Bob Kootenay Memorial Award: Manager of the Year
Jordan Brand, Westlock Red Lions

A veteran player and fierce competitor, Jordan took over the Red Lions three seasons ago, following his brother Chris as manager, which was no easy task. He rebranded the club and rebuilt it into a younger, speedier version of the storied franchise while keeping its strong defensive core, experienced pitching, and aggressive hitting. After an 18-2 record last season, the Red Lions went 17-3 this year, proving that success was deserved. Jordan received 50 ballot points in the vote for the award.

Servus Cup: Best Regular Season Record
Westlock Red Lions, 2026 Pennant Champions

The Servus Cup goes to the club with the best regular season record and is presented in the league’s 59th consecutive year of operation. It is an identical replica of the inaugural Molson Cup, which was awarded for the league’s first 50 years. The Red Lions finished 17-3, easily outpacing their opponents. They have played in the NCABL since its inception in 1968 and have consistently produced an exciting brand of baseball throughout their decades-long tenure.

Dan Gerlach Memorial Award: Most Promising Junior Player
Koehan Currie, Legal Primeaus

First introduced in 1978, this award honours the league’s most promising junior player, and Koehan was the unanimous choice with the maximum number of ballot points. His manager describes him as a respectful, all-around team player who brings life and positive energy to the dugout. Koehan started with the Legal Minor Baseball Association as a U-18 player, where he became a sure-handed outfielder patrolling both centre and left field. After joining the Primeaus, he developed his offensive skills, leading the league with a .481 batting average and .571 OBP over 63 plate appearances, plus 18 stolen bases. He is grateful for his opportunities with Legal and eager for his next chance at post-season baseball.

Most Valuable Player of the Year
Derek Lofstrand, Westlock Red Lions

Each club nominates two players for this award, and all clubs then vote in rank order for their five top players. Derek won with 20 ballot points. Manager Jordan Brand described him as the ultimate athlete, one who doesn’t relish the limelight and simply plays the game he loves at a high level. A quiet, unassuming player with a calm demeanour under pressure, Derek hit .469 with a .509 OBP over 55 plate appearances. He led the league with 23 RBIs, struck out just once all season, and hit for power with a few home runs. His patience at the plate and his confidence in the field have earned the respect and appreciation of his teammates.

Most Valuable Player of the 2026 League Championship Final Series
Derek Lofstrand, Westlock Red Lions

Derek continued to cement his reputation as a clutch player throughout the post-season, both defensively and offensively. He hit .375 in the final series and made a number of dazzling defensive plays at shortstop. Although many players on both sides had strong post-season performances, Derek stood out for his ability to deliver a clutch hit when it counted most or a critical out to end an inning. He joins a short list of excellent players who have won both the regular season MVP and the post-season MVP.

Ken Schultz Memorial Award: Distinguished Service to Baseball
Jordan Riopel

Presented on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Citadel Park in Legal during the League Championship Semi-Final Series, this is the league’s most prestigious award. It was first presented in 1993 at the request of the Schultz family, and its recipients are known as the “pillars of the NCABL.” Jordan grew up in Morinville, where his grandfather Vic Ring managed the Morinville Merchants in the 1970s. After his family moved to St. Albert, he played minor ball with the Cardinal organization at the triple A level as an elite outfielder with a major league arm. His U-18 team competed for several Canadian National Championships and in the largest international tournament ever held at the minor league level in Alberta. In his twenties, he moved to Camrose, where baseball and softball had long since died out, and founded the Camrose Axemen. The Axemen spent about ten seasons in the NCABL and won pennants in 2012 and 2013. In the 2014 post-season series against the Red Lions, Jordan hit .444 while patrolling right field.

When his playing career ended in his thirties, Jordan turned to volunteer work, establishing baseball and softball associations in Camrose and reintroducing representative baseball and softball to the area. While coaching his daughter’s club, he qualified his Camrose Crossfire team for nationals in two of the past three seasons. He remains active in coaching, and he and his wife Melissa have dedicated many volunteer hours to raising corporate support for baseball and softball infrastructure in Camrose. Winston Tuttle made the official nomination, and Tim Schultz assisted Commissioner Riopel with the presentation.

Long Service Award: 15-Year Umpire Recognition
Winston Tuttle

A core NCABL umpire, Winston was honoured by Commissioner Paul Riopel for 15 years of dedicated service to the league. The award recognizes five, ten, and fifteen years of service to umpiring within the NCABL. The league has run an independently administered umpire development program since 1973, recruiting and largely training its own umpires. Winston also delivered the nomination for this year’s Ken Schultz Memorial Award.

Jake Moger threw a gem over seven innings which gave the Twins several opportunities  to position runners on base  in scoring position.  But each time the Red Lions found a way to stop the Twins short by coming up with strong defensive plays in both the infield and outfield.  After a nervous error by Cote on an attempted force out at the plate which gave the Twins an early 1-0 lead, Cote settled down and contained the Twins for eight solid innings on the hill.  A 2-0 lead by the Twins held until very late in the game when Westlock managed to score a run in the sixth.  With the game literally on the line in the bottom of the seventh, Derek Lofstrand came through with a two out single scoring the tying run for Westlock.  An extra inning would not produce a break for either club as darkness set in and a large fan base was sent home disappointed that the game they had witnessed had to come to a close without a declared winner.  The truth of the matter was that no one wanted to leave the park following such a superb effort from both rivals.  That rivalry will continue on Saturday at 2:00 pm with the conclusion of game 1 in the LCFS.  That game will be followed by game #2 at Henry Singer Park in Spruce Grove.

Westlock Red Lions           2             Parkland Twins             2    (after 8 innings of play)

Game #1 in the LCFS will resume on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

The Legal Primeaus will be hosting the 59th edition of the League Championship Semi-Final Series at Citadel Park in Legal on Saturday, August 22nd & Sunday, August 23rd. Fans can expect to see a new rivalry in a best of three series between the pennant champion Westlock Red Lions and the Edmonton Angels, who have punched their ticket into the LCSFS for the very first time since joining the League in 2025.  A more established rivalry between the St. Albert Cardinals and Parkland Twins will again be featured in Series B, also to be played out as a best of three playoff on the same weekend.  The Cardinals edged out the Twins in the regular season standings by a single game to capture the home game advantage in their series.  Action begins at 10:00 on both Saturday and Sunday unless Series A is abbreviated which would push back the first Sunday game to a 1:00 PM start.  The full schedule follows:

Saturday

10:00 Edmonton Angels vs. Westlock Red lions

13:00 Annual On-Field Award Presentations

13:15 Parkland Twins vs. St. Albert Cardinals

16:00 Westlock Red Lions vs. Edmonton Angels

Sunday

10:00 St. Albert Cardinals vs. Parkland Twins

13:00 Edmonton Angels vs. Westlock Red Lions

16:00 Parkland Twins vs.  St. Albert Cardinals

Admission:  $6/day of competition Children 10 yrs. and under will be admitted free of charge.

Players from both the North Central Alberta Baseball League and Foothills League in Calgary have formed a combined club in their bid to bring home gold in the Western Canada Baseball Championship.  This year’s event is being hosted in Saskatoon with elite baseball clubs from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia competing at the Senior AA level. This first time initiative was the brainchild of the Parkland Twins who will have competed in four consecutive Western Canada Baseball Championships hosted in turn by all four provincial associations. 

The core of players representing the Alberta contingent will be coming from the St. Albert Cardinals and Parkland Twins rosters.  Manager Matt Orey has confirmed that the following players will be joining their counterparts from Calgary:  Greg Brady, Vaughn Rempel, Kyle Prather, Zaine Foth-Thomas, Dom Pasychnyk, Eli Boucher, Zach Pollard, Daniel Simmonds, and Gavin Turinek.

The schedule for the Alberta squad begins on Friday, August 14 with the final scheduled for late Sunday afternoon.

August 14:

August 15:

August 16:

Game 4:
Alberta: 10
Carlyle Cardinals: 0

Championship Gold First vs. Second         15:30

The N.C.A.B.L. will be posting results from all Alberta games at the end of each day.

The Angels faced a larger than life challenge earlier today when they took to the field against the pennant leading Westlock Red Lions (16-1) in what amounted to a very long shot at making it into this season’s post season.  Just a few days earlier the Angels faced off against the second place St. Albert Cardinals in an equally important game which they won 14-9 keeping them on track to achieve a feat never seen before in the League’s 59 year history.  Struggling for most of the season and holding down the 6th place ranking all season long, the Angels are the only club to have catapulted themselves over two higher placed clubs (the Orioles and Primeaus) in the final game of their regular season to nail down the fourth and final post season berth.  The N.C.A.B.L. gave the fourth place standing to the Angels on the strength of their superior win-loss record (3W, 1L) in head to head games against the Orioles this season.  Despite the result of an upcoming Monday night tilt between the Orioles and Twins in Stony Plain possibly giving the Orioles an equal number of victories during regular season play, the Angels would prevail, thus leading them to their first ever appearance in the LCSFS in only their second complete season in the League.

After an early Red Lion lead, the Angels turned to Emmett Pengelly who proceeded to shut down the Red Lions over five complete innings on his way to registering twelve strikeouts without giving up a single earned run.  The Angels held on for a 5-3 victory to raise their regular season totals to 7W which was just enough to punch their ticket into the LCSFS where they will once again be facing the Red Lions in a best of three series.

Both LCSFS A and B featuring the top four clubs in the NCABL will be taking place at Citadel Park in Legal Alberta on August 22 & 23.

The North Central Alberta Baseball League officially released the names of this season’s voted All-Stars today. These athletes are being congratulated in a very special way for having exhibited a high level of performance at each of their respective designated positions. They will be joined by other athletes as selected by the coaching staff of both All-Star Clubs for the annual All-Star Game co-hosted by the League and the Cardinals. The big game will be played at Legion Field in St. Albert on Sunday, July 19th, with the first pitch being thrown at 7:05 p.m. Admission is only $5 with children under 10 admitted free.

The Beverly Optimist All-Stars have been designated as the home team for this year’s tilt while the Brodwell All-Stars will be the visitors. Players from the Westlock Red Lions, St. Albert Cardinals, and Barrhead Orioles will be in home uniforms while representing the Beverly All-Stars while players from the Parkland Twins, Legal Primeaus, and Edmonton Angels will be suited up under the Brodwell banner. The complete All-Star rosters will be released before the big game on Sunday.

Presenting the voted All-Stars for 2026 by position:

Pitcher Kyle Lawrence Westlock Red lions
Catcher Liam Rentz Barrhead Orioles
1B Sean Beaudoin Westlock Red Lions
2B Zach Pollard St. Albert Cardinals
3B Kadin Chamzuk Legal Primeaus
SS Derek Lofstrand Westlock Red Lions
OF Robert Sullivan St. Albert Cardinals
OF Koehan Currie Legal Primeaus
OF Greg Brady Parkland Twins
Utility Carson Pollard Edmonton Angels

The North Central Alberta Baseball League signed an historic agreement with the Goodfish Lake First Nation last Saturday in St. Albert, Alberta.  The agreement will see the NCABL participate in a Baseball Showcase Event in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the signing of  Treaty 6.  Baseball has largely replaced the sport of lacrosse among indigenous youth since the signing of Treaty 6, which is why the game of summer has established strong roots among our first nation people.  The NCABL has long partnered with our friends from Alexander and Alexis and that friendship has only strengthened the ongoing desire to share the diamond with yet another group seeking ways to better understand and appreciate one another. Having received an invitation to participate in the festivities commemorating the Treaty 6 signing, the NCABL did not hesitate to extend its hand in friendship.  The Baseball Showcase will feature five NCABL clubs along with local indigenous clubs from the St. Paul and Lac la Biche area with a focus on athletes from Goodfish Lake.  The Baseball Showcase will run on Saturday and Sunday, July 4th and 5th.

The NCABL has for decades administered to its own umpiring needs.  As such, the League values its core of umpires and appreciates its casual umpires.  Our umpires have shared the League’s vision of providing the highest possible level of officiating while continually promoting the viability and sustainability of the game of baseball.  Every effort has been made to retain fair compensation for our umpires while allowing for the growth of the game in rural regions where the game has suffered its greatest losses.  The North Central Alberta region was in many respects the cradle of baseball growth and development in the early 20th century.  Unfortunately, development today exists primarily under the auspices of academy programs which cater to the advantaged primarily in urban centres.  This has not deterred the NCABL from presenting a brave and independent program of baseball which has included strong support for the outgrowth of the game in rural Alberta.

The NCABL offers its umpires opportunities to serve on various judicial bodies and committees engaged in the League’s governance.  The LCS Appeals Committee, for example, is tasked with resolving any contentious issue arising during Series’ play.  It also annually selects a post-season MVP. Our most senior umpires are also involved in mentoring younger umpires in the 16 -24 age group under a long standing program known as the “Umpire Mentorship Program”.  As an umpire in the NCABL, we welcome your broad support in promoting the League as a sign of appreciation for belonging to it. The NCABL continues to provide service awards to its long standing core umpires who have reached five, ten, and fifteen years of distinguished service. Umpiring should extend beyond working games for a stipend.  There are opportunities for giving back to the game that go well beyond the satisfaction of earning a few dollars.  Ken Schultz certainly exemplified the spirit of giving back when the love of the game carried him through an extremely difficult period in his life which he spent battling severe diabetes.  Ken eventually succumbed to that disease at age 34, but not before advancing the game by serving it rather than being served by it.  The NCABL continues to honour what Ken meant to the game in this region by annually awarding the “Ken Schultz Memorial Award” for long and unselfish service to the growth and development of baseball.  From the menu bar on our home page, scroll down to awards/KenSchultz for a complete list of the recipients of that award.

On a sunny and warm Saturday in late August, the family of Kevin Hardman gathered on the infield of Keller Field in Westlock to accept the Ken Schultz Memorial Award presented posthumously for the first time since its inception in 1993.  Phyllis Schultz, whose family sponsors this annual award, was present for the official recognition ceremony which highlights an individual’s long term contributions to the game of baseball in the North Central Alberta region served by the League.  As mentioned by Commissioner Riopel during his address, Kevin will be remembered for his pure love of and excitement for the game rather than for a list of notable achievements.  Kevin encapsulated what the game of baseball has gifted us with through the sheer pleasure of having played the game, of having experienced its rich history and statistical depth, of the many memories forged, and finally of the opportunities it has provided for our own personal growth and development.  Mr. Riopel continued by saying that Kevin lived to respect the game of baseball by honouring its age old traditions and by playing it with every ounce of God given ability that he had been given.  It could be said that he very much had followed in Ken Schultz’s footsteps and was now united with Ken having earned his moniker as a “pillar of the NCABL”.

The 57th edition of the NCABL post season will be taking place this coming Saturday and Sunday at Keller Field in Westlock, Alberta.  Despite the excitement and anticipation that this event is known to produce at this time of year, one piece of the NCABL’s heart will be missing as we mourn the loss of a long time friend and pillar of the League and community of Westlock. Chuck Keller has passed and we are deeply saddened by his loss. Chuck Keller worked tirelessly and proudly for the community of Westlock and for the game that he loved.  Keller helped to build the game by exemplifying good sportsmanship as an elite player and by contributing his time and talents in many areas within the sport of baseball. His volunteer spirit was unmatched as he quietly went about caring for the facilities that were built for the citizens and sports enthusiasts of his community.  His coaching expertise and leadership style were to be admired. A 1996 recipient of the Ken Schultz Memorial Award, Chuck Keller will always be remembered for his unselfish and unassuming service to community and the sport of baseball. It is ever more fitting that the park that bears his name will be hosting a championship in which his beloved Red Lions will be competing.

The same top four seeds as last season have qualified for the two post season series’, but the match ups have changed.  The pennant champion Twins will be opening Series A (best of three) against the pesky Orioles who will be without the services of an injured Chase Visser. Visser will probably be sidelined for two months before returning to active competition.

Saturday, August 10:  
(A) 10:00 Orioles vs. Twins
(B) 13:00 Red Lions vs. Cardinals
(A) 16:00 Twins vs. Orioles

The Red Lions will be opening their best of three series (LCSFS: B) on Saturday against the defending League Champion St. Albert Cardinals.  These two teams have a long history of doing battle on the diamond and this season was no exception.  After the Red Lions had eked out two extra inning victories by scores of 10-9 and 9-8 in the first half of the season, the Cardinals pounded the Red Lions for a decisive 15-0 victory.  The Red Lions answered the bell in their fourth encounter by returning the favour with an equally decisive 13-0 rout of the Cardinals.  Series B will be concluded on Sunday with the game times subject to change depending on the results from Series A.

Sunday, August 11:  
(B) 10:00 Cardinals vs. Red Lions
(A) 13:00 Orioles vs. Twins
Should LCSFS: A have been completed on Saturday, the 10:00 game featuring the Cardinals and Red Lions would be pushed back
(B) 16:00 Red Lions vs. Cardinals

The Beverly Optimist All-Stars, with players from the Cardinals, Orioles, and Reds built a commanding lead in the 2024 All-Star Game played at Keller Field in Westlock, Alberta last July 21st before their defence collapsed.  The Optimist All-Stars came out firing on all cylinders in the first half of the contest collecting 10 runs on 9 hits in the early innings.  The Power Sports and Marine All-Stars, with players from the Twins, Red Lions, and Primeau’s, had been very quiet until their half of the fourth inning managing only one hit off of the effective pitching of starter Kayden Rentz.  By the time the dust had settled ending the fourth inning, the Power Sports All-Stars had counted 7 runs on 4 hits while taking advantage of 4 Optimist All-Star errors. The Power and Marine All-Stars added another run in the fifth to come within 2 runs of the Optimist All-Stars. In the bottom of the seventh, Greg Brady managed to score after being walked to close the gap to a single run differential. Nathan Brown then singled to score Poeter for the tying run.  Hayden Chies followed Brown with his second hit of the day driving in Nate Day and securing a come from behind victory for the Power and Marine All-Stars.

The home club prevailed by scoring 10 unanswered runs in the second half of the game to edge the Beverly Optimist All-Stars 11-10.

	R	H	E	LOB
Power Sports and Marine All-Stars	11	9	3	4
Beverly Optimist All-Stars	10	12	6	8

Player mentions:

At the pitching position, mentions go out to Eric Pankiw (2IP, 7BF,1H, 0R, 1K, WP) of the Power Sports and Marine All-Stars and to Kaden Rentz (2IP, 8BF, 1H, 0R, 1K, 1HB) of the Beverly Optimist All-Stars.

Positional players deserving of mentions include Nathan Brown of the Power Sports & Marine All-Stars:  4AB, 2H, 1R, 2RBI, including a game tying RBI in 7th. And Zach Pollard of the Beverly Optimist All-Stars:  3AB, 2H, 1R, 3RBI, including one double and 1K.

Most Valuable Player of the Game Award:

Hayden Chies:  5AB, 2H, 1R, 3RBI, including one double and the game winning RBI.

Beverley Optimists All-Stars

Power Sports and Marine All-Stars

We will be launching our 57th consecutive season of operation on May 8th with six franchises in our fold. The Legal Primeaus will be returning to Citadel Park to once again compete in the same League they once joined over fifty years ago. The NCABL will be offering its players and fans a sixty game package plus an exciting post season.

We welcome Jim Crawford, Winston Tuttle, Kevin Adam, Marty Stubbs, and newcomer Travis Parker to our core in 2024 along with the return of a solid group of casuals comprised of Dan McKennitt, Mike Duncan, Jason Gabert, Larry Wedgewood, and newcomers Braden Horn (who will also be in the mentorship program) and George Vander Velde.

The NCABL post season has been interrupted temporarily as the Parkland Twins compete in the Western Canada Baseball Championship being hosted in Oak River, Manitoba. The Twins lost a close game in their tournament opener by dropping a 3-2 decision to the Manitoba Border All-Stars yesterday. The Twins were then blanked 12-0 at the hands of the Carlyle Cardinals. Today (Saturday, August 19, 2023), however, proved that the Twins could prevail against strong opposition as they bounced the Oak River Dodgers by a score of 8-4 on the strength of a Nolan Rivard grand slam home run in the sixth inning. The Twins will now wait to see what help they can get as the round robin continues to be played out.

Part 2 of 2 on the results from the Western Canada Baseball Championship in Manitoba

Unfortunately the stars did not align for the Parkland Twins as they were already mathematically eliminated from the tournament final when they met the South Delta Brewers in their last game of the round robin, a game they lost 13-4. That set the stage for a final pitting the Oak River Dodgers (4-1) against the Manitoba Border All-Stars (3-2). What can be taken away from this series is that the Twins dropped a game by one run to one finalist and were the only club to beat the other finalist and eventual Western Canada Champion Oak River Dodgers. The Twins should be satisfied with this outcome.

McLean-Poll meant business when Manager Zach Pollard handed him the baseball in the first game of Series A at Keller Field last Saturday. The young Orioles, despite their four hit for four run performance were no match for the Cardinals on this day. No Red Bird was called upon to even break a sweat as McLean-Poll faced 27 batters while amassing a whopping 14 strike outs.

Line score: LCSFS A-#1

The Barrhead Orioles refused to give up despite a short bench which forced two injured players to remain in a game which was knotted up 2-2 after seven completed innings of play. Hardy Fischer, a young minor league pitcher, had a strong outing for the Orioles going five innings while allowing only 1 run on 3 hits. The Cardinals spread out their 7 hits with veterans Riopel and Shepert each getting two, while Zach Pollard, Jeff Morris, and Ryan Lehman notched one apiece. The floodgates opened in the extra inning as the Orioles could not answer the bell after the Cardinals punched in 4 runs in the top of the eighth. The Cardinals swept the Series and will advance to the League Championship Final Series for the first time in their eleven year history in the NCABL.

Line score: LCSFS A-#2

Jake Moger pitched a complete game victory for the Parkland Twins by effectively executing his pitches. Veterans Cassidy and Pasychnyk each led the Twins with two hits while six more hitters added singles resulting in two runs, enough to defeat the Red Lions led by the steady bat of Chris Brand who went 3 for 3 on the day. Corson Hanlan took the loss in a hard fought game reminiscent of old rivalries. The Twins walked away the victors with hopes of a second successive championship still burning strong.

Line score: LCSFS B-#1

The Red Lions opened with the wily veteran, Sean Beaudoin, on the mound. Beaudoin threw an array of off speed pitches and curve balls which seemed to fluster some of the Twin batters who came up empty handed during Beaudoin’s four innings of work. The Red Lion bench was itself in short supply of arms when Corson Hanlan was called in for his second appearance of the Series. Three highly effective innings later and the Twins had only managed two hits and a single run against Hanlan. In the meantime, the Red Lions had collected 12 runs on 13 hits and had provided their pitchers with a solid wall of defence led by their very versatile outfield.!

Line score: LCSFS B-#2

In the third and deciding game of this series, the Twins could not seem to recover from a less than stellar performance in game two. In a move reminiscent of those early days when Mike Gonas, a member of the Hall of Fame, was often called upon to pitch in two or more games in the same series, the Red Lions called upon Corson Hanlan to do the same. Hanlan responded by pitching a complete game in which he allowed only one unearned run on three hits to go along with five strikeouts. The Twins left the field having allowed 11 Red Lion hits to only 3 for the defending League Champions. Hayden Rake took the loss as the Red Lions claimed the right to make yet another appearance in the 2023 League Championship Series.

Line score: LCSFS B-#3

The St. Albert Cardinals came into the League with high aspirations for a quick ascent among the favourites to win a pennant and possibly a championship, both in quick order. Having graduated from a highly successful minor baseball program (SAMBA), this young team was expected to do well. But the road to success for the Cardinals has been anything but easy. Eleven long years later and after many painful lessons learned, the Cardinals have finally discovered what it really takes to become a champion. Perseverance and dedication are the underpinnings of success. This season, under Manager Zach Pollard, the club has seen an increased commitment from a core group of Cardinal players. The pitching staff is deeper led by Tanner McLean-Poll and solidified by veterans like Kevin Dryburgh and Mark Trela. Offensively, the Cardinals have come into their own with four players positioned among the top ten hitters in the League. Pollard, whose league leading .491 average, is being supported by the likes of outfielders Robert Sullivan (.419 average) and Luc Riopel (.368 average) and shortstop Ryan Lehman (.353 average). Although defensive lapses are still not uncommon on this club, the Cardinals are slowly addressing the importance of playing as a cohesive unit. With a combination of youthful new additions to their roster along with a maturing core of players and the leadership provided by a number of seasoned veterans, the 2023 Pennant Champion Cardinals will not cower under pressure. They are battle ready and the Series pitting them against the surging Orioles from Barrhead should prove to be very interesting.

Manager Chase Visser did not hesitate when asked one week ago whether the Orioles would pounce upon the chance to make it into the post-season or simply fade away as they had done last year in their first season back into the League. His response was firm: “We’re ready and determined”. And the young Orioles certainly rolled into Fort Saskatchewan last Tuesday night to prove that their Manager wasn’t blowing hot air. The Orioles sliced up the hapless and struggling Reds and handed them a 16 -1 defeat to set the stage for last night’s match up at home with their rivals, the Westlock Red Lions. The Red Lions had travelled to St. Albert the night before to take on the pennant leading St. Albert Cardinals, leaving Legion Field with a 7 – 5 victory over the Cardinals. In a hard fought game at the Rec Grounds in Barrhead, the Orioles beat the odds by edging the Red Lions 4-3. That victory spelled a split in their series with Westlock this season, but more importantly it guaranteed a spot in the post-season for the Orioles who have shown splashes of excellence recently which has created a positive buzz in their dugout. They will face off against the eventual pennant champions in Series A of the LCSFS (League Championship Semi-Final Series). That series will be played at Keller Field in Westlock along with LCSFS B on August 12th and 13th. The first game in Series A will begin on Saturday at 10:00 AM with a second game scheduled to start at 4:00 PM that same day. Should a third and deciding game be necessary, it would be played at 1:00 PM on Sunday, August 13th.

The 2023 All-Star Game returned to the friendly confines of Keller Field last  Sunday only to face a lot of adversity from mother nature. A torrential downpour early Sunday morning in Westlock had turned the infield and some parts of the outfield into a quagmire. A willing and determined grounds crew comprised of players from the Power Sports and Marine All-Stars spent all day sponging and raking and along with a warm summer sun managed to bring the field back to life.  Fans actually returned to the park after a four hour game delay and were not disappointed. Not only was the game well played by both clubs, but George and  Simone’s All-Star Dog Combo was a big hit as well. The night was warm and the traditional smells of a ballpark hotdog certainly captured the mood. 

The visitors opened the scoring in the top of the 1st after Visser had tripled and  Chies had followed with an RBI double. But the Beverly Optimist All-Stars responded with 2 hits while taking advantage of two hit batters to score 3 runs in their half of the inning. McLean-Poll, the starting pitcher for the home club,  allowed two hits but struck out two batters to deny the Power Sports and Marine  All-Stars any runs in the top of the second. Ryan Rivard faced only four batters while collecting three outs in his 2nd inning appearance. In the top of the third,  Nathan Brown drew a base on balls and followed that with two stolen bases,  eventually scoring on a passed ball to close the score to 3-2 with the Beverly  Optimist All-Stars still holding onto a lead they would not relinquish. Sean  Beaudoin had the best pitching performance of the day allowing no runs in his two innings of work while striking out 3 of the 6 batters he faced. Jake Moger returned the favour by allowing only one hit and no runs in his two innings of work for the Beverly Optimist All-Stars. The score remained 3-2 after four innings when Ryan Gregory took to the hill to record 3 strikeouts while giving up only one walk and a single hit. The versatile Chase Visser threw one inning for the  Power Sports and Marine All-Stars recording three quick outs including a  strikeout on only three batters faced. The home club put the game away by amassing 3 hits and scoring two additional runs off closer Nathan Brown. Rake  Hayden did the rest for the Optimist Club All-Stars by retiring three of the four batters he faced. Vaughn Rempel of the Twins was selected as the Most Valuable  Player of the All-Star Game by going two for three with two RBIs late in the game. 

The final score: Beverly Optimist Club All-Stars 5 Power Sports & Marine All-Stars 2.

The Beverly Optimist Club has supported amateur sports and more specifically baseball
within the NCABL for many years. Darrell Dingwall has been a long term Optimist Club
member and has been a strong supporter of the NCABL and its programs, particularly
the developmental programs involving umpire mentorship and the integration of minor
aged players into the mainstream rosters. Due to the four hour rain delay, Barry
Fredrickson (also pictured to the right of Commissioner Riopel) was unable to deliver
the ceremonial first pitch of the ball game. Equally satisfying for both Optimist Club
members, however, was the victory they posted (5 – 2) over the Westlock Power Sports
and Marine All-Stars.

With a new local sponsor in their back pocket, the Westlock Power Sports & Marine All-Stars were facing a wash out after an early and unexpected storm hit Keller Field hard on Sunday morning. Undaunted by the prospect of having the 2023 All-Star Game canceled, the Red Lions with help from the Orioles rolled up their sleeves and literally sponged all of the sitting water. The field crew then raked and re-raked from 10:00 a.m. until almost 5:00 pm. When Commissioner Riopel first saw the field in late morning, he was not confident that the boys on the crew could salvage the game. But after a huddle in the midfield, all were unanimous in wanting to give it their best shot and so the Commissioner was told to give them until 6:00 PM and to believe that a transformation was within their power to produce. You could say that their new name saw a fitting introduction to baseball on this day. The power it took to produce the sport these young men love saw them tackle the marine like field conditions and win. With the promise fulfilled, fans came back after a four hour game delay to witness a well played All-Star Game. That’s the spirit, boys. And another reason to cherish the legacy of sport in the Town of Westlock.

On Sunday, July 23rd, the Power Sports and Marine All-Stars comprised of players from
the Red Lions and Orioles will be facing the Beverly Optimist All-Stars in the annual
NCABL All-Star Game at Keller Field in Westlock, Alberta. Game time is 2:00 PM.
The following players have been either voted in using a League wide balloting process or
selected by Management to participate in this year’s event.

Beverly Optimist All-Stars
Name	#	Designated Pos.	Voted/NP	Team
Tanner McLean-Poll	17	Pitcher	Voted	St. Albert Cardinals
Jared Lamb	5	Catcher	Voted	Parkland Twins
Zach Cox	18	First Base	Voted	Fort Saskatchewan Reds
Tanner Stawnichy	25	Second Base	Voted	Fort Saskatchewan Reds
Kirk Lachance	10	Third Base	Voted NP	Parkland Twins
Ryan Poeter	15	Shortstop	Voted NP	Parkland Twins
Robert Sullivan	13	Outfield	Voted	St. Albert Cardinals
Vaughn Rempel	27	Outfield	Voted	Parkland Twins
Jake Moger	4	Pitcher	Selected	Parkland Twins
Kyle Prather	13	Pitcher	Selected	Fort Saskatchewan Reds
Ryan Gregory	7	Pitcher	Selected	Fort Saskatchewan Reds
Hayden Rake	47	First Base	Selected	Parkland Twins
Jeff Morris	1	First Base	Selected	St. Albert Cardinals
Mason Franko	27	Shortstop	Selected	Fort Saskatchewan Reds
Jarrett Wilson	77	Shortstop	Selected	St. Albert Cardinals
Brennan Flett	18	Outfield	Selected	St. Albert Cardinals
Zach Pollard	11	Utility	Selected	St. Albert Cardinals
Zach Pollard	11	Manager		St. Albert Cardinals
Randy Stawnichy	39	Coach		Fort Saskatchewan Reds
NP – designates a player who did not participate in the All-Star Game

Power Sports and Marine All-Stars
Name	#	Designated Pos.	Voted/NP	Team
Chase Visser	8	Outfield	Voted	Barrhead Orioles
Nathan Brown	21	Utility	Voted	Westlock Red Lions
Ryan Rivard	6	Pitcher	Selected	Barrhead Orioles
Cole Rivard	11	Pitcher	Selected	Barrhead Orioles
Declan Kummer	24	First Base	Selected	Barrhead Orioles
Colin Lovich	22	Second base	Selected	Barrhead Orioles
Kaden Wiegand	3	Third Base	Selected	Westlock Red Lions
Sean Beaudoin	9	Third Base	Selected	Westlock Red Lions
Kadin Chamzuk	43	Third Base	Selected	Barrhead Orioles
Nolan Rivard	7	Shortstop	Selected	Barrhead Orioles
Hayden Chies	6	Outfield	Selected	Westlock Red Lions
Allen Borle	10	Outfield	Selected	Westlock Red Lions
Matt Quartel	NA	Outfield	Selected	Barrhead Orioles
Johnny Klein	86	Outfield	Selected	Barrhead Orioles
Nate Day	17	Utility	Selected	Westlock Red Lions

Get ready to spend a leisurely afternoon of baseball entertainment in one of Alberta’s most
celebrated parks. Come on out to Keller Field in Westlock on the afternoon of Sunday, July
23rd, to cheer on your local representatives chosen to take part in this season’s All-Star Game. Players from across the entire league will be clashing to see who can claim to be true All-Stars. And while you’re at the park, do indulge in our All-Star Dog Combo which is sure to be a big hit with a hungry crowd. Admission is only $6 per person with children ten and under admitted free of charge. The All-Star Dog Combo will sell for a $5 bill. See you all at the ball game!

Six years after the first pitch was ever thrown in the North Central Alberta Baseball League, an idea was born. What better way would there be to have a young promising baseball league achieve its full potential than to have within its ranks a dedicated group of umpires responsible for maintaining order and decorum according to the rules of the greatest game in America. And so, the baseball itself was unwound revealing the core in 1974. The core soon took on the NCABL’s personality and gritty approach to the game of baseball. The core was synonymous with respect for the game, proud representation of our League’s bold lettering (NCABL), and a tenacity no matter the weather for applying fair minded and knowledgeable practices throughout the course of a game. The most valuable and longest serving members of our core have a reverence for the plate, know its outline, and call its corners sacred ground. Many have contributed to the development of baseball in this province and beyond in various supervisory roles within Baseball Alberta and the National Program. Many have umpired in the largest and most prestigious baseball tournaments ever played in Alberta. Others have toiled in the educational realm of the game. Some have left us with memories of great and not so great calls. But all have left us touched to the core by their necessary presence within a game that demands that the rituals remain creating the mystique within this great game.

Kevin Hardman’s passage through life saw him touch down on many baseball diamonds, hockey rinks, football fields, and soccer pitches.  All along the way, Kevin brought with him his love of the games being played and his appreciation of the athletes so engaged in playing them.  Hardman’s appreciation of the sports he most loved translated into a passion for collecting memorabilia and for meeting the greats who played these games at both the amateur and professional levels.  Gifted with a razor sharp memory for recollecting sporting events of significance, Kevin was an avid reader of sports memoirs and had an acumen for elevating his conversations with precise statistical data.  If one word could adequately describe Kevin, “enthusiasm” would emerge in living colour. That enthusiasm for the “virtues of sport” led him to dedicate countless volunteer hours to the menial tasks which too many of us disregard as unimportant, but which Kevin viewed as a way of respecting the sport and honouring those athletes who played the game.  From cutting the outfield grass to carting bags of gear from one baseball park to another, to organizing team socials in his humble holiday trailer, to coaching younger athletes, Kevin gave of himself and brought his enthusiastic demeanour to everyone with whom he was connected.  A gentle soul with a kindly spirit hovered over a baseball field today leaving us saddened but appreciative that he had passed our way.  God bless you my friend,

Submitted by Paul Riopel

Commissioner, NCABL