EXTREMEDURA

MADRID, Spain (UBL Wire) - By Nancy Hamre, El Pais - In a move that Extremedura Manager Billy Wallace characterized as "Christmas come early," the Toritos have confirmed that the team has come to terms with Snake River on a deal that will bring All-Star right-hander Romone Sieben to Extremedura in exchange for the teams 2030 draft package and minor league pitcher Emmel Cortlan.

"This is a very important deal for us," Wallace said as he addressed the media at One Toritos Centre. "There is no question that we have landed one of the premier WHL starters of the last decade, and we're excited to see how EHL hitters will handle this exciting new development."

Currently, Sieben is 7-3, with a ridiculous 1.66 ERA in 15 starts for the Venom. He ranks 5th among active WHL starters with a 3.13 career ERA.

 "This guy is a gamer with a respectable history in the post-season," said Toritos owner Steve McCoyne. "He's exactly what we need right now. A guy that has proven he has what it takes to compete deep into the postseason."

Selected by San Juan as the 15th overall pick in the 2016 amatuer draft, Sieben has continually outpreformed the six pitchers selected before him that year. Slow to develop, Sieben had his break out season in 2024, where he went 17-7 with a 3.29 ERA. He followed that up with a 22-7 campaign in '25, coupled with a 2.63 ERA.  In 2026, he went 23-6 with a 2.74 ERA, and in 2027 he was 19-10 with a 2.85 ERA.

"This guy has incredible endurance and great command of three out pitches," said Extremedura Pitching Coach Stenson Loy. "He's averaged 150 strikeouts a season over the last five years, and he seems to have a propensity to deliver in big games."

Seiben told reporters he was thrilled to be making the move the EHL and to a team with a shot at the playoffs.

"First of all, I think I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to thank the fans, and the ownership of the Snake River Venom," he said. "This is all I've ever known in the UBL, and I'm thankful that I'm wearing a Championship ring as a reminder of the wonderful time I spent there. But I also feel that there is more to be done, and that I'm in the prime of my career. The rebuilding process in Snake River has allowed me to join an exciting team, that has established themselves as a dominant force in the EHL. I just want to contribute, and I'm confident that I'll get my chance to that in front of these fans in Extremedura that have come to expect nothing but the best."

And the aquisition of Seiben could not have happened at a better time for the Toritos, who share the best record in the EHL with division rival Paris.

"We lost a little something with the retirement of Maynard Karpel, who went 19-3 for us last season,," said Wallace. "But with the acquisition of Romone, we are right back where we need to be."

Seiben will move into the third spot in the Toritos four-man rotation, replacing Devo Udo, and  joining future hall-of-famers Joel Andersson and Mikey Canturbury, and rookie-of-the-year candidate Mike Harnacle in what can only be described as a "tour de force" of pitching talent.

"We've got some unbelievable pitching talent on this club right now," said Loy. "And moving Udo to the bullpen only makes us that much stronger. I expect a dominating second-half from these guys, but more importantly, I think they know they've got a very special situation here. Now we simply need to execute."

MADRID, Spain (UBL Wire) - By Nancy Hamre for El Pais - The Toritos Fred Twobo is on pace to make UBL history, and in the process, challenge a legend that hasn't been touched in more than 25 years of UBL baseball.

With 20 saves as of June 27, the Bulls closer is on pace to set a new single-season saves record which has stood since Benemont Fordham, the UBL's greatest closer, cinched 37 games in 2004.

"It's insane what this guy is doing this season," said Toritos pitcher Joel Andersson. "If you look at the records that this league has posted over the past 30 years, this has to be one that nobody though could be touched, and I'll be damned if this kid isn't trying to grab it."

Working at his current pace, Twobo could possibly reach 40 saves, a plateau never before reached by any closer in UBL history.

"In 1999, (Benemont) Fordham closed out 34 games," said Kodiak Pitching coach Stenson Loy. "That was amazing in itself, until he broke his own  record in 2004. Only three guys have come close since."

And those three guys?

In 2010 Rome's Andy Stewart, arguably the second best closer in UBL history, finished 33 games. Deleware's Irv Beer and London's Clipper Bever both reached 32 saves in the 2024 season. And since? Nobody's come close.

"Obviously we are not an organization based on individual accomplishments," said Toritos' Owner Steve McCoyne. "But Freddy made a difinitive sacrifice when we decided his talents would best be served in a closing capacity.  I think the fact that we have led the UBL in one-run victories over the past two seasons is a testiment to that concept."

Currently, Twobo is 4-3 with a team-leading 32 appearances.  His 2.52 ERA ranks ninth among EHL pitchers, and his 8.08 stirkouts per nine inning is third best among all EHL hurlers.

EXTREMEDURA TO UNLEASH SOUTHPAW MIKE HARNACLE

(Update to this story: As of June 27th, Mike Harnacle is leading all EHL pitchers in wins with a 12-3 record and a 3.25 ERA to go along with 79 Ks.  He has a chance to become just the second pitcher in UBL history to be named rookie of the year.)

MADRID, Spain (UBL Wire) By Nancy Hamre, El Pais - After nearly four years of patient development, the Toritos have announced that 24-year-old  LHP Mike Harnacle will make his big-leauge debut in 2029.

Drafted as the ninth player overall in the 2025 draft, Harnacle has his work cut out for him, replacing 19-game winner Maynard Karpel who retired earlier this year. But more importantly, Harnacle represents the drastic change the organization has underwent after posting back-to-back 90-win seasons.

Dubbed "El Futuro" by Extremedura Pitching Coach Stenson Loy back in 2026, "The Future" has come to personify the direction of a team that has fans hungry for a return to the glory days, when Spain was a staple in the playoffs.

Extremedura also announced that the team would return to a four-man rotation in 2029, a move that was solidified with the retirement of Perrin Toffanelli, who was a 15-game winner last season.

"Perrin checking out was a little unforseen," said Loy. "That's not to say we didn't consider it. This is the first off-season you havn't seen us scrambling for a pitching deal. In fact, this is the first off-season we havn't made a deal, period. We feel we have the offensive pieces in place. And we feel we have a staff to compete deep into October. We just need to get there."

The starting rotation is formidable to say the least. Joel Andersson, Mike Canterbury, Devo Udo and, El Futuro are pitchers that have been conditioned for a four-man rotation.

"Not only are Andersson and Canterbury two of the winningest pitchers in UBL history," said Loy. "They're  two of the games biggest workhorses. And Udo proved last season that he's a gamer who can last long into ball games. We could have plugged Cole Blackwell into a five starting role. That guy won 16 games two years ago as a starter, but I think these guys want this. We think they are really going to feed off each other in this situation."

For the second-straight season, the Toritos' middle relief combination of Dain Danielle and Gar Ravenelle both finished the season with ERAs under 3.00.

And as far as closers go, Extremedura's Fred Twobo is the best in the game.

"I predicted last season that he would close out 25 games," said Kunkle. "And that's exactly what he did, finishing top in the EHL in saves. Who wouldn't want this guy closing out games?  We've taken some flak for not starting this kid, but we also finished top in the EHL in one-run game victories last season. He's a big part of that."

The combination of Extremedura's player development, strong offensive potential, and a pitching staff that has finished in the top three in ERA over the past two seasons, should ensure another successful season.

*2026 marks first full season under current management

The Alaska Kodiaks long tradition of baseball excellence is as old as the Universal Baseball League itself. In fact, it was the Alaska franchise that christened the Western Hemisphere, joining the Stockholm Vikings of the Eastern Hemisphere as the first two franchises in UBL history. Many of the greatest UBL players the game has known spent time in the Frozen North, including Billy Keerl, Loki Tench, Rafael Vivaldi, Napoleon Devereaux, Harvey Ollaufsson, Terry Anderson, Mike Usher, Patrick Cerone, Mudcat Jager and many, many more.  [Full Story]

When Extremedura Toritos moved from Barcelona to Madrid in2026, team owner Steve McCoyne promised a modern facility that would "showcase the beauty and wonder that is the essence of Spain."  

Situated comfortably within Madrid's upscale Norte Villa Mancha district, Thomas Osgood Municipal Arena provides a breathtaking view of the Capital City's famous Riviera Esplande.

With some of the best hotels and boutiques within walking distance of the Spirande Boardwalk, the Arena is as much a vacation paradise as it a functional and modern facility.

Construction completed May of 2025

Seating Capacity: 32,340