The Regina Red Sox are Western Canadian Baseball League champions, claiming their third title in franchise history with a thrilling comeback series win over the Sylvan Lake Gulls.
The underdog Red Sox, who entered every playoff round as a lower seed, overcame the loss of key pitchers and hitters to storm through the postseason. After sweeping the Medicine Hat Mavericks and upsetting the division-leading Saskatoon Berries, Regina fell behind in the championship series. losing the opening game 3-2 at home in the 11th inning. They rallied with a 10-7 win in Game 2 and a 5-4 victory in the decisive third game, both on the road in Gull Stadium.
Manager Rye Pothakos, celebrating his first championship in 25 years in the league, dedicated the run to pitcher Jesse Lubiniecki, who died in June. Players wore No. 33 patches in his memory.
The Gulls advanced to the championship series after upsetting the favoured defending champions, the Okotoks Dawgs, in two straight games.
"While the ending isn’t what we dreamed of, we hold our heads high after an unforgettable season filled with grit, growth, and memories that will last a lifetime," the Gulls told their fans on their Facebook Page. "We tip our caps to Regina on a hard-fought championship series."
Okotoks was aiming for its fourth consecutive and eighth overall league title. Since moving from Calgary to Okotoks, the franchise has won championships in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and leads the league in attendance at Seaman Stadium.
The Red Sox last won a WCBL title when the league was known as the Western Major Baseball League, capturing back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012. Regina has won all three of its titles on the road.
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