Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast

Episode #348: WCBL Champions - The Regina Red Sox

The 2025 Western Canadian Baseball League championship was a baseball lover's dream as it had a little bit of everything from start to finish including lead changes, momentum swings, contentious calls, a steal of home in extra innings and much more. In the end, it was the Regina Red Sox coming away with their first championship since 2012, after what was an emotional year. We take a look back at the series before sitting down with players, coaches and management.

Episode #347: WCBL Championship Preview

For the first time in franchise history, the Sylvan Lake Gulls are heading to the Western Canadian Baseball League championship. After three years of heartbreak against the Okotoks Dawgs in the West Final, the team exorcised some demons by beating the Dawgs in a two-game sweep this time around. Ian and Joe were there for the series finale and chatted with several Gulls players as well as one long-time Dawg who played his last game. Then we head east to check in with the Regina Red Sox as they upset the Saskatoon Berries in their division final in three games. This will be the first time Regina is in the final since 2019. Check out our championship preview here.
4:21 – Jason Chatwood
11:16 – Josh Tucker
18:31 – Matty Fung
23:14 – Leeroy Tavarez
28:12 – Antony Gilbert
32:38 – Simon Baker
35:38 – Jaden Flores
37:33 – Logan Grant
39:46 – Rye Pothakos
45:39 – Brady Bye
50:14 – Matt Fox
54:47 – Ayden Page

Episode #346: WCBL Division Finals Preview

And then there were four. The Western Canadian Baseball League first round is now complete and the division finals are set. For a fourth year in a row, the West will feature the Okotoks Dawgs and Sylvan Lake Gulls, while the East will see the Regina Red Sox face the Saskatoon Berries. We take a look back at the first round and ahead to those series with a quartet of guests in a special edition of the show.
1:19 – Leo Cote – Okotoks Dawgs
9:12 – Ayden Makarus – Sylvan Lake Gulls
15:36 – Rhett Hodgins – Regina Red Sox
21:07 – Carter Beck – Saskatoon Berries

Episode #345: WCBL Playoff Preview, Jace Richardson & Addie Ziebart

Welcome to the Championship Season for baseball in Western Canada! We get through a dugout full of news before we chat with Ian Wilson to preview the first round of the Western Canadian Baseball League playoffs. Then we get to know utilityman Jace Richardson after he helped the St. Albert Cardinals claim the Baseball Alberta Elite League championship. And we wrap things up with Saskatoon’s Addie Ziebart, who was a big piece of Baseball Sask claiming bronze at the recent Baseball Canada 19U Women’s National Championships at Webber Academy.
5:54 – Ian Wilson
31:51 – Jace Richardson
45:48 – Addie Ziebart

Episode #344: Gabe Fink, Brady Bye & Mitch "Big Bear" Schmidt

We do the best we can in getting all caught up on the news from the past couple of weeks, including a couple of late-breaking MLB trades involving Calgary's Michael Soroka and former Okotoks Dawgs hurler Andrew Kittredge. Then we welcome a trio of guests to the show with AHP Academy rising star Gabe Fink, who was among the first players selected for the upcoming Canadian Futures Showcase, as well as Regina Red Sox hometown hero Brady Bye and Okotoks Dawgs co-manager Mitch Schmidt as we discuss his return after two years away.
8:29 - Gabe Fink
19:40 - Brady Bye
31:17 - Mitch Schmidt

Episode #343: WCBL All-Star Game Extravaganza Part #2

As host of the broadcast during the Western Canadian Baseball League's mid-summer classic, it gave Joe McFarland the opportunity to chat with the movers and shakers of the league during the pre-Home Run Derby and pre-All-Star Game shows. As we've done over the last few years, we do the same on this episode as we hear from some of the newsmakers, including the Saskatoon Berries as they're hosting the 2026 All-Star Weekend, league president Kevin Kvame on his "state of the league," Dawgs' managing director John Ircandia, Regina Red Sox governor Al Simpson, new WCBL Legacy Builder Award winner Blair Kubicek, and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame legend Matt Stairs.
 

Episode #342: WCBL All-Star Game Extravaganza Part #1

We take a look back at the 2025 WCBL All-Star Game at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks. Hear from new Home Run Derby champion Matt Rhoades of the Fort McMurray Giants, new All-Star Game MVP Ethan Menard of the Saskatoon Berries, and a handful of other players who took part in the 10-3 East Division win over the West.
1:56 - Matt Rhoades (Fort McMurray Giants)
5:41 - Ethan Menard (Saskatoon Berries)
8:40 - Levi Abbott (Lethbridge Bulls)
15:20 - Ian Heck (Weyburn Beavers)
19:57 - Brody Forno (Okotoks Dawgs)
23:20 - Nick Sauve (Fort McMurray Giants)
27:48 - Heath Hachkowski (Brooks Bombers)

Episode #341: Zane Skansi, Ethan Menard, Brooke Forslund & Stone Foster

We get back into our regular routine with plenty of news and notes off the top of the show. Then we go "In The Dugout" as Ian Wilson chats with WCBL All-Stars Zane Skansi of the Okotoks Dawgs and Ethan Menard of the Saskatoon Berries. We wrap things up with a pair of Baseball Alberta athletes heading to the Canada Summer Games in Brooke Forslund and Stone Foster.
7:31 - Zane Skansi
11:50 - Ethan Menard
17:03 - Brooke Forslund
26:20 - Stone Foster

Episode #340: Micah Dvorak, Blake Johnson, Carter Claerhout, Ryan Dauphinee & Rhys Whiteford

Joe's on vacation in B.C. this week, so we don't have the regular news and notes off the top of the show, but we still have five outstanding guests from Ian and Joe's recent trips around the province. Hear from Micah Dvorak (Medicine Hat Mavericks), Blake Johnson (Regina Red Sox), Carter Claerhout (Lethbridge Bulls) and Ryan Dauphinee (Weyburn Beavers), before we visit with Dawgs Academy rising star Rhys Whiteford (Duncan, BC) as he has a busy summer of baseball ahead.
1:55 - Micah Dvorak
6:41 - Blake Johnson
12:34 - Carter Claerhout
18:21 - Ryan Dauphinee
25:29 - Rhys Whiteford

Episode #339: Carter Roth, Kai Langford, Brett Getz, Ethan Webster & Calum Andersen

It has been a very busy couple of weeks in Alberta’s baseball world. We get through some of the big storylines before sitting down with a handful of guests. Ian went to see the Medicine Hat Mavericks host the Regina Red Sox, while Joe visited Lethbridge as the Bulls welcomed the Weyburn Beavers. Hear from Carter Roth (Stratford, Ontario), Kai Langford (Houston, Texas), Brett Getz (Medicine Hat) and Ethan Webster (White Rock, B.C.), then we visit with Vauxhall Academy rising star Calum Andersen (Calgary) after he was named to Team Alberta for the Canada Summer Games.
9:22 – Carter Roth
15:35 – Kai Langford
20:51 – Brett Getz
26:37 – Ethan Webster
32:37 – Calum Andersen

Episode #338: National Girls in Baseball Week

This is a special edition of the show as we are dedicating it entirely to Baseball Canada’s National Girls in Baseball Week. This is such a great opportunity to put a spotlight on the female game in our country as it continues to grow and we are proud to have always been an ally for elevating those stories as well. We go through some of the big events coming up this summer, highlighted by the inclusion of female baseball in the Canada Summer Games for the first time ever, then visit with five guests who are making an impact on the game.
2:27 - Tracy McEachern - Director, Beaumont Minor Baseball
13:29 - Kimberley Jordan - Centennial Little League & Girls With Game YYC
25:53 - Ara Siemens - Headed to Canada Summer Games with Team Alberta
31:35 - Victoria Bateman - Headed to Canada Summer Games with Team Saskatchewan
39:30 - Lauren Owens - Player-turned-Coach with Baseball Sask

Episode #337: Regina Red Sox Announcement + Simon Baker, Brandon Paez & Easton Kitura

It was another week for baseball on the prairies, highlighted by a major announcement by the Regina Red Sox. We take a listen to what was said during last Friday's news conference and offer a few thoughts. Then we catch up with a trio of guests: Simon Baker (Cochrane/Webber Academy) of the Sylvan Lake Gulls, Brandon Paez (Montreal/Dawgs Academy) of the Okotoks Dawgs, and Easton Kitura (Spruce Grove/Vauxhall Academy) of the Energy City Cactus Rats and Baseball Canada Junior National Team.
5:00 - Regina Red Sox announcement and analysis
18:32 - Simon Baker
22:28 - Brandon Paez
30:33 - Easton Kitura