Baseball Alberta celebrated its 2025 award winners in a ceremony in Edmonton on November 22. Photo: Baseball Alberta

*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on November 28, 2025. You can read it here.

November 29, 2025

By Joe McFarland

Alberta Dugout Stories

It was a record-setting year for Baseball Alberta and the organization is expecting even bigger things in 2026.

The number of players registered this past year not only rose above pre-pandemic levels for the first time, but president Jon Oko says it has hit a milestone of 18,868 – the most ever.

The provincial body also saw the most teams take part ever (332), as well as increases in the number of coaches (547) and certified umpires (1,403) from the previous year.

It was cause for celebration as Baseball Alberta hosted its annual general meeting and awards in Edmonton on Nov. 22, where some of the best performances from around the province were recognized.

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Listen to Alberta Dugout Stories podcast about the 2025 Baseball Alberta Awards here.

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“Talent is everywhere in this province,” Oko told the crowd.

“Baseball in Alberta is alive, thriving, and just getting warmed up.”

With the excitement around the game so high, he says they will be riding a wave of momentum heading into 2026 and beyond.

GROWING THE FEMALE GAME

One of the big initiatives that took off in 2025 was the Baseball Alberta Girls League.

An opportunity for athletes to keep playing at a high level against other girls, the league saw a growth in the number of teams at the 12U and 14U levels.

The organization is also hoping it becomes a pipeline for talent looking to take their game to the next level with provincial teams at national events, like the 14U Western Regionals, 16U, 19U and Women’s Open tournaments.

Among those recognized at the banquet was Calgary’s Julianna Scott, who was named the Women’s Open Player of the Year and the Doris Taylor Scholarship winner.

“It’s crazy … it sounds so crazy,” Scott told Alberta Dugout Stories. “It’s been a rollercoaster of a year as I got hurt at the end of June and wasn’t even sure I would play at nationals.”

She put in great performances during both the 19U and Women’s national championships, earning the accolades after converting from catcher to first base to deal with the injury.

Meantime, Fort McMurray’s Sydney Barry was also heartened by capturing the 19U Player of the Year award.

The Women’s Pro Baseball League draft pick says it meant a lot to see so many talented athletes from her community also recognized, even posing for numerous pictures after the event to celebrate their successes.

ELITE COMPANY

Another relatively new initiative that is continuing to take shape is the Baseball Alberta Elite League.

The circuit was created to provide an opportunity for some of the best 18U teams to battle it out for provincial supremacy. The St. Albert Cardinals captured the league title this summer.

And while they weren’t able to medal in the 18U National championships, the team came away with several awards, headlined by Carter Moffat.

The infielder, who is now going to school at the University of Fraser Valley and will play for the Canadian College Baseball Conference’s Cascades in the spring, picked up both the BAEL Player of the Year and the Ron Hayter Bursary.

“I can’t really describe it right now,” Moffat said after the event. “I’ll remember this past year for how close I was with everybody. We were just a good group of guys who I love every moment with.”

The BAEL Rookie of the Year was Ronan Johnson of the Parkland Twins.

At the 18U ‘AAA’ level, Aubrey Stender of the Calgary Cardinals picked up Player of the Year honours.

A standout on the field and at the banquet with his custom-made jacket, the Williston State College prospect came home two weeks early to see family and friends – and to collect his hardware.

“Ever since I started 18U baseball and I heard about the award, I was like I want to win that,” Stender said. “I was lucky enough for my last year of playing Baseball Alberta, I was fortunate enough to end up getting it.”

“It was a dream come true for sure.”

UP, UP AND AWAY

With many young athletes seeing a legitimate path in baseball including post-secondary education and even pro baseball, Oko says there’s an excitement about the game in Alberta.

Not only do they have current big-leaguers like Erik Sabrowski and Michael Soroka to look up to, but they’re watching current pros like Matt Lloyd, Gavin Logan and Matt Coutney knocking on the door.

The recent Women’s Pro Baseball League draft and upcoming inaugural season has now given female athletes something to aspire to.

And, just as importantly, the Toronto Blue Jays’ run to the World Series, which fell just short, has inspired a new generation of baseball players.

Like many in the game from coast-to-coast-to-coast, Oko says where the Blue Jays go, grassroots baseball follows, as witnessed by bumps after the 1992-1993 and 2015-2016 seasons.

There are drawbacks, he says, including a potential lack of facilities for the surge in players in some communities, so he will be keeping a close eye on things, adding it is a good problem to have.

“What excites me is that we are still on that growth track,” Oko told Alberta Dugout Stories. “More kids, which brings more coaches, more umpires, and continuing to put baseball as one of THE sports to be a part of.”

CELEBRATING THE BEST

Here’s the full list of 2025 Baseball Alberta Award winners:

Junior Umpire of the Year – Keith Elliott – Camrose

Murray Service Umpire of the Year – Brad Biermann – Hinton

Umpire Hall of Fame – Steve Delude – Calgary

Ted Rudd Minor Coach of the Year – Caroline Miller – Fort McMurray Oil Giants 14U Baseball Alberta Girls League

Baseball Canada Grassroots Coach of the Year – Jason Harper – Whitecourt Royals 11U AA

Baseball Alberta Life Member Award

Orv Franchuk – Edmonton
Barry Pozzo – Drumheller

Wally A. Footz Builders Award – Robert Visser – Drumheller

Baseball Canada Volunteer of the Year – Fabian Ellis – South Jasper Place

Off-Field Manager of the Year – ‘A’ – Amanda Gryschuk – Mannville Mammoths 11U

Off-Field Manager of the Year – ‘AA’ – Amy Curry – Calgary City Royals 13U

Off-Field Manager of the Year – ‘AAA’ – Carla Lachman – Red Deer Rangers 18U

President’s Award – Doug Bassett – Elk Point

Ron Hayter Bursary

Anders Lindgren – Spruce Grove
Carter Moffat – St. Albert
Hayden Willet – Grande Prairie

Millie Warwick/Betty Carveth Dunn Bursary – Zelaya Downs – Edmonton

Carl Linden Bursary – Nicolas Klemmer – St. Albert

Bob White Memorial Scholarship – Braden Iannetti – Fort McMurray

Doris Taylor Scholarship – Julianna Scott – Calgary

12U Baseball Alberta Girls League Player of the Year

Sadie Wilson – Beaumont
Hailey Warner – Fort McMurray

14U Baseball Alberta Girls League Player of the Year – Grace Gabriel – Fort McMurray

14U Girls Player of the Year – Andy Walsh – Fort McMurray

16U Girls Player of the Year – Avery Mullin – Leduc

19U Girls Player of the Year – Sydney Barry – Fort McMurray

Women’s Open Player of the Year – Julianna Scott – Calgary

11U ‘A’ Player of the Year – Luke Tucker – South Jasper Place Jays

11U ‘AA’ Player of the Year – Jack Brain – SWEMBA White Sox Black

13U ‘A’ Player of the Year – Connor Engen – Eckville Eagles

13U ‘AA’ Player of the Year – Kayden Juneau – Olds Spitfires

13U ‘AAA’ Player of the Year – Ryland Johnson – Red Deer Rangers

15U ‘A’ Player of the Year – Keetley Gulbraa – Irma Tigers

15U ‘AA’ Player of the Year – Ayden Huculak – Black Gold 47s

15U ‘AAA’ Player of the Year – Riley Wolbeck – Black Gold 47s

18U ‘A’ Player of the Year – Owen Sharpe – Thorsby Bandits

18U ‘AA’ Player of the Year – Cameron Bergstrom – Chestermere Crushers

18U ‘AAA’ Player of the Year – Aubrey Stender – Calgary Cardinals

Baseball Alberta Elite League Rookie of the Year – Ronan Johnson – Parkland Twins

Baseball Alberta Elite League Player of the Year – Carter Moffat – St. Albert Cardinals

Association of the Year (Small) – Bashaw Minor Ball

Association of the Year (Medium) – Webber Wildcats

Association of the Year (Large) – Edmonton Amateur Baseball Association

McFarland: Baseball Alberta celebrates 2025 award winners