The season may be over, but we’re not quite ready to let go of it yet.
With that in mind, here’s a photo gallery from the best-of-three championship final between the Okotoks Dawgs and Moose Jaw Miller Express, which ended with the Dawgs being crowned champs for a sixth time.
GAME ONE
Dawgs players stretch ahead of Game 1 of the WCBL Final Series at Seaman Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 16th.Moose Jaw Miller Express players get ready for Game 1 beneath the Grog & Grub concession area at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks.Pre-game pepper gets Okotoks players warmed up ahead of the series.Moose Jaw’s Reece Helland (right) led all WCBL playoff pitchers in strikeouts, with 17 through 12 postseason innings. His three saves were also tops in the league.Catcher Bryan Reyes (left) and starting pitcher Ethan Merk (right) walk to the visitor dugout before action gets going.Dawgs head coach Mitch Schmidt meets with Eric Marriott, the head coach of the Miller Express, and the umpiring crew at home plate to submit lineup cards for the game.Miller Express players huddle around coach Marriott in the Moose Jaw dugout while the Okotoks starting lineup is announced.First baseman McCoy Pearce (right) has a look at the Seaman Stadium crowd while the battery of Ryan McFarland and Caleb Lumbard (left) await the singing of the Canadian national anthem.The Miller Express and the crowd of 5,438 baseball fans salute Don Seaman, a principal donor to the stadium that bears the name of he and his late brother, Daryl Seaman. Don was in attendance for Game 1 of the championship series.Righthander Ryan McFarland, making his only postseason start for Okotoks, went 7.2 innings for the Dawgs in Game 1. He allowed two hits, two walks and struck out five batters while picking up the win in the 12-3 victory.Slugger Nate Mensik inspects his bat as he prepares to step into the batter’s box.Fans seek shade as they watch some baseball from beyond the left-field foul pole at Seaman Stadium.Centre fielder Micah McDowell (20) touches home plate after hitting a two-run blast in the bottom of the first inning. It was the first homer of the series and gave the Dawgs an early lead they would not relinquish.Alejandro Cazorla points to the Okotoks dugout after his double scored teammate Jacob Morrow in the 4th inning, giving the Dawgs a 3-0 lead.Right fielder Nate Mensik signals a catch to end the fourth inning after he crashed hard into the wall on a Caleb Lumbard fly ball.Brendan Luther prepares to high five the bat boy while celebrating a fifth-inning homer with his teammates.The Miller Express try to regroup with a mound meeting in the sixth inning. Moose Jaw surrendered four runs that frame, which gave the Dawgs a 10-0 lead.Moose Jaw second baseman Luke LaChance (right) chases down Jacob Morrow (left) and applies the tag for the final out of the sixth inning.The Miller Express finished with three runs in the ninth inning, but fell by a 12-3 score in Game 1.
GAME TWO
Fans packed into Ross Wells Park in Moose Jaw to watch Game 2 between the Dawgs and Miller Express. Official attendance was listed at 976 spectators.Outfielder Nate Mensik rounds third base after hitting a solo shot in the top of the first inning to give Moose Jaw the lead.Joe Osborn walks below the Miller Express scoreboard, which shows a lead for the home team in the early stages of the game.Game 2 starting pitcher Cameron Dunn gets high fives. Dunn went 5.1 innings for the Miller Express, surrendering three hits and one earned run while striking out five Okotoks batters … photo by Randy Palmer, Moose Jaw TodayNervous fans look on as they hope the Miller Express can force a decisive Game 3 back in Okotoks.The Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy, awarded to the WCBL championship team, made the trip to Moose Jaw.Closer Reece Helland pitched two scoreless frames and struck out three batters to pick up the save and seal the 3-1 victory for the Miller Express. The Moose Jaw native signed autographs after the game … photo by Randy Palmer, Moose Jaw TodayThe Miller Express tip their caps after their 3-1 win, the final WCBL game at Ross Wells Park in 2022 … photo by Randy Palmer, Moose Jaw TodayChildren run the bases after Game 2 at Ross Wells Park … photo by Randy Palmer, Moose Jaw Today
GAME THREE
Brady Baltus got the start for Okotoks in Game 3 on Aug. 18th at Seaman Stadium. Baltus struck out nine batters through six innings and gave up just one run in earning the win.Coach Eric Marriott watches his team from the visitor dugout.Micah McDowell (20) sizes up the delivery of Moose Jaw pitcher Liam Sommer before stealing second base. McDowell stole two bases in the game.Pitchers in the Dawgs bullpen look on, ready to start tossing if needed.Athletic therapist Savannah Blakley (left) heads back to the dugout after checking on Micah McDowell (right) after the outfielder made a spectacular diving catch in the third inning.Andy Peterson, third base coach for the Dawgs, looks on as Cameron Dunn delivers a pitch in the fourth inning. Dunn, who pitched well in Game 2, was saddled with the loss after giving up two runs in one inning.Designated hitter Jacob Morrow celebrates after scoring a run that gave the Dawgs a 2-1 lead in the fourth frame.Okotoks skipper Mitch Schmidt (left) chats with the home plate umpire in the fourth inning.Alejandro Cazorla high fives teammates at the dugout after scoring to make the score 3-1 in the fourth inning.Miller Express players look out to the field in the seventh inning as the sun starts to set on their 2022 season.Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson warms up before entering the game in the eighth inning. Wilkinson struck out four batters through two scoreless innings to secure the 4-1 game victory and the WCBL Championship for the Okotoks Dawgs.The Dawgs and Miller Express shake hands after a hard-fought championship series.Infielder Brendan Luther shakes hands with WCBL President Kevin Kvame after being named the league’s postseason MVP.Dawgs players and coaches pile in for a team photo after winning the club’s sixth WCBL championship.
What a memorable championship series! See you next season!
(Please note that the Game 1 and Game 3 photos from Okotoks were taken by Ian Wilson. Game 2 photos from Moose Jaw were provided by the Miller Express Twitter account, as well as Randy Palmer of Moose Jaw Today.)
