Fourth of July Weekend Kicks Off With A Bang

The largest crowd in West Coast League history turned out Friday night (July 3) at Goss Stadium in Corvallis and the Moses Lake Pirates won their first game of the season. The Corvallis Knights' 11-game league winning streak and a big fireworks show attracted a crowd of 3,506. That surpassed the previous largest crowd in WCL history, which was 2,679 on June 16th of this year at Bend. The Knights thrilled the huge crowd with a 9-2 win over the Elks. The Knights have now won 12 straight in league competition and 18 straight overall. Meanwhile, the Moses Lake Pirates 19-game losing streak to start the season ended in Spokane. The Pirates downed the RiverHawks 3-1.

Nine Big Leaguers Among 109 WCL Alums In Affiliated Ball

Nine West Coast League products have appeared in the Major Leagues this season, including Tommy Hanson of Atlanta, Chris Davis of Texas, Jacoby Ellsbury of Boston, Jason Hammel of Colorado, Nyger Morgan of Washington, Brian Barden and Clayton Mortensen of St.Louis, Bobby Scales of the Chicago Cubs and Anthony Claggett of the New York Yankees. 109 alums of WCL teams are active in affiliated professional baseball this season, including 11 players in the San Francisco Giants organization.

Falcons And RiverHawks Hosting Goldpanners in Non-League Games

The West Coast League is hosting the Alaska Goldpanners of the Alaska League in non-league games in Kelowna, British Columbia and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The Kelowna Falcons will play the Goldpanners July 13-15 at historic Elks Stadium. The Spokane RiverHawks will meet the Goldpanners July 16 at Ted Page Field at Coeur d'Alene High School. Proceeds from that game will help support the Coeur d'Alene High School baseball program. The Goldpanners are on a four-week barnstorming tour.

St. Louis Cardinals Call Up Ex-Wenatchee Pitcher

Ex-WCL star pitcher Clayton Mortensen was called up to the big leagues for the first time as St. Louis brought up the ex- AppleSox hurler from Memphis (AAA) on June 29. With the Redbirds, Mortensen went 7-5 with a 4.24 ERA over 14 appearances. Clay, who pitched at Gonzaga, was 3-1 with a 2.13 ERA with the AppleSox in 2005 and was named All-WCL. In 2006, he went 4-2 with a 1.62 ERA and earned second-team All-WCL honors.

West Coast League Opens Store With Authentic Sports Gear

With the start of the new season, the West Coast League is now offering authentic sports gear online. Simply visit the "Store" here on the WCL home page and check out our branded gear. There's everything from outerwear and shirts to hats and your own personal WCL sports bag.

Businessman Tony Bonacci Awarded Longview/Kelso WCL Franchise

The West Coast League awarded the Longview/Kelso, Washington franchise to Tony Bonacci, a successful businessman, and long-time manager and sponsor of amateur baseball programs. "The league and the community leadership throughout this process has been outstanding, and I'm excited about the things we'll be doing here." said Bonacci. "We have to earn support, and I believe we will with top-notch baseball and affordable family entertainment." Bonacci has a degree in economics from the University of Notre Dame and is a graduate of Notre Dame Law School. (read more)

Two Hurlers Combine To Throw No-Hitter For Kelowna Falcons

Kelowna Falcons southpaw Tommy Elrod and right-hander Cody Springer combined to no-hit the Moses Lake Pirates Friday night at Larson Field in Moses Lake. It was the third no-hitter in West Coast League history. The Falcons won the game 1-0. Elrod pitched in the spring for Sacramento State, while Springer tossed for Sam Houston State. The last no-hitter was also thrown at Larson Field in Moses Lake, by Wenatchee's D.J. Lidyard in 2006.

Former Kelowna Falcons Hurler James Paxton Drafted 37th Overall

James Paxton, a British Columbia-native, pitched for the Kelowna Falcons of the West Coast League in 2007. James was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays and was the 37th overall pick (Compensation Round A). The southpaw pitched at the University of Kentucky.

Longview/Kelso Granted West Coast League Franchise

Longview/Kelso, Washington is the newest member of the West Coast League. League president Ken Wilson announced that the five-year old league has awarded the Cowlitz County communities an expansion franchise. "The team will offer exciting baseball and affordable family entertainment in a package never seen in this area," said Wilson. "We're working with a potential owner and expect to move forward quickly." The new team will begin play in 2010, with its home games at Story Field on the campus of Lower Columbia College.

WCL To Play Two Neutral Site Charity Games

Longview/Kelso, Washington and Klamath Falls, Oregon will play host to West Coast League regular season games this month. Longview/Kelso has long sought a pro-like WCL team and is a top expansion candidate. Klamath Falls was recently awarded a conditional WCL team to begin play as early as 2010. The defending WCL champion Corvallis Knights and Kitsap BlueJackets will play in both games. The BlueJackets will be the home team in the Sunday, July 19 5:05 pm game at Story Field in Longview. Proceeds from that game will go to support the Lower Columbia College baseball program. Klamath Falls' historic Kiger Field will host the Thursday, July 23 game at 7:05 pm, with the Knights serving as the home team. Proceeds from that game will benefit the Kiger Stadium Foundation and the local Little League.

Lucky WCL Fan Will Go To Hawaii

A lucky West Coast League fan will soon be traveling to Hawaii. The WCL, the Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel and Hawaiian Airlines are teaming up in the WCL Hawaiian Vacation Giveaway. Fans can enter this fantastic contest at ballparks around the WCL during the upcoming 2009 season. All eight teams are giving their fans a chance to win a team autographed bat, a team autographed baseball, four tickets to a 2010 Seattle Mariners game at Safeco Field and the ultimate prize of a Hawaiian Vacation trip for two. Each team will randomly select one winner at the end of the season. Then the eight team winners will be entered in a random drawing to win the Hawaiian Vacation. The winning couple will travel from Portland or Seattle to Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines. They'll spend five nights at the newly refurbished Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel. All thanks to the WCL's eight member teams.

Klamath Falls To Join WCL As Soon As 2010

The West Coast League has granted a conditional membership to Klamath Falls, Oregon, with play to begin as soon as 2010. "We're impressed with the love of baseball throughout the community and the enthusiasm expressed for having a WCL team," said WCL president Ken Wilson. The Klamath Basin has a population of 70,000. The new team will play its home games at historic Kiger Stadium, which was built in 1948 for the Far West League Klamath Falls Gems. The ballpark has a capacity of over 3,000 and has had nearly $500,000 in improvements over the last few years. Click here to read more.