{
  "id": 1540047,
  "title": "Saskatoon Berries secure first WCBL Championship with 2-game sweep",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/saskatoon-berries-secure-first-wcbl-championship-with-2-game-sweep",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-17T19:01:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12024304/saskatoon-berries-wcbl-championship/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Saskatoon Berries claimed their first WCBL Championship title after securing a 2-game sweep in the playoffs. This achievement came just three years after the team joined the league. In their final game, they defeated the Sylvan Lake Gulls with a score of 11-1. Head coach Joe Carnahan attributed their success to the team's resilience, saying, \"Adversity is always good. You define a person the way they respond to stuff, and when things get hard, how they respond to that.\" Outfielder Ethan Murdoch, a Swift Current native, emphasized that the team bounced back from multiple mistakes throughout the playoffs, stating, \"We made a couple mistakes throughout every game of the playoffs, and everybody makes those mistakes. It just didn't seem to really faze us.\" The Berries' pitching was highly praised, with head coach Carnahan calling it \"outstanding.\" Closing pitcher Wesley Shackelford was named the post-season Most Valuable Player. The victory was particularly meaningful for those born and raised in Saskatchewan, but even for the U.S.-based players, Saskatoon had become their home. Brooks Jones, who plays for the University of Texas, expressed his sentiment, saying, \"I figured out that I was coming up here a little towards the end of the spring season, but now it’s pretty much home now.\" For those leaving the team, the diamond will be missed. Murdoch, who hit a home run and contributed two RBIs, said, \"I would have loved to keep playing and play pro. But it’s not in the cards for me, and at least if I went out, I went on my own terms and went on top.\" Over 2,500 fans attended the final game at Cairns Field to witness the Berries' triumph.",
  "summary": "After just three years in the league, the Saskatoon Berries took home the WCBL championship — and did so in front of a record-number crowd.",
  "key_points": [
    "Saskatoon Berries win first WCBL Championship through 2-game sweep",
    "Head coach Joe Carnahan credits team's resilience for success",
    "Wesley Shackelford named post-season Most Valuable Player"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}