With 2023 being the best year in Dawgs baseball, the organization set out to make 2024 even bigger and better… and that is exactly what the Dawgs did! From completing the 3-peat of the WCBL Championship with a walk-off home run by hometown hero Connor Crowson, to hosting a concert for the first time at Seaman Stadium, 2024 was another banner year for the Dawgs!
Let’s take a look back at 2024.
3-Peat WCBL Championship
Coming off of back-to-back WCBL championships in 2022 and 2023, the Dawgs had their eyes set on their second 3-peat in franchise history.
In the opening round of playoff action, the Dawgs took on the Lethbridge Bulls in a best of 3 series. After splitting the first two games, the Dawgs won 4-3 on a walk-off suicide squeeze bunt by Ricardo Sanchez, sending the Dawgs to the West Division championship series against President’s Trophy winners, the Sylvan Lake Gulls.
Game one saw the Gulls win 5-3 in Sylvan Lake, but the Dawgs evened the series at home winning 3-2 to force a game 3 back in Sylvan Lake. In game 3, the Dawgs offense came to life, cruising to a 10-4 victory to advance to the WCBL championship where they would take on the Moose Jaw Miller Express.
Heading into the WCBL championship series, the Dawgs had home field advantage. Game one saw the Dawgs win by a score of 7-4 in front of a sold out crowd at Seaman Stadium. Game two in Moose Jaw was a whirlwind with the Miller Express winning 8-7, forcing a game 3 in Okotoks. In what would end up being arguably the most thrilling championship game in Dawgs history, Connor Crowson hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th to secure the Dawgs second 3-peat in franchise history.
Dawgs Ranked 3rd in Attendance for Summer Collegiate Baseball
The Dawgs ranked 1st in Canada and 3rd in North America in summer collegiate baseball attendance as per Ballpark Digest, setting attendance records with over 165,000 fans for the season and averaging just over 4,700 a game in 2024. Seaman Stadium was also named “Best Ballpark in Summer Collegiate Baseball” by Ballpark Digest.
Dawgs Raise Upwards of $500,000 for Breast Cancer Research
The Dawgs host a Breast Cancer fundraiser every year at Seaman Stadium where players wear limited edition pink jerseys that are auctioned off during the game via silent and live auction. Since 2007, the Dawgs and our community have raised over $500,000 to help with Breast Cancer Research.
Dawgs Partner with Prostate Centre of Canada
The annual Father’s Day game has been one of the highest attended games on average for a number of years now. In recent years, the Dawgs have teamed up with the Prostate Centre of Canada to help raise awareness for Prostate Cancer. Fans able to attend the game are able to visit “The Man Van” for exams and further information regarding Prostate Cancer.
Dawgs Founding and Managing Director, John Ircandia, Ranked 14th Most Influential Canadian in Baseball
The Canadian Baseball Network named Dawgs Founding and Managing Director, John Ircandia, as the 14th Most Influential Canadian Baseball. Ircandia has been a staple in the top 20 of the CBN’s annual list.
On top of John Ircandia being ranked 14th, Dawgs General Manager, Tyler Hollick, Academy Head Coach, Jeff Duda, and Dawgs Manager, Lou Pote, were honourable mentions on the list of most influential Canadians in baseball.
2024 WCBL All-star Game
The Dawgs hosted the WCBL All-star game for the 2nd year in a row at Seaman Stadium. The WCBL’s top players from across the league put on a show between the Home Run Derby and All-star Game in front of 6,300 plus fans with special guests such as Matt Stairs, Bret Hart and Bob Elliott in attendance. The night was capped off with an amazing fireworks display!
Seaman Stadium and Duvernay Fieldhouse Expansions
With the growing demand for Dawgs baseball, the Dawgs expanded Seaman Stadium with a brand new Anthem Bullpen Patio and GM Mechanical Field Level Suite, adding an additional 150 seats and over 90 additional patio seats. Most recently, construction has begun on Phase 1 of the Duvernay Fieldhouse expansion which will see the Dawgs weight room increase to over two times the size of the current weight room that will include the latest technology to further develop our Academy and collegiate players.
Dawgs GM Tyler Hollick Named WCBL Executive of the Year
Dawgs General Manger, Tyler Hollick, was named the WCBL’s 2024 Executive of the Year. Since Tyler has become General Manager, the Dawgs have seen improved attendance, new and exciting events such as an Eagles Tribute band concert, facility expansions and countless other improvements to the organization under Tyler’s management and staff.
Dawgs Inaugural Teddy Bear Toss Game
The Dawgs hosted their inaugural Teddy Bear Toss game where fans throw teddy bears onto the field with all of the teddy bears being distributed to local charities and organizations such as the Calgary Children’s Hospital. Our community showed outstanding support, donating over 2,000 stuffed teddy bears, bringing joy to children in need!
Dawgs Academy Hires Matt Stairs
With dedicated and professional coaching staff being at the core of the Dawgs Academy philosophy, the Dawgs raised the bar to a whole other level. The most recent addition to the Dawgs Academy coaching staff is Matt Stairs, a World Series champion and 19 year MLB veteran. Stairs has also served as major league hitting coach for the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies. Stairs brings a tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience to the coaching staff and will undoubtedly make a huge impact in our youth athlete’s development.
2024 MLB Draft
The Dawgs have had a long-standing tradition of developing elite talent and the 2024 MLB Amateur draft was a perfect showcase for the calibre of players to wear the Dawgs uniform. The Dawgs had 7 different alumni selected in the draft including Sam Stuhr (Oakland Athletics, 5th round), Micah McDowell (Miami Marlins, 17th round) and Eric Hartman (Atlanta Braves, 20th round).
Dawgs Academy College Placement
One of the pillars of the Dawgs philosophy is to develop our players and provide opportunities to take their game to the next level. Since 2010, the Academy has placed over 250 players across all levels of college baseball. In 2024, the Dawgs placed 27 players including 7 at Power 4 schools and 5 others at D1 programs- Eric Hartman (University of Michigan), Quincy Jenkins (University of Michigan), Tim Piasentin (University of Miami), Max Poirier (University of Miami), Leo Cote (Oregon State University), Brandon Paez (University of Utah), Robert Scalzo (University of Utah), Landon Kauffman (University of Portland), Will Labonte (University of Portland), Michael Yusypchuk (Missouri State University), Benito Bonilla (Missouri State University) and Eric Machej (Illinois State University).
Dawgs Academy Brings Home Hardware
The Dawgs Academy earned multiple championships across all age groups. The Dawgs 15U Black team won their 3rd straight provincial championship and finished 2nd in the Baseball Canada National Championship. Dawgs 18U White won the Canadian Days Tournament in Kalispell, Montana while finishing 3rd in the Kelowna Invitational Tournament and Best of the West Classic. Dawgs 18U Red won the NW Diamond Series at the University of Portland while also capturing championships at the Best of the West Classic and Kelowna Invitational Tournament. Dawgs 18U Black won several marquee tournaments including the prestigious Best of the West Premier, Webber Canada Day Classic and Palouse Summer Series at Washington State University.
Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson Named Top 30 Prospect in Cleveland Guardians System
After being selected in the 10th round by the Cleveland Guardians in 2023, Tugboat played his first full season of professional baseball in 2024 and he did not disappoint! Tugboat struck out 174 batters in 118.2 innings pitched with a 1.90 ERA between Lynchburg (Low-A) and Lake County (high-A).
Heading into 2024, Tugboat has been named a Top 30 prospect by MLB Pipeline in the Cleveland Guardians farm system.
Tristan Peters Knocking on the MLB’s Door
Former standout Dawgs Academy and collegiate alumni, Tristan Peters, spent the year in AAA with the Durham Bulls, the AAA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.
For Peters, 2024 was his first year with the Rays, previously playing in the Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants organizations. In 123 games played, Peters hit .238 with 21 doubles, 5 triples and 12 home runs with 46 RBI and 67 runs scored.
Eagle Eyes Concert at Seaman Stadium
The Dawgs and the Town of Okotoks partnered up to bring Eagle Eyes, an Eagles Tribute band, to Okotoks for the first ever concert at Seaman Stadium. The concert went off without a hitch and was a massive success. Look for more future concerts at Seaman Stadium in the near future!
In a year filled with so many memorable moments and accomplishments, it will be hard to top it…. But the Dawgs will look to do just that in 2025!
Go Dawgs! Go Okotoks! Happy New Year!
