Takahashi soaking up college baseball experience

By Lethbridge Herald on August 6, 2025.

HERALD PHOTO BY NATHAN REITER. Willis Takahashi of the Lethbridge Bulls makes a throw back to the pitcher during WCBL action at Spitz Stadium on Monday evening.

Nathan Reiter

Lethbridge Herald

While Monday night’s game for the Lethbridge Bulls didn’t have any meaning for playoff seeding, the game still had plenty of importance for Willis Takahashi.

The Lethbridge product made his first career WCBL start behind the plate for the Bulls, catching all nine innings and going two for four with an RBI in a 7-3 Lethbridge win over the Brooks Bombers.

Growing up, Takahashi was a common sight at the Prairie Baseball Academy (PBA) winter camps and has been the starting catcher for the Lethbridge American Legion Elks for the past two seasons.

Takahashi has spent time with the Lethbridge Longhorns Academy and played for the PBA junior varsity program as a Grade 12 player this past spring.

In an interview with the Herald, Takahashi says it’s exciting to be able to be a part of a team he looked up to as a kid.

“Going to those (winter) camps, you see the Bulls guys and PBA growing up and you aspire to be like them. You come to these games, it’s a cool environment, just to get to do it personally, it’s an awesome experience. I think it’s a good chance to get some more reps going into the fall at PBA and it’s been good.”

During the fall and spring months, Bulls head coach Ryan MacDonald is an assistant coach with the PBA. As part of his duties with PBA, MacDonald is often running the program’s winter youth camps where he first crossed paths with a young Takahashi. 

MacDonald says it’s promising to see a player like Takahashi come through the Lethbridge baseball pipeline and make an impact as a young player.  

“For every kid in Lethbridge that’s something that they look forward to is playing for the Bulls. Playing at home in front of the crowd in the last game of the year and playing all nine for us and he had a couple knocks in there too and caught a great game. It’s just nice to see young guys come through the system and have that opportunity.”

During the high school baseball season, Takahashi suited up for the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute (LCI) Rams. The LCI baseball program is coached by Jesse Sawyer, who was the Bulls head coach from 2017-2019. Sawyer also holds the Bulls single season home run record with 18 which was set back in the summer of 2011. 

Sawyer says Takahashi has an incredibly bright future ahead of him.

“He deserves every bit of success I know he’s going to have now and in the future. Nobody has worked harder and dedicated themselves to baseball like Willis has over the past few years. He’s mature beyond his years, so respectful and turning into an amazing young man and leader. Watching him grow from literally a PBA camper, coaching him at LCI for 4 years and now to college baseball player has been special and I am very proud of him.”

Takahashi is committed to play college baseball for the PBA in Lethbridge this fall. After playing for the JV program last year, 

MacDonald says there will be plenty of opportunities for Takahashi.

“He’s going to have an opportunity to play at the varsity level next year and same with the Bulls. He (has) one more year with the Elks but he’s going to be an AP for us again. Moving forward, it’s all those young guys in Lethbridge. Hopefully they are good enough to have this opportunity to play.”

The Bulls have seen young players getting a taste of college baseball towards the end of the season pay dividends for the club in recent years. During the 2019 season, Levi Abbott was added as an affiliate player while he was still playing for the Vauxhall Jets program. This season, Abbott led the WCBL circuit with a 1.39 ERA in eight starts.

Takahashi says his first experience of college baseball will help him down the road.

“It’s going to be huge. It’s a good head start. Get to expose, get some failure in there. It’s all part of the process. I think it’s going to be good. It’s going to really help me down the road.”

Takahashi will be attending Lethbridge Polytechnic this fall, majoring in general studies.