The Western Canadian Baseball League season is now underway and we are already getting a glimpse of who could be game-changers this summer.
Before Opening Weekend, we scoured the rosters of each of the WCBL’s 12 teams with our Season Preview series, all the while taking notes on who might be ready to take the league by storm.
Which hitters had massive spring seasons at their respective college programs and are ready to keep the good times rolling? Which pitchers are primed to baffle batters with each outing?
Before the first game of the season was played, we compiled a list of one player from each team who we think might be huge assets to their teams and fan favourites before the summer concludes.
In alphabetical order by team:
Brooks Bombers – Evan Hoegler
A freshman on a strong UBC Thunderbird pitching staff, North Vancouver’s Evan Hoegler quickly found himself as a staple of the bullpen. He saw action in 16 games, going 2-1 with six saves and a 2.12 ERA. He also struck out 28 batters in 34 innings, allowing just 19 hits and 14 walks. This will be Hoegler’s second season with the Bombers, after he went 3-3 with a 5.54 ERA in eight games last summer.
Edmonton Prospects – Josh Cote
While he might wear #13 for the Northeastern Community College Plainsmen, there’s nothing unlucky about Josh Cote. The sophomore catcher from Midland, Ontario swung a big bat during the spring, hitting .337 with 21 home runs and 65 RBI in 54 games, including a stretch where the 6-foot-2, 210-pound slugger hit a roundtripper in nine-straight games. Cote will be a force behind the plate for the Prospects.
Fort McMurray Giants – Michael Buckley
The first WCBL veteran on our list, something always seemed to happen when Michael Buckley was on the field with the Fort McMurray Giants in 2023. He hit .315 with a homer, 13 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 46 games. His first spring at Oklahoma Christian University didn’t go exactly as planned (.183 with a homer, five RBI and two stolen bases in 25 games), so the 5-foot-11, 170-pound outfielder will be looking to get back into form this summer.
Lethbridge Bulls – Javier De Alejandro
Who could forget Javier De Alejandro’s phenomenal performance on July 19 against the Brooks Bombers? He needed just 105 pitches in a 7-0 no-hit victory, on his father’s birthday, no less. The 5-foot-9, 145-pound southpaw is back with the Lethbridge Bulls after his senior college season at St. Mary’s University in Texas, where he hopes to improve on last summer’s 3-2 mark with a 3.79 earned run average in 10 games.
Medicine Hat Mavericks – Jon Shields
You don’t see “S” beside a pitcher’s name very often, but such is the case with Jon Shields. The Magnolia, Texas native gained notoriety for throwing a perfect game in high school while throwing from both sides. After finishing his freshman college season with the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Eagles, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound switch-pitcher is bringing his six-finger glove to Athletic Park this summer.
Moose Jaw Miller Express – Takao Cookson
A freshman at Valley City State University, Takao Cookson was phenomenal en route to being named Second-Team All-Conference and the North Star Athletic Association Freshman of the Year. The Regina native went 1-2 with four saves and a 2.96 ERA in 17 appearances for the Vikings, striking out 73 batters in 67 innings. He will be leaned on by the Miller Express as they look to get back to the WCBL championships in 2024.
Okotoks Dawgs – Logan Grant
When you’re named the top player in your entire conference, people are bound to take notice. The Chestermere product and Dawgs Academy alum followed up an impressive first season at Bellevue University by hitting .346 with 20 home runs and 66 RBI in 53 games for the Bruins this spring. He was also a key piece for the Dawgs’ second-consecutive championship in 2023, hitting .344 with three homers and 26 RBI in the regular season and .290 with two RBI in seven playoff games.
Regina Red Sox – Kody Hanna
While he wasn’t able to replicate a 2022-2023 season where he was a South Atlantic Conference All-Conference Second-Team and Commissioner’s Honor Roll winner, Hemingway, South Carolina’s Kody Hanna will be a huge presence in the middle of the Regina Red Sox order. The 6-foor-4, 210-pound first baseman still managed to hit .362 with a pair of homers and 40 RBI in 47 games for the Coker University Cobras this past spring.
Saskatoon Berries – Payton McHarg
The hometown product says he’s excited to finally play in the WCBL and why wouldn’t he be? The 5-foot-11, 190-pound outfielder is coming off an incredible spring at Washburn University, where he hit .354 with 21 home runs (third-most in Ichabod history) and 67 RBI (fourth-most) in 53 games. He has been lauded for his efforts with a trio of honours so far, including All-Central Region First-Team and Second-Team All-American.
Swift Current 57s – Luis Ayala
If you’re looking for someone to be on-base a lot, catcher Luis Ayala might be the guy for the Swift Current 57s. During his two years at Trinidad State, he hit .366 with two homers, 65 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 102 games while also being named the Region IX Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. While the Panama City, Panama product wasn’t able to replicate those numbers with Fort Hays State this spring, he is capable of being a key offensive player and a strong defensive catcher (.997 fielding percentage for the Tigers).
Sylvan Lake Gulls – Nathan Flewelling
Every year in the WCBL, a high school player or two break through to have fantastic seasons. If one is primed to do so in 2024, it could be Nathan Flewelling of the Sylvan Lake Gulls. The Innisfail product and St. Joseph Academy catcher is a highly touted prospect who has become one of the top Canadians eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft, after committing to Gonzaga University, playing for the Baseball Canada Junior National Team and winning the Home Run Derby at the Canadian Futures Showcase.
Weyburn Beavers – Ian Heck
Who might be the next two-way star to come out of the WCBL? Ian Heck is hoping he can become the next Kody Funderburk, Matt Lloyd or Erik Sabrowski as he suits up for the Weyburn Beavers this summer. The Roseville, California product had himself a great spring with the York University Panthers, hitting .362 with six homers and 37 RBI in 43 games. He also went 4-3 with a 5.64 ERA to go along with 65 strikeouts in 13 pitching appearances, of which he started 12.
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