“An age-old question in the world of officiating is facing a new twist: how do you recruit and retain talented people coming out of a global pandemic?

It’s often a thankless job that has come under enormous scrutiny in the face of instant replay and cellphone video, but COVID-19 also opened up the eyes of potential umpires and referees to other ways to spend their summers.

Organizations like Baseball Alberta have been left holding the bag, scrambling to find enough people to service each game.”

From Mexico to Okotoks to Kansas, 2022 Western Canadian Baseball League MVP and Okotoks Dawgs star Ricky Sanchez has excelled on the baseball field. The young infielder’s ascent up the U.S. college ranks will continue when he heads to Lamar University in the fall. Joe McFarland, of Alberta Dugout Stories, recently spoke with the 5-foot-9, 170-pound sparkplug and Dawgs fan favourite.