An Edmonton Riverhawks coach is making a significant career move, heading to a warmer climate and a professional baseball organization. Hitting coach Mark Ossanna is departing the collegiate summer league team to accept a new role within the Toronto Blue Jays' player development system.
From Edmonton to the Dominican Republic
The transition will see Ossanna join a Blue Jays affiliate based in the Dominican Republic. The move, announced in early January 2026, represents a notable step for the coach from the summer collegiate West Coast League to the professional ranks of Major League Baseball. His last day with the Riverhawks was confirmed as January 6, 2026.
Ossanna served as a hitting coach for the Edmonton Riverhawks, a team that provides a crucial development platform for university-level players. A photo released by the Riverhawks showed Ossanna alongside fellow hitting coach Tanner Kirwer, highlighting their roles with the Edmonton-based squad.
A Step into Professional Player Development
This opportunity places Ossanna directly within the infrastructure of Canada's only MLB team, the Toronto Blue Jays. The organization's Dominican Republic operations are a cornerstone of its international scouting and development, focusing on cultivating young talent from Latin America and elsewhere.
While the specific title of Ossanna's new position with the Blue Jays affiliate was not detailed in the initial report, such roles typically involve hands-on instruction with prospects at the club's academy, helping them refine their skills as they progress through the minor league system.
Impact on the Edmonton Riverhawks
The departure of a key coach like Mark Ossanna creates a vacancy for the Riverhawks as they prepare for future seasons. The team will now begin the search for a new hitting instructor to help guide their roster of aspiring collegiate athletes.
For Ossanna, the move is a clear professional advancement, trading the short summer schedule of the West Coast League for the year-round development environment of an MLB club's international complex. It underscores the Riverhawks' role as a proving ground not only for players but for coaches with ambitions in professional baseball.
The news was first reported by Craig Ellingson, confirming the career shift for the Edmonton Riverhawks coach as he embarks on this new chapter with the Toronto Blue Jays organization in the Dominican Republic.
