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Lefties rebound to take two of three from NorthPaws

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PORT ANGELES, WASH—After beginning the week with a victory, the Kamloops North Paws fell twice to the host Port Angeles Lefties in West Coast League baseball action.    Kamloops won the series opener on Tuesday (July 18) 4-2 in 10 innings.  But the Lefties came back to win the rest of the battle: 4-1 Wednesday (July 19) and 7-2 on Thursday (July 20).

The results leave Kamloops 2-10 in the second half of the season and 9-30 overall. Port Angeles moves to 4-8 in the second half and 12-27 overall.

Port Angeles took five of the six games against Kamloops in the 2023 regular season.

The NorthPaws return home where they will kick off a six-game set of games at Dearborn Ford Field at NorBrock Stadium. Their first opponents will be the Bellingham Bells starting tomorrow (July 21).  Opening pitch is 6:35 PM.  Bellingham is 4-6 in their last 10 outings and have an overall record of 25-15.

The Lefties will take the bus to Kelowna to play three games against the Falcons at Elks Stadium beginning tomorrow (July 21).

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

SERIES RECAP:

Tuesday, July 18, 2023: NorthPaws 4 Lefties 2 (10 innings)

 Former Lefty Casey Wayne (Phoenix, AZ) came back to haunt his old teammates.  He was 1-4 with a run scored and two runs batted in as the NorthPaws held a 2-0 lead after six and a half innings.   Port Angeles scored one in the bottom of both the seventh and eighth innings to send it into extra innings.  Kamloops notched two in the top of the 10th en route to their ninth win of the season.

Wayne drove in the winning and insurance runs on a single after Cooper Neville (Glendale, AZ) had led off the 10th with a single and Joey Baran (Austin, TX) had walked.

Neville was 2-3 with a run batted in and a run scored.

David Leon (Coppell, TX), the fourth of four pitchers earned the win for Kamloops.  He is 3-2 on the year as he went two innings, giving up a run, a hit and had a strike out.   Brock Mayer (Torrance, CA), dropped to 0-4 on the year as he gave up two walks, two runs, struck out two and gave up a hit in three and a third innings.

Port Angeles was led offensively by Chanz Doughty (Lacey, WA) who was 1-4 with a run batted in.  Kole Becker (San Diego, CA) was 0-3 with a run batted in.   Roberto Nunez (Salinas, CA) was 2-3  while Ethan Young (Jefferson, NJ) was 2-4.

Link to Scoresheet:  http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598618

Wednesday, July 19, 2023:  Lefties 4  NorthPaws 1

The only NorthPaw scoring occurred in the top of the sixth inning when Robin Villeneuve (Gatineau, QC)  hit a solo home run-his first of the season.    That broke a scoreless tie.

Port Angeles scored three runs in the bottom half of that inning and added one more in the seventh before 632 fans at Civic Field.

Brock Mayer (Torrance, CA) was 2-3 with two runs batted in for the Lefties. Isiah Waltz (Yucaipa, CA) was 2-2 for two runs batted in and a run scored while Chase Taylor (West Jordan, UT) and Aren Arulaga (Laquinta, CA) were both 1-3 with a run scored.

Villeneuve was 1-3 for Kamloops.   Gabe Mestas (Durango, CA) was 1-4 while Phoenix Sommay  (Temecula, CA) was 1-3.  

Mclain Roberts (Auckland, NZ) went six innings to take the loss. He is 1-6 on the year.  In this game he gave up three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and walked five.    Kassin Matson (Bothell, WA) went seven innings for his first win of the year in his first appearance.   He surrendered two hits, walked two and struck out six.  Kole Acker (Port Angeles, WA) came on in relief for his first save pitching an inning, striking out two and walking one.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598619

Thursday, July 20, 2023:Lefties 7 NorthPaws 2

Kamloops opened the scoring in the fourth inning when Baran walked and scored on a balk charged to Port Angeles starter Jake Cumming (Reno, NV).   Cumming wound up as the winning pitcher going five innings for his first win of the year.  He fanned eight while giving up four walks and two hits.   He was the first of four Lefties pitchers.

Alexis Gravel (Repentigny, QC) was the losing pitcher in his second start of the summer.  He falls to 0-1.  Gravel pitched four innings of six hit ball surrendering five runs, walking four and striking out five.  Those five runs came in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Lefties took the lead.  They added single runs in the sixth and eighth as they had 10 hits and one error in the ball game.

Kamloops got their other run in the top of the ninth when Sommay  made it to first on an error and scored on a wild pitch.

Offensively for Port Angeles:  Walz was 1-4 with two runs batted in and a run scored.  Nunez was 21-3 with a run scored and an run batted in.  Chaz Doughty (Lacey, WA) was 2-3 with two runs scored.

For Kamloops: Tyler Glowacki (San Diego, CA) was 2-5.  Drew Giannini (Tracy, CA) was 1-4.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598620

NEXT UP FOR THE NORTHPAWS:

The six game homestand for the Paws begins tomorrow (July 21) with an appearance by the Bellingham Bells .  These two teams met in Washington State earlier this month: Bellingham is 4-8 in the second half of the West Coast League season and are coming off a 5-4 win on Wednesday (July 19) over Cowlitz.

PLAYERS TO WATCH ON BELLINGHAM:

1.      Andrew Valee (Visalia, CA): attends Fresno Pacific University. He leads the team in home runs (3) and RBI (21).

2.      Will Armbruester (Sammanish, WA) of Arizona State University has the most wins on the Bells pitching staff with four.

3.      Daniel Paret (Miami Lakes, FLA) attends Stetson University and has a team leading 39 strikeouts among the pitchers

4.      Anthony Kodama (Mill Creek, WA) attends Edmonds Community College.  He has the top batting average on the Bells with .311.  That is 18 th best in the WCL.

5.      Matt Molina (Alice, TX), of Texas A.U. Corpus Christi has the best earned run average among the Bellingham pitchers at 0.00

Friday’s (July 21) contest will be ‘Country Night’.

Following the visit by Bellingham, 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.

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).

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

Pitching Coach Gorm hits a HUGE milestone

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The Nanaimo NightOwls will be using the 2026 season to celebrate Gorm Heimueller — the esteemed pitching coach, one of the best to ever do it in baseball!  The 70-year-old marks a half-century in the game when he suits up in his fifth summer in the West Coast League with the Nanaimo NightOwls.

“First — thank you, Nanaimo,” said Heimueller.  “I’m very grateful to the Nanaimo NightOwls organization for allowing me to come back as pitching coach in 2026. This will be my 50th year since I signed my first pro contract, but I’ve been very fortunate and blessed to be involved in this game that I’ve loved for more than 60 years.  I’m looking forward to working with Jim, Tina, Anthony, and Cody in putting together an exciting and competitive team on the field for our amazing Nanaimo fans!”

Coach Gorm will tuck his golf clubs away in May — he recorded his second career ace recently — so he can do what he loves most, and that’s working with young pitchers.

“We are going to celebrate Gorm in 2026 — our players, our coaches, our staff could not have more admiration for him as a coach and as a human being,” said Jim Swanson, managing partner of the NightOwls, in announcing Heimueller and wife Lee Ann will return to Nanaimo in 2026 to work with Head Coach Cody Andreychuk and assistant Anthony Houk.

“Players love the man, they hang on his every word. Coaches send us pitchers specifically to get to work with him. He’s a gentleman, he relates well to everyone, and he tells the best stories. We have an absolute legend of the game in Nanaimo as the only pitching coach the NightOwls have ever known — and he’s a mentor to so many, in so many ways.

“Gorm has more than earned the opportunity to be celebrated for all he’s done for the game. I’m biased because he’s become a good friend, but he should be in the Hall of Fame.”

The NightOwls are unveiling a special “GORM50” logo that will be ever-present during the 2026 season — from players shirts, to merchandise. There is also a book being written on his stories and exploits, co-written by Swanson and fellow NightOwls owner Helen Edwards — both have authored books in their careers.

Heimueller, a Los Angeles native, who has World Series rings from coaching in the Twins and Phillies systems, started his baseball career as a lefty pitcher at Cal Poly — with a guy named Ozzie Smith as his shortstop.

Heimueller spent 10 years as a professional pitcher, throwing strikes around the globe (Venezuela, Australia, Canada, USA), and spent two years as mostly a starting pitcher with the Oakland A’s (1983-84), a team which featured Rickey Henderson in his prime. As legend has it, the manager at his first MLB spring training was Frank Robinson, with Billy Martin the manager at his second camp, and his first MLB strikeout victim was Cal Ripken Jr. He transitioned directly from playing to coaching in the minors and held pitching coordinator positions later in his pro tenure, including the San Diego Padres until 2020.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – ALL-STAR GAME PACKAGES ARE DAYS AWAY — BE READY!

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THIS IS A SPECIAL note for all HarbourCats season ticket holders to get their seats set up next week to be in line for the 2026 All-Star Game festival packages, July 14-15, 2025 – full details soon to be released.

Individual Season Ticket Members who have fully renewed or have initiated a payment plan for their 2026 seats, will have first dibs on securing their seats for the All-Star festivities via a special pre-sale window.

We will also offer this pre-sale window to anyone who has purchased a Season Ticket Equivalent Flex Pack (32-Game Flex Pack).

If you are a 2025 HOST FAMILY, please let us know as soon as possible if you intend to return as a host for 2026 and we will save your seats AND you will also be eligible for the pre-sale window for the All-Star activities.

If your season seats are part of a CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP deal, again please let us know as soon as possible that you will be renewing that sponsorship for 2026 (contact your sales rep) and we will save your seats AND you will also be eligible for the pre-sale window for the All-Star activities.

Once the pre-sale window has passed, any unclaimed Season Ticket seats  (for All-Star festivities only) will be released and we will open up sales to the general public.

**IF YOU ARE a traditional 10/12-pack holder, now is the time to trade up for Season Tickets or a 32-Pack Season Ticket Voucher Equivalent to get All-Star Game privileges!

Contact GM Christian Stewart at the HarbourCats office (778-265-0327 or chris@harbourcats.com) to make arrangements!

The excitement around baseball and the 2026 season has hit new heights!

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 – 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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