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Summer Collegiate

Defending League Champs take two from NorthPaws

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Author: Larry Read

CORVALLIS, WASHINGTON-It was ‘home sweet home’ for the defending West Coast League champion Corvallis Knights.

The Knights took two of three from the visiting Kamloops North Paws.  After dropping the opener of a three-game set Saturday (June 24), 6-3 to the NorthPaws, the Knights beat the visitors on back-to-back nights.  Sunday (June 25), Corvallis took Kamloops 6-2 and then on a night where they remembered their late General Manager, the Knights beat the Paws  13-11 on Monday (June 26) .

Knights General Manager Jennifer Beaumont passed Sunday night after a long battle with lung cancer.

The two wins up Corvallis’ record to 11-7, second in the South Division.  Kamloops falls to 5-16 for the campaign.  That is tied for last in the North Division.

The NorthPaws continue their longest road swing of the season moving into Portland to play the Pickles in three straight games beginning tomorrow (June27).  The Knights have a home and home series with the Springfield Drifters which kicks off tomorrow in Corvallis.

A reminder that all West Coast League games are available via their website: https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/

SERIES RECAP:

Saturday, June 24, 2023: NorthPaws 6 Knights 3

The Paws snap a six-game losing streak winning the series opener.    Kamloops scored three in the seventh inning and two in the fourth accumulating nine hits with no errors.   Corvallis had three runs on eight hits and committed four errors.  This was Kamloops’ third win in four tries against the defending league champions.

The NorthPaws pitching staff got some solid outings from Christian Spitz (Overland Park, Kansas) and Nathan Grey (Queen Creek, Arizona).   Spitz started and went five innings. He delivered a five hitter to even his record at 1-1.  He had two strikeouts and three walks.   Grey came on in relief for his first save.  He went four innings of three hit ball with four strikeouts.

Nathan Marshall (Albany, Oregon) was tagged with the loss as he fell to 2-2. He surrendered three runs on two hits with two strikeouts.

Offensively, centerfielder Jude Hall (Chilliwack, BC) was 3-5 with a run scored and a run batted in.  Designated hitter Joey Baran (Austin, Texas) was 2-3 with a run scored and an RBI.    Robin Villeneuve (Gatineau, QC) was 1-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

Second baseman Tyler Quinn (Mililani, Hawaii) was 2-5 with a run batted in.  Shortstop Ty Yukumoto (Waipahnu, Hawaii) was 2-3 with a run scored.

Link to Scoresheet:  http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598117

Sunday, June 25, 2023: Knights 6 NorthPaws 3

Over 11 hundred fans on hand went home happy as Corvallis evened up the series and raised their record to 10-7 on the year.   The Eagles rallied from a 1-0 deficit after an inning and a half to score three and take a 3-1 lead. They also added three runs in the sixth inning.  The Knights had 12 hits and one error compared to eight hits for the Paws.

Right fielder Sam Stern (Erice, Colorado) hit two run homer and went 2-5 for Corvallis. He also scored a run.

Centerfielder JC Ing (Foster City, Oregon) was 1-4 with three runs batted in and a run scored. Levi Jones (Portland, Oregon) was 2-43 with two runs batted in. Catcher Tyler Howard (Vancouver, Washington) was 2-2 with two runs scored while Yukomoto was 2-3 with two runs scored.

Leading the offense for Kamloops were Neville and Tyler Glowacki (San Diego, California).  Both were 2-4.  Neville added a run batted in.  Left fielder Felix Chener-Rondeau (Blainville, Quebec), centerfielder Hall  and third baseman Drew Giannini (Tracy, California) were all 1-4. Chener-Rondeau had a run batted in. Giannini scored a run.

New Zealander Maclain Roberts was the loser and is now 0-4 on the year. In this one, the NorthPaw pitcher went five innings giving up seven hits, three runs while striking out three and walking three.

Merit Jones (Idaho Falls, Idaho) went five innings for the win.  He is 1-1 on the year for the Knights after striking out three, giving up a hit and a run.   Both teams utilized four pitchers in the contest.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598118

Monday, June 26, 2023: Knights 13  North Paws 10

The North Paws gave up eight runs in the bottom of the first. Two of them coming off a home run courtesy of Tyler Quinn and a single home run from Anson Aroz (Auburn, California).   Kamloops cut the deficit to a pair of runs when they scored six of their own in the top half of the second.   After Corvallis went up 10-6, Kamloops added singles in the fourth, fifth and sixth to make the score 11—9 for the home team.  Corvallis added two more in the eighth inning.  Kamloops valiantly tried to battle back and added a pair on a two-run shot by Tommy Green (Courtenay, BC) in the top of the ninth.

Quinn led the way for the Knights going 2-3 with five runs batted in and a run scored. Aroz  was 1-4 with three runs batted in and a run scored.

 Villeneuve was 2-3 with three runs batted in and two runs scored for Kamloops.  Green went 1-3 at the dish with two R.B.I. and three runs scored.   Hall was 1-5 with two runs batted in.

Sam Stuhr (Portland, Oregon) was the winning pitcher for his first victory of the year for Corvallis. He was the fourth of five pitchers for the Knights and went three innings. He pitched a one hitter while striking out five and walking one.   Matthew Romero (Alberqueque, New Mexico) lasted only a third of an inning to be tagged with the loss. He gave up eight runs on seven hits and walked two.  His record dips to 1-2.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598119

NEXT UP FOR THE NORTHPAWS:

The Portland Pickles are the next opponents for the NorthPaws.  The teams will do battle tomorrow (June 27) through to Thursday (June 29). Portland is  5-5 in their last ten outings and have won their last two games.   They are sitting in a tie for second place in the WCL South Division with a 9-6 record.  They are 2.5 games behind the division leaders, the Ridgefield Raptors

PLAYERS TO WATCH: PORTLAND VS KAMLOOPS:

The Pickles have two players among the top 10 in batting average in the West Coast League.  Nicky Markantanator (Portland, Oregon) sits seventh with an average of .375.  Armando Brisino (Fontana, California) is ninth in batting average at .365.

Nathan Shin (Pleasanton, California) is ninth in the league with an earned run average of 1.69 in four starts (1-1 record).  Murphy Gienger (Castle Rock, Colorado) is 21 st with an E.R.A. of 2.81 and a record of 2-0.

Hayden Walker (Albuquerque, New Mexico) of Kamloops is fifth in the league in strikeouts (21).  He is 23rd in earned run average (3.22) with a record of 4-1. Five members of the NorthPaws: Joey Adge (Parker, Colorado), Tyrelle Chadwick (Kamloops, BC) , David Jeon (Coppel,Texas) , Noah Loew (Chelan, WA) and Robin Villeneuve (Gatineau, Quebec) are among the league leaders in fielding.  Each have a percentage of 1.000. None have committed an error. Adge has nine put outs in 13 games.  Villeneuve has 28 put outs in 26 games.  Jeon has 10 put outs in nine innings.

EARLY JUNE AGAINST EACH OTHER:

Earlier this month, the two teams played in Kamloops with the Pickles sweeping.  The last two games were 6-4 decisions for Portland.  Infielder Jack Metcho (Fairfield, CA) was six for 12 in the series with five runs batted in, two stolen bases and six runs scored for the Pickles.  Xiage Lancaster (Hilo, HA) was three for 11 with four RBI and two runs scored.  Catcher Joey Adge (Parker, CO)   was four for six in his two games played in the series with a run scored and a run batted in for Kamloops.

HOME SWEET HOME:

Next home game for the NorthPaws will be Canada Day ( Saturday, July 1) against the Kelowna Falcons. Opening pitch Canada Day is 6:35 PM.  There will be Canada Day celebrations at Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium on Saturday.  The Falcons and Paws play Sunday (July 2nd).  It is “Family Day” . Sunday’s tilt has a 2:05 PM start time.

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

TAILGATE PARTY:

The Molson’s Tailgate Party is hoppin’ 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.

For “Everything NorthPaws-Go to the website : https://www.northpawsbaseball.ca/ “
Kamloops North Paws tickets: ticketing@northpawsbaseball.ca
West Coast League: westcoastleague.com.

Contact for Media for Player Interviews;
Adam Filmon
Assistant Coach  afilmon@northpawsbaseball.ca
cell phone (204) 955-3547

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Haney, HarbourCats bring back former player to lead pitching staff

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October 28, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, BC — A very familiar name and face is returning to Victoria to lead the pitching staff of the HarbourCats.

Zachary Swanson — who has served as batboy, pitcher and play-by-play voice of the team — has been hired as Pitching Coach for the 2026 season by Todd Haney, the Head Coach who is entering his sixth season as the Victoria skipper.

Swanson is in his first year as the pitching coach at Hawaii Pacific University (D2) in Honolulu, under Head Coach Dane Fujinaka, a former HarbourCats catcher who coached in the Toronto Blue Jays system.

“After coaching Zach a couple of seasons, I am thrilled for the opportunity to coach with him now,” said Haney, who started Swanson on the mound against the Corvallis Knights in Game 1 of the WCL championship series in 2019.

“Zach brings energy, experience and expertise to the HarbourCats coaching staff. Our pitchers will love working with him.”

Swanson, the son of Managing Partner Jim Swanson, is a Lambrick Park grad who spent time with both the Eagles and Mariners BCPBL programs. He spent two college years with the San Diego Christian (NAIA) Hawks, then moved to the Park-Gilbert (NAIA) Buccaneers in Arizona, under Head Coach Kelly Stinnett, a long-time MLB catcher, to complete his college playing career.

Swanson will work with Bullpen Coach Darius Opdam Bak, who filled the same role last summer under now-retired Scott Anderson, who held the pitching coach job for three seasons. Opdam Bak is a former HarbourCats and Victoria Golden Tide (CCBC) pitcher who is now Pitching Coach of the Golden Tide.

Swanson, who will be 26 by next season, earned his MBA and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Park-Gilbert business program. He served as pitching coach at Skyline High School (6A) in Mesa, AZ before accepting the HPU offer. He is married to Madeline, and they reside in Kailua, HI.

“This is an extremely special opportunity for me, to return home and coach in front of this amazing city is such a privilege,” said Swanson. “I’m excited to coach some great young men and bring a West Coast League championship home to Victoria.

“It is a tremendous honour to have the chance to coach alongside Coach Haney, someone I consider a mentor. His intensity and passion for player development combined with his true joy for the game are traits that I admire as a coach.”

Swanson was 7-3 in his collegiate career, including playoffs and non league, including five starts.

Opdam Bak was a HarbourCat for two seasons and spent four seasons with the Golden Tide, as a dependable starter. He made eight starts last spring for the Tide, going 3-1 — he made 17 CCBC starts overall.

Season ticket memberships and 12-game flex packs (new for 2026!) are now on sale for the HarbourCats 2026 season at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. BE SURE TO LOCK IN YOUR SEASON TICKETS TODAY to get first right of refusal on your seats for the 2026 WCL All-Star game that will be played here in Victoria.  These will be going on sale SOON!

Season tickets, 12-packs and team merchandise are also available at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, Tuesday thru Friday, 10am-4pm.

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Victoria HarbourCats – 2026 HarbourCats schedule features many highlights

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Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park will be abuzz with fans packing the seats for  at least 31 home games in 2026, as well as the West Coast League All-Star Game.

October 23, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, BC — Who is the next Nathan Lukes, to don the V-Cat logo and start a path to the World Series?

That will come into focus starting in May of 2026 when the Victoria HarbourCats — the first collegiate summer league team of Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Lukes, a playoff star this fall — begin an eventful West Coast League campaign with a road series in Portland.

It won’t just be the games with the HarbourCats to look forward to, it will also be about the 2026 WCL All-Star Game being played at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park as part of a planned Festival of Baseball, July 14-15. The HarbourCats are hosting the event in both 2026 and 2027.

“No question, this is the most anticipated season yet for us — the All-Star Game, after a very strong schedule leading up to that, and playoffs to follow,” said Christian Stewart, the GM of the HarbourCats. “The variety of visiting teams, the rivalries with teams like Nanaimo, Wenatchee and Bellingham, facing the other tough Canadian teams — it’s a great mix for our fans and our corporate partners.”

The HarbourCats open on the road on Friday, May 29, against the Pickles, then are back on the island for the home opener on Tuesday, June 2, against the Edmonton Riverhawks.

Tentative plans for fireworks dates are Saturday, June 6 (vs. Kelowna Falcons, now managed by former Blue Jay Gregg Zaun), Tuesday, June 30 (vs. the Nanaimo NightOwls), and a special event on Monday, August 3 featuring local talent and a fireworks show to follow.

Further plans to announce popular features such as the Woofability Bark in the Park, the Mayfair Optometric School Spirit game (and maybe a second game!), something we are calling “Early Father’s Day,” and Harvey’s Birthday will be announced soon. Game times remain the popular 6:35pm, except for Sundays (1pm) and the School Spirit games (11am).

“Getting two teams from Oregon at our park this year will be fun — we have the first visit from the Springfield Drifters (June 12-13-14) and a rare appearance by the Bend Elks (July 7-8-9),” said Stewart, who is taking season ticket bookings and doling out 12-packs of tickets already.

“We plan to have the All-Star Game package on sale in short order, too — we love that we have so much time to plan out the WCL schedule and make it work for promotions and logistics. We are known for our creative ideas — this schedule will make things a lot of fun next summer.”

HOME GAMES 2026
June 2-3-4 (T-W-Th), vs. Edmonton Riverhawks
June 5-6-7 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Kelowna Falcons
June 12-13-14 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Springfield Drifters
June 16-17-18 (T-W-Th), vs. Redmond Dudes (non-league)
June 24 (Wed), vs. Nanaimo NightOwls
June 26-27-28 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Bellingham Bells
June 30 (Tues), July 2 (Thurs), vs. Nanaimo NightOwls
July 7-8-9 (T-W-Th), vs. Bend Elks
ALL-STAR GAME FESTIVITIES — Tuesday, July 14, and Wednesday, July 15
July 17-18-19 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Wenatchee AppleSox
July 24-25-26 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Kamloops NorthPaws
July 28-29-30 (T-W-Th), vs. Port Angeles Lefties
August 3 (Mon), vs. SIBL All-Stars (non-league)

ROAD GAMES 2026
The HarbourCats visit the following teams — Portland Pickles (May 29-30-31), Edmonton Riverhawks (June 9-10-11), Port Angeles Lefties (June 19-20-21), Nanaimo NightOwls (June 23, 25, July 1, and July 21-22-23), Kelowna Falcons (July 3-4-5), Kamloops NorthPaws (July 10-11-12), Bellingham Bells (July 31, August 1-2), Wenatchee AppleSox (Aug 3-4-5).

NOTE: SINGLE-GAME TICKETS, ALL-STAR GAME TICKETS and FLEX-PACK VOUCHER RENEWALS ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE. We are finalizing a few logistics and dates and building the 2026 ticketing system and anticipate all those to go on sale in the next few weeks.

Season tickets and 12-game flex packs are NOW on sale on line at harbourcats.com/tickets or by stopping into the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

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Victoria HarbourCats – Four returnees signed by HarbourCats, including all-star Shepherd

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2025 All-Star and home-run leader Logan Shepherd (28) will return to the HarbourCats for the 2026 season (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

October 15, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, BC — It’s the norm for players to want to run it back for another summer, and four such returning players have started the foundation for the 2026 Victoria HarbourCats — headlined by a slugging DH/first baseman.

Logan Shepherd, a powerful right-handed hitter from Olympia, WA, will be back with the HarbourCats next summer. A product of Tacoma Community College and now at Mercer, he tied the franchise record for home runs in a season with eight last year, batting .345 and driving in 41 runs while being named to the West Coast League all-star game.

“Logan put up some serious numbers for us and wants to get even more out of the Victoria experience,” said WCL veteran head coach Todd Haney, who will be in his sixth season leading the HarbourCats when May rolls around. “He was a leader, and these players announced today will help us continue with the culture we have established with this program.”

Also signed:

  • C Dillon Lopez, St. Mary’s, 5-10/200, San Antonio, TX
  • RHP Austin Lindsey, Hill JC, 6-1/180, Lufkin, TX
  • RHP Marcus Janovsky, UBC, 6-0/195, Surrey, BC
  • 1B/DH Logan Shepherd, Mercer, 6-2/215, Olympia, WA

Lopez also put up all-star worthy numbers, if he’d been able to join the team earlier in the season — .350 with 18 RBIs in 21 games, hitting three home runs and providing premium defence behind the plate.

Catcher Dillon Lopez (18), here celebrating after a walk-off hit in 2025, will return behind the dish for the 2026 season (Photo: Justin Morash).

Lindsey pitched in 13 games with 27 strikeouts in 24 innings of work, mostly out of the bullpen — a high-leverage, dependable arm for Haney and the coaching staff. Janovsky, playing near his hometown of Surrey at UBC, was 2-1 while giving up 19 hits in 21.1 innings of work, with 19 strikeouts.

Right-hand pitcher Marcus Janovsky (centre), here celebrating after a clutch relief appearance in 2025, will return to the mound for the HarbourCats in 2026 (Photo: Justin Morash)

“We’re proud of the development of these players and can’t wait to welcome them back, with another year of experience under their belt,” said Haney.

Season ticket memberships and 12-game flex packs (new for 2026!) are now on sale for the HarbourCats 2026 season at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. BE SURE TO LOCK IN YOUR SEASON TICKETS TODAY to get first right of refusal on your seats for the 2026 WCL All-Star game that will be played here in Victoria.  These will be going on sale SOON!

Season tickets, 12-packs and team merchandise are also available at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, Tuesday thru Friday, 10am-4pm.

 

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