Posts in Canadians in the Minors
Glew: California Winter League stint helps Barker land with Titans

“If you’re a Canadian baseball prospect in search of your first professional contract, there are far worse ways to spend a month of the winter than showcasing your skills in Palm Springs, Calif.

Carson Barker (Alliston, Ont.) can attest to this.

From mid-January to mid-February, the 22-year-old catcher competed in the California Winter League, an eight-team circuit that recently concluded its 15th season.

“Palm Springs was absolutely gorgeous,” said Barker. “I loved Palm Springs. It was a really, really great experience.”

On top of the beautiful weather, Barker’s tenure in the California Winter League helped him land a contract with the independent Frontier League’s Ottawa Titans in early February.”

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McFarland: Coutney focused on what he can control heading into second pro season

“Matt Coutney remembers the exact moment when he realized that professional baseball was going to be a grind.

In his final two seasons at Old Dominion University (2021-2022), the Wetaskiwin product played a total of 117 games.

On his way to playing 121 games in 2023 in the Los Angeles Angels’ farm system, it was a roadtrip to California when he started to understand what many others had told him about life in the pros.

“It was game 32 and I was thinking to myself, ‘I have 100 games left – there’s no way I’m going to be able to make it through this,’” Coutney told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast. “As the year goes on, you hit certain benchmarks – you make it another week, you make it another month – and the next think you know, the season is over.”

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McFarland: Bourassa back for fourth season with Goldeyes

“It won’t be long before Landen Bourassa has the key to the city in Winnipeg.

The Lethbridge, Alta., native has become a staple of the starting rotation for the independent American Association’s Winnipeg Goldeyes over the past three years, while taking pride in becoming an involved member of the sports community.

In that time, he has posted a 20-11 record with a 4.17 ERA in 43 games for the Goldeyes, and is set to improve those numbers as he has a new contract with the team for 2024.”

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