WCBL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
From 12 to 2.
The Western Canadian Baseball League season will wind up this weekend with either the Regina Red Sox or the Sylvan Lake Gulls winning the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy. Both teams advanced to the league final by upsetting the regular season division winners, Okotoks and Saskatoon, to be the last two teams standing.
Here is a look at the two teams as they get set for the final dance that begins Thursday night at Currie Field before moving to Alberta for Game 2 and 3 if needed.
The Gulls were arguably the best team in the league after the first couple of weeks of the season as they come into Regina for Game 1 having gone 30-9 in their last 39 games including a 4-0 playoff record. In their four playoff victories, they have allowed just nine runs. Josh Tucker leads the Gulls pitching staff. The league’s all-time strikeout leader was in fine fashion in his only playoff start so far as he struck out eight in seven innings of work as Sylvan Lake beat Lethbridge 8-0 in Game 1 of their first-round matchup. It is expected Tucker, who had 55 strikeouts in 31 innings of work during the regular season, will likely get the start for the series opener.
Jaden Flores is one batter Regina will have to try and limit. The infielder had six homers and 32 RBI’s to go along with 24 stolen bases and a .331 average in the regular season. He has added a homer and six RBIs in the playoffs.
As for Regina, they have suffered a lot of turnover during the season, but the team has done a nice job in restocking the cupboard to get to this point. Brady Bye and Matthew Fox have been mainstays from Day 1, and their bats will be needed if Regina is to be successful. Bye hit .333 in the regular season with a team-high nine homers while Fox hit .330 with 47 RBI’s which was good for 6th best in the league.
If Regina can find themselves in front after seven innings, they have the luxury of going to the bullpen and bringing out Ayden Page who has been sensational in the playoffs. In their wins over Saskatoon, Page closed out both wins against the Saskatoon Berries by throwing 7.2 innings allowing zero runs and striking out eight. Sylvan Lake can feel confident going into the late innings as well as Mickey McClaskey had four saves and 37 strikeouts in 23 innings pitched during the regular season.
The two teams met in Regina for a pair of games in late June. Due to a rainout, the games were seven innings in length, but the Red Sox won both by scores of 8-0 and 4-3.
The series begins in Regina on Thursday night at 7 o’clock. Game 2 will go in Sylvan Lake on Friday with the 3rd game if needed also going in the Alberta community on Saturday. The Gulls have homefield advantage due to a better regular-season record.
This will be Regina’s first appearance in the league final since 2019. They last won the title in 2013. The Gulls have never captured a league title in their short four-year history.
Submitted
Mitchell Blair
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