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After a year of planning and recruiting on and off the diamond, baseball fans in Saskatoon are going to be ‘berry’ happy to welcome their newest sports team to town.
Today in Regina – the newest member of the WCBL (Western Canadian Baseball League) the Saskatoon Berries play in their inaugural season opener against the Regina Red Sox at Currie Field.
“It’s awesome it’s finally here,” said manager Joe Carnahan on Thursday ahead of his ball club’s first game. “(The excitement) and energy around town has been building and building and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The WCBL is a league that invites players who are playing college baseball in the United States to play summer ball when school is no longer in session. It also allows local players to play ball at home.
Carrines Field decked out in purple as it gets ready to welcome the Saskatoon Berries for their inaugural season. (Shane Clausing/650 CKOM)
The inaugural edition of the Berries has eight players from Saskatchewan – six of which were born in Saskatoon.
Nolan Sparks is one of those players from Saskatoon who is getting the opportunity to play at home in front of family and friends. He plays in the outfield and said he’s excited for what will be a new experience for everyone.
“I’m just excited for everyone and all the people of Saskatoon,” Sparks said. “The field looks great and the uniforms and jerseys we got look awesome, so we’re just excited to get going.”
He feels people around the city are excited to have a baseball team back for the first time since the Yellow Jackets folded in 2014.
“The most Berries hats I’ve ever seen was at the Blades game the other day and I saw probably 300 to 400 Berries hats,” he explained. “It just means a lot and I’m excited for the city and all the players as well.”
Sparks said all of the players are getting along great as most moved into the city this past week.
Carter Beck is from Carnduff, SK and also plays in the outfield. He said he too is getting along with everyone great, but acknowledged he’s still trying to figure out everybody’s name.
“It’s been good. It’s always a little different joining a new team as you’ve got to figure out guys’ (names), but after a couple of bus trips all the boys will be together good and it will be good,” Beck said.
Beck added he calls one player on the team ‘Nardo’ but said before practice on Thursday he still didn’t know his actual name.
Sparks hopes that as a member of the Berries, this team will be something kids can look up to.
“I grew up going to the Yellow Jackets games and taking that all in and idolizing those players,” he said. “Hopefully we can be role models to those kids in the community and do our best to win as many ball games as we can. It means a lot.”
Saskatoon Berries sponsor Baseball Saskatoon’s junior teams during 2024 season
Carnahan said it means a lot for him and the players to have the opportunity to build something new for Saskatoon.
“Everybody is excited, especially the local guys,” he explained. “For them to be able to play at home and represent their city is something they’re very excited for and just all the guys in there are excited for the opportunity to build something and put their footprint on right away.”
Carnahan added his team is athletic and should be a team which can have solid pitching and good hitting.
Opening Day from Currie Field against the Red Sox is scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m. That will be followed up by an afternoon game at 2 p.m. in Regina on Sunday.
The Berries will have some time off to recover before hosting their home opener on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against those same Red Sox.
