Gems Culminate First Season Success With Major 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.

The West Coast League Makes Splash At The Northwest Baseball Convention

The West Coast League was a major sponsor at the 2012 Northwest Baseball Coaches Convention, held January 13-15 in Portland, Oregon. WCL president Ken Wilson spoke at the "Walk Of Champions" luncheon, where Dan Segel, president of the Corvallis Knights, accepted an award for his league champion club.

ABCA Convention In Anaheim A Huge Success For The West Coast League

The West Coast League scored big at the American Baseball Coaches Annual convention just completed in Anaheim, California (January 5-7). After hearing high praise of the league, a number of college coaches visited the league booth looking to place players with WCL teams for the 2012 season. A string of former West Coast League players, now in the coaching business, visited and raved about the experiences they had playing in the WCL. Meanwhile, West Coast League president Ken Wilson met with a number of presidents from other leagues, sharing information and planning the future of summer college wood-bat baseball.

WCL Attendance Continues To Make Magical Gains Season After Season

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.

Bend's Vince Genna Stadium Featured In Baseball America Calendar

Historic Vince Genna Stadium, home of the Bend Elks, is featured in the 2012 Baseball America Great Parks calendar. A photo of the ball park highlights the October calendar page.

The West Coast League's 2012 Schedule Is Out

Each of the West Coast League's nine teams will play 54-games duriing the 2012 season. The regular season opens June 1 and concludes August 9. The defending WCL Champion Corvallis Knights open June 1 with a 3-game series in Walla Walla, in a rematch of the 2011 WCL Championship Series. The play-offs open August 11.

West Coast League Eyes Victoria, British Columbia For Expansion

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.

West Coast League Record Book Rewritten During 2011 Season

Records are made to be broken, and they certainly were during the 2011 West Coast League season, as more than 30 new individual and team marks were set. Cole Norton (St. Marys) of the Kitsap BlueJackets became the first player in WCL history to play in 54 games, as the league expanded the schedule to 54-games in 2011. The Bend Elks' Tyler Christian (San Jose State) set a new single season record with 23 extra base hits. Kitsap pitcher Sheldon Lee (San Francisco) worked in 27 games, a new league record for appearances. And, Kelowna Falcons' pitcher Brandon Marris (Murray State) set a new standard by pitching 81 innings. Wenatchee set 10 new team offensive records, including a .285 team average, 533 hits, and a .374 team on-base-percentage. On the pitching side, the WCL Champion Corvallis Knights set an all-time record with 401 strikeouts, while the Klamath Falls Gems set 4 new marks for futility in a single season (most hits allowed, most runs allowed, most earned runs allowed, and most home runs allowed).

Former Bend Elks' Star Is 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.

Expansion In 2013 On The Table At West Coast League Owners' Meeting

The West Coast League's bi-annual owners' meeting was held October 7-8 in Portland, Oregon, with the addition of two expansion teams for the 2013 season discussed. The owners also got their first look at the 2012 schedule, which is expected to be released in the next few weeks. The nine-team league will again feature a 54-game schedule in 2012. While the 2012 WCL All-Star Game is slated for Walla Walla, Washington, the league owners discussed sites for future All-Star Games, with four teams expressing interest in hosting an All-Star Game.

Bellingham Bells Name New General Manager

Nick Caples, who worked seven seasons for the Wenatchee AppleSox, is the new general manager of the Bellingham Bells. A Washington State University grad, Caples worked as an intern with the AppleSox prior to joining the staff full-time in 2008. He most recently has been working in real estate sales in Southern California.

Baseball America Names Top 10 West Coast League Prospects

The Corvallis Knights and the Cowlitz Black Bears dominate the Baseball America Top 10 WCL Prospects List with a combined seven of the ten players named.

#1 Jace Fry, LHP Corvallis Knights, Fr.-to-be, Oregon State
#2 Mitchell Walding, SS Cowlitz Black Bears, Signed - Phillies
#3 Adrian Sampson, RHP Bellingham Bells, Soph.-to-be, Bellevue College
#4 Ben Wetzler, LHP Corvallis Knights, Soph.-to-be, Oregon State
#5 Spencer O'Neil, OF Cowlitz Black Bears, Fr.-to-be, Oregon
#6 Breland Almadova, OF Wenatchee AppleSox, Jr.-to-be, Hawaii
#7 Adam Nelubowich, 3B Wenatchee AppleSox, Soph.to-be, Washington State
#8 Billy Flamion, OF Cowlitz Black Bears, Fr.-to-be, Oregon
#9 Jimmie Sherfy, RHP Corvallis Knights, Soph.-to-be, Oregon
#10 Chase Johnson, RHP Corvallis Knights, Soph.-to-be, Cal Poly

Perfect Game USA Releases Top 35 West Coast League Prospects List

The Corvallis Knights have 10 of the top 35 pro prospects in the West Coast League, as selected by Perfect Game USA. League coaches and scouts offered input, contributing to the selections. Left-hander Jace Fry of the Knights, a freshman-to-be at Oregon State, was selected as the top prospect. Fry was chosen in the 9th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft by the Oakland Athletics, and is one of 15 drafted players listed among the top prospects. The Cowlitz Black Bears and Wenatchee AppleSox each had 6 players among the top prospects. Black Bears' shortstop Mitchell Walding was named the #2 prospect. Walding recently signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, receiving an $800,000 bonus after being selected in the 5th round of the 2011 MLB draft.

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.

Alex Stanford of Walla Walla Named West Coast League MVP; 2011 Awards Announced

Gonzaga senior-to-be infielder Alex Stanford of the Walla Walla Sweets was named the 2011 West Coast League Most Valuable Player. And, Wenatchee AppleSox right-hander Owen Jones earned WCL Pitcher of the Year honors. Jones, a senior-to-be at University of Portland, set a new league record with 7 victories.

Stanford hit .340 and set a new WCL mark with 66 hits, while leading the Sweets to the post-season. Jones went 7-1 with a 2.00 ERA while striking out 78 over 77 innings of work.

Corvallis skipper Brooke Knight led the Knights to the franchise's second league title in the last four seasons and was named WCL Coach of the Year. Knight previously won the award in 2008 and 2009.

The Cowlitz Black Bears won the Jim Dietz Sportsmanship Award, given to the team showing exceptional sportsmanship.

First-year owner Eddie Poplawski of the Bellingham Bells was named the WCL Executive of the Year.

All-West Coast League Teams Released

The 2011 All-WCL teams were announced. The East Division champion Wenatchee AppleSox placed six players on the 15-member first team, more than any club. (Click here to check out the All-WCL teams)

Corvallis Knights Sweep Walla Walla Sweets; Capture Second West Coast League Title

The Corvallis Knights are the 2011 West Coast League champions. The Knights swept the Walla Walla Sweets to win their second WCL championship in the league's 7-year history. It was the Knights' fourth appearance in the WCL Championship Series.

Knights Finish Sixth in Perfect Game Summer Top 50 National Rankings

Corvallis concluded the season ranked sixth in the Perfect Game Summer College Baseball Top 50 Rankings, after capturing the 2011 West Coast League title. The Wenatchee AppleSox ended the 2011 campaign ranked eleventh. The Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripken Sr. League finished first.

Josh Hogan New Klamath Falls Head Coach

Former Corvallis Knights player and Cowlitz Black Bears assistant coach Josh Hogan was named the new head coach of the Klamath Falls Gems. Hogan was an assistant coach under Bryson LeBlanc at Cowlitz the last two seasons, following his playing career at Oregon and with the Knights. Hogan is from Eugene and has been an assistant under George Horton at the University of Oregon.

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 Crowd of 4,156 Largest in West Coast League History

A new West Coast League single-game attendance mark 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 dominates the front page of The Oregonian newspaper's Tuesday sports section in print editions and on-line at www.oregonlive.com. Click here to read.

Ten West Coast League Players Selected in Top Six Rounds of Major League Draft

Ten West Coast League players were selected in the first six rounds of the Major League Baseball draft, led by two 1st round draft selections. Six of the ten players performed for the Corvallis Knights. Pitchers Tyler Anderson (Corvallis) and Jeff Ames (Wenatchee) went in the 1st round, while Oregon State catcher Andrew Susac (Corvallis) was chosen in the 2nd round by the San Francisco Giants. Another former Knights pitcher, Matt Andriese of UC Riverside, was selected in the 3rd round by the San Diego Padres. Andriese was the 2009 West Coast League Pitcher of the Year. Outfielder Bobby Crocker (Bend) and Pitcher Cody Hebner (Kitsap) were 4th round selections, going to the Oakland Athletics and the San Diego Padres respectively. Pitcher Sam Gaviglio (Corvallis) was chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 5th round, while shortsop Mitchell Walding (Cowlitz) was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the same round. Outfielder Dayton Alexander (Corvallis) went to the Oakland Athletics and pitcher Josh Osich (Corvallis) went to the San Francisco Giants in the 6th round. In all, 45 West Coast League players were selected in the draft.