West Coast League Expands to Salem

Monday, January 22, Corvallis, Ore. – The premier summer collegiate league in Western America, the 16-team West Coast League, continues to grow its membership. This past weekend, at the Northwest Baseball Coaches Association convention at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel,  league commissioner Rob Neyer announced the addition of Salem, Oregon as the league’s 17th member. The yet-to-be-named team will play its home games at Willamette University, home of the Bearcats, beginning summer 2025. Read the West Coast League’s news release here.

This expansion news comes on the heels of recent member additions, as four new clubs debuted in 2022: the Edmonton Riverhawks, Kamloops NorthPaws, and Nanaimo NightOwls in Canada, and the Springfield Drifters in Oregon.

“This is huge for our league,” expressed Corvallis Knights director of operations, Derek Buchheit. “Playing in our state’s capital is a major win for the visibility of the WCL. Salem has such a rich baseball history, and we’re excited to compete in a new market with enthusiastic fans, and look forward to engaging in a rivalry with our future neighbors to the north.”

The league has grown significantly over the past half-dozen years. The Portland Pickles joined in 2018 (replacing the Gresham GreyWolves), followed by the Ridgefield Raptors in 2019.

The Knights kick-off their 2024 campaign on Thursday, May 23rd with the club’s 11th annual Science, Engineering and Arts Day, presented by Paventy & Brown Orthodontics, with an exhibition game at Goss Stadium against NW Star Academy. Corvallis launches its league season Friday, May 31st at Cowlitz. The seven-time defending champs home opener is set for Friday, June 14^th versus the Port Angeles Lefties.

Check out the Corvallis Knights complete 2024 schedule here.