The Okotoks Dawgs will be hosting the 2024 and 2025 WCBL All-Star Games.

WCBL president Kevin Kvame made an appearance at the Duvernay Fieldhouse to make the announcement this afternoon (Oct. 25).

He says the return of the All-Star Game to Okotoks is the result of a new bidding system.

"The WCBL created a bid process for the All-Star Game this year and Okotoks was the winner of that process. We're extremely pleased to be back in Okotoks after successful events in 2022 and 2023, and it's just another addition to showcasing Canada's premiere summer college baseball league, the WCBL."

The 2022 and 2023 games, both hosted at Seaman Stadium, saw massive success with the latter seeing 6,004 fans in attendance.

Kvame says the success of the last two games and the inclusion of new and returning teams to the league are promising news for the future of the WCBL.

"In March we added the Saskatoon franchise, which is now known as 'the Berries,' to the mix, they'll be the sixth team in the Eastern Conference. And the Edmonton Prospects have recently announced their intention to come back in for the 2024 season after a one-year leave of absence to give us six teams in the Western Conference."

Okotoks town councilor Rachel Swendseid says the announcement is great news not only for the Dawgs, but for the whole town.

"Every regular season of the Dawgs, there are economic spin-offs of between 500 to 600,000 dollars. Now, that only exponentially increases if they get to the playoffs, and they do almost every year because they're so amazing. The economic benefits to the community are huge and we're really happy to have them here."

As with previous years, the 2024 All-Star game will feature entertainment including a home run derby, a pregame show, autograph signings, and celebrity appearances, among other things.

Dawgs founding and managing director John Ircandia was quoted in a release, providing details on some planned updates to Seaman Stadium.

“This past summer our fans truly embraced the iconic additions of Kore 4 (+14) Corner, Dawgs Beach Bar and the Golden Sombrero Cantina. With consistently sold-out crowds we wanted to ensure that all of our fans were able to enjoy a quality experience at Dawgs games. Accordingly, we will add a new seating section on the Dawgs' home side with an expanded Anthem Patio. We also have plans to build a "Bleacher Creature" Section adjacent to Kore 4. This will give Dawgs fans options for seating beyond the Ford Family Berm. Another exciting new feature will be the addition of a new high-definition Ribbon Video Board along the outfield fence. This will greatly enhance fan engagement and provide our business partners will some very cool advertising opportunities."

Tickets for the 2024 All-Star Game are on sale now on the Okotoks Dawgs' website.

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