Summer Collegiate

They say every good party ends up in the kitchen.

Published

4 years ago

March 2, 2021

Well, baseball is a party, and in Nanaimo the gathering spot was the big wood stove down the hall from Kent’s Kitchen where former players, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans would all congregate.

The stove was the centrepiece of the Hall Of Fame Room in the bowels of Serauxmen Stadium. That stove is due to be rolled out the door this spring to make way for a new kind of baseball party – the Nanaimo NightOwls Baseball Club of the West Coast League, and the new team’s office space.

It was not sadness that trailed after that symbol of warmth and camaraderie, however. All those same players, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans had worked hard to someday attract a WCL team to their city so to see the space repurposed for such high-calibre ball was a treat, not a gripe.

“We’d have all these old guys come in and just B.S. about baseball,” said Kent Malpass, the man for whom the kitchen was unofficially named. He was one of the young guys who cozied up to that fire, when it first got kindled, and now he is the godfather of these goodfellas.

“If that room had ears, it would have lots of things to talk about. So many great people have worked to keep baseball in Nanaimo going and growing, and a lot of them ended up in that room having those conversations. So many of them have passed on now, great names, great people. Some are in a home now. That’s the way time works. And we’re in the middle of Covid and when that hit, it really shut it all down anyway.”

It was always Thursday morning that the regular gathering would happen, whether there was a ball game on that day or not.

“I’d get there at seven o’clock, and sometimes there were already people waiting to get in,” Malpass said. “They’d show up at 7:30, 8:00, trickling in, but there would often be a dozen of us just here for the conversation and seeing each other, talking about baseball and life.”

The big stove was never the point of these visits, but it was always the unspoken host. Even when there was a lull in the conversation, the crackle of the wood fire would evoke the crack of the bat.

“It’s a big stove. Huge,” Malpass said. “I’ve put wood in that thing at three o’clock in the afternoon and come back at 11 or 12 o’clock the next day and it would still be going.”

Kent and his Serauxmen Service Club members are much the same way. The Nanaimo charity group formed in 1967 over some beers and centennial cheers at the Tally Ho Pub. To this day, it is going strong and Nanaimo is its one and only chapter. They raise tens of thousands of dollars a year for all-local causes. They also pour tens of thousands of dollars worth of in-kind contributions and volunteerism into their community, and baseball is one of their chief loves.

Baseball brings people together, said Malpass, and baseball never ceases to draw in new people but never let go of anyone as they age. It’s something that grows with you no matter who you are or where you are, he said.

When Nanaimo seemed set to take a step up in the baseball world, back in the 1970s, Malpass and the Serauxmen were gleeful. Their club’s name is on the stadium because they took it upon themselves to lead the fundraising and logistics efforts to convert the former coal mine site into a ballpark that is still one of the best in B.C.

It opened in 1976 with a slate of celebrities on-site to throw the first pitches and cut all the ribbons. Malpass still glows at the memory of the top name on that fundraising ticket: the legendary superstar Mickey Mantle. Joining the Yankee Comet was another golden name from baseball’s history, Red Sox Gold-Glover and two-time all-star Jim Piersall.

“We took them fishing and showed them a good time,” said Malpass. “It cost the Serauxmen $5,000 to bring them in, which was a lot of money in 1976, but it worked really well. The place was packed.”

But that wasn’t the end of the Serauxmen commitment to Nanaimo baseball.

“Doug Rogers started the Nanaimo Pirates (of the BC Premier Baseball League) so his brother Danny and I used to do the equipment,” Malpass said, and that volunteer effort carried over into the whole youth baseball league where they would outfit up to 800 kids each year with uniforms, belts, helmets, socks, the whole kit. He would go on buying trips that needed a truck. “It was like Christmas for us, but everything was for the kids.”

A lot of the equipment distribution happened in that same room that eventually became the meeting space.

Malpass wore a lot of different volunteer caps over the years. He would paint the weathered spots on the fence, fix the broken boards on the bleachers, sweep the spilled popcorn, and he was a fixture in the concession kitchen. He grew up in the grocery industry and cooked in restaurants so this was his wheelhouse, but he also sold furniture, assembled satellite antennae, and other career moves that he always turned into a baseball double-play.

“I just love being at the stadium, being around baseball, being with baseball people, it’s a special thing,” he said. He pointed to the example of his friend Burt Lansdale who passed away and wanted his ashes scattered on the pitcher’s mound at the stadium. As the ceremony was going on, as the congregation bowed their heads in prayer, the automatic sprinklers suddenly popped on without warning. Malpass chuckled that even the stadium itself wanted to pay respects to someone who loved being there so much.

“People have a connection to this sport, because it’s more than a sport,” he said.

“Look at what Jim’s done (NightOwls General Manager Jim Swanson) with the team. The Owls were a team in Nanaimo in the 1920s which is where he dug up the name. It’s paying respect, it’s embracing tradition even when you’re doing something new.”

Malpass is excited to see the new team, the new league, and the new level of baseball Nanaimo has grown to embrace. He feels he, his friends, his neighbours, and the Serauxmen club members all had a hand in earning it. He’ll gladly sacrifice more volunteer time and work on the home stadium to make it happen. It’ll keep him as warm as any wood stove whose time has now passed.

That stove is not going to the scrap heap, though. Like the Owls name, it is just changing its context. The stove was a popular item for buildings that still could use that crackling heat, and it will be finding a home that will be fully aware of the history that comes with it.

Summer Collegiate

NorthPaws get a timely hit in the seventh to complete the comaback against the AppleSox

Published

7 hours ago

July 1, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

The Kamloops NorthPaws defeated the Wenatchee AppleSox 5-4 on Monday night, snapping their three-game losing streak. The AppleSox got off to a 3-0 lead, but the NorthPaws bullpen kept their bats at bay, allowing the bats to wake up in the fifth finally. In the bottom of the seventh, the bases were loaded for second baseman Tanner Hornback, and he sent a double down the right field line, clearing the bases and giving Kamloops the lead. Righty Julio Garcia came on for another six-out save, securing the victory.

Righty Joey Rico took the mound to begin the series and looked to improve upon his last start, where he gave up five earned runs in Walla Walla. Rico would get through the first two innings scoreless but ran into some trouble in the third: a walk and a single with two out brought

AppleSox third baseman Kyle Panganiban up to the plate. Panganiban sent a fly ball over the fence in left field, giving Wenatchee a 3-0 lead.
Kamloops once again struggled at the plate to begin the game, going hitless through the first four innings. In the fifth, the NorthPaws loaded the bases off two walks and a single from center fielder Connor Clark. With only one out, shortstop Anthony Setticassi sent a fly ball to center field that was deep enough to score Rico, making it a two-run deficit.

NorthPaws lefty Tyler Straily replaced Rico on the mound and was great yet again. Straily went three innings, giving up just three hits while not allowing a run and not walking a batter. Strailys outing gave the NorthPaw bats more time to wake up. In the sixth with two outs, Clark singled yet again, this time loading the bases. Unfortunately for Kamloops, catcher Kalen Applefield was unable to deliver as they left the bases loaded following a fly out.

The seventh inning saw the NorthPaws rattle off four hits, but none were bigger than Tanner Hornback’s. Setticassi, left fielder Elijah Clayton, right fielder Jared Hall and third baseman Drew Schmidt all reached base, including Schmidt drawing a walk to make it 3-2. Hornback was at the plate and shot a ball down the right field line that just stayed fair. He cleared the bases with one swing of the bat, sending the crowd into a frenzy as the NorthPaws led 5-3.

Wenatchee stayed pesky in the top of the eighth, however. Back-to-back doubles made it a one-run game, forcing Kamloops to send in righty Julio Garcia earlier than expected. Garcia struggled with command early on, hitting two batters and loading the bases. With two outs, the AppleSox sent a ball to right field that Jared Hall made a nice sliding catch on to preserve the lead.

In the top of the ninth, Garcia found his command, pitching a quick inning, securing his second six-out save in as many days. The NorthPaws now have 15 wins, matching last year’s total in just half the time. The two teams will battle it out on Canada Day at Norbrock Stadium, with the first pitch set for 6:35.

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Summer Collegiate

NightOwls Wings Get Clipped In An Exhibition Game Against The Nanaimo Selects

Published

7 hours ago

July 1, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

NANAIMO, B.C. — The Nanaimo NightOwls wings were clipped in an exhibition game against the Nanaimo Selects at Serauxmen Stadium Monday, June 30th. In front of a loud crowd, the Nanaimo Selects out hit Nanaimo for the 13-8 win. That brings an end to the NightOwls 6 6-game overall winning streak, but they will look to continue their regular season winning streak on Tuesday against the Victoria HarbourCats.

Photo Credit Chad Frostad

It was a back-and-forth game with lots of runs as Nanaimo…Uh, the other Nanaimo…Okay, the Selects. Jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first before the NightOwls scored six runs in the bottom of the inning to take a comfortable 6-1 lead. The Selects would claw away at the lead with two runs in the third and fifth innings. NightOwls extended the lead from 6-5 to 7-5, but the Selects would score eight runs in the final three innings to put the game out of reach.

https://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=629560

Starting Pitcher Vinny “The Chef” Bruno made his first start of the season and had a good outing in his two innings. He gave up one earned run on two hits, walking one but striking out three Selects batters. That brings him up to nine strikeouts in just 5.2 innings with just four hits, one walk, and one earned run. Vinny could be important for the NightOwls as they enter the middle of the season.

Vinny Bruno is up to 9 strikeouts in 5.2 Innings (Photo Credit Chad Frostad)

It was a very rotated squad pitching on Monday night for the NightOwls. 6 pitchers went the distance with some position players with the night off from the field getting an inning or two. Coach Cody Andreychuk obviously wants to keep his pitching staff fresh as no one went over 2 innings. Moosa Nonomiya looked very good on the mound and hit the 90 mph mark. He went two innings and struck out three of the selects batters.

https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/

Jacob Hayes hot bat continued as he went two for four with a single, double and two RBI. Third basemen Tyler Arnold also had two RBI’s going two of five with a double and a single. Newcomer Jayden Gabrillo had a hit in his debut for the Nanaimo NightOwls and also scored a run.

Photo Credit Chad Frostad

Other contributors on the night for the Nanaimo NightOwls were Alessandro Volpe who was one for three with two RBI and a walk. Ryder Florence also got in on the action with an RBI and Carter Cathers rounded out the scoring for the home side. Ryder also snagged a stolen base on the night but the umpire did not let him keep it.

http://Nanaimonightowls.com/tickets

Alright everyone, we have a big night tomorrow at Serauxmen Stadium with over 3000 tickets already sold. If you don’t have a ticket yet you might be able to get a General Admission ticket tomorrow but make sure to wear sunscreen, bring a hat and something to sit on as those bleachers get hot! We might also be releasing standing room only tickets with lots of great view points to watch the game. Check out all your social media platforms for news about that use the hashtag #IlluminateTheDark in all your social media posts!

We will be having a fireworks show after the game when it gets dark enough and since we are the NightOwls we couldn’t help striking from the skies before the game. Make sure to get here early for parking and for anything else you need to know about the Big Canada Day Festivities, click on the link here.

The series continues for the Nanaimo NightOwls against the Victoria HarbourCats, but it shifts down Island for the final two games at Royal Athletic Park. The two teams will finish off the series on Wednesday, July 2nd, and Thursday, July 3rd. Then the NightOwls head off to Edmonton for a rematch with the RiverHawks. It should be a hard-fought series, as Edmonton will have been swept by the NightOwls fresh on their minds. Make sure to watch the game on the link above and cheer on your team on social media with the Hashtag #IlluminateTheDark.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Dudes hold on for narrow win on Fireworks night

Published

20 hours ago

June 30, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

June 30, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats welcomed the Redmond Dudes to town for non-league action on the second Fireworks night of the season, and it was the Dudes who came out on top, winning 6-4.

The Dudes jumped out to a quick lead, scoring two in the first inning, making it 2-0.

Colton O’Brien cut the Dudes’ lead in half in the bottom of the second with a two-out single up the middle. Garrett Brooks (St. Mary’s U) tied it up at two later in the inning with an RBI single of his own. The Cats took their first lead of the night on a wild pitch, making it 3-2 HarbourCats.

BOX SCORE

Brett Patterson started for the HarbourCats and pitched five innings, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out three.

The Dudes made it 3-3 in the top of the fifth through a sacrifice fly. The Cats loaded the bases in the bottom half of the fifth, and an error by the shortstop allowed a run to come home, giving Victoria a 4-3 lead.

WCL STANDINGS

Zach Swanson came in to pitch the sixth inning, and he almost got out of the inning unscathed, but gave up a two-out two-run double to Alex Lavassar to give Redmond a 5-4 lead. The right-hander’s night was done after two innings of work, after pitching a scoreless seventh.

The Dudes’ pitching kept the Cats at bay through the next few innings as they entered the eighth inning holding on to their slim one-run advantage.

WATCH GAMES HERE

Peter Cunningham came in to pitch the eighth for Victoria but gave up three singles immediately, which gave the visitors an important insurance run, making it 6-4.

Nate Major pitched a three-up-three-down ninth inning for the Cats. The home team was unable to capitalize on a lead-off walk in the bottom of the ninth as the Dudes closed it out for a 6-4 win.

BUY TICKETS HERE

The HarbourCats are back in WCL action Tuesday at 6:35 PM in Nanaimo for the first game of the second half of the season. It’s all to play for as the winner of the North Division second half will qualify for the WCL Playoffs. The two teams continue the series in Victoria on Wednesday and Thursday at 6:35 PM. Buy tickets for those two games at harbourcats.com/tickets.

Season Tickets, 10 and 32-Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are now on sale for all 33 home games and four “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats’ new and one-and-only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at harbourcats.com/tickets.

Tickets and merchandise can also be purchased in person at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street or by calling 778-265-0327.

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