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NorthPaws Pickled in Portland – Kamloops NorthPaws

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Author: Larry Read

PORTLAND, ORE—The Portland Pickles successfully swept their 2023 West Coast League season series with the Kamloops NorthPaws.  Playing three games at Walker Stadium, the host Pickles took the NorthPaws in straight contests.  They won the season series 6-0.

The scores in this set were 4-2, 15-2 and 5-2.

Portland moves to 12-6 on the year and sit a game and a half out of first place in the WCL South Division while the NorthPaws remain in the basement of the WCL North Division at 5-19.

Kamloops winds up their longest road trip of the season tomorrow (June 30) when they play the Falcons at Elks Stadium in Kelowna.  The Pickles open up a three-game set in Yakima Valley against the Pippins.

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

SERIES RECAP:

Tuesday, June 27,2023: Pickles 4 NorthPaws 2

The NorthPaws scored both their runs in the fourth inning while Portland had singles in the first, fourth, fifth and seventh.

Tyrelle Chadwick (Kamloops, BC) started on the hill for Kamloops and went five innings. He suffered his third loss of the season. Chadwick gave up six hits, three runs, walked two and struck out two.

Max Fraser (Camas, WA) was the second of five Portland pitchers and earned his first win.  He went two and a thirds giving up two runs, a hit, three walks and struck out five.  Morris Austin (Keller, TX) came on in the ninth and struck out two for his third save of the year.

Offensively, Kamloops had three players going 1-4:  Cooper Neville (Glendale, AZ), Jude Hall (Chilliwack, BC) and Tommy Green (Courtenay, BC). Green and Neville had RBI.  For Neville, he has 13 on the year.  Hall’s performance at the dish raised his batting average to .269.

Armando Briserio (Fontana, CA) drove in two runs despite going 0-2. Jack Metcho (Fairfield, CA) was 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored. His average moved to .328.

Link to Scoresheet:  http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598543

Wednesday, June 28, 2023: Pickles 15 NorthPaws 2

 One bad inning sunk the NorthPaws again. Kamloops scored both their runs in the sixth inning.  At the time, they trailed in the game 4-0.  The Pickles exploded for 10 runs in a sixth inning where they had four hits.  Blake Hiraki (Mililani, HI) leading the way with a home run.

Xaige Lancaster (Hilo, HI) hit a three-run shot in the third inning and went 2-4 with five runs batted in.  He also scored two runs to lead the Pickles attack.   Metcho was 2-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. While Hiracki was 1-3, with three RBI and two runs scored.

Nathan Grey (Queen Park, AZ) and Hall were each 1-4 with a run scored.  Neville and Green were both0-4 with a run batted in.  

Jacob Bresnahan (Sumner, WA) went two and two thirds’ innings for his first win of the year for Portland.  He gave up two hits, two runs, walked two and struck out two.   Griffin Almond (Thornby, ON) saw his record fall to 2-2 as he went five innings. He surrendered four runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598544

Thursday, June 29, 2023-Pickles 5 NorthPaws 2

For the second straight night, their performance in a single inning cost Kamloops. This time it was the eighth inning.  Kamloops led 2-1 until that point when the Pickles scored four runs which sent over 28 hundred fans home happy.

Three of those four runs came off the bat of right fielder Jessie Pierce (Las Vegas, NV).  He blasted a home run to raise his batting average to .333 on the year.  Pierce led Portland offensively going 2-3 with three runs batted in and two runs scored.    Evan Cloyd (Bakersville, CA) was 1-3 with a run scored and an RBI.

For Kamloops, Hall, Grey and Green were all 2-4.  Green scored a run as well.  Landon Clark (Indianapolis, IN) was the big man at the plate for the NorthPaws going 1-4 with a run batted in.  Neville was 1-4 with a run batted in and a run scored.

Max Jones (Whittier, CA) was the winning pitcher. He collected his first win of the year reliving starter Nathan Shinn (Pleasanton, CA). Shinn went five innings on a four hitter, with two strikeouts and a walk.  Jones gave up two hits in a single inning of work.

Austin notched his second save of the season and fourth of the year as he worked an inning and struck out two.

David Jeon (Coppel, TX) saw his record fall to 0-2.  He worked an inning and two thirds of relief and gave up two hits (including Pierce’s homer).    He relieved starter Hayden Walker (Albuquerque, NM).  He worked six innings of two hit ball, fanning seven and walking three.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598545

NEXT UP FOR THE NORTHPAWS:

The Paws have a three game series with their closest geographical rival, the Kelowna Falcons.  The teams will play tomorrow (June 30) at Elks Stadium in Kelowna.

The two teams will then head north.  In 2022,  Kamloops won five of six meetings between themselves and Kelowna.   The Falcons lone victory came June 18th in Kelowna, where they beat the NorthPaws 8-2.  Tyrelle Chadwick (Kamloops, BC)  was the losing pitcher. On that night, Chadwick pitched three innings, giving up five hits, surrendering four runs (two earned) with a strikeout and six walks.

Kamloops won twice in the Okanagan and swept the Falcons at Dearborn Ford Field . The sweep occurred August 2-4th and included an 18-7 win on the opening night.  Felix Chenier-Rondeau (Blainville, ON) was two for five in that game with six runs batted in

Next home game for the NorthPaws will be Canada Day ( Saturday, July 1) against the Kelowna Falcons The same two teams will do battle on Sunday, July 2nd as well. Opening pitch Canada Day is 6:35 PM.  Sunday’s tilt has a 2:05 PM start time.  There will be Canada Day celebrations at Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium on Saturday. These include a Bouncy Castle, Canadian Food specials, a Molson Tailgate Party and the Dearborn Ford Maverick Contest.

Sunday’s game will be “Family Day” at the park.  Family Day is a presentation of Save On Foods.

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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Victoria HarbourCats – Five HarbourCats earn “All-WCL” accolades

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Pitcher Jeremiah Arnett headlines a list of five HarbourCats who earned “All-WCL” honours in 2026 (Photo: Justin Morash)

August 20, 2026

Victoria, BC – The West Coast League announced their 1st and 2nd “All-WCL” teams and Honourable Mentions today and the HarbourCats are pleased to have five HarbourCats who earned recognition for their stellar play in 2026.

Leading the way were pitchers Jeremiah Arnett (Rice) and Erik Rico (Fresno State), both of whom earned ALL-WCL First Team honours.  Arnett was simply brilliant this year, winning the WCL pitching triple crown with five wins, 66 strikeouts and a 2.15 ERA to headline the first-team pitching selections. Rico was not far behind with 64 strikeouts and a 1.82 ERA. Both were named to the 2026 North Division All-Star team in July and Rico won Pitcher of the Week honours in early July.

All-WCL Second Team honours went to another 2026 All-Star David Krahn (UBC) and to pitcher Davis Lee (Hawaii-Hilo).  Krahn finished the year with a .307 batting average, with 31 RBI and nine home runs, a new HarbourCats single season record.  Lee was quietly impressive on the mound, appearing in 13 games and amassing a record of 3-0 and an ERA of 2.95 with 35 strikeouts in 21.1 innings of work.

Finally, earning Honourable Mention was HarbourCats Designated Hitter Logan Shepherd (Mercer). An All-Star in 2025, Shepherd had another solid season for the ‘Cats in 2026 finishing with a .286 average with four home runs and 26 RBI.  His four home runs put him two shy of the HarbourCats career franchise record.

HarbourCats 2027 Season Tickets and 12 and 24-Game Flex packs will soon be on sale and available for renewal, with single-game tickets anticipated to be on sale in early December once the 2027 schedule is announced. Keep an eye on the HarbourCats website and social media for more information.

HarbourCats merchandise is now available at the office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street or on-line at https://victoria-harbourcats-official.myshopify.com/. Many items, including 2026 All-Star gear, are now on special clearance pricing and need to go to make way for 2027 merchandise.  Don’t miss out and grab your swag today!

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Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats 2026 Year in Review

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Victoria, B.C. – As the sun sets on an unforgettable 2026 HarbourCats season, it’s time to look back on the highlights and special moments of another great summer! From franchise records to the epic highs and lows of summer ball, the 2026 season was one to remember.

This season was abuzz from the very beginning, with the excitement of hosting the 2026 Showpass West Coast League All-Star Festival presented by Canadian Club looming on the horizon. The high expectations for the All-Star festivities as well as the announcement of former Toronto Blue Jay Kevin Pillar participating in the Home Run Derby brought an electric energy to Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park all season long.

Todd Haney returned for another year as head coach of the Cats, joined by Carson Myers, Zach Swanson, Troy Birtwistle, Angelo Loomis, Steve Sinclair, and Darius Opdam Bak to complete a well-rounded coaching staff.

After beginning the season on the road in Portland, the HarbourCats returned to Victoria for six straight games in front of the home crowd and picked up their first series win of the season with a 6-2 win over the Edmonton Riverhawks on June 4. In addition to being an important series decider, June 4 was the first Mayfair Optometric School Spirit Day this summer! The Cats clinched the series win in front of over 3,000 staff and students from schools across Greater Victoria. Another highlight of the opening homestand was the first of our ever-popular fireworks nights, which drew a crowd of nearly 3,000 fans.

As the HarbourCats battled their way through a month of June in which they held an even record of 11-11, certain standouts on the offensive side were beginning to emerge. UBC infielder and first-year HarbourCat David Krahn held a batting average of .353 with 30 hits and 17 RBI in the first full month of the season while crushing six home runs. Fellow infielder Matt Westley had a red-hot June as well, clipping along at a league-leading .374 average with 34 hits. Westley’s summer would unfortunately come to and end soon after this impressive stretch, with an injury sustained while hitting a homer against the Bend Elks cutting his time in Victoria short. Nevertheless, the George Mason product’s season batting average of .356 would remain the second-highest in the WCL until the end of the regular season.

While Victoria showed off a handful of stars at the plate, the real power spot of the team was on the mound. A lethal starting rotation all around was highlighted by Erik Rico and Jeremiah Arnett, a pair of right-handers who would not only both be named All-Stars, but also break the HarbourCats single-season strikeout record. Arnett’s 66 K’s on the season and Rico’s 64 put them at first and second respectively on the WCL leaderboard this year.

As mid-July rolled around in an already exciting season, the biggest event of the summer arrived. The 2026 Showpass West Coast League All-Star Festival presented by Canadian Club brought firepower from across the West Coast League to Victoria for an unforgettable showcase of talent.

The long-anticipated Home Run Derby took place on July 14, with the MLB Home Run Derby X rules bringing an exciting new challenge to the event. After a hard-fought competition, the Team HarbourCats squad comprised of Logan Shepherd, Michael Rodda, and Kevin Pillar won the day, with Shepherd delivering the winner homer to seal the deal.

The 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game took place the very next evening, putting the best talent in the WCL on display in a head-to-head matchup. Three Victoria HarbourCats appeared in the All-Star Game, with Erik Rico named as the starting pitcher for the North Division. Jeremiah Arnett would later enter the game in relief, and David Krahn played the entirety of the contest as an infielder.

These three ballplayers exemplified the qualities of an All-Star in every sense. Fresno State’s Erik Rico was an absolute nightmare for opposing pitchers this season with his aforementioned 64 strikeouts in just nine appearances across 2026, holding onto a 1.82 ERA through the end of the summer. Arnett was a lethal half of the Cats’ one-two punch on the mound, remaining cool as a cucumber no matter the situation and throwing more innings than any other pitcher in the West Coast League.

Finally, David Krahn performed at a superstar level all season. The Langley, B.C. native was as proficient as they come at getting on base, consistently occupying a leadoff spot for most of the season and boasting a .389 on-base percentage while leading the team in home runs. Alongside his offensive production, Krahn provided a crucial energy boost. His infectious enthusiasm and confidence all season long were appreciated by teammates, coaching staff, and fans alike.

As always, the fight for playoff position began to heat up coming out of the all-star break. The Cats put on a show in an explosive sweep of the Nanaimo NightOwls after the break, winning their sixth consecutive Island Cup in the process! After taking game one by a score of 5-2, Victoria lit up Nanaimo for 34 runs in the next two contests to finish off the series, scoring a season-high 18 in game three.

Another sweep against the Port Angeles Lefties at the end of July kept the postseason hopes alive for the HarbourCats, who were in the midst of a four-horse race for a playoff spot. Alas, the offence sputtered in a three-game loss streak to Bellingham, and Victoria fell tantalizingly short of the playoffs.

During the final home series of the season, three HarbourCats were honoured with the 2026 team awards. Jeremiah Arnett was an easy choice for Pitcher of the Year. The right-hander from Waco, Texas dominated on the mound for the Cats this year and was a critical piece of several wins throughout the season. Not only did he lead the league in strikeouts with 66, but he broke the single-season franchise record as well, surpassing the previous high of 62.

Speaking of record-breakers, 2026 HarbourCats Player of the Year David Krahn made history this summer as well. With nine home runs in his 42 games of action, Krahn became the new single-season record holder!

Finally, the Community Involvement Award went to relief pitcher and first-year HarbourCat Flynn Warren. All the way from Levin, New Zealand, Warren was a clutch member of the bullpen squad. The Hawaii Pacific arm made 11 appearances on the mound this year, highlighted by a four-inning scoreless outing to get the win and seal the sweep for Victoria.

Though the summer didn’t end on the highest of notes, the HarbourCats still put together a season to be proud of. Victoria’s showed proficiency at the plate consistently, finishing the season tied for fourth in the WCL in batting average and tied for second in home runs. The performance on the mound this year was also impressive, as the Cats led the West Coast League in strikeouts by a wide margin and allowing the second-least hits of any pitching staff. As is so often the case, the HarbourCats stood out with their trademark aggressive baserunning as Victoria’s 135 stolen bags in 52 games led the league.

With another HarbourCats season in the rear view mirror, we want to thank all of our incredible fans for bringing the energy and support to the ballpark this season. You are what makes HarbourCats baseball possible, and we’ll see you next summer at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park!

If you’re looking for more HarbourCats action, stay tuned to our website and socials! Season tickets as well as 12-game and 32-game flex packs will soon be available for the 2027 season, and we’re excited to see you at the park next year!

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Victoria HarbourCats – Final Game of the Season Cancelled Due to Health Concerns

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Wenatchee, WA – While Wednesday’s matchup between the Victoria HarbourCats and Wenatchee AppleSox was originally intended to be the last HarbourCats action of the 2026 West Coast League season, the game has been cancelled due to unsafe conditions in Wenatchee created by wildfire smoke.

The outcome of the game would have no impact on the playoff seeding of any teams in the North Division, with Wenatchee already clinching the #1 seed and Victoria being eliminated from playoff contention. Ultimately, it was decided that the conditions were unsafe and the game would be cancelled for the safety of players, staff, and fans.

With the Wenatchee series now over, this brings the 2026 HarbourCats season to an end with a record of 26-26. We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our wonderful fans who showed such incredible support and brought an electric energy to HarbourCats baseball this season!

Stay tuned to our website and socials for info on renewing season tickets, as well as 12-pack and 32-pack flex packages for the 2027 season!

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