With the final out on Friday, the season ended for the Weyburn Beavers. They lost 7-6 to the Regina Red Sox in the decisive fifth game of their best-of-five WMBL East Division final. For the players, it means a return home for many of them, a few days with family before heading back to colleges across North America. For others, it is an end of their WMBL careers, as they have exhausted their eligibility.

Ryan Johnson is one of those. The ace pitcher for the Beavers this past season, and in the previous five, he now holds a number of Beavers records after having an extraordinarily long career in the WMBL. Johnson, over his six seasons, struck out 250 batters in the regular season. He also holds the team mark for most strikeouts in a game with 16. Johnson, while still technically college eligible - he is a junior at Lubbock Christian University - will be over the league’s age limit come next season. This year, Johnson was named a first-team all-star.

Eric Evans is another long-time member of the Beavers. The closer holds the team record for most saves in a career - 26 - over the course of five years with the team. He had 10 saves this past season, the most in any one season in his career. The Weyburn native also appeared in 110 games over the course of his five seasons with the team. His performance in 2018 saw him being recognized named as a second-team all-star.

Reliever Brodie Stairs came to the Beavers in 2015, when he was a freshman at Jamestown University. The charismatic player was well-liked by the fans, as he made his mark on the team. Over the past four years, Stairs made 78 appearances on the mound for the Beavers, striking out 92 batters. This season, he was also part of the bullpen staff for the Beavers which helped steer the team to having the lowest staff ERA in the league, setting a new team record along the way.

Cam Williams is originally from Coquitlam, B.C., and made his way to Weyburn for baseball through the University of Calgary. Over the past four seasons, Williams established himself as a solid player offensively and defensively. He also had the distinction of being named the league's pitcher of the week in the first week of the 2018 season. In his time at third base (and first base when needed), Williams was.297 at the plate, with 21 extra base hits, and three home runs.

Corey Harrell spent three of the past four seasons with the Weyburn Beavers and established himself as the team’s top slugger. This year, he crushed 12 home runs, which is a new team record for home runs in a season. With those 12, he also set a new career mark of 19. He added in four more dingers in the postseason and was a key factor in the success of the team this year. Harrell spent this year as a designated hitter, and his prowess at the position had him named to the second all-star team.

Daniel Crooks played one season with the Beavers. Coming up from Lubbock Christian University, Crooks was solid on the mound all season as a starter. Making seven starts, he struck out 41 batters in 45 ⅓ innings and had a sub-3.00 ERA on the year.

Another pitcher from the University of Jamestown, joining Stairs and Evans, is Chase Thometz. Playing in seven regular season games, and two playoff games, Thometz struck out 48 batters in total this year over 42 ⅓ innings. He was a solid starter all year, picking up three wins on the mound.

Reid Wall only played the regular season for the Beavers, as he needed to return home for work before the postseason began. When he was here, though, he was lights out, tying Johnson’s record for most strikeouts in a game, and took the title of the season’s strikeout king with 60 over 42 ⅓ innings. He also pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits against Moose Jaw in his final game.

Always seen with a smile on his face, and having the time of his life, was Ken Williams. The senior from Renton, Washington was essentially living the dream in Weyburn - playing baseball while on vacation. A versatile pitcher, he worked both from the bullpen and as a starter. While he wasn’t flashy in terms of strikeouts, he was reliable and had a sub-3.00 ERA through 15 appearances and five starts. Williams is now off to Australia where he will be coaching in that country’s equivalent of the WMBL, while seeking a spot in the ABL.

Coming up from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Cory Ewald soon established himself as a strong catcher, who could control the game from his spot behind the plate. He was also adept in front of it, batting .282 on the season, with 12 extra base hits, and 13 RBI. He also chipped in one home run on the season.

The other catcher, Omar Prieto, had a great year in Weyburn as well. Hailing from Levittown, Puerto Rico, the senior had a .303 average behind the plate, and added two home runs and 17 RBI. While his collegiate career is ending, his professional career is just starting. Prieto will now be heading to Argentina to play professionally.

Felix Correa joined the team partway through the season, and his spark helped the team for the remained of the regular season. Correa played in 28 games, and batted .336. The shortstop also stole 16 bases, and had 13 RBI. He was stellar defensively as well, with very few balls getting past him in the regular season and playoffs.  Correa was also named a second-team all-star.

The WMBL’s regular season MVP, Corey Wheaton was a dynamo as the lead-off batter for the Beavers all season. He set a new team record with 30 stolen bases, had a batting average of .372, and was a first team all-star outfielder. He added three home run sin the regular season, and another in the postseason, doubling what he did during the collegiate season. Overall, Wheaton had the type of year anyone could wish for in the WMBL. Now, he will be off to Stanford, where he will be working on his post-graduate degree.

Overall, the season is being considered one of the most successful in Weyburn Beavers history. The 37 regular season wins was a new team record. On average, there were 450-500 fans in the stands. The Beavers also dropped just three games at home during the regular season, going 21-3.

Now, the team will look at what worked, and what didn’t, as they start to get ready for the 2019 season, where they will be the defending pennant winners in the East Division, and hungry to get past the division finals to the league championships.