The minor league season may be over, but the work continues for Dawgs Academy alumni Tim Piasentin and AJ Rogers. Piasentin, with the Toronto Blue Jays organization, and Rogers, with the San Diego Padres organization, are back in Okotoks and training for the 2027 MiLB season. They are the first alumni home this offseason, with more expected to return over the next few months. Piasentin and Rogers are two of the more recent Dawgs to graduate the program and sign professionally, Tim being drafted in the 5th round in 2025 and Rogers, a free agent sign in 2026.

Their return speaks to the lasting connection between Dawgs players and the program that helped develop them. With outstanding training facilities, experienced coaches and a culture built around getting better every day, the Dawgs provides an ideal setting for players to sharpen their skills and prepare for the demands of professional baseball. Choosing to come back where their journey started and put in that work is a powerful endorsement of the development environment the Dawgs have built.

For current Academy players, seeing professional alumni back in the facility brings the possibilities ahead into focus. The habits and commitment needed to reach the next level are on display in the same spaces where their own journeys are beginning. As more familiar faces return throughout the offseason, the message is clear: the Dawgs’ role in player development continues long after graduation, and Okotoks remains a destination for players determined to keep improving.