“Big Teddy” Back on the Mound!

2025-04-29

6’6 "Lovable Teddy Bear” returns to the Riverhawks bullpen after a year away

One of the most exciting arms in Riverhawks’ history is returning to the mound at RE/MAX Field in 2025!

KJ Ward, who was on the inaugural 2022 roster and returned in 2023, is back in the fold this summer following Tommy John surgery that kept him from appearing on Edmonton’s lineup card last summer.

The time away has made him all the more excited to be back in the blue and white.

“Last time I was there and hit 98 miles per hour, the crowd was pretty hype for that [...] I think I can get there for sure again, I’ve been working hard to get back where I was, so if I can hit 99 I’m gonna try,” said Ward.

KJ is an exciting addition both on and off the field for the coaching staff as well.

“He’s a big, lovable teddy bear. I think he always puts other people before him. He tries to do what he can to help us win games, and he's just extremely personable,” says Head Coach Jake Lanferman. “He always works kids camps, and when he's with children and helping out in those regards, he does a great job of being an exemplary role model for our organization.”

Whenever KJ stepped onto the mound, fans split their attention between the action on the field and the pitch speed on the video board—cheers erupting whenever numbers in the high 90s would flash for the six-foot-six powerhouse.

While it’s not impossible to see heaters like that again this summer, Lanferman and his coaching staff will be sure to work with Ward to make sure it’s a smooth return to the lineup, this time as a lethal option from the pen instead of a starter.

“We’ve seen it in regards with other Tommy Johns, sometimes it’s coming back even stronger because the rehab has been so disciplinary,” Lanferman says. “The guy throws the ball extremely hard. I don’t know if we’re gonna see what he touched a couple of years ago, but with that frame and how he moves on the mound, we can hopefully expect a power arm in the back half of the bullpen.”

A common trend is also emerging from the players who have experienced a summer evening at RE/MAX Field.

“I thought the atmosphere was elite. Every time I threw a pitch I felt like I had the type of energy that made me want to go out there and perform,” says Ward.

Fans can bring that same elite energy when the Riverhawks season starts at home on June 3rd against the Victoria Harbourcats.

Watch for updates on what kind of parties we’ll be having and who will be joining KJ on the 2025 roster!