From the Nest #011
Published July 16th, 2025The games keep coming and so do the stories!
The Gulls have had a full slate these past two weeks with exciting wins, shifting lineups, and some much-needed sunshine. The Gulls have been busy on the field and in the community and there is plenty to catch you up on in this edition of From the Nest.
In this issue, you’ll find important details on our upcoming July 27 double header, a look at the return of the “K” signs on the left field berm (and the story behind them, thanks to Jim Clagget) and a run-through of community events and theme nights coming your way. Plus, updates on the Gulls Summer Send-Off concert and Jeff Falls’ full recap of the last two weeks of action.
July 27 Double Header
On Sunday, July 27, the Gulls will host a doubleheader against the Fort Mac Giants at Gulls Field. The first game is scheduled for 2:05 PM, with gates opening at 12:30 PM. Following the conclusion of Game One, the stadium will be cleared to allow staff time to reset and clean the facility before reopening for Game Two, which is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
That evening also marks our Community Heritage game. Fans are encouraged to wear something that represents their ancestry, heritage, or cultural background (jerseys, traditional dress, flag colours, or anything meaningful). It’s a simple way to recognize and celebrate the diversity of our community! We also hope that it will spark communication and new connections amongst our fanbase.
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It’s been a busy and eventful couple of weeks for the Gulls. It started with a loss to Medicine Hat, and ended with a loss in Lethbridge. In between it included eight wins and one more loss. So they were 8-3 over this time. We also saw a couple of players leave for various reasons, and some new players arrive. Ty Yukumoto, Kyle Lewis, Mike Quick, Reece Usselman and Jakob Rochelle have been added to the Gulls roster. We’re hoping the new players fit in quickly and the Gulls make a real run over the final three weeks of the season and into the playoffs.
This two week stretch started with a tough 3-2 loss to Medicine Hat. All the scoring in this game came in the first 2 innings. The next night the Gulls took on MH again, but with a very different result. This game saw the Gulls build up an 8-0 lead and wind up with a 9-1 victory.After a day off the boys were back on the field against Energy City. The Gulls scored three runs in the second inning and made that stand up for a 3-2 win.
SL then went up to Ft Mac for a pair of weekend games and picked up a couple of wins, 2-1 and 8-3. The first game the Gulls fell behind 1-0, but came back to win 2-1. Game two saw them fall behind 2-0 and 3-2, but a big 5 run 9th inning allowed our Gulls to win 8-3. That game featured Kyle Lewis’ first home run as a Gull, and his first 4 RBIs. Michael Quick also added his first RBI in Gulls colours.
The Gulls then travelled to Brooks for a game against the Bombers. This game saw the Gulls give up 4 first inning runs, score 2 of their own in the top of the 2nd inning, but then fall behind 5-2 after 2 complete. They were able to tie the game, and then go ahead 6-5 before Brooks tied the game again in the 8th. Sylvan scored twice in the top of the ninth and held on for an 8-6 win. The game saw Ty Yukumoto and Jaden Flores both hit HRs and five pitchers combine for the win.
The next night was a matchup against the Dawgs in Okotoks. This was a crazy game. The Gulls went up 3-0, but saw that cut to 3-2 by the bottom of two. The Dawgs tied it in the 4th, only to have the Gulls score again in the 5th to restore their 1-run lead. They Dawgs scored twice in the 6th and 4 more in the 7th before the Gulls scored once in the 8th to make it 9-5, and they erupted for 5 runs in the 9th to go up 10-9. Unfortunately Okotoks was able to score twice in their half of the ninth to pull out an 11-10 win. Grrrrr.
We then had Brooks come to Sylvan for another wild night. A scoreless game changed quickly in the bottom of the 3rd inning, when Tripp Ray and Kyle Lewis hit home runs on back-to-back pitches. Brooks scored once in the top of the 4th on a home run of their own. They then added another single run in the 7th, to tie the game. It stayed that way until the 12th inning when Brooks scored once, but helped by a favourable call in the bottom of the inning, Sylvan tied it, and then scored again for the win. Things got a little interesting after that, but ultimately nothing developed. I think the highlight of this game was the pitching performance by Ty Boudreau. He was dominating, pitching 6 2/3 innings, and striking out 13 batters. This was probably his last appearance in a Gulls jersey. Onward and upward for Ty from here!
The next night Brooks was here again and the Gulls won 6-1. In this game the Gulls went up 2-0 in the first, and 3-0 in the fourth. Brooks scored once in the 5th, but Sylvan scored again in 7th and twice more in the 8th. Saturday saw the Gulls head to Lethbridge for a pair of games. The Gulls scored once in the top of the first, but the Bulls scored three times in the first and 2 more in the 2nd, before Sylvan cam back with three in the 4th, 4 in the 6th and one more in the ninth, to take the win 9-5. The Gulls had home runs from Rowin O’Connor and Kyle Lewis.
Sunday saw the Gulls fall behind 5-0, before battling back with single runs in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings, but that’s as close as they could get. 5-3 win for Lethbridge. The win leaves the Bulls and the Gulls tied for 2nd place in the Western Division of the WCBL, 2 1/2 games behind Okotoks.
The Gulls now get a couple of days off before a three game series against Ft McMurray, starting. The season is starting to wind down and the playoffs are looming. It’s going to be an exciting few weeks.
Go, Gulls, Go!!!
REGISTRATION IS STILL OPEN!
The Birdie Bash returns on Monday, July 21 at the Alberta Springs Golf Resort and we have a very full and exciting day planned!
Event Schedule
- Hole set‑up & registration: 8am – 9am
- Opening remarks: 9:25am – 9:40am
- Live auction for Shoot Out spots: 9:45am
- Shoot Out competition: 10am
- Shotgun start: 10:30am
- Dinner & door prizes: 5pm
Your registration includes 18 holes of golf with power cart, breakfast sandwich, refreshments at hole sponsors, banquet dinner, welcome gift bag, contests, and great company!
Team and skill prizes include:
- 1st, 2nd, and last place teams
- Hole activation winners
- Shoot Out auction champion
- Blind Calcutta draw
- A variety of door prizes
In The Community
If you have ever seen a baseball scoresheet you might be intimidated by all the numbers and letters being used to track the game.
Each position has a number so when a play is made, the scorer simply puts the numbers in place. For example, a ground ball to the shortstop and the subsequent out at first is noted as 6-3. Shortstop is six, first baseman is three.
Simple right?
Then, you come across the letter “K” and wonder what might have happened there.
That letter is used to describe a strikeout, and you can thank baseball pioneer Henry Chadwick for that one. He was the inventor of the first baseball scorecard and needed something to designate a strikeout. The letter “S” was already being used to stand for a sacrifice, so Henry decided to use “K”. It was the last letter in the word struck and it stuck. To this day, “K” can be heard in baseball stadiums around the world as fans chant “K” when a batter has two strikes on him and of course, just like at Gulls Field, placards with K on them are put up when the home side pitcher strikes out an opponent.
Chadwick’s box score of a game back in 1859 has been credited with being the first box score ever and his use of this baseball shorthand made is simple to have a very good record of the game. Another reason for the K was because it took three strokes of the pencil to make the K. I’m not too sure about that part of the story.
The impact on the game by Mr. Chadwick was so great, he is the only journalist enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Now, one other thing about Henry’s K- you will see some facing forward and some facing backward. The forward ones are for swinging strikeouts and the backwards ones signify the batter struck out looking at the third strike.
And to finish off, if you strike out three times in a game it’s a hat trick, four times is a Golden Sombrero and five times you get the Platinum Sombrero or the Olympic Rings. Reggie Jackson struck out 2,597 times in his career, Mark Reynolds had a record 223 k’s in one season and Sammy Sosa has the record for Platinum Sombrero’s with four. On the other side of things, Nolan Ryan holds the record for strikeouts by a pitcher with 5,714.
Now you know. And of course, our thanks go to those who take the time to become involved with the game and the crowd at Gulls games by handling the K’s with care.
WEDNESDAY – JULY 16
Bring your appetites.. because we’re bringing the toonie dogs back! Thanks to our pals at Sysco, we will be hosting one final Toonie Dog Night this summer on Wednesday, July 16th. The situation is pretty simple- bring us a toonie, we’ll give you a delicious dog (but let’s be real, you’d better bring us a tenner).
FRIDAY – JULY 18
“It’s a love story, baby just say yes…” Swifties, this one’s for you! We’re entering our baseball era with Taylor Swift Night and while it’s not THE Taylor taking the mic, we are excited to welcome Taylor Manning as our special guest anthem singer!
The night is proudly presented by Co-operators Insurance, who will also be hosting a Swiftie-inspired colouring contest for kids on the concourse with some sweet prizes up for grabs. Of course we’ll be blasting Taylor’s biggest hits all evening long so get ready to sing, dance, and shake it off at the ballpark.
MONDAY – JULY 21
The Gulls Give Foundation Birdie Bash is coming up on Monday, July 21 at Alberta Springs Golf Resort. The day includes 18 holes of golf with a power cart, breakfast sandwich, banquet dinner, contests, and more. Registration runs from 8-9am with a shotgun start at 10:30am, and dinner begins at 5pm. Prizes will be awarded for team placements, hole activations, the shoot out competition, and a variety of door prizes!
(Click on the image to register your spot!)
FRIDAY – JULY 25
Movie night is back at Gulls Field, and we are showing Inside Out 2 on the outfield big screen! Bring a blanket or lawn chair and settle in for a fun, family-friendly evening under the stars. Gates open at 6:15pm, the movie starts at 7pm, and admission is completely free. Plus, our field-side concession will be open with popcorn and snacks to keep you fuelled up for the show!
Click on the graphic for more information
SATURDAY – JULY 26
Easily one of the most anticipated games of the season.. Hawaiian Night! We welcome the aloha vibes to the stadium every July and the party gets bigger and brighter! We hope to see every fan in a vibrant Hawaiian shirt as we pass out the leis on your way in to our tropical version of baseball paradise. And a special new treat for this year- a Pina Colada Tiki Shack will be set up on the concourse!
Donation Events
Used Equipment Drive – Sunday, July 20
Sponsored by Broker Link, we’re hosting a Used Equipment Drive to help families and players in our community who need support. Fans are encouraged to bring their gently used baseball gear to donate- because every player deserves the chance to play this beautiful game! Look for the Gully Wagon parked at Gate A on the ramp to drop off your donations as you enter the stadium.
Food Bank Drive – Sunday, July 27
Back by popular demand, another Food Bank Drive sponsored by Sentinel Storage and Access Storage will take place during the doubleheader. Even though we ran a drive earlier this season, we’re once again asking fans to help support the Sylvan Lake Food Bank by bringing non-perishable donations. The Gully Wagon will be stationed at Gate A on the ramp for easy drop-off, and all contributions will be delivered to the food bank the following day.
JOSH ROSS IS ON FIRE THIS SUMMER
There’s no slowing down for Josh Ross—and we’re here for it! Over the past few months, Josh has been lighting up some of the biggest stages in North America, including his first-ever stadium performance at CMA Fest! He has also rocked the crowds at:
- Cavendish Beach Music Festival
- Dauphin’s Countryfest
- Sand In My Boots Festival
And the hits keep coming…
Josh’s chart-climbing smash “Single Again” officially landed a spot on the Billboard Hot 100, solidifying his status as one of the hottest names in country music today. But he’s not stopping there. His new summer anthem with Akon, “Drunk Right Now,” dropped on June 17th and has been heating up playlists ever since. With more time in the studio, fans can expect even more fire tracks dropping soon.
Catch Josh Ross LIVE as he headlines Gulls Summer Send-Off II & The Backyard Party on August 23rd in Sylvan Lake. This is your chance to see Canada’s reigning Male Artist of the Year before he takes the world by storm!
GORD BAMFORD BRINGS HIS 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION TOUR TO SYLVAN LAKE!
It’s been a milestone year for Canadian country music icon Gord Bamford—and he’s just getting started! This July, Gord has been lighting up the East Coast on his 25th Anniversary Celebration Tour, sharing the music that has made him Canada’s most awarded male country artist. Hot off the greens, Gord just wrapped the 18th Annual Gord Bamford Charity Golf Classic, raising an astonishing $356,917.30 to support children and families across Canada. That’s the kind of heart this country legend brings to every community he touches. On the charts, Gord’s latest single “When Cowboys Were Kings” is making serious noise—earning a CCMA nomination and already racking up nearly 700,000 streams on Spotify! And in a tribute to one of his all-time favourite rock bands, Gord recently released a powerful cover of “Wheat Kings” by The Tragically Hip—proving once again his ability to cross genres while staying true to his roots.
Don’t miss your chance to see a living legend LIVE on stage at Gulls Summer Send-Off on August 23rd. Get ready for a boot-stomping, hit-packed performance that will have the entire crowd singing along under the stars.
Tickets are flying—get yours now before they’re gone
Calling All Artisan Vendors – Showcase Your Small Business at the Gulls Summer Send-Off!
There’s still time to be part of Central Alberta’s hottest country music festival! The Backyard Marketplace at Gulls Summer Send-Off is your chance to connect with thousand
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