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It all came down to the final weekend of the regular season.

The Canadian College Baseball Conference had playoff positioning and even a couple of spots left to figure out going into the May long weekend.

And the teams didn’t disappoint, with Prairie Baseball Academy pulling away in the end to capture the regular season pennant.

Meantime, just two games separated Okanagan College, the University of Fraser Valley and Edmonton Collegiate.

The University of Calgary swiped the fifth playoff spot early in the weekend while Vancouver Island University snagged the sixth and final berth on the final Sunday in what is the first year where not every team was making it to the CCBC World Series in Lethbridge.

On the outside looking in: the new University Baseball Club out of UBC, Thompson Rivers University and Victoria Collegiate.

After the opening day of championship weekend, where PBA eventually captured its first championship since 2017, the circuit held its annual awards banquet to celebrate the best of the spring.

OVERLOOKING THE VALLEY

When you’re among the league leaders in almost every offensive category, it’s easy to see why you would be in the running for most valuable player.

Such was the case for Keegan Drinkle of the UFV Cascades as he nearly doubled everyone else in the league in doubles as his 24 were 10 more than the next closest players.

He also drove in 59 runs, which was 14 more than second place Caedyn Colford of Edmonton Collegiate.

The Cascades catcher was also third in the league in average (.429) and tied for fifth in home runs (seven).

“I came into the year with the mindset of doing everything I can to help my team win games and, during the winter, I worked hard to get to where I am,” Drinkle told Alberta Dugout Stories.

“I’m just happy to see that my hard work paid off and happy to have helped my team win and get us to where we were able to this year.”

The freshman edged out Nick Sauve of Okanagan College and Will Turner of Prairie Baseball Academy for most votes.

TOP PITCHER ON THE PRAIRIE

In a year dominated by massive offensive outburst, a handful of pitchers were able to keep things relatively in check.

For Prairie Baseball Academy hurler Sean Bavis, he did it right from his first moment on the bump with a seven-inning masterpiece in his debut.

He tied for the league lead in wins with five, was fourth in earned-run average at 3.78, and tied for fifth in strikeouts with 47.

Not bad for a freshman, who says it means a lot to have the coaches from around the league think that he was the best.

“It shows the work I put in to get better over the offseason and show how much playing baseball means to me,” he told Alberta Dugout Stories. “It also shows how much support my team gave me to help me achieve this award. Without them, I wouldn’t have won it.”

Ryan Powers of Okanagan College and Alex Lee of the University Baseball Club rounded out the top three vote-getters for Pitcher of the Year.

FRASER VALLEY FRESHMAN

Even through Drinkle and Bavis were both freshman, voters decided to go in a different direction for Rookie of the Year.

That’s where they found Cascades outfielder Brady Dorwart, who put together an exceptional season near the top of the batting order.

He hit .382 with five doubles and four triples, while finishing third in the league in RBI (43) and second in stolen bases (29).

Dorwart gives credit to his family for their support and to the group of Coquitlam players who helped make some fun drives to the ballpark for practices and games.

“It means a lot to me to win this award and to see all my hard work pay off,” he said. “A big thank you to my coaches and teammates who helped keep me in a straight line and kept my head high throughout the season. I’m excited to keep improving moving forward.”

Logan Cassidy of the University Baseball Club and Drinkle captured second and third, respectively, in voting.

WINNING AS A TEAM

Looking back on the year that was, it was the UFV Cascades offense that shined through.

The team led the CCBC in several offensive categories including average (.327), doubles (90), runs batted in (312), total bases (623) and stolen bases (155).

On the mound, it was PBA leading the charge in team ERA (5.37) while the Cascades held opponents’ batting average to a league-low .245.

And defensively, the expansion University Baseball Club took care of the ball the best with a fielding percentage of .964, committing a circuit-low 45 errors.

First Team All-Conference

Second Team All-Conference

Gold Glove Awards

By Joe McFarland, Alberta Dugout Stories. Originally published by Alberta Dugout Stories, May 26, 2026, and shared here with permission. See the original.

There’s no place like home for the Prairie Baseball Academy (PBA) Dawgs.

The Lethbridge-based squad has become the regular host of the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) World Series over the last few years at Spitz Stadium.

When the new turf at the home of the Lethbridge Bulls was deemed not ready to be played on, officials moved championship weekend to PBA’s usual home: Lloyd Nolan Yard.

Along with home-field advantage thanks to winning the CCBC’s regular season pennant, the Dawgs capped off an unbeaten weekend with a 12-7 victory over the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks on a sunny Sunday afternoon to claim the league championship.

“I’m just proud of the way the kids played all year,” head coach Todd Hubka told Alberta Dugout Stories.

“Just everything. It was an exciting year with our pitching staff, our hitters and we played the game the right way. I thought we were the best team (this year) and we proved it.”

It was the 11th title in program history since 2002 and its first since 2017.

THE LONG ROAD BACK

Hubka admits it had become almost a given for a while that his Dawgs would be in the championship game.

After wins in 2004, 2006 and 2008, they went on an unprecedented run of seven consecutive CCBC titles from 2011 to 2017.

Okanagan College and the University of Fraser Valley captured the next two before the pandemic, then the Dawgs dry spell continued for the following five years.

They were always in contention and were among the spring circuit’s top teams during the regular season but were always missing one or two key elements that would put them over the top for another crown.

Coming into the 2026 season, Hubka felt like he had all the right pieces with a solid core of returning veterans in the lineup and a deep pitching staff full of young arms capable of handling big moments.

While the team took some lumps during a pre-season trip to the U.S., he says they learned a lot about themselves by facing some early adversity.

It served them well as they started the CCBC season off with nine wins in their first 11 games, then followed that up with a nine-game winning streak.

By no means were they in cruise control though, as they were in a dead heat with Okanagan College for first place right until the final weekend of the regular season, eventually finishing with a 25-11 record, winning the conference by two games.

SETTING THE STAGE

For the first time in the CCBC’s history, not every team was making it to championship weekend.

With the addition of the new University Baseball Club out of the University of British Columbia, the league decided that only the top six teams would be making the trip.

PBA, holding the No. 1 seed, started the tournament off with a 7-3 win over Vancouver Island University, thanks to a three-hit performance from rightfielder Declan O’Kane and four other players posting two-hit games.

Their relentless offense and strong pitching was on full display in their second game of the tournament, an 18-0 romp against Edmonton Collegiate, who had been the only other unbeaten team in the tournament.

Jack Mortimer led the charge offensively, going 4-for-5 with four runs batted in and three runs scored, while Sean Bavis rendered the Hawks’ offense without wings, allowing just two hits while striking out five in the seven-inning complete game.

The win gave PBA a berth in the final, while the Hawks had to play Okanagan for the other spot.

BACK-AND-FORTH AFFAIR

The Hawks would get their chance at revenge when they won a wild 21-17 contest to give the Coyotes their second loss of the double-elimination tournament.

However, the Dawgs had other plans as they turned to Abbotsford, B.C. native Aiden Beck on the mound.

“I just tried to keep it like any other game when I was playing catch and getting ready,” said the right-hander, who said he found out about the start the day before while sitting in the bleachers with his family. “Coach (Josh) Burgmann was like, ‘Hey, just like any other game, right? Don’t make it any bigger than it needs to be.’”

Beck didn’t allow a run in his first inning of work despite a couple of base runners, as catcher Willis Takahashi picked them both off trying to steal. He also struck out Hawks slugger Caedyn Colford.

Then the offense provided their hurler with some buffer in their half of the first, as O’Kane took Riley Starko deep for a two-run homer.

The flood gates opened in the third inning as the Dawgs put up five runs, then another three in the fourth, and it looked like a repeat of the previous meeting with their northern counterparts.

The Hawks weren’t ready to pack it in though, scoring three runs in the fifth to put an end to Beck’s day.

They kept coming in the sixth, tagging Zak Wright with three more runs before Will Paterson took over to stop the bleeding and the score still 10-7 in favour of the hosts.

He went on to twirl three more innings of shutdown baseball while his offense put up some insurance with a run in the sixth inning and another in the eighth courtesy of another blast from O’Kane.

The celebration began when, with two outs in the top of the ninth, Daku flew out to centrefielder Nathan Webb.

“Unreal – it’s the best feeling in the world,” O’Kane said. “This is such a great group to deal with, so we couldn’t end it on a better note.”

A TIGHT-KNIT GROUP

After the trophy presentation and team photos were taken in front of the scoreboard at Lloyd Nolan Yard, the players couldn’t help but take a moment to soak in all that they had accomplished.

Many, including Paterson, were also quite hoarse as they were heard chanting and screaming throughout the contest.

“It just comes down to the mindset as we talk all the time about wanting to win,” said the Surrey, B.C. product. “We just brought it right from the get-go and for all nine innings.”

It’s a team chemistry that is unmatched in the eyes of shortstop and leadoff hitter Tetsu Nishida.

“I think we never got down throughout the entire playoffs,” said the Calgary native. “Even when they started to come back, we knew we still had the lead and that they were still the ones chasing us. We finished number one, so we just had to play like it and keep that mindset throughout.”

One-by-one, the players took photos with the championship trophy, then shuffled off towards their clubhouse to continue their celebration.

ANOTHER BANNER AWAITS

The banners won by the Dawgs over the years hang upstairs in the Dawgs’ facility at Lloyd Nolan.

Just before he walked inside, first baseman Nate Garth stopped to take a look at the field one more time, then smiled from ear-to-ear.

“I always look at those banners and it’s great to finally have one with my name on it,” said the Calgary native. “This group is just the greatest one to win it with.”

Before long, they will head their separate ways with some returning in the fall, some going onto four-year schools, and some starting their own careers.

Hubka says he’s already looking forward to next year’s team, which will have a lot of familiar faces thanks to a very young core, especially on the mound.

For now, he’s soaking in the moment of being a CCBC champion once again.

“I’ll cherish this one,” said the PBA Hall of Famer. “Who knows when the next one is, right? So cherish the ones that you win.”

By Joe McFarland, Alberta Dugout Stories. Originally published by Alberta Dugout Stories, May 25, 2026, and shared here with permission. See the original.

And then there were six.

After a 36-game regular season, the Canadian College Baseball Conference season comes to a head this coming weekend with its championship weekend.

For the first time in league history, only the top six teams are making the trek to Lethbridge following the expansion to nine clubs.

It was a battle to the end with a handful of slots in the standings still up for grabs heading into the final weekend, including the last two playoff spot, which were eventually taken by the University of Calgary Dinos and Vancouver Island University Mariners.

They will join the Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs, Okanagan College Coyotes, University of Fraser Valley Cascades and Edmonton Collegiate Hawks when action gets started on Thursday morning.

Let’s take a look at how each team got here and some of the big players to watch heading in:

#1. PRAIRIE BASEBALL ACADEMY DAWGS

It didn’t take long for the Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs to set the tone in the CCBC, rattling off six straight wins to start the season.

They went on to win 10 of their first 12 games and didn’t really look back throughout the season, finishing a league-best 25-11.

The Dawgs’ ability to win games in a variety of ways is what set them apart, with some high-scoring victories, some slug-it-out grinders and some outstanding pitching performances along the way.

They were led offensively by veteran Nate Garth, who finished second in the circuit with 11 home runs on the season and tied for fourth in runs batted in with 38. PBA also got strong performances from Will Turner (who finished third in batting average at .431) and Declan O’Kane (who hit seven roundtrippers).

On the mound, Sean Bavis was a top-five finisher in the CCBC in wins (tied for first with five), strikeouts (tied for fourth with 47) and earned run average (fifth at 3.78), as the Dawgs had the second-best team ERA (5.44)

“The older guys and I have been talking about winning a championship for a while now and we thought we had a pretty good shot last year but fell short in the playoffs,” O’Kane said. “It would be awesome to get one for Hub (head coach Todd Hubka) again and the coaching staff, as they have waited a while since their last one (2017).”

#2. OKANAGAN COLLEGE COYOTES

The returning champions were also very strong coming out of the gates this season.

The Okanagan College Coyotes looked unstoppable early on, losing just three of their first 20 games before hitting some rough terrain in the latter half of the spring to finish the season 23-13.

If there’s one thing we’ve all come to learn, head coach Geoff White knows how to get his team to step up when it matters the most, having won four championships since 2018.

The Coyotes had a pair of four-game winners on the mound with Corbin Mossop and Ryan Powers, with the latter finishing sixth in the league in strikeouts (46) and third in ERA (3.60).

Offensively, the Coyotes were led by catcher Nick Sauve, who paced the CCBC with a .455 batting average, adding three dingers and 24 RBI while Coleman Kawaguchi was his usual strong self with a .348 average to go along with five homers, 28 RBI and 12 stolen bases.

“Winning a championship would mean all of my hard work and the team’s work that we’ve put in would pay off,” said the senior Sauve. “All the friendships I’ve made and all that has been great and we all want that second ring this year.”

#3. UNIVERSITY OF FRASER VALLEY CASCADES

They didn’t make it easy on the Coyotes for second place in the conference heading into the World Series.

The University of Fraser Valley Cascades needed to win both games of a season-ending two-game set against OC to move into a tie, but fell short in the finale with a 7-5 loss.

However, it was another solid campaign for the 2024 CCBC champions as they finished with a 22-14 record in a season that ended with 12 wins in their last 17 games.

A likely candidate for the league’s most valuable player, Keegan Drinkle, was a powerhouse offensively, finishing second in average (.441), tied for fifth in homers (seven) and tops in RBI (59), for a Cascades team that had the top team batting average (.328), most stolen bases (154) and produced the most runs (361).

Mathew Picheniuk paced the team in wins (four) and strikeouts (38), with the Cascades leading the conference in team ERA (5.38).

“We have a young team, but to come out on top, it would be really nice for all the hard work to pay off and to walk away with something,” said UFV utilityman Wyatt McKeen. “At the end of the day, we just have to work hard and we’ll get there.”

#4. EDMONTON COLLEGIATE HAWKS

It was their best regular season in franchise history.

Now the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks would like to keep the good times rolling as they head towards Lethbridge.

The team had an up and down first half of the season before a couple of winning streaks propelled them into a playoff spot that they didn’t relinquish.

As has been the case since the program’s debut, the Hawks will be leaning on a strong pitching staff that features Logan Colville (who was tied for first in wins with five), Lucas Webber-Kitching (second in strikeouts with 59) and Nick Backstrom (fourth in strikeouts with 47).

It was a record-setting year for first baseman Caedyn Colford, who set the CCBC mark for homers in a season with 12, to go along with a .297 average and 42 RBI.

“It would mean a lot to win a championship,” Colford said. “Growing up in St. Albert, we always came so close and we finally won provincials in my senior year. It’s such a great feeling and I want to get back there and keep adding wins.”

#5. UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY DINOS

A rough and tumble start to the season didn’t detract the University of Calgary Dinos from grinding out a playoff spot by the end.

After going 6-11 in their first 17 games, the Dinos seemingly turned the tide with a doubleheader sweep of PBA on April 22 to finish the year with a 17-19 mark, clinching a playoff spot during the final weekend.

Veteran starter Ethan Webster led the league in strikeouts (65) while outfielder Jacob Carlson was among the leaders in batting average (.420).

Two-way player Colin Baxter was a workhorse for the Dinos this season, going 4-2 with a 4.24 ERA in eight starts while batting .363 with a home run and 28 RBI in 30 games at the plate.

He’s hoping to help the team claim their second championship, as he was part of the first in 2022.

“It was a lot of fun and I will never forget that moment of winning it,” Baxter said. “But I want to win it again so bad. It’s ‘win’ and there’s no other option.”

#6. VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY MARINERS

It’s been 16 years since the Vancouver Island University Mariners last hoisted the CCBC championship.

And it almost looked like they might be destined for another year of waiting after starting the year 10-18 before rattling off six wins in their last eight games, including a four-game sweep of the Hawks.

They are hoping to ride that wave of momentum into the CCBC World Series, led by the veteran duo of Trevor Nicoll (.396 with a homer and 28 RBI) and Alex McLauchlan (.299 with seven roundtrippers and 29 RBI).

On the mound, veteran KJ Jones had another solid spring going 3-3 with a 4.62 ERA and 43 strikeouts in nine games.

“It would be amazing to win a championship,” said veteran catcher Tyler Olfert, who sported a .263 average with eight RBI in 18 games. “We have a lot of seniors this year and it would be unreal to go out and win one for them in their last year.”

The Canadian College Baseball Conference World Series gets started on Thursday, May 21 with a champion set to be crowned on Sunday, May 24.

By Joe McFarland, Alberta Dugout Stories. Originally published by Alberta Dugout Stories, May 20, 2026, and shared here with permission. See the original.

It’s a season of change in the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) and, for the first time, every game is going to mean something towards winning it all.

The spring circuit announced during the offseason that it was expanding to nine teams with the introduction of the University Baseball Club out of the University of British Columbia.

That move coincided with making the regular season one week longer, and the CCBC World Series would involve only the top six regular season teams instead of every squad.

Heading into the 2026 season, it’s the Okanagan College Coyotes coming in as the defending champions after knocking off the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack at Spitz Stadium im Lethbridge.

The perennial powerhouse, who last went back-to-back in 2021-2022, will have their hands full with several teams knocking on the door all last season.

Just 3.5 games separated first-place University of Fraser Valley from fourth-place TRU, while another 3.5 games were the difference between fifth and eighth.

Many around the league say the margin of victory is getting smaller and smaller as the competition gets tighter each season.

Will that continue in 2026? Only time will tell. In the meantime, let’s take a look at what Alberta’s three teams will be bringing to the field this spring.

PRAIRIE BASEBALL ACADEMY DAWGS

Always in contention for a CCBC championship, Prairie Baseball Academy rode a strong offensive performance to an 18-13 record last season and third place in the standings.

They also came incredibly close to punching their ticket to the CCBC championship game after losing 7-6 to Okanagan College in the semi-final.

Head coach Todd Hubka has some key returning players including Tetsu Nishida, Nate Garth, Will Turner and Declan O’Kane, who will help supplement what the team believes is one of its best pitching staffs in a while.

He believes those sophomores will also provide some confidence for his young pitching staff to go out and throw strikes without worrying about balls in play.

“I think we came into every year with an expectation of trying to win our last game of the year,” Hubka said. “I think that if we play to our ability this year and keep getting better every day, I think we have a really good chance to play for a championship.”

He says staying healthy will also be a focus this season, as the Dawgs have run into injury troubles the last couple of years, adding they have spent a lot of time during the offseason getting the training right for the campaign.

EDMONTON COLLEGIATE HAWKS

Despite a 12-20 record in 2025, the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks enter the new season as the #4-ranked team according to the CCBC Coaches Poll.

A big reason is a large group of returning veterans, especially at the plate, who will be looking to provide a relatively new group of pitchers with run support.

The Hawks were in tough during last year’s championship weekend, falling to the eventual champions from Okanagan College then dropping a 6-3 decision to PBA.

Head coach Jake Lanferman says his team worked really hard in the offseason to get stronger and more gritty to get a few more victories and capture their first CCBC championship.

“We’re expecting to see new faces make a strong impact for our group, especially in our pitching staff as we graduated some prominent staples in our rotation,” he said. “Positionally, we have a lot of depth and power.”

They will be led offensively by Aldo Rojas and Koby Smith, while Lucas Webber-Kitching is expected to become the workhorse on the mound after the graduations of Matthew Ridsdale, Nick Backstrom and Reece Devlin.

UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY DINOS

2025 wasn’t the greatest of seasons for the University of Calgary Dinos as they slipped to the bottom of the CCBC standings with an 11-21 record.

A few untimely injuries and a younger-than-usual roster made for some bumps along the road, but they did come back during championship weekend with a 1-2 record, losing to UFV and beating Victoria before falling to the Cascades in the double-elimination tournament.

Head coach Cam Williams says all of those experiences will serve them well heading into this spring.

“I expect us to compete in every single ball game,” he said. “Our depth is one of our biggest strengths and I’m excited to see us take a step forward to take a run at our second CCWS championship.”

Williams says the team defense has been solid in the fall and preseason, while their hitting has been very resilient, led by first-team all-star first baseman Brett Potter.

On the mound, the team will be looking to reigning CCBC Pitcher of the Year Ethan Webster to be an anchor, who Williams says had his best offseason yet.

The Canadian College Baseball Conference season begins March 20 with all opening weekend series to start in BC. The Hawks’ home-opener is set for April 4 while the Dawgs and Dinos welcome teams to their cities on April 11. The league championship weekend is set for May 21-24 in Lethbridge.

By Joe McFarland, Alberta Dugout Stories. Originally published by Alberta Dugout Stories, March 20, 2026, and shared here with permission. See the original.

The Canadian College Baseball Conference is adding a ninth team to the league for the 2026 season.

The CCBC made the announcement on Nov. 1st that the University of British Columbia (UBC) is joining the circuit.

“We are excited to bring another fantastic athletic and academic opportunity to the Canadian College Baseball Conference,” said CCBC President Kevin Kvame in a press release.

“The CCBC continues to grow and strengthen with some of the best academic opportunities in the country, coupled with competitive collegiate baseball programs. These programs provide a viable option for athletes to continue to progress with baseball and pursue their academic endeavours in Canada.”

The expansion was approved by the CCBC board of governors and the new team will have a roster of UBC student athletes and officially be called the “University Baseball Club.”

Barrhead native Devery Van De Keere will be the head coach of the Vancouver-based program and his coaching staff will include Lichel Hirakawa-Kao, Shawn Schaefer, Lucciano Letteri, Eric Hegadoren and Ty Penner.

“What excites me most about this coaching opportunity is the chance to help athletes compete at a high level while pursuing an exceptional education. Our players are driven — both academically and athletically — and being part of their journey is rewarding,” said Van De Keere, a Kansas City Royals draft pick who has been with the UBC Thunderbirds program since 2020.

“I’m also thrilled that the athletic department has approved a second baseball team here at UBC. Having coached this group for the past three years, I know the potential within the program, and joining the CCBC brings an entirely new level of competition and professionalism. Personally, I’m motivated by the opportunity to work with true high-performance athletes and to help them continue growing in all aspects of the game.”

The UBC Thunderbirds also have a collegiate baseball team that competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Added Van De Keere: “Giving back to the game of baseball in Western Canada is both an honour and a responsibility. My entire baseball journey has been shaped by coaches and mentors who believed in me and gave their time to help me grow. Their commitment to giving back allowed me to stay connected to the greatest game in the world, and I love doing the same. Sharing my experience and knowledge with the next generation of players is incredibly meaningful — I take that responsibility seriously and genuinely love it.”

Van De Keere was a corner infielder who played collegiately at Phoenix College and with the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. He suited up as a professional in the Pioneer League with the Idaho Falls Chukars in 2007 and 2008.

In addition to the expansion news, some other changes are also in store for the CCBC this coming season.

The number of games for each team on the conference schedule is increasing from 32 to 36 games. To allow for the expansion of the schedule, the Canadian College World Series has been pushed back a weekend. It will take place at Spitz Stadium in Lethbridge from May 22-25.

The CCBC is also moving to a playoff format that will see six teams participate in the World Series championship tournament. Three squads will be eliminated following the regular season. In previous years, all eight teams qualified for the postseason.

“There are some big changes for the conference for 2026 and beyond,” said Kvame.

“With the expanded schedule, extra week of conference play, and now eliminating teams after the regular season, the board of governors is excited to see the CCBC continue to be a very competitive conference. We are trying to provide the best college baseball experience whilst managing geographical, weather and financial challenges in Canada.”

UBC brings the total number of CCBC clubs in British Columbia to six. Other teams in Canada’s westernmost province include the University of Fraser Valley, Okanagan College, Thompson Rivers University, Victoria Collegiate and Vancouver Island University.

The Okanagan College Coyotes are the defending Canadian College World Series champs.

Alberta has three teams in the league: the University of Calgary, Prairie Baseball Academy and Edmonton Collegiate.

The CCBC 2026 regular season gets underway on March 20th with action in B.C. in Kelowna, Vancouver, Abbotsford and Kamloops.

By Ian Wilson, Alberta Dugout Stories. Originally published by Alberta Dugout Stories, November 5, 2025, and shared here with permission. See the original.

The Okanagan College Coyotes had some unfinished business to take care of.

After losing a heartbreaking 13-inning marathon to the University of Fraser Valley in the 2024 Canadian College Baseball Conference World Series final, the Yotes wanted nothing more than another shot.

With coffee and energy drinks in tow, the Coyotes met up with the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack for an 8 a.m. first pitch Sunday, as the circuit tried to beat out an oncoming rainstorm at Spitz Stadium in Lethbridge.

What started as a runaway turned into a nail-biting affair that came down to the last pitch, when OC infielder Coleman Kawaguchi took a Jared Sucro grounder and tossed it to Jack Swinton for the final out.

The ensuing dogpile led to a trophy presentation, and it was mission accomplished for the Coyotes.

“College baseball is a lot more of a grind than what I thought it was going to be,” infielder Easton Brons told Alberta Dugout Stories after the game. “For it to finally pay off and get a championship – it means so much.”

It put the cap on a weekend and a season that the Coyotes players and coaches say was filled with overcoming obstacles and adversity.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

The first half of the CCBC season for Okanagan College was the definition of “up and down” in sports.

The team went 8-7 through the first 15 games, and head coach Geoff White says they weren’t playing all that great.

“We weren’t defending very well,” he said. “We were pitching well and hitting well at times, but just couldn’t put it all together.”

White says the turning point, in his mind, was a visit to Vancouver Island University in mid-April.

While the team went 2-2 in that set, he says the senior players started to come around, changing the team’s season.

After splitting another four-game series with TRU, Okanagan went 9-3 through the final 12 games, including two-straight wins against the Wolfpack on the final regular season weekend.

THE ROAD TO SUNDAY

Under a cloudy sky and threats of rain for most of the World Series tournament, the Coyotes thought it would be their offense that would have to guide their way through the cold weather.

They sent a message to the rest of the league in their opener, a 15-5 victory over the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks.

While other teams were battling it out in double-digit scores, Okanagan then had to lean on the combination of Logan Bradford, Dawson Head and Cory Lawson in a 5-2 victory over VIU, guaranteeing themselves a spot in the semi-final.

They then got out to a 7-0 lead on Prairie Baseball Academy and held on for a 7-6 win to put themselves into the final.

The Wolfpack, meantime, also went 2-0 in the round-robin with wins over the Victoria Golden Tide and UFV.

They then lost to the Cascades in the first game of the semi-final, forcing a second game in the double-elimination tournament, which they won handily 17-2.

QUITE THE START

Drayson Vodarek found himself in an unusual spot as the team bus pulled into Spitz Stadium on Sunday morning.

The CCBC All-Conference Second-Team reliever started only one game all year, a 4-2 victory over Edmonton, while finishing with a 1-1 record, three saves and a 2.70 ERA.

He also faced the Hawks in the World Series opener, pitching two innings out of the bullpen.

So with a well-rested arm, the West Kelowna native was called upon to start the biggest game of his collegiate career.

“We just had to come out first and come out firing early,” Vodarek said. “In those early games, that’s the most important thing is whoever strikes first gets to set the tone.”

“I knew I couldn’t let the boys down and I knew I had to be dialed in right away.”

After allowing a lead-off single to Carter Spencer, the right-hander struck out Riley Hay, allowed another single to Sucro, and finished the inning by getting Gabe Powell to ground into a double play.

The Coyotes helped their hurler out in a big way in their half of the first inning, pushing across four runs against CCBC All-Conference First Team reliever Manny Recchi, who was also getting a rare start.

Vodarek’s final line on the morning was no runs on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings, as he left with a 6-0 lead thanks to the Coyotes putting up two more runs in the bottom of the fifth.

EDGE OF YOUR SEATS

The Wolfpack finally got on the board in the top of the sixth against reliever Ryan Powers, scoring one before the Coyotes put up another two-spot in their half of the inning.

Facing an 8-1 deficit, the TRU offense woke up in the seventh inning, exploding for six runs including a two-run home run from veteran first baseman Simon Crossfield.

White says the team needed to settle down if they were going to hold onto their one-run lead.

“As a staff, we honestly knew that TRU was never out of it,” he said. “They’re a great club and we knew they weren’t going to be rolling over and dying – it was going to be a fight.”

Okanagan right-fielder Ethan Skiffington hit a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth to give his team a little breathing room going into the final frame.

After giving him the ball in the eighth inning, White sent senior reliever Cory Lawson back out in the top of the ninth to finish the job.

It didn’t start well though as the Calgary native walked Lucas Miracle and Manny Birch, then hit Hunter Fanshaw.

“Getting squeezed a little bit there in the ninth, you just have to calm your emotions down and think about the next pitch,” Lawson said. “I was just like, ‘Okay, I’ll go right at you again right here.’”

He allowed a run when Ryan Petrie grounded into a 1-6-3 double play, and Birch scored when Spencer singled.

The inning kept going when Riley Hay made it to first on an error, advancing Spencer to third.

Facing Sucro, Lawson says he had no doubts that he could end it, and when Kawaguchi took the grounder and threw the ball onto first for the game-ending out, a sigh of relief was met by jubilation.

“That’s baseball, right,” said the reliever. “It’s never over until the last out and I just had faith in our guys.”

It’s the first CCBC championship for OC since 2022.

SEASON OF GROWTH

After the trophy presentation, photos and hugs subsided, many on the team took a moment to soak in what was an emotional ride of a game and season.

Coyotes lead-off hitter Adrian Orioli, who went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, says the dugout felt loose throughout the championship contest, as everyone believed in their teammates and trusted that they were always in a good spot.

“Emotions were running high throughout the whole thing, up and down,” he said. “Not falling too low, just trying to stay even.”

Brons, who was named a CCBC All-Conference Second-Team infielder, also went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in.

“Our bats were the reason we won this thing,” the Saskatoon native reflected. “They showed up every game and that was really important.”

In the other dugout, Crossfield and his teammates weren’t hanging their heads in the aftermath of a back-and-forth battle.

The Vancouver, B.C. native says baseball is a game of inches and, sometimes, it just isn’t meant to be.

“It was a great season,” Crossfield said. “I think all of our guys should be really proud of how we competed throughout the year.”

After each team gets home from the tournament, the players will go their separate ways, while the coaching staffs will start focusing on what next year will bring.

For White, he’s excited about what the future has in store for the Coyotes.

“We have a fairly young group, which is nice for the returning class next year,” he said. “Overall, lots of growth on the season.”

BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR

It was another empty-handed CCBC World Series weekend for Alberta’s three teams.

The hosts, Prairie Baseball Academy, lost 7-5 to VIU and beat Edmonton 6-3 before knocking off the Mariners 20-5 in the quarter-final and falling to OC in the aforementioned semis.

The University of Calgary Dinos, meantime, lost 8-2 to UFV and shut-out Victoria 14-0 before falling 13-8 to the Cascades in the quarters.

And the Hawks from Edmonton were two-and-done with their losses to OC and the Dawgs.

While the weather left a little to be desired, the CCBC season will be remembered as another year of improving talent across the circuit and competitive action every weekend.

By Joe McFarland and Ian Wilson, Alberta Dugout Stories. Originally published by Alberta Dugout Stories, May 18, 2025, and shared here with permission. See the original.