An In-Depth Look: Western Canadian Baseball League Moves Forward with Fresh Vision

Canada’s premier summer collegiate baseball league is getting a facelift. Rooted in Western Canada since 1948, the Western Major Baseball League has been the longest operating summer league and a fixture across Alberta and Saskatchewan since the first pitch was thrown over 60 years ago.

WMBL Will Change Name to WCBL, Expand Regular Season

PRESS RELEASE – The WMBL which will change its name to the WCBL is excited to announce more regular season games coming in 2019!

WMBL Looking Steady Heading Into 2018, Pondering Expansion

For the most part, all appears well with the Canada-based, 12-member  Western Major Baseball League (Summer Collegiate), as it heads into the 2018 campaign.  A few teams are struggling, and efforts are being made to sure them up.  There is also interest in expanding to Saskatoon (SK) and Red Deer (AB).  Read more here.

WMBL’s Swift Current Indians Change Name, Unveil Logo

PRESS RELEASE – The 2016 Western Major Baseball league champions have a new name. Honouring the 57 seasons the team played as The Swift Current Indians, the WMBL baseball team in Swift Current will now use the nickname “57’s”.

Swift Current Seeks New Nickname

The Swift Current Indians (Summer Collegiate, Western Major Baseball League) are calling on the public to help find a new name for the baseball team.  Suggestions will be accepted from October 1-15, 2016.  Read more here.

Prospects Take Over Telus Field, Will Seek New Naming Rights Sponsor

Edmonton (AB) City Councillors gave the official go-ahead for the Edmonton Prospects (Summer Collegiate, Western Major Baseball League) to take over Telus Field.  In addition, Councillors agreed to allow the Prospects to look for a new naming sponsor, to contribute funds to support operating costs, and potentially make some changes to the facility.  Read more and watch news report here.

Dawgs Ircandia Among Most Influential Canadians in Baseball

PRESS RELEASE – John Ircandia, managing director of the Okotoks Dawgs, was ranked 20th on the list of Most Influential Canadians in Baseball published today by the Toronto SUN. The list is compiled annually by sports journalist, Bob Elliot, himself a member of Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Dawgs, Seaman Stadium Getting New Video Board

PRESS RELEASE – If you thought the fan friendly baseball experience at Seaman Stadium, home of the Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Club, couldn’t get any better, then you will be blown away by the Dawgs latest plans.

Alberta Town Wants WMBL Team

Organizers in the City of Brooks in southeast Alberta, Canada, have announced that they are seeking a franchise in the summer collegiate Western Major Baseball League.  The team would play at the recently completed Brooks Quad Ball Complex.  Read more here.  Thanks to Phil Savage for the link.

WMBL Coming to Fort McMurray (AB)?

It appears as though Fort McMurray’s dream of finding a permanent tenant for Shell Place’s baseball stadium may not be that far off.  If Steve Avila of High Plains Baseball has his way, the summer collegiate Western Major Baseball League will be coming to town as early as 2016. Read more here.

Dawgs Welcome 500,000th Fan to Seaman Stadium

PRESS RELEASE – Canada’s #1 summer collegiate club, the Okotoks Dawgs welcomed their 500,000th fan to beautiful Seaman Stadium on Canada Day, July 1st.

House Okotoks Dawgs Vie for Ballpark Attendance Throne in Canada

The Okotoks Dawgs (Summer Collegiate, Western Major Baseball League) opened their 2015 season at Seaman Stadium by shattering their previous opening homestand attendance record by an average of 1,000 fans per game, with 3,817 on opening night, June 5th, 3,801 on Saturday, June 6th, and 3,180 on Sunday, June 7th, for a total of 10,797.  Read press release here.

A throne fit for a king of ballpark attendance in Canada? Okotoks Dawgs Facebook photo

Ballpark Beer Sales to Help with Flood Relief

Baseball fans will have a chance to enjoy an Okotoks Dawgs (Summer Collegiate, Western Major Baseball League) game, a hot dog and a cool one while helping flood victims.  Hell or High Water beer will be be sold at Seaman Stadium this summer.  A portion of the beer sales will go towards flood relief for those victimized by the 2013 flood.  Read more here.

A Telus Field Revival?

Telus Field in Edmonton (AB) could become the center of a baseball stadium district that spurs Rossdale redevelopment similar to the impact of Rogers Place on downtown, a new report says.  Read more here.  The stadium is the former home of the Triple-A Edmonton Trappers (Pacific Coast League) and indy pro Edmonton  Cracker-Cats/Capitals (Northern League/Golden Baseball

Okotoks Dawgs Ballpark Plays Starring Role in Upcoming Sci-Fi Blockbuster

Hollywood actors, including Matthew McConaughey and John Lithgow, descended on Okotoks (AB) more than a year ago to film scenes for the new sci-fi flick Interstellar hitting theaters Friday, Nov. 7.  Read more here.  The “stellar” spring-training-like baseball complex owned and operated by the summer collegiate Okotoks Dawgs (Western Major Baseball League) plays a role in the film.  In fact, Tourmaline Field, the youth baseball facility next to Seaman Stadium, makes a starring appearance in trailer #2 below:

Speaking of the Dawgs and their complex, there is a lot

Dawgs’ Seaman Stadium Rocks It in the Rockies

Canada’s SportsNet recently ventured to the foothills of the Alberta Rockies to check out Seaman Stadium in Okotoks (AB) and the summer collegiate Okotoks Dawgs (Western Major Baseball League), and they discovered that Seaman Stadium has become an amazing community gathering place.  Read more and watch video report here.

Kelowna Falcons Raise Impressive $21,000 for Firefighters

PRESS RELEASE – A terrific crowd at Elks Stadium was treated to fireworks, an amazing marching band and even dancing firefighters on Thursday night. The Kelowna Falcons hosted the 3rd Annual Firefighters Night that included all ticket sales and sponsorship money being donated to the Professional Firefighters Charitable Society.  Over $21,000 was raised and donated on Thursday night,

Dawgs Donor Honoured with ‘Don Seaman Way’

PRESS RELEASE – The Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Club is proud to announce that in recognition of his extraordinary donations to the state of the art facilities now known as the Seaman Stadium Complex, the Town of Okotoks has renamed a portion of Stockton Avenue, the street adjacent to Seaman Stadium, as “Don Seaman Way”.

Dawgs Create Seaman Stadium Hall of Fame, Announce First Inductees

PRESS RELEASE – The Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Club is proud to announce the creation of the Okotoks Dawgs/Seaman Stadium Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame has been established to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the development of:

Dawgs Shatter Attendance Record, Raise $44k for Flood Relief on Canada Day

PRESS RELEASE – In circumstances when the communities needed it most, the Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Club of the Western Major Baseball League, delivered a home run. With horrific floods over the past week causing a regional state of emergency in the greater Calgary area and devastating the nearby town of High River, the Dawgs welcomed a record shattering crowd of 4,445 fans to

Good Things Goin’ On with Dawgs

The summer collegiate Okotoks Dawgs (Western Major Baseball League) are averaging 2,334 fans per game this season ahead of last years high-water mark of 2,202.  Beyond the success at the gate, Okotoks (AB) was recently awarded the 2016 World Children’s Baseball Fair, and John Ircandia, managing director of the Dawgs, was named Honorary Chairman of the

Dawgs Hire New Operations Manager

PRESS RELEASE – Okotoks Dawgs of the Western Major Baseball League, announce the recent hiring of Angela Cox as Operations Manager. Angie replaces Jim Amy, who will now focus on Food & Beverage. Angie comes to the Dawgs from the University of Kentucky (Wesleyan) where she served as a recruiting administrator, and most recently from Home Run Sports where she served as a

Prospects in Talks to Play at Telus Field

Now that the indy pro Edmonton Capitals (formerly North American League) have gone dark for 2012, the summer collegiate Edmonton Prospects (Western Major Baseball League) would like to play games at Telus Field.  The team is in discussions with Rexall Sports and Entertainment (RSE), which owns the Capitals and still leases Telus, about using the park.  Read more here.

Top 100: The Most Influential Canadians in Baseball

The Toronto Sun’s Bob Elliott has posted his annual list of the “Top 100 Most Infuential Canadians in Baseball.”  Coming in at #1 is Greg Hamilton, head coach and director of the national teams for Baseball Canada.  Our friend John Ircandia, managing partner for the summer collegiate Okotoks Dawgs (Western Major Baseball League), comes in at a very impressive #24.  Congrats to John.

WMBL Adopts Full Summer Collegiate Model, Balanced 48-Game Schedule for 2013

PRESS RELEASE – Coming off another successful season both on and off the field, the Western Major Baseball League is taking the next step in their development as a premiere summer collegiate baseball league.

2011 WMBL Champs Want New Ballpark

The Regina (SK) Red Sox, the 2011 champions of the summer collegiate Western Major Baseball League, feel they have outgrown Currie Field at Mt. Pleasant Sports Park and are now looking for a new ballpark.  Read more here.  View Currie Field street view here.

Semi-Finals Begin in Canada’s Favourite Ballpark Contest

We are now down to four ballparks in Canada’s Favourite Ballpark Contest.  This week, Seaman Stadium, home of the summer collegiate Okotoks Dawgs (Western Major Baseball League), takes on Port Arthur Stadium, home of the summer collegiate Thunder Bay Border Cats (Northwoods League).  Read more, see photos, and vote here.  Next week, LaBatt Park in London (ON) will battle Stade

Seaman Stadium Advances

Seaman Stadium, home of the summer collegiate Okotoks Dawgs (Western Major Baseball League), took down the competition with 48% of the vote to advance to the semi-finals in the Canada’s Favourite Ballpark contest.  Read more here.

Battle of the Ballparks in Canada

Historic LaBatt Memorial Park in London (ON) is one of 16 chosen ballparks in “Canada’s Favourite Ballpark” contest sponsored by Baseball Canada.  Week 1 voting began on Monday.  Read more here.  Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay (ON), home of the summer collegiate Thunder Bay Border Cats (Northwoods League) and Seaman Stadium in Okotoks (AB), home of the summer collegiate

Dawgs Host Canada Day Extravaganza Friday

PRESS RELEASE – Seaman Stadium will once again play host to Canada Day celebrations on Friday, July 1st, as the Medicine Hat Mavericks come to town.

Dawgs Pack the Park for Home Opener

PRESS RELEASE – It was too little too late for the Okotoks Dawgs in their home opener as they fell to the Medicine Hat Mavericks by a score of 15-10. A crowd of 2,789 packed Seaman Stadium to see the new-look Dawgs squad in action. The Dawgs were able to put up 8 runs in the final four innings, but could not hold off the Mavericks as they maintained their lead throughout the game. Both the Mavericks and Dawgs

Dawgs Set Pre-Season Media Event

PRESS RELEASE – While the Dawgs will officially take to the field on June 1st to face defending WMBL champions, the Swift Current Indians, fans will have to wait in anticipation for the home opener on Thursday, June 9th. Media are invited to come out in advance of the home opener on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 at 2:00pm to talk with the new-look Dawgs’ players and coaches, get the scoop on upcoming

Okotoks Dawgs Launch New Website

The summer collegiate Western Major Baseball League’s Okotoks (AB) Dawgs have launched a new website at www.dawgsbaseball.ca.

Swift Current’s Mitchell Field Getting New Seats

The summer collegiate Western Major Baseball League’s Swift Current (Saskatchewan, Canada) Indians are retrofitting the bleachers at Mitchell Field from the current wooden benches to new individuals seats at a cost of $19,ooo.  The capacity of the bleachers will drop from 600 to about 550.  Read more here.

Dawgs Go International, Take Brand & Skills to Mexico

PRESS RELEASE – The Okotoks Dawgs’ coaching staff has been invited to Mexico City in March, 2011 to conduct “Béisbol Camps” for aspiring little leaguers.

Dawgs Given Go Ahead on ‘Tourmaline Field’

PRESS RELEASE – The Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Club is pleased to announce the decision of Okotoks’ Town Council approving the construction of an all-new baseball diamond adjacent to Seaman Stadium, to be known as “Tourmaline Field”. Tourmaline Field is named after the Dawgs’ principal donor in connection with this project and will feature a full sized midget diamond with dimensions of 300 feet down the

The Eds’ Proposed New Home

As reported on Tuesday, the summer collegiate Western Major Baseball League’s Cranbrook (BC) Eds submitted a feasibility study to the Cranbrook City Council for a proposed new $7.2 million ballpark.  Below are the renderings from GEC Architecture and the Eds’ official press release:

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Eds Present Ballpark Feasibility Study

The summer collegiate Western Major Baseball League’s Cranbrook (BC) Eds presented a feasibility study to the Cranbrook City Council on Monday for a new $7.2 million ballpark.  Read more and view rendering here.

It’s the ‘Cranbrook Eds’

The new Western Major Baseball League franchise in Cranbrook (BC) has been named the “Cranbrook Eds.”  The team’s name, logo and uniforms were unveiled at an event on Wednesday.  The team’s new website can be found at www.cranbrookeds.com.  The Eds will begin play in 2013, contingent upon construction of a new WMBL-ready ballpark.

Cranbrook Granted ‘Conditional’ Franchise

PRESS RELEASE – The Western Major Baseball League is one step closer to expanding west into the Southeastern part British Columbia in the near future.