Summer Collegiate
Northpaws Joey Rico Named To ALL STAR TEAM
Tuesday morning, West Coast League Commissioner Rob Neyer revealed the all-star selections for the 2024 All-Star Game. Marking the return of the WCL’s mid-summer classic for the first time since 2019, the game is scheduled for Wednesday, July 17, with the first pitch at 6:35 p.m. Pacific Time at the legendary Joe Martin Field.
After a long hiatus, we’re thrilled to bring back the All-Star Game and celebrate the incredible talent in our league,” said WCL Commissioner Rob Neyer. “It’s already apparent that the Bells will present a tremendous event for our fans, our players, and for the many thousands watching the game around the world.”
Hosted by the Bellingham Bells, this event promises to be a two-day extravaganza beginning on July 16. The evening before the All-Star Game will feature players from the Max Higbee Center alongside WCL All-Stars in the Community Champions Game, an integrated baseball game to benefit the Max Higbee Center. The Max Higbee Center supports and empowers teens and adults with developmental disabilities to build community, friendships, happiness, life skills and health through recreation. Half of ticket sales from the evening will go directly to the Max Higbee Center.
Bellingham Head Coach Bob Ralston will guide the North Division squad, while the South will be led by Corvallis Knights skipper Brooke Knight. The North Division consists of the Bells, Edmonton Riverhawks, Kamloops NorthPaws, Kelowna Falcons, Nanaimo NightOwls, Port Angeles Lefties, Wenatchee AppleSox, and Victoria HarbourCats, with every team represented on the roster by at least one standout player. In the South, the Bend Elks, Corvallis Knights, Cowlitz Black Bears, Portland Pickles, Ridgefield Raptors, Springfield Drifters, Walla Walla Sweets, and Yakima Valley Pippins are all sending players to Bellingham for the All-Star Game.
Tickets for the WCL All-Star Game may be purchased here, but for those not able to attend, the WCL has exciting news later this week about the broadcast. Stay tuned!
NORTH
C – Conner Smith of Santa Clara (Bellingham Bells)
C – Jonathan Fitz of San Diego (Wenatchee AppleSox)
1B – Jacob Mejia of Cal State San Bernadino (Bellingham Bells)
1B – Jeremy Giesegh of Cal State San Bernadino (Port Angeles Lefties)
2B – Michael Soper of Westmont College (Edmonton Riverhawks)
SS – Roman Martin of UCLA (Bellingham Bells)
SS – Nevin Noonan of San Diego State (Nanaimo NightOwls)
3B – Nate Kirkpatrick of Yavapai College (Bellingham Bells)
3B – Jakob Poturnak of Sacramento State (Edmonton Riverhawks)
OF – Bryce McFeely of Westmont College (Edmonton Riverhawks)
OF/P – Joey Rico of Westmont (Kamloops NorthPaws)
OF – Trey Duffield of Rice (Kelowna Falcons)
OF – Riley Paulino of Pikeville (Nanaimo NightOwls)
OF – Wylie Waters of USC Upstate (Nanaimo NightOwls)
OF/2B – Tate Shimao of Hawaii (Victoria HarbourCats)
OF – Max Hartman of Washington State (Wenatchee AppleSox)
P – Josh Flaugher of Texas A&M Corpus Christi (Bellingham Bells)
P – Tyler Van Dyke of Stetson (Bellingham Bells)
P – Tate Dearing of Reinhardt (Edmonton Riverhawks)
P – Vicarte Domingo of British Columbia (Edmonton Riverhawks)
P/OF – Gavyn Jones of McLennan CC (Kelowna Falcons)
P – Adison Mattix of Everett CC (Nanaimo NightOwls)
P – Carson Cormier of TCU (Victoria HarbourCats)
P – Evan Canfield of Lewis-Clark State (Wenatchee AppleSox)
P – Quincy Vassar of Vanguard (Wenatchee AppleSox)
SOUTH
C – Luke Iverson of Utah Valley (Ridgefield Raptors)
C – Dane Woodcook of New Mexico State (Springfield Drifters)
1B – Easton Amundson of Liberty (Bend Elks)
1B/3B – Patrick Keighran of San Francisco (Portland Pickles)
2B – Spencer Shipman of Whitworth (Yakima Valley Pippins)
SS/2B – Ty Yukumoto of Pacific (Corvallis Knights)
SS/OF – Blake Wilson of Washington (Corvallis Knights)
3B – Kedren Kinzie of Hawaii (Springfield Drifters)
3B/OF – Preston Allen – uncommitted (Yakima Valley Pippins)
OF – Brandon Cabrera of Lewis-Clark State (Corvallis Knights)
OF – Dylan Schlaegel of Dallas Baptist (Cowlitz Black Bears)
OF – Tanner Griffith of Saint Mary’s (Portland Pickles)
OF – Kolby Felix of Colorado Mesa (Walla Walla Sweets)
OF – Davis Mauzy of Wichita State (Walla Walla Sweets)
UTL – Kevin Takeuchi of USC (Corvallis Knights)
P – Mason Edwards of USC (Bend Elks)
P – Jackson Elder of Utah (Bend Elks)
P – Tyler Wood of UC Davis (Bend Elks)
P – James DeCremer of Oregon State (Corvallis Knights)
P – Tyner Horn of Nebraska (Corvallis Knights)
P – Kaden Segel of Portland (Corvallis Knights)
P – Freddie Rodriguez of Hawaii (Portland Pickles)
P – Shay Timmer of Salt Lake CC (Portland Pickles)
P – Dylan Stewart of Pepperdine (Ridgefield Raptors)
P – Liam Hohenstein of Colorado Mesa (Walla Walla Sweets)
Universities and colleges noted are where players will be enrolled this upcoming school year.
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 and state-of-the-art ballparks, all backdropped by dramatic scenery.
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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