Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast

Episode #334: WCBL West Division Season Preview Extravaganza

The Western Canadian Baseball League season is almost here! 12 teams will be vying for the right to hoist the Harry Hallis Trophy this summer and we wanted to get some local talent from each team onto the show. This is part two of our two-part series heading into Opening Weekend. We finish things up in the West Division with all Alberta products joining us:
2:44 - Energy City Cactus Rats - Jack Jewell
8:42 - Fort McMurray Giants - Riley Burns
13:49 - Brooks Bombers - Aidan Maxwell
19:09 - Lethbridge Bulls - Carter Claerhout
25:47 - Sylvan Lake Gulls - Gavin Galenza
32:29 - Okotoks Dawgs - Ryan McFarland

Episode #333: WCBL East Division Season Preview Extravaganza

The Western Canadian Baseball League season is almost here! 12 teams will be vying for the right to hoist the Harry Hallis Trophy this summer and we wanted to get some local talent from each team onto the show. So this is part one of a two-part series heading into Opening Weekend. We start in the East Division with all Saskatchewan products joining us:
3:00 - Swift Current 57's - Adam Korte (Swift Current)
8:34 - Weyburn Beavers - Keaton Husband (Weyburn)
16:52 - Medicine Hat Mavericks - Tyler Vanneste (Warman)
22:02 - Regina Red Sox - Zander Oudie-Senger (Regina)
28:55 - Saskatoon Berries - Ethan Murdoch (Swift Current)
36:14 - Moose Jaw Miller Express - Jackson Martin (Grand Coulee)

Episode #332: Coyotes Claim CCBC Championship

For the first time since 2022, the Okanagan College Coyotes are Canadian College Baseball Conference champions. After finishing second in the circuit during the regular season, they ran the table to the final where they met up with the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack, where they won a thriller 10-9 on a cloudy Sunday morning in Lethbridge. Our Ian Wilson was there to chat with players, coaches and officials after an exciting final weekend of the season. You can also read our full story about the weekend and the Coyotes' season here.
2:14 - Head coach Geoff White
6:23 - Drayson Vodarek
8:59 - Adrian Orioli
14:14 - Easton Brons
17:35 - Cory Lawson
22:00 - Simon Crossfield (TRU)
26:58 - Kevin Kvame (CCBC President)

Episode #331: Ray Brown

He really needs no introduction. The native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Ray Brown was drafted in the 60th round of the 1969 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals. He spent four years in their organization before being released, and in 1975, came to Alberta to play for the Edmonton Tigers of the Alberta Major Baseball League. He met his future wife, who is from Lac La Biche, and ended up staying in the province. He’s coached at virtually every level ever since, including a few stints in the Western Canadian Baseball League with the Edmonton Prospects and Fort McMurray Giants. Most recently, he was with the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks and WCL's Edmonton Riverhawks as an assistant under Jake Lanferman. He’s back with the Giants this summer, so we thought it’d be a good opportunity to catch up with him and hear more about his baseball journey, coaching philosophies and much more.

Episode #330: Preston Tocheniuk, Adam Rowland & Chris Menard

It was another big week for baseball in Alberta. We give you updates on Michael Soroka, Matt Lloyd, Cohen Achen, the college ranks and much more. Then we sit down with a trio of great guests: Dawgs Academy hurler Preston Tocheniuk after he helped the team claim their second-straight Best of the West title, Southern Maine Community College outfielder Adam Rowland (Calgary Bucks) and Edmonton Collegiate Hawks pitcher Chris Menard (St. Albert).
7:44 - Preston Tocheniuk
20:52 - Adam Rowland
37:32 - Chris Menard

Episode #329: Jaden Babiuk, Reece Helland & Kam Sparrowhawk

Plenty of news coming from MLB, MILB, CCBC, US college ranks, WCBL and Baseball Alberta this week, so we recap it all. Then we catch up with Valley City State University utilityman Jaden Babiuk (St. Albert) as he approaches the school's all-time hits record. We also sit down with Mid-America Nazarene closer Reece Helland (Moose Jaw) after he captured the school's all-time saves record. And we wrap things up with University of Fraser Valley starter Kam Sparrowhawk (Regina) as we hit the midway point of the Canadian College Baseball League season.
8:09 - Jaden Babiuk
21:31 - Reece Helland
37:42 - Kam Sparrowhawk

Episode #328: Brett Potter, Brendan Clelland & Ayden Makarus

We take a look back at a busy week in the baseball world around Alberta including a big promotion for Calgary's Cohen Achen. Then we sit down with University of Calgary Dinos infielder Brett Potter (Cranbrook) to discuss their season so far. We also hear from AHP Academy alum Brendan Clelland (Sherwood Park) as he is putting the wraps on a great first season at Northeastern Junior College. And we wrap things up with Dawgs Academy grad Ayden Makarus, who looks back at what has been a whirlwind few years including a national championship at LSU-Eunice, one season at Bossier Parish Community College, then quitting baseball to work before an unexpected conversation led him to come back to baseball, where he's now starring at Bellevue University.
5:49 - Brett Potter
21:48 - Brendan Clelland
38:07 - Ayden Makarus

Episode #327: Nash Crowell, Nate Garth & Adam Beamin

For the second-straight week, we start the show off with a record-breaker. Dawgs Academy and Okotoks Dawgs slugger Nash Crowell is now the home run king at Reinhardt University after hitting his 56th career smash last week. We talk to him about the record and look ahead to the rest of the spring. Then we get to know Calgary native and Prairie Baseball Academy infielder Nate Garth, and wrap things up with Saskatoon native and Dawgs Academy alum Adam Beamin, who is becoming a big weapon on the mound for Central Arizona College.
6:12 - Nash Crowell
15:19 - Nate Garth
30:29 - Adam Beamin

Episode #326: Logan Grant, Ben Prediger & Solomon Searle

What a week it was for Dawgs Academy grad and Okotoks Dawgs standout Logan Grant (Chestermere) as he hit home run #45 of his career at Bellevue University to take over the #1 spot in team history. We catch up with him to talk about the record-setting feat. We also catch up with new Sylvan Lake Gulls 19U Prep assistant coach Ben Prediger as he makes his transition into coaching after a solid playing career. And we wrap things up by getting to know Cochrane's Solomon Searle, who is playing at the College of the Redwoods in California, with an eye on playing at Clarke University in the fall.
5:40 - Logan Grant
18:12 - Ben Prediger
32:05 - Solomon Searle

Episode #325: Matthew Ridsdale & Alex Jensen

We put the wraps on a really busy week of baseball action at virtually every level, then sit down for a chat with Edmonton Collegiate Hawks hurler Matthew Ridsdale after he racked up the program’s first-ever no-hitter this past weekend against TRU as well as his journey in the game. Then we catch up with former Okotoks Dawgs hurler Alex Jensen, who has forged a career in baseball broadcasting, with his latest stop coming as a voice of the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox.
6:58 – Matthew Ridsdale
 24:43 – Alex Jensen

Episode #324: The MLB Opening Day Spectacular

It's here! It's finally here! MLB Opening Day is today (Thursday) so we take the opportunity to talk to some of our insiders about the Alberta products down south who are looking to be difference-makers in 2025. Our Ian Wilson stops by for an all-encompassing chat including who might be next in line, then Jeff Peach at Webber Academy takes a look at Calgary's Michael Soroka after an offseason spent training in his facility. We also hear from Taylor Burns at Absolute Human Performance after St. Albert's Erik Sabrowski did the same in their new digs. And we wrap things up with Lou Pote of the Okotoks Dawgs and Dawgs Academy, who brings a unique perspective as he had a few Opening Day memories, including one with all the goosebumps in his hometown of Chicago.
5:17 - Ian Wilson
28:36 - Jeff Peach
46:43 - Taylor Burns
59:08 - Lou Pote

Episode #323: The 2025 CCBC Season Preview Extravaganza

It's Opening Weekend for the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) season and it also marks the circuit's 25th anniversary. Just like last year, we have you covered with a look-ahead to what the spring will bring for the three Alberta teams. You can also read our season preview here. We'll hear from The Battery Media's Logan Wedgewood again as he dissects the upcoming year and what he sees as some of the top storylines going in. Then we hear from a player on each of the Alberta teams: Jake Roggensack (Wainwright) of the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks, Cody Graf (Lloydminster) of Prairie Baseball Academy and Ethan Webster (White Rock, B.C.) of the University of Calgary Dinos.
4:31 - Logan Wedgewood
30:49 - Jake Roggensack
48:01 - Cody Graf
58:22 - Ethan Webster