Summer Collegiate

2021 Commitments Re-Sign with NorthPaws

Published

1 year ago

November 26, 2021

Dugout Wire Service

The Kamloops NorthPaws have resigned a quartet of players and a coach who were slated to be a part of the 2021 campaign.

Players Thomas Green, Marshal Luiz, Trey Newman, Colby Ring and assistant coach Sammie Starr have all recommitted to the Tournament Capital’s expansion franchise after missing the opportunity last summer when the 2021 season was cancelled due to pandemic-related circumstances.

“I wish Kamloops could’ve seen these guys this past summer but talking with them they continue to be excited to come to Kamloops and be a part of what we’re building with the NorthPaws,” says head coach Cole Armstrong.

Thomas Green

The middle infielder from Courtenay, B.C. joined the NCAA Division I Oakland University Grizzlies this fall.

He played the 2021 summer season for the Amarillo Sod Squad in Texas, putting up a .250 average with 15 RBIs in 35 games.

His cousin, Taylor Green, was drafted by and played for Milwaukee Brewers and is currently working in their scouting department.

Photo Credit: JSU Athletics

Marshal Luiz

A left-handed hitting junior catcher at Jackson State University, Luiz grew up in Surrey and had previously learned under Armstrong’s tutelage during high school.

He posted a .259 avg, 27 walks and 23 RBIs in 26 games for a Tigers team which finished a perfect 24-0 in league play during the 2021 season before falling in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.

“It’s pretty cool to have a West Coast League team not too far from home and be able to play competitive baseball in such a highly touted summer collegiate league. Being a B.C. guy, it’s going to be really cool to experience that and be a part of it,” Luiz said.

Photo Credit: UVU Athletics

Trey Newman

Trey Newman was the first player to officially sign a contract to play for the Kamloops NorthPaws, and he is again one of the first players to re-commit to the team’s delayed inaugural season.

The Arizonan catcher played his 2021 season at Utah Valley University leading the team with a .382 on-base percentage. He posted a .230 batting average and started 17 games behind the plate as a Covid freshman.

He transferred this summer to Central Arizona College, the 2021 NJCAA national championship runner-up, where he impressed through the fall.

Newman has committed to return to NCAA Division I next year with the Arizona State University Sun Devils.

Colby Ring

The crafty lefty from Langley is entering his junior season with the University of Antelope Valley Pioneers.

He will come to NorthPaws as one of the few players with prior experience in the West Coast League. He suited up for the Bellingham Bells during the 2019 season.

“I can argue the West Coast League has some of the best players in North America and it’s definitely one of the best leagues to play in during the summer,” Ring said.

Sammie Starr

An assistant coach at the University of British Columbia, Starr brings a wealth of knowledge to the NorthPaws staff.

Originally from Toronto, Starr played at UBC as an infielder before playing and coaching in the Baltimore Orioles minor league system where he crossed paths with Armstrong.

“As far as young coaching talent in Canada, he’s as good at it gets,” says the NorthPaws skipper.

The NorthPaws open the inaugural season on May 31 when the Edmonton Riverhawks come to Norbrock Stadium. The full regular season schedule is available online: https://www.northpawsbaseball.ca/schedule.

Reserve your seat to see the NorthPaws during the inaugural season. 10-Game Flex Plans and Season Tickets are on sale now. Visit https://tickets.northpawsbaseball.ca to join us at Norbrock Stadium next summer.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Veteran outfielder returning for 2023 season

Published

7 hours ago

December 8, 2022

Dugout Wire Service

For Brandon Hupe, it felt like unfinished business — and he has a chance to fix that.

The outfielder from Vancouver and the UBC Thunderbirds saw his 2022 summer season cut short following a collision during a game in Port Angeles. But the 6-2/200 pounder, a junior at UBC, will get one last shot to star for Head Coach Greg Frady as the Nanaimo NightOwls are excited to announce his return to the WCL.

The NightOwls are announcing the additions of four players today, the others being infielder Jimmy Legg of Pomona Pitzer, and pitchers Tyson Willis and Ethan Hubbell from Everett CC (NWAC) for Pitching Coach Gorm Heimueller to work with.

Hupe (pronounced who-PAY) was a veteran influence on a young NightOwls team, hitting .283 with two home runs and nine runs driven in over 17 games — coming off a UBC season that yielded 12 home runs and 48 RBIs in 49 games at the NAIA level.

“We missed Brandon when he got hurt, there was a change in our team,” said Frady. “Brandon was one of our key leaders, he knew the caliber and nuances of the league (previously played in the WCL with Kelowna), and he helped us as coaches, along with leading our younger players.”

In Legg, the NightOwls are getting a 5-11/185 scrappy, switch-hitting shortstop who can also move to second or third — known as a guy who always seems to be on base, comes through in the clutch and runs well. At Pomona Pitzer, he is a glue guy because of how much he loves to play the game.

The two Everett CC arms include Willis, a Snohomish, WA product who pitched in the WCL for Springfield in 2022. The right-hander is touching 90 with a true hard curveball and developing changeup from a 6-4/220 frame. Hubbell, from Camas, WA, is even bigger at 6-5, another righty with upper-80s velocity and command of four pitches and a workhorse mentality.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – ‘Cats sign four, bring back Seward and Luchies

Published

1 day ago

December 7, 2022

Dugout Wire Service

December 7, 2022

For Immediate Release

VICTORIA, B.C. — It’s the old baseball adage — you can never have enough arms.

The Victoria HarbourCats have added three arms, two of them returning and one a local product, as part of four more players who have signed on for the 2023 West Coast League season. The fourth player on the roster comes from a dependable source of quality players — Cal Baptist.

Pitchers Jack Seward and Owen Luchies, both parts of the 2022 HarbourCats team that reached the WCL post-season, and Victoria Golden Tide ace Brady Wilson lead the latest signings, with versatile outfielder/second baseman Nick Dumesnil, a right-handed hitter from Huntington Beach, CA, a bat the team will look to for key offensive production. Dumesnil is 6-2/205 freshman and is known for a mix of speed and power that will be welcomed by Head Coach Todd Haney.

“We’ve spent even more time on pitching this year, it’s always a premium but it’s never easy to get that right mix for the staff — it’s the one area we are constantly looking to get better,” said Haney. “We’ve been known as a strong offensive team since even before I got here, and we know the best arms make all the difference.”

Vancouver product Jack Seward, now at Central Arizona, was 1-0 with three saves and a 1.15 ERA in 14 outings last summer, giving up earned runs in only two outings. He surrendered just 10 hits in 23 innings. Luchies, from Victoria, is a 6-2/195 pound freshman at Lower Columbia (NWAC) who started five games and threw 36 innings for the HarbourCats in 2022. He had 25 strikeouts, notched one save, was 2-2 with a 6.44 ERA and earned road wins in Port Angeles and Nanaimo.

Wilson, 6-1/175 from Calgary, was the workhorse for the Victoria collegiate Golden Tide in the spring of 2022, going a combined 3-4 with a 4.06 ERA in nine starts. He then spent the summer in the Western Canada Baseball League with the Fort McMurray Giants, where he was 5-5/4.94.

The HarbourCats celebrate their 10th Anniversary in 2023 and the season kicks off with the home opener against the Kamloops NorthPaws on Friday June 2, 2023. Single game tickets for that game and all 31 HarbourCats home games in 2023 are now on sale and can be purchased on-line through our one-and-only ticketing partner, Select Your Tickets, at harbourcats.com/tickets. They can also be purchased at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, or at the Select Your Tickets box office at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. Fans can also call 778-265-0327 to order over the phone.

Season tickets and 10-game flex packs are also now on sale. For details on all ticketing options, including our special $10.00 Tuesdays, Forces Fridays and Save-on-Food Vouchers, please visit harbourcats.com/ticketinfo

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – You’re Invited!

Published

1 week ago

November 29, 2022

Dugout Wire Service

Please join us at the office on Thursday, December 1, 2022 from 12 Noon to 7:00 pm for our annual Christmas Open House!

Join us for some Christmas cheer and to grab Christmas gifts for all the HarbourCats fans on your Christmas list! Renew or purchase 2023 season tickets, grab some 10-game flex packs, or purchase single-game tickets for 2023 which also go on sale that day too! Plus ALL MERCHANDISE on sale for 40% off – ONE DAY ONLY!