We start off the episode by recapping the MLB debut of St. Albert's own Erik Sabrowski, who went 1+ inning of shutout baseball in relief for the Cleveland Guardians in a 4-1 loss to Kansas City. We then take a look at some of the other major storylines, before we catch up with former MLB slugger and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame member Matt Stairs, who was recently named a hitting coordinator with Dawgs Academy in Okotoks.

It was another crazy week for baseball in Alberta, highlighted by Erik Sabrowski being called up by the Cleveland Guardians. We recap the week in news, then are joined by Baseball Canada 18U National champion Jake Brooks of the Red Deer CarStar Braves, 16U Girls National silver medalist Claire Hingley and Edmonton Riverhawks veteran Tylor Jans to talk about their summers and more.

4:56 - Jake Brooks

21:08 - Claire Hingley

33:59 - Tylor Jans

It's an action-packed episode of the podcast as we have five guests joining us this week as well as a new sponsor announcement and a contest to win a Michael Soroka autographed baseball. Joe sits down with long-time Okotoks Dawgs infielder Aidan Rose while Ian takes us along for his family trip through Saskatchewan to chat with Cory Wouters of the Saskatoon Berries, Takao Cookson of the Moose Jaw Miller Express and Marcus Graham of the Swift Current 57s. We wrap up the episode back in Medicine Hat where Ian caught up with Sportsnet broadcaster Jamie Campbell.

4:39 - Aidan Rose

21:05 - Cory Wouters

27:30 - Takao Cookson

33:59 - Marcus Graham

41:11 - Jamie Campbell

Ashley Stephenson's name is synonymous with Baseball Canada's Women's National Team. A member of the squad from 2004-2018, she played in everything from World Cups to Pan-Am Games and everything in-between. She was also a two-time winner of the Jimmy Rattlesnake Award for her on-field accomplishments, team spirit and leadership. That award was later renamed in her honour. After Stephenson's playing career came to a close, she joined the national team's coaching staff then took over as head coach, hitting the field for the first time in her new role this summer in the Canada-US Friendship Series. She's a trailblazer, and recently added to her list of accomplishments by being named the first woman to hold a coaching position at the Canadian Futures Showcase, formerly known as Tournament-12. We recently caught up for a candid conversation about baseball, coaching philosophies, life and much more.

The Calgary International Film Festival will have a baseball flavour to it this year (September 22-October 2). “It Ain’t Over” takes a look at the life and times of New York Yankees great and Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra. Famous for his on-field play as well as his wit, humour and “Yogi-isms”, Berra was also misunderstood. Director Sean Mullin tries to set the record straight by chatting with Berra’s granddaughter Lindsay as well as former teammates, sports writers and admirers like Billy Crystal. Our Ian Wilson wrote a story recently about his chat with Mullin, and here now is that conversation.

Every college player dreams of making an impact with their summer baseball league. Braden Desonia did more than that in his first season with the Medicine Hat Mavericks. The 6’1”, 165-pound centrefielder was a terror for opposing pitchers and defenses, hitting .348 with five home runs and 42 runs batted in while stealing a Western Canadian Baseball League record 42 stolen bases, 15 more than anyone else. Desonia was also a WCBL All-Star, taking part in the festivities in Okotoks, stealing the show at the Home Run Derby, not with his power, but with the storyline of a last-minute request to have his dad, who was flying in from Mead, Washington, be his pitcher. It was a heartfelt moment in a season to remember for the Desonia family. Near the end of the regular season, our Ian Wilson recently chatted with them both about the opportunities and experiences of baseball north of the 49th parallel.

There was already a lot of buzz around Edmonton’s Michael Yusypchuk before he joined Team Alberta for this year’s Canada Summer Games in Ontario. Last year’s Baseball Alberta 15U “AAA” Player of the Year has been spectacular with St. Albert Minor Baseball Association teams over the years, is heading to Dawgs Academy in Okotoks, and has already committed to Missouri State. Well, he added to that legacy during the summer games with a no-hitter in the semi-final against BC, striking out seven and was a walk away from the perfect game in a 4-0 victory. Alberta went on to win silver in the tournament, and once the dust settled, we caught up with Yusypchuk to talk about the performance, his baseball journey and what he believes his ceiling might be, as the Canadian Baseball Network has him listed as a top-5 Canadian to be chosen in the 2024 MLB Draft.

It was quite the spectacle in Toronto recently as the Blue Jays marked the 30th anniversary of their 1992 World Series championship. Fans were able to re-live those memories as the stars like Joe Carter, Dave Winfield and Devon White came back to town to celebrate the occasion. That team also had a few connections to its Pioneer League affiliate that won its first title a decade earlier. This week marks the 40th anniversary of the Medicine Hat Blue Jays taking home what would become its only championship. Pat Borders, David Wells and Jimmy Key were among those who were with the Baby Jays that season. On this week's episode, we take a trip down memory lane with a couple of key members of that team: Keith Gilliam and Kash Beauchamp.

The countdown is on to the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Four cities will host the tournament from March 8th-21st. Canada will be in tough in Pool C with the defending champion United States along with Mexico, Columbia and one of four qualifier teams. There will be two qualifier tournaments, with Pool “A” in Germany from September 16th-21st, and Pool “B” in Panama from September 30th-October 5th. There will be some Alberta talent in Pool “B” with Amar Mahmood. The Edmonton product has been named to the roster for Pakistan, which is where his parents are from. He’s a rising star from AHP Academy, having already committed to De Anza College in the California Community College Association. The 18-year-old took some time this past week to chat with us about his baseball journey, his love of the game and what it means to represent his roots.

2022 will be remembered as the first season with the Edmonton Riverhawks of the West Coast League. In the ultra-competitive North Division, the Riverhawks made a push for the second half pennant, falling just short during the final weekend, finishing with an overall record of 25-28. Several hometown products were able to crack the roster, including outfielder Clayton Loranger. The Sherwood Park native was outstanding, hitting .365 with two home runs, 30 RBI, and 27 stolen bases in 47 games en route to being named a WCL First Team All-Star. We caught up with the 5-11, 195-pound Stephen F. Austin State University senior recently to talk about his summer and what it meant to be a part of the inaugural season as a hometown hero.

For a sixth time in franchise history, the Okotoks Dawgs are the top dogs of the Western Canadian Baseball League. In front of a packed Seaman Stadium, the Dawgs clinched the title with a 4-1 win over the Moose Jaw Miller Express Thursday night. Head to our website to check out the full story. After the game, we caught up with Playoff MVP Brendan Luther, outfielder Micah McDowell, pitcher Matt Wilkinson, infielder Ricky Sanchez, outfielder Alejandro Cazorla and head coach Mitch "Big Bear" Schmidt.

What a week it was in Calgary for the Canadian Little League Championships. Not only was the weather fantastic, but the baseball was second-to-none as teams from around the country vied for the right to represent the maple leaf in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The final was held Friday with Moose Jaw taking on the Little Mountain Baseball All-Stars, competing as Team BC. And with a 9-4 victory, BC has now won 15 of the last 16 Canadian regional championships. Our Ian Wilson was in attendance and managed to catch up with some of the players, coaches and organizers for the event, which received rave reviews from all involved. Hear from players Jaxon Mayervich and Alden Yu. manager Ulysses Yan, and 2022 tournament chair Allan Chatenay on this week's episode.

This week, we take a look back at a great accomplishment by Dawgs Academy’s 18U Black squad. They headed south of the border for a few tournaments over the summer, including the Perfect Game World Series in West Palm Beach, Florida. After going 3-1-1 in the round-robin, the Dawgs didn’t turn back, beating NEB National 4-2 in the final. Dawgs starter Tyrelle Chadwick, who picked up the win in the final with a 3-hit, 3-walk, 5-strikeout in six-plus inning performance, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Pitcher. While he’s only 19, he already has experience in summer college ball with the Dawgs Black WCBL squad in 2021 and then his hometown Kamloops NorthPaws for a few games before coming back to the Academy this summer. An Illinois State recruit, he’s also the son of former Edmonton Trappers and California Angels pitcher and current TRU Wolfpack head coach Ray Chadwick. We caught up with the promising young right-hander to talk about his baseball journey, winning the Perfect Game tournament and what he’d like to one day accomplish. 

Both Joe and Ian found themselves on the road for Canada Day to take in games in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, respectively. Joe chatted with Bulls head coach Myles Fletcher (Lethbridge, AB) about being an original member of the LA Bulls and marking the team's 25th anniversary, utilityman Carlin Dick (Abbotsford, BC) about his season so far, and Sylvan Lake Gulls hurler Hunter Jones (Edmonton, AB) about his outstanding start. Then Ian stops by for conversations with Medicine Hat Mavericks stars Nick Thibodeau (Burlington, ON) and Tyler Vanneste (Warman SK) about their respective baseball journeys.

5:40 - Myles Fletcher

10:50 - Carlin Dick

16:16 - Hunter Jones

24:13 - Nick Thibodeau

33:16 - Tyler Vanneste

What a year it’s been for Gavin Logan. The Oyen, Alberta product and Dawgs Academy grad took full advantage of being the starting catcher for Oregon State, hitting .281 with three home runs and 36 runs batted in while committing just one error in 45 games as he was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Pac-12 Tournament Team. While the Beavers fell short of their goal of winning the NCAA national championship, they were a powerful squad and it showed when eight players were selected in the MLB Draft in July. That includes Logan, who was taken in the ninth round, 258th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has received a hero’s welcome in Okotoks, including throwing out a first pitch at a Dawgs game then catching the ceremonial toss from Matt Stairs at the WCBL All-Star Game. I caught up with him at those festivities to talk about his whirlwind last few weeks, as we last connected for Episode 170. Read the story we wrote earlier this year about Logan here and the story of his fellow drafted Albertan, Matt Coutney, here.

Words probably can’t describe the feeling everyone had Saturday night after witnessing the Western Canadian Baseball League’s All-Star Game festivities in Okotoks. A crowd of 6,000+ people, the players and coaches enjoying every minute of it, some incredible moments of baseball, fireworks at the end, and a million memories made, and it feels like we’re just scratching the surface. Make sure to head to albertadugoutstories.com for the game story and photo gallery that we posted earlier this week. We have plenty more stories to come in the days ahead. Here on the podcast, instead of one guest telling us the story of the day, we have a series of shorter interviews done before and after the game, to help capture the day’s events. Listen in to hear from Matt Wolff of the Brooks Bombers, Braden DeSonia of the Medicine Hat Mavericks, McCoy Pearce and Micah McDowell of the Okotoks Dawgs, Weyburn Beavers slugger Nolan Machibroda, and Sylvan Lake Gulls infielder and All-Star Game MVP Ethan Ho.

Three days. 30 teams. 20 rounds. 616 baseball prospects chosen in the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft. Among them, 15 Canadians including two from Alberta. Dawgs Academy product and Oregon State catcher Gavin Logan went in the ninth round, 258th overall to the Arizona Diamondbacks, while St. FX Academy product and Old Dominion University first baseman Matt Coutney was taken in the tenth round, 298th overall by the Los Angeles Angels. Congratulations to all for taking the next step in your baseball journey. And congratulations as well to those who will undoubtedly get free agent contracts in the days and weeks ahead, just like Vauxhall Academy grad and UBC slugger Ty Penner did with the Philadelphia Phillies. For this week’s episode of the podcast, we catch up with one of the three recently-signed Albertans. We got to know Coutney on Episode #176, talking about his baseball journey and his stellar season at ODU, where he was one of the nation’s top home-run hitters this season. And he really actually started heating up in April after inserting a contact lens that he had been prescribed but didn’t think would make a big difference. We caught up this week to talk about getting drafted, the process as a whole, and what it meant to him and some of his biggest fans.

It’s been a long couple of years without WCBL baseball in a trio of Alberta communities. Over the past few episodes, we’ve chatted with hometown athletes Dax Wandler of the Brooks Bombers and Sean Dunn of the Fort McMurray Giants about coming back this season and the excitement in their respective communities. The third team to return is the Medicine Hat Mavericks and who better to talk about to than Nathan Stark. The Medicine Hat product grew up coming to Mavericks games, and has had the fortune of being with the team since 2017, including their 2018 championship run. While those years were special, this year is even more sweet as he has his brothers, Josh and Zach, on the roster as well. In fact, as we record this episode, they’ve all been on the field at the same time on a couple of occasions. Nathan is the eldest brother who played his high school ball with the McCoy Colts before moving onto Colby Community College, LSU-Shreveport and Doane University. It’s been quite the journey for the 6-foot-3, 171-pound right-hander, who joined us earlier this week to talk all about it.

Talk about a homecoming for Sean Dunn. The Fort McMurray product has been chomping at the bit to get back onto the field with his hometown Giants in the Western Canadian Baseball League for a while now, as the pandemic got in the way of their return in 2020 and 2021. The Giants are in a dogfight for a playoff spot in the West Division, hoping to get there for the first time since entering the league in 2016. Dunn remembers those early years, and believes the team has what it takes to turn up the heat in the second half of the season. The 6-3, 185-pound hurler knows a thing or two about winning, as he is fresh off helping Okanagan College capture the Canadian College Baseball Conference title this spring. We talked about all of that earlier this week, as well as what it means to him to give back to his hometown’s baseball community and much more.

Justin King might be the king of self-awareness. As a young multi-sport athlete, he admits he realized one day he wasn’t the fastest skater, so he decided to focus on playing baseball. A gifted hitter growing up in Okotoks, King decided to try pitching in his final college season at the University of Louisiana-Monroe in Spring 2021. As his Twitter bio states: “couldn’t hit 95 so now we a pitcher.” While some might have bristled at making that move, he faced it head-on and it has paid off in a big way. In early-June, the 6-1, 215-pound southpaw signed a contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he’s already made his way to the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers alongside fellow Dawgs Academy grad Tristan Peters and Canadian Tyler Black. We caught up with King during a recent off-day to talk about what has turned into quite the chapter in his baseball journey and more.

It’s been a long road back to the diamond for Dax Wandler. The Brooks Bombers infielder last appeared in the Western Canadian Baseball League in 2019, hitting .242 with a home run and five RBI for his hometown team. He needed surgery following that season, but hit some roadblocks along the way. The 5-10, 160-pound COVID freshman is finally back on the field and hoping to turn a few heads so he can catch on with a collegiate program in the fall. Wandler checked in with us a couple weeks ago to walk us through his baseball journey, the recuperation from his injury and much more.

The Battle of Alberta might be one of the most heated rivalries in all of pro sports. The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers have hated each other from the very beginning. That rivalry not only transcends hockey, but sports in general as well. When it comes to baseball, any time Alberta’s two largest cities face each other, it’s bound to have fireworks. Never was that more prevalent than on June 13th, 2006. The Northern League’s Calgary Vipers were hosting the Edmonton Cracker-Cats at Foothills Stadium when one of the most infamous brawls in baseball history broke out. Our Ian Wilson has wanted to tell the story for a few years now, and after a lot of hard work and research, published his newest story to mark the anniversary. Cracker-Cats starter Reggie Rivard joins us on the podcast to talk about how it all went down, what he remembers, and how he ended up with the most-severe suspension.

There have been plenty of great storylines about Alberta baseball products doing big things in US college programs this spring. One of those has been watching two Dawgs Academy products help Central Arizona College claim the Junior College World Series. Tyrese Johnson hit .340 with a pair of homers, 23 runs batted in and nine stolen bases, while Matt Wilkinson went 5-2 with two saves and a 1.87 ERA to go along with 85 strikeouts in just 53 innings. We caught up with both of them this week to recap their championship season.

No rest for the wicked if the wicked’s name is Brendan Luther. The Ontario product who now calls Western Canada home spent the spring at Okanagan College, where he hit .426 with two homers, 26 runs batted in, 48 runs scored and six stolen bases en route to being named a Canadian Collegiate Baseball Conference First-Team All-Star. He then packed his bags as the Coyotes headed to Lethbridge, where he hit .385 with two doubles and two RBI as Okanagan ran the table to claim the CCBC World Series. Why did he pack his bags? Because the 6-1, 190-pound infielder headed straight up to Okotoks to report to the Dawgs for the start of the Western Canadian Baseball League season. It’s a change of scenery for Luther, who spent the past couple of seasons with the Edmonton Prospects. We talked about the expected chirps from that move, his baseball journey and much more in this recent conversation. (Image credit: Brent Calver/OkotoksTODAY)

We've been meaning to chat with Richie Borysewicz for a while now following this spring's Jays Care "Field of Dreams" funding announcement for Bow Ridge Little League to upgrade the Tuscany Diamonds in Calgary. We finally had that conversation this week about the plans and what's to come. We also sat down with Okotoks Dawgs slugger Nash Crowell about the brutal pitch to the face he took with Reinhardt University and his return to the WCBL, and we meet Australian Lachie Smith, who is getting his first taste of collegiate baseball with the Edmonton Prospects before he heads to Odessa College in the fall.

8:11 - Richie Borysewicz

20:44 - Nash Crowell

35:33 - Lachie Smith

The 2022 Western Canadian Baseball League season is upon us! We've been showcasing the Alberta teams with previews on our website, and the architect who has been writing them, ADS co-founder Ian Wilson, joins us to talk about what has him excited about a full slate of games and teams for the upcoming season. We also check in with WCBL president Kevin Kvame, and chat about some of the other big storylines heading into the summer.

Cassie Matlock has been willing to do anything and go anywhere to play softball. Growing up in Edmonton, there weren’t a ton of options for her, so she went wherever she could to get noticed. Eventually, Matlock landed on her feet at Lindsey Wilson College, where her team made it to the NAIA World Series and she was named to the All-Tournament Team, amongst a host of other honours. She then moved onto the University of West Alabama, where she continued to dominate. The 5-foot-9 outfielder just put the wraps on her senior season, and is on her way back to Alberta. We caught up with Matlock earlier this week to talk about her award-winning season, the trials and tribulations of being a student-athlete, and her hopes of helping grow the game in her home province.

Athletic excellence is in the genes of the Geekie family. Three brothers – Morgan, Noah and Conor – grew up playing hockey in the winter and baseball in the summer. While Morgan and Conor stuck with hockey when it was time to follow one path, Noah decided to chase the baseball dream. He moved to Okotoks to attend Dawgs Academy, is about to play in his third summer with the Western Canadian Baseball League Dawgs, and after a successful two years at Barton Community College, just wrapped up his second season with the NCAA Division II Emporia State University Hornets. He’s a two-way threat, going 6-2 with a save and a 5.04 ERA in 14 outings, starting the year as a reliever before excelling as a starter. He also hit .315 with a homer, 13 runs batted in and six stolen bases in 33 games. The 6-3, 195-pound junior took some time this week to chat about his journey, growing up in that athletic household and coming back to his home away from home this summer with Okotoks.

There’s a new home run king at Old Dominion University and he’s from our province. Wetaskiwin’s Matt Coutney went yard twice against Florida Atlantic on April 24th, hitting his 21st home run to break the school record. Everyone knew Coutney had some pop in his bat, after a standout two years with Colby Community College, where he hit .426 with 26 home runs and 116 runs batted in. He was solid through his first two seasons with ODU, but has really hit another level this spring. As we recorded this episode, he was hitting .361 with 22 homers and 48 RBI, as the Monarchs take aim at an NCAA championship. Coutney took some time out of his busy schedule last week to chat with us about his baseball journey, the record, and how one small tweak has made a world of difference.

Like Erik Sabrowski, Aidan Huggins, Evan Wilde and several other Albertans over the last few years, Tom Poole is making a name for himself this spring with the Cloud County Thunderbirds of the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. The Calgary product was originally recruited as a pitcher, but has instead put together a mammoth season at the plate, hitting .369 with 18 home runs, 59 RBIs and 17 stolen bases heading into the final weekend of the regular season, where his Thunderbirds will take on Barton in four games. Not only is Poole leading the conference in homers, he’s just two off the school record of 20. The 6'1", 205-pound freshman took some time out of his busy schedule recently to chat with us about his amazing campaign, growing up in Calgary, and how he considers himself a bit of a late-bloomer.

There is plenty to get excited about in watching Alberta-born and trained athletes excel at major US programs. Matt Coutney is hitting everything he sees at Old Dominion University, Cesar Valero has been on fire with Sacramento State and Tom Poole has dominated at the plate for Cloud County College, among many others. One player who has been a force on the mound is Matt Wilkinson. Originally from Ladner, BC, the Dawgs Academy and Okotoks Dawgs product is a key piece of the bullpen for Central Arizona College. Through his first 13 games, Wilkinson has a 3-1 record with two saves, a tiny 1.52 ERA and has struck out 58 batters in just 29+ innings of work. But strikeouts are nothing new to "Tugboat", who fanned 16 in just five innings to open up the 2015 Little League World Series. We talked about that and much more in the latest #ADSPodcast.

We put the wraps on our Canadian College Baseball Conference preview episodes this week by chatting with University of Calgary Dinos bench boss Cam Williams. Originally from Coquitlam, BC, Williams moved to Calgary to study kinesiology and play baseball. We first met the infielder back in 2018 when he set the Dinos all-time record for career hits. He stayed in Calgary, joining the Bucks coaching staff before taking the top job with the Dinos. It's been a weird start to his coaching career, doing it all during a pandemic. But he's had some early success as the team finally got to play some games over the last couple of weeks, guiding them to a .500 record. What's the transition been like? What are his coaching philosophies? And what kinds of advice is he passing onto his players? We chatted about it all recently.

We continue our look at the three Alberta-based teams from the Canadian College Baseball Conference this week and we’re going from the seasoned veteran in Todd Hubka at Prairie Baseball Academy last week, to the new kid in town, Edmonton Collegiate Hawk coach Jake Lanferman. The Sherwood Park native was born the same year Hubka joined PBA: 1996. Fresh off a solid playing career including stops at Fort Hays State University and UBC as well as the Edmonton Prospects and Sylvan Lake Gulls, the outfielder is now diving into the coaching realm headfirst as part of Absolute Human Performance as well as the Collegiate Hawks. How is he finding the transition? What does he expect out of the team? And what are his coaching philosophies? We talked about that all and much more last week.

The Canadian College Baseball Conference kicks off its first spring season since 2019 this weekend. The 2020 season was turfed in the initial aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the logistics for the 2021 season meant they would have to wait for another day. And that day has finally come for those Western Canadian college teams, including Prairie Baseball Academy. At the centre of that program is Todd Hubka, who has seen it all since joining in 1996, first as an assistant coach to Blair Kubicek, before taking the reigns in 2010. He and I actually share the same hometowns, originally being from Carmangay, then going to high school in Claresholm, and randomly crossed paths again while he was coaching the Lethbridge Bulls while I was a young reporter in Medicine Hat. We’ve been able to share a few laughs over text and phone calls over the years, so it was only a matter of time before we had him on the podcast. We talked about his upbringing, including throwing a no-hitter, his coaching philosophies and his expectations of his young PBA club this spring.

March 31 marks the anniversary of the debut of Alberta Dugout Stories. It was years in the making, thanks to several stops at Calgary pubs talking about baseball's yesteryear in our province. To celebrate the occasion, we wanted to reminisce about the stories we've told and say a special "thank you" to everyone who has supported our vision for creating something unique to baseball in Alberta and across Canada.

Plenty of news to get to, including the naming of the Baseball Canada Women's National Team Selection Camp roster, which includes six Albertans. We sit down with Julianna Scott to talk about her selection and what it'd mean to represent the maple leaf. We also chat with Sylvan Lake Gulls pitcher Owen Pote about his dad, Lou, and playing with AHP Academy, while Lethbridge Bulls catcher Noah McNeil drops by to talk about that crazy 31-26 win over Brooks, playing for Prairie Baseball Academy and more.

4:34 - Julianna Scott

16:38 - Owen Pote

30:04 - Noah McNeil

Gavin Logan is no stranger to the open road. Raised on a farm outside Oyen, he commuted to town as well as Consort to play his minor ball, before heading west to Okotoks to join Dawgs Academy. Since then, he’s played with the college Dawgs, the West Coast League’s Bend Elks, Southeaster Community College, Linn-Benton Community College and he’s now at the #2-ranked NCAA Division program in the country: Oregon State. After what he admits was a tough first year with the Beavers where he had to battle for his playing time, the 5-11, 212-pound backstop is now “the guy” behind the plate, hitting .339 with two homers and 12 RBI in his first 13 games. We recently caught up with Logan to talk about the highs, lows and what’s still to come in his baseball journey.

We would be shocked if Brett Platts wasn’t nicknamed “Coffee.” Not only does enjoy the hot beverage a “lot” by his estimation, he would also need it with how fast his career is taking off. The native of Albany, Prince Edward Island moved to Dawgs Academy in Okotoks for high school, and wound up at Southeastern Community College in 2017-2018. But a major ACL injury derailed his on-field dreams, leading him to get into strength and conditioning. He started his own business, then was planning to move back to Dawgs Academy, then was going to join the University of Iowa, before he got a call from the Chicago Cubs to work as a strength and conditioning coach for their young players in the Dominican Republic. Before he caught a flight out of town, we caught up with Platts to talk about his entire journey, including his time in our province, the mental challenges of coming back from injury, and how persistence paid off in making his newfound dreams come true.

Jason Chatwood has seemingly become Mr. Baseball in Central Alberta. He’s the lead instructor and coach at St. Joseph High School Academy in Red Deer, he does some scouting with the Arizona Diamondbacks and he’s the head coach of the WCBL’s Sylvan Lake Gulls. Chatwood isn’t that far removed from playing the game either. Growing up in Innisfail, he played all over the province and even representing Alberta before a very successful college career at Colby Community College and then NCAA Division I Gonzaga University, which is where he got his first taste of coaching and mentoring. We recently sat down to talk about his baseball journey, the challenges of wearing so many different hats, and the importance of family, which starts with his wife, Heather, who was a softball standout and a member of Canada’s national team.

Taylor Burns might be the most-active social media presence in Alberta baseball circles. Not only known for his takes on his beloved Edmonton Oilers, Burns has been busy building the brands of Absolute Human Performance and AHP Academy, with videos of his athletes, as well as his own advice and takes on strength and conditioning. It’s become his passion as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, after spending years as an athlete himself. Burns had shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum after his junior season at university in 2011, but wasn’t able to pitch again until he went to the University of Central Missouri in 2016-2017. That time off allowed him to find some new passions, including coaching and mentoring in the Edmonton and St. Albert regions. We’ve long wanted to have Taylor on the podcast to talk about his journey, and felt like we were only scratching the surface in this candid conversation.

February marks Black History Month, and over the last few weeks, we’ve had social media posts about past stories on legendary baseball players who broke the colour barrier in their own way, including Satchel Paige, John Donaldson, Leon Day, Jackie Robinson and Andre Dawson. We also introduced you to two new stories: one on Hall of Famer “Cool Papa” Bell, and another on Dick Brookins, whose final days in professional baseball came here in our province. For a little more insight into those stories and the research that went into them, we welcome ADS co-founder and writer Ian Wilson back to the podcast.

He was the first Canadian to be selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft, taken 34th overall by the Boston Red Sox in the 1996 Draft. Chris Reitsma went onto a seven-year MLB and 12-year pro career. Best-known for his time in Atlanta, where in 2004 he had 84 appearances as the set-up man to John Smoltz, Reitsma later groomed another young prospect, Mike Soroka, to be taken in the first round by the Braves in 2015. Giving back to the baseball community in his home province has become a point of pride for the now-44-year-old, as he is now serving as the Senior Director of Baseball Operations and Pitching Director with the Webber Academy Wildcats in Springbank, just west of Calgary. Reitsma recently took some time out of his busy schedule to talk about his entire baseball journey and what he’s hoping to build at Webber.

Luxon Glor has been named an All-American multiple times, he’s broken school and conference records at the University of Mary and has been named a conference athlete of the year. He did it all in track, despite originally wanting to do it all in baseball. The Haiti-born and Winnipeg-raised speedster was an accomplished multi-sport athlete when Les McTavish brought him into the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball, where he continued to shine during the 2014-2015 seasons. But an eye injury made the game he loved a little more difficult as headed to UMary, so he changed his focus, and ended up finding a new passion. Now, the 24-year-old is chasing an Olympic dream while also attending law school in New York. Glor has quite the story to tell, and he joined us recently to talk all about it.

It has been a meteoric rise up the coaching ranks for Calgary’s Jim Henderson. A 26th round draft pick of the Montreal Expos back in 2003, the hard-throwing right-hander spent 15 years in professional baseball. In 2012, he became the first Dawgs Academy product to make it into the major leagues and would go on to pitch in 155 games for the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets. The 6-5, 220-pound hurler finished out his playing career in 2018 with the Biloxi Shuckers in Double-A, where an injury allowed him to cut his teeth as a scout, then as a coach in the Pioneer League. He rose through the Brewers system, just as he did as a player, and just a few weeks ago, was named the bullpen coach for the MLB squad. We had the opportunity to catch up with him recently to talk about his entire journey, his roots back home and what his family has meant to him.

Alejo Lopez made history last summer as being the first position player from Dawgs Academy in Okotoks to make it to the big leagues. The Mexico City native tore apart minor league pitching after being drafted by the Reds in 2015, earning a spot with the big club for 14 games in 2021, where he hit .261. But the 5'10", 170-pound infielder isn’t content with that. He wants more and is working towards that goal every day. Lopez took some time out of his busy schedule to sit down for a candid conversation with us, to talk about his baseball journey, coming to Alberta and his hopes and dreams.

It's the news many of you have been waiting for! The new season of Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast will begin...

Sorry, you'll have to listen to find out when it will start and who the first guest will be!

It's been a fun-filled few weeks around the WCBL ball diamonds with records being set and great performances galore. We check in with a trio of veterans for their perspectives and journeys in baseball. Hear from Brooks Bombers infielder Zander Bretza, Swift Current 57s pitcher Kenny Jinks and Okotoks Dawgs southpaw Graham Brunner on this week's episode of Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast.

4:13 - Zander Bretza

19:18 - Kenny Jinks

36:47 - Graham Brunner

That's it. That's all. See ya later, 2021! It was definitely a time. We have now arrived at the season finale of Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast. It's a chance for us to reminisce about the last 12 months and look ahead at what the next 12 might have in store. Co-founders Ian Wilson and Joe McFarland chat about their memories of the last year, favourite stories to tell, and give a sneak-peek into what's coming in 2022.

Keith Comstock was a fifth round pick of the California Angels back in 1976. He went onto spend 16 years in pro baseball, including six in the majors. Near the end of that journey, he pitched in 20 games for the Pacific Coast League’s Calgary Cannons in 1989 and 1991. Comstock might be best remembered for an infamous ProCards baseball card when he was with the Las Vegas Stars in 1989. ESPN called it the “funniest baseball card ever made." Nowadays, Comstock is a coach, working with the Texas Rangers as their rehab pitching coordinator. Our Ian Wilson was able to track him down and had this candid conversation about his journey in baseball, which included an earlier stop in Central Alberta.

Many coaches and mentors in Alberta's baseball community, including Ethan Elias, believe that success breeds success. After being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2011 and spending seven years in professional baseball as a player, he turned his attention to coaching in the Edmonton area. After spending time with the Edmonton Collegiate Baseball Club of the CCBC, Elias has joined AHP Academy as a co-head coach and associate pitching coordinator, and is slated to be the pitching coach for the expansion Edmonton Riverhawks of the West Coast League. We chatted about his entire baseball journey and some of his coaching beliefs in this conversation from late last week.