Weyburn Beavers 2025 Preview

By IAN WILSON

One log at a time.

There was slight improvement for the Weyburn Beavers last year.

The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) club went from consecutive to 14-42 campaigns in 2022 and 2023 to a record of 17-39 in 2024. Those added wins brought the Beavers out of the basement. Instead of finishing in last place in the WCBL, as the Beavers had in the previous two years, Weyburn finished in 5th in the East Division, ahead of the Swift Current 57’s, and 10th overall on the 12-team circuit.

Nonetheless, there is room for further improvement and the pitchers and hitters on the team will have to achieve better results if a spot in the postseason is a realistic goal.

For that, they’ll need to throw plenty more logs on the dam.

The Beavers have not had a winning season since 2019. Can they make it happen this year?

COACHING

Cam Williams is in his third year as the head coach of the Beavers.

The Coquitlam, B.C. native played for Weyburn from 2015 through 2018 and suited up in 149 regular season and playoff games in that time, producing 159 hits along the way.

“We’re looking to build off a stronger finish to the end of last season,” said Williams.

“We’ve got a solid core of returners who understand what the WCBL and, more importantly, what playing for the Weyburn Beavers organization is all about. Those guys have shared their experiences with many of their school teammates and we’ve got a diverse group of players from some really solid programs across North America that are looking forward to competing every day.”

Williams is also the head coach of the University of Calgary Dinos baseball team, a squad that won the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) title in 2023.

Luke Senft, an assistant coach with Williams at the University of Calgary who helps with hitting and outfield guidance, is returning for his second year as an assistant coach with the Beavers.

PITCHING

The Beavers will welcome back the four pitchers they leaned on the most last summer, with Ian Heck, Owen McConnell, Ryan Meyer and Ethan Webster all signing on for another season at Tom Laing Park.

Heck was a two-way star in the WCBL in 2024. As a right-handed pitcher, he led the Beavers in games started (11), innings pitched (60), strikeouts (64) and earned run average (3.75). At the plate, the Californian had 27 runs batted in (RBI), 25 runs, 48 hits and 16 doubles in 47 games.

McConnell enters his third season with Weyburn. The University of British Columbia (UBC) moundsman is 4-10 with a 6.26 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 27 games and 113.2 innings with the Beavers.

Meyer is a righty from Phoenix, Arizona who has started 12 of the 13 games he’s appeared in for Weyburn over the last two summers. The 6-foot-1 hurler has 59 strikeouts in his 69 WCBL innings.

Webster is a player that is well-known to his head coach, having pitched at the University of Calgary since 2022 and with the Beavers since 2023. In Weyburn, the righthander has made 28 appearances, including 13 starts. He has three wins, two saves and 63 Ks in 87.2 innings in the WCBL. He is fresh off taking home the Canadian College Baseball Conference Pitcher of the Year award.

Also back is 6-foot-4 Jared Eifler, who recorded 18 strikeouts in five games and 21-plus innings with Weyburn in 2024. The Calgarian is a student at Bellevue University.

Lefty pitcher Ty Thomson, a Regina product who played for the Moose Jaw Miller Express last year, has signed on with the Beavers. With the Millers, the southpaw recorded 15 strikeouts in 9.1 innings.

New arms on the pitching staff include Jaxon Henderson (Northwest Nazarine University); Isaiah Granado (Whitman College); Cam Soliz (Texas A&M Corpus Christi); and Joe Hart (University of Jamestown).

Central Baptist College will be represented by pitchers Gram Middleton and Dylan Parton and Eastern New Mexico University is sending Logan Kinter and Jasiah Mendoza.

Local product Keaton Husband is on the roster for a second summer. The righthander pitches at Minnesota West Community College.

Two-way player Nolan Berkram is a Billings, Montana native who plays for the University of Jamestown. He’s comfortable on the mound and in the outfield.

BATTING

Veteran infielder Ryan Dauphinee is back for a fourth summer in Weyburn. The British Columbian became the team’s all-time regular season leader in games played (143), at bats (545) and hits (154) last year. The WCBL All-Star is a career .283 hitter who has 89 runs and 65 RBI with the Beavers. He’s also filled in on the bump on occasion, registering eight strikeouts in 7.2 innings.

Brayden Mayencourt has also been with the club since 2022. The infielder from Central Baptist College has 71 hits, 46 runs and 28 RBI in 85 WCBL games. Like Dauphinee, Mayencourt has also put in work on the mound when needed. He’s appeared in 13 games and collected two saves and 13 Ks in 17 innings.

New infielders with the big-teethed ball club include Trevor Dale (University of Colorado Colorado Springs) and Zach Tanabe (Graceland University).

Luke Malzewski (Whitman College) is a new utility player on the roster.

Back in the outfield for a fourth year is lefty batter Tyren Dorrance. In 57 games with the Beavers, the Alameda, Saskatchewan product has 39 hits, 29 runs and 14 RBI.

Fresh faces in the outfield include Noah Brooks (University of Pikeville); Briggham Kokotailo (Cochise College); and Chett McDaniel (Central Baptist College).

Behind the plate, Robert Gurney – brother of Moose Jaw Miller Express slugger Austin Gurney – is back for another summer. The University of Pikeville backstop has played 73 games for the Beavers and has 39 RBI and 31 runs in WCBL action.

A new catcher on the roster is Bryker Smith, a Sturgis, Saskatchewan native who studies at Monterey Peninsula Community College.

Home Ballpark: Tom Laing Park

Home Opener: 7:05 p.m., Thursday, May 29th vs. Saskatoon Berries

2024 Regular Season Results: 5th place in East Division with 17 wins & 39 losses

2024 Playoff Results: Did not qualify