"It's crazy": Baseball is thriving in hockey-mad Edmonton
The Edmonton Riverhawks have converted Alberta’s capital city into a baseball town this summer, but the best is still yet to come.
It’s been well over a decade since the city has seen meaningful playoff baseball be played, but the 27-18 Riverhawks are on pace to bring the postseason ball back to Remax Field in just under two weeks.
Fan support has been incredible for the team this season. It was recently announced that the Riverhawks had attracted a West Coast League (WCL) record-setting 116,871 fans throughout their home schedule this summer. That smashed the previous league record, also set by the Riverhawks last season, of 104,748.
Steve Hogle, the GM of the Riverhawks, spoke to Daily Hive about how incredible it has been to make this team, which is made up of college-level players, one of the city’s biggest sporting draws.
“To make college baseball relevant in this hockey-mad market is a huge compliment to our staff,” Hogle said. “This is just our third year and it’s crazy… we’re absolutely blown away.
“It’s a ton of fun and it’s really affordable.”
For the second year in a row, we've set a NEW West Coast League single-season attendance record! This summer, we’ve welcomed an incredible 116,871 fans, smashing our previous record of 104,748!
We couldn’t do any of this without you, our amazing fans.
Thank you. Thank you. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/CWfBFRN4du
— Edmonton Riverhawks (@EdmRiverhawks) July 28, 2024
Success off the field has also translated into plenty of success on the diamond. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs in each of its first two seasons but is primed to finally make the top four in the WCL’s North Division.
This could result in the Riverhawks hosting as many as three postseason games down at Remax Field during the second week of August. The number of playoff games that Edmonton will host will be decided by how the team fares in their final nine-game road trip of the season, but excitement is starting to build.
Fans have been treated to some of the best baseball in Canada throughout the summer, punctuated by the number of Riverhawks getting drafted or signing with MLB teams.
In total, six former and current Riverhawks players either got drafted or signed contracts with MLB teams.
“The ball team this year is our best-ever,” Hogle said. “The guys are unbelievable, major league teams have taken notice, we’re sitting in a playoff spot, it’s been a lot of fun to watch.”
It would usually be difficult to convince good baseball players to choose Edmonton as their summer baseball team. Yet, Hogle says the team is getting a major boost from fan support as former players head back to college and rave about their time with the Riverhawks.
“Players talk and they see the fans, they see the fun, and they say ‘if you’re going to play in the West Coast League, play in Edmonton,'” Hogle explained. “These guys play at the best baseball schools in America and they’re used to playing in front of 200 to 300 fans and they come up here in Canada to play in front of 9,000 fans.”
The success of the Riverhawks has suddenly posed the question as to whether or not Edmonton could eventually be considered a landing spot for a professional baseball team. The last team to do so was the Edmonton Trappers, who called the city home from 1981 to 2004.
Hogle confirmed that the team has gotten interest from higher leagues and that he believes the city could handle a pro-ball team.
“I think the concept is proven that people love coming down to the ballpark and having a ton of fun while watching baseball,” Hogle said. “We’ve been too busy to even respond to anything so I’m sure there will be some chats down the road, whether it goes anywhere, who knows.
“Just to have that interest is a huge compliment, and major props to the fans for that.”
Time will tell if pro baseball finds its way back into Edmonton’s river valley, but for now, nobody is complaining about the Riverhawks soaring to success.
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