Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast

Episode #398: Energy City Update + Justin Simard, Colton Bank, Johnny Vulcano & Simon Baker

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

Episode #397: AJ Rogers, Thomas Soto, William Edwards, Rydell Adair & Kyrell Adair

More guests and more news! We have a jam-packed episode of the show as we get to know Dawgs Academy hurler AJ Rogers as he gets ready for a busy summer. He’s pitching in the MLB Draft League right now and is also getting ready for The Road to Okotoks. Then Ian Wilson kickstarts our season of “In The Dugout” with a quartet of guests: Thomas Soto and William Edwards of the Moose Jaw Miller Express and Rydell and Kyrell Adair of the Swift Current 57’s. We also have a bit of a mailbag segment to round out the show.
6:40 – AJ Rogers
20:03 – Thomas Soto
28:35 – William Edwards
33:06 – Rydell Adair
37:10 – Kyrell Adair
40:15 – Mailbag Questions

Episode #396: Hudson Nikkel, Cale Harsch, Rhett Anderson & Owen Coumont

Slowly but surely we're getting ourselves back into a regular cadence. And that includes putting the wraps on another busy week of news in the baseball world. Then we dive into The Road to Okotoks and last weekend's Prairie Qualifiers, which were rained out on the final Sunday. In the end, Baseball Canada opted to allow all four semi-final teams to get to the main event in July. We get to know a player from each of the teams on the latest edition of the show. Read "Next Stop: Okotoks" for more on the Prairie Qualifiers.
7:08 - Hudson Nikkel - Vauxhall Academy
19:10 - Cale Harsch - AHP Academy
30:34 - Rhett Anderson - Baseball Sask
44:23 - Owen Coumont - Gulls Prep

Episode #395: A Look Back at the Rural Roots Baseball Classic

What a Friday it was in Carnduff as the Western Canadian Baseball League came to the community and put on a show for the second-annual Rural Roots Baseball Classic. A massive tip of the cap to everyone involved in organizing yet another memorable day in celebrating the past, present and future of baseball in Carnduff and southeastern Saskatchewan. Last year’s inaugural event in Oyen was fantastic and this season’s was another spectacle with a packed house coming to see the Saskatoon Berries and Weyburn Beavers do battle. Check out the photo gallery here.
1:10 - Ian Wilson
13:05 - Ethan Murdoch
20:23 - Jackson Fox
23:30 - Garnet Hansen
27:14 - Blair Beck

Episode #394: Sydney Barry, Addie Ziebart, Julianna Scott & Nicole Luchanski

We put the wraps on a very busy week for baseball across the prairies by taking a look at the female game with some pretty exciting news over the last couple of weeks. We have a quartet of guests joining us to get through it all, including a new league in Calgary, a new academy in Saskatoon, an update from the Women's National Team, and a long-time national team member who made a special appearance in Lethbridge over the past week.
2:02 - Sydney Barry
10:55 - Addie Ziebart
19:27 - Julianna Scott
27:08 - Nicole Luchanski (via the Bullhorn in Lethbridge)

Episode #393: The WCBL Report's Season Preview Show

We’ve chatted with players and now it’s time to provide a little insight into how we see things shaping up around the Western Canadian Baseball League this summer. Joe and Ian are the special guests for the WCBL Report’s Season Preview Show, hosted by Clark Monroe. Thanks to the league and IKS Media for sharing the audio so that we can bring all our thoughts to you. Enjoy!
Check out our one-stop-shop for all our written WCBL season preview stories here.

Episode #392: WCBL West Division Season Preview Extravaganza

Welcome to part two of our WCBL Season Preview Extravaganza! After spending the last episode in the East Division, it's time to take a look at the West Division with a guest from each of the six teams and their expectations heading into the summer.
1:19 - Sylvan Lake Gulls - Kai Rempel
7:22 - Okotoks Dawgs - Brody Forno
12:39 - Lethbridge Bulls - Cardel Dick
19:32 - Brooks Bombers - Deri Steiert-Couture
25:01 - Fort McMurray Giants - Jordan Breen
30:13 - Energy City Cactus Rats - Hudson Kozicki

Episode #391: WCBL East Division Season Preview Extravaganza

The Western Canadian Baseball League season is upon us! As has become a new tradition here on the show, we've lined up quick check-ins from one player with each team to look ahead to the summer and what they're expecting out of their respective teams. Today, we focus on the East Division, while the West Division comes tomorrow.
1:09 - Regina Red Sox - Brady Bye
6:34 - Saskatoon Berries - Aidan Marien
12:34 - Medicine Hat Mavericks - Evan Morrison
18:13 - Moose Jaw Miller Express - Nathan Pisio
25:24 - Weyburn Beavers - Brayden Mayencourt
30:40 - Swift Current 57s - Hudson Unger

Episode #390: Prairie Baseball Academy Captures CCBC Crown

For the first time since 2017, the Canadian College Baseball Conference championship belongs to Prairie Baseball Academy. After the last few years of hosting the CCBC World Series but not making it to the big game, head coach Todd Hubka and company claimed first place in the regular season and made it count this past weekend, finishing it up with a 12-7 win over the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks. During this episode, you'll hear from Hubka and several PBA players as well as EC head coach Jake Lanferman following an outstanding season.
2:18 - Todd Hubka
5:28 - Aiden Beck
8:13 - Will Paterson
10:28 - Declan O'Kane
12:51 - Logan Heaney
15:11 - Nate Garth
17:49 - Tetsu Nishida
19:49 - Jake Lanferman

Episode #389: Dave Robb

An MLB debut, a first MLB homer, college awards season, the CCBC championship is underway and ... oh yeah ... an Alberta coaching legend. This is a jam-packed edition of the show as we go through all the news from the past week before we catch up with someone we've always wanted to have on the show. Dave Robb checks in to talk about his journey in the game, how he ended up in Alberta in the first place, his coaching philosophies and much more!

Episode #388: Skyler Stromsmoe

Growing up on the farm, it can sometimes be tough to find enough time in the day to play baseball in the summer. You have animals or crops to take care of, farmyards to maintain, and there’s never an end to the oddball jobs you can find. But when you love it, you find the time. Such was the case with Skyler Stromsmoe. Born and raised on the family farm just outside Etzikom in southeast Alberta, he was willing to do anything to play the game he loved. We sit down for a great conversation about his days in the San Francisco Giants organization, representing Canada on the international stage, and what he's up to today back on the farm.

Episode #387: Nick Sauve, Kalem Haney & Geoff Seto

We put the wraps on another really busy week of baseball news before a trio of excellent conversations. Hear from Okanagan College catcher Nick Sauve (Calgary) as he's putting together a great CCBC season, University of Mary senior Kalem Haney (Lethbridge) discusses setting records down south, and Geoff Seto stops by to talk about the upcoming Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase tryout camps that are set for Sylvan Lake (May 19) and Saskatoon (May 20) ahead of their big event in September.
8:21 - Nick Sauve
17:08 - Kalem Haney
30:38 - Geoff Seto