For the first time since 2021, a team other than the Okotoks Dawgs will win the Western Canadian Baseball League championship.
The Regina Red Sox will face the Sylvan Lake Gulls in the best-of-three league final, which opens tonight at Currie Field, first pitch is set for 7 p.m.
The Red Sox advanced to the final, defeating the top-ranked Saskatoon Berries in a thrilling series that came down to a third and deciding game that Regina won 6-2.
The Red Sox haven’t appeared in the WCBL final since 2019, when they fell to Okotoks.
In going 4-1 in the postseason, Regina has outscored their opponents 37-26. They did all of this after seeing major roster upheaval at the end of the season. Top innings eaters Blake Johnson, Colton Anderson, Kai Langford, Calvin Shepherd, David Hankins and Holden Hungerford all departed before the playoffs, as did sluggers Jackson Syring and Jalen Seward.
The Red Sox batters have manufactured 37 runs, 57 hits, 32 RBI, 86 total bases, 14 walks, 10 doubles, five homers and eight stolen bases, to go along with a collective .297 batting average, .354 on-base percentage and .448 slugging percentage in 192 postseason at-bats.
Individual hitting leaders include catcher Brady Bye (nine hits, eight RBI, three runs in 23 at bats); outfielder Rafael Jackson (eight hits, eight runs, three stolen bases, 2 RBI, two doubles, one homer in 27 at bats); first baseman James Wright (eight hits, six RBI, three runs, two homers in 22 at bats); infielder Zayd Brannigan (seven hits, four RBI, four runs, one stolen base, one double in 22 at bats); shortstop Matthew Fox (seven hits, six runs, four walks, three stolen bases, two RBI in 21 at bats); and infielder Jalen Meyers (six hits, 4 RBI, two runs, two walks in 16 at bats).
On the mound, the pitching staff has recorded a 4.21 ERA, a 1.70 WHIP, a .297 opposition batting average, 37 strikeouts, 22 walks, nine hit batters and six wild pitches through 47 innings and 226 batters faced.
Postseason pitching standouts include Chris Spry (11.1 innings, 2-0 record, 3.97 ERA, 10 strikeouts, five walks); Landon Riley (11.1 innings, 1-1 record, 3.97 ERA, nine strikeouts, five walks); Ayden Page (10.1 innings, 1-0 record, two saves, 11 Ks, two walks, no earned runs); and Colton Bank (4 innings, 4.50 ERA).
Regina has a .959 fielding percentage, and their defenders have committed eight errors in five games.
The Red Sox and Gulls only faced each other during the regular season on one day: a doubleheader at Currie Field on June 22nd, which Regina won both seven-inning contests by scores of 8-0 and 4-3.
