Summer Collegiate

Highly Touted Zaborowski Brings Unique Quality to NorthPaws

Published

4 years ago

February 25, 2021

Dugout Wire Service

The Kamloops NorthPaws may have added the most uniquely talented player in the West Coast League.

Ryland Zaborowski is a 6’5” freshman corner infielder at NCAA Division I Grand Canyon University (GCU), and his connection to head coach Cole Armstrong will bring him north for the summer to suit up for the Kamloops NorthPaws.

Zaborowski played under Armstrong’s tutelage last summer in the Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League, alongside a handful of his future NorthPaws teammates.

“Right away we both just clicked. We talked about hitting non-stop, before and after the game, what we need to work on, what can we improve on, and I just got really close with him,” Zaborowski said. “That’s one of the big reasons I want to play in Canada. Cole is going to be there, and I really trust him as a coach that he’s going to make me a better player and he’s going to make it the best experience for me.”

Zaborowski will bring a highly touted skillset to Norbrock Stadium.

He was ranked by Perfect Game as the top freshman ahead of the NCAA’s Western Athletic Conference 2021 season, and he was also listed as one of the top prospects to watch for the 2023 MLB Draft.

“He hits the ball a country mile and won’t have high strikeouts either. He has a rare combo of power and plate discipline which everybody looks for in a player,” Armstrong said. “He has a tireless work ethic. He will bust as hard on a ground ball to short as on a double to the gap. His ability and desire to be a good player will serve him really well and people in Kamloops will really love to watch him play.”

In addition to his high ranking heading into his collegiate debut, Zaborowski posted impressive numbers in high school. He had a .444 average throughout his high school career, including putting up a 16-for-22 streak for a .727 batting average with four doubles and four home runs to open the shortened 2020 season.

“My goal is just to go out and have fun. Winning or losing, my goal is just to go out and put a smile on your face and enjoy that I’m playing out there with my friends,” Zaborowski said. “I try to represent my game after Mike Trout, staying humble, having a lot of fun, going out there playing hard, hustling everywhere I go, hitting the ball hard, running down balls and just making all the plays consistently.”

Photo Credit: GCU Athletics

Zaborowski is also a very unique player. He was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder as a child.

Upon signing his letter of intent to play at GCU, he became one of the first high school seniors diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder to sign a Division I letter of intent for a team sport, possibly the first player to do so in baseball.

He will also likely become the first player living with Autism Spectrum Disorder to suit up in the West Coast League.

“Being one of the only ones with Autism playing Division I baseball, it’s a real cool feeling because it’s another way for parents that have children that have Autism that there is hope for their future and just to never give up on their kids,” he said. “It hasn’t affected me at all on the field. Once I’m on the field, people will even say I had no clue you had Autism or a learning disability. When I’m on the baseball field, it’s hard to notice it, but in social interactions there will be times when I can’t process what others are explaining but that’s okay.”

The NorthPaws have also signed left-handed pitcher Connor Markl from GCU. Markl and Zaborowski will join teammates Ty Siffermann and Tyler Wilson as the quartet of GCU players on the NorthPaws inaugural roster.

“GCU is an emerging program on the west coast and I’m very excited for our fans in Kamloops to see the type of players that program is recruiting and developing,” Armstrong said.

Markl features a nasty low to mid-90s sinker, a change-up and a swing and miss type breaking ball.

“His movement creates a really uncomfortable at bat, especially on left-handed hitters,” Armstrong said. “He’s the type of guy who can go out there a no-hit a team when his command is clicking. Depending on his workload at GCU, I hope to see him in the front of our rotation this summer.”

Photo Credit: GCU Athletics

The Kamloops NorthPaws are an expansion West Coast League franchise bringing the highest calibre baseball Canada’s Tournament Capital has ever seen. The West Coast League, founded in 2005, has 15 teams across Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alberta featuring some of the top collegiate players during a 54-game summer season. Find the NorthPaws online at www.northpawsbaseball.ca, @northpawsbaseball on Instagram and Facebook, or @northpawsbb on Twitter.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Lefties take game one in resounding fashion

Published

8 hours ago

June 7, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

Logan Shepherd celebrates his first home run of the season (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

June 6, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Port Angeles Lefties won their second straight game, spoiling the party on the Victoria HarbourCats home opener, cruising to a 9-3 win.

The HarbourCats got off to a great start when Logan Shepherd (Tacoma CC) hit a 109 MPH laser over the left field wall for a two-run home run, giving his team an early 2-0 lead. The designated hitter went two for four tonight, adding a single in the eighth.

Jack Finn (Illinois State) started for the hosts and looked good through his first two innings of work. The Victoria native added velocity to his fastball, sitting high 80’s and touching 90 MPH tonight. That is up from last season, where he pitched 25 innings for the Cats, posting a 3.96 ERA. Finn struck out four, walked three, and gave up two earned runs on four hits in 2-2/3 innings of work.

BOX SCORE

Eric Valdiva tied the game in the third inning with a two-out, two-run double to deep left-centre field. He came home after a Jack Johnson throwing error allowed him to score, giving the Lefties a 3-2 lead.

Jake Cumming pitched four innings out of the bullpen for Port Angeles and was utterly dominant. He gave up zero runs on zero hits while striking out seven batters. His fastball sat mid-90s, which he paired with a wipeout slider that the HarbourCats hitters had no answer for.

Xander McAfee has four hits in his first four games (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

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Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina) ate up meaningful innings out of the bullpen and was efficient in doing so. He threw 4-1/3 innings in just 50 pitches, loading up the zone using his entire repertoire. The freshman gave up two runs on five hits.

Jalen Sami (Golden Tide) pitched the eighth inning, giving up two runs on two hits while striking out one. John Ondus (Niagara) pitched the ninth and didn’t fare much better, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out three.

Jack Johnson (Baylor) continued his hot start to the season, crushing a hanging breaking ball over the left field fence for a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth.

WCL STANDINGS

Debutant Connor Ross (Cal Baptist) played third base and recorded his first HarbourCats hit, going one for four.

The two teams are back at it tomorrow at 6:35 PM for the first of four FIREWORKS nights! Gates open early at 5:00 PM. Get tickets at harbourcats.com/tickets

Missed the game? Catch HarbourCats in 30 airing at 10:30 PM after every home game all season long on CHEK TV.

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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Summer Collegiate

A wild first inning proves to be enough as the NorthPaws avoid the sweep in Bellingham

Published

1 day ago

June 6, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

The Kamloops NorthPaws avoided the sweep in Bellingham and defeated the Bells 6-2 on Thursday night. The NorthPaws scored all six of their runs in the first inning and held the fort down, shutting down the Bell’s offence and only giving up five hits.

Bellingham would turn to highly touted South Dakota right-handed pitcher Jackson Dial, who will be attending Washington State in the fall. The first NorthPaw he faced was center fielder Ethan Kodama, who saw three straight balls before getting hit by the next pitch. Dial would strikeout left fielder Cade Palkowski, walk third baseman Kieran Gaffney, strikeout right fielder Kalen Applefield and hit catcher Brendan Burke, loading the bases with two outs.

With first baseman Joe Gagnon at the plate, Dial would throw a wild pitch, allowing Kodama to score the first run of the game. Gagnon would later draw a walk, reloading the bases. Second baseman Joey Marino was next up, and Dial would plunk him, bringing in another run.

The nightmare wasn’t over yet for Dial as he issued his third walk of the inning to shortstop Anthony Setticassi. Designated hitter Dylan Dekker was making his debut at the plate and sent a line drive down the first base line, driving in two runs and making it 5-0.

Dial was pulled after only two-thirds of an inning. Kodama was back at bat with Dekker on first and Setticassi on third. Before Kodama saw a pitch, Dekker took off for second while Setticassi ran home. Dekker sacrificed himself, ending the inning but allowing the sixth run to score.

Kamloops sent out righty Owen Fernandes on the mound to make his second start of the season. The Bells would get a run back via a sacrifice fly at the bottom of the first. In the third, a leadoff triple set up the Bells to capitalize on yet another sacrifice fly to make it a four-run ballgame.

Fernandes would throw four strong innings, giving up only one earned run while striking out two batters. Righty Jayson Tamayo was the first call out of the bullpen and walked the first to hitters he faced. A flyout and an infield hit loaded the bases with one out as the Bells were all of a sudden within striking distance. Tamayo got a clutch strikeout and a groundout to leave the bases loaded and preserve the four-run lead.

“If they convert there, it’s a different game. He made big pitches when he had to, and that definitely helped us lock up the game,” said Pitching Coach Jack Slominski.

Rightys Daxton Vanderkooi, Lukas Dykstra and Cade Webber each came into the game and pitched clean innings giving up three combined hits all while not walking a single batter. Webber struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth, securing the win.

In game two, the NorthPaws scored first, but mistakes on the mound cost them; tonight, the NorthPaws flipped the script on the Bells.

“The last two nights, we were behind the eight ball for most of the game, so it was nice to get a big lead early; I think it helped everyone settle down,” said Head Coach Reily Jepson.

The six-game road trip is over, and with the win, the NorthPaws head back to Kamloops with a 4-2 record.

“It’s been a tough stretch playing six games on the road in two separate trips, but it will be nice to get back home and play in front of our fans,” said Jepson.

Next up for the NorthPaws, a weekend home-and-home series against the Kelowna Falcons, with games at Norbrock Stadium on Friday night and Sunday afternoon.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Riverhawks complete sweep of Cats with 7-1 win

Published

1 day ago

June 6, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

June 5, 2025

For immediate release

EDMONTON, A.B. – The Edmonton Riverhawks remain perfect on the season, winning their third straight and sweeping the HarbourCats with a 7-1 win Thursday night.

Robert Sanford (Paris JC) started for the Cats and was solid early until he ran into trouble in the third inning. A pair of two-out walks and a single loaded the bases, signalling the end of the sophomore’s night. Dustin Davidson (Brookhaven) was given the task of getting out of the jam but failed to do so, throwing a wild pitch allowing a run to score, then surrendering a three-run home run to Jason Green to give the hosts a 4-0 lead.

BOX SCORE

Oliver Mabee (Nebraska Omaha) made his Cats debut pitching the fifth, however, it was not a debut to remember as he gave up a towering two-run double to the returning Trent Lenihan to extend the Hawks’ advantage to 6-0.

The visitors had a chance to cut into the deficit in the seventh inning by loading the bases, however, they could only tack on one run through a Bobby Filler Jr. (Niagara) bases-loaded walk.

WCL STANDINGS

Dillon Dibrell (Central Oklahoma) pitched a scoreless sixth inning, striking out one batter, and Ethan McNish-Heider (Niagara) completed the final two innings, giving up one run on zero hits, walking four, and striking out three.

Victoria was held to just three hits tonight and was outscored 29-5 in total over the three-game series. They will need to hit their stride quickly as they welcome the Port Angeles Lefties to Victoria for a three-game set.

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Tomorrow is the HarbourCats’ home opener! First pitch is at 6:35 PM against the Port Angeles Lefties. Saturday, June 7th, is our first of four FIREWORKS nights of the season! Don’t miss out! Grab tickets at harbourcats.com/tickets.

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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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