Author Archives: Chris King

It’s Opening Night in the West Coast League, with all 16 teams in action this evening across Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. “It’s both exciting and humbling to be entering my fifth season with this tremendous league,” said Commissioner Rob Neyer. “When I think about how hard everyone’s worked to build the West Coast League, …

Continue reading “2023 WCL Season Begins Tonight”

The first winner of the West Coast League’s Top Prospect Award has arrived in the big leagues. Matt McLain, tabbed in 2018 as the inaugural Top Prospect after his month-long stint with the Bellingham Bells, is set to make his Major League debut Monday night with the Cincinnati Reds, playing shortstop and batting second against …

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Tuesday, the West Coast League and Supervisor of Umpires John White announced the League’s U.S.-based umpiring crews, and also instituted new NCAA-inspired rules designed to enhance the WCL’s pace of play. “As we embrace the baseball-wide movement to create a faster-paced, more entertaining game for our fans,” said Commissioner Rob Neyer, “we’re blessed with a …

Continue reading “New Pace of Play Rules and Umpiring Staff Announced”

The 2023 World Baseball Classic will feature 20 former West Coast League players, representing eight of the 20 teams participating in the tournament that begins on March 7. “As an international league from our very beginning,” said WCL Commissioner Rob Neyer, “we’re particularly passionate about baseball’s ability to transcend borders, and we’re thrilled to see …

Continue reading “20 WCL Alumni Named to WBC Rosters”

Last weekend in Portland, the West Coast League’s board of directors and general managers gathered, both in person and via teleconference, for the League’s annual winter meetings. The event kicked off Friday night, when Commissioner Rob Neyer presented Nova Newcomer with the West Coast League’s annual Grass Roots Award, just before Seattle Mariners pitching coach …

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Last week in Southern California, the West Coast League’s board of directors met to review a tremendously successful 2022 season, approve the League’s 2023 schedule, and reach consensus on a number of other matters. “No doubt, these last few seasons have been challenging,” said WCL Commissioner Rob Neyer, “with the pandemic wiping out our 2020 …

Continue reading “WCL Unveils 2023 Schedule”

Thursday, West Coast League Commissioner Rob Neyer announced the inaugural winners of two league awards: Umpiring Prospect of the Year, and Official Scorer of the Year. The WCL’s 2022 Umpiring Prospect of the Year is Nick Hudlow. A Portland native, Hudlow graduated from the famous Wendelstedt Umpire School last winter, then opened the West Coast …

Continue reading “Umpiring Prospect of the Year and Official Scorer of the Year Honored”

This week the West Coast League and Major League Baseball announced an agreement to jointly pursue initiatives of mutual interest, including player and coach development, technology innovation related to scouting and fan experience, and community engagement. “We continue to be impressed by Major League Baseball’s enthusiastic support of amateur baseball,” said West Coast League Commissioner …

Continue reading “WCL and MLB Announce Partnership”

Friday morning, the winners of the West Coast League’s Top Prospect, Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year, and Team Sportsmanship Award were announced by West Coast League Commissioner Rob Neyer. The Bend Elks’ (and incoming Oklahoma State freshman) Beau Sylvester earned the league’s Top Prospect Award. This summer the catcher and Hawaii native …

Continue reading “WCL Unveils Additional Postseason Award Honorees”

Thursday morning, the 2022 All-West Coast League teams were announced by West Coast League Commissioner Rob Neyer. “It’s a true pleasure to watch the West Coast League’s tremendous players all summer,” Neyer said, “and I certainly don’t envy our coaches who somehow winnowed down all that talent to just the players on these all-league teams.” …

Continue reading “All-WCL Teams Announced”

Wednesday, West Coast League Commissioner Rob Neyer announced the winners of the League’s top two individual awards: Most Valuable Player and Pitcher of the Year. This year Wenatchee AppleSox second baseman Joichiro Oyama (UC Irvine) and Ridgefield Raptors outfielder/catcher Jacob Sharp (UNLV) were selected by WCL coaches and executives as co-MVPs. Oyama played in all …

Continue reading “WCL Co-MVPs and Pitcher of the Year Unveiled”

The Corvallis Knights’ historic run – already among the most impressive in modern amateur sports – became even more impressive Monday night when the Knights, with more than 2,000 fans on hand, captured their sixth straight West Coast League championship with a 5-0 victory over the visiting Bellingham Bells. The Knights’ championship is also their …

Continue reading “Corvallis Captures Sixth Straight WCL Title”

Monday night, the Corvallis Knights will host the Bellingham Bells in the West Coast League’s first-ever Championship Game. The Knights, winners of the last five WCL championships, reached the title game by taking two of three games from Yakima Valley in their divisional series, then topping the Ridgefield Raptors in the South Division championship game. …

Continue reading “Bells and Knights to Meet Monday in WCL Championship Game”

The pairings are now set for the Divisional Championship matchups, with the two showdowns set to take place on Saturday. Now that the best-of-three divisional playoffs are wrapped up, both the division and league championships will consist of just one game. In the South, the Ridgefield Raptors are on a collision course with the Corvallis …

Continue reading “Four Teams Advance to Saturday’s Divisional Championship Clashes”

Tuesday night in four locations ranging from British Columbia’s Vancouver Island to Central Washington to the Greater Portland area, the West Coast League’s playoffs are set to kick off in unprecedented fashion. For the first time in League history, eight teams qualified for the postseason, following a regular season in which the last two playoff …

Continue reading “Playoff Pairings Set, Postseason Begins Tuesday”

With each day this week, we gained another shred of clarity in the West Coast League postseason picture. But with only three days left, there’s still a great deal in question. For the first time in West Coast League history, this summer eight teams will qualify for the postseason. By virtue of their first-half titles, …

Continue reading “Playoff Chase Enters Final Weekend”

*Note the playoff bracket included with the story is if the season ended before the games on 8/2 are played. Monday night, the West Coast League’s playoff picture became a bit more clear when the visiting Kamloops NorthPaws topped the Kelowna Falcons in a makeup game. For the first time in West Coast League history, …

Continue reading “Postseason Race Sprints Towards Final Stretch”

Last winter, the West Coast League’s board of directors approved a new postseason format designed to do two things: (1) increase the number of postseason teams, in part to reflect the jump in league members from 12 to 16, and (2) inject even more excitement into the second half of the season, not to mention …

Continue reading “WCL Playoff Picture Comes Into Focus”

Earlier this week, 30 current and former West Coast League players were selected in Major League Baseball’s annual amateur Draft. With both Brooks Lee (Corvallis Knights, No. 8) and Gabriel Hughes (Bellingham Bells, No. 10) among the first 10 overall picks, 2022 marks the sixth straight year with at least one former WCL standout drafted …

Continue reading “30 WCL Alumni Selected in 2022 MLB Draft”

With the selection of 11 players on Monday, 14 WCL alumni have now been taken in the first 10 rounds of this year’s MLB Draft. Three former WCL players were picked on the Draft’s first day, with both Brooks Lee (Corvallis Knights, No. 8) and Gabriel Hughes (Bellingham Bells, No. 10) among the first 10 …

Continue reading “11 Former WCL Players Selected on Day Two of MLB Draft”

Sunday, former West Coast League standouts Brooks Lee (Cal Poly) and Gabriel Hughes (Gonzaga) both were among the first 10 picks in the 2022 MLB Draft. The Minnesota Twins selected Lee eighth overall, and just moments later the Colorado Rockies chose Hughes 10th. This marks the sixth straight year featuring at least one former WCL …

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By Rob Neyer How often do we reduce, in our minds, a baseball life to a line or two in Baseball-Reference.com or one of those old doorstop encyclopedias? In 1983, Gorman Heimueller started 14 games for the Oakland Athletics, all in the second half of the season. He won three of those, and lost five. …

Continue reading “Heimueller Brings Lifetime of Baseball Experience to Nanaimo”

Golden Tate hit the ground running Tuesday night in his first game playing in the West Coast League for the Port Angeles Lefties, as the former Pro Bowl wide receiver went 2-for-4 in his debut. Tate had a double, single, stolen base, drove in a run, and scored a run in the Lefties’ 5-2 win …

Continue reading “Golden Tate Impresses in WCL Debut”

It’s Opening Night in the West Coast League, with four games slated for this evening in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. And in just three days, 16 WCL teams are set for an action-packed weekend. “I’ve got exactly zero doubt,” said Commissioner Rob Neyer, “that this season will be our League’s best yet. We’ll have …

Continue reading “2022 WCL Season Opens Tonight”

The West Coast League’s highest-ranked prospect has been called up to the big leagues. Adley Rutschman, the sport’s top prospect according to MLB.com, has been promoted by the Baltimore Orioles and is set to make his MLB debut (Friday night, the Orioles posted video of Rutschman getting the good news). In 2019, Rutschman became the …

Continue reading “#1 MLB Prospect Adley Rutschman Joins Orioles”

According to MLB.com’s Jim Callis, former Corvallis Knights infielder Brooks Lee is one of four former West Coast League players ranked among the Top 150 MLB Draft Prospects for 2022. Lee, the star shortstop for Cal Poly, is listed as the Draft’s No. 5 overall prospect. In each of the last five years, at least …

Continue reading “For 2022 Draft, Lee Ranked as No. 5 Prospect”

This year, a record 33 players with West Coast League experience have earned spots on Major League Baseball Opening Day rosters. It is the second consecutive season the WCL has set a new record for alumni on MLB Opening Day rosters after there were 31 in 2021. Former WCL players gearing up to start the …

Continue reading “MLB Opening Day Rosters Include 33 WCL Alumni”

The West Coast League mourns the loss of the former league commissioner Jim Dietz. As the League’s first commissioner, Dietz oversaw the WCL’s launch and laid a strong foundation for the WCL’s continuing growth and success. He served as the WCL commissioner from 2005 through 2007, when he transitioned to a key role on the …

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Today, the West Coast League unveiled a striking rebrand, beginning a transition from the league’s traditional WC logo to a new WCL mark that evokes the league’s sprawling geography, ranging from central Oregon north through Washington state, British Columbia and, beginning this year, well into Alberta, Canada. “The West Coast League’s geography is simply unparalleled,” …

Continue reading “West Coast League Launches New Visual Identity”

Last weekend in Portland, the West Coast League’s board of directors gathered, both in person and via teleconference, for the League’s annual winter meetings. Most notably, the League’s board of directors approved a new postseason format that includes eight of the WCL’s 16 teams, with all eight postseason teams hosting at least one playoff game. …

Continue reading “Board of Directors Hold Annual Winter Meetings”

Saturday night in Portland, the West Coast League tabbed Jerry Smoot as the inaugural winner of the WCL’s first Grass Roots Award. “Our Grass Roots Award celebrates coaches from our communities,” said WCL Commissioner Rob Neyer, “who have spent much of their lives working to promote amateur baseball and help young players achieve their full …

Continue reading “Jerry Smoot Named Inaugural WCL Grass Roots Award Winner”

This morning the West Coast League released its official 2022 schedule, as announced by Commissioner Rob Neyer. “Now it feels real,” said Neyer. “After a 2020 without games and a 2021 without our Canadian members, a 2022 with everyone — including three new teams in Canada, plus our fourth Oregon member — certainly figures to …

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Earlier this week in Indio, California, the West Coast League’s board of directors met in person for the first time in nearly two years, and reached consensus on a number of matters while renewing the deep, international ties between League members in Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alberta. “Our league’s No. 1 asset is our …

Continue reading “Board of Directors Gather for Fall League Meetings”

Friday, the West Coast League received a bit of tremendous news: for the second straight season, Perfect Game has announced the Corvallis Knights as their Summer Collegiate Team of the Year. “I can’t say I’m completely surprised,” said Rob Neyer, West Coast League Commissioner, “since in their last two seasons, the Knights have won 77 …

Continue reading “Knights Named Perfect Game Summer Collegiate Team of the Year”

Tuesday morning, the winners of the West Coast League’s Top Prospect, Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year and the Team Sportsmanship Award were announced by West Coast League Commissioner Rob Neyer. Incoming Oregon State freshman Travis Bazzana of the Corvallis Knights, who was also named the WCL’s MVP, earned the league’s Top Prospect …

Continue reading “WCL Announces Additional Postseason Award Honorees”

Wednesday morning, the 2021 All-West Coast League teams were announced by West Coast League Commissioner Rob Neyer. “It’s my tremendous pleasure every year,” said Neyer, “to announce the WCL’s All-League teams. Considering the WCL’s position as the premier summer collegiate baseball league in the entire western half of the continent, saying our teams represent ‘the best …

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Monday, West Coast League Commissioner Rob Neyer announced the winners of the League’s top two individual awards: Most Valuable Player and Pitcher of the Year. “As the West’s top summer collegiate baseball league,” Neyer said, “we obviously featured a great wealth of exciting talent in 2021. Sifting through all that talent and arriving at these two …

Continue reading “WCL MVP and Pitcher of the Year Winners Announced”

The historic run is now a five-peat for the Corvallis Knights. On Friday night at Goss Stadium, the Knights topped the Yakima Valley Pippins 13-2 to capture their fifth consecutive West Coast League title. “When I became Commissioner four years ago,” Rob Neyer said after Friday night’s game in Corvallis, “I was well-aware of the …

Continue reading “Knights Win Fifth Consecutive WCL Title”

With their backs against the wall, the Corvallis Knights were able to respond on Thursday night at Goss Stadium. The Knights beat the Yakima Valley Pippins 2-1 to even the West Coast League Championship Series 1-1 and set up a deciding Game 3. First pitch tonight from Goss Stadium in Corvallis is at 6:35 pm. …

Continue reading “Pippins and Knights Ready for WCLCS Winner-Take-All Game”

The Yakima Valley Pippins and Corvallis Knights are set to square off in the 2021 West Coast League Championship Series. The Pippins punched their ticket to the WCLCS after defeating the Bellingham Bells 11-5 on Monday night in the deciding game of the North’s Divisional Series. For Yakima Valley it is their first trip to …

Continue reading “Yakima Valley and Corvallis Advance to WCLCS”

With the West Coast League’s final postseason berth secured by the Ridgefield Raptors, both first-round matchups are finally set. Thursday night, the Raptors finished the regular season in a three-way tie with the Portland Pickles and Bend Elks, but Ridgefield owned the tiebreaker by virtue of their combined 9-3 record against Portland and Bend. Ridgefield will …

Continue reading “WCL Playoff Pairings Set”

Oregon & Washington, Aug. 12—As the final week of the West Coast League’s regular season dawned, four teams were still squarely in the hunt for the South Division’s second playoff spot, which this season goes to the team with the division’s second-best overall record (as the Corvallis Knights have locked up the best record in …

Continue reading “Final Postseason Bid Still Up for Grabs”

The West Coast League enters the final days of an already unprecedented regular season with not two, or even three, but four teams with highly viable paths to the league’s fourth and final postseason berth. The bracket is set in the WCL’s North Division, as the Yakima Valley Pippins finished atop the first-half standings, and …

Continue reading “Hotly Contested Race for Final Playoff Bid”

Saturday night, the West Coast League reached a huge milestone when Jarren Duran batted sixth and started in center field for the first-place Boston Red Sox, becoming the 100th alumnus of a current or past West Coast League team to make his MLB debut. Chronologically, the list of 100 begins with Mike Thurman, who pitched …

Continue reading “Duran Becomes 100th WCL Alumni to Reach the Major Leagues”

Earlier this week, 42 current and former West Coast League players were selected in Major League Baseball’s annual Rule 4 amateur draft. With the Cincinnati Reds’ selection of Matt McLain with the 17th overall pick, 2021 marks the fifth straight year with a WCL standout drafted in the first round. There were 19 WCL alumni …

Continue reading “42 WCL Alumni Selected in 2021 MLB Draft”

A total of 19 WCL alumni have been taken in the first 10 rounds of this year’s MLB Draft after 18 additional players were selected on Monday, including four among the top 63 picks. Matt McLain, who earned the WCL’s Top Prospect Award in 2018 as a member of the Bellingham Bells, was selected by the …

Continue reading “18 Former WCL Players Selected on Day Two of MLB Draft”

West Coast League alumni Matt McLain of UCLA was selected in the first round of the MLB Draft, as the Cincinnati Reds picked McLain 17th overall. It is the fifth consecutive season that a former WCL player has been taken in the first round of the MLB Draft. McLain, a UCLA infielder, earned the WCL’s …

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