Summer Collegiate
NorthPaws Slide Hits 13 as Edmonton Completes Weekend Sweep
Photo Credits – Allen Douglas Photography.
KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops NorthPaws are Vancouver Island bound as they look to right the ship after suffering another sweep. The Edmonton Riverhawks earned a trio of wins over Kamloops at Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium to push the Kamloops losing streak to 13 straight.
The Nanaimo NightOwls sit fifth in the North Division standing at 7-10 as they welcome the NorthPaws to town for a three game set beginning on Tuesday.
GAME 1
It was a bend but don’t break attitude from the Kamloops NorthPaws pitching staff on Friday night as they would allow 15 hits to the Edmonton Riverhawks in the ballgame, but give up only 4 runs in a 4-2 loss.
Josh Berenbaum got the start but was forced to leave with an apparent upper-body injury in the third inning after giving up 2ER, 5H, 4K. Casper Rammeloo was forced into action providing 3.0 IP, 4H, 0R baseball.
The Riverhawks would strike first in the second inning on a Kaden Zarowny RBI single. Kamloops responded in the bottom half as Jacob Schlesselman brought home Chris Catalano on a single.
Edmonton would then take the lead for good in the top of the third inning as a Trent Leniham double scored Jakob Poturnak.
With the game at 4-1 in the ninth, Kamloops local Matt MacDonald hit a solo-shot to right, trimming the lead to 4-2 but that is as close as Kamloops would come, dropping their 11th straight decision.
Tate Dearing was credited with the win for the Riverhawks, 6IP, 4H, 1ER, 1K. Hayden Morrison earned the save.
GAME 2
The losing streak looked primed to come to an end on Saturday evening in Kamloops, but five unanswered runs from the Riverhawks stole the win 6-5 in 10 innings.
Kamloops would score first as the ‘Paws would load the bases with nobody out but bring across just a single run on a Chris Catalano double play to second. After the tying run came across in the top of the third, Kamloops put together a 2-out rally with Jacob French bringing home one and then Jaden Bitter doubling to left field to bring home two more.
Kamloops would add an extra run in the sixth inning on a Matthew Olivares RBI sac-fly to make it 5-1.
The Edmonton comeback would begin in the 8th inning with three runs scoring all with 2-outs to trim the lead to 5-4.
Due to a lack of arms available, Kamloops went to catcher Jerry Nix to pitch the ninth, but a two-out double from Same Kane brought home the tying run. A diving play from Tyler Glowacki in right prevented the go ahead run from scoring on a Russell Young liner one batter later.
The winning run would score on a passed ball in the 10th, before the Paws went 1-2-3 in the bottom half.
Dominic Giustino suffered the loss.
GAME 3
The final game of the weekend set saw the return of former NorthPaws pitcher Vic Domingo as he got the start for Edmonton and spun a gem on the mound.
Domingo pitched 7IP, 4H, 0ER, 9K and at one point between the 2nd and 7th innings, retired 15 consecutive Kamloops NorthPaws hitters as the Riverhawks swept the ‘Paws with a 7-2 win.
The Riverhawks would tally 14 hits against the Kamloops pitching staff which saw Cade Johnson, Manato Teteno, Chase Taylor and Manny Recchi all toe the rubber.
Six different Edmonton players would be credited with an RBI in the win, with Bryce McFeely leading the charge on a 3-5 day with two doubles.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Monday, June 24 – Off-Day
Tuesday, June 25 @ Nanaimo, first pitch 6:35
Wednesday, June 26 @ Nanaimo, first pitch 6:35
Thursday, June 27 @ Nanaimo, first pitch 6:35
Friday, June 28 vs Walla Walla, first pitch 6:35
Saturday, June 29 vs Walla Walla, first pitch 6:35 (Pre-Canada Day Celebration)
Sunday, June 30 vs Walla Walla, first pitch 2:05 (Save on Foods Family Day)
Monday, July 1 @ Kelowna, first pitch 6:35
Tuesday, July 2 vs Kelowna, first pitch 6:35
Wednesday, July 3 @ Kelowna, first pitch 6:35
FOR MEDIA REQUESTS
Jenna Forter
General Manager
Kamloops NorthPaws
250-200-1415
www.northpawsbaseball.ca
Nanaimo NightOwls fans have truly enjoyed watching great players from Hawaii on the Serauxmen Stadium diamond, and that will again be the case in 2026.
Head Coach Cody Andreychuk is pleased to add seven more players today — four from Hawaii Pacific (Honolulu), including one returning player, along with a Canadian pitcher, a returning catcher who is at a strong D1 school in Texas, and the brother of a 2025 NightOwls infielder.
“We all remember Hawaiian star Elijah Ickes and him being our first drafted player (by the Texas Rangers) — guys from the islands have thrived on our island,” said Managing Partner Jim Swanson. “We have had a strong record with players wanting to play multiple summers for our fans, for our coaching staff and becoming very close with our staff. We are proud of that.”
Announced today by Coach Andreychuk:
LHP Joshua Rego, Hawaii Pacific University, 6-4/175, L/L, Kapa’a, HI
RHP Jayden Gabrillo, Hawaii Pacific, L/R, 5-8/165, Ewa Beach, HI
IF Kyler Shojinaga, Hawaii Pacific, R/R, 5-6/160, Honolulu, HI
OF Ziah Chang, Hawaii Pacific, R/R, 5-10/170, Kahului, HI
RHP Zander Oudie-Senger, Okanagan College, R/R, 6-3/190, Regina, SK
C Clark Springs, University of Texas-Arlington, R/R, 5-11/190, Southlake, TX
OF Aidan Nykoluk, Ventura Community College, R/R, 6-0/195, Simi Valley, CA
Rego is a promising lefty who is making a strong transition to the college level, with upper 80s velocity and a feel for how to pitch — he will develop further under Gorman Heimueller, the fifth-year pitching coach of the NightOwls.
Shojinaga is a slick-fielding freshman who draws comparisons to great Hawaii-groomed shortstops of the past, including Ickes. He will grind out at-bats and get on base for the power bats in the lineup. As both a shortstop and pitcher, he was league MVP in his senior year of high school.
Gabrillo, who can also play infield, returns after a strong summer in Nanaimo in 2025 which put him in a lead pitching role for HPU this spring. He was 1-2 with 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings for the NightOwls last summer.
Chang is a young outfielder known for his defensive game and speed that puts pressure on the basepaths. He stole eight bases in 23 games in a lower level summer league in 2025.
Oudie-Senger has been a top starter for Okanagan College and played four years for his hometown summer team in the WCBL, looking for a more professional experience at the end of his career. An innings-eater, he was a combined 10-3 for Regina,
Springs was part of the strong catching crew for the NightOwls in 2024 and loved the experience — famously driving all the way from his home in Texas to proudly play in Nanaimo. A strong defensive catcher who swings the bat well, he was at top-rated Weatherford College (junior college) before earning a scholarship at UTA. He had a home run and just five strikeouts in 23 games for the NightOwls.
Nykoluk is the brother of Andrew, a senior pitcher who moved to the mound after years as an infielder at HPU. Aidan is off to a great start at Ventura, batting .350, a strong defender with a potent bat.
Respected island businessman John Wilson has been named President of the company that oversees the successful collegiate baseball teams based in Victoria and Nanaimo.
Wilson, the CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and whose family owns and operates the Wilson’s Group of Companies, has been part of the core ownership group of the Victoria HarbourCats since 2015, and the Nanaimo NightOwls since inception in 2020 (started play in 2022). The NightOwls, a rival to the HarbourCats on the field, play at historic Serauxmen Stadium.
Wilson takes the position from Ken Swanson, who remains on the board after a solid 10-year run as team president. The group also operates the Victoria Collegiate (CCBC) baseball program and the busy indoor facility on Cook St., the Edwards Family Training Centre.
“Ken has led the corporate structure well, and he’s deserving of a break,” said Wilson. “We have a strong and committed group of owners and staff and a refresh is good for us all, keeping these teams playing great baseball and positively impacting these amazing communities in a stable, creative manner. Ken literally leaves big shoes to fill.”
The HarbourCats, which started play in 2013, will host the WCL All-Star Game in 2026 and 2027, showcasing the island’s immense love of baseball and the team that helped produce eight current MLB players including Nathan Lukes (Blue Jays), Nick Pivetta (Padres), Cade Smith (Guardians), Andrew Vaughn (Brewers) and Chase Meidroth (White Sox). The 2026 all-star festival will take place July 14-15 using Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park and sites around the South Island, with exciting details to come.
Wilson and Swanson lead a nine-member ownership group that includes Rich Harder, Helen Edwards, Mike Macdonell, Sean Finn, Vic Vendetti, John Schnaderbeck and Jim Swanson.
“No one knows the community like John, so we are all looking forward to what will be a flawless transition that will bring some new life to the organization,” said Ken Swanson.
The management structure remains the same — former GM Jim Swanson in the Managing Partner role, overseeing day-to-day operations, assisted by Adrian Somers (Business Operations and Marketing). In Victoria, Christian Stewart (General Manager) and John Pollard (Marketing Director) remain in place, while Tina Cornett continues her strong leadership in Nanaimo as General Manager, with Kent Malpass overseeing the concession.
The teams maintain wholly separate coaching staffs and recruiting processes — veteran Todd Haney, a five-year MLB player, as the sixth-year Head Coach in Victoria, and local product Cody Andreychuk, a collegiate program head coach at University of Pikeville, enters his second season in Nanaimo, assisted by pitching coach Gorman Heimueller, who has three World Series rings from his 50 years in the game.
Tickets are selling fast…get yours today. www.NanaimoNightOwls.com/ticketinfo
Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – John Wilson named president of island WCL teams, HarbourCats and NightOwls
Hawaiian Pipeline Continues For NightOwls. Seven Players Added To 2026 Roster
John Wilson Named As New Team President
Victoria HarbourCats – John Wilson named president of island WCL teams, HarbourCats and NightOwls
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