Summer Collegiate
Festivities Beginning Tonight In Bellingham – Roster Updates
The stage is now set for the West Coast League’s 2024 All-Star Game, with festivities beginning tonight in Bellingham, followed Wednesday evening by the League’s first All-Star Game since 2019.
Thrilling news was announced last week, as the All-Star Game will be broadcast live on MLB Network, MLB.TV, MLB.com, and the MLB App beginning at 6:30 PM Pacific Time. The broadcast will feature renowned on-air talent, with Tyler Maun handling play-by-play duties, along with analysts Ryan Rowland-Smith and MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra.
Probable starting pitchers have been set by head coaches Brooke Knight (South) and Bob Ralston (North). Corvallis Knights right-hander Kaden Segel (U. of Portland) gets the nod for the South, while the North will counter with reigning WCL Pitcher of the Week Tyler Van Dyke (Stetson).
Tuesday night, the West Coast League’s celebration of amateur and grass-roots baseball will feature players from the Max Higbee Center alongside WCL All-Stars in the Community Champions Game, an integrated baseball game. 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.
Updated rosters for Wednesday night’s WCL All-Star Game, including players tabbed as replacements for original selections no longer available, may be found below. Prior to the game, All-Stars will participate in an invitation-only workout for scouts and amateur coaches, as the West Coast League continues its mission to create tremendous environments for ambitious young baseball players from around the world.
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/DH – Wylie Waters of USC Upstate (Nanaimo NightOwls)
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 – Nevan 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/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 – Nic Peterson of UC Santa Barbara (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 – Garrett Ahearn of Grand Canyon (Wenatchee AppleSox)
P – Quincy Vassar of Vanguard (Wenatchee AppleSox)
*P – Evan Canfield of Lewis-Clark State (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/OF – Blake Wilson of Washington (Corvallis Knights)
SS/2B – Ty Yukumoto of Pacific (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 – Davis Mauzy of Wichita State (Walla Walla Sweets)
OF – Kolby Felix of Colorado Mesa (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 – Curtis Hebert of Portland (Ridgefield Raptors)
P – Liam Hohenstein of Colorado Mesa (Walla Walla Sweets)
*P – Dylan Stewart of Pepperdine (Ridgefield Raptors)
Universities and colleges noted indicate where players will be enrolled this fall.
*Announced as All-Star when rosters were initially unveiled, but unable to participate in the game.
Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – Former HarbourCat Austin Russell, a WCL all-star, hired to coach Collegiate Cats program
July 5, 2026
VICTORIA, B.C. — Former HarbourCat and WCL All-Star Austin Russell has been handed the reins of Victoria’s year-round collegiate baseball program.
The local product has been hired to lead the Victoria Collegiate Cats of the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC), effective August 1. The team formerly called the Golden Tide will enter its sixth season this fall, based primarily out of Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park.
“I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and excited to help build a Victoria Collegiate Cats program that the players, alumni and community can be proud of,” said Russell, who played with his brother Ty on the 2013 HarbourCats team. “My time playing college baseball had a tremendous impact on my growth as a person, both on and off the field, and my priority is to provide these young men with that same opportunity — an experience they can look back on with pride and one that helps prepare them for success as they move forward in life.”
Russell, 34, was a member of the inaugural HarbourCats team and the outfielder was selected to play in the WCL all-star game in 2013. He also played summer collegiate baseball in Moose Jaw, and played collegiately at Colby Community College, Southern Polytechnic State, and MacPherson College.
Russell won conference awards as a player at Colby and MacPherson, and still plays in the Mavericks League locally. He represented Victoria in the 2018 Baseball Canada Men’s Nationals on home soil, earning a silver medal.
Russell (left), along with Nick Pivetta (centre) and Connor Russell (no relation)(right) were three of the first HarbourCats players to be signed for the 2013 season (Photo: Christian J. Stewart).
He coached for many years in the Victoria Mariners youth system, and is excited to return to the college level. Pitching Coach Darius Opdam Bak and Assistant Coach Colton O’Brien will return and round out the coaching staff.
Russell will also join Opdam Bak and other WCL HarbourCats coaches in taking an active role with community development initiatives and youth camps.
“This is an exciting announcement for us and we could not be happier to put Austin into the leadership role with the Collegiate Cats as Head Coach,” said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner of the group that owns the Collegiate Cats, the Victoria HarbourCats and Nanaimo NightOwls (West Coast League), and the Edwards Family Training Centre (EFTC) indoor facility.
“Austin is well-known and respected in the baseball world, especially locally, and we know he will put tremendous effort and skill into the role as we continue to grow the Collegiate Cats. He’s excited to get started.”
Kelowna, B.C. – The HarbourCats took on the Kelowna Falcons for the third game a row this afternoon, losing the final matchup by a score of 9-2.
The Falcons were the first side to find purchase on the offensive side in a long third inning. Cats starter Daniel Tovar (Northern Kentucky) allowed a couple of baserunners on a walk and an error, and was swapped out for right-hander Houston Tomlinson (Arkansas State). Kelowna strung together a few singles together on Tomlinson over the course of the inning, taking a 3-0 lead.
The home team followed that up with an uppercut in their next trip to the plate, smashing a three-run homer off of Tomlinson in the fourth to blow the game wide open.
Tate Collins (Arkansas State) took over for the fifth and pitched a clean inning, but was accosted for another scoring trio in the home half of the sixth. A single, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly gave the Falcons a daunting 9-0 lead.
The Cats at last found life in the seventh frame, kicked off by a solo bomb off the bat of Fresno State outfielder Marcus Nolen. Matthew Westley (George Mason) followed that homer up with a fine job of manufacturing a run. The Virginia product drew himself a walk, stole two bases, and advanced all the way home on a wild pitch to continue cutting a chunk out of that mountainous lead.
Carson Ackermann (Tacoma) took to the pitcher’s mound in the seventh and only allowed two baserunners across his two innings of work, but in the end the lead proved insurmountable and the Falcons secured a 9-2 win on home turf.
The HarbourCats will now travel back to Victoria and look to rebound on Tuesday night in the first matchup of a three-game mid-week series versus the Bend Elks.
Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games are now on sale at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. Season tickets, 12-pack and 32-pack game vouchers may also be bought online or by stopping by the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.
GET YOUR ALL-STAR TICKETS BEFORE THEY ARE GONE! Tickets for the 2026 WCL All-Star Home Run Derby (featuring former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar) and the West Coast League All Star Game on July 14-15 are selling fast. Get yours today! Each event is now on sale separately, or grab the package deal for both and save a few bucks at http://harbourcats.com/tickets! Or call the office at 778-265-0327 to order by phone.
Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – Two major events announced with Showpass West Coast League All-Star Game
Victoria HarbourCats – Former HarbourCat Austin Russell, a WCL all-star, hired to coach Collegiate Cats program
Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Drop Third Game of Kelowna Series
Victoria HarbourCats – Two major events announced with Showpass West Coast League All-Star Game
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