The Okotoks Dawgs got a good one in Ashton Luera, who's been dynamite on the mound in his first year with the team.
Luera hails from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is a strikeout machine as the closer. He pitched 24 and one-third innings during the 2024 WCBL season, notching 47 strikeouts in the process. That's nearly two strikeouts per inning pitched. During the post-season so far, Luera closed game one with two strikeouts for the Dawgs win.
The punchout king didn't start his career in baseball at the pitcher position. He was recruited as a catcher, but his high school was keen to see if he could throw strikeouts. Luera proved he was very capable and was given an opportunity as a pitcher.
His first season on the mound wasn't the strongest, but at the end of the semester, he was throwing 91 mph.
"From there, I closed out my freshman year and then I went back next year and they had me taking the starter role that year. Here I am now, had another closing role at OKWU (Oklahoma Wesleyan University) and closing here with the Dawgs," Luera added.
According to Luera, his teammate at Oklahoma and the Dawgs, Brody Forno, helped recruit him to come to Okotoks.
"I went to OKWU for my junior year and ended up rooming with Brody Forno. Pablo (Forno's father) was out in Florida when we were playing Southeastern and all those guys. Pablo saw me, he recommended me to Joe (Sergent) and Lou (Pote). They started selling it to me for about two weeks, I want to say a month later I signed and said 'let's do it,'" he said.
Luera also explains being a catcher helped with the transition to pitcher.
"You have to think just like a pitcher behind the plate too. So, I mean, having that experience and even young age experience in high school with only a year behind the plate at college, it still helped out a lot in transferring over to being a pitcher," Luera said.
"At OKWU, they had me as a straight closer after the fall. We had a little 15-game World Series. I closed every game and then we had a meeting after with them saying 'We want you as a closer.' The whole season I ended up losing most of the games."
Luera prefers closing, as it allows him to go out on the field and give it his all on every pitch. His favourite pitch is the fastball, which should be no surprise, as he can throw it up to 96 mph.
"The fastball is my go-to all the time. I have the most confidence and have the most command of it. I think I have the most success with it. It's just so consistent."
It's pretty obvious when watching Luera close that he gets fired up after a win. His celebrations can be felt from anywhere in Seaman Stadium.
"I get fired up when it's 0-2 with two outs, I'm like 'Okay, here it is, I'm about to get this last out here.' Like I know in the back of my head I'm going to get fired up but, I have no idea what I'm going to do. It just happens in the moment. I don't even know what I do," Luera added.
Luera's father was a big reason he got involved in baseball.
"My dad played a little bit of high school baseball and it was his main sport. He ended up just going to college and all that and didn't pursue baseball. So, when I was four or five he got me into tee-ball and I loved it. He then let me try out a few other sports, I swam, played basketball, football, and all that. But, I still found myself still wanting to get back on the diamond. I have just always played baseball, since 12 years old I was baseball only," he explained.
While Canada and Okotoks have embraced him, he has also embraced the area, mentioning he would like to live in Okotoks.
"It's my first time even out of the States. First time out of the country, and my first time in Canada. It's a totally new experience for me. I love it, I wish I could move out here, you know. It's awesome, Okotoks is the best town. Nothing but positive vibes out here. I went to Banff with my family, we got to visit the downtown area, went on a bike ride, and then Lake Louise, we got to visit that. It was beautiful, nothing like back at home."
"We (Albuquerque) have one big mountain that I thought was big and then I went to Banff and I was like 'Oh I don't want to go home now.'"
Luera said integrating himself was easy. He named Forno as a big help in introducing him to the team and said it's crazy how close the team has got over the past three months. Luera mentioned that he has built lifelong friends and hopes to visit a lot of the guys later on in life. Forno had shown Luera videos of how the crowd reacts to the players but nothing could prepare him for seeing it in person.
"It was a complete shock. Brody had already told me and showed me videos of all that. I was like 'That's super crazy,' then I got out there for my first outing and I was like 'It's different when you are out there.' Just the roaring of the fans. Recently I've noticed the fans whenever the 0-2 count comes on it gets super loud when I'm up there. The most fans I've played in front of is more than 100 people before this. It's a totally different experience. It makes you feel like a superstar, it's awesome," he explained.
"It's a huge confidence boost, the energy they feed off, I embrace it and it goes into the pitch almost. The more the merrier."
When asked what his younger would say if someone told him he'd end up playing summer league baseball in Canada, Luera replied:
"I don't even know what he would say. He's going to be stoked, he's not going to believe it at first, but he's going to be so stoked. He's going to want to do the same thing I'm doing right now, go out there and tear it up. He would just want to be on the field, that's all I have ever wanted to do."
Luera's parents came down last week to experience their son playing at Seaman Stadium and to get a tour of the area.
"They loved it, they have always supported me along the way. Whenever I have had my bad games and whenever I have played in some horrible fields back in New Mexico, they get to come here and get set up with the city's jerseys and get to watch me pitch in front of five thousand people with them announcing my name. It's awesome for them to hear the last name being played from those speakers," Luera added.
"They have met so many different groups of people who are like 'You are Ashton's parents,' and you are like 'Wow, It's insane how many people in the stands know who I am.'"
Those over five thousand fans who have seen Luera have probably noticed that he goes on the mound wearing a headband adorned with a pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness.
He explained its significance and why the Dawgs' Breast Cancer Awareness game was so special for him.
"I got that a while back because my aunt, I want to say six months ago, might have had a reappearing breast cancer. She has had it twice before and it looked like it was coming for a third time. So, I had a bunch of headbands already that were just like colours and random designs. I was like 'Why don't I wear something that means something to me?' So, I got that for her and then we have had other family members who have had problems with breast cancer. I just wear it to represent and support everybody and the whole community. Cancer is horrible, it runs in everybody's family, I'm sure. It runs in mine," he explained.
When it comes to pitching, Luera is all about the strikeouts rather than pitching for contact, which is evidenced by his strikeout count during the 2024 WCBL regular season.
"I like it because it doesn't give them a chance. I don't want to give them a chance, I want to be in full control. Whenever I'm up there I'm not looking for you to put bat on ball, I'm looking to sit you down as quick as I can. That's why I like to get 0-2, 1-2 counts really quick," Luera explained.
In baseball, hits are an inevitability, but Luera says he trusts his fielders and uses his short memory to help him through those situations by staying calm, cool, and collected while on the mound.
When asked if he would like to return to the Dawgs next year, Luera didn't hesitate.
"It's definitely in the works for sure. I was talking about it with the family, and even though when I'm training back at home it's all training and all that, I still feel like I get better out here because of the coaches, the relationships, the fans... I feel like I become a better player out here compared to being back home and training. It's not like we are facing anybody who is terrible. There are some guys out here who can hit the ball well," he said.
10 Questions with Ashton Luera
Have you tried poutine?
"Yes, I have made a goal to try poutine at every park that we go to. Why is it not in the States? It seems like an American thing."
What is your go-to cheat meal?
"Probably Tim's. I get like a 10-pack of the Timbits and the breakfast farmers wrap. It's like $5 or $6."
What is your guilty pleasure song?
"Bulletproof by La Roux. I can definitely bump that tune for sure."
How many ballpark hotdogs could you eat in one sitting?
"I could put down a good 13 of them."
Favourite ball player and team growing up?
"Dodgers for sure. I liked watching Adrain Gonzalez too. I was a big position player back in the day, so a lot of my favourite players are like Matt Kemp. I loved that era of the Dodgers."
If I could grant you one wish, what would you wish for?
"I'd say just to have the rest of my family back home out here. I haven't seen them since Christmastime. Have them out here and experience it. That's the plan if I come back next year, is to have a lot of them come out."
Would you rather live in a city full of people or in the mountains with no one in sight?
"I'd say the mountains with no one in sight. But, I would like to have the option to go into the city and interact with people. I like being by myself and being at peace with myself. But I'm still somewhat extroverted, I want to go out and hang out with the guys on the team."
What household chores do you hate doing the most?
"Sweeping. I'll do the dishes but I don't like sweeping. I'll do the dishes all day."
If you could meet one person on this planet who would it be?
"I know I would definitely want to sit down and talk with David Goggins. Like his mastering of the mind, that would be one of the biggest things. Mastering the mind and being confident in not letting things get to you. Especially whenever you are in that closing position. He's mastered it so good and I'm just on the cusp of the beginning of it."
Favourite sport other than baseball?
"Football. American football."
What is your favourite TV show and Movie?
"Favourite TV show is probably The Office. It's good humour and a good story/life lesson mixed in there sometimes. I don't have a favourite movie, but I have a favourite baseball movie, which is Major League."