The NorthPaws regular season starts with a visit from the reigning North Division Champion Victoria HarbourCats, who last year finished the year 38-15, before falling in the Championship game to the Corvallis Knights 5-0.
The ‘Paws failed to make the postseason in 2023, fighting to a 12-40 overall record.
Kamloops will have a new, yet familiar man at the helm for 2024 as 10-year MLB veteran Jose Bautista will take over as manager after spending the previous two seasons as the NorthPaws pitching coach.
NorthPaws lined up during anthems
Photo by: Allen Douglas
As the season begins Bautista will have a few familiar faces to look to on the bench including a trio of Kamloops locals in #39 Nolan Austin, #27 Manny Recchi, and #23 Matthew MacDonald. Austin and Recchi both played for the TRU WolfPack this past year with fellow returnee #6 Kolby Luckinchuk who is back for his third season with the ‘Paws, a feat only accomplished by himself and Austin. Another name that fans may remember from last season is infielder Anthony Manuel back for his second stint in Kamloops.
Bautista did note that the roster is still fluid as players arrive from their college teams and there is a possibility for more Kamloops locals to be added to the squad.
The 2024 ‘Paws will also have some international flavour on the roster which is dominated by Canadians and Americians. A trio of players from Japan, and one from the Netherlands are spending their summer in Kamloops. All four are listed as pitchers, #25 Hayato Ikeda from Kanagawa, Hideyoshi Kawahara from Tokyo, and #8 Manato Tateno from Tokyo join #4 Casper Rammeloo hailing from Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands are on the roster.
Casper Rammeloo delivers a pitch during the first inning on Wednesday
Photo by: John Hill
The home opener is sponsored by Dearborn Ford with gates opening at 5:00 p.m. and the local band Rooster entertaining the fans both before and after the game. Game day contests include a chance to win a Ford Maverick through the Dearborn Ford golden ticket promotion. There will be giveaways from Molson Coors, and Tourism Kamloops will be on hand. Kamloops’ own Dance Gallery will be making an appearance as well.
The NorthPaws are also offering fans a 10% discount on all merchandise.
UpcomingNorthPaws Schedule
Friday, May 31, 6:35 first pitch vs Victoria
Saturday, June 1, 6:35 first pitch vs Victoria
Sunday, June 2, 2:05 first pitch vs Victoria
Monday, June 3, Off-day
Tuesday, June 4, 6:35 first pitch vs Bellingham (Stingray Country Night)
Wednesday, June 5, 6:35 first pitch vs Bellingham
Thursday, June 6, *11:30 first pitch vs Bellingham (School Spirit Day) *note the start time*
TGI Friday Pack – reserved seat to all Friday regular season home games and a NorthPaws branded New Era 940SS Hat – $149.99 Weekday Warrior Pack – reserved sear to all Wednesday and Thursday home games – $139.99
Family Pack – $99 – four tickets, four non-alcoholic drinks, four hot dogs
Birthday Bundle- $299 x10 Tickets! x10 Hotdogs OR Burgers! x10 Pops! Also Includes: – Visit and photo with Homer! – Signed picture! – PA announcement during the game!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The HarbourCats are back on the hunt tomorrow night for the second of three games this week against the Elks.
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.
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.
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