Horns up for Classic Matchup
By Ian Wilson
It was a big-league baseball experience that truly was a classic.
The Rural Roots Baseball Classic - an event staged by the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) and the community of Oyen on Sunday, June 8th - brought high-end summer collegiate baseball to Doug Lehman Field while honouring the Oyen Pronghorns.
Starting pitcher Max Benton delivers a pitch during play between the Lethbridge Bulls and Sylvan Lake Gulls at Doug Lehman Field in Oyen on June 8. The Prince Edward Island product, who trained at Badlands Baseball Academy, picked up the win after going six innings for the Bulls. PHOTO BY IAN WILSON
Oyen Mayor Doug Jones was honoured before the June 8th Rural Roots Baseball Classic game between the Lethbridge Bulls and Sylvan Lake Gulls on Sunday, June 8th at Doug Lehman Field. Event organizers surprised Jones by revealing that Alberta RCMP Century Park would undergo a name change and now be called "Doug Jones Park" to acknowledge his efforts in promoting baseball in the region and the province. PHOTO BY IAN WILSON
Ten alumni of the Oyen Pronghorns teams, which competed in the Saskatchewan Major Baseball League (SMBL) from 1993 to 1997, showed up for a reunion at the Rural Roots Baseball Classic. They were honoured before the game between the Lethbridge Bulls and Sylvan Lake Gulls on Sunday, June 8th. From left: Aaron Anderson, Mick McClellan, Josh Nowlin, Brad Molchak, Darran Jones, Barry Logan, Graham Schetzle, Aquil Samuel, Todd Hubka and Ched Simmons. PHOTO BY IAN WILSON
A crowd of over 550 baseball fans - many of them wearing Oyen Pronghorns hats and jerseys - showed up at Doug Lehman Field in Oyen on Sunday, June 8th for an afternoon matchup between the Lethbridge Bulls and Sylvan Lake Gulls of the Western Canadian Baseball League. PHOTO BY IAN WILSON
Players and coaches from both the Sylvan Lake Gulls and Lethbridge Bulls turned to the crowd at Doug Lehman Field after the game on Sunday, June 8th. They tipped their caps to those in attendance to say thanks for coming to the WCBL game. PHOTO BY IAN WILSON
Children from the Oyen area received instruction from several Lethbridge Bulls players at a kids summer baseball camp on Saturday, June 7th at Badlands Baseball Academy. Teachers from the Bulls in the back row (left to right) include Noah McNeil, Max Benton and Shaye McTavish. PHOTO BY IAN WILSON
The Pronghorns, who operated in Oyen from 1993 through 1997, were the first Alberta team to win a championship in the Saskatchewan Major Baseball League (SMBL), which later evolved into the WCBL. This year marks the 30th anniversary of that title victory.
Several alumni from that team returned to Oyen for a reunion, which included a Saturday golf tournament and a ceremony before Sunday's game between the Lethbridge Bulls and Sylvan Lake Gulls.
Oyen Mayor Doug Jones, who was instrumental in establishing both the Pronghorns and the Bulls, was also honoured during the pre-game festivities. The past president of the WCBL was informed that Alberta RCMP Century Park will now officially be called Doug Jones Park. The site is home to several ball diamonds, including Doug Lehman Field.
“I was surprised – it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” said Jones.
“It was great and nice to have my whole family here as I wasn’t expecting them all to be here.”
Along with Jones and the Pronghorns alumni, former Deputy Premier Shirley McClellan was recognized for her efforts in promoting baseball and sport in the region.
The game itself was a high-scoring affair that saw the Bulls jump out to a 10-0 lead after two innings, punctuated by a grand slam from catcher Drew Bufford. Sylvan Lake responded with four runs in the third inning before both squads put up zeros in the fourth and fifth frames. The bats came alive again in the sixth inning and both teams traded runs until the final score ended in a 19-11 victory for Lethbridge.
Top hitters on the Bulls included Bufford and left fielder Brennan McTavish, who had two hits, two runs and five runs batted in (RBI). Lethbridge right fielder Lee Matsuzaki also collected three hits, one run and a pair of RBI.
Among the noticeable Gulls batters were outfielder Simon Baker, with a homer and five RBI, and catcher Cam Macleod, who hit a double and scored three runs. Outfielder Ayden Makarus connected on a solo homer in the sixth inning.
On the bump, righthander Max Benton went six innings for the Bulls and allowed five runs, four of them earned. The Prince Edward Island product, who studied at Badlands Baseball Academy, threw 50 of his 68 pitches for strikes and finished with five strikeouts and the win.
"It's great to have that opportunity to come back here. I definitely credit Oyen and the community here for being a big part of me growing up as a person and just getting ready for the next step," said Benton, who also helped out as an instructor at a kids baseball camp at the academy on Saturday.
"It's always fun to come back."
Edmonton's Hunter Jones was tagged with the loss after giving up eight runs, four earned, in just 1.1 innings for the Gulls. Lefty Nick Veselinovic did a solid job in relief for Sylvan Lake. The Ontario native registered seven strikeouts and allowed no earned runs over 3.2 innings.
As much as the crowd of more than 550 fans appreciated the WCBL players, the Oyen faithful were also excited about recognizing the Pronghorns team that helped the community make a name for itself in baseball.
Their SMBL title helped set the league on a course to what would later become the 12-team Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL), which took baseball to new levels in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. On the field the squad was formidable. In 1995, they had an overall record of 29-7 and in the SMBL that year the Pronghorns were 18-6.
After they departed the league, Jones helped set up the Bulls in Lethbridge. The SMBL soon became the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL) and, in 2018, it was rebranded as the Western Canadian Baseball League, to reflect its national identity. The WCBL now has seven Alberta-based teams, including the Bulls, Gulls, Medicine Hat Mavericks, Brooks Bombers, Okotoks Dawgs, Fort McMurray Giants and the newly minted Energy City Cracker Cats.
The '95 Pronghorns team also produced its own share of trailblazers and vital builders of the game beyond Jones.
Todd Hubka went on to be the long-time head coach of the Prairie Baseball Academy (PBA), a program that feeds several players to the Bulls each season.
Graham Schetzsle, a first baseman on the Pronghorns, is the co-founder and chief executive officer of the Sylvan Lake Gulls alongside his wife, Jen Schetzsle. The president of the Gulls, Aqil Samuel, was a first-year player with the Pronghorns.
"It's pure excitement and just enthusiasm to have this event here," said Schetzsle during an interview during the game broadcast.
"You tap into the memories from thirty years ago. It brings it all back ... to see the modern-day product that we have to offer in our league today on this field, it's really cool."
WCBL President Kevin Kvame was also excited about the neutral site regular-season contest, a first for the league.
"It's great to play a game here in small-town Alberta and showcase the roots of the league," said Kvame.
"It's a great event for the fans that have come out."
Jones expressed gratitude for the opportunity to host the Rural Roots Baseball Classic.
"I'd like to thank the Western Canadian Baseball League governors for choosing us to be the first out-of-market game here. We hope to continue to see that grow throughout the province and to other places," said Jones.