Berries' Menard named WCBL MVP

Saskatoon Berries slugger Ethan Menard has been named the Western Canadian Baseball League’s MVP. Photo: WCBL

*This article originally appeared on the Western Canadian Baseball League website on October 8. You can read it here.

October 9, 2025

By Ian Wilson

Western Canadian Baseball League

The robust offence of the Saskatoon Berries helped lead the club to a new wins record in the Western Canadian Baseball League in 2025.

One through nine, the team received production from every hitter in the lineup.

Outfielder Carter Beck - the WCBL Rookie of the Year and Most Outstanding Canadian in 2024 - was a clutch slugger yet again.

Ethan Murdoch led the team in runs batted in (RBIs). Designated hitter Cory Wouters, shortstop Nathan Houston and second baseman Abiam Medina also racked up hits and helped push runs across the plate.

One Berries batter stood out among his peers for his work at the plate and at first base.

In his second summer in Saskatoon, Ethan Menard was a dependable presence who could often be found batting second in the lineup. The results of his 2025 WCBL season were sublime. The Louisiana native posted the top slugging percentage (.728), on-base percentage plus slugging (1.175) and isolated power (.335) in the league.

In 35 regular season games and 158 at bats, Menard scored 48 runs, smacked 62 hits, punched through 13 doubles and recorded 39 RBIs while stealing 10 bases.

The right-handed hitter led the Berries in batting average (.392) and he and Wouters finished tied for second in the league with 12 home runs.

The superb season has been rewarded with Menard being named the 2025 Most Valuable Player in the WCBL.

"I'm thankful and grateful to be named MVP," said the former University of Texas at Tyler student.

"I'd like to thank God, my coaches and my teammates."

Menard, who is also a capable catcher, claimed the award after 22 voters - including WCBL head coaches, team executives, broadcasters and sports reporters who cover the league - cast their ballots. Each voter was asked to submit their first, second and third choices for the major awards.

A total of 13 players received MVP votes, but Menard garnered more first place and second place selections than any other candidate.

"I'm very happy for Ethan," said skipper Joe Carnahan, who was named the WCBL Coach of the Year for his handling of the Berries in 2025.

"He went to the World Series with UT Tyler and carried that success up here. Ethan had an outstanding season this summer with a lot of highlights along the way. He had the ability to produce runs, get on base for us and was a big part of the success we had this year."

In reflecting on the 2025 campaign with the 46-9 Berries, Menard said the coaches and players in Saskatoon helped him turn in a stellar season.

"It's some of the most fun I've had playing baseball in a long time, and just being taken care of the way the Berries handle business, was everything I could've asked for," said Menard, who will play his final season of college baseball at Northwestern State University back home in Louisiana.

"I was able to be successful because of the work the coaching staff, training staff, as well as my teammates, helped me to put in."

Menard also claimed the 2025 WCBL All-Star Game MVP award after hitting a home run for the East Division at that game at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks.

While Menard held a commanding lead in the regular season MVP voting, starting pitcher Levi Abbott of the Lethbridge Bulls - who was named the WCBL's Most Outstanding Pitcher - finished second on the ballot after receiving five first-place votes. Outfielder William Edwards of the Moose Jaw Miller Express placed third in the MVP voting.

Recent WCBL MVP award winners include outfielder Cooper Ciesielski and infielder Jonah Weisner, who both played for the Sylvan Lake Gulls, and Ricardo Sanchez of the Okotoks Dawgs.

Regina Red Sox catcher Brady Bye is the WCBL’s Postseason MVP. Photo: CPBL

The league's postseason MVP award winner, who was named after the championship final, was catcher Brady Bye of the Regina Red Sox.

Bye led all hitters in RBIs with 10 while posting a .333 batting average over eight games and 36 at bats. He picked up a hit in every playoff game during the Red Sox journey to the title, which saw them go undefeated on the road with an overall record of 6-2.

"It means the absolute world to me," said Bye of clinching the WCBL championship.

"I'm so happy for all my teammates. We've been working really hard and every single person on this field earned this. I think we had a lot of grit. We could've shut down earlier in the year but we stayed gritty throughout the whole time and I think grit gave us the upper hand in the playoffs."

The Red Sox defeated the Sylvan Lake Gulls in the best-of-three title series in three games.