Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast

Saskatoon: you did good. Real good. The Western Canadian Baseball League made its maiden All-Star Weekend voyage to the home of the Berries, where they put on a show. It was the first time the league wasn’t in Okotoks since the pandemic. We talk to the players, organizers and check in with Ian Wilson to discuss the weekend and what's to come in 2027.
1:14 - Gael Salinas - Saskatoon - Bunt Competition Champion
3:55 - David Simmons - Energy City - HR Derby Champion
8:32 - Thomas Soto - Moose Jaw - Chasing Stolen Base Records
14:04 - Dallen Rude - Saskatoon - The Muenster Connection
18:49 - Carter Roth - Medicine Hat - All-Star Game MVP
21:08 - Steve Hildebrand - Saskatoon - The Host with the Most
24:47 - Aqil Samuel - Sylvan Lake - Next Year's Host
29:45 - Ian Wilson - Dugout Stories Chief Correspondent

The Morneau Cup came to Okotoks and that’s where it will be staying. Dawgs Academy defended home turf in style with an 11-5 win over Gulls Prep in the finale of the inaugural Road to Okotoks 19U academy national championship Sunday afternoon. We take a look back at all the action from the day and hear from the champs, go through the tournament all-stars and award winners, then check back in with the namesake of the new tournament, Justin Morneau.
2:17 - Jeff Duda
7:08 - Taye Thierman
9:03 - Cam Gerla
10:54 - Kadyn Armitage
12:29 - L.C. Larouche
15:56 - Rhys Whiteford
19:17 - Justin Morneau

It's down to the Final Four at the Morneau Cup. A busy Saturday with the play-in round and quarterfinals, so we take a look at some of the big performances from the day, plus get you set for the semifinals, which will feature three Alberta teams: Vauxhall Academy faces Gulls Prep while Dawgs Black battles the Mississauga Tigers. We also sit down with Baseball Canada architect Greg Hamilton to see how he's feeling after seeing a ton of baseball, and we chat with Jaxson Smith Peterson from Prep Baseball Canada about what he's noticed during the course of the inaugural tournament.
3:05 - Greg Hamilton
9:08 - Jaxson Smith Peterson

And then there were 12. The Road to Okotoks has come to an end for four teams as the Morneau Cup round-robin is now complete following Friday's action. We take a look at the storylines from each match-up, who is getting the bye to the quarters, who is involved in the play-ins, and who is going home. We also recap the first Home Run Derby, which was won by Dawgs Academy slugger L.C. Larouche after he hit 10 bombs in the final round.
4:07 - L.C. Larouche - Dawgs Academy
8:01 - Tanner Morris - Vauxhall Academy
10:48 - Trentin Kooy - Team Sask

It was another scorcher of a day with some outstanding contests throughout on Day #3 of Baseball Canada's inaugural Morneau Cup round-robin. We take a look at the storylines from each of the games, then have eight different guests join us to talk about their thoughts and mindsets during this national championship.
3:41 - Pryor Dyck - Team Sask
6:39 - Cade Britz - Team Sask
9:15 - Calum Andersen - Vauxhall Academy
13:49 - Matthew Getz - Vauxhall Academy
16:44 - Cam Gerla - Dawgs Black
21:47 - Gabe Fink - AHP Academy
24:12 - Dayne Liske - Gulls Prep
27:32 - Tyler McWillie - Gulls Prep coach

Another fantastic day for baseball in Okotoks for day #2 of The Road to Okotoks and the Morneau Cup. We take a look at the standings, the game-by-game analysis, and welcome SEVEN guests to the show to talk about their experiences and expectations at the inaugural tournament.
3:43 - Aiden Kilshaw - Baseball Sask
6:49 - Braxton Bussing - Gulls Prep
9:17 - Sam Davis - AHP Academy
13:31 - Tyson Dyck - Webber Academy (drafted by UBC Thunder)
15:47 - Will Zielinski - Vauxhall Academy
19:55 - Jeff Duda - Dawgs Academy
21:05 - Conner Morro - Blue Jays Academy/Brooks Bombers alumni

What a beautiful day in Okotoks as The Road to Okotoks officially began with a full slate of games. We give you a quick rundown of the action with some highlights from each game, before chatting with a quintet of players.
3:21 - L.C. Larouche - Dawgs Academy
5:47 - Easton Kitura - Vauxhall Academy
10:54 - Jayden Kane - AHP Academy
14:16 - Ethan Chenard - Medicine Hat Junior Mavericks (drafted by Etobicoke Rangers)
17:45 - Beck Button - Webber Academy (drafted by Abbotsford Cardinals)

Welcome to the first of daily episodes shining a light on The Road to Okotoks. The inaugural event is finally here and it all got started on Monday with practices and a media day, giving us an opportunity to chat with players, coaches and dignitaries. We spent most of the day at Seaman Stadium and Tourmaline Field catching up with tons of people. To get us rolling, we hear Baseball Canada's Jason Dickson, Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn, Dawgs coach Matt Stairs and we get a surprise visit from Dawgs alum and current San Francisco Giants prospect Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson.
2:52 - Jason Dickson
11:55 - Mayor Tanya Thorn
16:18 - Matt Stairs
25:07 - Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson

Welcome to the silly season for baseball in our neck of the woods. National championships are getting underway, The Road to Okotoks is nearing, and the Western Canadian Baseball League All-Star Game is set for next weekend. To get you all set up, we hear from Baseball Sask rising star Beth Sarauer (Clavet) about her excitement to play for three provincial teams, Kaleb Bozek (Castor) of Vauxhall Academy and the Brooks Bombers on all the things he's up to this summer, and our Ian Wilson stops by for a mid-season(ish) check in on the WCBL and his excitement for the All-Star Weekend in Saskatoon.
7:26 - Beth Sarauer
17:20 - Kaleb Bozek
27:59 - Ian Wilson

Plenty of news around the baseball world as we enter the month of July. Then we get to know a trio of guests with ATHX Academy product Caleb Mercer (Fort McMurray), Baseball Alberta rising star Avery Mullin (Leduc) and we catch up with Saskatoon Berries hurler Adam Korte (Muenster).
5:50 - Caleb Mercer
19:46 - Avery Mullin
33:54 - Adam Korte

We get you caught up on yet another busy week in the baseball news business before a trio of fantastic conversations. Baseball Alberta unveiled its 14U, 16U and 19U women's national events coming up later this summer and one familiar face is Airdrie's Natalie Kerr, who joins us to talk about her journey in the game. Then we head to the Western Canadian Baseball League to hear from one of the leading hitters in Swift Current 57's star Jake Hiromoto and one of the circuit's top pitchers in Okotoks Dawgs hurler Wyatt Sadleir.
 
7:39 - Natalie Kerr
21:33 - Jake Hiromoto
37:38 - Wyatt Sadleir

It has been a crazy week with one major story dominating the headlines. We take a deep dive into all that has transpired as the Western Canadian Baseball League has granted approval to the Energy City Cactus Rats hosting home games for the rest of the season. We provide a lot of context and some lengthy clips from league president Kevin Kvame's news conference on Wednesday. After that, we hear from Regina Red Sox veterans Justin Simard and Colton Bank, Medicine Hat Mavericks infielder Johnny Vulcano, and we catch up with Cochrane's Simon Baker after his award-winning college season.
11:54 - Justin Simard
15:53 - Colton Bank
19:08 - Johnny Vulcano
27:37 - Simon Baker