The Cowlitz Black Bears are pleased to announce they will host the 2016 West Coast League All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 19, at David Story Field in Longview, Washington. This showcase event will feature over forty of the WCL’s top players in the league’s annual exhibition. “It’s a great honor for this community to host …
Category Archives: News
Pointstreak and WCL Renew
The West Coast League and Pointstreak Sports Technologies Inc. announced a renewal to a long-standing and successful stats partnership. “The WCL is pleased to continue the partnership with Pointstreak to provide our players with deep stats into the future,” said Holly Jones, the acting president of the West Coast League. “Pointstreak’s Statistics platform is very …
WCL Introduces Split Season
The West Coast League will be adopting a new split season format beginning in 2016 to determine its first-round playoff pairings. The WCL season will be split equally into two parts, with the winner from each division of each half securing a playoff berth. The 54-game league schedule will be divided into a first and …
WCL Hits Homer at NWBC
The West Coast League was a corporate sponsor of the very well attended Northwest Baseball Convention that was held this past weekend (January 22-24) at the Sheraton Portland Airport. The WCL was also a title sponsor of the event’s Walk of Champions where the league’s 2015 champ the Bend Elks were honored. Bend general manager …
HarbourCats Announce Front Office Reorganization
The development of the Victoria HarbourCats in the community has allowed the West Coast League franchise to make organizational changes geared to improving operations and prepare for growth. The HarbourCats, who took on a new ownership structure last spring when John Wilson, Richard Harder, Ken Swanson and Jim Swanson purchased the team, will play their …
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Falcons Hire New Skipper
The Kelowna Falcons have hired a new head coach in Mt. Hood Community College’s Bryan Donohue. Donohue is entering season number nine with the Mt Hood Saints, where he has compiled a record of 243-127 and is a 6-time Coach of the Year in the NWAC Southern Region. Prior to coaching at Mt Hood, Donohue …
WCL Alum Featured in Baseball America
WCL alum Colin Walsh was recently featured in Baseball America in a piece written by BA editor John Manuel. Walsh played for the Kelowna Falcons in 2008 and earned honorable mention all-West Coast Collegiate Baseball League honors as the Stanford infielder led Kelowna in hitting with a .352 batting average that summer. Colin was selected …
Bells Promote Front Office Staffers
The Bellingham Bells announced today that they have promoted two key front office staff members to expanded roles for the 2016 season. General Manager Nick Caples will assume the new role of Vice President of Operations and Assistant General Manager Stephanie Morrell will be promoted to the role of General Manager. “This is an extremely …
Cats and Dawgs Featured in CBN
The West Coast League leader in attendance in 2015 – the Victoria HarbourCats – were recently recognized as one of Canada’s leaders in summer collegiate baseball by the Canadian Baseball Network. The article by Jonathan Hodgson titled “HarbourCats, Dawgs are summer time draws” featured the HarbourCats and Okotoks Dawgs, a member of the Western Major …
King to Champion WCL Social Media and Online Communications
The West Coast League announced this afternoon the appointment of Chris King as its new social media resource and first director of online communications. King, a graduate of Washington State University, started his professional journey with the WCL’s founding flagship member – the Wenatchee AppleSox. The Marysville, Washington native launched his career as the team’s …
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WCL Alums Named Pre-Season All-America
Three West Coast League alums were named to Louisville Slugger’s pre-season All-America teams as selected by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Former Bellingham Bells shortstop Colby Woodmansee of Arizona State was a second-team All-America pick. The junior played in the WCL following his frosh season at ASU and hit five home runs for the 2014 WCL champion …
College Coaches Put Faith in WCL
As the West Coast League and its partners look forward to a holiday season with family and friends, we as a league wish our loyal coaching friends and wonderful partner schools the very best during the holidays and this upcoming spring. The WCL is fast approaching its 12th season in 2016, and is thankful to …
WCL President Steps Down
After nearly three seasons presiding over the West Coast League (WCL) – the leading summer collegiate wood-bat baseball league in the west – Dennis Koho announced his resignation as WCL president effective immediately. Koho cited needs to focus solely on his law practice and to spend more time with family. “I am appreciative of having …
Gresham Club Announces Name, Unveils Logos
Gresham’s new West Coast League baseball team now has a name – the Gresham GreyWolves will take the field for the first time next summer and call Oslund Field at Mt. Hood Community College their home. Team owners, Jerry and Lisa Walker, made the announcement in front of an overflow crowd at Gresham’s City Council …
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WCL Alum Second in NL ROY Voting
If WCL alum and Giants third baseman Matt Duffy had a National League Rookie of the Year Award ballot, he would have supported Kris Bryant, too. Duffy finished second in the voting for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s top NL rookie honor in results announced yesterday. Bryant, the Cubs’ third baseman, received all 30 …
New Gresham Club Announces Head Coach
Justin Barchus will take the helm as the first ever head coach for the newly announced West Coast League Gresham baseball team for the 2016 season. The announcement was made by team team owners Jerry and Lisa Walker. “We believe Justin is the perfect coach to lead Gresham in 2016 and for many years to …
WCL Unveils 2016 Schedule
With WCL meetings wrapped up, a new and exciting market now part of the league footprint, and the world focused on baseball with the start of the World Series, the WCL is thrilled to release its 2016 league schedule. The upcoming season marks the 12th season of WCL baseball in the beautiful Pacific Northwest as …
Gresham, Oregon Lands WCL Club
Starting summer 2016, Gresham, Oregon will be home to the newest West Coast League baseball team. Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis, along with West Coast League President Dennis Koho, made the announcement today at Mt. Hood Community College’s Oslund Field. “We are proud to welcome the West Coast League to Gresham. This league will bring a …
Bells Make Coaching Change
The Bellingham Bells have promoted Mike Gange to the role of head coach, the team announced yesterday. Gange previously served as an assistant coach for the Bells during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. “We are thrilled to have Mike on board as our manager for the 2016 season,” general manager Nick Caples said. “Mike is …
Former WCLer Earns Willie Mac Award
Former Corvallis Knights’ infielder Matt Duffy was the recipient of the 2015 Willie Mac Award, an annual honor voted on by San Francisco Giants players and coaches; and Giants’ legend Willie McCovey. The award ceremony took place before the Giants/Colorado Rockies game at AT&T Park on Friday, October 2. Duffy played shortstop and second base …
WCL Top Prospect Lists Released
August 31, 2015 by Pat Hickey, Baseball America 1. Cadyn Grenier, ss, Bend (Fr., Oregon State) A three-time first team All-State selection at Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas, Grenier was considered a top-five round talent this past June. The Cardinals were interested in taking him with the 23rd overall pick, but couldn’t match his …
All-WCL Teams and Awards Announced
West Coast League president Dennis Koho released the 2015 all-West Coast League teams this morning, as well as announcing the league’s 2015 awards. The East Division-champion Kelowna Falcons captured all or a share of all the individual awards as Falcons’ shortstop Hunter Villanueva of Fresno Pacific earned MVP honors, Kelowna right-hander Brady Miller of Western …
Bend Captures First WCL Crown
The Bend Elks swept through the WCL playoffs scoring 43 runs and winning four straight to capture the team’s first West Coast League title. The Elks were led Monday night by Billy King’s grand slam home run in the third, as King’s blast erased a two-run deficit and put Bend up 4-2. King, a junior-to-be …
Bend and Kelowna Earn Spots in WCLCS
The Kelowna Falcons punched their ticket to the West Coast League Championship Series (WCLCS) with a thrilling 9-6 win last night over the WCL defending champion Bellingham Bells at Elks Stadium. The Falcons will face the Bend Elks in the WCLCS with game one set for Saturday, August 15 at Elks Stadium in Kelowna. First …
First-Round Playoff Pairings Set
The final piece of the WCL playoff puzzle was put in place this past Saturday night as the Corvallis Knights captured the league’s wild card spot with a 7-4 home win over Medford. West Coast League president Dennis Koho announced the league’s postseason first-round pairings this morning. Corvallis will play the Bend Elks with game …
West Coast League Divisions Clinched
The Kelowna Falcons and WCL defending champion Bellingham Bells joined the Bend Elks this past week as WCL Division champions. The Falcons clinched the East while Bellingham captured the West. Bend, under new owners John & Tami Marick and new skipper Trey Watt, were the first WCL team to clinch its division earning their first …
209 WCL Alums Active in Pros
The WCL’s list of 2015 pros features 21 players that have appeared in the big leagues this summer. The list of alums of WCL teams who have appeared in MLB games include star outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury of the New York Yankees, starting third baseman Matt Duffy of San Francisco, starting first baseman Chris Davis of …
WCL Wild Card Race Heating Up
The West Coast League wild card race is heating up down the final stretch as Corvallis, Victoria and Yakima Valley all are battling for the WCL’s final playoff berth with the regular season ending Sunday, August 9. Corvallis (28-20) leads the wild card standings by two games over Victoria (26-22) and Yakima Valley (26-23) trails …
Future Bruin Tosses No-No for Sweets
Walla Walla Sweets right-hander Kyle Molnar tossed a no-hitter last night (July 27) versus the Kitsap BlueJackets at Gene Lobe Field. The future UCLA Bruin pitcher walked 3 and struck out 8 in the Sweets’ 2-0 road win. Molnar, a senior this past spring at Aliso Niguel High School in California, has made 4 appearances …
South Blanks North 3-0 in 2015 WCL All-Star Game
A day of West Coast League revelry ended with a 3-0 South win over the North before a crowd of 1,985 at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham, Washington at the 2015 WCL All-Star Game presented by John Howie Restaurants. Before the game Bells’ owner Eddie Poplawski spoke about the All-Star Game’s return to Bellingham. “This …
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WCL All-Star Game Probable Starters Announced
2015 WCL All-Star Game coaches Jeff James of Bellingham and Brooke Knight of Corvallis announced the probable starting pitchers for Monday’s mid-summer classic at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham, Washington. James named Bells’ ace Andrew Kemmerer of Central Arkansas the North starter. Kemmerer, a senior-to-be from Issaquah, Washington, has made six starts and logged 37 …
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WCL ASG Home Run Derby Field Unveiled
West Coast League president Dennis Koho announced the field for the 2015 West Coast League All-Star Game Home Run Derby. The participants include WCL Home Run leader Dan Mayer of Medford. The junior-to-be slugger from University of the Pacific has blasted 8 home runs for the Rogues. He will be challenged by Bellingham’s Bronson Larsen …
Rosters Released for WCL All-Star Game
West Coast League president Dennis Koho announced the North and South rosters for the 2015 WCL All-Star Game presented by John Howie Restaurants scheduled for Monday, July 20 at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham, Washington. The defending champion Bells are hosting this season’s mid-summer classic and feature six players on the North roster. Bellingham leads …
Former Knight Makes MLB Debut
Former Corvallis Knights pitcher Matt Boyd made his big league debut at the Rogers Centre today as the starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. Matt was the hard-luck loser as the Jays were blanked 4-0 by the Texas Rangers. Boyd pitched 6.2 innings and walked none while striking out 7. Boyd starred at Oregon …
59 WCLers Selected in MLB June Draft
Several current West Coast League players and alums were selected in the Major League Basebal June draft held June 8-10. The first two alums picked were Wenatchee’s James Kaprielian of UCLA (16th overall selection) – by the New York Yankees – and Walla Walla’s Jon Harris of Missouri State (29th overall selection) – by the …
West Coast League Opens 2015 Season
The West Coast League 2015 season got underway on Friday, June 5th with series at Bend, Bellingham, Victoria, Walla Walla and Yakima Valley. Under new ownership, the Bend Elks started a new era with a series win over their rivals the Corvallis Knights taking the final two games of the series at historic Vince Genna …
Former Falcon Makes MLB Debut
Former Kelowna Falcons pitcher Tyler Wagner made his Major League debut on Sunday, May 31 for the Milwaukee Brewers versus the Arizona Diamondbacks at Miller Park in a game that lasted 17 innings. Wagner’s Brewers won it 7-6 on a walk-off homer. Tyler pitched 3.2 innings and allowed 5 runs in his first big league …
WCL Alums Sweep Big West Top Honors
Several WCL alums earned All-Big West, All-Pac-12 and All-WCC honors this past week. Former WCLers swept the Big West’s top awards as junior right-hander Thomas Eshleman, a former Klamath Falls Gem (2012), of Cal State Fullerton was named BWC Pitcher of the Year, ex-Gem (2013) outfielder Cameron Newell of UC Santa Barbara was named co-BWC …
Alums of WCL Teams Excel in MLB
West Coast League alum James Paxton of the Seattle Mariners tossed eight shutout innings vs. Boston yesterday at Safeco Field in the Mariners 5-0 win over the Red Sox. Paxton pitched for the Kelowna Falcons in 2007, and is currently 2-2 with a 3.59 ERA for Seattle. 19 players with experience playing for WCL teams …
WCL Alums Lead UCLA and OSU to Top of Pac-12
UCLA earned a Pac-12 title today with a 5-3 clinching win over Arizona and USC’s 7-5 loss to Cal. The second-ranked Bruins are 40-12 overall and 21-6 in the Pac-12; and finish the regular season at Oregon May 22-24. This past Friday night, Bruin ace and WCL alum James Kaprielian took part in UCLA baseball …
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WCL Head Coaches in Place for 2015 Season
The West Coast League is not only a developing ground for young players, the league is also where young coaches can gain experience to help further their coaching careers. The league features a couple veteran coaches, but most of the league’s coaches are younger skippers with long-term college coaching aspirations like 2014 WCL Coach of …
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Defending Champion Bells to Host WCL ASG
The Bellingham Bells are excited to announce they will host the 2015 West Coast League All-Star Game on Monday, July 20 at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham, Wash. The All-Star Game will be presented by award winning John Howie Restaurants: John Howie Steak, Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar and Sport Restaurant & Bar. “The West …
Former AppleSox Hurler Tosses Perfect Game
WCL alum Drew Rasmussen of Oregon State tossed the Beavers’ first perfect game in school history yesterday at Goss Stadium, the summer home of the Corvallis Knights. The freshman struck out 10 Washington State batters and allowed no base runners in OSU’s 3-0 win over the Cougars. Rasmussen pitched last summer for the Wenatchee AppleSox. …
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Knights Enter Golden Era; New Logo Unveiled
With an acknowledgement to their historic past, the Corvallis Knights will make a fresh statement this season with the introduction of new team colors and a bold new logo. After considerable offseason research, arguably the West Coast League’s most successful franchise teamed up with San Diego based branding company Brandiose to chart its new path. …
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Three WCL Alums Named Pre-Season All-America
Baseball America’s College Preview issue hit the streets last week and its retro cover shot featured former Klamath Falls Gems pitcher Thomas Eshelman of Cal State Fullerton. This is the second WCL alum to recently don a Baseball America cover, the other being former Wenatchee AppleSox Marco Gonzales of Gonzaga with the St. Louis Cardinals …
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Medford Rogues Start 2015 with New GM
Three West Coast League teams based in Oregon made key front office moves earlier this month. Medford and Corvallis got things started as the Rogues named Ian Church their new general manager and the Knights announced the return of Holly Jones to the club. Shortly thereafter, Klamath Falls added Bryce Mallory to its front office. …
Kitsap Celebrates Anniversary with Big Change
One of the West Coast League’s founding members – the Kitsap BlueJackets – are celebrating their 10th anniversary season with a big change. Entering the team’s eleventh season, former BlueJackets’ head coach Matt Acker has returned to the club as an owner and as the team’s general manager. Kitsap’s co-founder and longtime managing partner Rick …
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Victoria HarbourCats GM Recognized by CBN
Victoria HarbourCats Vice-President and General Manager Jim Swanson was recently named as one of the most influential Canadians in baseball in 2014 by the Canadian Baseball Network. The second-year HarbourCats’ GM earned honourable mention. The HarbourCats led the West Coast League in attendance last summer drawing 42,563 for the WCL season and 1,576 per game. …
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West Coast League Releases 2015 Schedule
The West Coast League released its 2015 game schedule this morning, as announced by league president Dennis Koho. The upcoming season marks the 11th season of WCL baseball in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. The league features the best collegiate baseball players in North America across 12 markets in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. Opening Day …
Bend to Enter 2015 Season Under New Management
After 15 years of owning and operating the Bend Elks, owner/general manager Jim Richards sold the Elks to John and Tami Marick. The sale was finalized in early October. John is the CEO of Consumer Cellular based in Portland, Oregon. John and Tami hired longtime Bend Elks coach Casey Powell to run their operation. The …
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Two WCL Alums Earn Rings in Rookie Seasons for SF
Former Corvallis Knights infielder Matt Duffy and catcher Andrew Susac helped the San Francisco Giants capture their third World Series title in five years. Both rookies contributed late in the season and during the playoffs. During the World Series, Duffy was featured in a New York Times article titled “A Giants Rookie’s Rise, Just a …
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Former WCLer Marco Gonzales Pitches Cards to NLCS
Former Wenatchee AppleSox pitcher Marco Gonzales of the St. Louis Cardinals earned a playoff series-clinching win last night vs. Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was Gonzales second win of the series, both in games started by the likely NL Cy Young Award winner Kershaw. In each appearance, Marco tossed one scoreless inning …
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WCL MVP Vince Fernandez Named PGC Top Prospect
Perfect Game Crosschecker recently released its top 20 West Coast League prospects list. WCL MVP Vince Fernandez of UC Riverside was rated the league’s top prospect. The #2 rated prospect was third baseman Sean Bouchard (pictured at bat with the Walla Walla Sweets last summer), an incoming frosh at UCLA. Bouchard was also ranked the …
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Future Duck David Peterson Top WCL Prospect
West Coast League Top Ten Prospects by Clint Longnecker, Baseball America September 12, 2014 Postseason Recap: The Bellingham Bells reached the West Coast League championship series for the first time since 2005 and captured their first league title in franchise history. Bellingham topped the defending champion Corvallis Knights in the decisive third game by a …
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Gems Extend Commitment to Klamath
The Klamath Falls Gems recently extended their Lease for the use of Kiger Stadium for an additional five years. The original lease, signed in 2011, was set to expire at the end of the 2015 season. “The extension should remove any doubts as to the Gems’ commitment to the community,” said Gems’ General Manager and …
Pippins’ Slugger Vince Fernandez Named WCL MVP
West Coast League President Dennis Koho announced the 2014 All-West Coast League teams and individual league awards as voted on by the league’s field managers. This year’s WCL Champions, the Bellingham Bells, placed three pitchers on the All-WCL first team and collected a number of honors including Pitcher of the Year, Coach of the Year, …
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Bellingham Edges Corvallis 3-2 to Capture WCL Title
The Bellingham Bells captured their first West Coast League crown with a thrilling 3-2 win over the WCL defending-champion Corvallis Knights at Joe Martin Field before a boisterous crowd of 2,821. The Bells made an early three-run lead stand and closer David Bigelow of Gonzaga shut the door on Corvallis in the ninth recording the …
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Bells Beat Knights 4-1 to Force Decisive Game Three
Bellingham jumped on Corvallis early scoring two runs in the first inning, which turned out to be more than enough as lefty reliever Dan Ludwig of Belmont stymied the Knights over 5.1 innings pitched to earn the WCLCS game two victory. The Bells started the last of the first with singles by Dustin Breshears of …
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Knights Edge Bells 4-3 in Game One of WCLCS
The Corvallis Knights took game one of the West Coast League Championship Series at Goss Stadium by edging the Bellingham Bells, 4-3. Bellingham led early 3-1, but Corvallis outfielder Scott Quinlan of UC Santa Barbara put the Knights ahead for good with his three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth. The Knights bullpen …
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Walk-Off Wednesday in West Coast League Playoffs
The West Coast League first-round best-of-three series both ended last night in dramatic fashion with walk-off hits in the bottom of tne ninth at Goss Stadium and Joe Martin Field, respectively. Both hard-fought series were played before enthusiastic crowds and featured late-inning thrills. First, WCL all-star Kevin Kline of Dixie State sent the Corvallis Knights …
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Bend Clinches WCL Wild Card Spot
The Bend Elks (31-22) secured the West Coast League’s final playoff berth by clinching the wild card last night with a 10-2 home win over Klamath Falls while Wenatchee dropped an extra-inning affair with Yakima, 7-6. The league’s first-round best-of-three playoff series will start Tuesday, August 12 at Bend’s Vince Genna Stadium and at Yakima …
Expansion Yakima Valley Clinches East Division
The expansion Yakima Valley Pippins clinched the East Division title last night with a 7-6 walk-off home win over Cowlitz before a crowd of 2,769 at the Yakima County Stadium. Yakima Valley (33-18) is the first WCL expansion team to win a division title. The Pippins finish the regular season at Wenatchee. Yakima Valley is …
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Baltimore Slugger Chris Davis Starred in Kelowna
Chris Davis has always hit north of the border by Melissa Couto, Canadian Baseball Network If anything can help Chris Davis get out of his lengthy slump, it’s a trip to Canada. The Baltimore Orioles slugger, who arrived in Toronto to begin a three-game set against the Blue Jays on Tuesday with a measly .195 …
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West Coast League Wild Card Spot Up for Grabs
With one week remaining in the West Coast League regular season, the Bellingham Bells have clinched the West Division. The Bells own the league’s best record at 33-14 and were recently awarded the 2015 WCL All-Star Game. The division title is Bellingham’s first as a member of the West Coast League. The South Division is …
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Corvallis Alums Susac and Duffy Make Giant Debuts
Former Corvallis Knights catcher Andrew Susac of Oregon State made his big league debut with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, July 26th at AT&T Park vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers. His first major league at bat was against Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw. Susac played in the West Coast League in 2009 and earned all-WCL …
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MLB.com Video Features Blue Jays and HarbourCats
The Toronto Blue Jays and Victoria HarbourCats teamed up July 2-3 to host a youth baseball camp for kids on Vancouver Island at Sports Traders Diamond at Royal Athletic Park. The Blue Jays Honda Super Camp drew lots attention, and was a big hit. So much so that MLB.com captured the fun. Check out their …
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Rain Washes Out WCL All-Star Game
2014 WCL All-Star Game Washed Out By Bob Webster, West Coast League Contributing Writer July 21, 2014 Even though rain canceled the All-Star Game, the 2014 West Coast League All-Star Game festivities in Klamath Falls were a huge success. Things got started on Sunday, July 20 with a Welcome Party, followed by a Luncheon and …
WCL ASG Home Run Derby Lineup Released
The lineup of 2014 West Coast League All-Star Game Home Run Derby sluggers was released this afternoon by league president Dennis Koho. Four of the most prolific home run hitters in the WCL top the list of entrants including league-leader Gabe Clark of Victoria, who has blasted six roundrippers; and Joe Duffin of Corvallis, Vince …
All-Star Game Probable Starters Announced
West Coast League All-Star Game managers Ed Knaggs of Wenatchee (North) and Mitch Karraker of Klamath Falls (South) announced their starting pitchers for this Monday’s WCL midsummer classic at Kiger Stadium in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The host South will start Corvallis Knights right-hander Jackson Lockwood of University of Portland while the North team will counter …
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WCL Unveils All-Star Game Rosters
West Coast League president Dennis Koho announced the league’s All-Star Game rosters this morning. The North squad – made up of Kelowna, Victoria, Bellingham, Walla Walla, Wenatchee and Yakima – will be managed by Ed Knaggs, the skipper of the Wenatchee AppleSox. The South team – compromised of Kitsap, Cowlitz, Corvallis, Bend, Medford and host …
210 WCL Alums in Affiliated Pro Baseball
210 alums of West Coast League teams have played or are active in affiliated professional baseball in 2014
Kiger Stadium to Host WCL All-Star Game
The home of the Klamath Falls Gems, Kiger Stadium, is the host site of the 2014 West Coast League All-Star Game to be held on Monday, July 21st. Summer baseball has a long history at Kiger, including hosting the original Gems who played in the Far West League, a “Class D” minor league, from 1948-1951 …
Louisville Slugger Frosh All-Americans
The 2014 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American team selected by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper was recently released by CBN. The list includes two current West Coast League players – catcher Aaron Barnett of the Victoria Harbourcats and two-way player Trenton Brooks of the Wenatchee AppleSox – and WCL alum AJ Balta of Oregon, who played for the …
Former AppleSox Marco Gonzales Makes MLB Debut
Former All-WCL first-teamer Marco Gonzales of the Wenatchee AppleSox made his Major League Baseball debut for St. Louis yesterday afternoon at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado vs. the Colorado Rockies. His appearance was televised live on MLB Network. The southpaw went 5 innings allowing 5 runs on 7 hits while walking two and striking out …
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Player Development and Community
Bellingham Bells Owner Eddie Poplawski Driven by Love of Community, Mentoring Players – Whatcom TALK For Eddie Poplawski, becoming owner of the Bellingham Bells was about something much bigger than his love of the game. It was also about building – and celebrating – community, and readying his talented young players for successful, fulfilling lives …
63 WCLers Selected in 2014 MLB June Draft
The 2014 MLB June draft concluded yesterday. 63 WCL alums or current players were selected. The first former WCL player to be selected was ex-Kelowna Falcons utlity player Connor Joe of San Diego. He was selected in the Competitive Balance Round A by the Pittsburgh Pirates and was the 39th overall pick of the draft, …
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Former Sweet Matt Imhof Picked 47th Overall
The MLB June draft kicked off on Thursday, June 5 and concludes today; Saturday, June 7. There were no WCL alums or current WCLers drafted on day one (first round), but several were picked yesterday; the first WCL pick being former Kelowna Falcon Connor Joe of San Diego, who was selected 39th overall as a …
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Temp Players Thrive in West Coast League
The role of 10-day contracts in West Coast League baseball By Gary Belleville, Victoria HarbourCats Baseball Blog harbourcatsbaseball.blogspot.ca The NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was played this past weekend with the top 64 teams in the country squaring off in 16 regional tournaments. The winner of each regional advances to a Super Regional next weekend, …
Mr. Baseball
Mr. Baseball by Eric Rowe, Victoria HarbourCats Baseball Blog harbourcatsbaseball.blogspot.ca Literally. We’ve talked so much about the start of the 2014 West Coast League season, we’ve analyzed baseball players, baseball executives, baseball statistics but what about just, the baseball. If you’ve watched Bull Durham, you’ll know that there are 108 stitches in a baseball, but …
West Coast League and Black Ball Ferry Partner
Keizer, Oregon, June 3, 2014 – With the start of the West Coast League’s 10th season only days away, the League is excited to announce a partnership with Black Ball Ferry Line that will see the Coho ferry designated as the “Preferred Ferry of the West Coast League” for the 2014 season. “We are a …
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WCL ERA Leader Elliot Surrey Stymies OSU
Southpaw Elliot Surrey of UC Irvine tossed a gem this past Saturday night to beat the #1 national seed Oregon State Beavers at their park – Goss Stadium – Surrey’s home last summer. The left-hander pitched for WCL champion Corvallis and posted a league-low 1.27 ERA for the Knights. UC Irvine routed OSU 14-2 as …
Hall of Famer Alomar to Visit Victoria
Victoria HarbourCats GM Jim Swanson announced that Victoria has partnered with the Toronto Blue Jays of the American League to host a two-day youth camp, July 2-3, at Royal Athletic Park. The instructors feature five former Jays including Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar (pictured).
College World Series and Omaha are Synonymous
The Road to Omaha – The NCAA Div-1 baseball season explained by Brian Hayes HarbourCats Baseball Blog writer While West Coast League fans await the beginning of summer and the start of the 2014 season, many of the athletes that will be filling WCL rosters spent the spring competing for NCAA teams hoping to lead …
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Gems’ Alum Thomas Eshelman Master of Control
Former Klamath Falls Gems pitcher Thomas Eshelman (pictured), a second-team all-WCL selection in 2012, continues to master his craft for the Cal State Fullerton Titans. The sophomore right-hander recently earned NCBWA National Player of the Week honors for his performance versus University of Hawaii on April 25, 2014. Thomas is 6-1 on the season and …
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Back to the Future for Kitsap
It appears former Kitsap BlueJackets head coach Matt Acker is returning to guide the Silverdale, Washington based club. But he will now be focused on managing operations. Matt skippered the Jackets for seven seasons from 2005-2011. Kitsap is a founding member of the West Coast League and plays its games at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. …
Geoff Wagner
Oregon State shocked the baseball world last spring by winning the Pac-10 and appearing in the College World Series (the Beavs first CWS appearance since 1952). There won’t be any surprises this spring as the Beavers have been ranked from the season’s first pitch. Overnight, the Beavers went from hunter to hunted. Senior outfielder Geoff …
Bill Rowe
Former Aloha Knights Bill Rowe and Kevin Gunderson teamed up again to lead Oregon State to a huge College World Series victory and even its series with North Carolina 1-1. Sunday evening, Rowe shocked the baseball world with a three-run homer in the fourth-inning that put OSU ahead 7-5 after going into the inning down …
Jaime Pedroza and Marc Rzepczynski
The #25 ranked University of California, Riverside Highlanders went 4-0 last week sweeping conference power Cal State Fullerton over the weekend and beating #18 ranked UCLA on Tuesday. Many of the Highlanders (27-16, 7-2) star performers developed in the WCCBL including last week’s (April 23-29) Big West Player of the Week Jaime Pedroza and Pitcher …
Ronnie Shaefer
Defending Big West champion UC Irvine was ranked #8 in Baseball America’s college baseball preview issue (Feb. 22-Mar. 7, 2010). The Anteaters send many of its players to the West Coast League. 2009 Big West Pitcher of the Year Daniel Bibona (pictured) developed his superb changeup in the summer of 2007 with the Corvallis Knights. …
WCL teams stocking up on Pac-12 talent
by Aaron Yost, College Baseball Daily Wednesday, April 2, 2014 It’s hard to argue with the success the Pac-12 Conference has enjoyed on the national stage – both historically and in more recent years – and many of the players in the conference are developing during the summer months throughout the West Coast League. Reigning …
Former Kelowna Falcon Andrew Firth Honored
Canada’s most-decorated athletics program, the UBC Thunderbirds, celebrated its best and brightest stars, both past and present, at the 93rd annual UBC Big Block Awards and Hall of Fame Banquet on April 1. Ex-Falcons’ infielder Andrew Firth was honored earning the Bobby Gaul Memorial Trophy as UBC’s graduating Male Athlete of the Year.
WCL alums power Big West conference
Each summer, the Big West conference sends its best young players to the West Coast League to further develop. That development is on full display throughout the conference as WCL alums are excelling early this spring for #5-ranked Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to #9-ranked Cal State Fullerton to #15-ranked UC Santa Barbara to traditional …
West Coast League eclipses 400,000 mark in overall attendance for 2013 season
The West Coast League released its overall total attendance figures for the 2013 season. For the first time, total overall attendance eclipsed the 400,000 mark as WCL clubs drew 402,958 fans last summer. The Bend Elks topped the league in overall attendance drawing 51,283 to Vince Genna Stadium for an average of 1,602 per game. …
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List of 2013 WCL pros includes MLB All-Star Chris Davis of Baltimore
166 alums of West Coast League teams played in affiliated professional baseball in 2013
West Coast League re-aligns, moves to three divisions
The Board of Directors of the West Coast League voted to re-align the league’s divisions for the 2014 season. The vote moved to create a three-division alignment based on natural geographical boundaries. The South Division includes all of the league’s Oregon teams – the defending WCL champion Corvallis Knights, Bend Elks, Klamath Falls Gems, and …
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Baseball America and PG Crosschecker release WCL prospects lists; Walla Walla’s Cody Poteet of UCLA rated #1 prospect in WCL
Baseball America released its West Coast League top ten prospects list on September 5, and yesterday (September 11) Perfect Game Crosschecker announced its top 40 list. Sophomore-to-be pitcher Cody Poteet of UCLA was rated the league’s top prospect by both BA and PGC. Poteet made six starts for the North Division champion Walla Walla Sweets …
West Coast League award winners and All-WCL teams released; Bellingham third baseman Alex Calbick of Maine earns MVP honors
West Coast League president Dennis Koho announced the League’s awards and All-WCL teams this afternoon. This summer’s WCL Champion, the Corvallis Knights, led the WCL in selections with seven All-WCL players and five honorable mention picks. Bellingham slugger Alex Calbick of Maine (pictured) was named the MVP of the West Coast League. The senior-to-be not …
Knights win third WCL title; Corvallis blanks AppleSox 1-0 in game two thriller
The Corvallis Knights won their third West Coast League Championship on Monday night before a crowd of 1,224 at Goss Stadium. The Knights swept the Wenatchee AppleSox two games to none by beating them 1-0 in game two. It was the fourth time the two teams had met in the West Coast League Championship Series …
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South beats North 7-5 before record crowd of 4,210 at 2013 All-Star Game in Victoria
History was made all across Royal Athletic Park Tuesday night at the 2013 WCL All-Star Game, as 4,210 fans watched the South Division All-Stars knock off the North by a score of 7-5. The crowd of 4,210 was a new WCL single-game high in the first ever All-Star Game hosted on Canadian soil. It was …
West Coast League announces 2013 WCL All-Star Game rosters
The teams for the 2013 West Coast League All-Star Game presented by Yates Street Taphouse were announced this morning by the WCL All-Star Game committee. With 25 players named to each team, the North Division and South Division squads will meet on Tuesday, July 23, at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, Canada, at 7 p.m. …
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