Episodes
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
Episode 252: Levi Moon
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
It was only supposed to be a one-year deal to try playing baseball internationally. Yet, here we are, six years later, and Levi Moon is still traveling the world playing the game he loves. The Red Deer product has had a fascinating journey in the game, starting at home before becoming part of the first Badlands Academy team in Oyen. He went onto play at Niagara Community College, but injuries forced him to stay closer to home, finding a spot with Prairie Baseball Academy. It was on the advice of head coach Todd Hubka and some of his former teammates that he try his luck across the ocean. The former Moose Jaw Miller Express utilityman has now played baseball in Germany, Austria, Australia and has spent the past couple of seasons in Sweden. The 27-year-old has quite the story and has quite the stories to tell, from his dad Cam’s sports influence as a play-by-play announcer for the Red Deer Rebels and now the Edmonton Oilers, to becoming a bit of a travel junkie.
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Episode 251: Harold Northcott
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
When you think baseball in Central Alberta, one family name is synonymous with the game: Northcott. And while he may too humble to admit it, Harold Northcott is an Alberta baseball legend. The Clive, Alberta native had a storied playing career which took him to Eastern Oregon University, where he helped the Mountaineers set team records for wins in each of his three seasons. That’s where he also earned the nickname “The Giant Killer” for becoming the first pitcher in school history to beat two games against big PAC-10 teams. Northcott went on to represent Canada on the international stage a number of times, including being named the most valuable Canadian at the 1985 Intercontinental Cup. He started his coaching career in 1988, helping guide numerous teams in St. Paul, Rocky Mountain House and elsewhere to provincial titles. He’s also served as the Canadian National Youth Team pitching coach in the 1990s, which featured names like Jordan Zimmermann, Ryan Dempster and Eric Gagne, then coached with the National Senior Team at the Pan Am Games amongst others. His wife, Barb, is heavily involved in the game, and all three of his kids – Dustin, Chad and Heidi – all blazed their own trails in baseball. Recently, a little birdy by the name of Brad Mills told us that his long-time friend was being inducted into the EOU Athletics Hall of Fame this month. As it turns out, the recognition was a long time coming, as was this great conversation I had with Harold Northcott last week.
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Episode 250: Okotoks to host 2024 WCBL All-Star Game
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Plenty of big news items coming out of the Western Canadian Baseball League this week, with the biggest being the announcement that Okotoks will host the 2024 All-Star Game. Our Ian Wilson caught up with WCBL president Kevin Kvame and managing director of corporate sponsors and marketing Mark Stiles to talk about the selection process, while Dawgs general manager Tyler Hollick and head coach Lou Pote discuss the ins and outs of putting together the mid-summer classic for a third-straight season.
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Episode 249: Alberta’s Rise on the National Stage
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
It started as a simple question our Joe McFarland posted on Twitter/X shortly after Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail) picked up the Home Run Derby crown at the Canadian Futures Showcase and Simon Baker (Cochrane) at the Canadian Futures Showcase: does Alberta punch above its weight when it comes to baseball in Canada? It elicited a number of replies, DMs and texts, leading him write an opinion piece for our website and to expand on his thoughts on this episode of the podcast. We're also joined by long-time Canadian baseball coach and influencer John Milton, who provides some context to what he saw in Ontario and what he thinks needs to happen for Alberta to enter the conversation as a powerhouse in Canada.
Thursday Oct 12, 2023
Episode 248: Leo Cote, Ben Prediger and Josh Burgmann
Thursday Oct 12, 2023
Thursday Oct 12, 2023
Plenty of catching up to do on this week's episode and all three guests were fantastic. Hear from Dawgs Academy (via Quebec) product and Oregon State commit Leo Cote about his great summer, former Baseball Alberta Midget-AAA Player of the Year and Sylvan Lake Gulls catcher Ben Prediger and Vauxhall Academy/University of Washington alum and head scout/director of player personnel for the BCHL's Nanaimo Clippers Josh Burgmann.
2:55 - Leo Cote
22:38 - Ben Prediger
47:43 - Josh Burgmann
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Episode 247: Reece Hemmerling, Charmayne Gervais & Stevyn Andrachick
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Welcome to October and the start of the MLB playoff race, which is also an unofficial sign of the local scene starting to slow down. We chat about some of the headlines we're watching, then welcome a trio of athletes to the show. We hear from AHP Academy product Reece Hemmerling as he starts his sophomore season at Barton Community College, Baseball Alberta Women's Team bronze medalist Charmayne Gervais, and new Sacramento State University commit Stevyn Andrachick, who has had an interesting baseball journey from Montana to Vauxhall Academy.
3:11 - Reece Hemmerling
17:52 - Charmayne Gervais
33:06 - Stevyn Andrachick
Friday Sep 29, 2023
Friday Sep 29, 2023
Alberta took centre stage at the annual Canadian Futures Showcase in Toronto, with Innisfail's Nathan Flewelling taking home the Home Derby crown while Cochrane's Simon Baker was named Showcase MVP. Reporter Zach Worden caught up with them both, then joins us to recap what was a big week of baseball at Rogers Centre. Then we sit down with Sherwood Park product and Prairie Baseball Academy alum Scott Gillespie, who is fresh off winning the Intercounty Baseball League title with the Welland Jackfish.
Click here to read more about Flewelling.
Click here to read more about Baker.
Make sure to check out our first chat with Gillespie on Episode #81 of Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast.
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Episode 245: Oregon State visits Dawgs Academy in Okotoks
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Playoff season is upon us and several Alberta-born and raised athletes have been able to raise trophies over their head. We recap those wins, then we head to Okotoks where Ian Wilson has spent most of the week chatting with those taking part in the Oregon State visit and camp at Dawgs Academy. He brings us a great conversation with Beavers head coach Mitch Canham as well as with players Travis Bazzana, Canon Reeder and Micah McDowell. Then he gets a surprise visit with Dawgs Academy and OSU alum Gavin Logan.
4:27 - Mitch Canham
27:47 - Travis Bazzana
39:36 - Canon Reeder
45:29 - Micah McDowell
56:20 - Gavin Logan
Thursday Sep 14, 2023
Episode 244: Brett Getz, Keenan Parker & Jordan Procyshen
Thursday Sep 14, 2023
Thursday Sep 14, 2023
While things might be slowing down a bit in Alberta, there is certainly no shortage of storylines we're following. We get you up-to-date on a number of fronts, before a trio of great interviews. We preview the upcoming Canadian Futures Showcase in Toronto with Vauxhall Academy product Brett Getz and St. Albert Minor Baseball Association standout Keenan Parker, then catch-up with Okotoks Dawgs program alum and current Round Rock Express catcher Jordan Procyshen to talk about his crazy year including two appearances with Baseball Canada and life as a dad.
Thursday Sep 07, 2023
Episode 243: Simon Baker, Benito Bonilla & Landen Bourassa
Thursday Sep 07, 2023
Thursday Sep 07, 2023
It's been another busy week with news on Michael Soroka, Damiano Palmegiani, Jacob Melton and Gavin Logan to go along with some of the local tournaments and events happening. We recap it all, then sit down with a pair of Canadian Futures Showcase invitees in Cochrane's Simon Baker (Webber Academy) and Halifax's Benito Bonilla (Dawgs Academy). We wrap things up with Episode #75 guest and Lethbridge product Landen Bourassa to talk about life after college baseball, wrapping up his third season with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, and representing Canada at the Pan-Am Games.
5:58 - Simon Baker
15:39 - Benito Bonilla
25:47 - Landen Bourassa
Thursday Aug 31, 2023
Episode 242: Cydnie Moore, Josh Bishop & Nathan Flewelling
Thursday Aug 31, 2023
Thursday Aug 31, 2023
We recap a crazy week for Alberta’s baseball scene with everything from big tournament wins to big-league call-ups. Then we sit down for chats with Baseball Alberta Women’s Open Team player and 16U assistant coach Cydnie Moore, Sherwood Park Minor Baseball GM and Western Canada Prospects Series head coach Josh Bishop, and St. Joseph Academy product and Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase invite Nathan Flewelling.
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Episode 241: Ian Wilson, Halen Knoll & Dan Estey
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
It's been a busy few weeks in Alberta's baseball circles. We do our best to recap some of the big achievements and headlines, then get into the Western Canadian Baseball League final series with ADS co-founder Ian Wilson, catch up with West Coast League Pitcher of the Year and Edmonton Riverhawks hurler Halen Knoll, and chat about the upcoming Baseball Canada Men's Nationals with Dan Estey of Canadian Amateur Baseball Central.
Click here to see our WCBL Championship Photo Gallery.
About: Alberta Dugout Stories
We believe in the beauty of baseball, and the purity of the game.
We believe in the history of baseball, and the preservation of it.
We believe in the future of baseball, and that Alberta is contributing to it.
We believe that as special and perfect as baseball is, it is a game and at the heart of that is having fun.
We believe in storytelling and that our role is telling compelling and worthy stories.
Welcome to our dugout. We hope you like the view.