LETHBRIDGE – For the first time in program history, the Calgary Dinos are Canadian College Baseball Conference champions.

On Monday, May 22, 2023, the Dinos defeated the Victoria Collegiate Golden Tide by a score of 8-7 in the CCBC Championship game, capping off an undefeated weekend at Spitz Field in Lethbridge.

As the designated home team for the game, Calgary started strong, jumping out to a commanding 7-1 lead after four innings of play. Starting pitcher Jaydon Wielders performed well and gave the Dinos a great start, going five and two-thirds innings and allowing just two earned runs. He consistently made timely pitches to get out of jams and strand runners on base.

Wielders exited the game in the sixth with runners on first and second and two outs as Calgary passed the ball to freshman Zach Bryksa to face Victoria's first baseman, Ryan Deagle. Deagle smacked a double down the left field line scoring two runners, and shrank the lead to 7-4 in favour of the Dinos. After giving up a single, Bryksa was able to battle back and strikeout the final batter of the inning.

Having done his job, Bryksa exited the game before the next inning as Calgary would turn to fifth-year Callum Matheson in the seventh inning. Matheson enjoyed the best season of his university career during the 2023 regular season, allowing opponents to hit just .184 against him.

"It takes a lot of preparation," Matheson said of being ready for the pressure situation. "You can't take any practice for granted. I think we manufacture our own opportunities. You get your mind and body ready for it weeks in advance and hope that you can stay loose enough in the moment to do it.

"I was looking at Kobe Bryant quotes before the game to try and channel the 'mamba mentality.' I knew that, at that moment, there would be questions I didn't have the answer to and questions I hadn't even asked. All I could do was figure it out when I got there. In a moment like this, that's all you can ask."

After pitching an impressive and clean seventh inning, Matheson was relieved in the 8th after two runners reached base.

In their time of need, the Dinos once again called upon closer Alex Lanigan, who entered the three-run ball game in the bottom of the 8th inning with runners on first and second and no outs. Lanigan would surrender two in the 8th but was able to limit the damage as the score was 7-6 heading into the bottom half of the inning.

"With a three-run lead and two runners on base, my main goal was to make sure that third guy didn't score and tie it up. Accomplishing this fired the boys up, and they were able to get one more for me, which proved to be the difference in the end."

In the bottom of the eighth, with two outs and Blake Nelson on second, senior Zach Delaquis smashed a 2-2 pitch into the outfield. As the ball soared over the centerfielder's head and onto the outfield grass, the Dinos faithful erupted, as Nelson easily scored the insurance run.

"I was just trying to contribute and help the team in any way I could," Delaquis said "I was ready for the situation, and I got the job done. I never knew how much it could mean at the time, but it means a lot to me now.

"Winning a championship with the Dinos means the world to me. This is the best team I've ever been a part of, and it just feels so good to get it done as a senior."

With the score 8-6, Lanigan made the final trot to the mound in the top of the ninth inning as he prepared to face the numbers eight, nine and one batters in the Golden Tide's order. 

"The team puts me in these big spots, and it's my job to perform," Lanigan said of his mentality heading into the final frame. "I did my job during the season, and that built up the team's trust in me. They let me go in these big spots, and that creates opportunities for me to succeed. Knowing the boys had my back gave me all the confidence I needed."

Victoria's Daniel Sawchyn ripped a lead-off double to get the inning started for Victoria, as they refused to go down quietly. After a groundout advanced Sawchyn to second, Lanigan blew a fastball past DH Dominic Biello, who recorded two hits in the game, for the second out of the inning. Then, after a pair of singles brought the score within one, Lanigan etched the 2023 Dinos into the history books, ending the game in style with a strikeout.

It was an emotional moment for both players and coaches alike. Head coach Cameron Williams, who took over the program in 2020 after a storied career as a Dinos player, was at a loss for words.

As the feeling finally sunk in for Williams, he opened up about how much it meant for him and the Dinos program.

"It's crazy. It's the best feeling in the world," Williams said. "I have a lot of pride in this program - a lot of faith in these guys and confidence in them. The players worked their butts off and I couldn't be more proud of this group.

"This win is for the alumni, as well. It's a longstanding program and there are so many people to thank along the way. So much hard work goes into this and I just can't thank my coaching staff and players enough for making this dream a reality."

Path to the Finals
Following a solid performance during the 2023 regular season (16-16) that saw them finish in fourth place, the Dinos peaked at just the right time, catching fire in the CCBC postseason tournament.

Known as the Canadian College World Series, the postseason tournament is a double elimination knockout held annually during the May long weekend, featuring all teams from across the CCBC.

In their opening matchup, the Dinos were paired against the fifth-place Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack. Dinos ace Ethan Webster provided a strong start on the mound, allowing just four runs through five innings before passing the torch to the bullpen. However, the Dinos found themselves down 4-1 after five innings of play.

With their backs against the wall, the Dinos offence rallied in the top of the 6th, exploding for nine runs in the inning. The Dinos would score in the final three innings en route to a 14-9 victory. Fourth-year Cale Yuzdepski led the way with four hits, and Colin Baxter and Bauer Sewell each also contributed three hits.

The Dinos carried their momentum into the second game, as they entered a matchup against top-ranked host Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs (University of Lethbridge), who won 21 games during the regular season. Understanding the situation, the underdog Dinos came in focused from the start, manufacturing two runs in the top of the first as both Aiden Szautner and Zach Delaquis had quality at-bats, driving in Yuzdepski and Coderre. However, the game ball would go to the Dinos pitching staff this game as a pair of Dinos rookies - Dylan Soch and Dylan McCuaig - stifled the Dawgs offence, which had been unstoppable throughout the regular season.

Soch and McCuaig combined to allow just two runs through 6.2 innings before passing the ball off to Dinos closer Alex Lanigan. Lanigan would not allow a run for the rest of the game as the Dinos cruised to an 8-2 victory.

After winning their first two games, the championship was in sight for the Dinos. The next obstacle in their path was the Victoria Collegiate Golden Tide (University of Victoria), with the winner of this game advancing to the finals. However, after taking an early 3-1 lead in the second inning, the Dinos will to win was tested once again as they found themselves down 6-4 through five innings.

After third-year Liam McAusland pitched a scoreless inning, Calgary's fifth-year hometown hero Marcus Coderre came up clutch. Coderre ripped a single, which scored Einarson and Skinner, tying the game at 6-6. The game would remain tied until the bottom of the 8th when Sewell blasted a lead-off triple. Then, Yuzdepski, one of the Dinos most consistent hitters, did his job, cashing in Sewell with a sacrifice fly to right field.

With a 7-6 lead, the Dinos looked to close it out in the top of the ninth. After allowing a lead-off walk, the Dinos put the ball, along with their championship hopes, back in the hands of Lanigan. Lanigan set the Dinos regular season save record this season, earning six saves in six opportunities after making the switch to the bullpen after primarily starting in 2022. There was no player on the Dinos roster more suited for the moment.

To his credit Lanigan came up big for the Dinos, striking out the final two batters, which sent the Dinos to the championship for the first time in program history.

After dropping their third game to the Dinos, Victoria hung on in a wild match against PBA that finished 11-10. Victoria's late-night win on Sunday set the stage for Monday's rematch. Since the Dinos did not lose any games during their championship run, Victoria would have needed to defeat the Dinos twice to claim victory.

-UC-