From the Nest #010
Published July 2nd, 2025
Welcome to July!
The summer heat has officially arrived at the Lake both on and off the field. The Gulls wrapped up a six-game home streak, capped off with Sully’s big birthday bash and a special Canada Day game. The Gulls are back on home turf for two more games this week, including our Stars & Stripes game this Friday!
While the action at Gulls Field has kept us on our toes, the Gulls family has also been flying all over Central Alberta! Sully and his crew have been out in the community delivering donations to the Sylvan Lake Food Bank, sponsoring numerous golf tournaments, supporting local events, and even joining in the fun at the Sylvan Star ‘Day of the Cheese’ festival. And the summer community calendar is just heating up.. with more golf tournaments, a special storytime at the Sylvan Lake Library on July 10, and the Westerner Days Parade on July 16.
You may have noticed a few new faces on the field recently- in this 10th edition of “From the Nest”, you’ll read about the updates to the Gulls roster, catch a recap of recent games, get a sneak peek at our upcoming Movie Night, and much more!
Roster Updates
The Sylvan Lake Gulls have made several roster changes as they head into the heart of the WCBL season.
Joining the lineup is infielder Ty Yukumoto from Waipahu, Hawaii, who played at Gonzaga University. Outfielder Michael Quick, from Oshawa, Ontario, joins the team from Southern Illinois University. The Gulls have also added a strong group of arms, starting with Kyle Lewis from Lubbock, Texas, who plays at Lubbock Christian University. From Langley, BC and Hutchinson Community College, Reece Usselman joins the list of pitchers. Garret Lundmark, hailing from Spokane, Washington, comes to the team from Mayville State University in North Dakota. Jakob Rochelle, from San Marcos, California and Northwest Nazarene University, is another exciting addition. And last but not least, local talent Ty Boudreau from Sylvan Lake, Alberta, joins the roster via Texas Tech University.
As the team welcomes fresh talent, a few pitchers are no longer on the active roster: Ben Bohlmann, Josh Sterba, Noah Zenkewich, and Noah Bourgeois.
Stay tuned for more updates as the season continues.
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Over the past couple of weeks we saw a huge turn-around for our Sylvan Lake Gulls. We started out with a six game road trip through Saskatchewan that did not go the way the Gulls had hoped.
They started off with two games in Saskatoon, the top team in the WCBL. The first game saw them fall behind 6-0 after 4 innings. They battled back to tie the game, but gave up 2 runs in the 8th and dropped the game 8-6. The next night again saw them fall behind early. This time they were down 8-0 after the third, and 9-2 after the 4th. Too deep a hole to come back, and the final score was 14-7.
The trip continued to Weyburn, and game one there looked like maybe they were turning things around as they won 7-1. Game number two in Weyburn saw the trend of falling behind early return. This time they found themselves down 5-0 after 4 innings. They did respond with 4 runs in the fifth, but that was all they could manage this day. Final score: Weyburn 10, Sylvan Lake 4.
Off to Regina for a two game series. Game one was postponed because of bad weather, so they played a double-header on Sunday. The early Sunday game did not go well for the Gulls and they dropped an 8-0 decision. Game two was much closer and saw the Gulls take a first inning lead, 2-0. Regina got 1 run back in the 2nd and then added 3 more in the 5th. The Gulls were able to score 1 run in the final inning, but came up just short, losing 4-3. That wrapped up their tough road trip.
They then came home for 6 games in a row. Being home for a long stretch like that allowed a lot of the players parents to come to Sylvan and see what the buzz about playing here is. A number of these parents have never been to Western Canada, or to Canada at all. I’m sure they were grateful to see their sons for the first time in a while and they were able to enjoy some Central Alberta hospitality. The boys responded in a big way, rattling off six straight wins, in front of family and friends. We also saw some reinforcements arrive, which seemed to spur the Gulls on as well.
First up was Moose Jaw who scored in the first inning, but that was all they scored as the Gulls went to work. Sylvan tied it in the bottom of the first and took the lead with another run in the 2nd. Three runs in the fourth, two more in the fifth and two in the eighth led to a 9-1 win. Game two was a funny one. It seemed like the Gulls had the game well in hand, but after 6 innings the score was 2-0. MJ scored a run in the top of the 7th to make it 2-1 and it seemed like a different game, but when the Gulls came up in the bottom of the inning Ayden Makarus crushed the first pitch he saw for a long home run. That was followed by a couple of long doubles and two solid singles and the Gulls scored 4, to go up 6-1. Moose Jaw responded with single runs in the 8th and 9th, but not enough as the Gulls win 6-3.
Next up was the Brooks Bombers. A wild first inning saw the Gulls put up 7 runs, before Brooks recorded an out. The highlight of that first inning eruption was a grand slam home run by Jimmy Pelletier. Brooks did claw back and scored 1 run in the third, another in the fifth and 4 in the sixth. Suddenly the score was 7-6 and things got tense, but the Gulls eased those tensions with 2 runs in the seventh and closed out with a 9-6 win, for their third win in a row.
Game two of this series saw Brooks score twice in the first. Sylvan got one back in the third and broke the game open with 4 runs in the fifth. That inning saw the Gulls score 2 runs on a costly error and two more on a Jaden Flores home run. The Gulls then scored 2 more in the seventh to cap off a 7-2 win.
The Gulls then finished off their week with back-to-back 8-0 wins over Swift Current. Those two wins extend their winning streak to 6 straight. They have now also gone 26 innings without giving up a run. Their pitching is coming around, bolstered by some new additions and by the return of Ty Boudreau. Their defence has also been much improved, and the offense is picking it up. We saw a number of home runs over this recent home stand, and that’s encouraging.
With this win streak the Gulls find themselves once again in a battle in the standings. Right now they are 2 1/2 games behind Okotoks and a 1/2 behind Lethbridge, but very much in it. Medicine Hat will be in town Tuesday and Wednesday for a pair of games, including a huge Canada Day game, complete with fireworks. Should be fun.
Go, Gulls, Go!!!
In the Community
This game of baseball has been around in some form or another for a few centuries and like anything else in our world, has evolved in so many ways. The origins are always fuzzy but one can assuredly assume the game of rounders was a good starting point for what we see out at Gulls Field each summer.
There were always some form of a bat and ball game being played in England for starters and those people who played, brought the game with them when the came to North America. So now we have baseball being played in so many parts of the world and each has it’s own story of how and when it came to be in their era and their region.
One story which stood out for me centred on a little town in Italy which was the focal point of a push by the allied forces to drive the Nazis’ out of the peninsula near Sicily in 1943. The landing at Anzio was the genesis of the game in the region, so the historians tell us and who are we to argue. The nearby town of Nettuno was where many American soldiers were stationed. And they played baseball when they had some down time from other duties, like, you know, fighting a war. Locals from the town would gather to watch this spectacle and many of the young men in town would join in and the game grew from there.
American Charles Butte, a huge baseball fan, was commissioned to build a cemetery for the soldiers killed in the Anzio landing and he convinced his superiors to use to left-over material to build a baseball stadium. They started by playing softball but by 1950 the switch was made to baseball and it flourished. The soldiers would write home and ask for gloves, bats and balls to be shipped over for them to play.
The fans were rabid and couldn’t get enough of the game and a league was formed. There are reports of rivalries going overboard with supporters clashing violently in the streets. One story included a visiting team bus being demolished as they entered town. A little more serious than a rainout game as far as cancellations go.
In 1957 Joe di Maggio married Marilyn Monroe and the couple spent their honeymoon in Rome. Joe heard about the baseball centre and decided to give it a look. The story goes that Joe faced off against the best pitcher in the country and stood at home plate, watching two strikes go by. He then swung at pitch number three and deposited it some four hundred feet from home plate.
Nettuno is still known as Baseball City to this day. Now you know!
FRIDAY – JULY 4
Many of our Gulls players come to us from south of the border, and we’re proud to honour their roots and make Sylvan Lake feel like home. Join us for a fun, laid-back evening as we celebrate our American players with one of the most anticipated events of the summer — the return of the pie-eating contest! It was a crowd favourite last season, and we can’t wait to see the whipped cream flying once again.
FRIDAY – JULY 11
Saddle up, Gulls fans! We’re bringing a little country flair to the ballpark for this special Western theme game. Dig out those cowboy boots, denim jackets, and wide-brimmed hats- we are calling on all cowpokes, ranch hands, and wannabe wranglers to help us turn Gulls Field into the rowdiest ball diamond this side of the lake.
Caught up in the WCBL excitement? Stay in the game with FloCollege! Stream all the baseball action live and on-demand after the tournament ends. Visit FloCollege.com and keep watching your favourite teams!
50/50! 50/50!
Every game day, you’ll see the friendly faces of our 50/50 sellers working hard throughout the stadium. These dedicated volunteers come from community organizations and charity groups across Central Alberta, giving their time to help raise funds through the Gulls Give Foundation. Time and time again, they tell us how much they enjoy being part of the Gulls game day experience and how incredible our fans are to interact with.
Thanks to your generosity, we are already ahead of last year’s 50/50 totals! Your support means the world to us and helps make a real difference right here in our community. Thank you for showing up and giving back!
Mark your calendars for a special evening under the lights! On Friday, July 25th, we’re transforming Gulls Field into an outdoor theatre for another Movie Night. We’ll be showing “Inside Out 2” on the big screen, and best of all, admission is completely free!
Gates open at 5:15 PM, so bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and comfiest pajamas to snag a perfect spot on the outfield. The field-side concession will be open with all your favourite snacks to keep you fueled for a cozy night of movie magic.
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