Scenes from Opening Weekend

May 30, 2022 10:58 am | by WCBL | Posted In Feature News, News

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The 2022 Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) season got underway this weekend across Saskatchewan and Alberta and it didn’t disappoint.

Thousands of fans flocked to ballparks in both provinces, many of them for the first time in years.

It was a beautiful scene for baseball lovers … actually, there were a number of amazing scenes for crowds at the diamonds. We’ve provided a brief recap of the season start for each club, and captured a few of those moments from social media here. Enjoy!

LETHBRIDGE BULLS

The defending title-winning Lethbridge Bulls kicked off the WCBL season on Thursday, May 26th when they welcomed the Sylvan Lake Gulls to Spitz Stadium. The Bulls introduced their roster to the faithful that night and paid tribute to former WCBL umpire Mitch Ball.

After dropping a back-and-forth 8-7 decision to the Gulls, Lethbridge continued their homestand with the WCBL Game of the Week on Friday, May 27th. The Bulls entertained fans with a championship banner-raising ceremony prior to that game. Little League Night took place on Saturday, May 28th at Spitz Stadium, and the Bulls hit the road for the Brooks Bombers home opener on Sunday, May 29th. Lethbridge finished with a 1-3 record, but the home crowd enjoyed a full weekend of baseball action and got a chance to celebrate their 2021 title.

OKOTOKS DAWGS

The Dawgs were flexing over the weekend. The 2019 WCBL champs went 3-0 while racking up 44 runs and limiting opposing offences to just seven runs. Okotoks also drew crowds of 13,563 to Seaman Stadium and averaged 4,521 fans per game.

It was an idyllic weekend for Dawg lovers, who were treated to a dominant Opening Day on Friday and kept the party rolling through the whole weekend.

MEDICINE HAT MAVERICKS

The Mavs also had a perfect start to the campaign, picking up a pair of road wins in Moose Jaw before completing the sweep of the Miller Express in their home opener at a newly-renovated Athletic Park on Sunday afternoon.

SWIFT CURRENT 57’s

After their season opener on the road against the Weyburn Beavers was postponed due to crummy weather, the 57’s returned to Mitchell Field for a home opener against the Regina Red Sox on Sunday. Swift Current did not disappoint the locals, picking up a 7-2 victory and earning head coach Joey Jordan his first WCBL win.

EDMONTON PROSPECTS

The Prospects have become accustomed to life on the road and they looked comfortable opening their season in Fort McMurray, where they went 3-1 against the Giants. They will host their Sherwood Park home opener on Tuesday, May 31st at Centennial Park.

FORT McMURRAY GIANTS

Despite going 1-3 against the Prospects, it was a winning Opening Weekend for the Giants in Fort Mac. The club welcomed fans to Legacy Dodge Field for the first time since 2019 and allowed families to enjoy a beautiful night at the ballpark in Northern Alberta.

BROOKS BOMBERS

The Bomb Squad dropped a pair of contests in Okotoks before rebounding to triumph in their Elks Field home opener on Sunday, picking up an 8-7 walk-off win over Lethbridge.

MOOSE JAW MILLER EXPRESS

Never mind what the scoreboard or the standings say for the Miller Express, the fans were treated to high-calibre baseball at Ross Wells Park for the first time since 2019 and they fully embraced it. Moose Jaw fell to 0-3 on Sunday but they’ll look to bounce back this week.

SYLVAN LAKE GULLS

The Gulls broke in the team bus this weekend with trips to Lethbridge and Okotoks. They went 2-2 on the road and will bring the squad back to the nest this week, with their home opener set for Wednesday, June 1st at Gulls Stadium against the red-hot Okotoks Dawgs.

REGINA RED SOX

After falling in their season opener to Swift Current, the Red Sox will seek their first win of the campaign in their home opener against the 57’s on Tuesday, May 31st at Currie Field. The post-game festivities will include fireworks!

WEYBURN BEAVERS

Mother Nature was unkind to the Beavers over the weekend, prompting the postponement of their home-opening series against the 57’s. Weyburn will travel to Moose Jaw for a pair of games at Ross Wells Park on Tuesday, May 31st and Wednesday, June 1st. Their home opener has now been pushed back to Monday, June 6th when Swift Current returns.