Former Medicine Hat Mavericks infielder and current head coach Nolan Rattai (File Photo)

By Troy Gillard

Deadline looms for Sylvan Lake expansion team

Western Canadian Baseball League cancels 2020 season

May 28, 2020 | 10:52 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – After much speculation the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) has finally pulled the plug on its 2020 season.

The decision was announced in a media release sent out late Wednesday night.

At an emergency meeting of the league’s board of governors, an unanimous vote was held to cancel the entirety of the upcoming summer season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WCBL had previously pushed back the start date of the 2020 season to late June or early July as the timeline for opening pitch in May was deemed unfeasible last month.

The league said “it would be impossible to guarantee the safety of the players, coaches, umpires, host families, staff, volunteers and fans during the COVID-19 pandemic situation to the extent required by authorities.”

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According to the league, options such as pushing back the start date to July 4 and playing games with only Canadian players were explored, however it was determined that there were too many logistical hurdles.

The release also stated that due to the Canada-United States border remaining closed until June 22 and a 14-day isolation period required for those traveling to Canada, there would not be enough time to carry out a collegiate summer season.

Plans are reportedly in place to implement a league-wide strategy to ‘stay relevant and connected until we can get back on the field,’ though the WCBL is asking fans to provide support to teams as they try to survive the cancelled season.

The Sylvan Lake Gulls, the expansion team currently slated to begin play in the WCBL in 2021, shared a tweet Thursday morning saying they were sad to see the tough decision made by the league regarding 2020.

The Gulls say they plan to make an announcement regarding plans for their inaugural season early next week.

Gulls ownership has set June 1 as the deadline to secure the entirety of the $7 million needed to build the 2,200-seat baseball stadium slated for Pogadl Park in Sylvan Lake.

RELATED: Sylvan Lake’s “Field of Dreams” needs support to become reality

(With file from Scott Roblin, CHAT News Today)