The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) is a collegiate summer baseball league. The league is home to teams based in the Canadian Prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, and has roots dating back to 1931 in Saskatchewan's Southern Baseball League. In 1975, the province's southern and northern leagues merged, creating the foundation for the WCBL. Today, the league boasts seven teams in Alberta and five in Saskatchewan.
History
The league can trace its roots back to 1931, via its predecessors, the Southern Baseball League (1931 to 1974) and the Northern Saskatchewan Baseball League (1959 to 1974). The Saskatchewan Major Baseball League (SMBL) was formed in 1975 through a merger of the Southern and Northern leagues. Three teams from each former league entered the new loop—the Eston Ramblers, Saskatoon Royals, and Unity Cardinals from the north, and the Moose Jaw Devons, Regina Red Sox, and Swift Current Indians from the south.
The league was renamed the Western Major Baseball League in 2000 to reflect teams based in Alberta, along with the possibility of future expansion to British Columbia. In June 2018, it was announced that the league would be renamed the Western Canadian Baseball League.
The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and logistics, the 2021 season was played with only five Alberta-based teams and Canadian players only.
Teams , WCBL membership consists of 12 teams in two divisions. The West Division is made up of six Albertan teams, while the East Division is made up of all five teams from Saskatchewan, plus the easternmost Albertan team from Medicine Hat. The top four teams in each division qualify for the post-season.
Current teams DivisionTeamCityStadiumFoundedSeatingcapacity2026 recordFinish West Brooks Bombers Brooks, Alberta Elks Stadium2015 681 16–38 5th Energy City Cactus Rats Spruce Grove, Alberta Energy City Metro Ballpark2005 0 21–33 4th Fort McMurray Giants Fort McMurray, Alberta Legacy Dodge Field2016 1,725 15–41 6th Lethbridge Bulls Lethbridge, Alberta Spitz Stadium1999 3,000 33–23 3rd Okotoks Dawgs Okotoks, Alberta Seaman Stadium2003 2,500 42–14 1st Sylvan Lake Gulls Sylvan Lake, Alberta Pogadl Park2021 1,384 38–18 2nd East Medicine Hat Mavericks Medicine Hat, Alberta Athletic Park2003 2,200 22–34 4th Moose Jaw Miller Express Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Ross Wells Ball Park2002 750 41–15 1st Regina Red Sox Regina, Saskatchewan Currie Field1946 2,000 26–30 3rd Saskatoon Berries Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Cairns Field2023 2,200 38–18 2nd Swift Current 57's Swift Current, Saskatchewan Mitchell Field1959 550 21–35 5th Weyburn Beavers Weyburn, Saskatchewan Tom Laing Park— 600 21–35 6th
Former teams +TeamCityFinal yearEston RamblersEston, Saskatchewan1993Hazlet ElksHazlet, Saskatchewan1993Kindersley RoyalsKindersley, SaskatchewanMelville MillionairesMelville, Saskatchewan2019Moose Jaw DevonsMoose Jaw, SaskatchewanOyen PronghornsOyen, Alberta1997Red Deer GeneralsRed Deer, Alberta2005Saskatoon LinersSaskatoon, Saskatchewan1984Saskatoon NationalsSaskatoon, SaskatchewanSaskatoon Yellow JacketsSaskatoon, Saskatchewan2014Sherwood Park DukesSherwood Park, Alberta2008Unity CardinalsUnity, SaskatchewanYorkton CardinalsYorkton, Saskatchewan2019
Expansion Cranbrook, British Columbia, was granted an expansion team, the Eds, in 2011 conditional on building a new stadium. However, the plans failed to come to fruition.
The two most recent additions to the league are in Sylvan Lake and Saskatoon. Plans for a 2021 launch of the Sylvan Lake team were announced November 1, 2019. Branding as the Sylvan Lake Gulls was announced in March 2020. Saskatoon was awarded the most recent expansion team, in 2023. In July 2023, the team unveiled that it would be called the Saskatoon Berries.
Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy
Saskatchewan Territorial (1895–1905) and Provincial (1906–present) champions have been decided by an annual tournament. In 1967 the first major division was added to the tournament, and the award was named in memory of Harry Hallis. From 1967 until 1974 the name of this provincial champion was added to the trophy. In 1975, when the Saskatchewan Major Baseball League was formed, this trophy continued to be awarded to the SMBL champions, and now the WCBL champions.
League champions
Saskatchewan Major Baseball League (SMBL) Champions:
1975: Eston Ramblers 1976: Regina Red Sox 1977: Regina Red Sox 1978: Eston Ramblers 1979: Saskatoon Patrick-Liners 1980: Saskatoon Patrick-Liners 1981: Saskatoon Patrick-Liners 1982: Eston Ramblers 1983: Eston Ramblers 1984: Kindersley Royals 1985: Kindersley Royals 1986: Eston Ramblers 1987: Hazlet Elks 1988: Hazlet Elks 1989: Hazlet Elks 1990: Kindersley Royals 1991: Kindersley Royals 1992: Swift Current Indians 1993: Eston Ramblers 1994: Swift Current Indians 1995: Oyen Pronghorns 1996: Swift Current Indians 1997: Swift Current Indians 1998: Swift Current Indians 1999: Moose Jaw Miller Express 2000: Swift Current Indians
Western Major Baseball League (WMBL) Champions: (Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy) 2001: Swift Current Indians 2002: Moose Jaw Miller Express 2003: Medicine Hat Mavericks 2004: Calgary Dawgs 2005: Swift Current Indians 2006: Swift Current Indians 2007: Okotoks Dawgs 2008: Okotoks Dawgs 2009: Okotoks Dawgs 2010: Swift Current Indians 2011: Regina Red Sox 2012: Regina Red Sox 2013: Melville Millionaires 2014: Medicine Hat Mavericks 2015: Lethbridge Bulls 2016: Swift Current Indians 2017: Swift Current 57's 2018: Medicine Hat Mavericks
Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) Champions: (Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy) 2019: Okotoks Dawgs 2020: Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. 2021: Lethbridge Bulls 2022: Okotoks Dawgs 2023: Okotoks Dawgs 2024: Okotoks Dawgs 2025: Regina Red Sox 2026: Saskatoon Berries
+ Championships (WCBL/WMBL) Team Wins Seasons Okotoks Dawgs 8 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 Swift Current 57's 6 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2016, 2017 Medicine Hat Mavericks 3 2003, 2014, 2018 Regina Red Sox 3 2011, 2012, 2025 Lethbridge Bulls 2 2015, 2021 Moose Jaw Miller Express 1 2002 Saskatoon Berries 1 2026 Melville Millionaires 1 2013
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