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A tough loss to the Okotoks Dawgs in game 4 of the West Division WMBL finals spells the end of a great inaugural season for the Dukes. We would like to thank everyone in the Park and elsewhere for their fabulous support and look forward to seeing you next year!Read More
Dukes Updates
Dukes Updates
Come support The Dukes as they head into game 4 of the West Division finals, Sunday at 7:05pm at the Diamond of Dreams against the Okotoks Dawgs.Read More
Group Discounts
Team/Group Discounts
Your minor sports team can catch the action for only $40 per game — adult sports teams for only $80 (max of 20 players, coaches and/or manager). Read More
Get a public welcome!
We would love to see your company, group or team at the Diamond of Dreams! Pre-purchase your group tickets to receive great prices and a public welcome from the Dukes! Read More| Dukes finish strong winning major hardware |
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Dukes Baseball Inc.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dukes Finish Strong Winning Major Hardware Sherwood
Park Home to Western Major Baseball League’s Most Valuable Player and
Coach of the Year SHERWOOD
PARK, ALBERTA, Monday, August 18, 2008 The
Western Major Baseball League expansion franchise Sherwood Park Dukes’ inaugural season may have wrapped up last
Sunday with a loss in the Western Conference Championship series, but the Dukes
brought home some major hardware yesterday as the league released the 2008 WMBL
All-Star Teams and Award Winners. Leading the way all season for the Dukes, Thunder
Bay native Dan Grant led all WMBL hitters this season winning the League Batting
Title with a .403 batting average in the wood bat league. Grant (ex-University
of Northern Iowa/NCAA Division I) not only added a 1st Team All-Star
Infield Award to his wall, but also brings home the WMBL’s Most Valuable
Player Award. “Dan
did a great job this summer being a consistent threat at the plate, taking
pressure off our other hitters and giving our line-up depth,” states Dukes Head Coach Jordan
Blundell. “Dan was a quality defender and displayed a knack for
getting big hits. He lead by example everyday giving the Dukes his
best effort every game,” adds Blundell. Dukes
center fielder Ryan Jacobi (Mansfield, TX; Texas Wesleyan University/NAIA)
dazzled the Dukes and their fans all season, robbing opposing hitters of extra
base hits with his great range and diving catches. Jacobi’s efforts in
the outfield were not just noticed by the hometown fans as Jacobi was awarded a
2nd Team All-Star Outfield Award by the Western Major Baseball
League. “Ryan
took many hits away from the opposition, which I'm sure did not go unnoticed on
our Pitching Staff,”
says Blundell. Leading
the team from a tough mid-June to a strong 13-4 win-loss record in July and a third
place overall finish, it is clear to see why Dukes Head Coach Jordan Blundell
was named as the Western Major Baseball League’s Coach of the Year.
Although Blundell had a head start with some players following him to Sherwood
Park from the 2007 St. Albert Prospects squad (who took the year away from the
league due to facility issues), Blundell recruited some new faces to the
League, dealt with a couple of tough injuries and managed the team through
losing three quality players to Team Canada’s entry at the World
University Games with a fantastic July record. Coach Blundell heads the
baseball program at Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University)
and is extremely proud to be recognized as Coach of the Year in the
WMBL. “The league has so much talent and has so many
great coaches that it's special to be given this honor,” states
Blundell. Blundell continues, “Most importantly, I need to thank
all my players for an outstanding season – their hard work and dedication provided me
the opportunity to be recognized with this award.” The Dukes players have all departed back to their respective colleges after a strong first season that saw the Dukes finish the regular season with the third best record and a first round playoff series win, both huge victories for an expansion franchise. The Dukes cap off their successful inaugural season with three of the major WMBL awards – a tough year to improve on, but the Dukes hope to build on the strength of their first season and fight their way to the League Championship series in 2009. WMBL Allstars for 2008 Season
WMBL ALLSTAR TEAMS AND AWARD WINNERS FOR 2008 The Sherwood Park Dukes (www.dukesbaseball.ca) are the newest collegiate summer team franchise in the Western Major Baseball League and will play their inaugural season at Centennial Park Diamond #9 in Sherwood Park, Alberta, a legacy of the 2007 Western Canada Summer Games. The WMBL includes teams from Saskatchewan – Melville Millionaires, Moose Jaw Miller Express, Regina Red Sox, Saskatoon Yellow Jackets, Swift Current Indians, Weyburn Beavers and the Yorkton Cardinals, and Alberta – Lethbridge Bulls, Medicine Hat Mavericks, Okotoks Dawgs, the Sherwood Park Dukes as well as the Red Deer Generals and St. Albert Prospects who have been granted leaves of absence for the 2008 season. The Dukes are locally owned and operated with their “Diamond of Dreams” motto and their vision “to build a community oriented organization that will enrich Sherwood Park’s quality of life by providing affordable wholesome family entertainment and promote the benefits of athletic competition through the successful ownership of a summer collegiate baseball team.”
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
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Dukes In The News
| Dukes deliver sensational season |
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August 15, 2008--The Sherwood Park Dukes’ defeat at the hands of the Okotoks Dawgs in the Western Major Baseball League West Division championship last weekend shouldn’t be viewed as a loss, but rather as an overwhelming victory for baseball in Strathcona County. In just their first season of existence in the collegiate-level summer league, the Dukes were successful on the field with a winning record and an exciting playoff run, and they also took baseball’s profile in the community to new heights, attracting hundreds of fans to each home game making a name for themselves around town. |
Dukes Press Releases
| Dukes finish strong winning major hardware |
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Monday, August 18, 2008 –The Western Major Baseball League expansion franchise Sherwood Park Dukes’ inaugural season may have wrapped up last Sunday with a loss in the Western Conference Championship series, but the Dukes brought home some major hardware yesterday as the league released the 2008 WMBL All-Star Teams and Award Winners. Leading the way all season for the Dukes, Thunder Bay native Dan Grant led all WMBL hitters this season winning the League Batting Title with a .403 batting average in the wood bat league. Grant (ex-University of Northern Iowa/NCAA Division I) not only added a 1st Team All-Star Infield Award to his wall, but also brings home the WMBL’s Most Valuable Player Award. |
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Sherwood Park Minor Baseball Association is Sherwood Park's official provider of baseball in the Sherwood Park area for children ages 6 to 18.
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The WMBL is Canada's premier summer college baseball league with teams in Alberta and Saskatchewan.