By IAN WILSON
Play ball!
Opening Day for the Western Canadian Baseball League is set for Thursday, May 28th across Alberta and Saskatchewan and teams are ready to begin their pursuit of the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to the WCBL champion.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at each club and see what we can expect from them during the 2026 season.
EAST DIVISION
Regina Red Sox
The Regina Red Sox provided us with plenty of firsts on their way to a Western Canadian Baseball League championship last year.
It was the Red Sox first league title since 2012 and the first Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy win for a Saskatchewan-based team since 2017. The triumph also marked the first time since 2021 that a team other than the Okotoks Dawgs claimed a WCBL championship.
In addition, the win was the first WCBL crown for Queen City Sports & Entertainment Group (QCSEG), who took over as owners of the Red Sox in 2025.
So, what will Regina do for an encore this summer?
Let’s take a look at the lineup and see what Red Sox fans can expect … read more
Saskatoon Berries
The Saskatoon Berries break new ground each season.
In year one of the franchise in 2024, the purple-clad squad posted a winning record and picked up their first playoff series victory.
Their second season was even more impressive. The Berries went 46-9 and established a new WCBL regular-season wins record along the way. They followed that up with another thrilling postseason series triumph over the Moose Jaw Miller Express before the Regina Red Sox knocked them out in the East Division final in August.
This year brings some built in excitement with the Berries hosting the 2026 WCBL All-Star Weekend in July. To accommodate this signature event and improve the fan experience at NexGen Patch at Cairns Field, the team is adding 352 new seats behind home plate.
Saskatoon is also participating in the second annual Rural Roots Baseball Classic against the Weyburn Beavers on May 29th in Carnduff, Saskatchewan.
The Berries continue to have high aspirations and will look to convert their regular season success into even better results in the playoffs. An appearance in the WCBL championship series and the opportunity to hoist the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy is a top priority in Saskatoon.
To capture a title, the Berries will need to get past the best that the East Division has to offer.
Let’s take a closer look at the roster and see if they have what it takes … read more
Medicine Hat Mavericks
It was a summer that ended too soon for Mavs fans.
The 2025 edition of the Medicine Hat Mavericks picked up 34 regular season victories, the most wins the team had since 2018, when the Mavs won the West Division and the WCBL championship.
This time around Medicine Hat entered the East Division playoffs in second place and with hopes for a long postseason run.
But the Regina Red Sox had other plans. After sweeping their opening round best-of-three matchup against the Mavericks, the Red Sox were the team that went on a run and captured the WCBL title.
Despite the disappointing end to the season, the Mavs were winners in the stands. Athletic Park welcomed 34,626 fans through the turnstiles in 2025 for an average crowd of 1,332 baseball boosters per game. The Mavs have seen a steady increase in attendance over recent years and will look to continue that trend this summer.
The Mavericks will also seek to get back to the WCBL championship series for the first time since 2023.
Let’s take a closer look at the roster and see if they have the horses to do it … read more
Moose Jaw Miller Express
The Moose Jaw Miller Express have proven to be formidable postseason foes in recent years.
The Millers pushed the Okotoks Dawgs to the brink in the WCBL championship series in 2022 and 2024, before they gave the Saskatoon Berries all they could handle in the opening round of the East Division playoffs last year.
That best-of-three series against the Berries went the distance and then some. With Saskatoon leading 10-3 in the late stages of the winner-take-all contest, Moose Jaw put up nine runs in the eighth inning to take the lead until the Berries tied things up in the bottom of the ninth. A 10th-inning grand slam from outfielder Carter Beck clinched the series for Saskatoon, leaving fans and players alike exhausted from the rollercoaster lead changes.
It was an impressive showing for the fourth-seeded Miller Express, who went 27-29 in the regular season, even if Moose Jaw fell just short in their upset bid.
So, what can be expected from the Miller Express in 2026? What veterans are returning to the roster and what fresh blood will be injected into the lineup?
Let’s take a closer look at the team … read more
Weyburn Beavers
It’s time for the “W” in Weyburn to stand for wins.
The Beavers have had a rough few years in the WCBL and postseason play hasn’t visited the Saskatchewan city of 11,000 people since 2019, which is also the last time that Weyburn had a winning season.
Weyburn will need to bring their best for Opening Week as they start the season with a home-and-home series against the Saskatoon Berries, who set a WCBL single-season wins record in 2025. That four-game series includes a stop in Carnduff, Saskatchewan where the two East Division clubs will square off in the second annual Rural Roots Baseball Classic on May 29th.
The Beavers will also have to finish strong because their final game of the 2026 regular season comes against the defending WCBL champion Regina Red Sox at Currie Field on Aug. 5th.
Let’s examine the roster of hitters and pitchers, as well as the pitching staff and see how things are shaping up for the team this summer … read more
Swift Current 57’s
There’s nowhere to go but up for the Swift Current 57’s.
After posting a 10-45 record in the Western Canadian Baseball League in 2025, the team found itself at the bottom of both the East Division standings and the overall WCBL standings.
The 57’s have a proud history that includes seven league championships since 2000, but the franchise has not been truly competitive for nearly a decade.
Fans, coaches and management in Swift Current hope to see a turnaround this summer.
With a new coaching staff and an expanded roster in place, the 57’s will seek a push for playoff contention … read more
WEST DIVISION
Sylvan Lake Gulls
Baseball can be the cruelest sport.
Even after a highly successful season, it can leave you rattled and in doubt.
Case in point: the 2025 edition of the Sylvan Lake Gulls.
This was a team that had entered the summer having never beaten their top rival, the Okotoks Dawgs, in the playoffs. Nor had the Gulls ever won a WCBL championship, or even been to a league final series in their five-year history.
Sylvan Lake checked off some pretty big boxes last year. The Gulls defeated the Dawgs convincingly in the West Division championship series by sweeping the best-of-three matchup to punch their ticket to the big dance.
The Gulls rolled into the WCBL final and, following an extra-inning victory in the opening game in Regina, they were poised to sweep at home and register an undefeated playoff run.
But a different ending unfolded and for Sylvan Lake boosters, the conclusion of the 2025 campaign displayed the baseball gods at their cruelest.
And yet, it was the most successful season in franchise history for the Gulls.
So, what’s in store for this summer? … read more
Okotoks Dawgs
The Okotoks Dawgs are perennial championship contenders.
The eight-time WCBL champs and three-peat winners from 2022 and 2024 were finally handed a playoff loss last August.
But the Dawgs are always hungry.
And they’re a lock to win at least 40 of their 56 games each season.
(They haven’t recorded less than 40 victories since 2018 when they played just 47 games).
So they should have all the ingredients to contend for the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy yet again.
And no matter how the WCBL campaign goes, there will be loads for baseball fans to be excited about in Okotoks in 2026 … read more
Lethbridge Bulls
The Lethbridge Bulls have been seeing red for years.
Typically, it’s in the form of their crimson-clad rivals, the Okotoks Dawgs, finishing atop the West Division standings and claiming WCBL championships.
Recently, however, the Sylvan Lake Gulls have been giving the Bulls a run for their money. Last year, the Gulls swept Lethbridge in the opening round of the postseason.
It’s been a frustrating few summers for the team from L.A. … Lethbridge, Alberta, that is.
The Bulls have averaged 33 wins over the course of their 56-game regular season during the last three WCBL campaigns, making them an above .500 club. But they haven’t finished higher than third place in the West Division in that time, and have lost in the first round of the playoffs each year, making their 2021 championship seem like a distant memory.
They’ve been a good team, but not good enough to break through in the postseason.
Whether or not they march up the standings or go on a playoff run, the Bulls and their fans will have plenty to be excited about to start the season … read more
Brooks Bombers
The postseason is no longer foreign territory for the Brooks Bombers.
The “Bomb Squad” has qualified for the WCBL playoffs the last two years and they’ll look to make it three in a row in 2026.
Despite the postseason appearances, the Bombers are still looking for their first playoff victory in franchise history. They were swept by the Okotoks Dawgs in 2022 and 2025 best-of-three series, and they dropped two straight against the Sylvan Lake Gulls in the opening round of the 2024 postseason.
The Bombers also have yet to put together a season of .500 or better baseball.
Let’s take a closer look at the team in Brooks and see if this roster can break through when the games get more meaningful … read more
Fort McMurray Giants
They’ve been so close.
The Fort McMurray Giants have missed the WCBL postseason by the narrowest of margins the last two summers.
In 2024, the Giants lost a tiebreaker to the Brooks Bombers for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West Division after finishing with an identical record to their southern Alberta rivals.
Last year, Fort Mac finished just a game-and-a-half out of postseason contention.
Those frustrating finishes to both seasons came after the Giants qualified for the playoffs in consecutive years.
So, what will it take to get back to some extra games in August?
Perhaps the return of their ace will help, or some added motivation in celebrating their 10th year in the WCBL … read more
Energy City Cactus Rats
It’s a real Cactus Rats nest in Spruce Grove.
Work on the Energy City Metro Ballpark in the Alberta city continues as the 2026 WCBL season rapidly approaches.
The team released a construction update on May 7th from managing partner Patrick Cassidy.
“As we draw ever closer to the start of the 2026 season, we are of course naturally getting many inquiries about the status of the ballpark,” said the statement.
“Meetings with key suppliers, contractors, in-house work crews, and the City are ongoing as we continue addressing occupancy requirements, amenities, and the fan experience. At this time, we are unable to announce a definitive date for when the stadium will be open to the public. We recognize fans and community members are eager to hear more specific timelines, but there is still work that needs to be completed to meet all required code and safety clearances. That announcement, tentative or otherwise, will be shared by stadium ownership.”
Cassidy and the Energy City Cactus Rats have committed to playing home games this season, but the plan for admission of fans to the ballpark remains up in the air … read more
Tales of Baseball 