Another chapter in the short but successful history of the Edmonton Riverhawks will unfold beginning Saturday at RE/MAX Field.

After setting the league single-season attendance record 116,871 fans, The Riverhawks will play in their first-ever West Coast League playoff series as they do battle with the Bellingham Bells.   Game one of the best-of-three series will take place Saturday (Aug 10) at 7:00 PM MST. Edmonton finished the regular season with a 32-22 record.  That was the second-best record in the WCL North Division. The Riverhawks were 14-13 in the second half and 6-4 in their last 10 outings. Bellingham had the third best record in the division (31-22). The Bells were .500 in their last 10 games and sported a 14-12 record in the second half. Head-to-head, these teams met six times in the regular season. The Bells won 4 of the games. Edmonton opened the regular campaign in Washington State May 31-June 2nd.  The Bells took two of the three games (5-4 and 14-13).  Edmonton took the middle of the three-game set (3-2). They then met at RE/MAX June 25-27 where the Riverhawks won the first game 2-1 before dropping the next two 8-4 and 6-1.

Statistically, players to watch for the Riverhawks are #36 Jakob Poturnak.  Poturnak was 10th in the WCL batting race.  He hit .318 appearing in 49 games, with a team leading 42 RBI and three homers.

Poturnak, #51 Royce Hale and #54 Sam Kane led Edmonton with three homers this season.   Pitching wise # 33 Haden Knoll was third in the WCL in earned run average (2.54).  He appeared in 12 games (starting 10) going 4-3, striking out 49 and walking 22.

For Bellingham #11 Nate Kirkpatrick was sixth in WCL batting with an average of .332.  He had 35 RBI and four homers in 53 games.  #32 Jacob Mejia had 38 RBI and six homers while #14 Devyn Hernandez led their pitching staff with four wins and an E.R.A. of 1.19.

Tickets for Saturday’s game: available by logging onto: https://tickets.gohawks.ca/

The Riverhawks are encouraging fans to bring donations to the game to help support the Edmonton Food Bank. After Saturday’s game, the teams will head to Joe Martin Field In Bellingham for games two and three on Sunday (Aug 11) and Monday (Aug 12).  The opening pitch on both nights will be 7:35 PM MST.

You can watch those games free on West Coast League TV (https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv).

The Edmonton Riverhawks are always excited at the chance to participate in Edmonton’s Read-In Week every year! Read-In Week is all about promoting literacy and igniting a passion for reading and storytelling. It’s a special time for students in Edmonton and the surrounding areas, as guests visit classrooms to connect with youth and become a part of their educational experience. Throughout the week, players, mascots, and staff from both the Edmonton Riverhawks and the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks travelled between classrooms, sharing stories in a fun and engaging atmosphere to help foster a love for reading. In 2024, the Edmonton Riverhawks had the pleasure of visiting 14 different schools in the greater Edmonton area for Read-In Week!

We thank all of the educators and classrooms that warmly welcomed the Riverhawks into their school during Read-In Week this year, and we look forward to reaching even more schools in 2025!

The Edmonton Riverhawks are racking up a growing collection of accolades for their exceptional 2024 season.

Three Hawks earned All-WCL First Team honours this season.

On the mound, right-handed pitcher Vicarte Domingo was exceptional. The senior from the University of British Columbia remained undefeated in his five appearances for the Riverhawks, posting a remarkable 0.93 ERA. His stellar performance drew the attention of major league scouts, resulting in his selection by the San Diego Padres in the 19th round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Second-year Riverhawk Jakob Poturnak was a pivotal force in the Hawks' offense throughout the summer. With a .318 batting average, he led the team with 42 RBIs and an impressive 3 home runs. This fall, the third baseman will join the Division 1 powerhouse Sacramento State.

Completing the All-WCL First Team is Halen Knoll, the 2023 West Coast League Pitcher of the Year. The Edmonton native continued his impressive form from the previous summer, delivering a reliable performance on the mound for over 60 innings. Knoll finished the regular season with an exceptional 49 strikeouts and went on to lead the Riverhawks to their first-ever playoff victory in front of a cheering hometown crowd at RE/MAX Field.

The honours for the Riverhawks roster did not stop there.

Breaking onto the All-WCL second team is St. Albert pitcher, Tylor Jans. The 6'4" closer was a dominant force in late-game situations, recording 5 saves and boasting a stellar 1.65 ERA over the summer.

Recognition swiftly followed for five of their teammates who scooped up Honourable Mentions for All-WCL players, including:

• Michael Soper of Westmont College. The infielder had impressive numbers in his debut season in the WCL with a .315 batting average in 31 appearances.
• Sam Kane of Seattle University. The highlights of the summer for the slugger from Nevada include a perfect 5-for-5 game in Wenatchee, Washington, and a weekend series in Victoria where he hit home runs in three consecutive games!
• Russell Young of the University of British Columbia. In 34 games this summer, the Canadian catcher drove in 20 RBIs and had an outstanding performance behind the plate.
• Bryce McFeely of Westmont College. The outfielder from Seattle recorded multiple hits and RBIs in several games this season, contributing to a .325 batting average.
• Tate Dearing of the University of Antelope Valley. The right-handed pitcher from Surrey, British Columbia secured 3 wins for the Hawks this season, striking out 27 batters in just 33.2 innings of work.

Head Coach Jake Lanferman enthusiastically praised his players' achievements upon hearing the news of the 9 All-WCL selections.

"These individual awards emphasize the culture of this group as a whole and the chemistry that pushed everyone to become better players and excel as a team. Our coaching staff is proud of this group of guys as they exemplified consistency and on-field success while being a great representation of our organization."