Summer Collegiate

NorthPaws promote local product Riley Jepson to head coach!

Published

2 years ago

August 6, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

The Kamloops NorthPaws are staying in-house for their next head coach, it was announced today.

Riley Jepson, a Kamloops Minor Baseball product who joined the West Coast League club as its hitting and fielding coach earlier this year, will replace Jose Bautista for the 2025 campaign.

After three seasons with the NorthPaws, Bautista announced today that he is stepping down to spend more time with his family in Florida.
“This is just an amazing opportunity, and I feel truly humbled that the Northpaws have shown this amount of trust and faith in me,” said Jepson, 27, who also suited up for the junior Kamloops Riverdogs before embarking on a collegiate career that took him to the University of the Fraser Valley and the University of Texas at Tyler. “Jose has been a wonderful mentor this season, and I look forward to continuing to help take the Northpaws forward thanks to the foundation that Jose and the management team has put in place.”

Bautista had been with the Northpaws since their inception, spending the first two seasons as the club’s pitching coach before being promoted prior to the 2023 season.
“To the beautiful people of Kamloops and the NorthPaws management, from the bottom of my heart I want to thank you for the opportunity you gave me to be a part of the NorthPaws and the West Coast League.” said Bautista. “As I am leaving a wonderful new head coach is arriving. Riley Jepson is ready and looking forward to the 2025 season. It is with great respect and admiration that I have a special thanks to all the fans, players, press box staff, photographers and management.”

Jepson played three seasons professionally — one in the White Sox system and two and a half seasons in the independent Pioneer League — and has transitioned smoothly into coaching. In addition to his Northpaws duties, he also coaches the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, including current NorthPaws Anthony Setticasi and Tyson Christie. The Cascades claimed the Canadian College World Series title in May in Lethbridge, Alta.
During his professional playing career, Jepson put together a .374 season with 120 hits and 49 RBI with the Great Falls (Mont.) Voyagers in the Pioneer League.
That followed part of a season spent with the Winston-Salam (N.C.) Dash, the High-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, with whom Jepson signed following his collegiate career.

Playing at UFV, Jepson put together a spectacular two seasons — he batted an eye-popping .489 in 2018, which remains a Canadian College Baseball Conference record. He led the league in hitting in both of his seasons, before moving onto the NCAA Division 2 University of Texas at Tyler for two seasons, during which he was the school’s co-Male Athlete of the Year and a second-team all-Lone Star Conference player.

“I feel like we made some significant strides forward as the season went on, and I know we have the pieces in place put a team on the field next season that can be a playoff contender,” said Jepson. “I’m excited for our future, and I’m excited to see how Kamloops baseball fans will respond.”

“I am very excited that the NorthPaws will be part of Riley’s coaching journey. I know that he wants to win and that is extremely important to us. Riley will have full autonomy as he makes his decisions regarding the assistants that he will work with. We’re looking forward to some further exciting announcements,” said Norm Daley, co-owner of the team.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Pummel Bells in 17-6 Victory

Published

1 hour ago

June 27, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria unleashed 11 runs in the sixth inning, paving the way to a resounding win over the top team in the West Coast League. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – A grand slam followed by an 11-run inning led to a robust win over the Bellingham Bells on Friday night, with the Cats claiming a 17-6 win.

BOX SCORE

The Cats looked a little trigger-happy in the first third of the game, only seeing 15 pitches from Bellingham’s starter. This enthusiasm didn’t earn much, with just two HarbourCats reaching base in a quick three innings.

On the other side of the coin, Jeremiah Arnett (Rice) made quick work of the Bells as well, refusing to allow them the luxury of a hit through four innings and earning five strikeouts on the side. Jake Rafferty (Tacoma) took up the torch for the fifth, getting himself into a sticky situation with a couple of wild pitches before finding his way out with a zero on the board.

Jeremiah Arnett allowed zero runs in a four-inning start. (Photo by JPM Photography)

The HarbourCats finally dug their claws in for the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases just in time for David Krahn (UBC). The British Columbia local stepped up to the plate and delivered, utterly pulverizing a ball to left field for an electrifying grand slam, breaking the seal and taking a 4-0 lead for the home side.

Bellingham responded passionately in the next inning, sneaking a run in on a base hit followed by a three-run blast off of Cats reliever Spencer Kratt (San Jose State). Victoria shrugged it off and pulled out all the stops in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of a Bellingham error and finding hits from Lukas Le Gras (Westmont), Bryan Bradshaw (UC San Diego), Rohne Klein (San Jose State) et al to jump out in front of the Bells. By the time the smoke cleared on a long sixth inning, the Cats were suddenly up 15-4. Not too shabby.

Surrey, B.C.’s Marcus Janovsky (UBC) entered the game in the seventh to face a battered and bruised group of Bells, who snuck home on a sloppy relay from the outfield to scratch away at the 11-run lead standing over them.

Unwilling to let up after taking a comfortable lead, the Cats kept their foot on the gas in the bottom of the seventh. Designated hitter Jacob Silva (UTSA) batted in a pair of runs with a one-out single, pushing the score to a humble 17-6 with two innings to go.

Hunter Daniels (Phoenix College) came in from the bullpen to dot the i’s and cross the t’s on a booming victory for the HarbourCats in their first game against the top team in the West Coast League Standings.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats get another crack at the Bells on Saturday night at 6:35 pm, and the series comes to an end with an afternoon game on Sunday.

Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games and the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby 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.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats Silenced by NightOwls in 2-1 Loss

Published

1 day ago

June 26, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Despite out-hitting the NightOwls, two solo homers in the fourth inning was all Nanaimo needed to overpower the visiting Cats. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Nanaimo, B.C. – The Island Rivalry Series came to an end in Nanaimo on Thursday evening, with the Cats offence held quiet in a 2-1 loss to the NightOwls.

Erik Rico (Fresno State) was dominant in the opening third of the ballgame, keeping Nanaimo scoreless with six strikeouts. The Cats starter wavered in the bottom of the fourth, surrendering a solo homer for the first blemish on his previously spotless ERA this season. The NightOwls took the opportunity to pummel another ball over the wall, taking a 2-0 lead by the end of the fourth inning.

BOX SCORE

The Cats had their first real offensive opportunity in the top of the seventh, moving Rohne Klein (San Jose State) over to third after a leadoff single. Nanaimo’s defenses held strong, however, and Klein was stranded to end the inning.

Victoria finally broke through in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Kade Davis, but one run was all they could muster. Nanaimo closed it out in the top of the ninth to claim a series victory in the first Island Rivalry Series of the year.

Northern Kentucky reliever Daniel Tovar was introduced to the ballgame in the fifth inning, powering through two scoreless innings before handing the ball over to Houston Tomlinson (Arkansas State). Tomlinson worked his way across the seventh and eighth, picking up a strikeout and allowing two hits in two innings.

WCL STANDINGS

With the Nanaimo series complete, the Cats will now host the Bellingham Bells in a weekend series at home, beginning Friday night at 6:35 pm.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Nanaimo Hands Cats 8-3 Loss to Tie Series

Published

2 days ago

June 25, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – The NightOwls rolled into town and squashed the HarbourCats on a warm Wednesday night, tying the series and forcing an 8-3 loss on Victoria.

Nanaimo opened the scoring early in the second game of the series, getting a couple of men on in the first inning and cashing in a run on a single up the middle to take control of the game. The visitors tacked on a couple more in their next trip to the plate, taking advantage of an eastward wind for a two-run homer to make it 3-0 in the second inning. It was the first long ball surrendered all season by Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina), and the first multi-run effort against the right-hander as well.

BOX SCORE

Retaliation came off the bat of Max Bernal (Fresno Pacific) in the bottom of the second, who fired a double straight into the gap and scored a runner from first to cut into Nanaimo’s lead. The NightOwls, however, got them right back. A ground ball caromed off two Cats in the bottom of the third inning, giving a Nanaimo baserunner time to find his way home to restore the three-run gap.

Hudson Lance worked his way through 4.2 innings, allowing seven runs on ten hits with four strikeouts. (Photo by JPM Photography)

The NightOwls rocked their second long ball of the game to lead off the top of the fifth, followed by a base hit into centre field to push their lead to 7-1 at the midway point of the ballgame. This would spell the end of Hudson Lance’s start, as the Cats tagged in Easton Reimers (North Dakota State) to finish off the inning.

Reimers locked in for a powerful performance, striking out six NightOwls in just three innings to keep the score from getting any further out of hand. Reimers was swapped out for Flynn Warren (Hawaii Pacific) in the eighth inning, who worked the final two innings for the Cats.

Matt Westley (George Mason) let fly an absolute laser over the fence for a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too little too late as Victoria fell short to Nanaimo by a score of 8-3.

WCL STANDINGS

The series comes to an end tomorrow night in Nanaimo, following which the HarbourCats will engage with the Bellingham Bells for a weekend series in Victoria.

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