Summer Collegiate

NorthPaws promote local product Riley Jepson to head coach!

Published

1 year 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 – HarbourCats, EFTC and Richardson Sport announce Harvey’s Sports Stars!

Published

1 day ago

November 29, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

The Victoria HarbourCats, in association with Richardson Sport Inc. (RSI) and the Edwards Family Training Centre (EFTC) are excited to announce the launch of Harvey’s Sports Stars!

Harvey’s Sports Stars will give children exclusive access to a professional-quality indoor turf facility and a wide range of fun, skill-building sports programs. Whether they’re swinging a bat, learning new movement skills, or high-fiving mascot Harvey the HarbourCat, Harvey’s Sports Stars will be part of a vibrant sports community that celebrates fun and teamwork, while staying active!

Families can look forward to enjoying year-round opportunities to play, connect, and make lasting memories, through exciting RSI programming inside the HarbourCats’ exciting indoor training space, located at 1821 Cook Street.

YOU’RE INVITED TO OUR KICK-OFF EVENT!

With this exciting new partnership, RSI is inviting all kids and their families to join the exciting SPORTSAPALOOZA day taking place on Sunday, November 30th from 1:30-5:30pm at the Indoor Training Facility. – the EFTC – located at 1821 Cook St.

Our Sportspalooza Day is a chance for children to jump in, meet RSI coaches, see the indoor facility, and get a sneak peak at our upcoming Harvey’s Sports Stars Programming.

During this Demo Day, children will get to:

Explore the activities we offer
Meet the coaches and see the facility
Get a feel for the environment
Discover what makes this program so engaging and confidence-building

Spaces are limited, so we highly encourage you to claim your spot as early as possible.

The Victoria HarbourCats will begin their 2026 West Coast League season in late May of 2026, with the home opener against the Edmonton Riverhawks scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

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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Summer Collegiate

Pitching Coach Gorm hits a HUGE milestone

Published

5 days ago

November 26, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

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!

Published

1 month ago

October 31, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

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 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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