2010 All-WCL Teams Announced As Selected By Coaches

The 2010 All-WCL teams have been announced. Wenatchee first baseman Eric Peterson of Washington, utility man Trevor Brown of UCLA, and pitchers Marco Gonzales of Gonzaga and Jeff Ames of Lower Columbia College; and Bend second baseman Tommy Richards of Washington State; and Corvallis outfielder Michael Blake of Hawaii; and Kelowna pitcher Dayne Quist of UC Davis; and Kitsap catcher Chase Anselment of Washington were the top vote getters. The WCL Champion Wenatchee AppleSox and the Corvallis Knights were the most represented clubs with seven All-WCL selections. See the full story under "News".

West Coast League Teams Rank High In College Wood-Bat League Attendance

The Walla Walla Sweets finished the season with the 23rd highest average attendance in the nation, according to Ballpark Business' 2010 collegiate wood-bat league attendance figures. The Sweets averaged 1,451 fans per game. The Bend Elks moved up two spots from their 2009 ranking to #25 with 1,327 fans, while the WCL Champion Wenatchee AppleSox were at #29 with an average of 1,301 fans. The Cowlitz Black Bears, the Sweets fellow expansion team in 2010, didn't miss the Top 50 by much, finishing the season with an average attendance of 929 fans.

Corvallis Knights Coach Lands Position In Australian Baseball League

Brooke Knight, the highly-successful coach of the Corvallis Knights, is heading to Australia as coach of the Perth Heat of the MLB-funded Australian Baseball League. The Heat will play a 40-game schedule.

The Wenatchee AppleSox Reign As West Coast League Champions

The Wenatchee AppleSox are WCL Champions for the second consecutive season. The AppleSox won the title with a 6-5 victory over the Bend Elks in the decisive game of the best-of-three Championship Series. It's the fourth title for Ed Knaggs' AppleSox in the six-year history of the WCL. The Elks who bounced back from a 4-2 loss at home in game #1 to take a 5-2 decision in game #2 in Wenatchee, were playing in their first Championship Series. It was the first time the WCL Championship Series went to a decisive third game.

2010 West Coast League 2010 Post-Season Results

August 10 - East Division Series Game #1 - Wenatchee AppleSox 2, Kelowna Falcons 1

August 10 - West Division Series Game #1 - Bend Elks 3, Corvallis Knights 2

August 11 - East Division Series Game #2 - Wenatchee AppleSox 14, Kelowna Falcons 1 (Wenatchee wins series, 2-0)

August 11 - West Division Series Game #2 - Bend Elks 10, Corvallis Knights 7 (Bend wins series, 2-0)

August 14 - Championship Series Game #1 - Wenatchee AppleSox 4, Bend Elks 2

August 16 - Championship Series Game #2 - Bend Elks 5, Wenatchee AppleSox 2

August 17 - Championship Series Game #3 - Wenatchee AppleSox 6, Bend Elks 5

Wenatchee AppleSox win the 2010 West Coast League Championship

AppleSox Nail Down Spot In Final PG Crosschecker Summer Baseball Top 30

The Wenatchee AppleSox were in and out of the PG Crosschecker Summer Baseball Top 30 all season long. With their West Coast League Championship they jumped from the unranked to #17 to end the season. The Eau Claire Express of the Northwoods League concluded the season ranked #1.

West Coast League's First Marketing Seminar A Huge Success

Topics from "How To Elevate The Fan Experience" to "Delivering The Maximum Activation To Corporate Sponsors" highlighted the WCL's Marketing Seminar August 20-21 in Spokane. League owners, GMs, and staff members attended a Spokane Indians' game as part of the seminar, and saw the best show in baseball.

Veteran Brian Embery Is Named Coach Of The Klamath Falls Gems

The Klamath Falls Gems new coach Brian Embery has already started recruiting players for the Gems inaugural season in 2011. "We feel Brian has all the attributes to be a great coach in the West Coast League", said Gems' general manager Chuck Heeman in making the announcement. Embery coached 16 seasons at Emporia State (Kansas), compliling a 458-320 record. "I look forward to the challenge of assembling a competitive and entertaining roster of top tier college players," said Embery. "Our mission is to provide a product that the Klamath Falls community will embrace as their own."

Klamath Falls Gems Name Veteran Baseball Executive As General Manager

After a nationwide search, the Klamath Falls Gems have named Chuck Heeman as the club's first general manager. Heeman most recently served as general manager of the Yuma (AZ) Scorpians of the Golden League. Prior to that he spent almost three years as operations manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he was responsible for Chase Field operations. Heeman also served as operations manager of Major League Baseball's Arizona Fall League, assistant general manager of the Newark (NJ) Bears of the Atlantic League, and general manager of the Cook County (Ill) Cheetahs of the Frontier League.

Klamath Falls Gems Will Begin West Coast League Play Next Season

Klamath Falls, Oregon is now formally a member of the WCL. A group of five Klamath Falls residents will operate the team, and are currently conducting a nationwide search for a coach. The nickname Gems was selected to honor the Klamath Falls Gems, a member of the Far West League from 1949 - 1951. The Gems are already taking orders for season tickets at www.klamathfallsgems.com. The Gems will play their home games at historic Kiger Stadium, constructed in 1948. The Gems give the West Coast League ten teams for the 2011 season.

46 West Coast League Players Selected In 2010 MLB June Draft

46 college prospects that have played in the West Coast League were selected in the 2010 MLB June draft. For the second straight year, the first WCL pick was 2007 league strikeout leader James Paxton of Kentucky. Paxton, selected in the 4th round by the Seattle Mariners, was the 37th overall selection in the 2009 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Corvallis Knights were the most represented WCL team with 11 players chosen, while the Kelowna Falcons had 8 draftees and the Bend Elks had 7.