Dodgers Win Pacific Coast League Championship
Oklahoma City wins franchise’s first league title since 1996 and reaches 90 wins for the first time during the team’s Bricktown era
Confetti shot into the night sky and celebratory streams of water sprayed from bottles flung into the autumn air as Oklahoma City Dodgers players gathered on the infield following the final out of their league championship-clinching win in late September.
Chants of “Let’s go Dodgers” filled Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark as fans jumped to their feet clapping their hands and banging together inflatable noisemakers.
Oklahoma City Dodgers manager Travis Barbary raised the Pacific Coast League championship trophy above his head before walking the hardware over to players waiting to pose for photos and celebrate Oklahoma City’s first Triple-A league title since 1996.
The party then moved into the team clubhouse and champagne showers followed the Dodgers’ sweep of the Round Rock Express in the best-of-three PCL Championship Series.
Three days later as the team prepared to play in the Triple-A National Championship Game at Las Vegas Ballpark, Dodgers players reflected on their historic season.
“It’s been a blast,” outfielder Ryan Ward said. “This is probably one of the most fun, most close-knit teams that I’ve been a part of, so the whole year from start to finish we had a blast — not even on the field, just hanging out off and doing group things. We created great relationships and that’s something that allowed this year to be really fun.”
The Dodgers used 80 different players during the 2023 regular season with Ward and fellow outfielder Drew Avans as the only two players to remain on the team’s active roster all season.
Players and coaches noted the team’s consistent camaraderie throughout the season that propelled Oklahoma City’s Triple-A franchise to unprecedented success despite the frequent roster moves.
“It’s been a really fun season,” said infielder Michael Busch, who went on to be named PCL Most Valuable Player. “We’ve had a great group of guys throughout the year — obviously the guys we have now, but there were a bunch of guys earlier in the season and guys came in the middle of the season that were a big part of the reason that we made it this far and won as many games as we did.”
The Dodgers finished the regular season with 90–58 record overall and with the most wins for an Oklahoma City team in a single season during the Bricktown era (since 1998). Their 90 wins were the second-most wins in Oklahoma City’s Triple-A history (since 1962) behind only the 1965 89ers, who finished 91–54.
“It’s been really cool and I just have to say we’ve had a great group of guys and I think that is what made it so special this year,” infielder Justin Yurchak said. “We’ve had a lot of turnover in the clubhouse throughout the year and everybody that comes in or goes out just has such a positive attitude.”
Oklahoma City’s 90 wins tied for the most in the Minors this season with Triple-A National Championship Game opponent Norfolk (90–59) and the Dodgers became just the second PCL team since 2006 to notch at least 90 wins, joining the 2017 Memphis Redbirds (91–50). The Dodgers also became just the fourth PCL team over the last 23 seasons to reach 90 wins.
“We had a great clubhouse this year,” said pitcher Gavin Stone, who was named to the PCL All-Star Team. “A lot of guys came in, a lot of guys went out, but everybody contributed and that’s what’s special about this group is that everybody contributed. To see us go this far is really special to us and all the guys that have come through. It just shows how hard we have worked as a group together.”
The Dodgers finished in first place in the overall PCL standings in 2023, marking the fourth time that has happened during the team’s Bricktown era (also 2005, 2013 and 2015). The Dodgers held at least a share of first place in the league standings for all but seven days during the season, first from April 1-Aug. 25 and again from Sept. 2 to the end of the season.
“We’ve got a great group of guys, a mix of older veteran players and new guys coming up,” manager Travis Barbary said. “I feel like everybody genuinely gets along with one another, pulls for each other, enjoys watching teammates be successful. So it’s been a lot of fun and obviously winning makes it more enjoyable. I couldn’t ask for a better group.”
The Dodgers clinched the Pacific Coast League’s first-half championship as well as a playoff berth June 14 with a 46–19 record — 11 days before the first half officially ended June 25. Oklahoma City went on to finish the first half with a 50–23 record, and as first-half champions earned the honor of hosting the PCL Championship Series during the final week of September.
The Dodgers defeated Round Rock, 8–3, in Game 1 of the PCL Championship Series Sept. 26, building an early lead and later using a three-run seventh inning to pull away from the Express at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
The Dodgers took a 4–0 lead through two innings on a RBI single by Ward, RBI ground-rule double by Yonny Hernández, RBI groundout by Hunter Feduccia and a RBI single by Avans.
Round Rock loaded the bases in the third inning with two outs, but pitcher Kyle Hurt struck out Blaine Crim to escape the jam. Round Rock scored runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to cut OKC’s lead to one run before loading the bases in the sixth inning with two outs. Dodgers pitcher Tyson Miller then got Justin Foscue to pop out to end the inning.
Feduccia hit a solo home run out to left-center field in the sixth inning to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 5–3. Oklahoma City went on to add three more runs in the seventh inning, scoring a run on a Round Rock error and adding two more on a single by Avans, who finished 4-for-4 with a walk, three RBI and a run scored in the Game 1 victory.
In Game 2 Sept. 27, Michael Busch and Jonny DeLuca both homered and Gavin Stone recorded 10 strikeouts in Oklahoma City’s 5–2 win.
The Dodgers took a 2–0 lead in the second inning on a two-run homer by DeLuca to the deepest part of the ballpark in left-center field. A three-run homer out to left field by Busch in the fifth inning pushed the Dodgers’ lead to 5–1.
Starting pitcher Stone escaped a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the first inning and went on to notch 10 strikeouts over 6.1 innings. He allowed two runs and four hits with two walks before Ricky Vanasco and Wander Suero combined for 2.2 scoreless innings to close out the Dodgers’ win.
With two outs in the ninth inning, Suero induced a fly ball out to right field, which DeLuca caught for the final out to start OKC’s PCL Championship celebration.
“It’s the best team I have played for,” Suero said. “We play together and we play hard. That’s the best that you can have.”
The Dodgers won Oklahoma City’s first league title since 1996 and fifth league title in the franchise’s history after the team also won PCL titles in 1963 and 1965 and American Association titles in 1992 and 1996 as the 89ers. This season was just the second time ever and first time since 1963 OKC won a league title while playing on its home field.
“It was great,” infielder Miguel Vargas said. “It was a huge one for us. We just want to come to Las Vegas for the last game of the season. We want to be part of the last game of the season and we’re super excited to be here.”
Oklahoma City went on to make its first appearance in a Triple-A National Championship Game and first in postseason interleague competition during the franchise’s Bricktown era (since 1998) and PCL history (1963–68; 1998–2023). The Dodgers played International League Champion Norfolk, Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles to close out the season.
At Las Vegas Ballpark Sept. 30, Busch and Vargas both homered as the Dodgers put together a four-run rally with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Norfolk held on to defeat the Dodgers, 7–6, in the Triple-A National Championship Game.
Despite a loss in the final game of the season, the 2023 Dodgers set new standards of success for Oklahoma City’s Triple-A franchise.
“It’s just been fun to come to play every day and I think that is a big part of why we have had so much success this year,” Yurchak said.
