Bend Elks

Last updated
Bend Elks
Information
LeagueWest Coast League (South)
Location Flag of Oregon.svg Bend, Oregon
Ballpark Vince Genna Stadium
Founded1999
League championships2 (2004, 2015)
Division championships2 (2010, 2015)
ColorsBlack, gold
  
MascotVinnie the Elk
OwnershipJohn and Tami Marick
ManagerAllen Cox

The Bend Elks are a collegiate summer baseball team located in Bend, Oregon. The Elks are founding members of the West Coast League and play their home games at Vince Genna Stadium.

Contents

History

Jim and Mary Ann Richards founded the Bend Elks Baseball Club in 1999 with the hope of saving Vince Genna Stadium from demolition. The Elks joined the Pacific International League. Bend continued their affiliation with the league through 2004. In 2005 the Elks along with Bellingham, Kelowna, Spokane, and Wenatchee left the league to form the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCBL). [1]

The Bend Elks went 31-23 in the 2014 WCL season finishing 4 games behind the leading Corvallis Knights and were awarded the first ever WCL wild card spot. Bend was eliminated after the WCL Divisional Series to the rival Corvallis Knights in 2 games. The Elks were Hit by the pitch 72 times and set a WCL record for the most times hit at the plate in one season. The front office of the Bend Elks put 42,030 people through the turnstiles in 31 games at home with 1,356 per game.

In October 2014, John and Tami Marick purchased the Bend Elks Baseball Club from Jim and Mary Ann Richards. The Maricks are founders of Consumer Cellular, a nationwide wireless MVNO based in Tigard, Oregon, with one of its three corporate locations in Central Oregon. [2]

In 2015 the Bend Elks won the WCL championship series.

The Elks are the latest in a long history of semi-pro and minor-league teams to call Central Oregon home.

BendElks2011.png

2022

The Elks are currently tied for second in the south division with the Corvallis Knights with a 22-12 record and .5 games behind the division leading Portland Pickles. [3] Beau Sylvester (UW) leads the league with 33 runs batted in. [4] The Elks have seen 24,957 total fans for an average of 1,387 per game. [5]

2024

Jackson Elder (Utah) was named pitcher of the week on July 9th. Elder threw for seven innings in the Elks' game against the Pippins allowing zero runs and only three hits while also throwing eight strikeouts. [6]

Also on July 9th, Easton Amundson, Mason Edwards, Jackson Elder, and Tyler Wood were selected to represent the Elks in the 2024 all star game in Bellingham. [7]

The Elks made the postseason as a wildcard. This was the Elks' first playoff berth since 2015. The Elks were swept by the Pickles in the Divisional Series 0-2. [8]

Notable alumni

Elks alumni who went on to play in Major League Baseball include Brian Barden, Jacoby Ellsbury, Blaine Hardy, Trevor Hildenberger, and Eric Sogard. [9]

Results by Season

YearLeagueDivisionFinishWinsLossesWin%GBPostseasonManager
2000 PIL 1713Did Not QualifyDonny Harrel
2001PIL219Did Not QualifyDonny Harrel
2002PIL1713Did Not QualifyDonny Harrel
2003PIL1515Did Not QualifyCasey Powell
2004PIL2412PIL ChampionsZeke Mitchem
2005 WCL 1323Did Not QualifyRob Strickland
2006WCL2418Did Not QualifyNathan Pratt
2007WCL2319Did Not QualifyCasey Powell
2008WCL2319Lost Division SeriesRyan Thompson
2009WCL2523Lost Division Series (Knights)Scott Anderson
2010WCLSouth2nd2721.5634Won Division Series 2-0 (Knights)
Lost Championship Series 1-2 (AppleSox)		Sean Kinney
2011WCLWest2nd2925.5378Lost Division Series 1-2 (Knights)Sean Kinney
2012WCLSouth4th2430.4448Did Not QualifySean Kinney
2013WCLSouth3rd3024.5567Did Not QualifyJoe Dominiak
2014WCLSouth2nd3123.5744Lost Division Series 0-2 (Knights)Marty Hunter
2015WCLSouth1st3516.686-Won Division Series 2-0 (Knights)
Won Championship Series 2-0 (Falcons)		Trey Watt
2016WCLSouth5th2133.38913Did Not QualifyCasey Powell
2017WCLSouth4th2628.4818Did Not QualifyAlan Embree
2018WCLSouth5th1242.22225Did Not QualifyAlan Embree
2019WCLSouth6th2133.38921Did Not QualifyJoe Dominiak
2020Season cancelled (COVID-19)
2021WCLSouth4th2622.54211Did Not QualifyKyle Nobach
2022WCLSouth5th2826.51911Did Not QualifyJoey Wong
2023WCLSouth5th2529.46314Did Not QualifyJoey Wong
2024WCLSouth3rd3221.6048.5Lost South Divisional Series 0-2 (Pickles)Allen Cox
League ChampionsDivision ChampionsPlayoff Team

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelowna Falcons</span> College baseball team

The Kelowna Falcons are a collegiate summer baseball team located in Kelowna, British Columbia. The Falcons are members of the West Coast League and play their home games at Elks Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vince Genna Stadium</span>

Vince Genna Stadium is a baseball park in the northwest United States, located in Bend, Oregon. Opened 60 years ago in 1964, it currently hosts college summer baseball league and area American Legion games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellingham Bells</span> Team in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League

The Bellingham Bells are a collegiate summer baseball team in the West Coast League. The team is composed of college baseball players from teams around the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wenatchee AppleSox</span> Collegiate summer baseball team

The Wenatchee AppleSox is a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the West Coast League's North Division. The team is based in Wenatchee, Washington. The team was established in 2000 by owner Jim Corcoran and has played its home games at Paul Thomas Sr. Field on the campus of Wenatchee Valley College. Asst. GM Ken Osborne became a stockholder in 2008. Corcoran and Osborne sold the team to retired Microsoft executive Jose Oglesby in 2018, with Osborne being appointed COO/GM. Osborne stepped down on Feb. 3, 2021, and assistant general manager Allie Schank was promoted to general manager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast League</span> Collegiate summer baseball league

The West Coast League (WCL) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta. The WCL was previously named the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCBL), but in 2008 it was renamed as the West Coast League. The league is designed to develop college talent, and only current college-eligible players are allowed to participate. The West Coast League has produced dozens of professional players, including a number of major leaguers. League teams are operated similarly to professional minor-league teams. The WCL's season typically runs from early June through the middle of August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowlitz Black Bears</span> Baseball team in Longview, Washington, US

The Cowlitz Black Bears is an amateur baseball team located in Longview, Washington. They play in the West Coast League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The league comprises teams from Canada, Oregon, and Washington. Cowlitz calls David Story Field on the campus of Lower Columbia College home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walla Walla Sweets</span> Baseball team in Walla Walla, Washington

The Walla Walla Sweets is an amateur baseball team located in Walla Walla, Washington. They play in the West Coast League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Walla Walla calls Borleske Stadium home which has a capacity of 2,378 spectators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corvallis Knights</span> Collegiate summer baseball team in Oregon, US

The Corvallis Knights, founded as the Aloha Knights, are a collegiate summer baseball team located in Corvallis, Oregon. Founded in 1990 in Beaverton by Dan and his brother Joe Segel, the Knights moved to Corvallis from Gresham in 2007. They play in the West Coast League, a college summer wood-bat league where college players and prospects prepare for the pros. The league comprises teams from British Columbia, Oregon and Washington. Corvallis plays its home games at Goss Stadium, also the home of the Oregon State Beavers.

The Bend Rainbows were a minor league baseball team in Bend, Oregon, from 1970 to 1971. They played in the Class A-Short Season Northwest League and were an affiliate of the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League, who were in turn affiliated with the California Angels. Despite their brief tenure in minor league baseball, the team is often remembered as the team for which actor Kurt Russell began his professional baseball career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria HarbourCats</span> Summer-collegiate baseball team

The Victoria HarbourCats are a summer-collegiate baseball team located in Victoria, British Columbia. The HarbourCats play in the West Coast League (WCL), a collegiate summer baseball league. The team's home games are played at Victoria's Royal Athletic Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medford Rogues (collegiate wood bat baseball)</span> Collegiate summer baseball team

The Medford Rogues are a collegiate wood bat baseball team based in Medford, Oregon. They are members of the newly-formed Pacific Empire League starting in 2024. They played in the West Coast League from 2013 to 2015, and were founding members of the Great West League, where they played from 2016 to 2018, then were members of the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League from 2019 to 2021. They play their home games at Harry & David Field and were named after the former Class-D Far West League affiliate of the New York Giants that played from 1950 to 1951. They were the 2017 GWL Champions.

The Yakima Valley Pippins are a collegiate wood bat baseball team based in Yakima, Washington. They are member of the West Coast League and began play in 2014 at the 2,800 seat Yakima County Stadium. They replaced the Yakima Bears of the Northwest League, who relocated to Hillsboro, Oregon, and were renamed the Hillsboro Hops. They were named for the pippin apple. On August 6, 2014, the Pippins were the first WCL expansion franchise to win a divisional pennant, beating the Cowlitz Black Bears 6-5 in the bottom of the 9th inning. After missing the playoffs in 2015, the Pippins returned to post season play, winning the 2nd Half South Division Title. The Pippins hold the West Coast League record for most wins in their first two seasons going 64-44 in 2014-2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Pickles</span> Baseball team in Portland, Oregon

The Portland Pickles are a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the South Division of the West Coast League, a premier collegiate summer baseball league based in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. The Pickles play their home games at Walker Stadium in Portland's Lents Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gresham GreyWolves</span> Collegiate woodbat baseball team

The Gresham GreyWolves are a collegiate woodbat baseball team located in Gresham, Oregon. The GreyWolves play at Oslund Field on the campus of Mount Hood Community College and were a member of the West Coast League (WCL), a collegiate summer baseball league, in their first two seasons in 2016 and 2017. However, the GreyWolves became an independent team in 2018 when the club was purchased by Rose City Baseball, LLC and replaced in the WCL by the Portland Pickles. The GreyWolves now play in the short-season Wild Wild West League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Angeles Lefties</span> Collegiate summer baseball team

The Port Angeles Lefties are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Port Angeles, Washington. The Lefties are members of the West Coast League and play their home games at Civic Field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ridgefield Raptors</span> Collegiate summer baseball league

The Ridgefield Raptors are a collegiate summer baseball team. The Raptors are members of the West Coast League and play their home games at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmonton Riverhawks</span> Collegiate summer baseball league

The Edmonton Riverhawks are a collegiate summer baseball team. The Riverhawks are members of the West Coast League and play their home games at RE/MAX Field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Gherkins</span> Collegiate woodbat baseball team

The Portland Gherkins are a collegiate woodbat baseball team based in Portland, Oregon. They are charter members of the Wild Wild West League, a short-season developmental collegiate summer baseball league owned by Rose City Baseball, LLC, and operated by the Portland Pickles baseball club of the West Coast League. They play their home games at Walker Stadium in Portland's Lents Park and are the Pickles' farm club.

The Springfield Drifters are a collegiate summer baseball team in the West Coast League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild Wild West League</span> Collegiate summer baseball team

The Wild Wild West League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league based out of Portland, Oregon. It serves as a developmental minor league and is owned and operated by the Portland Pickles collegiate baseball club of the West Coast League. The league features four teams and all games are played at Charles B. Walker Stadium at Lents Park in southeast Portland, home of the Pickles.

References

  1. ↑ "New Summer College League launches in Pacific Northwest". West Coast League. 2005-03-01. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  2. ↑ "Front Office". www.bendelks.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-06.
  3. ↑ "West Coast League - standings".
  4. ↑ "West Coast League - leaders".
  5. ↑ "West Coast League - attendance".
  6. ↑ https://westcoastleague.com/grady-and-elder-earn-wcls-moss-adams-weekly-honors/
  7. ↑ https://westcoastleague.com/wcl-all-star-game-rosters-announced/
  8. ↑ https://baseball.pointstreak.com/schedule.html?leagueid=145&seasonid=33877
  9. ↑ "Stadium History". www.bendelks.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-15.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.