For the second time during the 2024 Western Canadian Baseball League season, a team has put together a double-digit win streak.
The Regina Red Sox were the first to do so, capturing 12 victories in a row between June 11 and June 25.
Riding a potent offense and several strong pitching performances, the Sylvan Lake Gulls are one win shy of multiplying that 12-win stretch.
That has moved them up into the top spot of the latest WCBL Power Rankings, with Okotoks and Regina still nipping at their heels.
Meanwhile, there has been plenty of movement throughout the rest of the standings after some excellent matchups this week.
Let’s break it all down.
1. SYLVAN LAKE GULLS: During their 11-game winning streak, the Sylvan Lake Gulls have outscored their opponents 94-40, capturing wins over Brooks, Weyburn, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Fort McMurray. They also lead the league in batting average, on-base percentage, on-base plus slugging, runs scored and doubles on the season, while their pitching staff has allowed the fewest hits. They will need that combination heading into a three-game series against Okotoks this week.
2. OKOTOKS DAWGS: The reigning champion Okotoks Dawgs slipped back in the Power Rankings after a pair of losses this week to Lethbridge and Edmonton. They finally got a monkey off their back after beating the Bulls 9-8 on Sunday, a team they’ve had their issues with all summer. While the Dawgs’ offense hasn’t been as potent as others this season, they lead in several pitching categories. They have the aforementioned series against Sylvan Lake coming up as well as a few dates with Brooks.
3. REGINA RED SOX: It was a bit of a see-saw week for the Regina Red Sox as they went 3-2 with a win over Weyburn and splits against Saskatoon and Medicine Hat. That includes a pair of shutout performances on the hill from Brendon Gutierrez and Zander Oudie-Senger in the win over Weyburn and from Daniel Crabtree against Medicine Hat. Their schedule has dates against Weyburn, Moose Jaw and Swift Current this week.
4. LETHBRIDGE BULLS: Quietly going about their business has been the Lethbridge Bulls, who started the week with a win over Okotoks and two against Brooks, before losses to the Bombers and Dawgs to end the weekend. Their pitching staff leads the league in strikeouts with 291 after Sunday’s action, while they have more hits than any other team with 397. After a home date against Sylvan Lake, they head out on the road for a game against Edmonton before a four-game visit to Fort McMurray.
5. MOOSE JAW MILLER EXPRESS: Second place in the WCBL East Division is now in the hands of the Moose Jaw Miller Express after they rattled off eight straight wins between June 25 and July 6. Their winning streak was snapped by Swift Current on Sunday afternoon, but it seems as though the Miller Express have found their game with wins over several divisional foes. They have dates with Regina and Weyburn before a pivotal three-game set in Medicine Hat.
6. MEDICINE HAT MAVERICKS: It wasn’t like the Mavericks did anything particularly wrong over the last week to fall a spot. However, losses to Sylvan Lake and Regina didn’t help their cause. The Mavericks have been solid in all facets this year, sitting second in the league in hits and third in batting average while their pitching is in the top-three in several categories. The reigning East Division champions will want it all to come together over the next month, starting with dates this week against Weyburn, Swift Current, Edmonton and Moose Jaw.
7. SASKATOON BERRIES: Having gone 7-4 in their last 11, the Saskatoon Berries have been trending in the right direction as the expansion team comes together under veteran WCBL coach Joe Carnahan. They have traded jabs with the East Division-leading Regina Red Sox consistently, although lost two-straight to Medicine Hat this week before winning two over Weyburn. Team-bonding may be on order coming up as the Berries embark on a nine-game roadtrip with stops in Fort McMurray, Swift Current, Weyburn, Edmonton and Sylvan Lake.
8. FORT MCMURRAY GIANTS: It’s been a roller-coaster ride for the Fort McMurray Giants of late after being swept by Okotoks in June. Since then, they’ve gone on a five-game winning streak, then a four-game losing streak (one to Brooks and three to Sylvan Lake). They will be looking to benefit from some home cooking over the next little while with a six-game homestand featuring two dates with Saskatoon and four with Lethbridge.
9. BROOKS BOMBERS: When you play in a hitter-friendly park like Elks Field, sometimes you’re going to win some big games and sometimes you’re going to lose some big games. Such has been the story for the Brooks Bombers this season, personified by this week’s 19-5 win over Lethbridge followed by a 17-2 loss to Sylvan Lake. They will need that offense to be more consistent in the second half of the season, which starts with playing five of their next six games at home.
10. SWIFT CURRENT 57S: It’s going to be a tough climb for the Swift Current 57s to get themselves into a playoff spot as they are now 6.5 games back of Saskatoon for fourth place in the East Division. They have lost eight of their last ten, including three to Moose Jaw this week before winning the final game of their four-game set on Sunday. They can make up some ground this week with two games each against the Berries and Regina Red Sox.
11. EDMONTON PROSPECTS: Nothing like playing five games in three days on the road against one of the best teams in the league. However, the Edmonton Prospects did manage to pull together a 5-4 walkoff victory against the Okotoks Dawgs on Saturday afternoon. After spending a lot of time on the road recently, the Prospects play seven of their next nine at home, looking to make up some ground on fourth-place Fort McMurray.
12. WEYBURN BEAVERS: It hasn’t been an easy few weeks for the Weyburn Beavers, who now sit in the WCBL basement and are in the midst of a season-high 16-game losing streak. This last week saw they drop games to Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Regina and Saskatoon. It will be an uphill battle for the Beavers, but they can make up some ground with their next nine games against divisional opponents, including six at home.
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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