VANCOUVER — Last week in Southern California, the West Coast League’s board of directors met to review a tremendously successful 2022 season and to approve the league’s 2023 schedule.
“No doubt, these last few seasons have been challenging,” said WCL Commissioner Rob Neyer, “with the pandemic wiping out our 2020 completely, border issues preventing our valued Canadian teams from playing in 2021, and adding four first-year teams in 2022. But everyone worked together wonderfully this year to make our ’22 season, with 16 teams and an exciting new postseason format, our best ever.”
In 2022, the Edmonton Riverhawks, Kamloops NorthPaws, Nanaimo NightOwls and Springfield Drifters all made their WCL debuts.
At last week’s meetings, member teams approved a new 54-game schedule designed to both enhance fan experience and create friendlier travel for players and coaches.
The Port Angeles Lefties begin WCL play on June 2 with a three-game series at Springfield. Last year, the Lefties didn’t get a chance to play Springfield in the Drifters’ inaugural season.
Springfield comes to Port Angeles on June 9 to begin one of the Lefties’ three six-game homestands. The Lefties are at home June 9-14, June 20-25 and July 14-July 20. They also have three-game homestands July 4-6, July 25-27 and Aug. 4-6. Port Angeles usually schedules several nonleague home games during the season, as well.
The schedule largely features divisional play. The Lefties have three-game home and away series against every team in the North Division — Bellingham, Edmonton, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Victoria and Wenatchee — and three-game home and way series against Springfield and Bend from the South Division. This season, the Lefties catch a break, avoiding South Division powerhouses Corvallis and Portland in the regular season.
People can find the schedule here.
