West Coast League
Encyclopedia
The West Coast League is a collegiate summer baseball league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon
, and British Columbia
. The league is designed to develop college talent. As such, only current college players are allowed to participate in the league. Top college players compete in the West Coast League, which has produced dozens of professional players and a number of major leaguers. League teams are operated just like professional minor league teams.
The WCL season runs from early June to mid-August, with each team playing 54 games. For the 2007 season, the league adopted a new two-division format. It expanded the schedule from 42 games to 48 games in 2009 and went to an unbalanced schedule. In 2010 the league went back to a balanced schedule and in 2011 the schedule was again expanded, to 54 games. The top two teams in both the East and West divisions play a best-of-three Divisional Series to determine who will play for the championship. The Championship Series is also best-of-three.
For the first time in 2006, the WCL held an All-Star game. The inaugural game was held at Avista Stadium in Spokane, Washington, with players assigned to either the East or West squad, although this was before actual divisions were created in the league. The 2007 game was played in Bellingham, Washington, and the 2008 game was played in Moses Lake, Washington. The All-Star Game was eliminated after the 2008 season. In 2011, the league announced it would revive the All-Star Game, and assigned the 2011 game to Goss Stadium on the campus of Oregon State University, home of the league's Corvallis Knights.
The league added Longview
/Kelso
, Washington for the 2010 season, along with Walla Walla, Washington. The Moses Lake Pirates ceased operations following the 2010 season, while the Klamath Falls Gems began their first season in the WCL in 2011.
The league will play the 2012 season with a 54-game schedule and nine teams, expecting to expand for the 2013 season.
* = Denotes 2011 WCL Champion
"*" = Formerly the Spokane RiverHawks. Planning to move franchise to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The league is designed to develop college talent. As such, only current college players are allowed to participate in the league. Top college players compete in the West Coast League, which has produced dozens of professional players and a number of major leaguers. League teams are operated just like professional minor league teams.
The WCL season runs from early June to mid-August, with each team playing 54 games. For the 2007 season, the league adopted a new two-division format. It expanded the schedule from 42 games to 48 games in 2009 and went to an unbalanced schedule. In 2010 the league went back to a balanced schedule and in 2011 the schedule was again expanded, to 54 games. The top two teams in both the East and West divisions play a best-of-three Divisional Series to determine who will play for the championship. The Championship Series is also best-of-three.
For the first time in 2006, the WCL held an All-Star game. The inaugural game was held at Avista Stadium in Spokane, Washington, with players assigned to either the East or West squad, although this was before actual divisions were created in the league. The 2007 game was played in Bellingham, Washington, and the 2008 game was played in Moses Lake, Washington. The All-Star Game was eliminated after the 2008 season. In 2011, the league announced it would revive the All-Star Game, and assigned the 2011 game to Goss Stadium on the campus of Oregon State University, home of the league's Corvallis Knights.
The league added Longview
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County...
/Kelso
Kelso, Washington
Kelso is a city in southwest Washington State, United States, and is the county seat of Cowlitz County. At the 2010 census, the population was 11,925. Kelso is part of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 102,410. Kelso shares its long western border...
, Washington for the 2010 season, along with Walla Walla, Washington. The Moses Lake Pirates ceased operations following the 2010 season, while the Klamath Falls Gems began their first season in the WCL in 2011.
The league will play the 2012 season with a 54-game schedule and nine teams, expecting to expand for the 2013 season.
Team list
| Division | Team | City | Home field | Capacity | Head Coach | 2011 Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West | Bellingham Bells Bellingham Bells The Bellingham Bells are a collegiate summer baseball team in the West Coast League. The Bellingham Bells strive to provide their fans, sponsors, and partners with the very best in competitive baseball and affordable entertainment in a family-friendly atmosphere.The team is composed of college... |
Bellingham Bellingham, Washington Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia... , WA |
Joe Martin Field | 2100 | Gary Hatch | 21-32 |
| Bend Elks Bend Elks The Bend Elks are an amateur baseball team from Bend, Oregon.The team is a founding member of the wooden-bat West Coast League, a collegiate summer baseball league in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia that began play in 2005. The Elks play their home games at Vince Genna Stadium. The team... |
Bend Bend, Oregon Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population... , OR |
Vince Genna Stadium Vince Genna Stadium Vince Genna Stadium is a stadium in Bend, Oregon which opened in 1946. It is primarily used for baseball, currently college summer baseball league games and area American Legion baseball games.... |
3500 | Sean Kinney | 29-25 | |
| *Corvallis Knights Corvallis Knights The Corvallis Knights is a collegiate summer baseball team located in Corvallis, Oregon. Founded in 1990 in Beaverton by Dan and his brother Joe Segal, the Knights moved to Corvallis from Gresham in , they play in the West Coast League, a college summer wood-bat league where college players and... |
Corvallis Corvallis, Oregon Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462.... , OR |
Goss Stadium | 3000 | Brooke Knight | 37-17 | |
| Cowlitz Black Bears Cowlitz Black Bears The Cowlitz Black Bears is an amateur baseball team located in Kelso / Longview, Washington. They play in the West Coast League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The league comprises teams from British Columbia, Oregon and Washington... |
Kelso Kelso, Washington Kelso is a city in southwest Washington State, United States, and is the county seat of Cowlitz County. At the 2010 census, the population was 11,925. Kelso is part of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 102,410. Kelso shares its long western border... / Longview Longview, Washington Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County... , WA |
David Story Field | 1229 | Bryson LeBlanc | 28-26 | |
| Kitsap BlueJackets Kitsap BlueJackets The Kitsap BlueJackets is an amateur baseball team located in Bremerton, Washington. They play in the West Coast League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Kitsap calls the Gene Lobe Fields at the Kitsap Fairgrounds home.... |
Bremerton Bremerton, Washington Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap... , WA |
Kitsap Fairgrounds | 1200 | Matt Acker | 24 - 30 | |
| East | Kelowna Falcons Kelowna Falcons The Kelowna Falcons are an amateur baseball team located in Kelowna, British Columbia. Formally known as the Kelowna Grizzlies, the club was purchased in and changed its name to the Falcons. They play in the West Coast League, a collegiate summer baseball league... |
Kelowna Kelowna Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"... , BC |
Elks Stadium | 1250 | Al Cantrell | 19-34 |
| Klamath Falls Gems Klamath Falls Gems The Klamath Falls Gems were a Minor League Baseball team in the Far West League. They were located in Klamath Falls, Oregon and were the Class D affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They played at Gem Stadium.-Year-by-year record:-External links:... |
Klamath Falls, OR | Kiger Stadium | 2878 | John Welker | 19-35 | |
| Walla Walla Sweets Walla Walla Sweets The Walla Walla Sweets is an amateur baseball team located in Walla Walla, Washington. They play in the West Coast League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Walla Walla calls Borleske Stadium on the campus of Whitman College home. Borleske has the capacity of 2,378 spectators.-2010 season:The... |
Walla Walla Walla Walla, Washington Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census... , WA |
Borleske Stadium | 2,378 | J.C. Biagi | 26-28 | |
| Wenatchee AppleSox Wenatchee AppleSox The Wenatchee AppleSox are a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the West Coast League's East Division. The team is based in Wenatchee, Washington. The team was established in 2000 by owner Jim Corcoran and have played their home games at Paul Thomas Sr... |
Wenatchee Wenatchee, Washington Wenatchee is located in North Central Washington and is the largest city and county seat of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925... , WA |
Paul Thomas Field Paul Thomas Field Paul Thomas Field is a 1,200-seat baseball stadium in Wenatchee, Washington. It is located on the campus of Wenatchee Valley College; the college's baseball team shares the stadium with the Wenatchee AppleSox of the West Coast League.... |
1200 | Ed Knaggs | 39-15 | |
List of WCL champions
| 2011 | Corvallis Knights | Walla Walla Sweets | 2-0 |
| 2010 | Wenatchee AppleSox | Bend Elks | 2-1 |
| 2009 | Wenatchee AppleSox | Corvallis Knights | 2-0 |
| 2008 | Corvallis Knights | Wenatchee AppleSox | 2-0 |
| 2007 | Moses Lake Pirates | Corvallis Knights | 2-0 |
| 2006 | Wenatchee AppleSox | Spokane RiverHawks | 2-0 |
| 2005 | Wenatchee AppleSox | Bellingham Bells | 1-0 |
League officials
| Position | Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| President | Ken Wilson | |
| Vice President | Jim Corcoran | Wenatchee AppleSox |
| Treasurer | Tony Bonacci | Cowlitz Black Bears |
| Secretary | Dan Segel | Corvallis Knighs |
| Board of Directors | Eddie Poplawski | Bellingham Bells |
| Board of Directors | Jim Richards | Bend Elks |
| Board of Directors | Dan Segel | Corvallis Knights |
| Board of Directors | Tony Bonacci | Cowlitz Black Bears |
| Board of Directors | Dan Nonis | Kelowna Falcons |
| Board of Directors | Rick Smith | Kitsap BlueJackets |
| Board of Directors | Chuck Heeman | Klamath Falls Gems |
| Board of Directors | John Stanton | Walla Walla Sweets |
| Board of Directors | Jim Corcoran | Wenatchee AppleSox |
| Board of Directors | Irv Zakheim | Coeur d'Alene RiverHawks* |
| Umpires Supervisor | Dave Perez | |
| Conference Stats Administration | Pointstreak |
"*" = Formerly the Spokane RiverHawks. Planning to move franchise to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.