The Regina Red Sox are bringing back a familiar face to lead the club into the 2027 Western Canadian Baseball League season.
Jason Veyna was named manager and director of baseball operations on Thursday and returns to an organization where he has already made plenty of history.
Veyna first joined the Red Sox as an assistant coach in 2018 before taking over as manager in 2019. That season turned into one of the best in franchise history.
Regina finished 41-15, good for a .732 winning percentage and the best mark in the WCBL. The Red Sox advanced to the WCBL Championship Series, representing the Eastern Division before losing to the Okotoks Dawgs.
Veyna was subsequently named the Eastern Division nominee for WCBL coach of the year and was selected to coach the East Conference at the WCBL All-Star Game. He returned to manage the Red Sox again in 2022 and also spent the 2024 season as the manager and general manager of the Swift Current 57's.
But Veyna's connection to Regina goes back even further.
He played for the Red Sox in 2009 and 2011 and was part of Regina's 2011 championship team. Veyna hit .277 with 25 RBI that season while posting a .968 fielding percentage.
Now, he'll be back at Currie Field trying to build another winner.
"Jason possesses a strong baseball mind with managerial experience in the WCBL and at the collegiate level, and he understands our league and our organization intimately," Red Sox general manager Mitch MacDonald said.
Veyna currently serves as the head baseball coach at Trinidad State Junior College in Colorado. He led the program to a Region 9 South Division championship in 2022. He helped numerous players move on to four-year programs, including four who advanced to NCAA Division I programs after the 2023 season.
For Veyna, returning to Regina is about more than taking another coaching job.
"This isn't just a new opportunity; it's the beginning of a new era built on a proud tradition of excellence and success," Veyna said. "I'm honoured, grateful and incredibly excited to lead the Regina Red Sox."
Veyna says the work on the 2027 roster has already started.
"I’m committed to building on the legacy of those who came before us while adding another chapter to the Red Sox tradition," he said. "The next chapter starts now."
And that chapter will begin with a familiar name back in the dugout at Currie Field.
