Murray Wood: They Fly You Buy
Murray Wood breaks down how much Saskatchewan taxpayers are putting up to subsidize flights to the U.S.
Carter Beck has spent countless thousands of hours roaming the grounds of NexGen Patch at Cairns Field, but no Saskatoon Berries game has been quite like the one Carter Beck will likely experience Wednesday night.
The Carnduff, Sask. native returns to the stadium and team that helped build his career, on his way to becoming the 26th overall pick in last Saturday’s Major League Baseball draft, selected by the Atlanta Braves.
Read more:
- Carnduff’s Carter Beck makes baseball history, drafted 26th overall by Atlanta Braves
- Sask. Baseball Hall of Fame president talks Carter Beck draft, impact
- Rookie pitcher Reid Beck carrying on family name, WCBL legacy with Saskatoon Berries
He spent the summers of 2024 and 2025 patrolling the outfield for the Berries and is scheduled to attend Wednesday night’s WCBL game against the Lethbridge Bulls, this time as one of the fans.
In a social media post, the Berries announced Beck will take part in a meet-and-greet with fans from 6:00 – 6:45. He will then throw out the ceremonial first pitch, prior to the 7:00 game.
The return to Saskatoon is just the latest chapter in what has been a whirlwind week for the 21-year-old outfielder.
Originally projected to be selected in the second or third round, Beck told 650 CKOM he was shocked when he received the call from the Braves that he would be taken as the first prospect promotion incentive pick, following the first round of the draft.
“I was for sure expecting to go (Saturday), but I’ll be honest, I wasn’t thinking it would happen right here,” Beck said.
“It was super cool to get that opportunity. I joked around with a few people and said, ‘Oh, we probably got 20 or 30 more minutes of waiting to do.’ All of the sudden I got a phone call and there it was. It happened.”
Beck’s draft stock soared on the heels of an incredible junior season at Indiana State University, where he was named the Missouri Valley Conference’s player of the year with a .346 batting average, 59 RBIs, 16 home runs and 12 stolen bases.
“Everybody hopes and dreams to be a first-round pick,” Beck said.
“I don’t know if I could say two years ago when I stepped on the Berries’ field for the first time with their first season after a (NCAA Division II) season, that I’d be going in the first round.”
–with files from 650 CKOM’s Scott Roblin
