Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast

Episode 14: Vimy Ridge Baseball Academy & Jackson Wark

We continue our #1Thru9 academy profiles with a look at one of the new kids on the block in Vimy Ridge Baseball Academy in Edmonton. And with the college baseball season upon us, we head to Saint Louis University to chat with St. Albert's Jackson Wark about the upcoming season and being ranked one of the top Canadian talents heading into the 2019 MLB Draft.

Episode 13: From Calgary To Cooperstown

In his tenth and final year of eligibility, Seattle Mariners great Edgar Martinez was finally named to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Martinez becomes the first former member of the Calgary Cannons to be named to the Hall. We hear from Edgar about his time in Alberta, as well as some who saw him up close and personal.

Episode 12: Striving For Success

Young baseball players in Calgary were given a few pointers on the game from a couple of young talents in the game recently. Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen joined up with former teammate and Drayton Valley's own Shane Dawson for the clinic. Ian Wilson caught up with both Jansen and Dawson for quick chats. Ian also spoke with former MLB pitcher and Calgary native Chris Reitsma to talk about his work with Mike Soroka, among other things.

Episode 11: Badlands Academy & Ron Kittle

It's all good at Badlands Baseball Academy in Oyen. We sit down with coach Jeff Amos to talk about the program's beginnings and what's to come in the rural Alberta facility. And it was Ron Kittle's 61st birthday over the weekend. We found the audio file from Ian's interview with the former Lethbridge Dodger and Edmonton Trapper from over the summer and play a bit of it for you!

Episode 10: Happy New Year

It's always fun to reminisce about the year that's been and look at the year that will be this time of year. Joe McFarland and Ian Wilson revisit some of the big stories in Alberta's baseball world in 2018 and gaze into the crystal ball for what's to come in 2019. Joe also chats with Atlanta Braves youngster and Calgary native Mike Soroka about his MLB debut and coming back from injury.

Episode 9: Nicole Luchanski

She is one of the most-decorated baseball players in Alberta's history. Nicole Luchanski first joined Baseball Canada's national women's program in 2006 and just before her 29th birthday, announced her retirement. In this special edition of the podcast, we chat with her about baseball, her legacy and what's to come in life.

Episode 8: Vauxhall Academy & Matt Lloyd

We continue our #1Thru9 series with a look at Vauxhall Academy and a chat with Les McTavish. We also chat with Dawgs Academy grad and Okotoks native Matt Lloyd about going viral with his swing recently and about the work he needs to do to get noticed by MLB scouts ahead of the 2019 draft.

Episode 7: Dawgs Academy & Erik Sabrowski

In the first installment of our academy profiles in our province, we chat with Tyler Hollick from Dawgs Academy about the facilities and what it means to him to give back to the program he graduated from. We also catch up with San Diego Padres draft pick Erik Sabrowski about his phenomenal 2018 campaign and what he's doing right now after undergoing Tommy John Surgery.

Episode 6: Kelsey Lalor & Guillermo Quiroz

After a stellar showing for Baseball Canada at the Women's Baseball World Cup, Red Deer's Kelsey Lalor finished up the season by being named Baseball Alberta's Women's Open Player of the Year recently. We chatted with her as well as former Medicine Hat Blue Jays catcher Guillermo Quiroz, who now coaches in the Chicago White Sox system.

Episode 5: Season of Giving

Just in time for the holidays, we've launched a new fundraiser which might help you grab some gifts for the baseball fan in your life. So we chat about the items & wax nostalgic about those stories. We also sit down with Baseball Alberta's Midget AAA player of the year: Ben Prediger.

Episode 4: The (Eventual) Demise of Foothills

It's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when" Foothills Stadium in Calgary is demolished. Had Calgary decided to host the 2026 Olympics, we might have had a more definitive timeline for the wrecking ball. Also on this episode: we sit down with former Dawgs Academy product and Boston Red Sox draft pick Jordan Procyshen.

Episode 3: Spruce Grove's Smash Brothers

One is a draft pick of the Minnesota Twins while the other is beginning his first season at the University of Houston. LaRon Smith and Kobe Hyland have a dream to one day play together in the MLB. We chatted with them about their great 2018 campaigns, what's to come in 2019 and sibling rivalries.