By IAN WILSON
The jostling and jockeying is just getting started.
With the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) now in full swing, teams are working hard to put their stamp on the 2024 summer collegiate season.
Here’s a look at the WCBL Power Rankings during the early going of the campaign:
1. OKOTOKS DAWGS: The Dawgs finally suffered their first loss of the season, a 12-4 defeat against the Lethbridge Bulls, but they flipped the script and topped the Bulls by that same score a couple days later. Okotoks has a 10-1 record and the club looks to get even better with the recent return of a number of big bats to the lineup, including Brendan Luther, Nash Crowell, Logan Grant and Tucker Zdunich. The Dawgs lead the league in on-base percentage, slugging, runs batted in (RBI), and earned run average (ERA).
2. SYLVAN LAKE GULLS: Up the road, the Gulls have the second best record in the WCBL. Sylvan Lake sits at 8-3 and their only losses have come against the powerhouse Dawgs, including a pair of tightly contested matchups that ended in 10-7 and 3-1 victories for Okotoks. Batters on the Gulls have the top collective batting average in the WCBL.
3. MEDICINE HAT MAVERICKS: The Mavs jump up a couple spots in the Power Rankings after rising to the top of the East Division standings with an 8-4 record. Medicine Hat sits third in the league in home runs, behind only Okotoks and the Brooks Bombers, but they are last in stolen bases.
4. LETHBRIDGE BULLS: After a lengthy road trip to start the season, the Bulls were able to get in some games at Spitz Stadium. The home cooking did them well. As mentioned, they handed the Dawgs their only loss of the season. The Bulls also showed off some versatility in a trio of wins over the Bombers. A 31-26 triumph at Brooks marked the highest-scoring game in WCBL history, and Lethbridge followed that up with a 1-0 victory on home soil a few days later. The 8-6 Bulls lead the league in runs, hits and total bases, while their pitching staff is tops in strikeouts and saves.
5. REGINA RED SOX: At 7-5, the Red Sox are hot on the heels of the Mavericks for the East Division lead. During a recent swing through Alberta, Regina earned a pair of splits during their head-to-head matchups against the Edmonton Prospects and Fort McMurray Giants. With the most walks in the league, the Red Sox have a batting lineup of patient hitters.
6. FORT McMURRAY GIANTS: The Giants have offered up a potent offence and a pitching staff that’s good enough to keep them in most games. With the Dawgs and Gulls off to strong starts, Fort McMurray will have to be at their best to secure a playoff spot for a third straight year.
7. MOOSE JAW MILLER EXPRESS: The Miller Express continue to sport a .500 record after 14 games. Moose Jaw has beaten the Mavs, Bombers, Giants, Weyburn Beavers, Saskatoon Berries and Swift Current 57’s – they’ve also lost to each of those teams. The Millers have the top fielding percentage in the league.
8. SASKATOON BERRIES: The Berries are the biggest risers in the Power Rankings, having vacated the basement thanks to some steady play over the last week. Saskatoon has shaken off an 0-5 start and they have a .500 record over their last 10 games. The Berries recently experienced their first walk-off win in franchise history during a 5-4 victory over Moose Jaw. The expansion team looks like it’s turning the corner.
9. WEYBURN BEAVERS: The Beavers sit at 4-6 after their first 10 games and have impressed during wins over the Mavericks, Bulls, Miller Express and the Red Sox. Weyburn’s pitching has been decent, but the ball club needs more pop out of their bats if they hope to climb both the Power Rankings and the WCBL standings.
10. SWIFT CURRENT 57’s: They sit in last place in the East Division but they’ve played fewer games than any other team in the WCBL. Despite sitting at 2-7, Swift Current received a boost over the weekend from an 18-strikeout performance from veteran pitcher Kenny Jinks, who led the 57’s to a 5-1 win over the Miller Express.
11. BROOKS BOMBERS: It’s been a wild ride for the Bombers, literally. Brooks leads the league in wild pitches and the southern Alberta squad was also part of one of the wildest games in recent years, the aforementioned wind-whipped, 57-run marathon loss to Lethbridge at Elks Field. They sit first in home runs and can score in bunches, but no team has allowed more runs. If they can find a way to reduce the runs allowed, Brooks should be equipped to improve on their 2-10 record.
12. EDMONTON PROSPECTS: The Prospects have a 3-8 record, but their run differential is the worst in the league at minus-73. Edmonton has played in some tighter games recently. They’ll need better pitching, reliable defence and improvements at the plate to pick up more wins.
The WCBL Power Rankings are a weekly feature that examines how all 12 squads are playing. You can find the East and West Division standings, as well as team and individual statistics on the league’s website. The WCBL This Week: Red Arrow Report also provides weekly updates, highlights and analysis from around the league.
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