Berries WCBL championship win highlights August 2026

The Berries raise the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy as WCBL champs.

The Saskatoon Berries are the boys of spring and summer in “The Bridge City.”

They made Cairns Field the place to be in Saskatoon, and in three years, they created the best day ever locally to be at a baseball park.

On Sunday, August 16, the Berries thumped the Sylvan Lake Gulls 11-1 in Game 2 of the WCBL Championship Series at Cairns Field to sweep the best-of-three set 2-0. The Berries captured their first league championship in just their third year of existence in front of a record crowd of 2,579 spectators.

Before that moment, the Berries faithful, known as the “Jam Fam,” got a trial run about what winning a league title at home might feel like.

Merek Yeager delivers a pitch for the Berries in the WCBL final.

Just four days earlier on Wednesday, August 12, the Berries downed the Moose Jaw Miller Express 7-4 to sweep the best-of-three WCBL East Division Championship Series at Cairns Field. The crowd of 2,467 spectators, which was the Berries record crowd at that time, were roaring at the final pitch and that roar amplified after the final out was caught in right field.

The song “Oh, What a Night” that was released in 1963 by The Four Seasons echoed in the park as the Berries stormed the field in celebration. It felt like that night was the perfect night, but there was no certainty that scene would play out again in the WCBL Championship Series against the Gulls.

AP catcher Aiden Kilshaw was a key player in the Berries post-season run.

In Game 1 of the WCBL final played on Saturday, August 15 at Gulls Stadium in Sylvan Lake, the Berries pulled out a 4-1 victory. In Saskatoon, excitement started to immediately build for a potential league championship win the next night at Cairns Field.

The Berries weren’t going to be denied a series sweep. Game 2 of the WCBL final started with the Berries jumping out to a 3-0 lead after two innings of play, before the Gulls responded with one run in the top of the third to cut Saskatoon’s advantage to 3-1.

The host side exploded for five runs in the bottom of the sixth to surge ahead 8-1 and cruised to victory from that point. The sixth-inning surge allowed the “Fam Jam” to soak in and enjoy the championship victory.

The Berries celebrate scoring two runs in Game 2 of the WCBL final.

A great Saskatchewan story played out on the mound in that WCBL title clinching game. Merek Yeager, who is a 19-year-old from Muenster, Saskatchewan, got the start on the hill for Saskatoon. The right-handed hurler picked up the win striking out four batters and scattering seven hits and a walk over six innings of work.

Brooks Jones, who is a left-handed pitcher from Lawrence, Kansas, struck out five batters in holding the Gulls scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings.

Howetown product Colin Plain, who has been with the Berries for all three seasons of their existence, got the call to close out the night in the ninth inning. The right-handed hurler struck out three out of the four batters he faced, while giving up a double in the mix to start the celebration in earnest.

Ethan Murdoch drives a hit for the Berries in the WCBL final.

At the plate, first baseman Josh Henson nailed a three-run homer to start the surge in the sixth inning. Henson’s round-tripper put the Berries up 6-1 and turned the feeling of what could be a close game into a fairly secure comfort belief that the great night was truly on for the Saskatoon side.

As an extra bonus, catcher Aiden Kilshaw, who was originally from Swift Current and moved to Saskatoon, nailed a solo shot in the seventh inning to give the Berries an 8-1 advantage at that point in time. Kilshaw, who will turn 18-years-old on September 4, was an associate player who joined the Berries on a full-time basis after his final season concluded in late July with the Saskatoon Cubs 18U AAA team.

One year earlier, Kilshaw helped the Cubs win their seventh Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League championship. With the Berries in the 2026 post-season, Kilshaw went 9-for-27 at the plate for a .333 batting average, two home runs and 10 RBI.

Gael Salinas became a fan favourite with the Berries.

Right-handed relief pitcher Wesley Shackelford, who is from Belleville, Texas, was named the MVP of the WCBL playoffs. In four games of work, Shackelford threw nine scoreless innings striking out 14 batters, while giving up one hit and one walk.

He picked up the pitching win in the Berries 7-3 victory over the Regina Red Sox in Game 1 of a WCBL semifinal series on Friday, August 7 at Cairns Field. Shackelford earned the save in the Berries 5-3 win over the Red Sox in a series-deciding Game 3 just two nights later.

Following that 2-1 series victory over the Red Sox, Shackelford came in to get the save in the WCBL East Division Series clinching Game 2 win over the Miller Express. He was on the hill for the Berries picking up the save in their Game 1 victory of the WCBL final over the Gulls in Sylvan Lake.

The Berries begin celebrating their WCBL championship win.

The WCBL championship win closed out the playing career for Berries right-fielder and Swift Current, Sask., product Ethan Murdoch. He was the first member of the Berries to lift the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy after the squad became WCBL champions.

It allowed second baseman, fan favourite and Guanajuato, Mexico, product Gael Salinas cap a memorable first series with the Berries, which saw him represent the club in the WCBL’s All-Star Weekend which Saskatoon hosted on July 18 and 19.

Part of the “Fam Jam” at Cairns Field cheers on the Berries.

The Berries win helped further build the WCBL legend of the team’s head coach in Joe Carnahan. Officially hired by the Berries on July 5, 2023, Carnahan was part of six WCBL championship winners in Swift Current.

He was a player for three title wins in 2001, 2005 and 2006, and he was the team’s head coach for championship victories in 2010, 2016 and 2017. Carnahan stepped down as the head coach and general manager of the Swift Current franchise on September 21, 2020.

With Carnahan as head coach, the Berries got through their growing pains quickly. In their inaugural 2024 campaign, the Berries finished sixth overall in the 12-team circuit with a 31-26 record and fell in a series-deciding Game 3 to the Miller Express in the East Division Championship Series.

The Berries relish lifting the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy.

In 2025, the Berries topped the league’s overall standings with a 46-9 mark, and their win total was a WCBL record for most wins in one regular season. They again fell in a series-deciding Game 3 in the East Division Championship Series this time to the Red Sox, who advanced on to claim the WCBL title.

This past season, the Berries finished fourth overall in the WCBL with a 38-18 mark. They rolled in the post-season posting a 6-1 record that included finishing with a five-game winning streak. They were 4-0 at home and 2-1 on the road.

Steve Hildebrand, left, and Joe Carnahan enjoy their WCBL title win.

Carnahan was named the WCBL coach of the year for a fifth time following the 2025 campaign. On July 11, Carnahan got to see one his Berries grads in Carnduff, Saskatchewan, product Carter Beck, who played centrefield, be selected in the first round and 26^th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the MLB Draft. Beck became the highest ever Saskatchewan born player to be picked in the MLB Draft.

Of course, Berries president Steve Hildebrand played a big role in bringing Carnahan to Saskatoon and creating a culture that allowed Carnahan and the rest of the organization to realize all this remarkable early success. They all helped create a game day atmosphere making Cairns Field a field of dreams with various promotions and concessions that contained various items that contained Saskatoon Berries.

It was fitting that following the WCBL title win on August 16 that a large number of the families and billet families of the Berries players, coaches and staffers got to take part in the championship celebrations on the Cairns Field turf. It started with a big fireworks show and ran long into the night.

The Berries WCBL title win will be a forever memory.

Ultimately, the WCBL championship win was one that everyone with the Berries organization was a part of resulting in a moment that will always be a cherished and joyful memory for the rest of their lives.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Berries were Saskatoon’s hottest ticket in summer of 2024

First-year club came up win short of WCBL final

The Berries salute their faithful at Cairns Field on August 13.

If you are going through Saskatoon Berries withdrawal, you likely have company.

The Berries season came to an end just eight days ago on August 13 at Cairns Field. In a series deciding Game 3 of the WCBL’s East Division Championship Series, the Berries dropped a 5-3 decision to the Moose Jaw Miller Express.

Saskatoon claimed Game 1 of that series 14-1 at Cairns Field on August 11 and anticipation was high in “The Bridge City” the expansion club could make the best-of-three WCBL Championship Series. One night later in Game 2 of the set at Ross Wells Park in Moose Jaw, the Express rebounded with a runaway win by a 17-6 score. That set the stage for the Express to claim a tightly contested winner take all Game 3.

The crowd at Cairns Field give the Berries a standing ovation.

After the Berries fell 5-3 in Game 3, they waved their hats to the crowd while being saluted by the 1,811 spectators who packed into Cairns Field. For the summer of 2024, the Berries were the hottest ticket in Saskatoon.

Before the Berries came into existence, the last team from Saskatoon to play in the WCBL was the Saskatoon Yellow Jackets, who existed from 2002 to 2014. In their final campaign in 2014, the Yellow Jackets posted a 20-26 record to finish ninth overall in the then 13 team circuit and drew about 200 spectators per game to Cairns Field.

Carter Beck emerged as the Berries star player.

Fast forward to March 29, 2023, the Sask Entertainment Group announced it had purchased an expansion WCBL franchise to begin play in May of 2024. The Sask Entertainment Group is the parent company that also owns the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and the NLL’s Saskatchewan Rush. That meant the new WCBL expansion franchise, which would be officially dubbed the Berries on July 13, 2023, would have a sound business and marketing team behind it.

Even before the Berries hit the field, the club sold a tonne of merchandise, with team hats being a big hit.

The Berries would also have the advantage of playing at a revamped Cairns Field, which is now part of the massive sports park called the Gordie Howe Sports Complex overseen by the Gordie Howe Sports Complex Management Corporation. Cairn Field’s old grandstand was knocked down in April of 2018 to make way for the new facility built in its place.

Nolan Sparks fires a ball in from left field.

The Berries played their inaugural regular season game on the road falling 5-4 to the Red Sox in Regina this past May 25. The home debut for the new WCBL side came on May 28 at Cairns Field as the Berries dropped an 8-4 decision to the Red Sox. The Berries drew 2,200 spectators to that first home date, and despite the loss, most of the fans that came out to the park left feeling like they had a good time.

The spectators had fun with the various in game promotions. They enjoyed the various foods in the concession that contained Saskatoon Berries and also a Saskatoon Berries branded beer brewed locally by 9 Mile Legacy Brewing.

It was expected the Berries would have growing pains on the field, and they did falling in their first five straight games and posting a 3-8 record after 11 contests. Their first win came on May 31, when they blanked the Beavers in Weyburn 5-0. The first home win came one night later with a 16-10 triumph over the Lethbridge Bulls.

Andrew Albers, left, and Joe Carnahan check out play on the field.

After that 3-8 start, the Berries improved rapidly and finished with a 31-26 record, which placed them sixth overall on the 12-team circuit. The ace that allowed the Berries to improve quickly was the squad’s coaching staff.

On July 5, 2023, the Berries hired Joe Carnahan head coach. He built a legacy in the WCBL in Swift Current playing for league championship teams in 2001, 2005 and 2006. Carnahan became the team’s head coach and guided them to league titles in 2010, 2016 and 2017.

His staff included for MLB hurler Andrew Albers as the team’s pitching coach and Chance Wheatley and Alex Archuleta as assistant coaches.

Colin Plain sets to unload a pitch for the Berries.

Centre-fielder Carter Beck has emerged as the Berries most recognizable star being one season removed from being named the most valuable player of the under-18 AAA level of the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League with the South East Twins. Local area products like Nolan Sparks, Oakland Flodell, Cory Wouters and Colin Plain have came through at key times for the Berries.

United States products like Bailyn Sorensen, Jalen Freeman and Ethan Menard have endured themselves to the Saskatoon and area community since arriving in May.

On the attendance front, the Berries are playing in front of an average home crowd of about 1,900 spectators a night.

A group of youngsters meet Berries mascot “Barry the Bear.”

For Berries president Steve Hildebrand, who is still better known as the associate general manager of the Blades, you could tell the Berries and baseball were his passion, and it was cool to see the season work out like it did.

Hildebrand was able to spend the summer working with his son Max Hildebrand before the go off to be WHL rivals again. Max Hildebrand, who was once an accomplished baseball player himself, is the Berries equipment manager but is best known as the star netminder of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders.

It was exciting to see the Berries in the post-season, and it was a pleasant surprise to see them win a best-of-three East Division Semifinal 2-1 against the Medicine Hat Mavericks. Berries fans also experience the tough part in being in the post-season.

A member of the “Berry Bunch” performs at the seventh inning stretch.

Due to the WCBL being a summer league for players playing university or college ball mostly in the United States and partially in Canada, some university and college programs start recalling their players when the WCBL playoffs are on. When the Berries post-season run concluded, about half of their roster had returned to the university and college ranks.

The toughest departure was seeing Sparks depart for Northern Kentucky University Norse Baseball Team following the Berries Game 1 win over the Express in the WCBL’s East Division final. In four post-season games with the Berries, Sparks, who is an alumnus of the Saskatoon Cubs Under-18 AAA Team, was 5-for-18 at the plate with two home runs and four runs batted in. He batted .302 in the regular season, and his timely hits were missed after his departure.

Youngsters run the bases after the Berries last game on August 13.

Even with the departures, the Berries and their fans could see how close to seeing the club go all the way.

Last Saturday playing before 6,341 spectators at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks, the Express found themselves locked in a 5-5 tie with the host Dawgs heading to the ninth inning of a series deciding Game 3 of the WCBL final. In the bottom of the ninth, Dawgs first baseman Connor Crowson hit a solo home run to deliver Okotoks to a 6-5 victory, a third straight WCBL title and an eighth WCBL championship overall.

For the Berries, they gave their fans more thrills on and off the field than maybe a first-year should have been able to provide. They made going to a high-level baseball game in Saskatoon the sexy thing to do and here is hoping that becomes a tradition that follows for a long time to come.

A picture memory is made after the Berries last game on August 13.

A “boys of summer” team that connected with the folks in Saskatoon is here.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Berries’ “Field of Dreams”

Beck hits for cycle in Game 1 romp of WCBL East Division final

Carter Beck hits his triple to complete hitting the cycle on Sunday.

“Perfect.”

That was the fitting description for what took place for the Saskatoon Berries in Game 1 of the WCBL’s East Division Championship series. With a crowd of 1,559 spectators packed into Cairns Field on what was the most beautiful Sunday afternoon you could ever see in Saskatoon, the host Berries romped to a 14-1 win over the Moose Jaw Millers Express.

The Berries will try to close out the best-of-three set in Game 2 on Monday at 7 p.m. at Ross Wells Stadium in Moose Jaw. If the Express are able to rebound and win Game 2, a series deciding Game 3 will be held on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Cairns Field.

Carter Beck jets around second base on his way to a triple.

In Sunday’s Game 1 win, it seemed like everyone who took the field for the Berries had a highlight moment. The Berries most well-known star was their biggest star, and he stole the show.

Centre-fielder Carter Beck hit for the cycle going 4-for-5 at the plate with three runs batted in. For those not familiar with baseball terms, hitting for the cycle meant Beck, who is from Carnduff, Sask., collected a single, a double, a triple and a home run in one game. It is one of the most difficult statistical feats to accomplish in baseball.

In Major League Baseball, there have only been 347 occurrences where a player has hit for the cycle with the first coming from Curry Foley of the Buffalo Bisons on May 25, 1882. The MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays have been in existence since 1977, and they’ve had only three players hit for the cycle with Kelly Gruber being the first back on April 16, 1989.

Carter Beck slides save into third to complete a triple and the cycle.

Beck got things started for the Berries on Sunday leading off the bottom of the first with a double. Second baseman Grant Sommers came up to bat second and drove Beck home with a double for the host side’s first run of the game.

In the bottom of the fourth with a man on, Beck, who is 19-years-old, hit a two-run homer to put the Berries up 8-0 at that point in the contest. Beck followed up hitting a single in the bottom of the sixth, and he would later score on a sacrifice grounder to first hit by catcher Ethan Menard to push the Berries advantage out to 10-0.

Kolt Davis threw the final four innings for the Berries on the hill.

In the bottom of the seventh with a man on, Beck, who stands 6-feet and weighs 190s pounds, drove an opposite field shot from the right side of the plate that curved away from the Millers left-fielder. Beck hit the afterburners rounding first and second base at lightning speed and slid head first safe into third base for his cycle-completing triple that drove in a run.

Sommers proceeded to drive Beck home with a single to complete a four-run inning that saw the Berries lead stand at 14-0. The Express scored their lone run in the top of the eighth.

The Berries outhit the Express 19-6 on the afternoon. Sommers and third baseman Jaden Lamothe were both 3-for-4 at the plate for Saskatoon. Shortstop Anibal Rivera was 2-for-4 at the dish for the Berries, while left-fielder Nolan Sparks and Menard with both 2-for-5 at the plate.

Grant Sommers throw to make a put out at first for the Berries.

Saskatoon also shone on defence. In the top of the seventh, Express designated hitter Joe Osborn hit a dying quail into right field that looked sure to drop for a base hit. Berries right-fielder Jalen Freeman dove from a full sprint head first to make the catch to rob Osborn of the sure hit bringing the faithful at Cairns Field out of their seats to a joyful and appreciative cheer.

The hitting and defence brought a trademark ear to ear grin from Berries head coach Joe Carnahan.

The pitching was also on once again for the Berries like it was for their three-game East Division semifinal series win over the Medicine Hat Mavericks. Left-hander Jacob Hadden got the start for the Berries and picked up the win throwing five innings and striking out four batters, while scattering four hits and one walk.

The Berries faithful salute their team at the end of the game on Sunday.

Right-hander Kolt Davis entered the game throwing the final four innings for the Berries striking out one batter, allowing one earned run and scattering two hits and three walks.

Berries pitching coach and former MLB hurler Andrew Albers has taught the young ones well.

For Berries fans, this was the classic great baseball where you relaxed in the stands with the loaded hot dog and downed a can of the Berries team beer brewed locally by 9 Mile Legacy Brewing. What might be piling on for Moose Jaw supporters, Berries beer kicks the butt of any Miller product on the market.

Dominic Archila, left, and Kolt Davis mark Sunday’s win.

The kids that came out had the best time ever whether it was watching the game, playing on recreation structures set up behind the stands or taking part in promotional games. Of course, the highlight was rounding bases following the conclusion of the game high-fiving or hugging Berries mascot Barry The Bear at home plate.

What went down on Sunday afternoon at Cairns Field was a site that was dreamed about when the facility was totally revamped under the watch of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex Management Corporation starting in April of 2018 when the park’s old grandstand was knocked down, and later the Sask Entertainment Group announced on March 29, 2023 it had purchased an expansion WCBL franchise to begin play in May of 2024.

Carter Beck (#20) enjoys Sunday’s win with his teammates.

Berries are the baby of team president Steve Hildebrand, who is best known as the associate general manager of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades, and he really, really wanted the team to be a success. It is safe to say everyone linked with the Berries dreamed of an afternoon like the one that came to pass on Sunday, but know one though that scene would come this quickly for the first-year club.

With their home win in Game 1 of the WCBL East Division Championship Series on August 11, 2024, the Berries’ “Field of Dreams” became a reality.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Oilers fans should soak in Stanley Cup moment win or lose

Ice District parties bring back 2006 Whyte Avenue memories

An Oilers fan talks to a reporter on Whyte Avenue in 2006.

No matter what happens in the Stanley Cup final, Edmonton Oilers fans should soak in the moment win or lose.

You never know when a time like this will come again. Of course for the Oilers, this is their first time in the Stanley Cup final since 2006, when the fell 3-1 in a series deciding Game 7 to the Carolina Hurricanes.

After two games of this year’s Stanley Cup final, it is likely the enthusiasm from the Oilers faithful has lost some steam. The Oilers traveled to Sunrise, Florida, for the first two contests of the NHL championship series dropping a 3-0 decision on Saturday in Game 1 and a 4-1 decision in Game 2 on Monday to the Florida Panthers.

The series now shifts to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4 to be held on Thursday and Saturday respectively at Rogers Place at 6 p.m. local time on both nights. With the stellar play of Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and the frustration the Oilers are having breaking through on the scoreboard, there is a potential those two upcoming contests could be the last games of the series.

Oilers fans hang out at a pub on Whyte Avenue in 2006.

For me personally, I have for a long time been one of those that has elected to not concern myself with the makeup of the Oilers roster or getting into debates on who should be the second line centre, the third line right-winger, on the third defensive pair or other things like that. If the Oilers win or lose, I don’t treat it like it is life or death, and I’ve long ago realized the sun comes up tomorrow no matter the result of the game.

The way I treat wins and losses from the Oilers might have come from the aftermath of the 2006 run. After falling to the Hurricanes in Game 7 of that year’s Stanley Cup final, the “Decade of Darkness” started for the Oilers where they missed the post-season for 10 straight years.

With all that said, I do come away very happy when the Oilers win.

Throughout the Oilers post-season run in 2024, the most heartwarming sights for me have been seeing the video of the Ice District in downtown Edmonton on TV broadcasts. That area has also been dubbed the “Moss Pit,” named after beloved long time Oilers dressing room attendant Joey Moss who passed away at age 57 in 2020.

Oilers fans cruise Whyte Avenue in 2006.

When I see video from the Ice District, I mostly see lots of young adults out having the time of their lives. The parties look like pure fun.

The images from those videos take me back to reliving the fun that happened on Whyte Avenue during the Oilers run to falling to the Hurricanes in Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup final. Back in 2006, I was at the right young adult age to be able to go out and enjoy the fun on Whyte Avenue, which was also known as “The Blue Mile.”

Living in Medicine Hat at the time, I made it to Edmonton at least on three occasions to take part in the festivities on Whyte Avenue, which was a strip filled at the time with various bars and nightclubs. 

The final trip was for the Game 7 loss, where I went to the watch party at the Oilers long time former home in the Northland Coliseum before venturing out to Whyte Avenue.

A trio of Oilers fans share a laugh on Whyte Avenue in 2006.

Back in those days, Rogers Place hadn’t been built yet, and there was not gathering epicenter by the Northlands Coliseum like the Ice District that exists now.

While the Oilers ultimately lost that night in Game 7 in 2006, the party on Whyte Avenue was still great as the people that went out wanted to hold one last celebration for the run that was. Back in 2006, it was a surprise to have the Oilers in the Stanley Cup final, because they hadn’t been to a conference final since 1992 or to the Stanley Cup final since last winning it in 1990.

I remember that party provided a chance to put a bow on how good that run was. You did get to enjoy some adult fun.

There were also some rowdy episodes that occurred on Whyte Avenue during the 2006 run, but those episodes didn’t occur on my visits there. With that noted, the Edmonton Police Service did have bigger presence along Whyte Avenue during the final game nights of the Stanley Cup final and there were some pretty rough arrests where the police were trying to make a show of force.

The Edmonton Journal from June 20, 2006.

On the final night, I saw the increased police presence, and I did witness two tough arrests. With that said, I didn’t think the police presence took away from the fun that was had on that night.

Those that went out still got to live out one great final party chapter that provided a final and lasting memory of that run.

When I see the video of the festivities out at the Ice District with the current generation of young adults, it makes me wish I was that young again. They might not know it yet, but they are making memories that they will always carry with them.

Now, it would be great to see rally back to win the Stanley Cup. Still for Oilers fans, they should try their best to enjoy the moment right now, because you never when they will get back to the Stanley Cup final again. Missing out would definitely be no fun.

Berries game night experience a blast, other notes

Ryan Olchoway sets to unload a pitch for the Berries.

The Saskatoon Berries have turned Cairns Field into the place to be during the spring and summer in “The Bridge City.”

The Berries are playing through their debut season in the Western Canadian Baseball League, and the game day experience might be one of the best you will find in minor league baseball. They have numerous promotions going on throughout the game, brought in numerous new concession options that feature items with Saskatoon Berries in them, sell a locally made beer with the team name on it that has a Saskatoon Berry taste to it and added a cool jumbo video board in the outfield next to the scoreboard.

The club’s mascot in Barry The Bear helps create a positive vibe that you can feel throughout the park. The Berries have produced the perfect spot where you can go out and enjoy quality high level baseball on a hot summer day or night.

They also have a small store at Cairns Field, where you can pick up their wonderful merchandise. They have the best merchandise you will see from any sports team anywhere.

Of course with the Berries being a first year team, the wins have been a little hard to come by. After 13 games, the Berries have posted a 5-8 record and sit fifth in the WCBL’s East Division. At the moment, they have won their last two straight.

A look at Cairns Field during a Berries home game.

They will face a big challenge in their next two games taking on the Medicine Hat Mavericks, who top the East Division with an 8-4 mark. The Mavericks have been one of the WCBL’s top five teams for most of the past 22 years. The two sides go at it on Wednesday and Thursday at Cairns Field with a 7 p.m. start time on both nights.

The management of the Saskatoon Entertainment Group, which owns the Berries as well as the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and the NLL’s Saskatchewan Rush, made the astute move of hiring Joe Carnahan to be the Berries head coach. Carnahan had a storied playing and coaching career with the WCBL’s Swift Current 57s.

He was a played on three league championship teams with the 57s and guided them to three more league titles as head coach. Carnahan is putting the pieces in place that should allow the Berries to reach lofty heights on the field one day.

Still, the first year Berries team in the current day battles really hard. With how outstanding the game experience is at Cairns Field, Berries home games provide a great time at the park watching baseball.

• The Saskatoon Entertainment Group has a big store on the north end of Saskatoon, where people can buy Saskatoon Blades, Saskatchewan Rush and Saskatoon Berries merchandise. The store, which is called “The Fez,” is located at 105-2803 Faithful, Avenue. The store is open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For those looking to make purchases online, the link to get to making online purchases is right here.
• On Thursday, the Saskatoon Blades traded 20-year-old left-winger Vaughn Watterodt to the Victoria Royals in exchange for 19-year-old centre Ben Riche. Watterodt, who was a Blades fan favourite, recorded eight goals, 14 assists and a plus-eight rating in the plus-minus department in 59 regular season games with the Blades in the 2023-24 campaign. Riche played 67 regular season games split between the Moose Jaw Warriors and Royals this past season recording 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points.
• On Saturday, the Saskatchewan Roughriders opened their regular season downing the Elks in Edmonton 29-21. If Roughriders veteran starting quarterback Trevor Harris can stay healthy, they might be able to be a surprise team in the CFL this year after missing the post-season the past two years. Early on, it feels like the Roughriders are better throughout their playing roster. Rob Vanstone, who is the team’s senior journalist and historian, puts out tonnes of great stories on the team. Those stories can been found on the Roughriders website www.riderville.com.
• On Sunday, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a piece on Muriel Gieni, who has set Canadian masters record in track and field on at least 60 occasions. That story goes into Gieni’s journey through the sport and can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that was highlighted by the Saskatoon Berries first ever WCBL home game and showed the busy happenings of baseball, football, softball and track and field. That post can be found by clicking right here.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.