From the Nest #014

Anyone dressing up as a zombie baseball player this weekend? Sully got ahead of the Halloween action and was downtown Sylvan this past weekend at the Visit Sylvan Lake Downtown Trick-or-Treat event!

Flex Plans are back for another season! The perfect option for busy Gulls fans who want flexibility and value. With your choice of 5 games or 10, the Flex Plan option let you choose the dates that work best for you while still enjoying all the perks of being part of the Flock.

A 10-Game Flex Plan is just $270 +GST, and comes loaded with $300 +GST in ticket credits- that’s bonus value right off the bat!

Flex Plan holders also receive early access to seat selection on April 1 at Noon, giving you a full two-week head start before tickets go on sale to the general public on April 15. Seats move fast every year, so this early access makes all the difference!

Plans are available until April 1 and all details (including promo codes for returning holders) can be found at the link below.

– The Gulls Ticketing Department

If you have ever been to a Sylvan Lake Gulls game, you have seen this activity taking place just to the left of the Gulls dugout in foul territory. It’s the game before the game, and many of the players take part in it.

The game is hackey sack, and it is a product of the 70s- although the concept dates back centuries. The game we see was recreated in some ways by a man from Oregon who learned it from a Native American friend of his. A buddy, recovering from knee surgery, used hackey sack to speed up his rehab. Not sure what Gulls trainer Rob Manca would think of that idea, but the patient claimed his knee was completely healed within six months.

The initial game in Oregon was a cloth bag filled with rice, which they called a ‘Footbag’, and then termed it ‘hacking the sack’. The pair who invented it, Mike Marshall and John Stalberg, began refining their skills- and the sack- using cowhide filled with rice or glass buttons. They applied for a patent for their product in 1974, and the rest is history.

But even before all this, way back in 476 B.C., there was a game very similar to the current one. It was used by Chinese soldiers as a training segment, employing a hair-filled leather bag for a war game called ‘Cuju’.

Watching the Gulls play this game is a treat, and they seem to have made up some local rules to play by, but there are apparently real rules. The sack needs to remain away from the ground without using hands or arms, and before a player can pass it over to another in the group, it must be bounced a certain number of times. If every player kicks the sack before it hits the ground, it’s called a ‘hack’. Touch it twice for a ‘double hack’, and it goes from there.

The first World Hackey Sack Championship was held in 2006, with players from all over the world taking part as professionals. They would choreograph routines incorporating complex moves timed with music.

These pros are very good at what they do- just look at these numbers. In 1997, one player set the world record of 63,326 consecutive kicks over a period of eight hours, 50 minutes, and 42 seconds. The next year, a doubles record was established. The pair recorded 132,011 kicks with a time of 20 hours, 36 minutes, and 17 seconds. I have no idea if either record-setting endeavour allowed for bathroom breaks.

There you go. Hackey sack in a new light.

Can’t snag a Club Seat? No problem! You can still catch every moment of Gulls baseball next season with a Berm/Standing Room General Admission Season Ticket!

These passes are the perfect way to enjoy all 28 home games at a great value. You’ll save money, skip the ticket line, and even receive a Season Ticket lanyard for quick, easy entry at the gates. Plus, you’ll have guaranteed access to sold-out games, so you never have to miss a night at Gulls Field!

General Admission Season Tickets are ideal for families, kids, and fans who love the relaxed, social atmosphere of the concourse and berm areas. Join the flock for the full 2026 season and make Gulls baseball part of your summer tradition!

After being asked to contribute to the Gulls Newsletter throughout this past WCBL season, I’ve now been asked to write articles for their Monthly Newsletter over the winter. This is kinda different than what I’ve written during the season, as there I just recap the games. This is going to quite different, almost ‘investigative reporting’. But I’m gonna give it a shot. Hopefully you enjoy it.

For my first article I thought of writing about a graduating player, who has pitched for the Gulls all five years they’ve been in the WCBL, Ty Boudreau. I’m sure many of you know a lot of this, but hopefully I can give you some new information about Ty, how he ended up pitching for the Gulls, and where he’s headed from here.

Ty has been playing ball since he was big enough to wear a glove and throw a ball. He’s always been competitive, had a natural ability, and loved to compete. He started playing ball in Nova Scotia where his family lived and as he got older he represented Nova Scotia at elite provincial and national events. He won Bronze and Gold medals at U17 Championships while playing for Nova Scotia. He was also recognized as the Top Defender his last year playing at the U17s.

His successes and strong work ethic led to an opportunity to take his talents to the Vauxhaul Baseball Academy where he was able to join many other skilled players from Nova Scotia. He could have gone to a number of other academies in Alberta but Ty and his parents felt Vauxhaul offered him the best path moving forward. They also felt Vauxhaul had the best pitching coach available. His time in Vauxhaul allowed him to mature, not just as a ball player, but as a young man as well.

From Vauxhaul Ty started his college career at Midland College, in west Texas. Midland had a reputation as a powerhouse junior college program, especially for hitters. Ty excelled here as well and was rewarded by being named a First-Team All-Star all 3 years there, as well as being named Pitcher of the Year for his conference. He led the nation in strikeouts his final season, with 128. He saved his strongest performances for playoff games and NCAA teams noticed. Texas Tech came calling, so Ty took his talents to the Big 12. Moving from Jr College to the Big 12 was a big jump and Ty had to prove himself again. Although he started the season in the bullpen, he worked hard and earned his way back to a starting role. One of his biggest accomplishments during his time at TT was throwing an Immaculate Inning, which is striking out three batters in a row, using only 9 pitches. He finished his season averaging over a strikeout per inning pitched. While he was pitching for Texas Tech, my wife and I had the opportunity to watch him pitch against ASU. Pretty cool.

After his season in the Big 12 Ty made the tough decision to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. He was pursued by a number of big schools. ASU made a big pitch for his talents and I, personally had hoped he might accept that, as we spend time in the Phoenix area each winter and thought we’d get to see him pitch for the Sun Devils. Ty and his parents didn’t ask for my thought, and instead he made his own decision to return east.

Let’s talk about how he ended up pitching for the Gulls. It almost didn’t happen. Ty’s first year in Sylvan was the COVID summer. Ty had committed to play for the Medicine Hat Mavericks, but when COVID hit US players weren’t allowed to cross the border and a number of WCBL teams suspended operations for the year. Sylvan Lake was in their first year in the league and chose to go ahead. Only four teams competed that year and the Gulls were one of them. Ty’s high school coach made some calls, trying to find somewhere for him to play. Sylvan said ‘yes’. They couldn’t guarantee he’d play much, but they were happy to add another young arm. Ty showed up here, worked hard and he quickly earned a spot in the rotation and as a fan favourite. Over his 5 seasons pitching in Sylvan, Ty recorded 20 wins and 4 saves. He struck out 232 batters wearing the Gulls uniform. Ty also threw a complete game no-hitter while playing for the Gulls.

When Ty started pitching for the Gulls, his parents still lived in Nova Scotia. Even from the other end of the country Kelly and Gareth followed his career closely. They cheered him on from afar, watching all the games online. Ty was billeted here with the Witty family. The Boudreau’s truly appreciate that the Wittys took Ty in and treated him like a member of their family. They are also thankful for the Gulls organization and the entire community for the support and care they gave Ty. A quote from Kelly says “after seeing how the community embraced him, we started to feel like part of Sylvan Lake ourselves.” In 2021 they had the opportunity to move closer to Ty and settled in Calgary. In 2022 they were able to buy a home in Sylvan Lake and because they already felt so connected to Sylvan it made sense. Kelly says it’s the best decision they’ve ever made! Sylvan is now their home.

Now, let’s get back to last summer. It was definitely eventful and stressful for the Boudreaus. From deciding to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, to getting numerous offers from schools, to entering the MLB Draft, and ultimately signing as a free agent, it was a whirlwind. They made the tough decision to enter the portal, and then had to weigh the pros and cons of some of the offers they received. Then came the MLB Draft, where he had been interviewed by a number of teams that expressed interest. The draft came and went and no teams picked him. Through it all Ty’s agent told him to be patient. On the final day of the draft the New York Yankees called and offered him a free agent contract. How exciting! Within a couple of days Ty was off to the Yankees training facility in Tampa, Florida. He spent a few days getting orientated and doing physicals before being activated to rookie league team. After a couple of appearances there he was promoted to the Tampa Tarpons, the Yankees ‘A’ Level team. With the Tarpons he was one of three pitchers that combined on a no-hitter.

Things are looking bright for Ty and it’s exciting that we, as Gulls fans, have been a big part of his journey. I’ve never really been a Yankees fan, but I can guarantee you, if Ty Boudreau makes it to the Majors, even wearing Yankees pinstripes, I’ll be cheering loudly for him.

           -Jeff Falls