Summer Collegiate

40 WCL Alumni Selected in 2021 MLB Draft

Published

4 years ago

July 13, 2021

Dugout Wire Service

Former Bellingham Bells infielder Matt McLain was drafted 17th overall by the Cincinnati Reds.

Earlier this week, 40 current and former West Coast League players were selected in Major League Baseball’s annual Rule 4 amateur draft.

With the Cincinnati Reds’ selection of Matt McLain with the 17th overall pick, 2021 marks the fifth straight year with a WCL standout drafted in the first round.

McLain, a UCLA infielder, earned the WCL’s Top Prospect Award in 2018 as a member of the Bellingham Bells. Also that summer, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected McLain with the 25th overall pick in the draft, but instead of signing a professional contract he enrolled at UCLA and continued his baseball career there. The Baseball America Preseason All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year hit .333 with nine home runs and 36 runs batted this spring for the Bruins.

There were 19 WCL alumni selected in the first 10 rounds of the draft, including four among the top 63 overall picks.

“I’m hardly surprised,” said West Coast League Commissioner Rob Neyer, “but I’m certainly pleased, having seen many of these brilliant young talents during my travels around the league in recent years. And I have great confidence that our league’s commitment to player development will only mean more and more top prospects every summer.”

Below, please see the list of current and former WCL players drafted this week:

Round / Player / School / WCL Club(s) / MLB Org
– 1st round, Matt McLain, UCLA, Bellingham, Cincinnati Reds
– 2nd round, Aaron Zavala, Oregon, Ridgefield, Texas Rangers
– 2nd round, Brendan Beck, Stanford, Corvallis, New York Yankees
– 2nd round, Kyle Manzardo, Washington State, Portland, Tampa Bay Rays
– 4th round, JT Schwartz, UCLA, Wenatchee, New York Mets
– 4th round, Zane Mills, Washington State, Portland, St. Louis Cardinals
– 4th round, Nick Nastrini, UCLA, Bellingham, Los Angeles Dodgers
– 5th round, Collin Burns, Tulane, Bellingham, Baltimore Orioles
– 6th round, Grant Holman, Cal, Bellingham, Oakland A’s
– 7th round, Kevin Kendall, UCLA, Port Angeles, New York Mets
– 7th round, Ryan Och, Southern Mississippi, Bellingham, San Diego Padres
– 8th round, Sean Sullivan, Cal, Walla Walla, Pittsburgh Pirates
– 8th round, Noah Cardenas, UCLA, Portland, Minnesota Twins
– 8th round, Cullen Kafka, Oregon, Yakima Valley, Colorado Rockies
– 9th round, Mat Olsen, Central Arizona College, Cowlitz, San Francisco Giants
– 9th round, Chase Watkins, Oregon State, Corvallis, Chicago Cubs
– 9th round, Gil Luna, Arizona, Bend, Chicago White Sox
– 9th round, Shane McGuire, San Diego, Victoria, Oakland A’s
– 10th round, Ernie Yake, Gonzaga, Bellingham, Minnesota Twins
– 11th round, Rowdey Jordan, Mississippi State, Victoria, New York Mets
– 11th round, Chad Stevens, Portland, Corvallis, Houston Astros
– 11th round, Jack Neely, Ohio State, Victoria, New York Yankees
– 11th round, Sean Mullen, UCLA, Yakima Valley, Tampa Bay Rays
– 12th round, Chazz Martinez, Orange Coast College, Walla Walla, Pittsburgh Pirates
– 12th round, Christopher Troye, UC Santa Barbara, Bend, Boston Red Sox
– 12th round, Tyson Guerrero, Washington, Cowlitz, Kansas City Royals
– 12th round, Andrew Alvarez, Cal Poly, Kelowna, Washington Nationals
– 12th round, Caden Vire, Arizona State, Ridgefield, Milwaukee Brewers
– 13th round, Owen Sharts, Nevada, Victoria, Pittsburgh Pirates
– 14th round, Damiano Palmegiani, Southern Nevada, Port Angeles, Toronto Blue Jays
– 14th round, Frankie Scalzo, Grand Canyon, Port Angeles, Chicago Cubs
– 15th round, Wyatt Young, Pepperdine, Victoria, New York Mets
– 15th round, Mikey Perez, UCLA, Portland, Minnesota Twins
– 16th round, Zach Pettway, UCLA, Bellingham, Cleveland Indians
– 16th round, Alek Jacob, Gonzaga, Wenatchee, San Diego Padres
– 17th round, Ryan Long, Pomona-Pitzer College, Wenatchee, Baltimore Orioles
– 17th round, Dennis Boatman, Sacramento CC, Corvallis, Cincinnati Reds
– 17th round, Luke Boyd, Baylor, Victoria, San Diego Padres
– 18th round, Noah Williamson, Everett CC, Yakima Valley, Miami Marlins
– 20th round, Hunter Breault, Oregon, Bend, Oakland A’s

About the West Coast League: The West Coast League is the West’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Encompassing Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and now Alberta, the WCL showcases pro prospects from major collegiate conferences around the nation. Every summer, the league features unparalleled fan and player experiences, with North America’s best baseball weather and a mix of classic ballparks and dramatic scenery. The 2019 MLB amateur draft began with former Corvallis Knight Adley Rutschman selected with the overall No. 1 pick by the Baltimore Orioles. Also in 2019, 317 WCL alumni were active in affiliated professional baseball, including 45 in the major leagues, while overall attendance in the West Coast League increased to nearly half a million fans.

About the Kamloops NorthPaws: The Kamloops NorthPaws is Kamloops’ newest sports franchise. The NorthPaws join the Edmonton Riverhawks, Nanaimo NightOwls/Bars and the Springfield Drifters as WCL expansion teams beginning play in the 2022 season. Norbrock Stadium will host all NorthPaws home games, when future MLB prospects play their summer season in the WCL. Season tickets and 10-game flex plans are now on sale for the 2022 season.

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Summer Collegiate

Gutsy NightOwls edge Bells in extra innings

Published

1 hour ago

August 5, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

BELLINGHAM, WA — With nothing but pride on the line, the Nanaimo NightOwls are showing they are full of character.

A sacrifice fly by outfielder Spencer Sullivan in the 10th inning at Joe Martin Field on Monday gave the NightOwls, who will miss the playoffs in their fourth season in the West Coast League, a 3-2 victory over the playoff-bound Bellingham Bells — who won the North Division’s first half pennant to lock up their post-season berth.

Andrew Ivy led off the game with a home run, his first of the season, crushing a 2-1 pitch out of one of the WCL’s hardest parks to clear the fence.

Dalton Hanson was strong in a short starting assignment, the Scottsdale CC product going three scoreless innings, giving up two walks and three hits. Venezuelan lefty Richtter Castillo was effective in three innings, allowing two hits and three walks, with one earned run and two strikeouts.

Jayden Gabrillo (Hawaii Pacific) struck out four batters over two innings, giving up two hits and one run. Moosa Nonomiya, fresh off helping Team Pakistan earn international standings points in a series played in Chicago against Palestine, got the win with two innings of scoreless work.

Leadoff man Ivy was 3-4 with the home run, a double, a walk and an RBI and scored two of the team’s runs, while the guy behind him, Ryder Florence, was 2-4 to raise his batting average to .210 — he’s batting .421 over his last seven games. Easton Mould was 2-4 with an RBI.

The NightOwls have two games left in the WCL season, playing in Bellingham on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, before the players head off to their respective collegiate programs. The NightOwls are 23-29 overall, and 11-14 in the second half — the team will finish fifth or sixth overall in the eight-team North Division.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Hawks blow out Cats in game one of doubleheader

Published

13 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

August 4, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – In the first game of today’s doubleheader, it was the Edmonton Riverhawks who came out on top, beating the Victoria HarbourCats 10-1.

The Hawks loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the first, but Cats starter Clayton Broeder (Angelo State) struck out three in a row to escape the jam.

The game remained scoreless into the third when once again the visitors loaded the bases and this time cashed in when Broeder walked Trent Lenihan, giving the Hawks their first run of the game. Ben Hewitt (Ottawa U) replaced Broeder and was one strike away from escaping the jam and keeping the score at 1-0, but instead walked in another run. He then gave up a three-run double to Stevie Waters to give Edmonton a big 5-0 lead.

Broeder struck out six batters over his 2-1/3 innings of work but struggled with control, walking five.

BOX SCORE

Edmonton continued to pile on the runs, putting up four more in the fourth inning. A sac fly and wild pitch brought home a pair before Jason Green crushed a two-run home run over the right field fence to extend the lead to 9-0.

The visitors added one more in the top of the sixth inning when Green drove in his third run of the game with an RBI double, pushing the lead to 10-0.

The HarbourCats finally got on the board when Jake Butler (George Mason) drove home Garrett Brooks (St. Mary’s) with an RBI single.

Victoria native Myles Chamberlain started for the Riverhawks and went six innings, giving up one run on six hits while striking out four to record his West Coast League-leading seventh win of the campaign.

Jake Finkelstein (USAO) replaced Hewitt after the big righty gave up six runs over 1-2/3 innings. The Richmond, BC native matched his season-high, throwing three innings and giving up one run on three hits.

Lucas Webber-Kitching pitched the seventh inning for the Hawks to close out the 10-1 win.

WCL STANDINGS

The Riverhawks need one more win to clinch the second-half title. As for the HarbourCats, they will need to win the next three games in this series to earn the second-half crown and first-round home-field advantage in the playoffs that comes with it.

Game two starts shortly with Ryne Palmer (Cal Baptist) on the bump for the hosts. General admission tickets are still available at the gate!

Can’t make it today? Tomorrow is Jersey off our Backs night, sponsored by Odlum Brown, where lucky fans will receive the popular baby blues. Wednesday is the final regular-season game of the campaign and is Fan Appreciation Night, presented by Passion Sports. Get tickets at harbourcats.com/tickets.

VOUCHER REMINDER: If you have any remaining vouchers, don’t forget to redeem them as they are only eligible for the remaining regular-season games. You can do so at harbourcats.com/tickets, and if you have any questions or need help exchanging your vouchers, call the HarbourCats office at (778) 265 0327.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats comeback late to beat Hawks

Published

15 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

August 4, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats scored four runs in the sixth inning to comeback and beat the Edmonton Riverhawks 7-5 in game two of the doubleheader.

Shiryu Sato took the first pitch of the ball game yard to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead. A Tanner Beltowski (Westmont College) error later in the inning allowed another run to score and it was 2-0 Edmonton early.

The Cats cut their lead in half immediately in the bottom half when Kamana Nahaku (Hawaii) drove in a run with a double to the wall.

BOX SCORE

Tristen Buehring (Whitman College) made his HarbourCats debut tonight and made his presence known, tying the game at 2-2 in the third inning with a two-out RBI single.

Beltowski gave Victoria their first lead of the ballgame in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly, making it 3-2.

Ryne Palmer (Cal Baptist) started for the Cats and lasted four innings giving up two runs on two hits, while walking four and striking out four.

Dustin Davidson (Freed Hardeman) replaced Palmer to start the fifth inning and gave up back-to-back doubles to Sato and Kyle Yip which tied the game up at 3-3. Later in the inning Connor Ross (Cal Baptist) made a diving grab at third to save a run and keep the game tied.

WCL STANDINGS

Edmonton took the lead in the top of the sixth and it was Sato and Yip again driving in the runs to give the visitors a 5-3 lead.

Time was running out for the Cats with this being a seven-inning game, but they started to rally in the bottom of the sixth. The bases were loaded for Jack Johnson (Tulane) who was hit by a pitch to bring home a run making it 5-4. Nahaku then hit a sacrifice fly to level things up at 5-5. That brought up Garrett Brooks (St. Mary’s) with two outs and he fouled off four pitches before hitting a bloop single that plated two runs and gave the Cats a 7-5 lead.

More than 3000 fans were on their feet in to watch Austin Lindsey (Hill College) get the final three outs as he induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the ball game.

WATCH GAMES HERE

Each team winning one game of the doubleheader keeps them tied for first place in the North Division second half standings. With Edmonton holding the tiebreaker the math is simple, one more win for Edmonton and they will clinch the second half title, while the Cats need to win the remaining two games to finish above the Hawks and earn home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

Tomorrow is Jersey off our Backs night, sponsored by Odlum Brown, where lucky fans will receive the popular baby blues. Wednesday is the final regular-season game of the campaign and is Fan Appreciation Night, presented by Passion Sports. Get tickets at harbourcats.com/tickets.

BUY TICKETS HERE

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