With the playoffs set to begin on Aug. 6, the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) is gearing up for a thrilling finish to the regular season.
The defending champion Okotoks Dawgs sit atop the West Division, but their lead is anything but safe. Just three games back, the Lethbridge Bulls and Sylvan Lake Gulls are both eager to knock the Dawgs from their perch.
The race for first place could hinge on a crucial home-and-home series between the Dawgs and Gulls set for Aug. 3 and 4.
All three clubs have clinched playoff spots, leaving the Fort McMurray Giants, Brooks Bombers, and Energy City Cactus Rats in a dogfight for the final berth.
Over in the East Division, the Saskatoon Berries have locked up top spot and now have their sights set on history. They’re chasing the single-season win record of 44 set by the Gulls just last summer.
The Berries currently lead the WCBL power rankings, followed by the Dawgs and Gulls.
Cochrane’s Simon Baker has rejoined the Gulls for the summer after his first year playing for the Gonzaga University Bulldogs in Seattle, WA. The 6-foot-4 outfielder has appeared in 36 games, posting a .252 average with four home runs and 19 RBI.