Six Bulls set to soak in tonight’s All-Star Game in Okotoks

By Lethbridge Herald on July 19, 2024.

Herald File photo Herald FILE photo Lethbridge Bulls pitcher Javier De Alejandro delivers a pitch against the Edmonton Prospects during Western Canadian Baseball League action earlier this season. De Alejandro is looking forward to the fan support at tonight’s All-Star Game in Okotoks.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

Six Lethbridge Bulls will soak in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) All-Star Game experience tonight in Okotoks.

Josh Kabayama will be the only local Bull going and it will be his second time at the game, while it will be the first time for pitchers Javier De Alejandro and Drew Lenehan, Scott Hansen, Kyle Yip and Jack Kalisky is participating in the Home Run Derby .

Kabayama hopes him and his teammates can represent Lethbridge well .

“The fan base in Lethbridge and the community of baseball in Lethbridge is awesome,” said Kabayama.

“So whenever I can go represent them, I’m going to do my best to represent them well.”

Kabayama agreed it’s a chance to bond with players that you play against every day.

“We’re all competitors and we’re all here to win, but be-all (and) end-all, it’s a bunch of good guys in the league and it’s nice to go out and meet all of them,” said Kabayama.

Kabayama  has a batting average of .305 (36-for-118), while scoring 35 runs and hitting in 21 RBIs as of Friday.

Hansen is looking forward to having some fun and taking in the Home Run Derby.

“You kind of recognize a lot of the guys, so I think you kind of build relationships throughout the season,” said Hansen.

“I think it will be really cool to go out and click with some of the guys and just play a game with all the rest (of) the people.”

Hansen hopes to gain knowledge from other players at  batting practice.

“Just talk to everybody and get as many tips as I can,” Hansen.

Hansen is batting .357 (46-for-129) with 34 hits and 27 RBIs and is in the top 20 for his hitting statistics.

De Alejandro said it’s an honour, when asked about being picked among the great  crop of pitchers.

“Just to live it up and enjoy myself, (and) kind of just live in the moment instead of taking so (many) pictures,” said De Alejandro.

De Alejandro took in the experience last year as a spectator to cheer his teammates on  and noticed the fan support, in which he anticipates to more of the same this year.

“To have that big fan atmosphere and hearing people actually behind you and it not be such a quiet game, I think that’s going to be the big thing that sets it off,” said De Alejandro.

His pitching stats are ranked fourth in the league with a 5-1 record, 34 strikeouts, surrendering 38 hits and walking just six batters and having a 2.77 ERA.

Lenehan is in the top 20 with his pitching statistics and Yip’s batting statistics rank 11th in the league as of Friday.

The Home Run Derby begins at 5 p.m. with the All-Star Game to follow at 7 p.m. at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks tonight.