McFarland: Alberta unveils 16U Girls Canada Summer Games roster

“It’s been a long time coming.

For the first time ever, female baseball has been added to the Canada Summer Games, with the debut coming August 18-24 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Every provincial baseball body has been working towards this summer since the initial announcement back in 2022, and the rosters are starting to take shape.

Baseball Alberta announced its 16-athlete roster on June 20, which will be coached by Chris James, Mark Randall and Tara Sliwkanich.”

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SandlotsJoe McFarland
Elliott: Okotoks Dawgs 2018 summit resulted in changes ... and titles

“The G7 Leaders’ Summit was held in Alberta last week.

We saw the police presence at the airport, helicopters circling and extra security staying at the hotel. And maybe in a few years we’ll see how successful the meeting at nearby Kananaskis was.

The results came in a few years ago from the Okotoks Dawgs 2018 summit. The Edmonton Prospects had eliminated the Dawgs in the summer college league playoffs by a 2-1 score in the decisive game. That meant three Dawgs playoff exits courtesy of Edmonton in three strait summers.

Dawgs founding father John Ircandia called a meeting for the next morning Aug. 4, a Saturday. More than one coach wondered “could we be all fired?”

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CBN Minor League Player of the Week — Matt Coutney

Parkland Twins and St. Francis Academy grad Matt Coutney (Wetaskiwin, Alta.) belted three home runs and topped all Canadians in the affiliated minor league ranks with a .941 slugging percentage and 1.525 OPS in six games for the Los Angeles Angels’ High-A Tri-City Dust Devils last week. For his efforts, he has been named the Canadian Baseball Network’s minor league Player of the Week (June 17 to June 22).

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McFarland: Pitching in WCBL Rural Roots Classic was homecoming for Benton

“It was a homecoming Max Benton didn’t think he would ever make.

The Lethbridge Bulls starting pitcher toed the rubber at Doug Lehman Field in Oyen for the Western Canadian Baseball League’s Rural Roots Classic, where he had done it many times before as a member of the Badlands Baseball Academy.

Sitting down Sylvan Lake’s Noah Konings, Simon Baker and Bryce Turner in order to start the game, it was as if he had never left.

Benton cruised the rest of the way, allowing five runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five in six innings to pick up the win in a 19-11 victory in front of 550 fans.”

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SandlotsJoe McFarland
Estey: Gold Bat honours to Sarnia's charge of the Hit Brigade

“The Sarnia Brigade came within a game of winning the Canadian Amateur Baseball Central Gold Bat Tournament in 2024, but fell short in the final to the eventual provincial champion Newmarket Hawks.

This year, a different year, the host club would not be denied as they won the Gold Bat title with a 5-2 win over the Windsor Stars in the tournament finale at Stan Slack Field at Errol Russell Park on Sunday afternoon. “

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SandlotsBob Elliott