EXTREMEDURA

MADRID, Spain (UBL Wire) - By Nancy Hamre, El Pais - Despite a dissapointing third place finish in the competitve waters of the EHL West, Extremedura's 97 wins in 2028 was the third highest win total in the 30-year history of the franchise and the first time in twenty years the team posted back-to-back 90-win seasons.

What's more, off-season player development coupled with the big-legue debut of the Bull's top pitching prospect should make the 2029 Torito's even more competetive.

"Over the past two seasons, this team has experienced a rapid emergence as a dominating team in the EHL," said Toritos General Manager Bob Kunkle. "But the real excitement lies in the fact that our younger players, who have already been contributing to this success, are only now reaching their full potential."

A prime example is 26-year-old CF Tajh Humphries. Selected as top-ten overall pick in the 2023 draft, Humphries hit .284 with 20 HR and 73 RBI in just his second UBL season, and hitting in the eight hole.

"Tajh really put in some serious effort during the offseason," said Toritos Manager Billy Wallace. "His power has really improved, and we expect that with his ability he should evolve into one of the more dominating center fielders in the game today."

First baseman Sal Buttner and RF Elliot Rauch also showed dramatic improvement in the power department, which bodes well for a team that finished third in the EHL in homeruns with 219.

"Last season proved that this is an explosive team with a ton of run-scoring ability," said Wallace. "And it's exciting to us that we are returning an even more powerful version of the exact same line-up this season. I think we can dramatically improve upon last year's team average of .284, which was second only to Paris in the EHL."

The Toritos are equally excited about Addie Seidita's first full season with the team. Acquired in June of 2028, Seidita won his second Triple Crown title last season, joining the legendary Dick Marion as the only UBL player to win the Triple Crown in each hemisphere. Bill Klee of Berlin is the only other player to win the award.

"The addition of Seidita had major implications for us last year," said Kunkle. "He's a wrecking crew. I think the most incredible thing about this guy, maybe more phenominal than anything that Klee and Marion acomplished, is that Seidita hit in the lead-off spot for three-quarters of last season. In fact, he was behind (Buttner) in RBI until the last two weeks of the season."

Otherwise, it's business as usually for the Toritos defensively. For the third-straight season, Extremedura finished in the top five in the UBL in fielding percentage, and team speed is something that has never been questioned.

"All in all, I think we have a fantastic chance of another 90-win season." Kunkle said.

As far as a long-awaited playoff berth, Kunkle remained optimistic.

"I think ownership predicted a playoff shot five years into this deal. As far as I'm concerned, if we make the playoffs this season we're a year ahead of schedule."

EXTREMEDURA TO UNLEASH SOUTHPAW MIKE HARNACLE

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 Two 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