Summer Collegiate

NorthPaws return home Friday for Bark at the Park night in Kamloops

Published

2 years ago

June 22, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

KAMLOOPS — The struggles continued for the Kamloops NorthPaws as they remain winless on the road this season after getting swept by the Bellingham Bells. The Paws now sit at 3-12 on the season, in the midst of a 10 game losing streak. Kamloops returns home to Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium on Friday night for Bark at the Park night to face the Edmonton Riverhawks. Edmonton sits third in the North Division at 11-7.

Game 1 –

A tough first inning but the Kamloops NorthPaws behind the eight-ball on Tuesday night as they dropped the opener 8-2.

The Bells pushed across five in the opening frame, thanks to a pair of bases-loaded walks to Gabe Henderson and Conner Smith before Anthony Kodama cleared the bases with a triple.

Dominic Guistino would fail to escape the first inning on the mound for Kamloops getting the early hook from Jose Bautista after 0.2 innings, walking 5 and allowing 5ER. Chase Taylor would come in as the first man out of the bullpen and pitch effectively over 4.1 innings, allowing just a single run to score despite Bellingham collecting 8 hits.

Ethan Stout, 2.0 innings, 2ER and catcher Jerry Nix would close out the game for Kamloops.

The Paws two runs came in the eighth inning with Oliver Mabee driving an RBI single to right and then scoring later in the inning on a passed ball.

Josh Flaugher got the win for the Bells pitching 4.0 innings, 2H, 3K, 0ER.

Game 2 –

The middle game of the three game set was a heart-breaker for the Paws looking to snap a 8 game losing streak entering play, as they dropped a 3-2 decision.

Sawyer Jensen would spin a gem on the bump for Kamloops allowing just 2ER over 7.0 innings of 4H ball.

Kamloops would score the first run of the ballgame in the third on an Alec Gomez RBI single. The Bells would respond with two of their own in the bottom half, with Jason Shedlock getting an RBI on a fielder’s choice. The second run would come across on a double steal.

The Paws would level the score at 2-2 in the eighth as Jacob French scored on a passed ball. Again the Bells would retake the lead in the bottom half as Nate Kirkpatrick singled home Noah Albanese for the winning run.

Lucas Smith took the loss for Kamloops after pitching the eighth inning.

Game 3 –

The NorthPaws would again strike first in the third and final game down in Bellingham, but five unanswered from the Bells would complete the sweep with a 5-1 win.

The lone run for Kamloops came in the second inning when Jacob Schlesselman brought home Anthony Manuel with an RBI single.

Bellingham was able to take the lead for good in the third inning, scoring three on Paws starter Kolby Luckinchuk (5IP, 5H, 3ER, 5K).

Nate Kirkpatrick led the way offensively for the Bells going 2-4 2RBI. Will Franklin earned the win giving up 1ER over 4.0 innings.

Upcoming Schedule –

Friday, June 21 vs Edmonton, first pitch 6:35 (Bark at the Park)

Saturday, June 22 vs Edmonton, first pitch 6:35

Sunday, June 23 vs Edmonton, first pitch 2:05

Monday, June 24 – Off-day

Tuesday, June 25 @ Nanaimo, first pitch 6:35

Wednesday, June 26 @ Nanaimo, first pitch 6:35

Thursday, June 27 @ Nanaimo, first pitch 6:35

For media requests –

Jenna Forter

General Manager

Kamloops NorthPaws

250-200-1415

www.northpawsbaseball.ca

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Four HarbourCats Representing Victoria at WCL All-Star Game

Published

47 mins ago

July 9, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – We’re less than a week out from the Showpass 2026 West Coast League All-Star Festival presented by Canadian Club, and four ballplayers have been selected to represent the HarbourCats among the league’s best. David Krahn, Matt Westley, Erik Rico, and Jeremiah Arnett have all been crucial parts of the HarbourCats roster this year, and the four of them will suit up for the North Division in the 2026 WCL All-Star Game.

David Krahn is in the midst of an impressive debut season with the HarbourCats, and his stats show exactly why he’s been named an All-Star. The UBC second-baseman has showed consistent contact and crackling power at the plate this season, ranking third league-wide in hits (43) and second in home runs (7). Krahn brings more than just a reliable bat to the Cats, though – he’s a spark plug for the team as well.

“Energy and talent,” is head coach Todd Haney’s simple reply when asked about what Krahn brings to the table. “You need a guy with that kind of energy, and he brings that every night.”

Matt Westley, hailing from Manassas, Virginia, has been the other half of a lethal one-two punch at the top of the lineup, alongside David Krahn. Westley’s contact ability is undeniable – he has the second-most hits in the entire WCL this year with 46, and has been a mainstay at the number two spot in the lineup in recent weeks. The third-baseman also shows off flashes of brilliance in the hot corner, making those long throws across the infield look easy and making some spectacular diving plays that leave Cats fans stunned.

Jeremiah Arnett is arguably the toughest pitcher to face in the entire WCL this summer. The calm, cool, and collected Texan has allowed just seven runs in 29 innings, and leads the league in strikeouts with 41. Clearly some excellent stuff on display, but Arnett is entirely focused on improving further.

“He’s an All-Star for a reason,” says Haney on the Rice University starter, “He’s here to get better and work on his craft. Obviously he has talent, there’s no doubt about it, but he’s here for all the right reasons.

Erik Rico has been the stuff of hitters’ nightmares this season. The Fresno State right-hander is just one strikeout behind his teammate Arnett for the league lead, but he’s amassed 40 K’s in just 22 innings. That strikeout prowess combined with a staggering 1.23 makes for little mystery why Rico was an easy choice for the All-Star roster.

Don’t miss these four superstars and the rest of the WCL’s brightest when the Showpass 2026 West Coast League All-Star Festival comes to town next week!

GET YOUR ALL-STAR TICKETS BEFORE THEY ARE GONE! Tickets for the 2026 WCL All-Star Home Run Derby (featuring former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar) and the West Coast League All Star Game on July 14-15 are selling fast. Get yours today! Each event is now on sale separately, or grab the package deal for both and save a few bucks at http://harbourcats.com/tickets! Or call the office at 778-265-0327 to order by phone.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Pitching Shuts Down Elks to Clinch Series

Published

14 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – Victoria’s pitching staff put on a show tonight in a 5-0 shutout over the visiting Bend Elks.

The Cats got the engine running early in game two, driving in the first run of the game on a Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) double in the bottom of the second inning. Second-year HarbourCat Logan Shepherd (Mercer) kept it rolling the very next inning, crushing his second homer of the year to double the lead.

BOX SCORE

Starting pitcher Jeremiah Arnett (Rice) put on an absolute clinic on the mound in his sixth start of the year. The Waco, Texas product went six innings and struck out 11 (yes, 11) Elks while only giving up two hits. No wonder he’s a WCL All-Star.

Arnett’s excellent start laid the groundwork for a robust Cats win. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria honoured an impressive start by widening the lead further in the bottom of the sixth. After Rohne Klein (San Jose State) found his way on base on a fielder’s choice, high-contact outfielder Tristan Buehring (Whitman) squeaked a single through the infield to drive him in. A Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD) double kept the line moving and brought Buehring home to make it 4-0.

Right-handed reliever Will Zielinski came into the game in the top of the seventh and picked up right where Arnett left off. The Victoria local hit the ground running out of the bullpen, striking out the side in 15 pitches. Zielinski wasn’t done there, though, as he picked up two more strikeouts in the eighth before giving way to Jake Rafferty (Tacoma CC) to close out a shutout win.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats will go for the sweep over the Elks in the final game of the series at 6:35 pm on Thursday night!

Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games 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.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Stun Elks with Thunderous 18-5 Victory

Published

2 days ago

July 8, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats welcomed the Bend Elks to Victoria this evening with a monumental 18-5 takeover to start the series off right.

Although the Elks opened the scoring with a single to centre field in the top of the second, the Cats answered back quickly in the bottom half of the frame. With runners on the corners and nobody out, Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD) dug in for a sacrifice fly, driving in Rohne Klein (San Jose State) from third and tying the game at one apiece.

BOX SCORE

Cats starter and freshly-crowned All-Star Erik Rico (Fresno State) called it a night after three solid innings of work. Rico allowed one run and struck out seven to push his league-leading strikeout count to 40. Flynn Warren (Hawaii Pacific) filled the gap for the fourth, striking out two before letting one batter get away and surrendering a two-run homer. The New Zealand product eventually got the final out he needed, but not before the Elks took a 3-1 lead.

Erik Rico’s league-leading 40 strikeouts are just part of the reason he was selected as a WCL All-Star. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Warren returned for the fifth and gave up a solo homer, but that was the only damage sustained before the Cats defence returned to the dugout down by three.

Victoria finally found some contact in the bottom of the fifth, putting runners on the corners with nobody out once again. A Bend throwing error allowed a run to come in, but a big baserunning mistake by the Cats led to the Elks getting two outs on the play as well.

Inning the sixth showed yet more promise for the HarbourCats, as a couple of early base knocks made it – stop me if you’ve heard this before – runners on the corners with nobody out. The home side continued to put wood on the baseball, eventually bringing in five runs on base hits from Rohne Klein, Tristan Buehring (Whitman), and WCL All-Star David Krahn (UBC). Unsatisfied with a one-run lead, Matt Westley (George Mason) stepped up to the plate with two outs and banished a baseball to the great unknown, busting the game wide open with a three-run homer to make it 10-5.

Matt Westley’s home run was a back-breaker for the Elks. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Patience was the name of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Elks walked the bases loaded and bounced a pitch in front of the plate that allowed Jacob Silva (UTSA) to score. Tristan Buehring followed that up with an RBI single, and David Krahn obliterated his seventh homer of the season. 15-5 for the Cats with two innings to go.

The Cats kept the pressure on, adding a Rohne Klein homer for good measure before Spencer Kratt closed out a three-inning relief appearance, securing a much-needed blowout win for the good guys.

WCL STANDINGS

The HarbourCats are back on the hunt tomorrow night for the second of three games this week against the Elks.

Source