The 2024 West Coast League (WCL) playoffs open Saturday with intriguing matchups in both the South and North Divisions.

In one South Division series, the defending WCL champion Corvallis Knights will face the Ridgefield Raptors. While the Knights are going after their eighth straight championship, the Raptors are on an impressive run of their own, having now reached the postseason in four straight years.

Meanwhile, the Portland Pickles, who set a team record with 40 wins this season and finished atop the second-half standings, are matched up with the Bend Elks. The Pickles are looking for their first South (and WCL) title, while the Elks were league champions back in 2015 (the last time the Knights were not).

Up North, the Bellingham Bells will take on the Edmonton Riverhawks. The Bells have consistently been in the title chase over the last decade, reaching the championship game three times and topping Corvallis for the trophy in 2014. In their Division Series, Bellingham faces the Edmonton Riverhawks, in their first playoffs since joining the WCL in 2021. This summer the Riverhawks set another WCL attendance record, averaging nearly 5,000 fans per game.

In a tremendous matchup of perennial North powers, the Wenatchee AppleSox, who won both first and second halves of the season, will battle the Victoria HarbourCats. The HarbourCats have played in three of the last WCL championship games, while the AppleSox captured five WCL titles from 2005 through 2012.

Playoff Structure

Each matchup is a best-of-three series, with the lower seeds – Bend, Ridgefield, Edmonton, and Victoria – hosting their series openers on Saturday. The series then shifts to the higher seed’s home field on Sunday, with potential third games scheduled for Monday.

Following the first round, each division will play a single Divisional Championship Game next Wednesday night. The winners of these games will advance to the WCL Championship, which is scheduled for next Friday.

As the playoffs begin, fans everywhere are eagerly anticipating the outcome of these matchups. Given the level of talent and competition in the WCL, the 2024 playoffs are sure to be a spectacular showcase of baseball at its finest. Fans can follow the action live on the West Coast League’s livestreaming platform, or on the League’s postseason scoreboard page throughout the playoffs.

About the West Coast League: The West Coast League is western North America’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Encompassing Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alberta, the WCL showcases pro prospects from major collegiate conferences around the nation. Every summer, the League features unparalleled fan and player experiences, with tremendous baseball weather and a mix of classic and modern ballparks, all backdropped by the sport’s most stunning scenery. MLB’s 2024 amateur draft opened with former Corvallis Knight Travis Bazzana selected as the overall No. 1 pick by the Cleveland Guardians, and this summer’s WCL All-Star Game aired live on MLB Network.