said Carter, adding his hometown played a major role in shaping his love of baseball.

“When I was really young, baseball in Carnduff was pretty limited, mainly just the Senior Astros. I would go to every home game to watch my dad play and chase down foul balls, hoping to collect enough quarters to buy a freezie or two. Once school let out each day, I was able to spend hours at the ball diamonds for batting practices that my dad ran. A lot of kids from my team would come out, and we would all get to hit on the field.”

He added: “Carnduff has a beautiful ball complex with four smaller diamonds and one full‑size baseball diamond, and it’s been really cool to see how much the game has grown since I was a kid. When I first started playing, we didn’t even have proper team jerseys, just red jerseys that said ‘Carnduff.’ Now, all the teams play as the Astros and wear the same logo, which really shows how much baseball has grown and become a big part of our community.”

Carter’s father, Blair Beck, has been a long-time baseball coach in the area. He was the head coach of the 15U Ray Carter Cup team from Saskatchewan that competed in Summerside, Prince Edward Island in 2025.

“Obviously, with Carter and the success he’s had in the WCBL, it means a lot to our community. And people are very invested in the WCBL because of the success he’s had,” said Blair, who was named the 2021 Baseball Sask Coach of the Year.

“We just were really excited to get that quality of ball here.”

Added Blair: “It’s such a unique event. We don’t get opportunities like this in small towns very often … when they come to our area, it just means so much more to everybody to be able just to go out and go to the diamonds locally and to see that quality. I don’t have to tell you about the success of WCBL guys in the last draft years and those kind of things. Those kind of players exist. And to have them at our diamond and get a chance to show off our diamond in our town, we’re just super excited.”

While the Berries connection to Carnduff through the Beck family stands out, there are also links between the area and the Weyburn Beavers, who will serve as the official home team for the game against Saskatoon during the WCBL’s opening weekend of action.

Trent Dorrance of Alameda has coached alongside Blair Beck with several Saskatchewan teams. He is the head coach of the Southeast Twins 18U AAA baseball team in Estevan and a director for the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League (SPBL). His son, Tyren, represented the Weyburn Beavers for a number of years. The outfielder took the field in 69 games with the Beavers from 2022 through 2025.

“He was kind of the first guy in this new generation to go to college (to play baseball), and he’s four or five years older than some of the guys around. Lots of guys in the area are like, ‘Hey, look, Tyren’s going to school in California. That’s really cool. He’s from Alameda. I could do that, right?’ He set the standard for everybody else … so, hopefully the kids that are coming up today get to see that, see what Carter’s done, and different guys have done and are like, ‘Hey man, I can do that,'” said Blair.

Carnduff was incorporated as a town in 1905 and baseball has been a part of the community’s fabric since the very beginning. A group of senior ball players from Carnduff won the Souris Valley League championship in 1909 and a Thunder Creek squad from the area operated as a nine-man team in 1910. By 1913, parked cars would crowd around diamonds, where spectators could partake in the baseball action from the comfort of their vehicles.

Carnduff’s involvement in the Saskota Baseball League – a senior men’s circuit based in southeast Saskatchewan and southwest Manitoba – also extends back for over a century. In 2003, the Astros became the most recent Carnduff iteration in the league and they captured a championship at the Jack Harbourne Memorial Tournament in 2019.

“I love going back and looking at the old pictures from like a hundred years ago and just thinking about where they got the jerseys or gloves or, you know, the things we all take for granted today and how that love of baseball gets passed down over the generations. And guys today still get that opportunity to go and play a great game,” said Blair.

The community is supported by baseball infrastructure that received a major overhaul in the 1990s. Landscaping for the Carnduff Ball Park began in 1992 and five diamonds were completed as part of that project by 1996. The facilities are considered to be among the best in Saskatchewan and have played host to several provincial softball and baseball championship events.

“We’re really proud of our ball diamonds and we keep them busy. We’ve got 100-plus kids registered for ball in a town of 1,200 people. So, obviously ball plays a pretty major part, but we want to also expand that into the communities around and keep everybody active in the sport, instead of just maybe like a small pocket. We want to continue to grow that in Carnduff and outside of Carnduff, as well,” said Blair.

“I think that community spirit that comes out in small towns when you get a chance to do something like this, it gets everybody excited and they really want to do a good job. And I think at the end of the day, we will.”

This is the second annual Rural Roots Baseball Classic event. The first one took place in 2025 when the Sylvan Lake Gulls and Lethbridge Bulls squared off in Oyen, Alberta.

The league describes it as a “celebration of the towns and cities that served as pioneers for the game.”

March 22, 2026

Official Hamilton Cardinals News Release

HAMILTON, ONT. – The Hamilton Cardinals have acquired utility player Jeremie Veilleux from the Brantford Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations.

A native of Oakville, Ont., Veilleux is a graduate of Iroquois Ridge High School and a former member of the Ontario Terriers. He represented Team Ontario at the 2016 Baseball Canada Cup.

Veilleux committed to Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pa., where he redshirted his freshman season in 2018. The Rock compete at the NCAA Division II level in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

He later transferred to McMaster University, where he competed in OUA from 2018 to 2021 with the Marauders. Veilleux was named OUA Rookie of the Year in 2018 after posting a .349 batting average and a .476 slugging percentage.

Veilleux now enters his sixth CBL season, having previously played for the Hamilton Cardinals in 2021 and 2022 before spending the past three seasons with Brantford. He has appeared in 162 CBL games and owns a career .271/.351/.362 slash line.

Known for his versatility, Veilleux adds depth to the Cardinals’ roster as a utility player, with experience behind the plate and the ability to contribute across multiple positions, including the outfield.

March 23, 2026

Official Western Canadian Baseball League News Release

The Western Canadian Baseball League is recognizing its baseball roots in Carnduff, Saskatchewan.

The agricultural town in southeast Saskatchewan has been selected as the host of the second annual Rural Roots Baseball Classic, which will take place on Friday, May 29 at Carnduff Ball Park.

Highlighting the event will be a regular-season game between the Saskatoon Berries and the Weyburn Beavers, with first pitch scheduled for 4:30 p.m. in the town of 1,150 people.

“We are very excited for the second ever Rural Roots Baseball Classic. This is our version of Major League Baseball’s Field of Dreams game,” said WCBL President Kevin Kvame.

“We will move this game around each year to a historical baseball location in our footprint and put on a regular-season WCBL game with two of our franchises. We were thrilled to kick this off in Oyen, Alberta last year and we cannot wait to show off our league to Carnduff in 2026.”

TEAM TIES

The Saskatoon Berries are linked to Carnduff through one of their biggest star players, Carter Beck. The lefty slugger, who was raised in Carnduff, has suited up in 106 games for the Berries over two years, including 12 playoff contests. In that time, the outfielder has a .400 batting average, 121 runs, 25 doubles, 24 home runs, 96 RBIs and 36 stolen bases over 435 at bats. He was named the WCBL Rookie of the Year, Most Outstanding Canadian and All-Star Game MVP in 2024, as well as a WCBL First Team All-Star in both 2024 and 2025.

“This means a lot. I think it is super cool that Carnduff has been granted this opportunity. It will really be the first time the far southeast corner has an opportunity to watch some WCBL action. I think it will open some eyes of kids to what baseball can look like and what you can do with it. So, I am super excited that Carnduff will host this game, and I know that it will be run very well,” said Carter.

“Carnduff has a beautiful ball complex with four smaller diamonds and one full‑size baseball diamond, and it’s been really cool to see how much the game has grown since I was a kid.”

Carter’s father, Blair Beck, has been a long-time baseball coach. He was the head coach of the15U boys Ray Carter Cup team from Saskatchewan that competed in Summerside, Prince Edward Island in 2025. He was also named the Baseball Sask Coach of the Year award winner in 2021.

“Obviously, with Carter and the success he's had in the WCBL, it means a lot to our community. And people are very invested in the WCBL because of the success he's had,” said Blair.

“It's such a unique event. We don't get opportunities like this in small towns very often … it just means so much more to everybody to be able just to go out and go to the diamonds locally and to see that quality … to have them at our diamond and get a chance to show off our diamond in our town, we're just super excited.”

Trent Dorrance of Alameda has coached alongside Blair Beck with several Saskatchewan teams. He is the head coach of the Southeast Twins 18U AAA baseball team in Estevan and a director for the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League (SPBL). His son, Tyren, represented the Weyburn Beavers for a number of years. The outfielder took the field in 69 games with the Beavers from 2022 through 2025.

Several other players from the Carnduff area have also played for the Beavers recently, including Carlyle products Chase and Mitch Himmelspach and Oxbow native Dax Brown. Derek Wallace, also from Oxbow, played several seasons for Weyburn and was an assistant coach with the Beavers in 2013.

BASEBALL HISTORY IN CARNDUFF

Carnduff – which takes its name from the first postmaster in the area, John Carnduff – was incorporated as a town in 1905 and baseball has been a part of the community’s fabric since the very beginning. A group of senior ball players from Carnduff won the Souris Valley League championship in 1909 and a Thunder Creek squad from the area operated as a nine-man team in 1910. By 1913, parked cars would crowd around diamonds, where spectators could partake in the baseball action from the comfort of their vehicles.

Carnduff’s involvement in the Saskota Baseball League – a senior men’s circuit based in southeast Saskatchewan and southwest Manitoba – also extends back for over a century. In 2003, the Astros became the most recent Carnduff iteration in the league and they captured a championship at the Jack Harbourne Memorial Tournament in 2019.

The community is supported by baseball infrastructure that received a major overhaul in the 1990s. Landscaping for the Carnduff Ball Park began in 1992 and five diamonds were completed as part of that project by 1996. The facilities are considered to be among the best in Saskatchewan and have played host to several provincial softball and baseball championship events.

The Carnduff Southeast Steelers are one of the most successful women’s fast-pitch softball programs in Canada. The Steelers became the first Saskatchewan-based team to win three consecutive Canadian Women’s A Softball Championships with titles from 2023 to 2025.

Carnduff remains an active hub for minor baseball of all ages, as well as a home to softball for girls in the area.

ABOUT THE RURAL ROOTS BASEBALL CLASSIC

Baseball has lived on the Canadian Prairies for well over a century. The sport is a regular and beloved feature of our summers. The seeds for a field of dreams were planted in Western Canada long before they grew in the hearts of baseball fans around the world.

It is more than a game. Baseball is a feeling. It is a vibe. It offers a soundtrack to our sun-soaked days outside. The bounty from this magical harvest can be found in the 12-team Western Canadian Baseball League, which offers Alberta and Saskatchewan the nation's highest level of summer collegiate baseball.

The WCBL is proud to present the Rural Roots Baseball Classic to our fans. The annual event is a celebration of the towns and cities that served as pioneers for the game.

Prairie communities offered humble beginnings to baseball in the form of dirt diamonds and gopher-hole-punched outfields. They welcomed barnstorming baseball stars to town to dazzle and inspire the locals, who responded by embracing every aspect of the game. The players accepted the assignment of getting their uniforms dirty, their throwing arms strong, their swings fast, and their grins wide. They learned the fundamentals and hard work was rewarded, both in life and at the ballpark. Today, we can look back proudly at what these communities did to elevate baseball. We can bear witness to the growth of the game and the towns. We can also peer to the horizon and smile as we squint to see the outline of a bat over a shoulder and a small dot racing skyward as a gloved form darts towards it below. This is baseball as it was originally created, while becoming not only America’s pastime but Canada’s as well. Simple. Beautiful. Timeless. Welcome home, to the Rural Roots Baseball Classic!

TICKET INFO

Tickets for the Rural Roots Baseball Classic will be available through the Weyburn Beavers website.

March 23, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed manager John Schneider and general manager Ross Atkins to contract extensions.

The club made the announcement early Monday morning.

Schneider, who’s entering his fifth season as Blue Jays’ bench boss, has received a two-year extension through 2028, while Atkins, who has been with the club since December 2015, was rewarded with a five-year extension through the 2031 campaign.

Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro had his contract extended through the 2030 season in December.

In parts of five seasons as the Blue Jays manager, Schneider has led the team to a 303-257 record and their first American League pennant since 1993 in 2025. The Blue Jays fell one win short of a World Series championship last season.

"Schneids understands what it takes to build a winning environment and works tirelessly to create exactly that,” said Atkins in a statement issued by the team. “His blend of emotional intelligence and deep baseball knowledge truly sets him apart in an incredibly competitive industry. His constant drive to improve shows in the preparation he brings each day, and we look forward to his continued leadership.”

A former catcher in the Blue Jays’ organization, Schneider started managing in the club’s system in 2009. He spent three seasons as the dugout boss of the class-A Vancouver Canadians before being promoted to the big league staff.

Schneider also guided the Blue Jays to playoff berths in 2022 and 2023. In each of those seasons, they were swept in a Wild-Card Series.

"I am ecstatic to continue leading the Blue Jays as we work to bring our incredible fans a championship team. It’s been a privilege to be part of this organization for nearly 25 years, and the work the Blue Jays continue to do excites me every day," Schneider said in a team statement on Monday.

Atkins came to the Blue Jays, along with Shapiro, from the Cleveland Guardians organization. During his 10 seasons as Blue Jays GM, the team has a 777-741 record and has advanced to the postseason five times.

"Ross has done an outstanding job in building a deep foundation with an accomplished baseball operations team, best-in-class resources, and a collaborative culture. I am a strong supporter of stability and continuity, and Ross continues to make us better," Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro said in a statement provided by the team.

"It’s easy for me to believe in Ross, as I’ve seen him transition from player to young front-office executive to established MLB executive, and I am extremely confident his leadership will help us achieve our collective goal of bringing World Series championships back to Canada."

March 22, 2026

By Jake McGrail

UBC Communications

LA GRANDE, Ore. – The T-Birds earned an emphatic series win on Sunday afternoon, as they piled up the runs in a pair of mercy rule blowouts over Eastern Oregon.

Scorelines of 15-3 and 14-2 mean that the 'Birds scored an astounding 60 runs in their four-game series in La Grande, and have 95 in their last seven games overall – an average of 1.8 runs per inning played during that span.

A total of six Thunderbirds recorded at least three hits over the course of Sunday's doubleheader, led by Kansai Sugimoto who had five. Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) had seven RBIs to lead the team in that category, including a grand slam late in the second game to put the exclamation point on the contest and the series as a whole.

GAME ONE

Myles Chamberlain (Victoria, B.C.) was dealing on the mound to start the day, allowing just two hits and two walks in five scoreless innings in what turned out to be his fifth win of the season.

While there weren't any fireworks in the first couple of innings, that all changed in a third frame that featured an explosion of offence from UBC. The T-Birds totalled 15 at-bats before the Mountaineers could get three outs, nearly batting around the order twice and putting 10 runs on the board.

The damage started off on a throwing error from the EOU third baseman that came with the bases loaded and one out, turning a potential force-out at home into both Lou Fujiwara and Oliver Clements (Vancouver, B.C.) safely crossing the plate.

What followed was a series of RBI singles and stolen bases, as Scott, Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) and Matt Vanslyke (Whitby, Ont.) all brought home runners with hits. Fujiwara – who'd led off the inning with a double – then came back to the plate and managed an RBI bunt single, bringing home Calvin Warrillow (Toronto, Ont.) and beating out the throw at first to make it 7-0 with still just one out on the board.

A passed ball and a two-RBI single from Sugimoto completed the carnage, as the T-Birds exited the inning up double digits and all of a sudden in complete control.

The Mountaineers didn't get any runs on the board until the bottom of the sixth, at which point the scoreboard read 15-0 following some more bursts of UBC offence – headlined by a three-run homer by David Krahn (Langley, B.C.) in the fifth. A pair of RBI doubles from Jaxon Logsdon and Andrew Demianew in the final two innings provided some form of consolation for the hosts but didn't put any serious dent into the T-Birds' margin of victory.

GAME TWO

The blue and gold spread their offence a bit more evenly in the second game of the day, putting multiple runs on the board in four of the seven innings played.

That included a two-run second, beginning with a balk called on EOU starting pitcher Jayden Butler that advanced Bourne from third to home. Jordan Stewart (Vancouver, B.C.) then fired an RBI single on the same at-bat to double the UBC advantage.

The 'Birds continued some sweet symmetry in the following innings, scoring three runs in the third and four in the fourth. Scott and Vanslyke brought home the runners with a pair of RBI singles in the third, before a Sugimoto RBI single was followed by yet another three-run Krahn bomb in the fourth.

Scott made it 14 runs on the board in the sixth with his aforementioned grand slam, coming immediately after Bourne had brought home Clements on a bases loaded single. In all, Scott was directly involved in eight of the T-Birds' 14 runs in the game, either through bringing home runners on a hit or crossing the plate himself.

Daniel Orfaly (White Rock, B.C.) had a clean five innings of work on the mound, allowing just one run off a Jace Nagler solo homer in the bottom of the third. After allowing 11 runs in the series opener on Saturday, the Thunderbirds' defence gave up just 10 in the next three games combined to help take the series.

UBC will be back at home inside Tourmaline West Stadium next weekend, as they take on Warner Pacific in a four-game series on Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29. The 'Birds swept the Knights on the road in Portland back at the beginning of the month.

March 22, 2026

By Rich Leitch

Canadian Premier Baseball League

Canadian Premier found itself chasing the game early Sunday and was unable to recover, falling 10–4 to the Kansas City Royals.

The tone was set in the second inning, when the Royals capitalized on early opportunities to build a sizeable lead. Canadian Premier answered in the bottom half, as Zach Barker (Bolton, Ont.) delivered a solo home run to right field, a quick response that highlighted the club’s ability to push back.

Noah Powell (Toronto, Ont.) made the start and battled through a difficult opening frame, working around command trouble while running his fastball at 91–94 mph. Jack Perry (Mississauga, Ont.) followed and provided needed stability, striking out three while operating in the 88–90 mph range with his fastball and mixing in a 75–77 mph curveball.

The bullpen then turned in one of its more encouraging collective efforts of the trip. Logan Forgie (Ottawa, Ont.) was dominant across two hitless innings, needing just 31 pitches while striking out four. He worked with a fastball in the 89–91 mph range and paired it with a sharp 72–74 mph slider, consistently missing barrels. Korbin Greaves (Ajax, Ont.) closed the game with authority, featuring a fastball that reached 92 mph with high spin and a firm slider in the 78–80 mph range.

Offensively, Canadian Premier continued to compete despite the early deficit. Barker led the way, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Ashton Gaulton (Mooretown, Ont.) added two hits of his own as the pair provided consistent production in the heart of the order.

While the early innings proved decisive, Canadian Premier showed composure as the game settled in, receiving quality work from its bullpen and continuing to generate competitive at-bats.

Canadian Premier will look to regroup Monday as it continues its road trip with a matchup against the Los Angeles Angels.

March 22, 2026

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

The glow of watching Canada compete for five games in the World Baseball Classic is over.

A football friend of mine who didn’t miss a pitch compared watching Canada play in the WBC to seeing the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes play in person at the Horseshoe in Columbus on a bright sunny fall day after the leaves have turned.

Now?

Well, my friend compared it to a friend taking him to watching a football game between the Brown Bears and the Cornell Big Red in Ithaca, NY -- in heavy gusts of wind in the midst of a torrential downpour.

Canada was that close to going undefeated in pool play, as it emerged on top.

Canada was that close to beating Team USA: a wild throw led to an unearned run, three times pitchers failed to cover first and in the bottom of the seventh, down two, had runners at second and third down with none out. The meat or the order went meekly without a hit.

And now players are back in their respective camps. Had it been a normal team it would have been on a back field doing PFP drills.

And the news for Canada this week is not as good as WBC week ...

Canada will not play in the Olympics in July 2028 in Los Angeles, although it came close.

Canada will not play in the Premier12 in 2027 or compete in one of the two four-team qualiifers for the Premier12 (second to only the WBC in stature), although it came close.

Canada still had a chance after losing to USA. It needed Japan to score three runs and beat Venezuela. No an uneasy ask since Japan was the defending champs.

Japan scored more than three and was winning 5-4 heading into the sixth against Venezuela in the quarter-finals. Venezuela’s Wilyer Abreu then hit a three-run homer off Hiromi Itoh — reigning winner of the Sawamura Award, Japan’s version of the Cy Young— to give his club a 7-5 lead. Venezuela added another for an 8-5 win to eliminate the defending champs.

It was a game which saw former MVPs Ronald Acuña and Shohei Ohtani homer for their respective teams.

So, no LA, which is nothing like the 68-team March Madness. There will only be six countries in LA, unlike Athens in 2004 or Bejing in 2008. Both were eight-team events,

And using my Kingston math, 12 teams in the Premier12 and eight more to qualify, 20th-ranked Canada should be OK for a spot. Except. The 24th ranked Spain offered to host. See ya.

OF Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) is sandwiched between Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) and Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) after advancing. Photo: Baseball Canada

The four qualifiers for the Zhongshan pool in China are No. 15 ranked Czechia, No. 16. Nicaragua, No. 19 Great Britain and host No. 17 China.

Meanwhile in Barcelona, No. 13 Colombia, No. 14 Italy, No. 18 Germany and host Spain will compete for spots next fall.

Now, had Spain been ranked higher -- rankings are based on 12U play, 15U, 22U, World Junior and WBC — Canada would have been granted the final spot.

There is no way you can convince a Canadian pro that Czechia, Nicaragua, Colombia, Great Britain or Germany are better than Canada. China and Spain deserve spots as hosts.

Already qualified for 2027: Australia. Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Team USA and Venezuela.

We have no doubts the rankings will be vastly different at the end of December if the talk of Canada fielding a 15U team soon are true. While we also head that there is that Ottawa dirty phrase “a decrease in funding for baseball” going around, Canada helped itself.

Each country receives $750,000 US for entering the WBC, plus Canada earned a bonus of $750,000 for winning its pool and $1 million for making the quarter final. That’s $2.5 million in total to be split 50-50 between the governing body (Baseball Canada) and its players -- if our numbers are correct. So $1.25 million to be split among 28 players and the same for Baseball Canada.

* * *

Scouting advantage: In this year’s WBC, Canada benefited from the contribution of three scouts: Walt Burrows (Brentwood Bay, BC) of the Blue Jays, Christian Conforti (Oshawa, Ont.) of the Blue Jays and Chris Kemlo (Oshawa, Ont.) of the San Deigo Padres.

Burrows, Canada’s senior scout did his regular role evaluating Canada’s future opponents. Kemlo scouted Cuba when it was in Arizona, while Canada was playing pre-WBC games in Florida and then Team USA. Conforti did game prep, matchups and defensive positioning.

March 22, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

Black sent to triple-A by Brewers

Infielder Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) was sent to triple-A by the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.

The decision clearly wasn’t based on his performance this spring. In six Cactus League games for the Brewers, he went 11-for-20 (.550 batting average) and had two doubles, two triples, a home run, three stolen bases and 14 RBIs.

Earlier in the month, the 25-year-old Black made his national team debut at the World Baseball Classic. He went 1-for-10 but scored two runs and had two RBIs in the tournament.

The left-handed hitting Canuck spent the bulk of 2025 with the Brewers’ triple-A Nashville Sounds, where he had a .369 on-base percentage with four home runs and 22 stolen bases in 61 games. He also hit .250 with an RBI in five games with the big-league Brewers.

Nori named to All-WBC team

Fernando Tatis Jr., Roman Anthony and Dante Nori.

That’s pretty good company for the Toronto-born Nori to keep in the World Baseball Classic All-Tournament Team’s outfield, which was announced on Wednesday.

Nori, who was born in Toronto while his father, Micah, coached for the Toronto Raptors, was an offensive force for the underdog Italian team that made a surprising run to the WBC semifinals.

In six games in the tournament, Nori batted .400 and belted two home runs while topping Italy with eight hits and six RBIs.

A first-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2024 MLB draft, Nori honed his skills at Northville High School in Michigan.

In 2025, in his first full season in the Phillies’ organization, he played a combined 125 games between class-A, High-A and double-A and registered a .361 on-base percentage with 12 triples and 52 stolen bases.

The speedy 21-year-old is rated as the Phillies’ seventh-best prospect by MLB Pipeline.

Happy Birthday Ralph Dickenson!

Longtime minor league baseball coach Ralph Dickenson was born in Nanaimo, B.C. on this date 78 years ago.

Best known for his more than four decades as a collegiate and minor league coach, he has worked for several major league organizations, including with the Montreal Expos (2001-02) and Toronto Blue Jays (2010 to 2012). In 2014, he served as the Houston Astros’ assistant hitting coach.

Prior to his coaching career, Dickenson was a two-way player in the Minnesota Twins’ organization. With the Twins’ class-A affiliate in Lynchburg in 1972, he batted .280 in 77 games primarily as an outfielder and posted a 1.72 ERA in 16 pitching appearances as a right-handed reliever.

Molleken hired by Saskatoon Berries

Former Detroit Tigers right-hander and longtime national team pitcher Dustin Molleken (Regina, Sask.) has been hired as a pitching consultant by the Western Canadian Baseball League’s Saskatoon Berries.

In this position, he will help out the Berries pitching coach Ryan Olchoway.

Selected in the 15th round of the 2003 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Lethbridge Community College, Molleken toed the rubber for parts of eight seasons in the Bucs’ system before enjoying tenures in the Colorado Rockies, Brewers, Cleveland Guardians and Tigers organizations.

The 6-foot-4 righty made his big league debut with the Tigers in 2016 and posted a 4.32 ERA in four appearances for them.

In total, in 16 professional seasons, which also included parts of two campaigns with the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Japan Pacific League, Molleken finished with a 54-37 record and a 4.37 ERA in 531 appearances (36 starts).

During his career, Molleken also consistently answered the call for the national team and was a member of Canada’s gold medal-winning squad at the 2011 Pan Am Games.

Since hanging up his playing spikes, he has become a highly respected pitching instructor in his home province. He had previously served as a pitching consultant for the Moose Jaw Miller Express of the Western Canadian Baseball League.

Molleken was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.

Allen signs with Dodgers

Fresh off pitching for Canada at the WBC, left-hander Logan Allen has signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reported on Wednesday.

Allen, whose father, Norman, was from Lachine, Que., made two appearances for Canada at the WBC. He got the final out in Canada’s 4-3 loss to Panama and then hurled three strong innings – permitting just one run – in relief in Canada’s 3-2 victory over Puerto Rico.

In 2025, the 28-year-old Allen went 7-12 with a 4.53 ERA in 31 starts, striking out 149 batters in 173 innings, for the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

Prior to that, he appeared in 45 big league games across parts of five seasons between 2019 and 2024 with the San Diego Padres, Guardians, Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Allen was born in West Palm Beach, Fla. He honed his skills at the IMG Academy in Bradenton and was chosen in the eighth round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox.

While with the double-A San Antonio Missions in the Padres’ organization in 2018, Allen roomed with right-hander Rowan Wick (North Vancouver, B.C.) who informed him that he’d be eligible to pitch for Canada at the WBC.

No spiders for Glenallen Hill on his birthday

Happy 61st Birthday to former Blue Jays outfielder Glenallen Hill!

May he not have any nightmares about spiders on his birthday.

For those of you who are too young to know the story, when Hill was an up-and-coming outfielder with the Blue Jays in 1990, he reportedly had a nightmare about spiders while he was sleepwalking. And while trying to escape the spiders in his dream, he crashed through a glass table and suffered bruises and cuts on his feet, legs and elbows. The next day he was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Outside of that incident, Hill had a solid major league career in which he clubbed 186 home runs in 13 seasons.

Abel tracks down three original Blue Jays

This is an article I wish I wrote.

With the Blue Jays heading into their 50th season, veteran scribe Allen Abel managed to track down three Blue Jays who played in the club’s first game on April 7, 1977 for a National Post story.

Most impressive is that he found and interviewed John Scott, the Blue Jays’ leadoff hitter on that snowy day. Scott hadn’t done a baseball interview in nearly 50 years and has lost touch with all of his former teammates.

“I don’t remember a bunch of the guys,” Scott tells Abel about his former Jays teammates. “No contact, nothing. I guess I could take part blame for that. Mexico was the last time I played. Campeche, Mexico. I think that’s where it was. I tried to leave everything there.”

Since his pro career ended, Scott, who lives in Compton, Calif., has scuffled to find work, but has managed to get by. He talks to Abel about some of the personal tragedy he has faced.

Abel also tracked down Pedro Garcia, who started at second base for the Blue Jays in their first game, in San Juan, Puerto Rico and outfielder Al Woods, who homered in his first MLB at bat for the Blue Jays in that first game, in Oakland.

Read the full article here.

Remembering legendary umpire Ernie Quigley

Longtime MLB umpire and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ernie Quigley was born on this date in 1880 in Newcastle, N.B.

Between 1913 and 1938, he officiated 3,351 major league games. He also umpired in six World Series.

After playing basketball at the University of Kansas, Quigley proceeded to have a lengthy career at the school which included a tenure as its athletic director.

He spent a few years as a minor league player before his umpiring career began in the Wisconsin-Illinois League in 1911. Stints in the New York State League (1912) and International League (1913) followed before he graduated to the big leagues.

In 1940, after his umpiring career, he was appointed the National League’s first full-time director of public relations.

He died on December 10, 1960 in Lawrence, Kan.

He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 2021.

Blue Jays release two Canadians

The Blue Jays released catcher Nicolas Deschamps (Quebec City, Que.) and infielder Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, B.C.) on Wednesday.

Signed as an amateur free agent by the Blue Jays in 2021, Deschamps batted .192 in parts of five minor league seasons, rising as high as double-A New Hampshire in 2025. With the High-A Vancouver Canadians last season, the ABC Academy alum threw out 12 of 31 baserunners attempting to steal off him.

The 26-year-old Palmegiani also suited up for parts of five seasons in the Blue Jays’ organization. The Vauxhall Academy grad had three consecutive 20-home run campaigns from 2022 to 2024 before slumping in 2025. He was a member of Canada’s World Baseball Classic team in 2023.

March 22nd Birthdays

1880 – Ernie Quigley (Newcastle, N.B.), legendary umpire, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee (died in 1960).

1948 – Ralph Dickenson (Nanaimo, B.C.), longtime professional coach

1965 – Glenallen Hill, former Blue Jays outfielder

1966 – Sean Berry, former Expos infielder

1984 – Joe Smith, former Blue Jays reliever

1996 – Ernie Clement, current Blue Jays infielder

March 21, 2026

By Toby Kerr

UBC Communications

LA GRANDE, Ore. – The UBC Thunderbirds were crushing the baseball all day Saturday, but had to settle for a doubleheader split with the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers at Optimist Field.

The Mountaineers won the series opener 11-8, before the 'Birds bounced back in a big way with a mercy-rule shortened 23-5 seven-inning win in game two.

Amazingly, the T-Birds scored in every inning of game two and in all but four innings across the double dip. That includes a streak of 10 straight innings (and counting) with a run scored from the seventh inning of game one until the end of the second game.

Kansai Sugimoto, Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.), Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) and Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) all had multiple hits in both games, illustrating the depth of UBC's offensive dominance. Yip and Bourne drove in five runs each, Bourne also scored four. Matt VanSlyke (Whitby, Ont.) scored four runs in the second game alone on the strength of five hits.

The 'Birds had a great start to game one with Sugimoto hitting a solo home run in the top of the first. By the end of the second inning the game was tied 2-2, where it remained until the fifth.

Eastern Oregon's offence exploded in the fifth and sixth, with the Mountaineers putting up eight runs to jump out to a commanding 10-2 lead.

UBC battled back, scoring in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to make the game close. Bourne's three-run homer in the ninth made it 11-8, but the comeback bid ended there.

The T-Birds teed off on Mountaineers' starter Jace Chow from the start of game two. Oliver Clements (Vancouver, B.C.) led off the game with a home run and UBC would go on to score seven first inning runs off of Chow, who only recorded one out.

The 'Birds would score in every inning of the game, with a small rally in the second from EOU to draw the lead down to 8-4 the only time UBC seemed vaguely threatened.

By the end of the fourth it was 13-4, with the T-Birds racking up RBI single after RBI single to build the massive lead.

Through six innings, it was 18-5.

After Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) and Scott each hit two-run home runs in the seventh, the game was 23-5 for UBC and mercifully put to an end after seven innings.

The teams will play another doubleheader on Sunday at Optimist Field, first pitch scheduled for 11:00 a.m. (P.T.).

March 21, 2026

By Rich Leitch

Canadian Premier Baseball League

Canadian Premier ran into an early deficit Saturday and was unable to fully recover, falling 4–2 to the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners struck quickly, manufacturing a run in the opening inning before adding to their advantage in the second. Despite the early damage, Canadian Premier settled in and showed resilience over the remainder of the game, matching their opponent inning for inning but unable to close the gap.

Right-hander Zachary Landreville (Saint-Jerome, Que.) drew the start and flashed premium velocity, running his fastball up to 95 mph while pairing it with a sharp slider. After a challenging opening stretch, the bullpen steadied the game and kept Canadian Premier within reach.

Ethan Reason (Stouffville, Ont.) continued his strong week with two scoreless innings, working efficiently in the upper-80s to low-90s.

Malachi Farrow (Blenheim, Ont.) followed with a composed outing, limiting hard contact while striking out three across two innings.

Zach Duke (Burlington, Ont.) closed things out with a pair of clean frames, attacking the zone and recording two strikeouts to cap an effective relief effort.

Canadian Premier’s offence generated opportunities throughout but ultimately settled for two runs. Zach Barker (Bolton, Ont.) and Robert Omidi (Mississauga, Ont.) each delivered an RBI, while Gino DeSantis (Chatham, Ont.), Barker, Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.), Ashton Gaulton (Mooretown, Ont.) and Omidi all contributed a hit.

Defensively, Canadian Premier was sharp and fundamentally sound, playing error-free baseball.

Canadian Premier will look to convert that steady play into results as they continue their road trip Sunday against the Kansas City Royals.

March 20, 2026

Official Rogers Sportsnet News Release

March 20, 2026 – With echoes of October still resonating, the Toronto Blue Jays turn the page to their 50th season, and Sportsnet has every base covered. Sportsnet’s comprehensive coverage of everything Blue Jays begins with Opening Night on March 27 vs Athletics at 7:07 p.m. E.T.

Sportsnet & Sportsnet+

• In the Booth – Dan Shulman delivers play-by-play, with analysis from Joe Siddall and Caleb Joseph.

• At the Desk – Jamie Campbell leads Blue Jays Central, joined by analysts Joseph and Madison Shipman for pre-, mid-, and post-game coverage.

• On the Field – Reporters Hazel Mae and Arden Zwelling bring the latest updates from the clubhouse and dugout.

• Insiders – Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith deliver breaking news and insights from across the league.

Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet Radio Network & On-Demand

• In the Booth – Ben Shulman has the call, alongside analyst Chris Leroux

• Beyond the ballpark, fans can catch all the latest headlines and in-depth analysis with:

  • Blair & Barker – Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker return to break down the latest storylines every weekday (Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet Radio Network, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet+, and on-demand).

  • Jays Talk – Blair and Barker also return for post-game breakdowns, with contributions from Sho Alli (Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet Radio Network, & on-demand).

  • Jays Talk Plus – Hosted daily by Blake Murphy throughout the regular season beginning in May (Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet Radio Network, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet+, and on-demand).

  • At the Letters – The go-to Blue Jays podcast returns, featuring Nicholson-Smith and Zwelling (on-demand). 

Digital

• Sportsnet insiders Davidi, Nicholson-Smith, Zwelling, and David Singh provide exclusive interviews, breaking news, and expert analysis all season long on sportnet.ca and the Sportsnet App.

March 20, 2026

Official Saskatoon Berries News Release

The Saskatoon Berries have named former major league pitcher Dustin Molleken as their pitching consultant for the upcoming 2026 WCBL season.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity to join the Berries coaching staff. It’s a great organization, and I’m passionate about developing players and helping them grow while contributing to the team’s success this season. Let’s go!” said Molleken.

Originally from Regina, Sask., Molleken is officially turning purple. He brings 19 years of professional experience to the organization, including time in MLB, Japan’s NPB, and on the international stage with Canada.

Molleken’s extensive international resume is nothing short of outstanding. He made 11 appearances with Canada, contributing to bronze-medal finishes at the 2009 and 2011 Baseball World Cups. In 2011, he was also part of the historic team that took home gold at the Pan Am Games in Guadalajara. One of his favourite memories was playing for Canada in the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classics.

In 2012, Molleken signed with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball, where he shared a clubhouse with future global superstar Shohei Ohtani. That same year, Molleken made history for the Fighters, becoming the first Canadian to pitch in the Japan Series of the NPB.

After several seasons in the minor leagues, Molleken made his MLB debut in 2016 with the Detroit Tigers as a relief pitcher.

Since retiring from his professional playing career, Molleken has remained deeply involved in player development. He returned to his college town of Lethbridge to join the coaching staff at Prairie Baseball Academy. Molleken also spent time as a pitching coach for Team Canada’s Junior and Senior National Teams, Big League Experience and Baseball Sask at the Canada Cup. In recognition of his contributions to the sport, he was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.

Molleken will join the Berries’ returning baseball operations staff lead by head coach Joe Carnahan, along with pitching coach Ryan Olchoway, and assistant coach Chance Wheatley.

March 20, 2026

By Rich Leitch

Canadian Premier Baseball League

Canadian Premier delivered a polished, complete performance Friday, riding a relentless offensive attack and steady pitching to a 10–3 victory over the Langley Blaze.

At the heart of the win was Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.), who set the tone from his first trip to the plate and never let up. He went 3-for-4, lining singles in the first, third, and fifth innings, consistently igniting rallies and applying pressure to the Blaze defence.

Canadian Premier struck quickly in the opening frame. Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.) laced a single to centre to bring home the game’s first run, and Christian Iriotakis (Toronto, Ont.) followed by turning on a pitch and driving a double down the left field line to make it 2–0.

Langley answered in the third, capitalizing on a double from Finn Hoeschen (North Vancouver, B.C.) and a defensive miscue to even the score. But the tie proved brief.

The game turned decisively in the fifth inning, when Canadian Premier broke it open with a four-run surge. Sam Ellis (Ottawa, Ont.) started the rally, and Lascelles and Robert Omidi (Mississauga, Ont.) followed with run-producing singles as the lineup strung together quality at-bats to seize a 6–2 advantage.

From there, Canadian Premier remained firmly in control. Zach Barker (Bolton, Ont.) added a finishing touch in the seventh, launching a solo home run to left field to extend the lead and underscore the club’s offensive depth.

On the mound, Canadian Premier’s staff delivered a composed, multi-arm effort. Damarcus Rideout Carter (Brampton, Ont.) opened with two hitless innings, working efficiently while flashing a fastball in the 89–92 mph range and a tight, high-spin slider.

Gavin Campbell (Windsor, Ont.) followed by missing bats, striking out three while touching 91 mph.

Adam Nasrallah (Quebec, Que.) continued the momentum with two scoreless innings of his own, mixing speeds effectively and allowing just two hits while striking out three.

Xavier Raphael Brault (Blainville, Que.) closed the door, surrendering only one hit and showcasing a power fastball that climbed to 92 mph.

In total, Canadian Premier pounded out 12 hits, with Evan York (Waterloo, Ont.) and Omidi each driving in a pair. Ellis chipped in with two hits, and the club backed its pitching staff with clean defensive work, highlighted by a well-turned double play.

With the win, Canadian Premier carries momentum into Saturday, when they travel to face the Seattle Mariners.

March 20, 2026

By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

Rodger Brulotte's cries of Guerrero,Guerrero, Guerrero and Cordero, Cordero, Cordero and Walker, Walker, Walker after homers exemplified his tremendous enthusiasm for the Expos as an announcer.

In all his years alongside Jacques Doucet on Expos' French broadcasts, he was funny, witty and knowledgeable about baseball and the Expos, and later on Blue Jays telecasts.

He was famous for the line "Bonsoir, elle est partie!" (Good night, it is gone) which he blared when the Expos hit a home run.

Fellow media and fans gobbled him up. He kept people in stitches. He hugged people endlessly.

The baseball world is mourning the passing of Brulotte, who died today of cancer. Last fall, he went to see a doctor after complaining of pain in his back. He then had a cancerous tumour removed from one of his vertebraes.

He was a commendable amateur ball player in his youth and was a member of the Expos front-office staff in the early years of the franchise, working for president John McHale, general manager Jim Fanning and the marketing staff. He also contributed to the late 1970s creation of the Expos mascot Youppi.

In 1984, he was hired by CKAC Radio in Montreal to serve as colour commentator with Doucet. Then in 1990, he shifted to television on RDS where he called Expos games with his colleague Denis Casvant until the team's demise in 2004.

Brulotte later became a member of the Blue Jays broadcast team alongside Casavant but he missed the World Series last fall due to his illness. During the World Series, many media members, in support of cancer people, held up signs, saying I Stand Up For Rodger Brulotte.

In 2013, he was voted the winner of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame's Jack Graney Award for media excellence over the course of his lifetime.

A big loss for Quebec and Canada.

March 18, 2026

Official Guelph Royals News Release

GUELPH - The Guelph Royals have acquired closer Dustin Richardson and outfielder Luca Boscarino (Mississauga, Ont.) from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for infielder Brando Leroux (Markham, Ont.) and cash considerations.

Richardson, 42, joins the Royals after a dominant six-season run with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

From 2018 to 2025, the former Boston Red Sox hurler struck out 179 batters in 95 1/3 innings, going 6-1 with 15 saves and a lifetime ERA of 2.36.

His best season in the IBL came in 2025 when he struck out 17 batters in just 9 2/3 innings.

His most notable performance came against the Royals when he struck out the side with the bases loaded and no one out in a June 6 contest against his now current team.

Prior to his time in the IBL, the Newton, Kan., native pitched in 29 big league games for the Red Sox and 149 games in triple-A.

Boscarino, 23, joins the Royals after spending his first two seasons in the league with Toronto.

The Mississauga, Ont., native is a year removed from a dominant senior season at Reinhardt, where he batted .290 with eight home runs

Royals assistant general manager Ryan Eakin said Wednesday was an exciting day for the Royals.

"First off, we want to thank Brando for his four seasons of service with us. He is an elite defender, has already been in All-Star in this league, and is a great person. We did not want to trade Brando, but it became clear over the last couple of months that a deal with Toronto was going to have to include him.

"I would also like to thank Leafs general manager Dennis Bailey. This was a long process over the span of many months, but at the end of the day, we both got what we wanted and I think that is the sign of a fair deal.

"As for Dustin, we are so excited to have him here. This was, for me, over three months in the making, but for us as a team, this feels years in the making. We have come so close so many times to getting him. I love his passion, how much he hates to lose, and his presence in the locker room. I truly do think he is the best pitcher this league has ever seen.

"And with Luca, this deal does not happen without his inclusion. He is such a great guy, knows so many of our players, and gives you a professional at-bat. I am so huge on Luca and what his ceiling can be."

Richardson said he is excited for the next chapter.

"I’m excited to be part of a club that values competition and accountability, where opportunities are earned and the focus is on winning."

Boscarino said he cannot wait to be in Guelph for the long haul.

"I’d like to thank Ryan Eakin and the Royals for making this possible. Anytime you get the opportunity to play for a first-class organization like Guelph, it’s an absolute blessing and I couldn’t be more excited. I’d like to thank Rob Butler for my time with the Leafs, as I’ll always remember that.

“I’m so excited to be joining this specific group in Guelph. The culture this team has created is something that can’t be found in this league and I can’t wait to join that culture and add to it. Being in that locker room will be one of the best places to be in Ontario this summer and I can’t stop smiling thinking about that.

"Being reunited with a lot of my former coaches and past teammates is the cherry on top of this all. Getting to play for Dino Roumel and Sean Travers, who were my coaches at the Ontario Blue Jays, and with Tops [Damon Topolie], who are all big mentors on and off the field in my life is awesome. Getting to share the field with Conner Morro, Tak [Garrett Takamatsu], and other guys who I looked up to when I was a youth athlete is also a full circle moment for me and I can’t be more grateful it’s happening.

"I’m looking forward to helping this team bring a championship to the great city of Guelph. I’m hoping September includes the Guelph Royals baseball team on a double decker bus with the Dominco Cup riding down MacDonell Street.

"Guelph has the passion and I can’t wait to go to war between the lines for the guys and organization this summer!"

March 20, 2026

By Rich Leitch

Canadian Premier Baseball League

Canadian Premier outhit the Cincinnati Reds but came up just short in a 6–4 loss on Thursday, despite a determined late-game rally and strong offensive production throughout the lineup.

Canadian Premier collected 10 hits on the day, with Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.), Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.), and Robert Omidi (Mississauga, Ont.) each recording multi-hit performances. Omidi played a key role in the middle of the order, driving in three runs and finishing 2-for-5, while consistently applying pressure in key situations.

After falling behind early, Canadian Premier showed resilience and continued to chip away. The group’s most significant push came late, highlighted by an RBI double from Omidi that helped narrow the gap and bring the tying run into play in the final frame.

On the mound, Lucas St. Laurent (Ascot Corner, Que.) got the start, working into the second inning while showing a lively fastball that reached 90 mph with strong spin characteristics, complemented by a mid-70s slider.

Logan Cummins (Mississauga, Ont.) followed with power stuff, sitting in the 92–94 mph range and mixing in both a slider and changeup effectively.

Eliott Malo (Contrecouer, Que.) handled the middle innings, featuring a fastball in the mid-to-high 80s and a high-spin breaking ball that generated swings and misses. Caleb Dupuis (Georgetown, Ont.) closed out the game, showcasing a fastball up to 91 mph along with a solid three-pitch mix to keep hitters off balance.

Ashton Gaulton (Mooretown, Ont.) contributed offensively with a two-run double and came within inches of more, driving a deep ball to left field that was caught at the wall.

Canadian Premier also showed discipline at the plate, drawing six walks, and played a clean defensive game without committing an error. Gino DeSantis (Chatham, Ont.) led the way defensively with four chances, while the team turned a double play to limit damage.

Despite the loss, Canadian Premier’s balanced offensive attack, clean defence, and steady pitching offered encouraging signs moving forward.

Canadian Premier will look to build on that effort as they prepare for their next matchup against the Langley Blaze on Friday.

March 20, 2026

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

When Ayden Makarus would step up to the plate for the Okotoks Dawgs Academy in high school, people knew.

Not from what they saw, but what they heard.

“We swung wood bats when I was playing for the Dawgs Academy, this is where I started to notice the ball sounded different coming off my bat than everyone else’s,” Makarus (Okotoks, Alta.) said.

“People would tell me that it sounded like a shotgun going off when I hit the ball. This was the first time I truly realized that at any time, I was a power threat.”

And a power threat he continues to be.

After his time in Alberta, he was off to LSU Eunice where he’d swat 12 home runs and post a 1.081 OPS to help the Bengals to the NJCAA Division I national championship.

In 2022, he would hit six home runs in 45 games for Bossier Parish Community College.

It was at that point he decided to step away from the game for personal reasons. But as it turned out, not forever.

Fast forward to the 2025 season and his power was back on full display, this time with the NAIA Bellevue Bruins. He’d end the '25 season with a .324 average, 17 home runs and a 1.172 OPS.

This season has been more of the same, as Makarus has eight home runs in 18 games for the 18-3 Bruins.

“My dad always told me ‘if you can hit, they’ll find a spot for you in the lineup,’” he said.

As well as he was playing to start the year, he wasn’t satisfied and knew he needed to cut down on his strikeouts.

So, he took a less is more approach.

“Swinging at 70 per cent and thinking: ‘stay in that right-centre gap,’” Makarus said of his mindset.

“I don’t need to try and kill the ball every time. When I focus on getting my barrel to the ball, it still jumps off my bat. I’ve learned to trust how quick my hands are. This has allowed me more time at the plate to; recognize the pitch, location and make a decision to swing or not.”

He also credits his pre- and post-game preparation, which focuses on diet, hydration, strength training and mobility. The 6-foot-2, 219-pounder is a big believer in in-season lifting.

Mentally, it’s been all about imagery and taking mental reps well before any pitch is ever thrown.

“I go to sleep every night thinking and dreaming about baseball and how I want to perform,” he said.

“This translates into confidence on the field because I’ve practiced this thousands of times before.”

As for his team, the Bruins remind Makarus a lot of that 2021 national championship Bengals squad.

“What separates us from everyone else is the way we think,” he said.

“Every single person on this team hates to lose more than they love to win. When you have 40 guys all sharing the same mindset, who refuse to fail, who bring the juice day in and day out, even when their body is telling them different, you become extremely hard to beat.”

March 19, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Buck Martinez will be the first inductee into the Toronto Blue Jays’ new Hall of Excellence which will open at the Rogers Centre in August.

The induction ceremony will take place on August 29.

The Hall, which will be located in the 100 level in right field, will replace the team’s Level of Excellence.

“As we transform the Level of Excellence into a Hall of Fame, there is no more fitting first inductee into this new Hall than Buck Martinez,” said Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro in a video released by the Blue Jays on Thursday. “Buck has played so many important roles for this franchise, first as a player, then as a manager and then for decades as our broadcaster. He has symbolized the professionalism and passion for the game of baseball and for so many of our fans has served as a point of connection to so many special moments throughout Blue Jays history.”

Martinez announced his retirement from the Blue Jays broadcast booth on February 6.

Prior to his broadcasting career, Martinez was a big league catcher for parts of 17 seasons – the last six with the Blue Jays. He started his TV broadcast career as an analyst on Blue Jays games in 1987. He proceeded to call more than 4,000 Blue Jays games in two separate tenures from 1987 to 2025.

Martinez also managed the Blue Jays for 115 games in 2001 and 2002.

In a video released by the team, Shapiro hailed the Blue Jays’ new Hall of Excellence as a “very important part” of the club’s 50th season.

“For decades, the Level of Excellence had stood a symbol of greatness for our organization – a way for Blue Jays legends to be recognized and celebrated alongside our fans,” said Shapiro. “This year, as we honour our franchise’s incredible history, we will be transforming the Level of Excellence into the Hall of Excellence.”

Shapiro says the Hall of Excellence will give fans “an interactive and immersive way to connect with the moments and people who have shaped Blue Jays baseball.”

“Over the next five seasons, we’ll induct a series of players, coaches, builders and broadcasters who have made a lasting impact, as legends, on this franchise,” said Shapiro.

Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reports that fans will vote for the new inductees each year.

Davidi also reported that the 11 members of the Blue Jays’ Level of Excellence – Dave Stieb (1996), George Bell (1996), Joe Carter (1999), Cito Gaston (1999), Tony Fernandez (2001), Pat Gillick (2002), Tom Cheek (2004), Paul Beeston (2008), Carlos Delgado (2013), Roy Halladay (2018) and Jose Bautista (2023) – will be moved to the new Hall of Excellence.

March 16, 2026

Official Cascade Collegiate Conference News Release

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The following 12 Cascade Collegiate Conference student-athletes have been recognized as the McDonald's Player of the Week, presented by Urban Edge Network, for their performances during competition from March 9 – 15, 2026.
 
Beach Volleyball – Pair
No. 4-ranked Southern Oregon University’s Grace Gulbrandsen and Tessa Zimmermann were named the CCC Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week.

The top pair recorded four wins in the Raiders CCC road sweep. They defeated opponents from Simpson University (21-11, 21-10), No. 9-ranked College of Idaho (21-15, 21-18; 21-12, 21-10), and Northwest (Forfeit). The duo improved to a 9-3 overall record this season.
 
Baseball – Player
(RV) University of British Columbia’s Oliver Clements was named the CCC Baseball Player of the Week.
 
Clements, a freshman infielder from Vancouver, B.C., had an outstanding week on the field for the Thunderbirds. He recorded a .615 batting average and a 1.000 slugging percentage with eight hits, including two doubles and a home run. He also added six RBIs and eight runs while earning a .706 on base percentage. He held a perfect fielding percentage to round out his impressive week.

Baseball – Pitcher
Eastern Oregon University’s Easton Corey was named the CCC Baseball Pitcher of the Week.

Corey, a junior from Pendleton, Ore., had a fantastic performance on the mound against Warner Pacific University, leading to a 2-0 shutout. He did not let up a walk and only allowed two hits across seven innings while striking out nine batters for a perfect ERA and a .29 WHIP.
 
Softball – Player
No. 2-ranked Eastern Oregon University’s Hope Burke was named the CCC Softball Player of the Week.
 
Burke, a senior outfielder from Springfield, Ore., had an outstanding weekend on the field as the Mounties swept the Red Hawks. She recorded a .500 batting average and a .929 slugging percentage with seven hits including two homeruns. She also added eight RBIs and four runs while earning a .563 on base percentage. She held a perfect fielding percentage to round out her impressive weekend.

Softball – Pitcher
(RV) University of British Columbia’s Carleen Murray was named the CCC Softball Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season.

Murray, a senior from White Rock, B.C., had yet another fantastic weekend on the mound for the Thunderbirds, helping lead to two wins over top ranked Southern Oregon University. She struck out 12 batters in 11 innings without letting up a walk, allowing just three earned runs for a 1.91 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP.
 
Men’s Golf – Golfer
Bushnell University’s Matt Forsyth was named the CCC Men’s Golfer of the Week for the second time this season.
 
Forsyth (72-68 – 140), a junior from Eugene, Ore., had an outstanding performance at the Willamette Valley Cup. He went two under par to tie for third place with eight birdies and an eagle over 36 holes to finish as the top NAIA competitor, leading Bushnell to the best two round score in school history at 573.

Women’s Golf – Golfer
(RV) Lewis-Clark State College’s Isabella Barquet was named the CCC Women’s Golfer of the Week.

Barquet (75-77 – 152), a Junior from Cordoba, Mexico, earned third place at the Willamette Valley Cup, finishing as the top NAIA competitor. Her terrific performance helped the Warrior women finish second as a team with the lowest team round of the tournament of 308 on Sunday.
 
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Athlete
Eastern Oregon University’s Nick Robinson was named the CCC Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week.
 
Robinson, a sophomore runner from Marysville, Wash., had a standout showing at the Gary Feasel Open. He took first place in the 100m with a time of 10.77 and the 200m with a time of 22.08.

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Athlete
Eastern Oregon University’s Stephen Pittman was named the CCC Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week.

Pittman, a junior from Goldendale, Wash., won the pole vault at the Gary Feasel Open. He recorded a mark of 4.80m to reach an NAIA ‘B’ Standard.

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Athlete
Southern Oregon University’s Alyssa Johnson was named the CCC Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week.
 
Johnson, a junior runner from Veneta, Ore., had a successful weekend at the Chico Wildcat Invitational. She finished the 1500m race with a time of 4:41.95 to set a personal record and the fastest time in the NAIA this season.
 
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Athlete
Southern Oregon University’s Katherine Martinez was named the CCC Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week.
 
Martinez, a junior from Crescent City, Calif., won the pole vault at the Chico Wildcat Invitational. She recorded a mark of 3.89m to set a personal record and reach an ‘A’ Standard with the best mark in the NAIA this season.

March 18, 2026

By Rich Leitch

Canadian Premier Baseball League

Canadian Premier ran into a difficult matchup on Wednesday, dropping a 12–0 decision to the Cleveland Guardians after the home side built an early lead and never looked back.

The Guardians struck first in the second inning, using a combination of power and timely hitting to push across multiple runs and establish control. They extended the advantage in the third, capitalizing on additional scoring opportunities to create early separation.

Logan Forgie (Ottawa, Ont.) made the start for Canadian Premier, working two innings while allowing three runs on three hits. He struck out one and walked two, featuring a fastball up to 89 mph, complemented by a slider and changeup. Korbin Greaves (Ajax, Ont.) followed in relief, matching similar velocity while mixing his secondary offerings effectively.

Jack Perry (Mississauga, Ont.) handled the middle innings, turning in a solid outing across the fifth and sixth. He showcased a fastball up to 91 mph, along with a sharp curveball that generated significant spin, and an effective changeup.

Noah Powell (Toronto, Ont.) provided a bright spot late, closing out the final two innings without allowing a hit while displaying a fastball that reached 94 mph and a firm slider.

Offensively, Canadian Premier found limited opportunities but saw a standout performance from Ashton Gaulton (Mooretown, Ont.), who led the club with three hits in three at-bats from the bottom of the lineup.

The Guardians generated consistent offence throughout, combining extra-base power with disciplined at-bats to build their advantage. Their lineup showed patience at the plate, drawing multiple walks and capitalizing on scoring chances to maintain pressure across all nine innings.

Canadian Premier will look to regroup quickly as they continue their road trip with a matchup against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.

March 19, 2026

By: Matt Betts

Several Terriers teams are leaving behind the fluctuating Canadian temperatures for warmer southern weather this week.

The 12U Junior and 13U teams are destined for Arizona, while the 15U team is heading to Florida.

12U/13U schedule:

Monday, March 16

Sandlot Coshow – 12u

Cactus Yards

8 a.m.

Utah Rage – 13u

Arizona Athletic Grounds

8 a.m.

Tuesday, March 17

Tri-City Baseball (El Paso) – 12u

Cactus Yards

10 a.m.

Huskers – 13u

Arizona Athletic Grounds

10:15 a.m.

MBC Aces Black – 13u

Arizona Athletic Grounds

12:45 p.m.

Lightening Baseball – Tucker – 12u

Cactus Yards

2:15 p.m.

Wednesday, March 18

Playoffs

TBD

Thursday, March 19

Seattle Select 12u

Golden Eagle Park

8 a.m.

Loveland Power Alley 13u Brown

Chaparral Park

8 a.m.

Lynn Valley Crush 12u

Golden Eagle Park

10 a.m.

Hitters 2031 White – 13u

Chaparral Park

12 p.m.

Friday, March 20

WYCO Aces 12u

Horizon Park

8 a.m.

Nor Cal Prospects Black – 13u

Tempe Sports Complex

8 a.m.

Saturday, March 21

Swing City 12u

Golden Eagle Park

12:30 p.m.

Can Titans Navy 13u

Tempe Sports Complex

3 p.m.

Wow Factor Nation Cali 12u

Golden Eagle Park

4:30 p.m.

Placer Grit – 13u

Tempe Sports Complex

5 p.m.

15U Schedule:

Friday, March 13

Practice

Lake Region High School

9 a.m.

Elizabeth Forward JV

Chain of Lakes

7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 14

Mt St Charles Prep (RI)

Lake Myrtle Park

4:30 p.m.

Mt St Charles JV (RI)

Lake Myrtle Park

7 p.m.

Sunday, March 15

Team Ontario

Chain of Lakes

7:30 p.m.

Monday, March 16

Canadian Bulldogs 15u

Lake Bonny Park

4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 17

FULL FAMILY FREE DAY IN FLORIDA

Orlando

Wednesday, March 18

Toronto Mets (DH)

Lake Myrtle Park

4 p.m.

Thursday, March 19

South Park (PA) JV

Chain of Lakes

7 p.m.

Friday, March 20

Practice

Lake Bonny Park

9 a.m.

Cliffside Park HS

NERP

5:30 p.m.

March 19, 2026

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

The Toronto Blue Jays have lost some Canadian flavour in the farm system.

Per the MiLB tracker, the Toronto Blue Jays have released five prospects from the organization, including Canadians Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, B.C.) and Nicolas Deschamps (Quebec, Que.).

Palmegiani was drafted by the Blue Jays on two different occasions, once out of Vauxhall Academy in 2018 (35th round) and again in 2021, this time jumping to the 14th round after a stellar campaign at the College of Southern Nevada.

The right-handed hitting Palmegiani has spent the last five seasons climbing up the farm system and has been knocking on the big league door dating back to 2023. A power bat by trade, from 2021 through 2025, he ranks third amongst all Jays prospects with 71 home runs and led the entire farm system in 2024 with his 21 round-trippers. Across 456 minor league games, he posted a .230/.340/.426 slash line with a .766 OPS.

Last season was a rough one for Palmegiani. He struggled at the plate to the tune of a .539 OPS with eight doubles, one home run, and 18 RBIs while being limited to 64 games. He split most of his time between the corner infield spots, posting a .914 fielding percentage at the hot corner and a .987 percentage across the diamond. He also made a few spot starts in left field and found himself DHing a few times as well over the years. The B.C. product was named to the 2023 World Baseball Classic roster and took home Baseball Canada’s Stubby Clapp Award for his work on the field in 2023.

The infielder landed on the Development List a few times throughout 2025 as he tried to get back on track, and unfortunately, he fell far enough in the depth charts that the Jays decided to move on from the slugger. Palmegiani will likely land with a team that thinks he can return to his power form that led the organization’s minor league system in 2024.

Also released was backstop Deschamps, who was a Blue Jays’ free agent signing in 2021. A product of Academy Baseball Canada in Quebec, Deschamps got caught up in the COVID-19 pandemic during crucial years in his development during the prep years. This led to the catcher heading to Florida in 2020, first with the Florida Hurricanes and then with the TNXL Academy, where he was scouted by Jasmin Roy.

Deschamps started his pro career in the FCL and had been climbing the minor league ladder, landing in double-A last year. A defensive-minded catcher, Deschamps was stellar behind the plate, amassing a .986 fielding percentage. He also tossed out 17% of base stealers.

At the plate, he amassed a .192/.350/.340 slash line with a .654 OPS. Across five seasons, Deschamps collected 17 doubles, five triples, and eight home runs with 92 RBIs. Similar to Palmegiani, the Quebec native found himself on the Development List a few times in 2025, and the Jays' catching depth was strengthened through the free agent market in the form of Brandon Valenzuela, CJ Stubbs, and Robert Brooks over the past couple of seasons.

March 18, 2026

By Mark Whicker

Canadian Baseball Network

The World Baseball Classic is out of the nest. Now is the time to let it fly.

The American victory over the Dominican Republic, in Sunday’s semifinal, was shown opposite the Academy Awards and still drew a bigger viewing audience than the 2025 All-Star Game did. If that isn’t a mandate for change, how about the jam-packed crowds in Miami to watch the Dominicans, Puerto Ricans and Venezuelans? It’s proof that Miami loves baseball, as long as it’s not played by the Marlins. But it also launches the WBC into something that we should pencil in, at least once every two years. And not at the shank of spring training, either.

No, the WBC should replace the All-Star Game in alternate seasons, right there in the middle of July, when everyone is lathered up and in rhythm, when there would be no pleas from the MLB team executives to hold people out of competition, when baseball is the lone focus and when every other major sport is dormant.

Complications? Yes. The competition will take at least a couple of weeks. In response, forget Czechia and Great Britain and even Italy. The Italians played great baseball during this WBC and got to the semifinals, but their roster was peppered (and sauced) with players who qualified because they’d eaten chicken cacciatore sometime in the past six months. One could assemble a pretty good Irish team off MLB rosters, too.

Cut the field down to the U.S., Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Canada, Japan and South Korea. (If you need a qualifying event in the spring to accommodate Chinese Taipei, Australia, Panama and Aruba-Curacao, do it.) That’s two four-team pools. You could have a double round-robin to decide the top two finishers in each group, then play the semis and finals. That’s a maximum of eight games, and only for the finalists. That would fit comfortably within two weeks, particularly if everyone is on the same continent, and the games would be in Toronto, San Diego or Los Angeles with the medal round in Miami.

This would be contingent on a general MLB realignment, which we’ve outlined in previous columns. It is possible to sketch out a 154-game schedule, the kind that MLB played before the 1961-62 expansions. A tight squeeze, yes, but there’s nothing wrong with an occasional scheduled doubleheader, like there used to be, every Sunday afternoon. It just depends on how much MLB wants the WBC and what its true value is. The past two Classics, with Shohei Ohtani striking out Mike Trout in the ninth, and with the Venezuelans shoving across the winning run on a walk, a steal and a double in the eighth, would indicate it’s not just valuable, but essential.

The suits in the NHL offices don’t like Olympic hockey, either, because they get no money from it and they often lose players on the eve of the playoffs. Never mind that Auston Matthews and Leon Draisaitl got hurt after the Olympics, during regular 82-game play. The 2010 and 2026 Olympic hockey finals were among the best half-dozen games anybody’s ever seen, and the 2025 Four Nations Cup goes up right beside them. And it only happened because the game’s best players campaigned for it.

Although Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, Roger Clemens and Derek Jeter played in the inaugural WBC 20 years ago, most of the Americans wore the uniform awkwardly. It was a weird concept, playing for one’s country instead of some consortium of billionaires, and the fans had trouble grasping it, too. But then Japan played Korea in Anaheim, and suddenly 39,000 people were there, a majority of them Korean, chanting and dancing and finally smiling after their heroes beat Japan, which eventually won the gold. At that point you realized the WBC had unlocked something, or maybe just illuminated it.

The next night Mexico eliminated Team USA, 2-1, with the Americans getting three hits, if that sounds familiar. The Mexican fans celebrated as the Koreans had. They also outnumbered the U.S. fans. That was not the case when the Americans won their only WBC title, at Dodger Stadium in 2017, over Puerto Rico as Marcus Stroman pitched six shutout innings. There was lots of U-S-A going on, with Jim Leyland managing and Adam Jones selling the concept.

The WBC slowly gained traction every three years. This year Aaron Judge and Paul Skenes pretty much shamed the best players into participating. Nobody in baseball has more to lose, from a next-contract standpoint, than Skenes, and yet he was first in line, while incipient free agent Tarik Skubal, consumed with angst, decided to pitch only once, against the Murderers’ Row from Great Britain. And when the ninth inning arrived on Tuesday, U.S. manager Mark DeRosa went with Boston’s Garrett Whitlock, who had been outstanding, instead of the nuclear Mason Miller, because the Padres had maintained that Miller had pitched enough.

On the other side, several ballclubs beseeched Venezuelan manager Omar Lopez to shelve his relievers as well. That’s the reason the third run, driven in by Eugenio Suarez, was so vital. It created a ninth-inning save situation that David Palencia could close, because that’s the deal the Cubs made with Venezuela: Palencia pitches in a ninth inning save situation or not at all. The U.S. pretty much lived on the home run throughout the tournament. The most dramatic was Bryce Harper’s two-run bomb in the eighth that tied the final, 2-2. Wilyer Abreu of the Red Sox was the power man for the Venezuelans and had a solo shot on Tuesday, but the champs got their second run on a wild pitch by Nolan McLean and a run-scoring fly ball by Maikel Garcia. (Vin Scully never called it a sacrifice fly because he said the batter was never trying to give himself up. So we shouldn’t either.)

The third run was set up when Luis Arraez walked and was removed for pinch-runner Javier Sanoja, who isn’t known for his speed. But fortune favors the bold, and Sanoja indeed took off despite the arm talent of U.S. catcher Will Smith. Sanoja was safe by a toenail, a call too close to overturn. Suarez followed with a double off Whitlock. Once again, the trophy went to the team that knows that, sometimes, it takes a village to score. The launch-angling Americans were 10-63 in the two medal-round games with 25 strikeouts, and they were 0-for-3 in scoring-position situations. Make that 0-for-0 against Venezuela.

The Venezuelans didn’t bring their best, either. Starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo and closer Robert Suarez weren’t around. Neither was Jose Altuve, their Godfather, who turned 35 last year and thus couldn’t be insured for the Classic. The same was true of Miguel Rojas, who is 36. But, hey, one miracle homer per lifetime.

Several Venezuelans, including starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, said the WBC championship was more gratifying than a World Series. Jeter, now working for Fox, said if you actually believe that, you’ve never played in a World Series. In the booth, John Smoltz wasn’t as dismissive. He was a 38-year-old dealing with elbow issues in 2006 and eventually decided to sit out the first WBC. Now he’s the lead analyst (and, no, he wasn’t on a word count), in baseball’s biggest events, of which the WBC is now a proud member. He looked down on Venezuelan ecstasy and, quietly, said, “What a ballgame.”

One imagines he’d have no trouble clearing his schedule for July. Same for the rest of us.

March 17, 2026

By Rich Leitch

Canadian Premier Baseball League

Canadian Premier was unable to keep pace with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, dropping a 10–5 decision in a game that featured early pressure from the opposition and steady offensive contributions from the Canadian side.

The Diamondbacks set the tone in the opening inning, capitalizing on timely hitting to push across two runs and seize early momentum.

They added to their lead in the second inning, extending the advantage to 3–0 before continuing to apply pressure late, including a three-run home run in the eighth that put the game out of reach.

On the mound, Zachary Landreville (Saint-Jerome, Que.) got the start for Canadian Premier, working two innings while allowing three runs on three hits. He struck out one and issued two walks, showing a fastball that reached 92 mph and a slider in the 81–84 mph range.

Canadian Premier’s bullpen provided a composed effort in relief. Ethan Reason (Stouffville, Ont.) delivered two scoreless innings with three strikeouts, mixing a fastball up to 91 mph with a sharp mid-70s slider. Malachi Farrow (Blenheim, Ont.) followed with two innings of work, navigating through 10 batters with a three-pitch mix that included a fastball up to 89 mph. Zach Duke (Burlington, Ont.) handled the late innings, also utilizing a three-pitch repertoire to close out the game.

Offensively, Canadian Premier showed resilience throughout. Zach Barker (Bolton, Ont.), Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.), Christian Iriotakis (Toronto, Ont.), Ashton Gaulton (Mooretown, Ont.), and Robert Omidi (Mississauga, Ont.) each contributed an RBI.

Omidi led the way at the plate with a three-hit performance, while Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.) added a pair of hits. The lineup demonstrated patience, drawing seven walks and consistently working deep counts.

Defensively, Canadian Premier turned three double plays, highlighting their ability to limit further damage.

The Diamondbacks generated consistent offence throughout the game, collecting 10 hits and capitalizing on key opportunities to build and maintain their lead.

Canadian Premier will look to rebound as they head on the road for their next matchup against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday.

March 16, 2026

Official Gonzaga Athletics News Release

SAN BRUNO, Calif.- Ricky Sanchez has been named the WCC Player of the Week after his record performance on Sunday.

A longtime member of the Okotoks Dawgs, Sanchez hit three home runs in Sunday's 23-16 victory over Indiana State, tying the program record for home runs in a game. He had nine RBIs, the most by a Zag in a single game in the past 20 years. Sanchez went 5-for-6 at the plate, also tying the program record for hits in a single game.

Sanchez finished the week with four home runs, including a grand slam. He had 11 RBIs and scored five runs on the full week, scoring in RBI in half of his at bats. Sanchez hit for a .409 average, going 9-for-22 at the plate, hitting for a 1.000 slugging percentage. He had 22 total bases across the five games. A key part of the Zags middle infield, he was also flawless in the field as the starting shortstop, logging eight outs and a perfect fielding percentage.

This is his first time being named WCC Player of the Week.

March 15, 2026

Official Chatham Barnstormers News Release

The Chatham-Kent Barnstormers are excited to announce the return of right-handed slugger Andy Groening for the 2026 season.

Groening (Blenheim, Ont.) joined the Barnstormers shortly after the All-Star break in 2025 and wasted little time showing he belonged. The 6-foot-2, 222-pound hitter finished the year with a .265 average and an impressive .842 OPS, launching three home runs, including one in the playoffs.

At just 19 years old, Groening holds the distinction of being the youngest player signed in the Canadian Baseball League. The rising star is currently playing for the NorthArk Pioneers in the NJCAA, where he’s already posting an .883 OPS through his first 11 games.

But Barnstormers fans will remember exactly when Andy truly introduced himself to Chatham-Kent.

On August 3, 2025, in just his fourth game with the team, Groening erupted for a monster performance: going 3-for-5 with four runs scored, four RBIs and two home runs to power the Barnstormers to a 14–4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. This showing earned him CBL Player of the Week honours and instantly made him a fan favourite.

March 17, 2026

By Jason Young

Winnipeg Goldeyes

WINNIPEG, MAN. – The Winnipeg Goldeyes are set to make the summer of 2026 unforgettable, unveiling a promotional schedule Tuesday that is packed with exciting giveaways, community celebrations, fan-favourite theme nights, and nine dazzling post-game fireworks shows at Blue Cross Park.

“We’re excited to roll out another incredible lineup of promotions for the upcoming season, filled with can’t-miss theme nights, exciting giveaways, and unforgettable moments for fans of all ages,” said Goldeyes Director of Sales & Marketing Dan Chase. “From fireworks and fan-favourite events to new entertainment and ballpark experiences, we can’t wait to welcome fans back to Blue Cross Park for another summer of fun, energy, and great Goldeyes baseball.”

The 2026 home schedule begins in style Tuesday, May 19, when the Goldeyes host our Home Opener against the two-time defending Miles Wolff Cup Champion Kane County Cougars. The first 5,000 fans through the gates will receive an exclusive Goldeyes jersey available only to those in attendance that night. The celebration will continue after the final out with the first of the club’s nine post-game fireworks shows, presented by award-winning Archangel Fireworks.

The Goldeyes will once again welcome thousands of students to the ballpark for a pair of School Day games at 11:00 a.m. May 21 and June 3, creating a memorable day at the park for young fans from Winnipeg and surrounding communities.

For the second straight season, the Goldeyes will also be at home on Canada Day, with a special 4:00 p.m. game July 1 as Blue Cross Park plays host to a celebration of all things Canadian.

One of the most popular nights on the promotional calendar returns on June 11 with Shirt Off Our Backs Night, when one lucky fan will win a game-worn jersey off a Goldeyes player’s back after each inning. Fans will also have the chance to win major prizes throughout the season, including a Jamaican vacation July 24 and a trip to Churchill August 16.

Another returning favourite, Bark in the Park, is scheduled for August 15, giving fans the opportunity to bring their dogs along for a unique evening at the ballpark.

New this season is Rock ‘n Wrestling Night, including a wrestling mask giveaway and pre-game, on-field wrestling match and post-game fireworks.

Plus, the Goldeyes will become the latest professional baseball team to go incognito, when they play as a yet-to-be-revealed alternate identity July 31. This team name, logo, and uniforms will be revealed April 1.

The regular season wraps up on August 30 with Fan Appreciation Day, featuring a team photo giveaway and a pre-game on-field autograph session as the organization says thank you to its fans for their support throughout the season.

The Goldeyes will also continue their tradition of spotlighting important causes and celebrating the many communities that make up Manitoba. This year’s special event nights include Faith Night (May 23), Lou Gehrig’s Awareness Night (June 4), National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 20), Pride Night (June 27), Soireé Francophone (June 29), Ukrainian Night (June 30), Autism Acceptance Night (August 12), and B’Nai Brith Day (August 16).

The remaining fireworks dates are set for June 5, June 19, June 26, July 10, July 24, July 31, August 14, and August 28. All Friday home games are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. to accommodate fireworks when applicable.

Notable Dates Include:

Tuesday, May 19 – 6:30 p.m. – Home Opener, Jersey Giveaway, & Fireworks

Wednesday, May 20 – 6:30 p.m. – Magnet Schedule Giveaway

Thursday, May 21 – 11:00 a.m. – School Day Game

Wednesday, June 3 – 11:00 a.m. – School Day Game

Friday, June 5 – 7:00 p.m. – Goldie’s Birthday & Fireworks

Saturday, June 6 – 6:00 p.m. – Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame Game

Tuesday, June 9 – 6:30 p.m. – Country Night

Thursday, June 11 – 6:30 p.m. – Shirt Off Our Backs Night

Friday, June 19 – 7:00 p.m. – Fireworks

Saturday, June 20 – 6:00 p.m. – National Indigenous Peoples Day

Sunday, June 21 – 1:00 p.m. – Father’s Day & Bucket Hat Giveaway

Friday, June 26 – 7:00 p.m. – Rock ‘n Wrestling Night & Fireworks

Tuesday, June 30 – 6:30 p.m. – Ukrainian Night

Wednesday, July 1 – 4:00 p.m. – Canada Day

Friday, July 10 – 7:00 p.m. – Boy Band Night & Fireworks

Friday, July 24 – 7:00 p.m. – Jamaica Trip Giveaway & Fireworks

Friday, July 31 – 7:00 p.m. – Alternate Identity Night & Fireworks

Saturday, July 25 – 6:00 p.m. – Christmas in July

Friday, August 14 – 7:00 p.m. – Manitoba Social Night & Fireworks

Saturday, August 15 – 6:00 p.m. – Bark in the Park

Sunday, August 16 – 1:00 p.m. – Journey to Churchill Trip Giveaway

Friday, August 28 – 7:00 p.m. – Player Card Giveaway & Fireworks

Sunday, August 30 – 1:00 p.m. – Fan Appreciation Day, Team Photo Giveaway, & Autograph Session

The Goldeyes will begin the 2026 schedule Friday, May 15 against the Milwaukee Milkmen in Franklin, Wisconsin.

March 17, 2026

Official Ottawa Titans News Release

Ottawa, Ont. - The Ottawa Titans have agreed to terms on a contract extension with utility player Michael Fuhrman, while also coming to terms with right-handed pitcher Tanner Riley for the upcoming 2026 Frontier League season.

Fuhrman, 25, returns to Ottawa for his fourth professional campaign in 2026. Limited to just 14 games last season, the utility man was off to a tremendous start – hitting .342 (13-for-38) with one double, one home run, and seven RBIs. Before suffering a season-ending injury, Fuhrman had hits in 10 of 14 games played, including three multi-hit performances.

During his first full season with Ottawa in 2024, Fuhrman hit .213 with 11 doubles, two triples, four home runs, and 31 RBIs across 81 contests. In June, Fuhrman carried the Titans’ offence by slugging .333 (22-for-66) with eight extra-base hits and driving in 17 runs to help the squad to an 18-7 month. During that stretch, it included a season-best six-game hit streak and a career-best four-hit contest on June 1. In his first full season as a catcher, Fuhrman threw out 29 baserunners, good enough to lead the Frontier League.

After signing in Ottawa at the tail end of the 2023 season – Fuhrman suited up in 20 games, where the 5-foot-10 infielder hit .241 with a homer and eight RBIs. Fuhrman notched at least a hit in 12 contests, which included his first pro-round-tripper.

Hailing from Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., Fuhrman appeared in 196 games at the University of California, San Diego (La Jolla, Calif.) from 2019 to 2023. A career .301 hitter in college, Fuhrman recorded 37 doubles, 17 home runs, and 110 RBIs.

Riley, 27, returns to professional baseball after sitting out last summer due to injury, and brings close to three seasons of experience from the American Association to the Nation’s Capital. Last appearing in 2024 for the Cleburne Railroaders, Riley pitched in just six games, logging 5 2/3 innings on the mound.

The product of Clyde, Texas, spent parts of two seasons with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, going 6-5 with a 3.56 ERA over 68 1/3 innings pitched – walking 50 and striking out 74 across 56 outings. In 73 career professional outings with both Fargo-Moorhead and Cleburne, the six-foot right-hander is 6-9 with a 4.32 ERA in 93 2/3 innings – walking 63 and striking out 100 opposing hitters.

Before joining the professional ranks, Riley played three seasons at Abilene Christian University (Abilene, Texas) from 2020 to 2022. In 47 lifetime outings, Riley tossed to a 12-6 record with 11 saves and a 3.93 ERA over 91 2/3 innings for the Wildcats. Riley racked up 130 career strikeouts – good enough for a career 12.8 SO/9.

The Ottawa Titans will open the 2026 season on Friday, May 8, at 7:00 p.m., hosting the Québec Capitales at Ottawa Stadium.

March 17, 2026

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

It was an exciting World Baseball Classic tournament for Canada.

Not only did the Canadians win Pool A, but they also advanced into the quarterfinals for the first time.

Before this year, the best Canada had finished was ninth in 2006 when they had a 2-1 record and just missed advancing to the knockout round.

Industry pundits agree that this roster was one of the deepest Canada has ever assembled for the WBC. Every team member was playing or had played professional baseball and the club didn’t need to rely on too many retired players to form a competitive team.

Let’s look at a few key takeaways from Canada’s run at the 2026 World Baseball Classic:

Kudos to the pitching staff

Looking at the previous tournaments, Canada’s biggest issue had been their pitching staffs; mostly in the bullpen.

With a position player group that largely consisted of big leaguers and four to five capable arms that could start, there were a few question marks about the relief corps entering the tournament. Manager Ernie Whitt was relying on two retired arms in James Paxton (Ladner, B.C.) and Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) while shoring up the rest of the bullpen with minor leaguers and players who had taken their talents overseas.

However, when the dust settled, the bullpen turned out to be a strength for the club. They had a job to do, and they rallied to get it done.

Including the starting pitching, the Canadians authored a 2.00 ERA with just 10 earned runs allowed across 45 innings. While the walk numbers were a bit high (18) and the strikeouts on the lower side (46), they held opponents to a .217 average and posted a 1.18 WHIP, the seventh-best mark in the tournament. They were ground ball machines with 44 ground outs and finished with a collective 2.56 K/BB rate.

On an individual front, there were numerous standouts. Adam Macko (Stony Plain, Alta.) led the team in appearances (3) and pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball. Paxton, Eric Cerantola (Oakville, Ont.), Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, B.C.), Brock Dykxhoorn (Goderich, Ont.), Antoine Jean (Montreal, Que.), Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, Alta.), and Noah Skirrow (Cambridge, Ont.) also didn’t allow a run in relief.

Kudos also to Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), who started and pitched five outstanding innings, allowing just one unearned run on two hits, while striking out five, in a must-win game against Cuba. Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) was also strong in his start against Puerto Rico (one hit and one run through three innings), and Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) was the driving force to open up the tournament and also in the quarterfinal against the United States. Jameson Taillon returned to the Canadian ranks, and the right-hander permitted just two hits and one earned run in his 3 2/3 innings in his start against Panama.

At the end of the day, Canada’s pitching held up their end of the deal, keeping opponents off the scoreboard for much of the tournament. While Pool A wasn’t the deepest grouping in the tournament, the Canadians still needed to deliver against some tough competition in Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico and Colombia.

Hat tip to the pitchers.

Owen Caissie is the next big star from up north

Whether it’s Freddie Freeman, Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.), Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) or Jason Bay (Trail, B.C.), the Canucks have always had one roster player that really stands out amongst the rest.

While this team was the deepest the nation has assembled for the WBC, many thought it would be Captain Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) leading the charge at the plate. The left-handed hitting first baseman was coming off a stellar run in the ALCS with the Seattle Mariners.

But it was outfielder Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) who stood out as the key contributor. When the international lights shine bright, Caissie seems to be at his best.

At the 2023 tournament, he posted a .231 average but impressed with his .462 SLG, one home run, and four RBIs across 13 at-bats, making three starts for the Canucks. This year, he was the driving force for the Canadians at the plate, going 7-for-17 (.412) with three walks. By the end of the tournament, he had worked his way from the bottom of the lineup to the cleanup spot against Team USA.

Credit as well to Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.), who also dazzled at the plate (.421 average with three doubles, one triple, and one home run with five RBIs). He and Caissie led the charge for Canada.

The talent pool is only getting deeper

This was Canada’s deepest run at the World Baseball Classic, but despite the strong result, the team still has more to offer.

Several key players opted to stay with their big league clubs and not make the trek to Puerto Rico:

Nick Pivetta (RHP)

Jonah Tong (RHP)

Mitch Bratt (RHP)

Cade Smith (RHP)

Erik Sabrowski (LHP)

Matt Brash (RHP)

Garrett Hawkins (RHP)

Justin King (LHP)

Curtis Taylor (RHP)

Zach Pop (RHP)

Jordan Romano (RHP)

Rowan Wick (RHP)

Trei Cruz (INF)

Charles Leblanc (INF)

Freddie Freeman (INF)

Tristan Peters (OF)

Tong, Bratt, Sabrowski, Hawkins, King, Cruz, and Peters were all staying at their respective training camps as they tried to make the Opening Day roster – that’s just where they are in their careers, and ultimately, that’s the main goal. A few years down the line, they should all be a factor in Team Canada’s plans. Pivetta, Freeman, Smith, Brash, and Romano all withdrew from the tournament for various reasons, while Wick is slated to miss this season due to an arm injury after a strong 2025 campaign in Japan with the Yokohama DeNA Baystars that led to a big league deal with the San Francisco Giants this offseason.

Considering some of the names that didn’t participate in this year’s WBC, there is some room for improvement for the next tournament in 2030. And that doesn’t even include some names coming up through the pipeline.

While the likes of Paxton, Aumont, and Freeman might not be available for 2030, there is some significant Canadian talent coming up through farm system pipelines who could be tasked with repping the team at the next tournament:

L.P. Langevin (LHP)

Adam Maier (RHP)

Will Hynes (RHP)

Tyler Bremner (RHP)

Micah Bucknam (RHP)

Nathan Flewelling (C)

Emilien Pitre (INF)

Tim Piasentin (INF)

Myles Naylor (INF)

Charles Davalan (OF)

Eric Hartman (OF)

Slater de Brun (OF)

Sam Shaw (OF)

This also doesn’t include some names that are gaining steam on the high school/collegiate ranks who are eligible for the upcoming draft(s), such as LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), INF Robert Omidi (Mississauga, Ont.), and top ranked prospect for the 2027 MLB Draft, Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.).

Not all of the players mentioned above will be donning a Maple Leaf at the World Baseball Classic in four years, but the moral of the story is simple: Canadian baseball is only getting deeper and more talented with each passing year - other nations best take notice.

*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on March 15, 2026. You can read it here.

March 16, 2026

By Ian Wilson

Alberta Dugout Stories

They answered the call for Canada.

And, while they may not have delivered a victory, they rose to the occasion in impressive fashion.

In one of the biggest baseball games in Canada’s history, it was Alberta pitchers who took the mound and gave the Americans all they could handle.

Faced with a seemingly impossible task against a star-stacked United States lineup that included Bobby Witt Jr., Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber and Cal Raleigh, Canada sent Calgarian Michael Soroka to the bump to start in the country’s first quarterfinal game in World Baseball Classic (WBC) history.

The experienced major leaguer – who began his pro career as a first-round pick of the Atlanta Braves and signed as a starting pitcher this season with the Arizona Diamondbacks – got Harper out on a fly ball to centre field after walking the leadoff hitter, Witt Jr. Aaron Judge then doubled to put runners at second and third base with one out. The United States scored the first run of the game on a Schwarber ground out to first base, but Soroka limited the damage by getting Alex Bregman to pop out to second base.

The Calgary Redbirds alum set down his next three batters in order, finishing off the top of the second inning with a Brice Turang strikeout.

As American starting pitcher Logan Webb was shutting down Canadian batters – Webb struck out five, while surrendering four hits and no earned runs over 4 2/3 innings – Soroka was working to keep the red-and-white in striking distance of the U.S.

Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong reached on an infield single in the third inning before getting thrown out at second base on a fielder’s choice. Canadian shortstop Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) then let a shallow pop fly drop so he could throw Witt Jr. out at second base and allow the slower Harper to replace him at first base. With two outs, Soroka appeared to be in control, but a walk to Judge and yet another infield single from Schwarber loaded the bases. It looked like Canada might escape the threat when third baseman Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) made a diving catch on a Bregman grounder, but he sent the throw over first baseman Josh Naylor’s head. The result of the error was two runs and a 3-0 lead for the U.S.

Soroka was pulled for 6-foot-7 Micah Ashman, who struck out Roman Anthony and then added another two Ks in a scoreless fourth frame.

The score remained the same until the sixth inning when Canuck reliever Phillipe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) yielded an infield hit to Anthony and a walk to Raleigh.

MACKO TO THE MOUND

Lefty Adam Macko (Stony Plain, Alta.) – a graduate of the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball – was summoned to shut things down. A pair of singles from Turang and Crow-Armstrong plated two more runs and inflated the American lead to 5-0. But Macko induced a double play to limit the damage.

The Slovakian-born hurler, who played Little League in Ireland before moving with his family to Alberta, returned to the mound in the seventh inning after a Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) single scored Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) and a monster home run from Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) cut the lead to 5-3.

Macko locked in ahead of the seventh inning stretch against the heart of the U.S. order. He struck out Harper, got Judge to fly out and then prompted Schwarber to strike out swinging to end a four-pitch at bat.

“How about Adam Macko?” said play-by-play announcer Joe Davis.

“Bryce Harper? No problem. Aaron Judge, forget about it … Schwarber, a strikeout. And a one, two, three top of the seventh.”

The final line for the 25-year-old showed two hits, a pair of Ks and no earned runs.

Canada’s batters got runners to second and third base in the bottom of the seventh but they couldn’t bring them home.

TUGBOAT TOSSING

The eighth inning saw Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson (Ladner, B.C.) enter the contest and the Okotoks Dawgs Academy product made quick work of his opponents. Bregman popped out to second, Anthony flied out and Raleigh struck out swinging on four pitches.

After Canada went three up, three down in the bottom of the eighth, Wilkinson returned for the ninth inning in a bid to keep his teammates within two runs of tying the game. He walked Turang but then a Crow-Armstrong grounder caused a double play. Following another free pass to Witt Jr., Wilkinson registered three straight balls to Harper before charging back with three consecutive strikes for the K.

In his two innings of work, Tugboat allowed two walks, no hits, no runs and delivered a pair of strikeouts. It was a tidy night for the 23-year-old Cleveland Guardians prospect against some of the world’s best hitters.

Unfortunately for Canada, the comeback bid fell short and the Americans advanced to the semifinals with a 5-3 win, but the Canadians – and the pitchers raised and trained in Alberta – can hold their heads high after proudly representing the nation.

More than 38,000 fans packed into Daikin Park in Houston to watch the U.S. sneak past Canada.

For Wilkinson, who hasn’t played above the High-A level of the minors, it was easily the largest audience he’d pitched in front of.

“The biggest crowd I pitched in before this was when I was 12 at the Little League World Series — it’s a surreal moment,” he told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi.

“It sucks right now because we lost. But looking back at it a couple years down the road, I think it’s going to help me in my career going through the minor leagues. I still have a bunch of stuff to work on, but it’s a stepping stone and I’m excited to get back to spring training.”

Added Wilkinson: “This has been a great opportunity to play up a higher level of baseball. To be able to strike out some MVP candidates and stuff like that, I wouldn’t say it’s a dream come true, but just like a good reality check of how good my stuff is.”

Soroka, who was saddled with the loss, didn’t hide his disappointment.

“It hurts,” said the 28-year-old.

“A lot of people looked at us and thought we were not necessarily even expected to get our pool, for whatever reason. We expected to do that. We knew we were going to put up a good fight today and we did. But that’s baseball. Things could have easily went another way and we gave them a good run for it. So it hurts and a lot of guys are excited to get back out there when we’re able to do this again.”

March 15, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

Wilkinson dazzles at WBC

If I’m the Cleveland Guardians, I’m feeling really good about Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, B.C.) after his performance at the World Baseball Classic.

A 10th round pick of the Guardians in 2023, the 6-foot-1 left-hander struck out nine batters and allowed just one hit in 4 2/3 scoreless innings in a Team Canada uniform over the past two weeks.

After striking out five Philadelphia Phillies in two innings in an exhibition game on March 4, Wilkinson fanned both Panama batters he faced in the ninth on Sunday and then proceeded to strike out Cal Raleigh and Bryce Harper in two scoreless frames against the U.S. on Friday.

The 23-year-old Okotoks Dawgs alum did this all with a fastball that topped out at 91 mph.

So how does Wilkinson get so many strikeouts?

Back in 2024, I spoke with Okotoks Dawgs Academy head coach Jeff Duda, who worked extensively with Wilkinson during the lefty’s teenage years, and Kevin Erminio, Wilkinson’s pitching coach with the Guardians’ High-A Lake County Captains. Both had high praise for the lefty nicknamed “Tugboat.”

Erminio told me the reason Wilkinson is able to rack up so many strikeouts is a combination of the arm angle the Canadian lefty throws from and the “ride” and movement on the pitch.

“His fastball is just special,” said Erminio. “It’s not one of those super fastballs in terms of velocity. He throws it in the low 90s and guys still have a really tough time with it.”

Duda praised Wilkinson’s focus on the mound.

“He’s just got an absolute killer mentality on the mound. It’s predator versus prey and he is the apex predator,” said Duda.

Toro needs full-time big league opportunity

If I could have one wish for Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.), it would be for a major league team to start him on Opening Day and stick with him for an entire season.

The 29-year-old Canadian has never had that opportunity.

I’m hoping that will happen this year with the Kansas City Royals after his outstanding World Baseball Classic.

Toro had eight hits for Canada in the tournament, which tied Victoria, B.C. native Michael Saunders‘ record (set in 2013) for most hits by a Canadian in a single WBC.

Over the past two weeks, the switch-hitting Toro’s versatility and athleticism were also on full display for Canada. He manned the hot corner for Canada, despite playing the bulk of 2025 at first base with the Boston Red Sox.

Toro signed a minor league deal with the Royals in December. The Royals have Vinnie Pasquantino at first base and Maikel Garcia at third, but Toro can also play second base and the outfield.

Maybe the Royals can find a super utility role for him?

In 2025, Toro was a valuable contributor for the Red Sox for much of the season. In 77 games, he batted .239 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs.

In total, he has played in parts of seven major league campaigns with the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Oakland A’s and Red Sox. He owns a .223 batting average and has 41 home runs in 442 major league contests.

Paxton to stay retired

In his World Baseball Classic outing against Cuba on Wednesday, James Paxton (Ladner, B.C.) struck out six batters in 2 2/3 innings. Those six strikeouts tied the record set by Erik Bedard (Navan, Ont.) for the most by a Canadian in a single WBC game. Bedard fanned six South African batters in 2006.

Paxton’s fastball was also clocked at 97 mph during the WBC.

Despite his success, and the interest he’ll garner from MLB teams, the 37-year-old Paxton, who retired from his major league career in 2024, told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi that he plans to stay retired.

“I don’t think so, no,” Paxton told Davidi when asked about coming out of retirement. “My family wants me home. I want to be home with my family, put my kids to bed at night. It’s flattering, but I think the most likely scenario is that I’ll just continue mentoring and helping the next generation of baseball players do their thing.”

In total, in the WBC, Paxton registered eight strikeouts, which established a new record for most total strikeouts by a Canadian pitcher in WBC play.

In parts of 11 major league seasons with the Mariners, New York Yankees, Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, Paxton finished with a 73-41 record and a 3.77 ERA in 177 starts.

Puhl delivers game ball ahead of Canada/U.S. WBC showdown

I was happy to see Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and Astros legend Terry Puhl (Melville, Sask.) deliver the game ball in a Team Canada jersey prior to Canada’s quarterfinals matchup against the U.S. at Daikin Park in Houston on Friday.

Puhl starred for the Astros for 14 seasons and was elected to the team’s Hall of Fame in 2022. Puhl also managed Canada’s team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The former outfielder now lives in the Houston area, but he has never forgotten his Canadian roots. He tries to return to Saskatchewan at least once a year.

Brash makes first Cactus League appearance

Right-hander Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) made his first 2026 Cactus League appearance for the Mariners on Wednesday.

He entered the game in the fifth inning and allowed one run in 2/3 of an inning to the Colorado Rockies. He threw 16 pitches and his sinker was clocked at a healthy 97 mph.

The Mariners have been cautious with Brash after he experienced some mild inflammation in his throwing arm early in the off-season. More recently, he had to recover from a tooth infection.

In 2025, Brash served as a key setup man for the Mariners after his return from Tommy John surgery in early May. In 53 relief appearances, the 6-foot-1 right-hander posted a 2.47 ERA and had 21 holds and four saves. He fanned 58 batters in 47 1/3 innings. He also recorded a 2.00 ERA in eight postseason appearances, striking out 10 batters in nine innings.

Psota visits Canadian ball hall ahead of induction

Women’s national team legend Kate Psota (Burlington, Ont.) was in St. Marys, Ont., on Thursday for a tour of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame prior to her induction on June 20.

When the Women’s National Team was formed in 2004, Psota made the team and developed into a star at first base who regularly hit near the top of the order.

In her 15 seasons with the Women’s National Team, she was a two-time team MVP (2009, 2010) and she helped teams capture six Women’s World Cup medals, including silvers at the 2008 and 2016 tournaments.

In total, Psota was named to the World Cup All-Star team four times (2010, 2012, 2016 and 2018) and was also a member of the silver medal-winning Canadian squad at the 2015 Pan Am Games.

She hung up her playing spikes in 2021 and became a coach with the Women’s National Team.

Siddall to replace Buck Martinez on Sportsnet Blue Jays broadcasts

Joe Siddall (Windsor, Ont.) will take over as the regular analyst on Sportsnet’s Blue Jays broadcasts alongside Dan Shulman, according to a report by Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun.

Legendary analyst Buck Martinez announced his retirement in February.

Siddall started as an analyst on Blue Jays radio broadcasts alongside Jerry Howarth in 2014 before moving to television and working with Jamie Campbell on Blue Jays Central in 2018. For the past three seasons, Siddall has split his time between the TV broadcast booth and Blue Jays Central.

Prior to his broadcasting career, Siddall enjoyed a successful pro playing career. Signed as a free agent by the Montreal Expos in 1987, he spent 13 seasons in the pro ranks as a catcher in the Expos, Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers and Red Sox organizations. He also suited up parts of four big league seasons with the Expos (1993, 1995), Marlins, (1996) and Tigers (1998).

Happy Birthday to Tanner Kirwer!

Former Toronto Blue Jays outfield prospect Tanner Kirwer (Sherwood Park, Alta.) turns 30 today.

He was selected in the 20th round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Blue Jays out of Niagara University. He would play four seasons in the Blue Jays system, rising as high as double-A. His best season came in 2018 when he batted .280 with 28 stolen bases in 61 games with the class-A Vancouver Canadians.

The right-handed hitting outfielder spent his final two pro seasons in the Seattle Mariners’ organization. He played nine games for the triple-A Tacoma Rainiers in 2023.

Kirwer is now a baseball coach and the marketing director at ATHX Performance, an athletic performance facility in Edmonton, Alta.

March 15th Birthdays

1944 – Wayne Granger, former Expos pitcher (died on February 25, 2026)

1959 – Harold Baines, Hall of Fame outfielder/DH

1969 – Motorboat Jones, former player with Saskatoon Riot of the independent Prairie League in 1995

*This article was originally published on the Western Canadian Baseball League website on March 15. You can read it here.

March 16, 2026

By Ian Wilson

Western Canadian Baseball League

Tip your cap to Tugboat.

If sports fans didn't know who Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson was before the World Baseball Classic, they sure do now.

The lefty pitcher from Ladner, B.C. played for the Okotoks Dawgs in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) from 2019 to 2023. In that time, Wilkinson went 6-3 with five saves in 22 games - half of them starts - and racked up 121 strikeouts through 71-plus innings. He was also a member of three WCBL championship teams in Okotoks.

The 6-foot-1 Dawgs Academy grad joined the Cleveland Guardians organization after the Major League Baseball (MLB) team made him a 10th-round pick in the 2023 draft.

In his three minor-league seasons, Wilkinson has a 12-15 record, a 2.98 earned run average (ERA) and 294 strikeouts in 223 2/3 innings as a starting pitcher. Tugboat helped steer the High-A Lake County Captains to a Midwest League championship title in 2024. That same year, he was honoured by the Canadian Baseball Network (CBN) as the winner of the Wayne Norton Award, which is handed out annually to the top Canadian minor-league pitcher.

Having not pitched above High-A, some baseball observers may have been surprised to see the 23-year-old make Canada's roster for the WBC, but Wilkinson proved he belongs among the top MLB and international players.

With Team Canada, the southpaw struck out nine batters and yielded only one hit in 4 2/3 innings of work with the national team. He fanned five Philadelphia Phillies during an exhibition game and another pair of Panama batters during play in Pool A.

But Tugboat saved his best for a winner-take-all quarterfinal matchup against the United States on March 13th at Daikin Park, the home of the Houston Astros.

The eighth inning of that contest saw Wilkinson enter the game and made quick work of his opponents. American third baseman Alex Bregman popped out to second, outfielder Roman Anthony flied out and hard-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh struck out swinging on four pitches.

After Canada went three up, three down in the bottom of the eighth, Wilkinson returned for the ninth inning in a bid to keep his teammates within two runs of tying the game. He walked second sacker Brice Turang, but then a Pete Crow-Armstrong grounder resulted in a double play. Following another free pass to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Wilkinson registered three straight balls to Bryce Harper before charging back with three consecutive strikes for the K.

In his two innings on the bump in their quarterfinal, Tugboat allowed two walks, no hits, no runs and delivered a pair of strikeouts. It was a tidy night for the Guardians prospect against some of the world's best hitters.

Unfortunately for Canada, their comeback bid fell short and the Americans advanced to the semifinals with a 5-3 win, but the Canadians, including Wilkinson, can hold their heads high after proudly representing the nation.

More than 38,000 fans packed into the Houston stadium to watch the U.S. sneak past Canada.

For Wilkinson, who thrilled Dawgs fans in front of crowds of more than 6,000 people at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks, it was easily the largest audience he'd pitched in front of.

“It’s a surreal moment,” he told Sportsnet's Shi Davidi.

“It sucks right now because we lost. But looking back at it a couple years down the road, I think it's going to help me in my career going through the minor leagues. I still have a bunch of stuff to work on, but it's a stepping stone and I'm excited to get back to spring training.”

Added Wilkinson: "This has been a great opportunity to play up a higher level of baseball. To be able to strike out some MVP candidates and stuff like that, I wouldn't say it's a dream come true, but just like a good reality check of how good my stuff is.”