Summer Collegiate

NorthPaws comeback effort falls short in loss to Bellingham

Published

8 months ago

June 28, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

The Kamloops NorthPaws lost game one of their weekend series to the Bellingham Bells 10-5 on Friday night at Norbrock Stadium. The Bells jumped out to an 8-0 lead after the third inning, but the NorthPaws stayed pesky. Kamloops rallied to score five unanswered to pull within three, but a pair of runs in the top of the tenth sealed the deal for Bellingham.

Righty Lukas Dykstra was on the mound for Kamloops, and unlike his last start against Victoria, he would run into trouble early in the ball game. Dykstra would lose his command in the second inning, walking five batters and giving up four hits as the Bells exploded for five runs. Dykstra lasted just an inning and two-thirds.

Righty Landon Gutierrez was first out for Kamloops, but the Bells bats stayed hot in the third inning. Gutierrez threw less than 10 balls in his outing, but Bellingham jumped all over him in the third with three more runs on four hits. The command was there for the righty, and he eventually settled in, sending the Bells down scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings.

Righty Zaiden Kiefer entered the game and would pitch three no-hit innings, silencing the Bells and allowing the bats to get hot. The offence got going with second baseman Tanner Hornback launching a home run over the left field fence. The NorthPaws would start to put together good at-bats and draw walks from Bellingham pitchers.

In the fifth, third baseman Drew Schmidt sent a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring left fielder Cade Palkowski. Although Kamloops scored in back-to-back innings, they stranded two runners in each of those innings, unable to come up with that next big hit.
In the sixth, the NorthPaws would draw a pair of walks and a hit by pitch with two outs to load the bases but once again couldn’t come through as a great defensive play by the Bells left the NorthPaws empty-handed.

Kamloops would keep their foot on the gas in the seventh with back-to-back singles from Schmidt and Hornback. The two would advance to second and third on a past ball. Designated hitter Joey Rico sent a fly ball to center field that allowed Schmidt to score. Two batters later, first baseman Keegan Drinkle singled, scoring Hornback. Shortstop Anthony Setticassi reached base via an error, and center fielder Ethan Kodama walked to once again load the bases with two outs. Palkowski was at the plate but flew out to left field once again, leaving the bases loaded.

In the eighth, Rico singled, scoring Hornback, making it five under-answered runs. Going into the top of the ninth, there was a sense of optimism that was felt amongst the hometown crowd. Another scoreless inning, and the team has a real shot to pull this off. Unfortunately, those plans got quickly derailed as the Bells led off with a triple, and the rest is history. Two runs in the ninth put Bellingham up five, securing the game-one victory.

Without the three scoreless from Kiefer, the comeback effort wouldn’t have been possible, but Kiefer and the rest of the staff know what their hitters are capable of.

“For me, I was just trying to get quick outs and give our hitters a shot; we feel like if the staff can keep the game within reach, the offence can outscore anyone,” said Kiefer.

Although the five unanswered runs made the game interesting, the team was missing that one big hit. On Friday night, the NorthPaws left a staggering 13 runners on base, leaving them with a feeling of what could’ve been.

“It was frustrating tonight for us because we knew we were better than what we were showing,” said designated hitter Joey Rico. “We know we’re a good team and can beat anyone; we never feel like we’re out of games,” Rico added.

The two teams will face each other again on Saturday night at Norbrock Stadium; the first pitch is set for 6:35.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Faith guides pitcher Hudson Lance as he returns for 2026

Published

3 days ago

March 6, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Pitcher Hudson Lance is a strong believer in faith, and it is that faith that will guide him in his return to the HarbourCats in 2026 (Photo: Christian J. Stewart).

By Norm LeBus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 6, 2026

Victoria, BC – As a devout Christian and a business student, athlete and leadership intern at Coastal Carolina University, Hudson Lance already walks the road less travelled.

And now his path is even more remote.

A middle-inning reliever last summer with the ‘Cats, Lance has walked away from Division One baseball this season to follow the Lord.

Returning to Coastal Carolina in fall of ’25, Lance was informed he was surplus as the Chanticleers’ roster swelled with talent after last season’s appearance in the College Baseball World Series.

Lance hit the transfer portal and relocated to D1 mid-major Winthrop, also in South Carolina. But two weeks before his arrival, Lance changed his mind. It was August 1.

“I shocked my entire world,” Lance says. “Everyone who knew me thought I was crazy. But I have not regretted it for a second.”

Photo: Christian J. Stewart

Lance went from D1 scholarship student athlete to Christian, club baseball player, business student and leadership intern at…Coastal Carolina. He never left the school that rejected him after initially recruiting Lance to play baseball.

“I just never had peace with the decision to go to Winthrop,” he says. “My faith is really a giant part of my life, and I really felt like the Lord was calling me to step away from baseball. I absolutely love Coastal Carolina – the friends I’ve made there, the community I have.”

At Carolina this year, Lance is running long distance to build stamina, bullpen training and pitching live at-bats with the schools’ club baseball team. But he’s just as excited about his internship with FCA, Fellowship for Christian Athletes – a major time commitment for the business major.

“It’s really just something the Lord has put on my heart and I’m really passionate about,” Lance says. “It is time consuming, but to me it doesn’t feel like work, or something that’s this great burden because it’s something that I love.”

But Lance is returning to the WCL without a season of Division One baseball – an anomaly in the Pacific Northwest circuit.

“When I get to Victoria, it won’t be like I haven’t faced a batter in several months,” he says of the pitching he will be doing at Coastal Carolina with its club team. “I will just have faced hundreds of batters training throughout the entire spring.”

Last season in Victoria, Lance was a middle reliever who had a solid rookie season – one bad outing ballooned his ERA, but the ‘Cats won five of the seven games he appeared in.

Photo: Christian J. Stewart

“He was a good, reliable middle inning guy for us, came in in situations and got batters out when we needed it, a reasonable number of strikeouts, ‘Cats GM Christian Stewart recalls. “More importantly, he only walked three guys – that’s a big plus in this league.”

In bullpen work with the club team this spring, Lance says he’s working on direction, speed and location in bullpen training. Then there’s the live at bats.

“My plan is to hit the ground running and be ready to roll when I hit Victoria,” he explains.

It’s far from the first time a player has arrived in Victoria in May without recent D1 experience.

“The fact that he’s a player without a home right now is kind of interesting – there’s no stats to look at and see how he’s doing, so whether that’s a plus or a minus, hard to say,” Stewart says. “Hopefully we can he’s working hard and ready to show somebody what he can do.”

That seems a safe bet.

—

Hudson Lance and the HarbourCats begin the 2026 West Coast League season on the road in Portland on Friday, May 29th and then return to Wilson’s Group Stadium for the Home Opener against the Edmonton Riverhawks on Tuesday, June 2 at 6:30 pm.

Tickets for that game and all 2026 HarbourCats games, as well as the 2026 All-Star Game and Home Run Derby July 14-15, Season Tickets and Flex-Packs are now on sale at harbourcats.com/tickets or at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street just around the corner from the stadium.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – School Spirit Games partners pleased with near-sellout status

Published

4 days ago

March 6, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

March 5, 2026

For immediate release

VICTORIA, BC — The kids always bring the energy — and the noise, in sections teeming with students.

The Victoria HarbourCats are pleased to recognize the valuable partners who have helped the team close in (already, in March!) on sellouts for the two SCHOOL SPIRIT GAMES planned for the 2026 West Coast League baseball season — just a part of the big summer plans at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park.

On Thursday, June 4 (11:05am), the MAYFAIR OPTOMETRIC CLINIC SCHOOL SPIRIT GAME has limited seating still available for the meeting with the visiting Edmonton Riverhawks.

Then, the KIDSPORT GREATER VICTORIA SCHOOL SPIRIT GAME on Thursday, June 18 (also 11:05am) vs. the Redmond Dudes, is essentially at capacity already as schools/teachers have already snapped up seats and sections. A wait list is being taken, but schools still wanting to attend a game are urged to book into the June 4th game instead.

“The popularity of these games is undeniable, and they are a perfect match for Mayfair Optometric Clinic and KidSport Greater Victoria to reach an excited audience,” said Christian Stewart, General Manager of the HarbourCats.

The games are such a hot commodity for school field trips that Stewart had teachers getting on the list right after last year’s games, and then inquiries as early as the opening of schools in September.

For any teachers or schools wanting to secure remaining seats for the June 4th game, contact Christian at chris@harbourcats.com or call 778-265-0327. Tickets are just A$9.00 each.

Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games and the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby are now on sale at our Showpass site at harbourcats.com/tickets. Season tickets, 12-pack and 32-pack game vouchers may also be bought on-line or by stopping in to the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

SEE SCHEDULE HERE

Need to gear up with HarbourCats merchandise? Then be sure to stop into the office, or else visit The Cat Shop online at https://victoria-harbourcats-official.myshopify.com/

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Summer Collegiate

Kentucky Influence Will Be Strong For NightOwls, Nine Players Signed

Published

6 days ago

March 4, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

March 4, 2026

Nanaimo NightOwls head coach Cody Andreychuk is from the Harbour City — but spends most of his time now as dugout boss at the University of Pikeville in Kentucky.

So, it’s no surprise the next nine players signed are playing college baseball in the Bluegrass State — talent from UPike, and Western Kentucky.

And two of them? From Nanaimo, of course, continuing the tradition of local flavour with the NightOwls.

Announced today by “Coach Chuk”:

LHP Bryson Vawter, Western Kentucky, L/L, 6-1/210, Topeka, Kansas

LHP Rodney Whaley, Western Kentucky, L/L, 6-2/195, Ashland, Nebraska

RHP Jacob O’Day, Western Kentucky, R/R, 6-3/185, Bloomington, Illinois

RHP Jack Schroeder, UPikeville, R/R, 6-1/205, Cody, Wyoming

RHP/IF Reed Sutton UPikeville, L/R, 6-2/215, Nanaimo

LHP Caleb Morrison, UPikeville, L/L, 5-10/170, Georgetown, KY

IF Easton Mould, UPikeville, R/R, 5-10/165, Nanaimo

SS Francis Subero, UPikeville, S/R, 5-11/185 San Jose De Ocoa, Dominican Republic

OF Ethan Reynolds, Western Kentucky, R/R, 5-11/210, Bowling Green, KY

“There is a hard-nosed way of playing the game in Kentucky that our fans at Serauxmen Stadium will like — these guys all work hard and grind,” said Andreychuk. “The pitching depth from this group will important, and I really like having Nanaimo guys in Mould and Sutton. I know these players very well, what they can do.”

This is an intriguing group of additions —- it includes returning local second baseman Mould, and fellow Pirates product Sutton, who got a short stint as a NightOwl in 2025. Mould played 37 games for the NightOwls in 2025 and is the double play partner this spring at UPike with Dominican shortstop Subero, who is batting .356 with 11 runs driven in over 13 games.

O’Day fanned 63 hitters in 58 innings for Heartland CC before transferring to WKU. Vawter had a 3.84 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 72 innings at Kansas City CC, while Whaley is another lefty and a product of power junior college program Iowa Western.

Schroeder and Morrison will be counted on for quality bullpen innings, and Reynolds is a versatile fielder with a bat that finds gaps.

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