It’s the all-star break in the West Coast League, and the Raptors are on a nine-game winning streak

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

A couple of Ridgefield Raptors will be on national television Wednesday night, as the West Coast League is featured on the MLB Network.

This is a big week for the sport as Major League Baseball held its Home Run Derby on Monday and will play its All-Star Game on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, there are no games scheduled in the major leagues, but there is one big game in the West Coast League.

Bellingham is hosting the summer league’s all-star game, and MLB Network will be televising it live as Baseball celebrates Baseball.

“The visibility is over the top. It gives the league some cachet,” said Gus Farah, the general manager of the Raptors. “That opportunity that is going to happen is not something that comes regularly to us, so that’s special.”

It also gives a spotlight to the players. Those who are playing in the West Coast League’s All-Star Game are potential stars one day in the major leagues. Current MLB All-Star Adley Rutschman? He’s a former WCL player. The No. 1 pick in the recent MLB draft, Travis Bazzana? He’s a former WCL player.

For the Raptors, catcher Luke Iverson and pitcher Curtis Hebert are expected to be in Bellingham for the all-star game. Pitcher Dylan Stewart also made the all-star team but will be unavailable for the game.

Just like for any all-star game that has a national audience, look for the announcers to discuss every player on the field. Some will get more mentions than others, of course, but there should be a little bio on every player. That’s a big deal, Farah said.

“That’s a whole new opportunity that we’re excited about because of the composure,” he said, referring to the league and the league’s players.

Iverson, who plays his college ball at Utah Valley, is hitting .314 this summer and has driven in 22 runs in 33 games played for the Raptors. He had a four-hit game on July 9 and he drove in five runs in a game on July 7.

Hebert, who pitches for the University of Portland, has pitched five games for the Raptors this summer. He has a 2.45 ERA with 19 Ks in 22 innings, with a miniscule 0.86 WHIP.

Stewart, who pitches for Pepperdine University, has a 1.44 ERA this season with 26 strikeouts in 25 innings.

The West Coast League is a summer, wood-bat league for players with remaining college eligibility. The WCL All-Star Game will start at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and be carried live by the MLB Network, MLB.TV, MLB.com, and the MLB App.

As far as the Raptors, they host a non-league game Tuesday night, or as they like to call it, $3 Tuesday. They are facing the Redmond Dudes. This game does not count in the West Coast League standings, but does give the team a chance to shine at home again during the all-star break.

The Raptors will return to WCL on Thursday in Portland with a make-up game against the Pickles.

And then over the weekend, the Raptors are at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex for a three-game series vs. Victoria.

Oh, that would be the first-place Ridgefield Raptors.

That’s right, the team that struggled early in the season and then dropped five in a row to end the first half of the WCL schedule, has started the second half of the season with a nine-game win streak. The WCL splits its season into two halves. The winners of each half are assured playoff spots.

Still a lot of baseball to be played, Farah said, but he can appreciate the win streak.

“We talk about the culture and the right guys being here at the right time. It’s the culture,” Farah said. 

It also helps to have a foundation with the coaching staff. Chris Cota has been the team’s only head coach through the years.

“Chris is not going to use a nine-game winning streak as a marker for himself that things are really, really good. He’s also not going to use a losing streak to think things are really, really bad,” Farah said. “He’s going to find a balance.”

There are only eight WCL home games left for the Raptors, starting with the three-game series that begins Friday against Victoria. That Friday game is Rally the Raptor Bobblehead Night. And on Saturday, it’s the mini-bat giveaway.

Of course, the Raptors hope the winning ways continue.

“It’s always fun when they’re winning,” Farah said. “The fans are loyal, and they always have been, but they get to enjoy the ride as well as we do.”