It’s been a berry busy time for the Western Canadian Baseball League’s newest franchise.

And the Saskatoon Berries haven’t even taken the field yet.

The expansion team continues to put the pieces of the pie together ahead of their season-opening game at Regina’s Currie Field against the Red Sox on Saturday, May 25th.

What began as the “Saskatoon Baseball Club” – a placeholder name for the squad until a proper moniker could be selected – at a press conference in March of 2023, has ripened into a fully formed WCBL franchise.

The follow-up work since that press conference involving league officials and Sask Entertainment Group (SEG), the operators of the ball club, has been non-stop.

Joe Carnahan was named the head coach of the team in early July of 2023. The long-time player and coach with the Swift Current 57’s brought instant credibility to the baseball operations side of things. Carnahan’s accomplishments include six WCBL championships - three as a player and three as a skipper – as well as numerous regular-season MVP, playoff MVP and Coach of the Year honours along the way.

“The biggest thing for me was just making sure we had someone with obviously some past experience, but also a track record,” said SEG Senior Vice-President Steve Hildebrand of the hire.

“We want to come out of the gates hot, we want to make sure that we’re competitive right away. And, I truly believe Joe is that guy.”

PICKING A NAME

A campaign to name the team was launched, garnering attention across Saskatchewan and resulting in over 2,000 submissions. Those were whittled down to a top 10 list, then a shorter list of four names, before fans ultimately selected Saskatoon Berries as the favourite. That title was made official on July 13th. More than 200 berry-related names were pitched during the campaign.

From there, staff with the Berries went to work crafting a logo. A feisty, bat-gripping berry with a backwards ball cap was unveiled as the new purple look of the team on July 27th.

After that, it was time to get that logo and the team colours on some merchandise. While fans continued to inquire about when they might be able to buy a baseball cap or a get their hands on a hoodie, the designs were being made and the shipping arrangements were set.

The social media team worked overtime to spread the word about the new team and engage with excited baseball fans in Saskatchewan.

Season ticket deposits were being accepted to secure a spot in the Founders 500 Club, which represented the first batch of diehard Berry boosters.

By the fall, another major coaching announcement was made. Andrew Albers, a North Battleford product with MLB experience, was brought on as the pitching coach of the Berries. The move marked a home-coming of sorts for the southpaw, who claimed 2004 Rookie of the Year honours as a member of the Saskatoon Yellow Jackets in the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL), the predecessor to the WCBL.

“Interesting to get the opportunity to come back where a lot of it started for me. That was really my first experience with collegiate baseball,” said Albers in an interview with Saskatchewan Dugout Stories.

“To get to come back to the same location, little bit different team name, and coach … it’s going to be special. I’m looking forward to it, looking forward to being a part of the community up here again, and hopefully we can win some baseball games and have a good atmosphere for the fans.”

The merchandise – hats, hoodies, tees, mini-bats, baseballs and novelty items – arrived in time to be placed under Christmas trees and stuffed into stockings.

FILLING OUT THE ROSTER

When the calendar turned to 2024, the roster began to take shape. Player signings began appearing on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, including locals such as Ryan Olchoway, Nolan Sparks, Payton McHarg and Cory Wouters.

Employees were hired to help with baseball operations and gameday festivities.

The team also announced the creation of Berries Academy, a baseball school that would help grow the game and potentially produce future WCBL talent.

There were promotional cross-over activities at SaskTel Centre, the home rink of the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades, a team that is also in Sask Entertainment Group’s sports franchise portfolio. Fans learned about Barry, the mascot for the Berries, after the black bear crawled out of hibernation at a Blades game.

More players were welcomed to the “Jam Fam” and renovations were being done to prepare Saskatoon’s Cairns Field for the 2024 WCBL season. The Gordie Howe Sports Complex facility has a capacity for approximately 2,200 fans.

Sponsors and partners came on board to align with the Berries brand and in late April, the team unveiled their new uniforms, which included white pants, purple belts and two different jerseys: one purple and the other white. The ball caps featured a mix of white and purple, as well.

Meanwhile, fans started snapping up single-game tickets when they went on sale on May 1st. The team also continued lining up billet families and preparing Cairns Field for opening day.

The Berries have been playing ball all offseason. Now it’s almost time for them to start doing it at the ball diamond.

After they open their season with a pair of games in Regina on May 25-26, Saskatoon’s home opener at Cairns Field on May 28th should be berry nice, indeed.