Eighth West Coast League Season Opens Tonight With Four Games

All eyes will be on Borleske Stadium in Walla Walla this evening, as the West Coast League opens it's eighth season. The defending champion Corvallis Knights are in Walla Walla to meet the Sweets in a rematch of the 2011 Championship Series. In other season opening play, Cowlitz is at Kitsap, Bellingham is hosting Wenatchee, and Bend is at Klamath Falls. Each club will play 54-games, with the regular season concluding August 9th.

WCL Alums Sweep Big West Conference Weekly Honors

All-WCL performers David Armendariz of Cal Poly and Dylan Stuart of UC Riverside earned Big West Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week honors, respectively, for the week of May 14-20. Armendariz and Stuart both starred for the Corvallis Knights last summer. Stuart is returning for the 2012 season. The sophomore southpaw shutout #8-ranked Cal State Fullerton and Armendariz hit .600 as the Mustangs swept UC Santa Barbara. (read more)

Major College Programs Send Players To West Coast League

Players from top college programs like Texas, Cal State Fullerton, Oklahoma, Oregon, Arizona State, UCLA, San Diego, Stanford, Washington State, Kansas, Texas Tech, Washington, Utah, Baylor, Rice, Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside, UC Irvine and Oregon State are sending players to the West Coast League for the 2012 season. "We're totally impressed with the support our league is receiving from coaches," said WCL president Ken Wilson. Among 2012 major leaguers who played for teams in the WCL are Tommy Hanson (Atlanta), Brent Morel (Chicago White Sox), Marc Rzepczynski (St. Louis), Nyjer Morgan (Milwaukee), Bud Norris (Houston), Eric Sogard (Oakland), Jeremy Hefner (New York Mets), Clay Mortensen (Red Sox), Jason Hammel (Baltimore), Tommy Milone (Oakland), Chris Davis (Baltimore), Matt Hague (Pittsburgh), Chris Stewart (New York Yankees) and Jacoby Ellsbury (Boston).

Heralded High School Prospects Headed To WCL

Nine of the Top 100 high school players eligible for the 2012 MLB First Year Player Draft are headed to play in the West Coast League. The Cowlitz Black Bears have signed four Top 100 players, led by Camas, Washington catcher Clint Coulter, who is ranked #30, and committed to Arizona State. Three players from the Top 100 will join the Wenatchee AppleSox, headed by Indian Wells, California shortstop Tanner Rahier, who is ranked #29, and is committed to play at the University of San Diego. Hunter Virant, a LHP from Camarillo, California, has agreed to play with the Walla Walla Sweets. Virant, ranked #21, has committed to UCLA. And, the defending WCL champion Corvallis Knights have signed Carson Kelly, a SS/RHP from Portland, Oregon. Kelly is ranked #28, and is slated to attend University of Oregon.

Top DIII Prospect Battles Cancer

Right-handed pitcher Max Beatty of the Corvallis Knights has been rated the top professional prospect in NCAA Division III for the 2012 MLB Draft by Baseball America. Beatty, who won six games for the 2011 West Coast League Champion Knights, pitches at Pacific Lutheran of the Northwest Conference. Meanwhile, Beatty will miss the spring college season, as he undergoes treatment for testicular cancer. He was diagnosed with cancer in December and immediately underwent surgery.

Gems Culminate First Season Success With Major Community Honor

The Klamath County Chamber of Commerce honored the Klamath Falls Gems with the 2011 Business of the Year award. The Gems were a smash success in their first season in the West Coast League, averaging nearly 1,200 per game in paid attendance and setting a league record with a single-game crowd of 4,156.

WCL Attendance Continues to Make Strong Gains

West Coast League attendance in 2011 set new benchmarks for the seventh consecutive season. Total league attendance jumped 29% to 274,991, with the Bend Elks leading the way at 50,513. The Walla Walla Sweets drew 46,521 for league action, while the Wenatchee AppleSox, Corvallis Knights, Klamath Falls Gems and Cowlitz Black Bears all drew over 30,000. The per game average attendance for league contests grew 15% over 2010 to 1,113. More than 330,000 watched WCL teams in action, including non-league games, an increase of 25% over 2010.

West Coast League Eyes Victoria, British Columbia

There may soon be a second West Coast League team in the province of British Columbia. The Kelowna Falcons are the only WCL team in Canada, and one of only two Canadian teams in major summer college wood-bat leagues. WCL officials initially discussed placing a team in Victoria's Royal Athletic Park in 2008. Talks heated up recently with the demise of the pro Victoria Seals following the 2010 season. click here to read more.

Former Bend Elks Star American League Comeback Player Of The Year

Boston Red Sox star outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who played for the Bend Elks, is the American League Comeback Player for 2011. Ellsbury, who played at Oregon State, hit .321 with 32 home runs and 105 RBIs.

Cowlitz Black Bears Name New Head Coach

Tim Matz, pitching coach at Santa Ana College (CA), is the new head coach of the Cowlitz Black Bears. Matz pitched at Cal-State Fullerton and appeared in the College World Series with the Titans. He replaces Byson LeBlanc, who took a full-time position at UC Riverside.

Walla Walla, Washington Selected to Host 2012 West Coast League All-Star Game

The West Coast League has awarded the 2012 WCL All-Star Game to Walla Walla, Washington. It'll be the fifth All-Star Game held by the league. "The Walla Walla Sweets have done a great job in the two seasons the club has been in our league," said WCL president Ken Wilson. "Borleske Stadium will be a terrific venue for the game." The 2012 All-Star Game will be played Tuesday, July 24th. "Walla Walla is excited to be selected to host the 2012 WCL All-Star game," added Sweets' general manager Zachary Fraser.

East Stars Down West Stars 4-2 in 2011 West Coast League All-Star Contest

A crowd of 2,517 turned out at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon Tuesday night, as the East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 4-2. Cowlitz Black Bears outfielder Spencer O'Neil (Oregon) was voted the game's MVP by the 24 major league scouts in attendance. O'Neil had three hits, including a double and a home run. Corvallis Knights southpaw Ben Wetzler (Oregon State) was honored as the Top Prospect in the game by the scouts. The pre-game Home Run Derby featured dozens of mammoth blasts and was won by Corvallis Knights first baseman Sean Myrom of Concordia (Ore.) University. (click here to check out the All-Star Game box score)

Klamath Falls Gems Set New WCL Single-Game Attendance Mark; Draw Crowd of 4,156

A new West Coast League single-game attendance record was set July 22, as the Klamath Falls Gems drew 4,156 for their contest with the Walla Walla Sweets. The previous record of 3,506 was set on July 3, 2009 by the Corvallis Knights. The Gems partnered with the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce, the Herald and News newspaper, and nearly 30 local businesses to bring together the huge gathering at Kiger Stadium.

West Coast League Featured in Portland Newspaper

A feature story on the West Coast League appeared on the front page of The Oregonian newspaper's July 11, 2011 sports section in print editions and online at www.oregonlive.com. Click here to read.