July 16, 2024

By Ian Wilson

Western Canadian Baseball League

The contestants for the Western Canadian Baseball League's long-ball competition have been chosen.

A dozen sluggers - one representative from each WCBL club - have been picked to participate in the SR Bats Home Run Derby, which is part of the league's 2024 All-Star Game festivities that are taking place on July 20 at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks.

Participants will square off against divisional opponents before the ultimate East vs. West battle crowns a champion.

Here's a rundown of the home-run hopefuls:

WEST DIVISION

Nash Crowell of the Okotoks Dawgs returns for his second straight WCBL derby. At last year's All-Star Game, Crowell finished with 10 homers in the opening round, just behind the 13 that champion Hank Dodson sent over the wall, and the 12 that Eric Rataczak of the Brooks Bombers pummeled out of the yard.

This time around, the Nova Scotia infielder will draw on his derby experience and try to ride the energy provided by the home crowd to a title. Crowell had 10 round trippers in 34 WCBL contests last summer and he has another six homers in 23 games with the Dawgs this season.

The Brooks Bombers will send Jacob Gillis to the plate. The Ontario outfielder is among the league leaders in long balls, with 12 through his first 39 games this season. Gillis also has a .356 batting average, 43 runs, 31 RBIs and nine doubles.

Cooper Ciesielski of the Sylvan Lake Gulls has 12 homers and 17 doubles in 34 contests this summer. In addition, the outfielder sports a .392 batting average and has collected 45 RBIs.

Righty batter Peyton McDowall will represent the Fort McMurray Giants. The senior has four homers, five doubles and a pair of triples in 18 games. McDowall is also batting .386.

Californian Zach Barnao has muscled five wall-clearing shots out of WCBL ballparks this summer for the Edmonton Prospects. The infielder also has 11 doubles and 24 RBIs in 35 games.

Two-way player Jack Kalisky will step into the batter's box for the Lethbridge Bulls. The Texan had three homers and eight doubles in 35 games with the Bulls in 2023. This summer, Kalisky has four long balls, 14 doubles and a triple in his 36 WCBL games.

EAST DIVISION

Austin Gurney will be the veteran of the East Division group, having competed in the 2023 event. The corner infielder from Campbell River, British Columbia is in his third season with the Moose Jaw Miller Express. Over 154 games with the Millers, he's launched 21 dingers, including nine this season. The lefty hitter also has a career .316 batting average and 131 RBIs.

The first derby representative in the history of the expansion Saskatoon Berries will be Carter Beck, who has crushed 10 home runs, seven doubles and two triples over 37 games. The heavy hitter also has a .408 batting average, 45 runs and 35 RBIs.

Kansas product Jackson Syring, an outfielder with the Regina Red Sox, has been an offensive beast all summer. In 37 games, he has a .417 batting average, 45 runs, 36 RBIs, 13 doubles and five homers.

The Medicine Hat Mavericks were originally set to send Tyler Vanneste to the hackathon, but an injury meant a substitution was in order. Instead, the Mavs will be represented by Jordan Phillips, who has seven round trippers, 11 doubles and 47 RBI through 39 games. Phillips is no stranger to the derby - he competed in the event for the Prospects at the 2022 WCBL All-Star Game.

Ian Heck is another two-way player who can knock the ball around. As a hitter, the York University senior has appeared in 34 games for the Weyburn Beavers and produced two homers and nine doubles.

Infielder Brody Alexandre, a local talent suiting up for the Swift Current 57's, will look to make his home team proud. He's played in 61 games over two seasons with the 57's and collected seven round trippers and 10 doubles along the way.

HOME RUN DERBY RULES

The action gets underway at 5 p.m., with player introductions followed by plenty of dingers.

Seaman Stadium measures 330 feet to the left field line, 400 feet to centre and 325 feet to the right foul pole.

According to the WCBL, each regulation round will consist of a two-minute time block per player that will allow for one 30-second timeout. Homers hit during that time will count during that round, but long ball totals will not carry over to other rounds.

The tie-breaker for the first round will be determined by the earliest home run that was recorded.

The top two home run hitters from each division will advance to the second and final round, which will feature the best duo of homer producers from the East vs. the most prolific pair of long ball launchers from the West.

If a tie-breaker is required in the final round, an additional two-minute time block will be added for each player. If that does not result in a champion, another one-minute block of overtime will be added for both contestants. No time outs will be available during these overtime sessions.

In the unlikely event that a tie remains, a sudden-death hack off will take place. Each slugger will get one swing until one of the two players does not hit a homer.

Derby competitors will be pitched to by selected coaches from their respective divisions.

The derby winner and runner-up will receive commemorative baseball bats from SR Bats.