Summer Collegiate
NorthPaws have “Bell” rung in Bellingham





Published
2 years agoon


Author: Larry Read
BELLINGHAM, WA—The Kamloops NorthPaws might not have earned any points but they did earn some respect as they dropped a three game set to one of the top teams in the West Coast League: the Bellingham Bells.
Capping off the series on Thursday (July 6), the NorthPaws held a 5-0 lead before falling 7-5 to the Bells.
Kamloops falls to 7-23 on the year while Bellingham moves to 20-7.
Other scores in the series had the Bells winning 5-1 on Tuesday (July 4) and 2-0 on Wednesday (July 5).
Bellingham was led in the series by Canadian Yohann Desseureault. The resident of Trois Rivieres, Quebec went four for eleven with four runs scored and four runs batted in.
The win Thursday moved Bellingham atop of the WCL North Division. They are a game ahead of the second place Wenatchee AppleSox. The AppleSox, who are the next opponents for the NorthPaws starting tomorrow (Friday, July 7) fell 3-2 to Port Angeles on Thursday. The AppleSox have lost their last two starts.
The Paws and Wenatchee will be playing the next three games against each other at s Paul Thomas Senior Field . The Bells are also on the road on Friday as they meet the Raptors in Ridgefield.
All West Coast League games are available via their website: https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/
SERIES RECAP:
Tuesday, July 4, 2023: Bellingham 5 Kamloops 1
3,299 people spent Independence Day at Joe Martin Field where they saw their home team win their 18th game of the season. Bellingham took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second and added three more in the bottom of the third and one in the sixth—all off NorthPaws stater Tyrelle Chadwick (Kamloops, BC). Chadwick was playing his last game with the Paws before returning to Illinois State University. He went five and two thirds’ innings striking out three and walking two. Chadwick was 0-4 this summer in five starts.
Daniel Paret (Miami Lakes, FLA) went to 2-0 on the year pitching four innings of two hit ball with nine strike outs.
Offensively, Ty Saunders (Anacortes, WA) was two for three with three runs batted in. Dessureault went two for four with two runs scored and a run batted in. Colton Bower (Poulsbo, WA) was one for three with a run scored.
Kamloops saw Gabe Mestas (Durango, CA) go two for four with a run scored. Cooper Neville (Glendale, AZ) went one for four with a run batted in. Drew Giannini (Tracy CA) was one for four with a run scored.
Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=596802
Wednesday July 5, 2023:Bellingham 2 Kamloops 0
The NorthPaws stuck with the Bells until the fifth inning when Nate Kirkpatrick (Surrey, BC) led off the inning hitting a single off reliever Liam Reynolds (Trumansburg, NY). Kirkpatrick was the first batter Reynolds faced after replacing starter Griffin Almond (Thornbury, ON).
Kirkpatrick later scored on a single by Anthony Kodama (Mill Creek, WA). Kirkpatrick was 1 for three with a run scored in the game. Kodama was one for two with a run batted in and a run scored. He was brought home by the next batter-Dessureault. He was one for three with a run batted in.
Reynolds was tagged with the loss and is 0-1 in eight appearances this season. He pitched three innings giving up the two runs and striking out two.
For Kamloops: Joey Baran (Austin, TX) was two for four. Nevillle was one for three while Robin Villeneuve (Gatineau, QC) was one for two.
Trevor Moore (Golden, CO), the second of four Bellingham pitchers got the win. He is 1-0 on the year as he pitched three innings giving up one hit, striking out three and walking four
Kamloops outhit Bellingham 6 -5 but left 10 runners on base.
Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=596803
Thursday, July 6, 2023: Bellingham 7 Kamloops 5
The NorthPaws jumped out to a 5-0 lead scoring all their runs in the top of the third inning. That would account for all their offense as the Bells scored seven consecutive runs. They cut the deficit to 5-2 after four innings and added three in the bottom of the sixth along with single runs in the seventh and eighth.
Bellingham outhit Kamloops 9-4 and committed four errors to the NorthPaws one.
Two Canadian players did the most offensive damage for Bellingham. St Albert, Alberta’s Max Hartman was two for four with a triple and a home run. He had two runs batted in. Dessaurault of Trois Rivieres, Quebec was one for four with a run scored and an RBI. His one hit was a triple.
Coleman Schmidt (Reno, NV) was two for four. He scored twice and had a run batted in.
Kamloops was led offensively by Mestas . He was one for three with two runs batted in and a stolen base. Phoenix Sonmay was one for three with a run scored while Neville was one for four with a run scored.
Treven Hope notched the win for the Bells. The Blaine, Washington resident went three innings giving up two walks and a hit. It as his first win in three starts. Gianluca Shinn (Menlo Park, CA) earned his first save striking out a single batter in one inning of work. He has made five appearances on the mound this year.
Noah Loew (Chelan, WA) suffered his first loss in six appearances. On in relief, he went an inning and a third giving up a run, a hit and a walk. Hayden Walker (Albuquerque, NM) got the start for Kamloops and went five and two thirds innings, giving up five runs on seven hits with a walk and two strike outs.
Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=596804
NEXT UP FOR THE NORTHPAWS:
As mentioned, the Paws are in Wenatchee against the Apple Sox for three games beginning tomorrow.
Their next home series will be Tuesday July 11th when the Edmonton RiverHawks come to town. Opening pitch that night along with Wednesday and Thursday July 12-13 will be 6:35 PM. Kamloops then has a four day break.
PLAYERS TO WATCH ON THE RIVERHAWKS:
KJ Ward – RHP – Park University Gilbert
Jonny McGill – OF – University of British Columbia
Jack Wheatley – MIF – Liberty University
Kelly Corl – MIF – Niagara University.
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 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.
Featured Image Credit: Makayla Sparks
You may like
Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – Chase makes eight! Meidroth recalled by Chicago





Published
2 weeks agoon
April 11, 2025

For immediate release
April 11, 2025
VICTORIA, B.C. — In 10 seasons of play, it’s now eight Major League Baseball players produced — not too shabby.
The Victoria HarbourCats are proud to announce that the Chicago White Sox have recalled infielder Chase Meidroth, and he will make his MLB debut at second base tonight against the team that drafted him, the Boston Red Sox.
Meidroth was placed with the HarbourCats in 2019 by Head Coach Rich Hill, then at the University of San Diego (now at Hawaii), and starred for the Cats at Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP under HarbourCats Head Coach Todd Haney, himself a former MLB player.
Meidroth joins Nick Pivetta (Philadelphia/Boston/San Diego), Andrew Vaughn (Chicago White Sox), Alex DeGoti (Houston), Nathan Lukes (Toronto), Cade Smith (Cleveland), Davis Wendzel (Texas) and Jack Neely (Chicago Cubs) as MLB players who have come through the Victoria program.
That Pivetta was the first HarbourCat in the majors was pure poetry — he threw the first pitch in HarbourCats history in 2013, and is a Victoria product and former PBL Victoria Eagles pitcher.
With Vaughn and Meidroth together, this will be the first time two HarbourCats have been on the same team at the MLB level — and they may even bat next to each other in the lineup over the coming days.
With the HarbourCats, Meidroth was a star defensively at shortstop, and was near impossible to keep off the bases — he hit a whopping .424, a .494 on-base percentage, with four doubles, a triple, two home runs, 13 RBIs and eight stolen bases. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB draft after his junior season at USD.
Meidroth is just 23, with a whole career ahead of him. He’s considered an excellent contact hitter with MLB power potential, and had a big year at AAA in the Boston system last year before being a key part of a major trade between the two Sox teams. He’s hit 38 home runs across all levels, batting .304 with 54 stolen bases.
“Chase was tremendous for us — so strong at short, and an impact bat in helping that 2019 team reach the WCL final,” said Jim Swanson of the HarbourCats. “We are so proud of him — and all our players who go pro, and of course the eight now who have made it to the MLB level.”
Vaughn is the top bat with the White Sox after being the third-overall MLB draft pick in 2019, fast-tracked to the MLB level. Smith, Wendzel (now at AAA in the Reds organization) and Neely made their MLB debuts in 2024, and Lukes, the 2014 HarbourCats player of the year, is fast becoming a regular in the outfield with the Blue Jays. DeGoti saw time with the Astros during the covid season and is now at AAA in the Rangers organization.
The HarbourCats open their 2025 home schedule on Friday, June 6, with the Port Angeles Lefties visiting Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP. 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.
Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – Finn returns, two Tide guys sign, and three Horned Frogs





Published
2 weeks agoon
April 10, 2025

For immediate release
April 10, 2025
VICTORIA, B.C. — There may not be a better team nickname in all of sports than that of TCU — The Horned Frogs. And three of those Horned Frogs will be with the Victoria HarbourCats this summer.
Catcher Jacob Silva and pitchers Andrew Carter and Thomas Bridges have been added to head coach Todd Haney’s roster for this summer, which the HarbourCats will start on the road in Kelowna on May 30 — less than two months away. TCU provided right-hander Carson Cormier, a WCL all-star and Pitcher of the Year, to the HarbourCats in 2024.
The home opener is June 6 with the Port Angeles Lefties at Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP.
“It’s always good to add top young talent from a great program like TCU, which sees the value in the competition we get to face in the West Coast League on a daily basis,” said Haney, the 2023 WCL coach of the year, now in his fifth season as head coach of the HarbourCats.
Also added today are local pitcher Jack Finn, in his third season with the HarbourCats, and Victoria Golden Tide outfielder Dominic Biello, who is having a breakout season with the CCBC program in Victoria. Righty Jalen Sami, who was a valuable asset of
out the bullpen before starting a playoff game for Victoria in 2024, also returns.
“Having Jack Finn return with the strides he’s made at the D1 level, will be great for the staff as well,” said Haney. “He really enjoys working with our pitching coach, Scott Anderson.”
Announced today:
- LHP Jack Finn, Illinois State, 6-2/185, L/L, Victoria
- OF Dominic Biello, Victoria Golden Tide, 6-0/200, R/R, Victoria
- RHP Jalen Sami, Victoria Golden Tide, 5-10/170, R/R, Burnaby
- RHP Andrew Carter, TCU, 6-2/192, R/R, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
- RHP Tommy Bridges, TCU, 5-11/190, R/R, Los Angeles
- C Jacob Silva, TCU, 5-10/203, S/R, San Antonio, TX
Finn, a product of the Victoria Eagles, had an impressive showing for the HarbourCats late in the 2023 season, before heading to Normal, Illinois and Illinois State. The sophomore is used as a lefty out of the pen by head coach Steve Holm, but started seven games among his nine appearances in summer of 2024 in Victoria, going 0-2 with a 3.96 ERA — 16 strikeouts and 23 hits allowed in 25 innings.
Biello, who attends UVic, is tied for the Tide team lead in home runs with two this spring, batting .318, with a team-high nine runs batted in, along with three doubles. An Eagles product, Biello is a leader for the Tide, usually batting second in the order — also a strong defender in the outfield.
Sami, from Burnaby, took the winter off to rest, rehab and strengthen his pitching arm but will be ready by late May. He made nine appearances for the HarbourCats in 2024, giving up just 10 hits in 16.1 innings, walking only two hitters.
Silva hit .375 in his high school career before joining his older brother Anthony at TCU. Jacob was a stellar student-athlete at Clark HS, recognized for his academics and named a unanimous all-district player. He won the Texas 6A Student Athlete Award in 2024.
Carter had three no-hitters in high school and was first-team all-conference in his last two years of prep baseball. He is a freshman at TCU, as is Bridges, who had a record 0.59 ERA in high school, earning an invite to the Perfect Game national showcase.
The HarbourCats open their 2025 home schedule on Friday, June 6, with the Port Angeles Lefties visiting Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP. 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.
Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – Little League Classic coming to RAP, ahead of nationals at Layritz





Published
3 weeks agoon
April 8, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2025
VICTORIA, B.C. — It’s a first for the best baseball park in Victoria, and a way to celebrate a major event coming to Layritz Park in late July.
With Layritz due to host the Canadian Little League Championship starting on July 29 — the winner advances to Williamsport, PA, and represents team Canada for the Little League World Series — the Victoria HarbourCats, and the HarbourCats Foundation, are hosting the LITTLE LEAGUE CLASSIC at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park.
On Sunday, July 20, all six Little League organizations in the Victoria area will be represented as a preview of the Canadian Little League Championship, which will start at Layritz on July 29 — an event supported by the HarbourCats Foundation through the Victoria Foundation.
“This is something we have never tried, and we can’t wait to see the faces of these young athletes when they are on that field, with their pictures up on the video scoreboard,” said Jim Swanson of the HarbourCats. “We think this is something that could grow in future years to see Wilson’s Group Stadium used for an entire youth baseball showcase weekend — the same as we are using the Emery Electric Fastpitch Showcase on May 31, featuring the Sooke Loggers and Lacey A’s, to bring attention to that area of diamond sports.
“We could not be more excited to see what Layritz is doing in hosting the Canadian Little League Championship. There is no more pure level of sport than events like that, the pure joy of the young stars, and all who support them.”
Little League Classic schedule of events:
Sunday, July 20 2025 Little League Classic
Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP
- 11am, Hampton vs. Central Saanich
- 1pm, National vs. Lakehill
- 3pm, Layritz vs. Beacon Hill
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the HarbourCats Foundation to bring the Little League Classic to Royal Athletic Park,” said Brittney Crump, Chair of the Canadian Little League Championships Planning Committee. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talent of our little league athletes in Victoria and build excitement for the Canadian Little League Championship at Layritz. We are grateful for the support we have received to date from the local community – but we have not reached our fundraising goal yet. Community support is vital to the success of these events, and we’re proud to stand together with the HarbourCats Foundation in making this experience possible for these young athletes.”
Tickets are available on-line for the Little League Classic, and are by donation for adults, with a minimum donation of $5 required. Kids 12 and under are free! These great events need financial support to be able to pull them off, and the HarbourCats and HarbourCats Foundation are proud to be part of that effort.
Anyone wishing to learn more or to support the national tournament can visit the tournament website at https://layritz.ca/tournaments/2025-canadian-championship/ or e-mail Brittany Crump at media@layritz.ca.
The HarbourCats open their 2025 home schedule on Friday, June 6, with the Port Angeles Lefties visiting Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP. Season Tickets, 10 and 32-Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are now on sale for all 33 home games and three “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats new and one-and-only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at harbourcats.com/tickets.
Tickets can also be purchased in person at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street or by calling 778-265-0327.


Victoria HarbourCats – Chase makes eight! Meidroth recalled by Chicago


Victoria HarbourCats – Finn returns, two Tide guys sign, and three Horned Frogs


You must be logged in to post a comment Login