The players, coaches and umpires in the Western Canadian Baseball League just love the game.

If you want proof, here are some of the answers they gave when asked what baseball means to them:

"It's been a huge part of my life ... it's something I enjoy. It's enjoyment, there's nothing better than the crack of the bat, the cheering, the sunflower seeds and those things. It takes you back to the national pastime and just the sounds of the ballpark, it's great. The whole picture, there's nothing better than the game of baseball, in my opinion." - Kris Hartley, 2024 WCBL Umpire of the Year

"It's my life. It's what I think about every day. It's what I do every day. If I didn't play baseball I don't know what I'd be doing." - Nash Crowell, designated hitter with the Okotoks Dawgs

"It's meant a whole heck of a lot to me. It gave me an opportunity to do a lot of things that I would've never dreamt of doing otherwise. It gave me an opportunity to travel to a lot of places and make a lot of great friendships and meet a lot of people that I wouldn't have. For me, baseball meant opportunity." - Andrew Albers, pitching coach of the Saskatoon Berries

"The amount of great people, friends, coaches, memories, I've built throughout playing the game, I don't think I could thank the game enough ... the game is so much fun but I think it's bigger than just a game." - Josh Kabayama, Lethbridge Bulls outfielder

"It means everything. It's got me to where I am now - it's given me just about everything I have today." - Kenny Jinks, former Swift Current 57's pitcher and current pitching coach

"It means passion, it means will, never say no and anything can happen, so it means everything to me. I love the game and respect the game. It's awesome." - Lachie Smith, infielder with the Edmonton Prospects

"It's just everything I love. I grew up playing it. It's all I've ever wanted to do and it's something that just keeps me going, keeps me happy." - Ian Heck, Weyburn Beavers two-way player

"Everything. I mean, literally, everything ... it's given me purpose, it's brought me out of the darkest moments, it's brought the most joy in my life ... it's just given me so much." - Will Bomersbach, catcher with the Brooks Bombers

"It means a lot of things: hard work, dedication, effort. It just kind of shapes who you are, as well, and it kind of reflects who you are as a person, depending on what you put into it." - Moose Jaw Miller Express slugger Austin Gurney

"The game of baseball to me means happiness. It's my happy place and I'm very, very blessed to be able to play the game at the level I'm playing it in." - Medicine Hat Mavericks outfielder Brody Gardner

"It means everything. I hope to do it for the rest of my life in some capacity. I don't see myself doing anything else in my life." - Colton Anderson, 2024 WCBL Most Outstanding Pitcher with the Regina Red Sox

"It means a lot. I got introduced to it at a very young age. It's just a blessing to play the game I love." - Cooper Ciesielski, 2024 WCBL MVP with the Sylvan Lake Gulls

"It's everything to me. I enjoy it. I love it." - Joe Ellison, head coach of Fort McMurray Giants

"For me it was playing a great kids game, but I took it as a job. I have to produce and I have to play it well, which means I have to work extra hard and it's the same thing as whatever job you do ... I had fun before the game, I had fun after the game but when it was time to put the spikes on and cross the white line, I took it like a business and I took my work extremely serious." - Matt Stairs, former MLB player, WCBL All-Star Game guest and hitting guru with the Okotoks Dawgs