Summer Collegiate

Bells, Smoke take toll on NorthPaws

Published

3 years ago

July 24, 2023

Dugout Wire Service

Author: Larry Read

KAMLOOPS, BC—The Kamloops NorthPaws fell into some old habits and had Mother Nature go against them as they were only able to host the Bellingham Bells in two of three scheduled West Coast League baseball games this weekend.

The Bells took advantage of Kamloops not being able to get runs across and some spotty pitching as they took the Paws 3-0 on Friday (July 21) and 11-9 on Saturday (July 22).

The scheduled third game for Sunday (July 23) was cancelled due to poor air quality as a result of many wildfires in the BC Interior including the Ross Moore Lake blaze, 13 kilometres south of Kamloops.

Bellingham is now 6-8 in the second half and 26-15 overall on the season. Kamloops is 2-12 on the back half of the campaign and is 9-32 overall.

After a day off, the NorthPaws close out their most recent homestand with a three-game series with the Victoria HarbourCats.

Game one of the series is Tuesday, July 25 th at Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium. Opening pitch is 6:35 PM. Victoria has lost their last two outings but have a second half record of 10-5 and are 29-13 overall.

Bellingham has a night off and continues their nine game in 11 night road swing with a stopover in Wenatchee, Washington against the AppleSox. Game one of the Bells/AppleSox series is Tuesday July 25th.

All West Coast League games are available via their website: https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/

SERIES RECAP:

Friday, July 21, 2023: Bells 3 NorthPaws 0

686 people at Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium for “Country 103 Night”. The Bells opened the scoring in the top of the third when Coleman Schmidt (Reno, NV) hit a solo home run. It was his second ‘dinger’ of the season.

Bellingham went up 2-0 in the seventh when Cole Yoshida (Vasalia, CA) doubled and scored driving in Ty Saunders (Anacordes, WA). The other Bells run came in the eighth when Andrew Valdez (Visalia, CA) walked and scored on a wild pitch delivered by NorthPaws reliever Marty Recchi (Kamloops, BC).

Schmidt was 1-4 with a run scored and a run batted in. Yoshida was also 1-4 with a run batted in. Sanders was 1-4 with a run scored. Riley Parker (Snohomish, WA) was 1-3 with a run batted in as well for Bellingham.

Offensively, Cooper Neville (Glendale, AZ) was 2-4. Drew Giannini (Tracy, CA) was 2-3 while Phoenix Sommay (Temecula, CA) was 1-3.

Ryan Beitel (Surrey, BC) was the winning pitcher for Bellingham. He moves to 4-1 on the year in his seventh start of the summer. He had a four hitter over four innings and had four strikeouts. Hunter Long (Ladera Ranch,CA) pitched three innings for the save. He struck out five and gave up two hits. It was his first save in five appearances.

Christian Spitz (Overland Park, KS) started his fifth game of the year and was tagged with the loss for Kamloops, He is 1-3 . In this game he went five innings, giving up two hits, one run, striking out four and walking five.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598689

Saturday, July 22, 2023: Bells 11 NorthPaws 9

This was a see saw battle. Bellingham scored twice in the opening inning and were up 3-0 after an inning and a half. Kamloops scored three times in the bottom of the second to tie it.

Then, with the score deadlocked at four in the bottom of the fifth, Kamloops scored four times to take an 8-4 lead. The Bells would then score four in the sixth inning and add three more in the seventh to take an 11-8 lead before the NorthPaws would add one more. Bellingham scored 11 runs on 10 hits and committed one error to Kamloops’ nine runs on 10 hits and four errors.

Yoshida was 2-3 with two runs scored and three runs batted in to lead Bellingham offensively. Dean West (Woodland Hills, CA) hit a homer to lead off the second inning. It was his first ‘round tripper’ of the campaign. He was 3-5 with three runs scored and two runs batted in.

Kamloops was led by Gage Mestas (Durango, CA). He was 4-5 with a double and triple and five runs batted in. Sommay was 2-4 with two runs scored and had a run batted in. Giannini was 1-5 with a run batted in and a run scored.

Thompson Rivers University WolfPack player Lucas Maricle (Trail, BC) made his NorthPaws debut in relief and was tagged with the loss. He went two thirds of an inning giving up two hits, four runs, walking two and striking out one. He was the second of five Kamloops pitchers. Tomas Urbina (Avondale, AZ) was the winner for Bellingham to increase his record to 3-1. He pitched one inning. Trevin Hope (Blaine, WA) pitched three innings for his first save in six appearances. He gave up one run on two hits, walking one and striking out one.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598690

Sunday, July 23, 2023: Game Cancelled due to poor air quality

HEAD COACH KEITH FRANCIS:

On two games:

“We were right there to win both of those games. We cant get over the top for some reason. One night we hit the ball. I think we had five hits the first night. All of the five hits were with two outs. No one was on base. We couldn’t get a hit. Saturday, we scored well but unfortunately our pitching fell apart. Unfortunately, we made some errors, which we hadn’t done for a while (NorthPaws with four errors). Those errors led to runs by them. They came back and we weren’t able to get any closer.”

On upcoming series hosting Victoria/pitching and cancelled game Sunday.:

“They beat us pretty good to start the season. We weren’t hitting or didn’t pitch well. We have three good starters going against them. Even though it was bad we couldn’t play today (Sunday), it actually helps us for the standpoint of our pitching. They got an extra day off. The numbers (of pitchers) are way down. It is just like ‘chess pieces’ now. Just trying to match guys—having them pitch an inning or so out of the pen. It is a struggle. We have to get nine innings done and sometimes we just don’t have enough arms. We got starters. We have enough for every game. It’s the guys coming in behind them where we aren’t getting it done right now.”

NEXT UP FOR THE NORTHPAWS:

The Victoria HarbourCats will be in town for a three game series (July 25-27). The teams met in Victoria on the opening weekend of the season where the HarbourCats swept the NorthPaws.

Wednesday (July 26) will see the NorthPaws honor their “Host Families” during the contest.

PLAYERS TO WATCH ON THE HARBOURCATS:

Hudson Shupe (West Richland, WA). The shortstop leads the West Coast League in hitting at .394.

Tyler Davis (Fresno, CA) has the second most homers in the WCL with 6. He is eighth in the league in hitting with an average of .331.

Dalls Macias (Marker, Col) is 10th in the West Coast League in hitting at .327.

Nick Dumesnil (Huntington, CA) is tied for sixth in the league in homers with four.

Logan MacNeil (Vancouver, BC) leads the HarbourCats in Earned Run Average at 1.50. He has played seven games and has a record of 4-0.

If you can’t make the home games, they are all webcast on https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/ . Some home games will also be shown on Shaw TV in Kamloops (Cable 10 or 105 with Blue Curve).

NEW FAN PROMOTION:

The NorthPaws are looking for their newest fans. The team is running a promotion right now which sees you capture a $15 ticket for any home game for the remainder of the season. There are only 100 of these tickets avvilable. Visit tickets.northpawsbaseball.ca and click “Find tickets” on the game you would like to attend. Enter “NEWESTFAN’ into the promo code box and the tickets are unlocked!.

TAILGATE PARTY:

The Molson’s Tailgate Party is operating before every NorthPaws home game. It runs Tuesday through Saturday 5-630 PM. The Party runs Sundays noon-1 PM. Hotdogs and a Pilsner are sold for $ 12.00 plus tax.

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Summer Collegiate

2026 NightOwls Coaching Staff

Published

1 day ago

May 23, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

NightOwls coaching staff grows in 2026

Heimueller celebrating 50 years in baseball

Cody Andreychuk, the Head Coach of his hometown Nanaimo NightOwls, already had tremendous experience with collegiate and summer baseball.

Going into his second season steering the NightOwls, he feels even more prepared and supported with the challenge of the West Coast League ahead.

Andreychuk will have veteran Pitching Coach Gorm Heimueller with him again.

The 70-year-old is entering his 50th year in the game dating back to his college years at Cal Poly when he was a teammate of Ozzie Smith. Heimueller, who has three World Series rings from his stellar pro ball coaching career, is the only pitching coach the fifth-year organization has ever known.

Returning as the Athletic Therapist Extraordinaire is one of the best in the business, Dr. Kyle Salloum — a chiropractor and AT from Prime Performance and Therapy, which also serves as the official training centre of the NightOwls.

Added to the NightOwls staff this year is assistant coach Cam Revolt, a former college player now an assistant with Andreychuk at the University of Pikeville in Kentucky. The infielder hit nine home runs and drove in 111 while playing four seasons and batting .312 for the Bears.

The NightOwls have added Jordan McLeod as Bullpen Coach — a product of Nelson, B.C. and currently a teacher in Nanaimo and a graduate of Vancouver Island University, who is the Pitching Coach for the VIU Mariners. He is a former Douglas College and VIU pitcher.

Bench coach and mental skills coach Dr. Jordan Herbison, an instructor at VIU and a former UBC pitcher, is back to support the staff.

Andreychuk, 33, played in the West Coast League in 2013 for the Kelowna Falcons and served as an assistant coach in the famed Cape Cod League, the top summer collegiate league. In his first season leading the NightOwls, the former VIU player and Nanaimo product led the NightOwls to within a whisker of the playoffs, finishing at 23-31. Pikeville finished the spring season with a 29-19 record, reaching the playoffs, on the heels of winning 27 games in 2025 and 30 games in 2024.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Victoria HarbourCats Announce Expanded Premium Group Experiences for 2026 Season

Published

2 days ago

May 22, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

New and enhanced hospitality spaces, upgraded fan experiences, and streamlined online booking now live at harbourcats.com/groups

May 22, 2026

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats are elevating the group entertainment experience for their 2026 season with expanded premium hospitality offerings, upgraded fan spaces, and a newly enhanced online booking platform designed to make planning summer outings easier than ever heading in to the All-Star Game Festival taking place at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park and around the City July 14th – 16th, 2026.

With demand continuing to grow for corporate outings, staff events, client entertainment, birthdays, reunions, and social gatherings, the HarbourCats have introduced several refreshed and newly-enhanced group spaces at Royal Athletic Park – many of which are already seeing strong early demand.

Fans and organizations can now explore real-time availability, view space details/renderings, review spacing/capacity and pricing information, and submit booking requests directly at harbourcats.com/groups.

New and enhanced premium spaces for the 2026 season include:

Canadian Club House – a newly themed hospitality space along the third base line designed for groups and premium experiences.

The Nordic Fencing Dugout – an intimate field-level hospitality option next to the HarbourCats dugout that places guests close to the action while providing a unique experience for smaller private groups with tables for two.

The Strath Party Deck – a long-time fan favourite that continues to be one of the stadium’s most popular group destinations, offering a high-energy atmosphere ideal for larger celebrations, team outings, and company events.

Top Deck Lounge by Sipsmith Gin – one of the most unique viewing experiences in summer baseball returns with major upgrades for 2026, inside and atop the iconic double-decker British bus along the first base line.

Vancouver Island Brewing Islander FanZone – a casual and energetic group environment giving an outdoor brewery patio vibe that remains a popular option for fans looking for a fun and flexible game-day gathering space.

“Our premium hospitality program has grown significantly because people are looking for experiences that go beyond simply attending a baseball game,” said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner of the Victoria HarbourCats. “We’re proud to have hired some of the best in hospitality management to take it to the next level, whether it’s a company event, client appreciation night, staff party, birthday celebration, or just getting friends together, our team has created unique options to fit every type of group.”

Several key summer dates – including fireworks nights, weekend matchups, and 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game festivities – are already seeing limited availability.

Groups interested in booking are encouraged to visit harbourcats.com/groups to explore options and secure preferred dates before availability becomes limited.

More details are forthcoming on additional activations, including an exciting addition to the park, a recently-installed viewing platform with arguably the best view in the house!

ABOUT THE VICTORIA HARBOURCATS

The Victoria HarbourCats are a premier summer collegiate baseball organization competing in the West Coast League, delivering high-quality baseball and entertainment to fans at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, British Columbia.

Media Contact:
Jim Swanson
(778) 265-0327
jim@harbourcats.com
www.harbourcats.com

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Summer Collegiate

Two returning pitchers, two D1 bats added to roster

Published

3 days ago

May 21, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

May 21, 2026

For immediate release

NANAIMO, B.C. — In the West Coast League, top-tier college status matters, and the Nanaimo NightOwls adding two position players from D1-level UC San Diego is a strong step for the coming season.

Nathaniel Widelski and Liam O’Day, an outfielder and infielder respectively, bring all around skills to the NightOwls for the summer of 2026 at Serauxmen Stadium.

Just as much interest for Nanaimo fans is the signing of pitcher Jaden Patrick of the Vancouver Island University Mariners, and returning lefty Jake Schumacher to the mix.

“We love having island players, and we like bringing quality people back for additional seasons, where they know our program and can be leaders,” said GM Tina Cornett. “Getting Liam and Nathaniel from UC San Diego is a big boost for the lineup.”

The player signed this week by Head Coach Cody Andreychuk, further bolstering the 2026 roster:

IF Liam O’Day, UC San Diego, 6-2/195, R/R, San Diego

OF Nathaniel Widelski, UC San Diego, 6-1/180, R/R, San Diego

LHP Jake Schumacher, East Texas Baptist University, 5-10/180, Kennewick, WA

RHP Jaden Patrick, Vancouver Island University, 6-0/205, Victoria, B.C.

RHP Cesar Corrales Jr, Long Beach City College, 6-2/215, Playa Del Rey, CA

O’Day, a freshman, played in the California Collegiate League last summer, while Widelski recently hit his first college home run, in the lineup in centre field against the University of San Diego. Both have pro-potential body types and are expected to be key players at UCSD starting next season.

Patrick spent most of the summer of 2023 as a NightOwl, with four hits allowed and two strikeouts in three appearances in league action. The Victoria product is pitching for VIU this spring.

Schumacher, a Kennewick, WA product then pitching out of D2 St. Martin’s, made seven appearances for the NightOwls in 2024 and one rough outing inflated his ERA to 4.76. He is now at ETBU and has 20 strikeouts in 19.2 innings.

Corrales, who went to the same LA-area high school (St. Bernard’s) as pitching coach Gorm Heimueller graduated from a half century ago, has a fastball that gets up to 92, and is eager to pile up innings throwing for Heimueller.

Tickets are available for all games — season tickets, ticket packages, and single game offerings, though the NightOwls website (nanaimonightowls.com/ticketinfo). Don’t be fooled by third party resale sites.

The NightOwls open on the road at Ridgefield on May 29 but return home for the club’s fifth home opener on June 2 against the Kelowna Falcons, who are coached by former MLB player and broadcaster Gregg Zaun.

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