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Edmonton Collegiate is coming off their first season in the CCBC. Finishing 11-19 in the regular season, which placed them fifth in the league, along with two wins in the CCWS. Coach Lanferman was very pleased with the effort his team put out last season. “After an inaugural season that saw us prove a lot of people wrong, we’re looking to continue building this program into a contending presence.” 

If Coach Lanferman and the River Hawks wish to build off last season they will need to rely on their strong veteran group. One of the leaders that Lanferman refers to is junior outfielder R.J. Bourget, who is considered to be one of the most talented players on Edmonton‘s roster. Bourget received First Team All-Conference honors in 2022 after having a slash line of .355/.452/.521 while having 13 stolen bases, 4 triples, and driving in 21 runs in 30 games for the Hawks. Leading the charge on the mound for the Hawks will be junior Liam Fox. After a solid 2022 in which he threw 49 innings, striking out 53 and walking only 15. They look for him to take another step forward for this staff. Running the infield for the 2023 River Hawks is sophomore Brayden Michetti. He is coming off a great freshman season in which he hit .317 with a .439 on base percentage and received Second Team All-Conference honors. “We’re looking forward to making noise this upcoming season, we’ve got a great group of hard working guys,” says Michetti.

To go along with the group of vets, Coach Lanferman thinks highly of his freshman class. One player is Brendan Wabick, who will be tasked with starting pitching duties early in his collegiate career. He had a strong summer season where he was a high school affiliate in the West Coast League and continued that into the fall season. Wabick is in a position to help his team in his first year. Looking to make a statement on the offensive side of the ball, freshman infielder Brayden Morris will also make his mark on this 2023 CCBC season. Coach Lanferman states he can be a game changer on defense or in the batter’s box and is a very exciting player to watch. You can expect to see him in the River Hawk lineup regularly. Another exciting newcomer for Edmonton this season is two-way David Browning. Described as “the ultimate competitor with a fire to win,” Browning will find a way to impact the Hawks game either on the mound or at the plate.

The Hawks are excited about the season and have reason to be. Veteran pitcher Alex Andres says, “We have a talented young core of players led by hardworking veterans that are trying to build off a successful season last year that saw our team have limited numbers.” Reece Devlin mentioned how the second half of last season was strong and hopes they can build off that at the start of the season. “We bounced back strong after a slow start to the season last year, we’ll be more prepared this year looking to continue to prove people wrong.”

The campaign starts on March 25 as the Hawks will travel to Chilliwack to face the University of Fraser Valley Cascades.