Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast

It's finally here! Thank you for your patience as Joe battled through a sickness recently, which led to a delay in the final episode of the 2025 season. He catches us up on all the news from the past couple of weeks (including some personal news courtesy of Baseball Canada) then Ian Wilson stops by for a recap of the recent WCBL annual general meeting. We also hear from league president Kevin Kvame before we get into our highlights of 2025 and a short look-ahead to 2026.

He’s a man who really needs no introduction. Justin Morneau is a former MLB MVP, All-Star, Silver Slugger, Batting Champ and more. The New Westminster, B.C. native had an 18-year pro career, which included a stop with the Edmonton Trappers in 2002. Most recently, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame legend was made the namesake of the new Morneau Cup, the academy national championship through Baseball Canada, which is playing out in “THE ROAD TO OKOTOKS” which comes to a head in July 2026. Always gracious with his time, Morneau stopped by for a chat about his journey, the power of giving back and what excites him the most about seeing the best face the best in Okotoks next summer.

It was a packed house at the Wyndham Edmonton Hotel and Conference Centre, as the best of the year were celebrated. From players and coaches to volunteers and organizations, it was great to hear of all the successes of 2025 and look ahead to what 2026 had in store. We have a full rundown of the festivities and list of award winners here. On the show this week, you will hear from Women's Player of the Year Julianna Scott (Calgary), Baseball Alberta Elite League Player of the Year Carter Moffat (St. Albert), 18U 'AAA' Player of the Year Aubrey Stender (Calgary), and Baseball Alberta president Jon Oko. 1:56 - Julianna Scott 10:56 - Carter Moffat 14:21 - Aubrey Stender 18:55 - Jon Oko

It was an historic week as the Women's Pro Baseball League held its first-ever draft to start putting rosters together for its inaugural season. A total of 120 players were selected including some of the biggest names in the game like Kelsie Whitmore and Ayami Soto. 20 Canadians had their names called, including Edmonton's Madison Willan, Fort McMurray's Sydney Barry, and Saskatoon's Braidy Birdsall and Addie Ziebart. In this special edition of the show, we hear from all four about their draft-day experience and what they look forward to the most as they look towards starting their professional baseball careers. 2:02 - Madison Willan 9:30 - Sydney Barry 18:14 - Braidy Birdsall 32:23 - Addie Ziebart

What a year it’s been for all three of our guests this week. Dawgs Academy hurler Josh Mills (Leduc) played for Alberta at the Canada Summer Games, the Canadian Futures Showcase and most recently suited up with the Baseball Canada Junior National Team. Baseball Sask Female Player of the Year Taylor Schueller (Saskatoon) also went to the Canada Games as well as repped Saskatchewan at the 19U Women’s Nationals and the Women’s Nationals before joining the Baseball Canada Women’s National Team. And Dawgs Academy alum Dane Tofteland (Grande Prairie) thought his baseball career was finished after a great year with the Rocky Mountain Vibes, only to get a message to try out for Banana Ball, which landed him a draft selection by the Loco Beach Coconuts. 4:12 - Josh Mills 18:59 - Taylor Schueller 31:30 - Dane Tofteland

After unfortunately missing this year's special Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025 Induction Ceremony, we circled back to bring you some conversations with the baseball people recognized. Last week, we chatted with executive director Tracey Kinsella and the families of inductees Reno Lizzi and Mel Kowalchuk. This week, we sit down with inductees Orv Franchuk and Dr. Randy Gregg to talk about their journeys in baseball and what it meant to be recognized with this year's class. 4:20 - Orv Franchuk 30:12 - Randy Gregg

After unfortunately missing this year's special Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025 Induction Ceremony, we circled back to bring you some conversations with the baseball people recognized. We start this episode by chatting with the Hall's executive director, Tracey Kinsella, before we hear from Reno Lizzi's daughter, Brenda, and Mel Kowalchuk's son, Darin. This is the first of a two-part series as we will chat with fellow inductees Orv Franchuk and Dr. Randy Gregg on next week's program. 6:11 - Tracey Kinsella 15:19 - Brenda Lizzi 28:12 - Darin Kowalchuk

Baseball Sask celebrated the best of 2025 with its annual awards banquet on Oct. 18 and we bring you a trio of the winners on this week's show. Hear from Male Player of the Year Kane Kaufmann (Regina), Junior Female Player of the Year Rylee Lenius (Saskatoon) and Builder of the Year Justin Eiswirth (Regina). Check out our new story about the Baseball Sask Awards here. 3:40 - Kane Kaufmann 14:47 - Rylee Lenius 24:59 - Justin Eiswirth

it’s admittedly been a while since we last caught up with Oyen’s Gavin Logan. After being selected in the ninth round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, it’s been a rollercoaster couple of years as he’s tried to make a name for himself. The Dawgs Academy and Okotoks Dawgs alum had a breakthrough of sorts this year, starting the season with the High-A Hillsboro Hops before getting an unexpected call to the Triple-A Reno Aces. He made the most of the week-long promotion, went back to Hillsboro, then back to Reno where he hit three homers in three games and was a steady presence behind the plate. The 25-year-old then spent the rest of the year with the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles. All told, he hit .233 with eight homers and 31 RBI in 64 games. It was a productive season that Logan hopes will help cement himself as an option for the Diamondbacks heading into 2026.

Garrett Hawkins may have had one of the more unforgettable 2025 seasons of anyone out there. Fresh off Tommy John surgery, which sidelined him for most of 2023 and all of 2024, we weren’t sure how he would bounce back. The Biggar, Saskatchewan native and Vauxhall Academy grad was out-of-this-world good, starting the year with San Diego’s High-A team in Fort Wayne, going 8-1 with eight saves and a 1.43 ERA in 32 relief appearances. That earned him a promotion to Double-A with San Antonio, where he continued to shred opposition bats, going 1-0 with two saves and a 1.69 ERA in 13 appearances. All told, the former Lethbridge Bull and Swift Current 57 had 80 strikeouts in 60 innings of work. Hawkins’ return earned him the Padres’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year, something he’s proud of, but wants even more heading into 2026, now that he’s defined his new role as a high-leverage reliever and source of inspiration for Western Canadian ball players. Could a big-league debut be in the cards for next summer?

We're back after a week hiatus to bring you all the news and notes from the baseball world in Alberta as the season winds down. Then we take a look at the Western Canadian Baseball League awards, which have been unveiled through a series of announcements. Our Ian Wilson stops by for a recap plus a look back on the year that was before we hear from Most Outstanding Pitcher Levi Abbott of the Lethbridge Bulls, Most Outstanding Canadian Connor Crowson of the Okotoks Dawgs and Most Valuable Player Ethan Menard of the Saskatoon Berries. 5:34 - Ian Wilson 23:15 - Levi Abbott 32:54 - Connor Crowson 40:18 - Ethan Menard

The baseball season might be winding down, but still plenty to talk about. We start with Wednesday’s big news from Baseball Canada that the inaugural Morneau Cup will be hosted by the Okotoks Dawgs, bringing together 16 of the best academy programs in Canada. We hear from Tyler Hollick of the Dawgs about how we got here and what’s to come over the next few months. Then we recap the Canadian Futures Showcase with Home Run Derby champion Daril Rodriguez (Red Deer/St. Joe’s Academy), Jayden Kane (Fort McMurray/AHP Academy) and Jaxson Smith Peterson of Prep Baseball Canada. 5:46 - Tyler Hollick 17:14 - Daril Rodriguez 33:24 - Jayden Kane 50:24 - Jaxson Smith Peterson

It's been a while since we've done a one-guest episode, but when a former Toronto Blue Jays prospect comes calling, especially when the current team is almost clinching the AL East pennant, you take advantage of the situation. Shane Dawson, Jr. was a 17th-round pick of the Jays in 2012, spending six years in the organization before handing it up after the 2019 season. He came back home to do some coaching, where he is now a head coach and technical director with Parkland Minor Ball. Dawson was a guest way back on Episode #12 of the show, so it was great to catch up to talk about his journey, what he's been up to recently, and his thoughts on playing for a young up-and-coming coach in the Blue Jays system by the name of John Schneider.

The season might be winding down but there's still plenty to talk about and several athletes we want to introduce you to before the year is up. We get through the week that was in news, then we hear from Abby Szilagyi (Okotoks) after she helped Team Alberta claim silver at the Canada Summer Games. Then we head to the Canadian Futures Showcase, which starts next week, to get to know Zach MacDonald (Central Alberta) of Webber Academy and Mitchell Rauckman (Saskatoon) of Going Yard Academy. 7:07 - Abby Szilagyi 17:17 - Zach MacDonald 35:36 - Mitchell Rauckman

We take a look back at a busy week of news before hearing from another trio of great guests. We get to know Dawgs Academy utilityman Ethan Renaud (Okotoks) and Vauxhall Academy outfielder Rogan Rivard (Bonnyville) as they get ready for the upcoming Canadian Futures Showcase in Toronto. Then we check back in with Reece Hemmerling (Beaumont) after he was named an All-West Coast League Honorable Mention for his outstanding season with the Edmonton Riverhawks. 7:13 - Ethan Renaud 17:49 - Rogan Rivard 31:50 - Reece Hemmerling

We take a look back at another busy week of baseball as we look at some of the big pro storylines as well as the national championship season wrapping up. Then we go a little more in-depth with the Canada Summer Games, which was historic for having Women's Baseball finally added to the docket. To make things even better, Alberta captured the silver medal in the event. We hear from first base player Sydney Klebanosky (Spruce Grove), who was a major contributor for the team. Then we head to the Men's event, where Dawgs Academy hurler Tyson Kajmowicz (Calgary) checks in to talk about their fifth-place finish and his invite to the Canadian Future Showcase. And we wrap things up by heading back to the Baseball Canada 18U National Championships in Fort McMurray, where the host Oil Giants claimed bronze. We check in with utilityman Ethian Mayuk to talk about what it was like winning a medal on home turf. 6:59 - Sydney Klebanosky 19:00 - Tyson Kajmowicz 31:09 - Ethian Mayuk

The summer college season has wrapped up and national champions are coming to a close, but that doesn't mean we don't have plenty to talk about around the baseball world in Alberta and Saskatchewan. We sit down for a conversation with Western Canadian Baseball League president Kevin Kvame to recap the season and look ahead to what might be big topics for the offseason. Then we get to know Drayton Valley's Dayne Liske after he represented Alberta at the Canada Summer Games and has been named to the Canadian Futures Showcase roster. We wrap things up with Regina Trappers head coach Nolan Dezotell as the team gets ready to host the Baseball Canada Men's National Championship this weekend. 5:49 - Kevin Kvame 28:38 - Dayne Liske 38:25 - Nolan Dezotell

The 2025 Western Canadian Baseball League championship was a baseball lover's dream as it had a little bit of everything from start to finish including lead changes, momentum swings, contentious calls, a steal of home in extra innings and much more. In the end, it was the Regina Red Sox coming away with their first championship since 2012, after what was an emotional year. We take a look back at the series before sitting down with players, coaches and management.

For the first time in franchise history, the Sylvan Lake Gulls are heading to the Western Canadian Baseball League championship. After three years of heartbreak against the Okotoks Dawgs in the West Final, the team exorcised some demons by beating the Dawgs in a two-game sweep this time around. Ian and Joe were there for the series finale and chatted with several Gulls players as well as one long-time Dawg who played his last game. Then we head east to check in with the Regina Red Sox as they upset the Saskatoon Berries in their division final in three games. This will be the first time Regina is in the final since 2019. Check out our championship preview here. 4:21 – Jason Chatwood 11:16 – Josh Tucker 18:31 – Matty Fung 23:14 – Leeroy Tavarez 28:12 – Antony Gilbert 32:38 – Simon Baker 35:38 – Jaden Flores 37:33 – Logan Grant 39:46 – Rye Pothakos 45:39 – Brady Bye 50:14 – Matt Fox 54:47 – Ayden Page

And then there were four. The Western Canadian Baseball League first round is now complete and the division finals are set. For a fourth year in a row, the West will feature the Okotoks Dawgs and Sylvan Lake Gulls, while the East will see the Regina Red Sox face the Saskatoon Berries. We take a look back at the first round and ahead to those series with a quartet of guests in a special edition of the show. 1:19 – Leo Cote – Okotoks Dawgs 9:12 – Ayden Makarus – Sylvan Lake Gulls 15:36 – Rhett Hodgins – Regina Red Sox 21:07 – Carter Beck – Saskatoon Berries