Okotoks Dawgs ground Sylvan Lake Gulls in season opener

The Okotoks Dawgs defeated the Sylvan Lake Gulls 8-4 in their WCBL season opening game on Thursday. Photo: Okotoks Dawgs

May 28, 2026

By Rhett Vasseur

Okotoks Dawgs

It was a sweet victory for the Okotoks Dawgs as they opened up the 2026 WCBL season with a 8–4 road win over the Sylvan Lake Gulls.

The name of the game on Thursday night for the Dawgs was playing clean and taking care of the baseball.

The Dawgs got out to an early lead, scoring a pair in the top of the first as Ricky Sanchez and Cal Gates came around to score on a pair of throwing errors by the Gulls. They never relinquished their lead after that.

Fan favourite Sanchez, in his final season with the Dawgs, was part of the trio of veterans that led the offensive charge along with Nash Crowell (Yarmouth, N.S.) and Leo Cote (Boucherville, Que.). All three drove in runs in the contest. Landon Kauffman (Vancouver, B.C.) also added a pair of hits.

As mentioned, the defensive effort of the Dawgs stole the show, with Sanchez, Cote and Connor Crowson (Okotoks, Alta.) all making stellar plays in the infield.

On the mound, Joe McBride got the start and went 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs before turning things over to the bullpen with a 7–2 lead.

The pen was able to lock down the win, getting out of a couple of tough jams. A base-running error by the Gulls in the bottom of the sixth helped keep things in check for the Dawgs. Dalton Hoffart and Grady Keljo had standout performances out of the pen, inducing 1-2-3 eighth and ninth innings in the victory.

The Okotoks Dawgs will now welcome Sylvan Lake for their home opener tonight at 7:05 p.m.