Gael Salinas had the right touch.

The infielder with the Saskatoon Berries also had the crowd behind him at the first day of the 2026 WCBL All-Star Weekend festivities at NexGen Patch at Cairns Field.

During a first-of-its-kind event for the league, many participants in the Bunt Competition looked like they were trying to find the hang of it while trying to place balls on targets that hugged the first and third base lines.

There were definitely shuffleboard vibes for the All-Star batters, who came up empty if they missed the targets or had the opportunity to score one, two, four or six points with a well-placed bunt. Each competitor had 10 attempts to hit the targets.

Infielder Dan Kawanishi of the Energy City Cactus Rats jumped out to an early lead in the opening round by scoring eight points, but Salinas made things look easy a few hitters later by racking up 13 points.

Some competitors put up goose eggs in the frustrating event, while most remained in the single digits.

The final round featured a faceoff between Kawanishi and Salinas.

Kawanishi led off with seven points, but Salinas finished with nine, including six points on his last two attempts to claim the title of Bunt Competition Champion.

"It was actually pretty great. I was nervous at first but then just took a breath and remembered it's all for fun," said Salinas, who said he did not prepare for the event.

"At the end of the day, I was like, what's gonna happen is gonna happen ... just tried to hit the front of the grass and it worked out."

Added Salinas: "It's an honour, man. This organization has been great to me and Saskatoon has been great to me."

BUNT COMPETITION RESULTS

Maverick McCallister, Brooks Bombers ... 6

Joe Madill, Weyburn Beavers ... 0

Nick Sauve, Fort McMurray Giants ... 3

Justin Simard, Regina Red Sox ... 4

Dan Kawanishi, Energy City Cactus Rats ... 8

Lucas Geisler, Swift Current 57's ... 4

Kalem Haney, Lethbridge Bulls ... 0

Thomas Soto, Moose Jaw Miller Express ... 2

Maddox Shaver, Sylvan Lake Gulls ... 3

Gael Salinas, Saskatoon Berries ... 13

Cal Gates, Okotoks Dawgs ... 2

Nate King, Medicine Hat Mavericks ... 3

FINAL ROUND

Kawanishi ... 7

Salinas ... 9