Berries home opener equals really great time in photo roundup

By Gordie Howe Sports Complex staff
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Josh Henson fires a ball to first base for a final out in a win on May 30.

The Saskatoon Berries regular season home opener has become a much-anticipated annual date on the calendar for the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

In their two seasons of existence, the Berries have provided great baseball and a top-quality entertainment experience at the ballpark with their various in-game promotions. Cairns Field has hosted many perfect Berries baseball nights in 2024 and 2025. In both those campaigns, the Berries have advanced to the best-of-three WCBL’s East Division Championship Series and fell in a series-deciding Game 3 on both occasions.

Going into season number three in 2026, there is much anticipation about how much excitement Berries head coach Joe Carnahan and his players can deliver. After starting the WCBL regular season with two wins over the Beavers in Weyburn, the Berries opened their home schedule hosting the Beavers on May 30 at Cairns Field.

Joe Carnahan points out intructions to his players on May 30.

The Berries faithful, who are known as the Jam Fam, were treated to a back-and-forth battle that saw the Saskatoon side score one run in the bottom of the eighth to break a 6-6 tie and jump in front 7-6. That 7-6 score would stand up as the final outcome as the Berries retired the Beavers in order in the top of the ninth with three ground outs.

Our lead photo shows Berries third baseman Josh Henson firing a ball to first base for the game’s final out. Our second picture sees Carnahan pointing out instructions to his players in the Berries dugout. The third shot sees hometown right-handed pitching product and Saskatoon Cubs 18U AAA Team alum Colin Plain delivering a toss to home plate.

To add to the excitement of the 2026 campaign, the Berries will host the 2026 WCBL All-Star Weekend on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19, which marks the first time that festivities around the circuit’s all-star game will run over two days. Festivities start at 4 p.m. on July 19 and include a bunt contest, a little league home run derby, a WCBL home run derby and a live concert by Jordyn Pollard. The WCBL All-Star Game is slated for 1 p.m. on July 19 and a post-game autograph session will follow.

Colin Plain fires a pitch to home plate on May 30.

Along with the pictures from the Berries, this photo roundup is finally flooded with images from the outdoor spring season after winter decided it wasn’t going to work overtime anymore. The photo roundup has pictures from a busy high school track and field season along with images from baseball, football and softball.

The pictures in this photo roundup capture some of the memories that are made on our grounds. In this photo roundup, all of these pictures were taken by our Communications Coordinator in Darren Steinke.

Without further ado, here is a selection of 20 shots we hope you enjoy.

Valkyries embrace bad weather

During their first home game of the 2026 WWCFL campaign on May 17 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Saskatoon Valkyries, who are the defending league champions, encountered numerous different weather conditions excluding sunny and hot ones. That is best seen here as Valkyries quarterback Julia Smith calls a play deep in her own end. The Valkyries blanked the visiting Winnipeg based Manitoba Fearless 7-0 on this day.

The return of Girolami

After taking a year off, Haley Girolami returned to the Saskatoon Valkyries. She returns a punt here for the Valkyries on May 17 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field in a 7-0 win over the Winnipeg based Manitoba Fearless. Girolami is already one of the Valkyries all-time greats, and her return gives a boost in the experience department to a roster that is fairly young.

Supreme focus on the deep ball

A receiver makes a catch on a deep pass during a Rush Female High School Flag Football league contest on May 18 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Overseen by Saskatoon Minor Football, this circuit allows players to form teams with fellow students from their own high schools, and it creates another avenue for female players to experience the fun in football.

Breaking to the open field

A running back from Team Black attempts to motor past a pair of Team Blue defenders during a Varsity Academy league contest on May 20 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The circuit is overseen by Saskatoon Minor Football, and the league contains teams that are stacked with the best high school aged players from Saskatoon and the northern part of the province.

Special delivery

Saskatoon Diamondbacks right-handed pitcher Dylan Pura sends an off-speed toss to home plate during his team’s Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League 18U AAA contest against the Sask 5 Marlins on May 21 at Leakos Field. In a back-and-forth encounter, the Diamondbacks had to score twice in the bottom of the seventh to pull out a 5-4 victory.

Taking flight

An athlete from Hague High School thrusts a shot into the field during a shot put competition as part of the Central Valley Athletic Conference’s track and field B meet on May 21 at the Track and Field Track. The event helped athletes from schools in communities surrounding Saskatoon gain experience in a live event setting.

Running into traffic

A ball carrier encountered opposition defenders during Six-A-Side Tackle Football Program action on May 21 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The ball carrier battled before going down as ultimately too many tacklers got involved in the play. This Saskatoon Minor Football program focuses on skill development and offers an introduction to the tackle version of the sport.

They’re off

A group of sprinters takes off at the start line during the first day of the SSSAD’s Bob Adams City Track and Field Championship started at the Track and Field Track on May 27. Athletes soak in the chance to represent the city’s various high schools at this meet.

Up and over

Sid Nuque of the Bethlehem Catholic High School Stars works to stay ahead in the boys 80-metre hurdles final of the SSSAD’s Bob Adams City Track and Field Championship held at the Track and Field Track on May 28. Nuque took the race in 11.64 seconds edging out Tariq Kalyar of the Marion M. Graham High School Falcons, who posted a time of 11.80 seconds.

Saint goes marching in

Bella Vasconez of the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints had a golden day in the senior girls’ 3,000-metre race at the SSSAD’s Bob Adams City Track and Field Championship held at the Track and Field Track on May 28. She claimed top spot with a time of 11 minutes and 13.56 seconds. Vasconez would later finish second at the SHSAA Track and Field Championships on June 6, and that event was also held at the Track and Field Track.

Contact

Saskatoon Berries shortstop Nathan Houston drives ball into the outfield during his team’s 7-6 home opening win over the Weyburn Beavers on May 30 at Cairns Field. Houston is a Melville, Sask., product who played this past season with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Baseball Team in the NCAA Division I ranks.

Running with Barry

Saskatoon Berries mascot Barry the Bear runs with a group of youngsters following the team’s 7-6 home opening win over the Weyburn Beavers on May 30 at Cairns Field. Since starting in 2024, one of the traditions the Berries have had at their games is allowing youngsters to run the bases at the end of the contest.

Home plate seating a hit

Saskatoon Berries fans, who are known as the Jam Fan, enjoy a new seating section that has been constructed behind home plate at Cairns Field. For the home opener pictured here on May 30, Berries fans in this section sat on fold up cushioned seats for one night only. Theatre style seats were installed for the team’s third home game on June 4.

Baseball nights are fun nights

A zoomed out view here of Cairns Field shows the new seating area behind home plate during the Saskatoon Berries 7-6 home opening win over the Weyburn Beavers on May 30. The upgrade makes Cairns Field feel that much more like a field of dreams.

Eye on the ball

A catcher with the Saskatoon Jacks men’s softball team tracks the ball into his glove during the first game of a Saskatoon Amateur Softball Association doubleheader against the Bruno Merchants on June 2 at Bob Van Impe Stadium. The Jacks would take both games of the double dip by scores of 10-1 and 9-2.

Taking flight

Addisyn Hansen of the Twin City Angels U17A team drives a shot into the outfield in a Saskatoon Amateur Softball Association contest on June 2 against the Saskatoon Shock on June 2 at Glenn Reeve Field #3. The Angels came away with an 8-1 victory on this night.

Reaching higher heights

Jackson Tuplin would hit a height of 4.30 metres to win the senior boys’ pole vault at the SHSAA Track and Field Provincial Championships on June 5 at the Track and Field Track. The Swift Current Comprehensive High School student had an outstanding showing at provincials. He would also claim first in the senior boys’ 100-metre hurdles and place second in the senior boys’ 200-metre race and the senior boys’ long jump.

Jetting down the home stretch

Rosie Braun hits the home stretch at full speed in a senior girls’ 200-metre final race at the SHSAA Track and Field Provincial Championships on June 6 at the Track and Field Track. The Valley Christian Academy Lions athlete would squeak out a tight first place finish in a time of 24.93 seconds. Braun also claimed silver in the senior girls’ 100-metre race.

Falcon flies high in high jump

Evan Lukash of the Marion M. Graham Collegiate Falcons had one of his most memorable days at the SHSAA Track and Field Provincial Championships on June 6 at the Track and Field Track. Lukash claimed gold in the senior boys’ high jump with a leap of 1.96 metres.

It is fun to be a cow

The second day of the SHSAA Track and Field Provincial Championships held at the Track and Field Track on June 6 had some special break time entertainment just past the halfway point of the day. A group of athletes volunteered to dress up in cow suits to participate in a relay race down the front straightaway, take part in long jump and try high jump. The efforts were made to give the crowd some laughs. Some of the athletes are shown here in a group picture on the track. Kudos to SaskMilk for organizing this bit of fun. During the SHSAA Track and Field Provincial Championships, a total of 5,000 persons including athletes, coaches, officials and spectators passed through the Track and Field Track during each of the event’s two days.

Carnahan relishing head coach journey with Berries

2025 WCBL coach of the year looking forward to 2026 season

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Joe Carnahan throws out a ceremonial first pitch on July 28, 2023.

Joe Carnahan couldn’t resist the opportunity to help build something from scratch with the Saskatoon Berries.

In the spring of 2023, Carnahan had been out of the WCBL for an extended stretch after resigning as the head coach and general manager of the Swift Current 57’s in September of 2020. He was contacted by Berries president Steve Hildebrand and Berries director of baseball operations Mark Campbell about coming up to Saskatoon to become the expansion team’s first ever head coach.

During those talks, Carnahan’s confidence grew that the team’s management wanted to run the franchise the right way and give the incoming head coach the resources he needed to succeed. On July 5, 2023, the Berries announced that Carnahan was hired as the team’s new head coach.

“It was pretty much a no-brainer to come up here just to have the opportunity to work with this organization and just kind of help start a team from the ground up,” said Carnahan. “It was just a great opportunity that you couldn’t pass up on.”

Having built a legendary career in the WCBL in Swift Current, Carnahan’s arrival in Saskatoon gave the Berries a huge shot of instant credibility. The product of Ashland, Wisconsin, played for Swift Current from 2001 to 2007 and helped the team win league championships in 2001, 2005 and 2006.

Carnahan was named the circuit’s most valuable player in 2002 and 2005 and was playoff MVP in 2001 and 2005. During those years, teams in the WCBL, which was then known as the Western Major Baseball League, could have players that had graduated from playing at post-secondary institutions.

Starting in 2008, Carnahan became Swift Current’s head coach, and he guided the team to league championships in 2010, 2016 and 2017. Carnahan was named the league’s coach of the year four times, when he was the skipper in Swift Current.

In coming to Saskatoon, Carnahan said the biggest unknowns regarded what the fan support would be and how the Berries operations would look on a day-to-day basis. Both exceeded his expectations. While the Berries were an expansion club in 2024, Carnahan expected the team would make some noise that season in the WCBL.

Joe Carnahan, left, shakes hands with Matthias Trondson on May 28, 2024.

“Just you know like every year, your expectations are to win, and that is why you want to do things,” said Carnahan. “That is why you know kind of the business plan was the way it was and just the way the players are treated and the resources and everything.

“It is set up to win, and that was our expectation right away. I am just fortunate enough to have built a lot of relations throughout my baseball career to help get some guys up here right away that can compete at a high level and just kind of set the foundation as far as the culture and the expectation baseball wise.”

The Berries did stumble out of the gate to a 3-8 start in 2024. Under Carnahan’s watch, they improved rapidly and finished the regular season with a 31-26 record to place Saskatoon sixth in the 12-team circuit. They turned Cairns Field into the hotspot place to be that spring and summer in Saskatoon attracting an average of 1,931 spectators for their 26 regular season home dates.

In the post-season, the Berries advanced to the WCBL’s East Division Championship Series falling in the best-of-three set 5-3 in a series deciding Game 3 to the Moose Jaw Miller Express. During that campaign, centre-fielder Carter Beck, who was raised in Carnduff, Sask., rose to star status.

In the Berries 14-1 Game 1 victory over the Express at Cairns Field in the East Division final, Beck became the first Berries player to hit for the cycle. He was named the WCBL rookie of the year and most outstanding Canadian player in 2024.

Carnahan was pleased with how far the team came in that campaign.

“We definitely had a rough start,” said Carnahan. “A lot of times in this league or summer leagues it is a matter of when you actually get the most or all of your guys up right away.

Joe Carnahan takes part in a media scrum on May 28, 2024.

“That year, we just happened to be where a lot of our pitchers were coming up a little bit later. We were a little bit thin there, and it kind of showed. Once we got everybody up here and we kind of got into a routine, then everything kind of worked out.

“We started playing a little bit better, and we made a little bit of a run in the playoffs and wish we could have got a little bit further. Moose Jaw played us well, and we just couldn’t get by them.”

Last season in year two of the franchise, the Berries hit the ground running returning a number of key players including Beck, Ethan Menard, Jalen Freeman, Bailey Sorensen, Cory Wouters and Colin Plain. The Berries would set a new WCBL record for regular season wins topping the circuit with a 46-9 record. The old record of 44 wins was set in 2024 by the Sylvan Lake Gulls.

Saskatoon proceeded to down the Miller Express 2-1 in a best-of-three East Division semifinal series. The Berries claimed a 16-12 victory in a series-deciding Game 3 with Beck hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the 10^th inning.

In the East Division final, the Berries went to a series-deciding Game 3 against the Regina Red Sox. The Red Sox claimed a 6-2 victory and advanced on to win the WCBL championships.

Carnahan would be named the WCBL coach of the year due to the outstanding regular season the Berries had. It marked the fifth time he claimed that honour in his career and the first time he did so guiding the Berries.

He said the Berries heartbreaks in the East Division final show how the level of play in the league goes up in the post-season.

“To win a championship in any league is hard,” said Carnahan. “You have short series in the playoffs, your best of threes.

Joe Carnahan, left, shakes hands with Carter Beck on Aug. 11, 2024.

“Bats can’t get cold, or it is tough to have a guy who has a tough outing or anything like that, because you don’t have a lot of time to bounce back. You’ve got to tip your hat to Regina. They played well and ended up winning the championship.

“It was a good series with them, three good games. They just came out on top, but we were right there. If something goes one way or another a different way, we might have come out on top, but tip your hat to them.”

The Berries will begin their third season on May 28 when they travel to Weyburn to take on the Beavers. Saskatoon’s home opener will be Saturday, May 30 at 4 p.m. at Cairns Field against the Beavers.

Going into the 2026 campaign, the Gordie Howe Sports Complex is working in partnership with the Berries and the Sask Entertainment Group to install 352 new seats as part of new stadium seating sections on the field behind home plate at Cairns.

The Berries will also host the 2026 WCBL All-Star Weekend on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19, which marks the first time that festivities around the circuit’s all-star game will run over two days. Festivities start at 4 p.m. on July 19 and include a bunt contest, a little league home run derby, a WCBL home run derby and a live concert by Jordyn Pollard. The WCBL All-Star Game is slated for 1 p.m. on July 19 and a post-game autograph session will follow.

Carnahan is looking forward to what is in store in year three for the club.

“Every year is bigger and better and there is always something new added,” said Carnahan. “This year we have the all-star weekend.

“We also have the seating expansion at Cairns (Field), which will be nice. We have a good group of guys coming back as well and a bunch of new faces. It is always exciting to see a bunch of guys from all over North American and beyond come together for a short three months to three and a half months season and kind of see how they jell and work together as a team and just be around each other every single day at the park.

Joe Carnahan, centre, works from the Berries dugout on Aug. 10, 2025.

“It is fun with just people from different areas and cultures all jelling together.”

For more information about the Saskatoon Berries and their upcoming WCBL season, feel free to check their website at www.saskatoonberriesbaseballclub.ca.

Home grown from small town Saskatchewan

Road to WCBL started in Carnduff for Berries’ star Beck

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Carter Beck hits a triple to complete the cycle on August 11, 2024.

Saskatoon Berries star Carter Beck had a beginning in baseball that was made in small town Saskatchewan.

Growing up in Carnduff, which is a town with a population around 1,200 located in the southeast corner of the province, Beck’s introduction to the game came from watching his father, Blair, play senior baseball. At a very young age, there were signs baseball might be a big part of Carter’s life.

“When I was three-years-old, I was already attracted to being a bat boy,” said Beck. “I don’t think I could carry a baseball back then, but I was trying to be the bat boy.

“I went and watched like pretty much every senior baseball game he played in Carnduff on the Astros when I was younger. I can remember when I was 13-years-old I got on the lineup, because they had nine guys.

“In case someone got hurt, I was sitting (in the dugout). I was ready to go. I was pretty excited.”

Other memories from those days watching Blair play senior baseball saw a youth aged Carter running around to collect foul balls to get 25 cents for each ball he returned to the scorers table. He would gather up enough foul balls to buy a Freezee at the end of the night.

He also had fun playing catch with his father’s teammates. The baseball games also provided cherished time for Carter to be with his grandpa.

“I just loved being around the ball field watching it, playing it and getting serious with the guys,” said Beck. “It really brought me close to baseball when I was younger.”

Beck grew up playing minor baseball in Carnduff and would end up suiting up for the South East Twins baseball program that plays games out of Estevan, Weyburn and Alameda. Playing for the Twins under-18 AAA team, Beck took part in Baseball Saskatchewan’s provincial championship tournaments that were held at Cairns Field on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds in July of 2022 and 2023. In 2023, Beck was named the most valuable player for the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League’s under-18 AAA level.

Carter Beck (#20) has great speed on the base paths for the Berries.

During his journey up the minor baseball system as a player, Beck often had Blair as one of the coaches of the teams he would play on including the Twins. Those years allowed Carter to become a player that excelled in the outfield mainly at centre-field and at the plate.

Beck suited up for the Berries as a rookie in their inaugural campaign in 2024. It ended up being a spectacular campaign for Beck.

In 51 regular season games with the Berries, he posted a .374 batting average, 11 home runs, 38 runs batted in and 53 runs scored. Beck claimed awards from the WCBL as the circuit’s Rookie of the Year and Most Outstanding Canadian.

Leading up to his second season with the Berries, Beck is currently playing in the NCAA Division I ranks with the Indiana State University Sycamores Baseball Team as a sophomore.

Beck was honoured to take home a pair of league awards in his first campaign with the Berries.

“It was really cool,” said Beck. “I think I was in my eighth or ninth grade when I saw they did a top Canadian award in the WCBL.

“I said to my dad, “That would be pretty cool to get one day.” Sure enough, last year being able to do it was pretty cool. It just kind of happened with the season I had going well for me all year.

“Getting some acknowledgement, I guess for a good season, that was really cool. It is good to have a small-town Sask kid get those awards in that league too being a Saskatchewan/Alberta league.”

During his final season with the Twins in 2023, the idea of playing in the WCBL in Saskatoon popped into Beck’s head. On March 29, 2023, the Sask Entertainment Group (SEG) and the WCBL announced during a press event at the Indoor Training Centre that Saskatoon was granted a WCBL expansion franchise to begin play in May of 2024.

Carter Beck hit .374 for the Berries in the 2024 regular season.

SEG would own the team that would be dubbed the Berries after a contest was held to name the club. Along with owning the Berries, SEG also owns and operates the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and the NLL’s Saskatchewan Rush.

On July 5, 2023, the new baseball team announced that Joe Carnahan would be the club’s first head coach. He built a legacy in the WCBL in Swift Current playing for league championship teams in 2001, 2005 and 2006. Carnahan became the team’s head coach and guided them to league titles in 2010, 2016 and 2017.

When Carnahan came calling on the recruiting trail, Beck answered.

“Being in the first year definitely played a role,” said Beck. “I thought it was going to be a really cool experience.

“Just knowing like what they’ve done with the (WHL’s Saskatoon) Blades and the (NLL’s Saskatchewan) Rush and that it is all the same organization, that got me pretty excited. I just thought with the new team, there would be a lot of fans out there, and I knew they would do it right. I just wanted to play somewhere where I knew it was going to be a lot of fun and hopefully get some big crowds.

“They seemed to be the best fit.”

When Carnahan was recruiting Beck, the veteran coach knew the skill player developed a good reputation of being spectacular both at the baseball diamond and away from the game. Carnahan appreciated what Beck brought to the baseball park.

“I like just the way he plays the game,” said Carnahan. “He plays the game hard.

“He wants to win, and his skill set was very good too. The way he plays the game, he plays the game hard every pitch.”

Carter Beck takes questions during a post-game interview.

Carnahan said he got a better appreciation for how spectacular Beck was away from the diamond when the two dealt with each other on a daily basis with the Berries. Carnahan said the Berries aim to interact and be involved with the community. He was impressed with how well Beck interacted with people outside of the team and the community at large.

“He has been great,” said Carnahan. “That is exactly what we want with our organization.

“We want to have guys who are not only good players but good people. He represents our organization well, the city of Saskatoon well, his family well and now Indiana State well. He is a good ambassador for all that.

“We’re very happy to have him. He is one of a kind.”

Carnahan added that the first season Beck had with the Berries was pretty special.

“I thought he had a very good season especially for being a freshman to come in and not only contribute, but to be an impact guy defensively, offensively and with some power,” said Carnahan. “He did a great job for us all year.”

As an expansion team in 2024, the Berries went through their bumps. They started out 3-8 and improved rapidly to finish with a 31-26 record to place sixth overall on the 12-team circuit. The Berries packed Cairns Field attracting an average of 1,931 spectators for their 26 regular season home dates.

In the post-season, the Berries prevailed in a best-of-three East Division semifinal series 2-1 over the Medicine Hat Mavericks, who are annually one of the circuit’s toughest teams.

Game 1 of the best-of-three East Division Championship Series saw Beck deliver the most memorable moment in the team’s short history. In a 14-1 romp over the Moose Jaw Miller Express at Cairns Field on August 11, Beck hit for the cycle going 4-for-5 at the plate with three runs batted in.

Carter Beck signs autographs for some young Berries fans.

That meant Beck hit a single, a double, a triple and a home run all in the same game. Hitting for the cycle is one of the most difficult statistical feats to accomplish in Baseball.

With the single, double and home run under his belt, Beck came up to bat in the bottom of the seventh with a man on looking for the triple. He ultimately completed a feat that will always be a career highlight.

“My fifth at bat I came up with like we were up by 10 runs,” said Beck. “I looked at the outfield.

“I might as well try and hit the triple is what I thought. I looked at the outfield and saw that my place spot was in left field. I got a fastball away that I was able to hit over there.

“I think the left-fielder might have done a little bit of a circle to get to it. I’m sliding into third, and I’m almost over sliding the bag. Sliding into third, getting up and seeing everybody on their feet celebrating, it was really cool.”

The set with the Miller Express went to a series deciding Game 3 on August 13 at Cairns Field. The Berries season came to an end after they fell in a tight contest 5-3. They gave the fans a final salute before departing the field.

Last January 6, the Berries announced Beck as their first returnee for the 2025 campaign. The Berries open the season on Thursday, May 29 traveling to Weyburn to take on the Beavers at 7 p.m. at Tom Laing Park. They open their home schedule on Saturday, May 31 at 4 p.m. taking on the Regina Red Sox at Cairns Field.

During the 2024 campaign, Beck enjoyed having numerous family members come out to his games in Saskatoon and when the Berries played on the road against the circuit’s other Saskatchewan member teams. While 2024 was great, Beck is looking forward to a thrilling second campaign with the Berries in 2025.

“It is going to be super exciting,” said Beck. “I think people know what they are going to get now when they come to games too.

Carter Beck (#20) looks forward to the 2025 season with the Berries.

“I think everybody I talked to anyways had fun coming to those games. I know we are going to bring back some guys, and we’re going to bring back an even better team. We’re going to be really good this year, and it should be a whole lot of fun to watch seeing some of the guys we have coming this year.

“It should be a lot of fun again.”

For more information about the Saskatoon Berries and their upcoming WCBL season, feel free to check their website at www.saskatoonberriesbaseballclub.ca.

Albers’ next chapter

Pro-pitcher brings end to playing days to focus on coaching

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Andrew Albers, right, gives a pointer to a player.

Andrew Albers said his arm was telling him his pitching days were near an end.

The left-hander from North Battleford, Sask., represented Canada at the World Baseball Classic this past March and the Pan Am Games Qualifier this past June. At the World Baseball Classic, Canada posted a 2-2 record playing all its contests in Phoenix, Arizona, and didn’t advance out of pool play.

At the Pan Am Games Qualifier in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Canada posted a 3-1 record, but didn’t make the tournament final coming up short in the Team Quality Balance tiebreaker. Panama, who Canada beat 6-5 in eight innings in preliminary round play, won the final and earned the last berth to the Pan Am Games, which wrapped up on November 5.

With Canada being unable to advance to the Pan Am Games, the Pan Am Games Qualifier turned out to be Albers final event as a player, which brought an end to a career that spanned 15 years as a professional including stops in the MLB with the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners from 2013 to 2021.

“I think the career is pretty much over,” said Albers, who turned 38-years-old on October 6. “I was able to get the arm going for a couple of tournaments with the national team.

“Unfortunately after those tournaments, I was a little bit sore. I kind of figured it was probably about time to hang them up. It seemed like kind of a logical progression kind of going through it.

“Some opportunities came up with Going Yard here and then with the (Western Canadian Baseball League’s Saskatoon) Berries. It definitely seemed like good opportunities for me to kind stay in the game, and hopefully, pass on some knowledge that I’ve gained over the years.”

With that, Albers decided to leave his playing days behind and focus on becoming a full-time coach. During the off-seasons in the later part of his career, Albers sharpened his craft at the Going Yard Training Centre, which ultimately led to him helping coach all the other pitchers at Going Yard. He also got out fairly frequently to help out players coming up in province’s minor baseball system in various training sessions.

Andrew Albers, left, enjoys working with player at Going Yard.

On October 12, Going Yard announced Albers had come on board as a full-time coach. Before that announcement, the Berries announced on September 12 that Albers joined the club as a pitching coach on head coach Joe Carnahan’s staff as the club embarks on its inaugural campaign in 2024 playing home games out of Cairns Field.

Albers found he always enjoyed helping young players, so he was thankful to get the coaching opportunities with Going Yard and the Berries.

“I think the best thing is just working with the kids,” said Albers, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 200 pounds. “You’re trying to work with kids who are trying to realize their own personal dreams going through this game.

“Just seeing them progress. If you can give them a tip here or there that you hope helps them progress in their journey, I think that is the rewarding part about coaching in general. That is kind of why you do it.

“You try to have an impact on some kids. If you can manage to do that with a few of them, you feel like you’ve done a decent job.”

Albers said the crew at Going Yard had planted the idea in his head about coming on board in a full-time capacity when his playing days were done. The North Battleford, Sask., product felt like he found a home at Going Yard and at the facilities on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

“Jordan (Draeger) had talked to me a couple of the past off-seasons, when the baseball season was over or the baseball career was over to talk to him about it,” said Albers. “You know, it was an opportunity where it just seemed kind of natural.

“Having been here the last couple of years kind of working out in the facility with the kids and hanging around them and things like that, it was a place I felt comfortable coming and being apart of. I know Jordan (Draeger), Matty (Kosteniuk) and Marshall (Dean), they’ve done a great job here developing the brand. I feel like they do things the right way and do a great job with their kids teaching the game of baseball.

Andrew Albers will work the Berries as a pitching coach.

“Again, it was a pretty comfortable transition, and I felt good about doing it.”

Albers said the opportunity to join the Berries was a cool surprise. Way back in 2004, he played with Saskatoon’s previous WCBL team, the Yellow Jackets, when the circuit was known as the Western Major Baseball League. 

Still, he wasn’t sure what the Berries’ plans were.

“That one wasn’t quite as clear cut,” said Albers. “(President of Baseball Operations) Steve (Hildebrand) approached me when he had mentioned that they were bringing the team back here and asked if I might be interested in helping out in some way shape or form.

“I was more than happy to be apart of that. The coaching side seemed logical and seemed like a pretty obvious progression. Obviously, Joe (Carnahan) is going to be the manager there, and he has a great background with that league being a player and former coach that has won it both ways.

“It is going to be exciting working with him. Certainly, the ownership group that is behind them it is going to be a lot of fun. From my own personal standpoint, getting to work a little bit higher level with college players, collegiate players coming over and playing in that league, I’m looking forward to that as well.”

While Albers has transitioned to the coaching side of his baseball life, he admits his competitive side left him feeling he wanted to obtain more accomplishments in his playing career like staying in the MLB a little bit longer.

After taking time to look at things from a different lens, Albers will leave behind his playing days with no regrets.

“You always felt like you could have done a little bit better,” said Albers.“When I look back on it objectively and think about what I had from a talent standpoint and the gifts that I had, I do feel like I overachieved, so at the end of the day, I feel pretty content with the career I had.

Andrew Albers, right, grins at something a player tells him.

“I was very fortunate. I got to do it a lot longer than most guys and got to meet a lot of great people and had a lot of great experiences a long the way. As far as that goes, you get paid to play a game.

“I was fortunate to do it for about 15 years. It doesn’t really get much better than that at the end of the day. Am I content? Sure. Would I have wanted more? Absolutely.”

For more information on the Going Yard Training Centre, feel free to check out their website at www.gyba.ca. For more information on the Saskatoon Berries Baseball Club, feel free to check out their website at www.saskatoonberriesbaseballclub.ca.