Finally! The Edmonton Riverhawks begin the 2023 West Coast League season tonight in Bellingham, Washington, in the first of a three game set. Rookie Head Coach Jake Lanferman hands the ball to local pitcher Halen Knoll to open the season. The right-hander played at the University of Mary in North Dakota during the school year.

The Hawks will remain in Washington to play two other three game series, one in Ridgefield and then in Cowlitz, before returning for the Home Opener Tuesday, June 13, at RE/MAX Field, against the Kamloops NorthPaws.

This summer’s 54 league game schedule ends Sunday, August 6, followed by the playoffs. The postseason will feature eight teams, with all eight hosting at least one playoff game.

The playoff format and procedures are outlined here, while up-to-the-minute WCL stats and standings may be found here all season long.

Once again, Riverhawks fans can catch all the action via WCL Live, the league’s user-friendly video streaming platform.

The 2023 campaign will feature new, NCAA-inspired rules designed to enhance the WCL’s pace of play. Umpires on the field will be administering a 20-second “action clock,” along with enforcing a two-minute time limit between innings. These limits will be tracked with personal timing devices, as the League currently has no plans to mandate visible timers.

In their first year in the West Coast League, the Riverhawks posted a 25-28 record, finishing a half game short of the second half pennant in the WCL