Saskatoon Berries 2025 Preview

By IAN WILSON

They painted ‘Toon Town purple last summer, and the Saskatoon Berries are ready to do it all over again.

The 2024 season – the first for the Berries in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) – was a smashing success for the expansion franchise, both on and off the field.

After stumbling out of the gate, the Berries turned their regular season around, finished with a winning record of 31-25, and punched their ticket to the WCBL playoffs.

Saskatoon upset the Medicine Hat Mavericks in the first round of the postseason and engaged in a wild best-of-three East Division championship series against the Miller Express, falling just short of advancing to the WCBL Final.

“What’s cool now is everyone has seen what we do and how we do things and even someone that hasn’t played for us understands and knows who the Saskatoon Berries are,” said team president Steve Hildebrand.

“We have to just keep building off of what we have. The cool part is our people have seen what it looks like now. They had no idea going into the season. Now we can be even better and we’re going to do that, we’re going to be better. We have a few things in mind at the ball stadium that we’re going to do and it’s going to be a lot of fun. We’ve got some new promotions that are going to happen and I think we’re just going to build off of what happened in year one.”

The Berries finished second in attendance in the WCBL last year. A total of 50,195 members of the “Jam Fam” filed into the NexGen Patch at Cairns Field over 26 regular season games, resulting in an average crowd of 1,931 spectators.

Team merchandise proved so popular during the year that the club sold out of some items, including ball caps.

“I think it was excellent and I’ve challenged our group to execute in year two,” said Hildebrand, adding the goal for the team remains a WCBL title.

“We’re not content, no. We’re like anyone else, we want to win a championship.”

The Berries seem ripe for a run at a title.

COACHING

The experienced coaching staff of the Berries will be led by head coach Joe Carnahan, who has a storied history in the WCBL.

As a player with the Swift Current 57’s, Carnahan won league championships in 2001, 2005 and 2006. He was also named the league’s most valuable player twice for his regular season performances, as well as the playoff MVP in 2001 and 2005.

Carnahan followed up his playing days in the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL) – the predecessor of the WCBL – as the head coach of the 57’s and he won three more championships while claiming Coach of the Year honours four times.

“What Joe Carnahan and his staff did on the field was awesome,” said Hildebrand of his opening campaign with the Berries.

“I know Joe’s going to do a great job and we’ll be right there again.”

Chance Wheatley – who won a WCBL championship as the head coach of the Lethbridge Bulls in 2021 – is also returning as an assistant coach.

Equipment manager Max Hildebrand is back for another year, as well. Hildebrand was recently named the 2024-25 Western Hockey League (WHL) Goaltender of the Year as a member of the Prince Albert Raiders.

PITCHING

The Berries have added some high-impact arms from other WCBL teams this off-season, including the top two leaders in strikeouts last summer.

Klevert Martina led the circuit in Ks in 2024 as a member of the Swift Current 57’s. The product of Kanga, Curacao appeared in 20 games, including seven starts, and racked up 75 strikeouts in 64.2 innings. He also recorded a league-best seven saves.

Next in line in punch outs was Matt Whitney of the Fort McMurray Giants, who registered 66 strikeouts in 64.1 innings, to go along with a 6-3 record, a 4.05 ERA and one save. The lefty from Florida has been a starting pitcher for the Giants since 2023. His career numbers in the WCBL include an 8-4 record, a 3.36 ERA and 98 Ks over 91 innings.

A number of dependable arms are returning for a second summer in Saskatoon to work alongside Martina and Whitney.

The team’s wins leader, Wyatt Wiatrek, a righthander from Texas, put in 43.1 innings over nine starts with the Berries in 2024 and went 4-1 with a 2.49 earned run average (ERA) and 45 strikeouts.

Torontonian Matthias Trondson made 10 WCBL starts last summer, and finished with a 1-1 record, a 3.76 ERA and 30 Ks in 38-plus innings, including one playoff appearance.

Carter Kopp and Colin Plain are a pair of hometown righties who will be back. Kopp posted a 3-2 record, a 2.19 ERA and 15 Ks in 28.2 innings of relief work during the WCBL regular season last year, while Plain logged 26.1 frames as a starter and a reliever in both the playoffs and the regular season, registering a 4.10 ERA and 28 strikeouts in that time.

Another local product on the roster is 6-foot-4 righthander Adam Beamin, who appeared in 10 games for the Berries out of the bullpen and went 2-0 with 18 Ks in 15 innings.

Calgarian Cory Lawson went 1-1 with a pair of saves and 26 strikeouts for Saskatoon in 15 regular season games and 23-plus innings, while North Carolina’s Andrew Dye had 10 Ks, a 1-1 record, and a 5.10 ERA in 12.1 innings that were spread out over five games with the Berries. Both righties will suit up in purple in 2025.

The squad’s go-to closer is also back for another summer. Peoria, Arizona product Tyler Davis was spectacular for the Berries. Over 14 games and 21 innings, the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley righty was 2-1 with four saves, 31 strikeouts and a 0.86 ERA.

New to the team and the WCBL this year are Diego Quinonez, an Arizona righty at Webber International University; Clayten Mixon of Brookhaven College; Zachary Laird, out of Indian State; Highwood High School pitcher Turner Zdunich; and Noah McCombs from Hutchinson Community College.

Tanner Hosick and Michael Sall join the club out of the University of Nebraska Omaha.

BATTING

The team’s biggest star is returning for another summer NexGen Patch at Cairns Field.

Carter Beck, the pride of Carnduff, Saskatchewan, will be roaming the outfield for a second straight year. The lefty slugger was a beast in 2024. The WCBL Rookie of the Year and Most Outstanding Canadian played 57 games and manufactured a .402 batting average between the playoffs and the regular season. By summer’s end, he had 13 long balls, 44 runs batted in (RBI), 61 runs and 20 stolen bases.

“I’m thrilled to be back in Saskatoon. I’m just excited to play in front of a packed house with the Jam Fam going nuts. Playing baseball there is some of the most fun I have ever had in my life,” said Beck in an announcement on the Saskatoon Berries website.

“On the development side, I feel like my swing is better than it ever has been right now and I am continuing to get stronger and faster every week.”

Returning to the outfield with Beck is Jalen Freeman, who hit .274 with 11 stolen bases and 14 runs in 21 games last season.

New to the team but not the WCBL is Ethan Murdoch, who swings a heavy bat at Marshall University. The 6-foot-2 outfielder played 42 games for Swift Current in 2023. With the 57’s, Murdoch had a .333 batting average, 30 RBI and 29 runs.

Also slotted for outfield duties is Evan Janner, who comes to Saskatoon from the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley.

The infield has a star addition from another WCBL squad, as well.

In 67 games for the Moose Jaw Miller Express since 2023, Nathan Houston has a .396 batting average, 48 RBI and 50 runs. The Arizona Western College student is from Melville, Saskatchewan.

Returning infielders include Jaden Lamothe and Ethan Menard. Lamothe is a University of British Columbia student who hit .267 with 25 runs and 17 RBI over 42 WCBL contests last summer. Menard is a well-rounded Louisiana product who can play catcher or first base. He produced a .348 batting average, seven homers, 47 RBI, 42 runs and 10 stolen bases 56 regular season and playoff games with the Berries in 2024.

Cooper Wesslund (Brookhaven College); Nomar Prieto (Texas A&M International University); and Abiam Medina (Texas A&M International University) are some new infield roster options available to Carnahan.

Cam Marshak of Bruno, Saskatchewan will also be called upon to track down ground balls.

Home Ballpark: NexGen Patch at Cairns Field

Home Opener: 4 p.m., Saturday, May 31st vs. Regina Red Sox

2024 Regular Season Results: 3rd place in East Division with 31 wins & 25 losses

2024 Playoff Results: Lost in East Division championship series to Moose Jaw Miller Express; 3-3 record in postseason